Couerdale I answere By youre owne wordes then it foloweth not that he was bounde to accuse and cōdemne himselfe of the thinges that he had not offended in But by youre leue where as ye bring in this text of S. Paul Si nos ipsos et cetera ye peruerte it not alledginge it as it standeth but thus Si nos ipsos iudicaremus non vtique diiudicaremur a Domino That is to saie Yf we iudged oure selues we shulde not be iudged of the lorde But. S Pauls wordes are these Quod si nos ipsos diiudicaremus non vtique iudicaremur Dum iudicamur autem a Domino corripimur ne cum hoc mundo damnemur That is to saie Yf we wolde iudge or reproue oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whan we are iudged we are chastened of the lorde lest we shulde be damned with this worlde Wherfore the peruerting of this texte now at the first bront causeth me the more to suspecte you and to trust you the worse because the deuell himselfe is scolemaster to such chopping vp of the texte As we maie se in the gospell of Mathew and Luke Now go to Yf I finde anie moo such iugling castes with you ye are like to heare of it afore I come to the ende of your boke For weaknesse and ignoraunce can I well awaie withall so longe as it is not wilfull but the peruerting or choppinge vp of a text of holy scripture is not to be borne vnrebuked Standishe Marke here how he vseth Ironia et cetera Couerdale Ye confesse that D. Barnes in his forsaide wordes doth vse ironia and yet contrary to the significacion of the worde ye are not ashamed to affirme that he confessed herewithall both heresie and erroneous opinions Now is ironia asmuch to saie as a mockage derision or meaning of another thinge then is expressed in the wordes Which maner of speakynge is much vsed not onely thorow out the Prophetes in holy scripture but also among the Heithen Poetes And the same phrase of speche haue we in Englische As whan a man saieth to ashrewde boie Come hither good sir ye are a vertuous childe in dede et cete meaninge nothinge lesse For asmuch then as ye your selfe cōfesse that D. Barnes doth here vse ironia it is euidēt that whan he saide these wordes You shall perceaue what erroneous opynions I holde his meaninge was how that the people shulde know that he helde no erroneous opinions As it appeareth by these his wordes folowinge Barnes GOd I take to recorde I neuer to my knowlege taught any erroneous doctrine but onely those thinges which scripture led me vnto Standishe Iustly pondre by the Prophet Psal cxl how greuous offence is partinax excusatio in peccatis et cet Couerdale Like as ye can not iustly laie anie partinacite to D. Barnes for those his wordes so proue ye the greuousnesse therof full slenderly out of the cxl Psalme yf the true readinge of the text be wel and iustly pondred Where as he taketh god to recorde in the trueth of so waightye a matter the scripture is full of holy ensamples that beare him therin What partinacite is there then in that acte He durst avowe also that to his knowlege he neuer taught anie erroneous doctrine and yet are ye not ashamed to ascrybe partinacite vnto him and to call him an obstinate heretike where as S. Hierome in his fourth boke the xxiiij chapter vpon Mathew writeth thus He is an heretike that vnder Christes name teacheth the thinges which are agaynst Christ Yf. D. Barnes therfore had wittingly and willingy taught anye thing against Christ ye might haue laied great partinacite to his charge Trueth it is that he beinge in ignoraunce and disceaued somtime by a multitude as you be did both erre and teach erroneous doctrine for the preferrement of the. B. of Romes vsurped auctorite and other abuses acording as many other lerned men moo in the realme haue done which haue sens both repēted toward god and also receaued the Kynges gracious pardon many yeares agoo Againe yf ye will laie partinacite to his charge because he was somtime in such grosse ignoraunce by the same argument might ye condemne Christes disciples of whose ignoraunce mencion is made in many places of the new Testament I saie not this to excuse ignoraunce but to reprehende the rashnesse of youre iudgment which presume to condemne them whō god hath called to repentaunce But peraduenture the pertinacite that ye laye to his charge is because he saieth he taught onely those thinges which scripture led him vnto For that is no small corsie to youre sore Ye wolde not haue scripture taught onely without other doctrines Neuertheles they that loue gods commaundement will teach nothinge but his worde onely for so hath he himselfe geuen cōmission Of his promises is mencion made both in Hieremie and in the gospell of Matthew As for ensamples we haue sufficiēt both of the Prophetes and Apostles which to die for it wold teach nothinge but scripture Reade the thirtēth chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fiftenth to the Romaines and the moost godly protestacion that S. Peter maketh in his seconde Epistle Let us geue place and cōsente to the holy scripture saieih S. Augustine for it can nether disceaue ner be disceaued The bisshoppes also and clergie of England in the Epistle of their boke to the Kynges grace do affirme that holy scripture alone sheweth men the right path to come to god to se him to knowe him to loue him to serue him and so to serue him as he moost desireth Wherfore they are rather obstinate agaynst god which in steade of his onely worde preach and teach other doctrines But let us heare what D. Barnes saieth more Barnes And that in my sermons I neuer mayntayned any erroure nether moued ner gaue occasion of anye insurrection Standish What blyndnesse wolde he leade us in to Who hath not heard him preach agaynst all the ordinaunce of Christes church et cete Couerdale As for blindnesse ye nede no leader to bring you in to it oure lorde whan his will is bringe you out of it This man toke god to recorde that he neuer mainteined anye erroure Wherby like as he denied not but that he might erre as he did erre grosly whan he lyued in the Papistry euen so lefte he us an ensample to forsake all errours and to maynteyne none Call ye this a leadinge in to blyndnesse Then farewell all good ensamples of humilite and repentaunce To the other parte of youre cauillacion I answere It wolde be to longe a registre for you to rehearce the names of all those which neuer heard D Barnes preach agaynst the ordinaunce of Christes church I also am one of them which haue heard him as oft as euer dyd ye and yet as I hope to haue my parte of gods mercy in Christes bloude I neuer heard
whether Paul and you agree and whether ye haue iugled with the texte or no. For I feare me we shall fynd that ye haue played another false cast euen with this same poore texte The wordes of the Apostle are these Yf we wolde iudge or reproue oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whyle we are iudged we are chastened of the lorde lest we shulde be damned with this worlde These are S. Pauls wordes Afore in another place of youre treatise ye bring in this texte for another purpose namely to proue that D. Barnes ought to haue accused and condemned himselfe And now forgetfull what ye sayd afore or els wilfull blind as it semeth ye alledge the same text to proue that euery man must satisfye for the punishment belonginge vnto sinne Thus make ye of gods holy scripture a shipmans hose wresting and wringing it to what purpose ye will Verely such peruerting of the scripture can ye not vse without your awne damnacion excepte ye amende yf S. Peter be true The Apostle shewing the Corinthians the true institucion of oure lordes holy supper and the right vse therof cōcludeth with these wordes sayenge Let a man examen himselfe and so let him eate of this bred and drinke of this cuppe For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion because he discerneth not the lordes body from other meates Therfore are many weake and sick amonge you and many slepe For yf we iudged oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whyle we be iudged we are chastened of the lord lest we shuld be damned with this worlde Wherfore my brethren whan ye come together to eate tary one for another et cet By the circumstaunce then of this chapter it is euident that these wordes of the Apostle extende to the right vse of the holy sacrament teachinge us that afore we come to the lordes boorde we ought first to iudge to trie to proue and to examen oure selues in what case we stonde towarde god and oure neghboure consideringe that it is no childish playe ner a thing lightly to be regarded but a most waightie and ernest matter concernynge oure saluacion the glory of god and edifienge of the worlde And whan we haue duely and vnfaynedly tryed oure selues by cōparinge oure whole conuersacion both inward and outward to the iust commaundementes of god and by occasion therof haue hartely knowleged and confessed oure synnes beynge sory and penitent for them beleuynge stedfastly in the promises of god receaued the absolucion of his worde entred in to true repentaunce and ernest amendment of oure liuinge beinge reconciled and at one with all men purposinge without fayle so to contynue till oure lyfes ende Then to come and suppe with the lorde This is now the thing that S. Paul teacheth in this chapter and proueth here no such article as ye go aboute Therfore do ye wrong to the texte in wrestinge it to this sense that euery man must satisfye for the punishment belonginge vnto synne By the which youre doctrine like as ye robbe Christ of his worshippe deface the merites and frute of his death and set euery man in Christes rowme Euen so doth your saide article cōdemne euery man For like as Christ onely satisfied his heauēly father for oure sinnes and for the punishmēt due to the same Euen so yf we shulde not auoide the eternall paine of hel which is the second death and rewarde of sin̄e till we made satisfactiō for it oure selues we shulde contynue still in the wrath of god and so be damned for euer Standishe And to proue this satisfaction the wordes of I baptist Matth. iij. be very stronge et cete Couerdale Be these wordes bringe forth the worthy frutes of pennaūce asmuch to say as Ye must satisfye for the punishment due vnto synne Prately well expounded of you O shamelesse controllers of the holy goost Will ye make Iohn the baptist contrary to himselfe Doth he not saie manifestly in another place Who so beleueth on the sonne of god hath euerlastinge life And what is it els to haue euerlasting life but to escape the eternall and seconde death euen euerlasting damnacion and punishment due vnto synne Which as ye confesse youre selfe we do auoyde thorow Christ Why do ye then wrest the scripture to your awne purpose But one question will I aske you who speaketh the wordes which are written in the Prophet Osee saienge From the hand of death will I deliuer them from death will I redeme them O death I will be thy death O hell I wilbe thy stinge Finde me now anie creature in heauen or in erth that maie of himselfe verefie and pronounce these wordes of Christes personne and I shall graunt that he maie make satisfaction for the punishment due vnto sinne which as this text declareth is eternall death and hell Els yf there be but one Iesus one sauyoure one destroyer of damnacion and hell then shall he verely haue my poore voyce to be called also as he is in dede the onely satisfier for the punishment due vnto synne aswell as he is the satisfier for sinne it selfe As for the wordes of Iohn the baptist they proue euydently that whan men conuerte vnto god as those Pharises pretended to do at the baptime of Iohn then shall do it vnfainedly and not to be ypocrites still ner to leane to their olde leuē but to bringe forth the worthy frutes of repentaunce wherof he nameth parte in the thirde of Luke to the people and speaketh of no such satisfactiō as you fayne But Remembre that ye haue named fasting prayer and allmes dedes to be the frutes of pennaunce for I feare me ye will denye it agayne anone whan we come to Cornelius the captaine Standishe Fructus .ii. dignus penitentia est opus restaurans ea et cet Couerdale There are some of you that call us English doctours for writinge so much in English as though in the vnderstondinge of other tonges we were inferiours to you but now ye make us youre English interpreters for putting us to the payne to English the wordes which ye wrappe vp in latyn from the vnderstondinge of the people For the worthy frute of pennaunce saie ye is a worke amendinge those thinges wherof the pennaunce is that is repayringe such thinges as it repenteth us to haue left vndone or to haue committed and this is it that we call satisfaction for sinnes That to bringe forth the worthy frutes of pennaunce is asmuch as to amende wherin so euer we haue thought or done amisse I graunt for the scripture aloweth the same But where as ye call that the satisfaction to god for sinnes ye speake it not out of the mouth of the lorde Againe Ye saide afore that no man can satisfie for the offence and now ye call the frute of pennaunce the satisfactiō for sinnes Is not euery offence sinne Lord god what hold is
A confutacion of that treatise which one John Standish made agaynst the protestacion of D. Barnes in the yeare M. D. XL. Wherin the holy scriptures peruerted and wrested in his sayd treatise are restored to their owne true vnderstonding agayne by Myles Couerdale Iacobi iij. Nolite gloriari mendaces esse aduersus ueritatem To the Reader To all them that either reade or heare gods holy worde and geue ouer them selues to lyue vnfannedly acording to the same do I hartely wysshe the grace peace and mercy of god the father in and thorow oure lorde and onely Sauioure Iesus Christ THe seuenth daye of Decembre was delyuered vnto me a certayne treatyse composed by one Iohn Standish Felow of Whittington college in londoÌ„ so is the tytle of it and prynted by Robert Redeman Anno M. D. XL. iij. Nonas Octobris At the reading wherof I mourned sore within my selfe for certayne occasions offred vnto me in the sande treatyse First that vnder the Kynges priuilege any thing shuld be set forth which is either agaynst the worde and trueth of allmightye god or agaynst the Kynges honoure Secondlye that good wholsome and Christen wordes shulde be calumpniated and reuyled Thirdly that the sayde Iohn Standish pronouncyng Doctoure Barnes to haue taught heresye so longe is not ashamed all this whyle to haue hold his penne but now first to wryte agaynst him whan he is deed et ce As touching the first whether I haue cause to mourne or no I reporte me to all true Christen hertes for as I am credibly enfourmed and as I partly haue sene there is now a wonderful diuersite in writing bokes and balates in England one enueyenge agaynst another one reuylinge and reprouyng another one reioysinge at anothers fall and aduersite And not onely this but also at the ende of euery balate or boke in maner whether it be the better partye or worse is set the Kynges priuilege Which as it is agaynst the glorye of god that one shulde reuyle another Is it not euen so agaynst the Kynges honoure Yee the shame is it of all Englande that vnder his priuilege anye erroneous contentious or slaunderous boke or papyre shulde be prynted Men wonder in other contrees that ther is so greate negligence of this matter in a realme where so wyse and prudent a counsail is â–ª And they that are moued with godly compassioÌ„ do lament Englande sory that ther is so great discencion in it sory that blasphemous ieasting and raylinge balates or bokes agaynst the manifest worde of god shulde either be suffred or priuilegied sory that gods trueth shulde thus spitefully be intreated of so greate a nombre Now the reformacion of this and all other defaultes lyeth onely in the hande of god To whom I referre it and to the rightfull admynistracion of his holy ordinauÌ„ce and auctorite in the kynges hyghnesse who whan he knoweth of the saide inconuenience how tryflinge and raylinge bokes and rymes are prynted vnder his priuilege wyll no doubte set a redresse herein Concernyng the seconde occasion aboue rehearced Is it not cause ynough forme and all other Christen to be right sory to mourne and lamente that the wordes which are good wholsome and acordinge to the holy scripture and Chrisies faith shulde be either blasphemed or taken to the worst Yf the Kynges grace shulde put forthe an wholsome proclamacion iniunction or commaundement as he doth many what true subiecte louynge gods holy ordinaunce and auctorite in his prynce wold not be greue to se anye man either spytt at those his soueraignes wordes or to defye them Yf we now which are Christen haue so iust occsion and are bownde to be thus wise mynded in this outward regiment wherein god hath appoynted us to be obedient to the hyer powers how much more cause haue we to water our eyes with sory hertes whan the proclamacion iniunction coÌ„maundement and worde of him which is kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes is thus reuyled and euell spoken of That the wordes of D. Barnes spoken at tbe houre of his death and here vnder written are good wholsome acording to gods holy scripture and not worthy to be euell taken It shalbe euidently sene whan we haue layed theÌ„ to the twych stone and tryed them by gods worde To the open text wherof yf ye take good hede ye shal se the peruerse doctryne and wycked opynions of Standish clerely confuted And no doubte god wyll so haue it because that vnder the pretence of bearing a zeale toward gods worde he taketh apon him to be iudge and geuer of sentence agaynst gods worde and to condemne it that gods worde aloweth And this as I sayde is another cause of the sorynesse of my hert that he which darre auowe another man to be an opeÌ„ heretike is not ashamed thus longe nether to haue written ner openly preached agaynst him by name but now to starte vp whan he is deed Is it not a greate worshippe for him to wrestle with a shadow and to â—â—ll a deed man Is he not a worthy souldyer that all the battayll tyme thrusteth his hand in his bosome and whan meÌ„ are deed then draweth out his swerde and fighteth with them that are slayne allreadye Iudge ye gentle readers yf Standish playeth not such a parte with D. Barnes To whom also he imputeth treason and yet proueth neuer a poynte therof agaynst him Yet were it as charitable a dede to confute all treason and to geue us warnynge of it by name as either to establishe false doctryne or to enueye agaynst good sayenges Yee a Christen and charitable acte were it in reprouyng anye traytoure to tell the Kynges subiectes in what thing he committed the treason that they maye beware of the same But thus doth not Standishe here in this his treatise which because it is buylded on sande and on a false foundacioÌ„ I doubte not but with gods worde which is the swerde of the sprete and a weapen mighty to ouerthrow euery ymaginacion that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knowlege of god To geue it a fall and with holy scripture to shewe euydently that Standishe hath farre ouershott himselfe in condemnynge the sayenges which gods word doth not disalowe He that wolde wryte agaynst anye man shulde leuell his ordinaunce agaynst his euell wordes yf he had spoken or written anye and not agaynst his good wordes ffor god is the authoure of all good which as his holy scripture aloweth so will he himselfe defende the same He that is therfore an enemye to the thinge which is good or resisteth it is gods aduersary and withstondeth him Wherfore let Standish froÌ„ hensforth and all other beware that they take no parte agaynst gods worde ner defende any false matter lest god be the auenger ffor yf the lyon begynne to roare he will make all his enemies afrayed And yf D. Barnes dyed a true Christen man be ye sure his death shalbe a greater
euery man in his callynge to geue no occasion of fallinge vnto eny man to mortifye their erthly membres et cet acording to the wholsome doctrine of the Apostle Call ye this a preaching of a fleshly and carnall libertye Is this a doctrine that maketh men renne at ryote and to do what they list I wondre verely that ye shame not thus to belye the trueth so oft As pertayninge to youre blasphemye whiche saie that it is a damnable iustificacioÌ„ where faith is preached onely to iustifye it is damnably spoken of you yee though an aungell of heauen shuld speake it yf holy S. Paul be true which saieth he ought to be holden accursed that preacheth any other gospell then that he himselfe and the other Apostles had preached Yf ye of a cancred hatred to the trueth haue not wilfully and maliciously taken parte agaynst the holy goost so that ye are but led ignorauntly by a blind multitude to affirme the saide inconuenience I praie god lende you a clearer fight in the Kyngdone of Christ But yf ye be mynded as were the Pharises and maliciously ascribe damnacion to it wherby onely we receaue saluacion as they ascribed vnto the deuell it that was the onely workynge of the holy goost then am I sore afrayed for you and for as many as are of that mynde For yf it be damnable to teach or preach wittingly agaynst the expresse worde of god then verely is this a damnable heresye to affirme that faith onely doth not iustifye seynge that holy scripture so teacheth As Gene. xv Esa liij Abac. ij Mar. xvj Luc. j. viij.xxiiij Iohn v. xvij Acto xiij xvj· Rom. iij. iiij.v.x Gal. ij iij.iiij.v Philip. iij.j. Pet. j. ij Heb. iiij xj Of this faith that scripture speaketh of so plentifully haue I made sufficient mencion in the prologe of that litle boke which I lately put forth in Englische concernynge the true olde faith of Christ Now like as the scriptures afore alledged do testifye for us that we meane no false ner vayne faith euen so is the same article of iustificacion defended and maynteyned by the doctous in many and sondrye places specially by S. Augustine in the ccclij chapter de vera innocentia De verbis Domini sermone .xl. De verbis Apostoli ser xxvij In the boke of the fiftye sermons the xvij sermon In the first boke of the retractes the xxiij chapter In the cv Epistle vnto Sixtus the bisshoppe In the xxv treatise vpon Iohn the sixte chapter In his manualle the xxij and xxiij chapter In the exposicion of the lxvij and of the lxx Psalme In the liij sermon de tempore In the v boke of his homelis the xvij homelye In the boke of the lxxxiij questions the lxvj chapter And in the prologe of the xxxj Psalme I might alledge Cyrillus Ambrose Origen Hilarius Bernarde Athanasius with other moo but what helpeth it Yet shall all the world know that youre heresye is not onely condemned by the open and manifest scripture but also by many of the doctours As for naturall reason it fighteth clerely agaynst you also yf ye pondre well the parable of the mariage in the xxij of Matthew and in the xiiij of luke the parable of the vnthriftie sonne in the xv of Luke the parable also of the detter in the xviij oâ— Matthew and in the seuenth of Luke Where as it was laied to D. Barnes charge how that he shulde teach that god is the authour of synne verely he protested openly at S. Mary spitle the tewesdaye in easter weke that he was neuer of that mynde howbeit he confessed as the trueth is that where as in his boke he had wrytten of predestinacion and fre will ther was occasion taken of him by his writynge that he shulde so meane But verely yf he had in that matter bene as circuÌ„specte as the children of this worlde are wyse in their generacion he might the better haue auoided the capciousnesse of men afore hand Neuertheles it appeareth planely that he mistrusted no such thing and therfore dyd to moch simplicite disceaue him in that behalfe as it doth many moo which are not so wyse as serpentes Nether fynde ye in all his boke these wordes God is the authoure of synne but ye maie fynde these wordes The gouerner of al thinges is most wise moost rightous and most merciful and so wyse that nothinge that he doth can be amended so righteous that there can be no suspicion in him of vnrighteousnesse et cet â–ª Item All thing that he doth is well done Whâ—â—fore yf they that laied that heresye to D. Barnes charge had remembred their owne distinction of malum pene and malum culpe at the reading of his wordes aswell as they can note it in other places they might easely haue perceaued his meanynge and not haue mistaken him Ye saye also D. Barnes dyd preach that workes do not profit Yf ye meane workes inuented by mens owne braynes not grounded on gods worde then verely might he well saye that such workes do not profit to saluacion For what soeuer is not of faith is sinne But yf ye meane such good workes as are coÌ„prehended in the coÌ„maundementes of god and within the precyncte of his word then truly ye fayle so to reporte of him for though saluacion be gods worke onely yet D. Barnes in his boke doth not onely condemne the fleshly and damnable reason of them which saye Yf faith onely iustifieth what nede we to do anye good workes et cet But also he affirmeth planely that we must nedes do them and that they which will not do theÌ„ because they be iustified alonely by faith are not the children of god ner childrne of iustificacion et ce For yf they were the very true children of god they wolde be the gladder to do good workes et cet Therfore saieth he shulde they also be moued frely to worke yf it were for none other purpose ner profit but onely to do the will of their merciful god that hath sâ—â—â—ely iustified them and also to profit their neghboure whoÌ„ they are bounde to serue of very true charite Are these wordes now asmuch to saye as workes do not profit Lorde god what meane ye thus vntruly to reporte of the deed Where as ye make this blynde obiection and saye of workes profit not so that faith onely iustifieth and Christes death be sufficient then penÌ„aunce is voyde and superfluous I answere A goodly consequent gathered nether of wittye sophistry wyse logyek ner of good Philosophy excepte it be of Philosophy vnnatural no ner of right diuynite Workes profit not to saluation ergo they profit nothing at all Is this a praty consequent Youre consequent is naught saieth S. Peter for by good workes must ye make your vocacion certayne and sure Alike argumeÌ„t might ye make after this maner and saye Yron is not profitable to chew or
And now come ye in with somtime Agayne Ye saide afore that the satisfaction must be acording to the qualite of the offence and now ye saie that the punishment due vnto sinne must be pourged with a worthy satisfactiō Now is it manifest that vnworthinesse is a qualite of euery offence for all faultes are vnworthy thinges wherfore by youre awne confession it foloweth that the paine due vnto the same must be satisfied with an vnworthy satisfaction And verely so I take it for vnworthy is it what so euer a man of his owne braine inuenteth without some sure ground of gods worde Standishe And this is signified by that of the Prophet Ioel et cet Couerdale The wordes of the Prophet though ye choppe them very short are these Now therfore saieth the lorde Be ye turned vnto me in your whole hert in fasting weping and mourning And rent your hertes and not your clothes and be ye turned to the lorde your god for he is gracious and pitefull long suffringe and of great mercy and will be intreated as touchinge sinne et cet Doth this text now signifie that after the fault is forgeuē there remaineth somtyme a duetie of punishment to be pourged with a worthy satisfaction Is this your iudgment in scripture O shameles beliers of the open and manifest text Standish Now yf you saie Esay Cap. liij saieth our sauyoure bare oure sinnes on him et cete Couerdale Of a trueth saieth the Prophet he hath taken awaie oure sorowes and he himselfe hath borne oure paines et cet The correction of oure attonement was laied vpon him et cet These are the wordes of Esaie which as they are manifest and plaine so do not you truly rehearce them as they stand and yet can ye not denie but that yf we conforme oure selues vnto Christ then hath he satisfied for us moost abundauntly To what poynt now haue ye brought your former doctryne of satisfaction Verely euen to this poynt that Christ hath taken awaye their sorowes and paynes yee and borne the correction of their attonement which conforme them selues vnto him For all this your confession yet denie ye the trueth agayne and saye that he deliuered us not from all payne satisfactory Now saieth the Prophet that he toke away our sorowes and paynes What payne satisfactory then is there that he hath not deliuered us from Yf it be oure payne then saieth Esay Christ hath borne it But peraduenture ye do meane some payne of your owne Ye seme to be yet dreaming of your painfull purgatory for yf ye conformed youre selfe to Christ and to his doctryne ye shulde be persuaded and certified in your conscience euen by the same chapter of Esay that Christ hath aswell satisfied his heauenly father for the paine due vnto your sinne as for your sinne itselfe Standishe For yf he had so done we shuld nether mourne et cete Couerdale Ye saie that yf Christ had deliuered us from all paine satisfactory we shulde nether mourne ner be penitent for oure offence committed against god ner we nede not to mortifie our fleshe O damnable heresie And are ye one of the authours therof Are ye one of the destroiers of pennaunce of conuerting to god and of mortifienge the flesh But as touchinge such another like vngodly consequent I haue talked somwhat with you afore All the worlde therfore shall knowe that ye are the teachers of such pestilēt doctrine and not we Behold now how vnsure ye are of your selfe Ye saie that yf Christ had deliuered us from all paine satisfactory we shulde nether mourne ner be penitent for our sinne ner mortifie oure flesh And yet ye confessed afore that thorow Christ we auoide and escape eternall death which likewise by your owne confession is the paine due vnto sinne How stond your wordes now tegether Where as ye condemne your owne peruerse doctrine by the sixte chapter to the Romaynes it were sufficient to deliuer you from suspicion yf ye did bide therby But that do ye recante and fall to youre vomite againe saienge Standishe But we shulde with their fleshly libertie haue a ioyfull pennaunce full of myrth Couerdale Your doctrine is that yf Christ had taken awaie the paine due vnto your sinne ye shuld not repent for your sinnes but folowe your owne fleshly libertie et ce Wher by ye declare your self to be still of that rotten opinion which ye defended afore Now where as ye reporte of us that oure pennaunce is with a fleshly libertie I answere Euē as by your former wordes ye proue your self to be one of their nombre which saie Let us do euell that good maie come therof Let us continue in sinne that there maie be abundaunce of grace Let us sinne because we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Euen so Isaie do ye declare your selfe to be one of them that speake euell of us and reporte us to be the affirmers of youre wicked wordes As though we were they that exhorted men to a fleshly libertye or not to lyue in vertue and good works Now god is the tru iudge who as he abhorreth all liers euen so referre I all vengeaunce to him for it is his office by right But in the meane season till all falshode be discloised oure ernest watching and labourynge for youre saluacion the poore life which we leade in this world and the frutes of oure good wil that grow in youre owne gardens for all youre wedes shall testifie somwhat with us also agaynst your euell tonges And god which is able to restore the blind to their sight shall lende men eyes to se and vnderstonding to discerne whether the doctryne and open worde of god which we teach wold haue men to liue after ther awne lustes Or whether your doctrine which is of mens inuenting be not rather cause of all wickednesse robbing men of their wittes and makynge them to renne at riote from gods word from his ordinaunce from his commaundementes from his promises and from the most vertuous ensamples of gods children Now as touchinge oure pennaunce Ye wold make the worlde beleue that whan we speake therof we meane some moris daunce some such delicate bancketting as is among the vngodly some vnlaufull chambringe some such excesse of eatinge and drynkynge as god amende it is comonly vsed in the world Againe your doctrine is that repentaunce shulde be without ioye And oure beleue is that yf the holy goost and the true faith of Christ go together then like as repentaunce proceadeth of faith so is the ioye of Christen men a frute of the holy goost as the Apostle saieth Thus also to be mery and ioyfull are we taught by the scripture Hiere ix.j. Cor. j.ij. Cor. xj Rom. v.viij. Math. v. Luce. x. Shall we thē be sory because god hath done so much for us For oure sinnes and trespaces we wilbe sory and mourne though whan we fast we rent not oure garmentes ner
vpon him The xviij of Matthew is euidēt hat who so euer conuerteth from his sinne all mightie god will not that he shall perishe Item that like as all true penitent sinners haue their det frely forgeuen them so shall they be partakers of the same forgeuenesse still yf they will hartely do vnto other as they are dealt withall them selues These places of scripture though ye tell not forth the wordes are of your owne alledging and yet are ye not ashamed to write yee euen of penitentes that none of their sinnes shalbe vnpunished Now is it manifest in the said chapter of Ezechiel that like as god will not rewarde their good dedes that forsake him and turne awaye agayne to their vomite of wickednesse So will he not thincke vpon their sinnes that truly conuerte therfrom vnto him Yet call ye them happie that punishe them selues and take vpon them to be satisfactours in that behalfe As though it were a blessed thinge for men to laie crosses vpon their owne backes Thus by your iudgment were Baals prestes happie and the ypocrites that the Prophet Esaie speaketh of O disceatfull teachers Full well might the Prophet saie vnto gods people of England in this behalfe O my people they that call the happie do but disceaue the and marre the waie that thou shuldest go in Now let us heare more of D. Barnes wordes Barnes ANd that no worke of man dyd deserue any thing of god but onely his passion as touching our iustificacion Standishe This maner of iustificacion planely appeareth to be false euen by that one place yf we had no mo of Cornelius Acto x. et cet Couerdale The wordes of the text are these There was at Cesarea a man named Cornelius a captayne of the Italianish company a deuoute man and one that feared god with all his house and gaue much allmes to the people and praied god alwaie The text saieth in ordre first that Cornelius was a deuoute man and feared god with all his house and then speaketh it of his good workes as allmes praier et cet Wherby it is manifest that he himself was first accepted of god and iustified for as S. Peter saieth afterward in the same chapter god hath no respecte of personnes but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted vnto him And as the Prophet saieth The straungers gentiles or Heithen which cleue vnto the lorde in worshippinge him and louing his name are accepted vnto him as his owne seruauntes Againe The scripture saieth They that feare the lord geue credence to his worde And without faith it is not possible to please god Item what so euer is not of faith is sinne By this is it manifest that those good workes of Cornelius were frutes of his faith and of the feare of god and he iustified afore he dyd them Ye confessed also afore that fastinge prayer and allmes dedes are the frutes of pennaunce then must ye nedes graunt that the tre was afore them This text then proueth not that oure iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion ner that Cornelius workes deserued much of allmightie god afore he was iustified For as I shall rehearce afterwarde ye confesse your selfe not onely that we are iustified frely but also that god first geueth us grace without which we can do nothing that is good Standish As did the worke of Kyng Ezechie iiij Re. xx et cet Couerdale Your purpose is by the ensample of Ezechias to proue that oure workes deserue much of allmightie god afore we be iustified And that worke of Ezechias which ye alledge was done long after his iustificaciō For the texte saieth that whan he laie sore sicke the Prophet Esay came to him and tolde him the message of god And that he thē made his feruēt praier and wepte After the which god sent him word that he had heard his praier and sene his teares et cet And afore in the same boke it is euident that the same Kyng Ezechias dyd the thing that was good in the sight of the lorde acording as his father Dauid had done put his trust in the lorde god of Israel et cet cleued vnto the lord went not out of his pathes but dyd acording to all the preceptes that god had commaunded Moses and therfore saieth the texte was the lorde with him in all that he toke in hand Wherfore by the circumstaunce of the text it is manifest that Ezechias was iustified afore he laie sicke and that his praier was a worthy frute of his repētaunce long after he was iustified and no worke that deserued anye thing afore his iustificacion Nether dyd his praier ner the work of the Niniuites chaunge the sentence of god for god is nether chaungeable ner double in his wordes But like as afore the Niniuites beleued in him he first sent his word and thretened them that yf they wold not conuerte their citie shulde be destroyed after fortye daies Euen so whan Ezechias was fallen in to sinne god threatened him that yf he wold not repent he shuld dye And like as god whan we receaue his worde ernestly beleue stedfastly in him and bring forth good workes doth accepte us as he dyd the Niniuites Euen so though we haue fallen from the professiō of our faith yet yf we now do ernestly repent and conuerte he is mercifull and true to forgeue us oure sinnes and to graunt us oure peticion after the ensample of Ezechias At whom like as all kynges and princes maie take instructiō of good gouernaunce Euen so in him haue all other sinners that haue broken their couenaunt with god a very notable ensample of true repentaunce But how rimeth the ensample ether of Ezechias or of the Niniuites for the probacion of youre purpose Dyd either Ezechias after he was fallen in to sinne or the Niniuites afore they beleued deserue any thinge of god Or doth anie of both these ensamples proue that oure iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion Afore in the tenth leafe of your treatise ye alledge the ensample of the Niniuites to proue that after the sinne is forgeuen we must make satisfaction vnto god for the paine due ther vnto And now bring ye the same in to proue that our workes maie deserue much of allmightie god afore we be iustified Yf this be not a mockyng with gods worde let them iudge that are lerned therin Standish Scripture is full of such ensamples et cete Couerdale Scripture is full of ensamples bot to bring us vnto the faith of Christ and also to make us ryse vp by true repentaunce whan we are fallen from the same But in all the scripture finde ye no ensample that teacheth you to call oure iustificaciō deserued onely by the death of Christ a false iustificacion or to affirme that
we maye deserue much of allmightie god afore we bâ—â—â—â—tified And yet wold ye faine proue the same yee euen by the ensamples of those that were iustified afore Standish Notwithstanding I am not ignoraunt of the ordre of oure iustificacion et cet Couerdale Are ye not ignoraunt what ordre god taketh in iustifieng his people and will yet teach the contrary The more shame for you Now maie euery man that noteth your former doctrine perceaue euidently that ye are a wilfull teacher agaynst the ordre of oure iustificacioÌ„ For yf god first of his mercy onely geueth us grace without which we can do no good thing then teach ye contrary to this ordre whan ye saie that mens workes deserue much of allmighte god afore then be iustified Thus doth your awne doctrine proue you not onely to be contrary to your selfe but also a wilfull breaker of godly ordre Standishe Ille prior dilerit nos j. Iohn iiij non dilectus dilerit et cet Couerdale Here in this place of your treatise ye make aloÌ„g processe in latyn which as it is foÌ„dly printed and patched of you with litle morsels of scripture so do the same make clearly against your purpose Ye graunt that god first loued us afore we loued him And that Christ died for us whan we were yet sinÌ„ers Which yf it be true then is it manifest that god first forgaue us for Christes sake Yf he first forgaue us then is your doctrine false whan ye call it against the ordre of our sauiours praier that we must be forgeuen of god afore we can forgeue And that oure iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion seing ye confesse also that the mercy of god goeth both before and behinde us and that we are frely iustified Where as ye graunt also that thorow faith we opteine the grace of god how agreeth that with your former doctryne agaynst the iustificacion of faith Yee euen the same third chapter to the Romaines that ye here alledge is against you for S. Pauls wordes are these The righteousnesse of god commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all them that beleue et cet Item Frely are they iustified euen by his grace thorow the redempcion that is in Christ Iesu whom god hath set forth to be the merciseate thorow faith in his bloude et cet Barnes FOr I knowlege the best worke that euer I did is vnpure and vnperfecte Standish Takyng this saieng as it is Iob. xxv et cet Couerdale Take D. Barnes wordes none otherwise then he spake them and let them be tried by the same place of scripture that ye alledge where Baldad the Suhite saieth thus Maie a man compared to god be iustified Or can he that is borne of a woman apeare cleane Beholde the mone is not cleare and the starres are not cleane in his sight How much more man which is corrupcion and the sonÌ„e of man a worme And in the ix chapter saieth Iob himselfe planely God is he whose wrathe no man maie resiste and vnder whom are subdued the proude of the worlde Who am I then to answere him or to talke with him in my wordes Yee and though I haue anie righteous thing I will not answere but make mine humble supplicacioÌ„ to my iudge et cet Yf equite of iudgmeÌ„t be required no man darre beare recorde on my side Yf I will iustifie miselfe myne owne mouth shall condemne me Yf I will shew my selfe innocent he shall declare me to be naught Do not these scriptures proue now that in coÌ„sideracion of gods iudgment all mens workes are vnpure and vnperfecte Standish Vnde Esay lxiiij omnes nos immundi et qua si pannus menstruate but thus to his purpos it can not be taken et cet Couerdale What meane ye man so peruersly to handle with the deed D. Barnes confessed as appeareth by his wordes that the best workes which were done by him vpoÌ„ erth in this corrupte body were not so purely and perfectly done as the equite of gods lawe requireth and therfore as appeareth afterward in coÌ„sideracioÌ„ therof he made his praier with the Prophet saieng Lord entre not with me in to iudgment Yf thou lord wilt strately marke our iniquities lord who will abyde it Notwithstonding though his wordes be manifest yet ye saie not onely that it can not be taken to his purpose as Esay wrote in that chapter but also vpon the same ye gather an intent for ye are good at that ye are well skylled in iudging mens intentes and thoughtes that he shuld meane all good workes are naught and that it is sinne to obeye the voyce of god which your collectioÌ„ is clene contrary to D. Barnes wordes And yf we conferre them to that place of Esaie whom you alledge this matter shalbe the more manifest The wordes of the Prophet are these All we are become as an vncleane man and all oure rigyteousnesses are as a clothe stayned with the floures of a woman This text as it maketh clerely for D. Barnes purpose against youre selfe euen so in alledging of it haue ye minished it and left out of it those wordes that make moost agaynst you But the abbot of lies and father of falshode euen the deuell taught you that lesson as I told you afore out of the fourth of Mathew because ye plaie such another parte with a text of S. Paul j. Cor. xj In your latyn ye reade the text thus All we are vncleane and as a cloth stained with the floures of a woman So that ye leaue out All oure righteousnesses Now yf the text maie stand still for you as the holy goost left it that all oure righteousnesses and best workes are vncleane and not without some blemishe then happlie will you haue litle thanke not onely for holding agaynst it but also for minishing the text As touching the Germaines to whom ye impute erroure in this behalfe Their doctrine is that whan the seruauÌ„tes of god haue done all that is commaunded them they must knowlege themselues to be vnprofitable to haue occasion continually to crie vnto god and to saie O forgeue us oure trespaces to knowlege that in their flesh dwelleth no good thing ye and to confesse that though they delite in the lawe of god after the inwarde man yet ther is another lawe in their membres which striueth against the lawe of their minde and taketh them presoners in the lawe of sinne which is in their membres That ther is no man but he sinneth That the whole life vpon erth is a very battaill where the flesh lusteth agaynst the sprete and the sprete against the flesh so that Christen men can not bring euery thinge to such a perfection as they faine wolde This is now the doctrine of the Germaynes and thus taught also S. Augustine writyng de verbis domini secundum Iohannem sermo
xliij where he saieth these wordes We can not do that we wold why so For we wold that ther were no concupiscences but we can not haue our will For whether we will or no we haue them whether we will or no they tickle they flatre they pricke they vexe they will vp they are kepte downe but not yet utterly extyncte as long as the flesh lusteth agaynst the sprete and the sprete agaynst the flesh The same affirmeth he in the sixtenth sermon de verbis Apostoli And in the xlix chapter de diffinitionibus orthodoxe fidei he saieth after this maner And therfore all holy men do truly in pronouncyng them selues sinners for of a trueth they haue wherof to complayne and though not thorow any reprofe of conscience yet thorow the frayltie et cet Such doctryne now though it be approued both by the holy scripture and by S Augustine yet because the Germaynes teach it it must nedes be condemned of you for an erroure I wondre ye condemne them not also for holding so litle of the popes church of his pardons of his purgatory for puttynge downe his religions his chauntrees his soule masses and diriges his trentals pilgrameges stacions et cet For ministring the sacramentes in their mother tong for setting their prestes dailie to preach the onely worde of god for bringing in no new customes in to the church for auoyding whordome and secrete abhominacion from among their clergy as well as from other for bringing vp their youth so well in the doctrine of god in the knowlege of tonges in other good lettres and honest occupacions for prouidinge so richely for their poore nedie fatherlesse and aged people et cet Now to your ensample of Abraham which obeyed the voyce of god Doth it proue that his obedience was so perfecte as the equite of gods iustice required Or that his owne wordes were false whan he saide vnto god I am but dust and asshes Standish Also it is said Iob primo In omnibus his non peccauit Iob. Couerdale The later parte of the text which declareth the whole meanyng therof leaue ye quite out The wordes of the scripture are these In all these dyd not Iob sin̄e ner spake any foolish thinge agaynst god Now is it manifest by the same chapter that whan the scripture hath tolde of the great aduersite that Iob had in the losse of his goodes and children it maketh mencion also of his notable pacience and then concludeth the chapter with those wordes The on parte wherof like as ye leaue out and tell the other in latyn from the vnlerned so make ye of a particular an vniuersall asthough Iob might not offende in other thinges though he grudged not here agaynst god For manifest is it that he did afterwarde curse the daie of his byrth as the thirde chapter declareth Now because Iob was pacient in his first aduersite and blasphemed not god doth that proue it an errour to holde with him whan he saieth Yf equite of iudgment be required no man darre beare recorde on my side Yf I will iustifie miselfe or shew miselfe innocent mine owne mouth shall condemne me Standishe And. S. Peter ij Pet. j. after he hath recyted certaine vertues et cet Couerdale S. Peter afore those wordes speakynge of the same vertues saieth thus Yf these thinges be present and plentifull in you they shall not let you be ydle ner vnfrutefull in the knowlege of oure lorde Iesus Christ Let one place of scripture now opē and expounde another Standishe Furthermore a strong argument to proue it maie be this Omnis qui in deo manet nō peccat j. Ioh. iij. Sed qui manet in charitate in deo manet j. Ioh. iiij ergo qui manet in charitate nō peccat et cet Couerdale To your argumēt I answer Like as it is true whan the scripture saieth they that are borne of god sinne not partly because god hath couered their sinne and imputeth it not vnto thē and part ly because they are at the staues end with sinne and delite not in it but kepe them selues from sin̄e as S. Iohn saieth in the same fifth chapter So is it true also that yf we saie we haue no sinne we disceaue our selues and the trueth is not in us as holy S. Iohn saieth In the declaracion of the which words S. Augustine noteth heresie in the Pelagians and Celestines for affirminge that the righteous haue utterly no sinne in this life Take you hede therfore that ye smel not of the Pelagians panne for it stinketh afarre of Standish As Dauid speakyng in the personne of euery good man said he did seruaui mandata tua domine Psal cxviij Couerdale He saieth also a litle after in the same Psalme vnto god I haue gone astraie like a shepe that is lost O seke thou thy seruaunt The circūstaunce also declareth that it is not onely a Psalme of consolaciō of doctrine and of thankesgeuing but also an ernest praier of one that is very feruēt in gods cause and in the defence of his word So that like as somtyme he mourneth and wepeth to se the actes and statutes of god despised Euen so cōplayneth he sore vnto god of them that manteyne anye doctrine contrary to his worde Thus in respect of them he darre boldly saie that he kepeth gods cōmaundementes and no mens doctrynes for he abhorreth all the false lerning of ypocrites But in consideracion of his owne infirmite he saieth to god oft times in this Psalme O teach me thy statutes geue me vnderstonding that I maie lerne thy statutes saue me helpe me deliuer me et cete Like as in another Psalme where he confesseth to haue kepte the waies of the lord he saieth a litle after in the same Psalme O my god geue thou light vnto my darknesse Standish Acording to goddes sayeng to Ieroboam ijj Reg. xiiij Couerdale Though god couered Dauids synnes and imputed them not vnto him yet made he his confession vnto god while he was in this body and said Yf you lord wilt strately marke iniquities lorde who shall abide it Lord entre not in to iudgment with thy seruaunt et cet Standish And also as it maie be proued by this that god cōmaundeth us nothinge vnpossible for us to do Couerdale One false opinion wold ye proue by another and by this present article like as by the other afore ye declare your selfe to be a very Pelagian and partaker of their heresie cōfuted by S. Augustine in the sixtenth chapter of his boke de libero arbitrio and in moo other places Standishe But he saieth not onely Matth. xix si vis ad vitam et cet Couerdale Your argument is this God that commaunded us to kepe his lawe ergo it is not vnpossible for us so to do But whether your cōsequent will be alowed in the checker or no we shall se by our Sauiours
owne words Who whan he had said to the yong man yf thou wilt entre in to life kepe the commaundementes and tolde his disciples how hard it is for the couetous to entre in to heauen They asked him and said Who can thē be saued Then answered he them saieng With men it is vnpossible but with god are all thinges possible Downe then goeth the Pelagians heresie and litle thanke are ye like to haue for holdinge with it Yf he aske Why then doth god cōmaunde us to decline from euell and to do good yf it be not in our power To the same obiectiō doth S. Augustine make a sufficiēt answere in the secōde chapter de correptione et gracia and not onely refelleth it by S.P. words saiēg It is god which worketh in you both the wil and the dede but also putteth us in minde that yf we be the children of god we are led by gods sprete to do good that whan we haue done anie good thinge we maie geue thankes to him of whom we are led et cet And in another place Therfore doth he commaunde certaine thinges that we can not do because we might knowe what thinge we ought to aske of him The same doctrine teacheth he also in the lxiij sermō de tempore This is confirmed by holy scripture for by the lawe commeth the knowlege of sinne So that euen they which are renewed in Christ fynd by the lawe that whan they wold faine do good for therin is their delite euell is present with them The wordes of oure Sauioure yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes proue nomore your purpose then your wresting of them proueth you to be a true scolar of his For after those wordes he himself saieth thus I am the waie the trueth and life No man commeth to the father but by me Naie saieth your doctrine we maie come to god by oure selues he commaundeth us nothing vnpossible for us to do Now let me aske you this question Yf Christ whan he saide these wordes Yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes did meane that it is not vnpossible for us so to do why then immediatly after the same wordes doth he promes us the sprete of conforte What nede haue we of him yf we be not comfortles of oure selues or yf nothing that he commaunded us be vnpossible for us to do What nede haue the whole of a phisician And. S. Augustine writing agaynst them that extolle their owne possibilite in the seconde sermon de uerbis Apostoli saieth Let us be glad to be healed whyle we are here in this church Let us not make oure boast of health beinge yet sicke lest by oure pride we do nothing els but make oure selues incurable Standishe Which to the louers of thē be but light Math. xj.j. Ioh. v and Deut. xxx Couerdale Ergo god cōmaunded us nothinge vnpossible for us to do Is that your consequent Full faintly are ye able to proue it by those thre chapters that ye do alledge First in the xj of Matth. doth our Sauioure bid all them that are laden et cet to come to him And yet saieth he in another place that no man can come vnto him excepte his father draw him Where is now oure possibilite That fifth chapter of S. Iohns first Epistle sheweth that they which are borne of god do ouer come the worlde by the victory of faith Now like as we begat not our selues in the Kyndome of god but he himselfe of his owne good will begat us with the worde of life So is it manifest also that true faith is the onely workyng of god and not oures Where is then I saie our possibilite forsoith euen fled into the yle of weaknesse Yf by the thirtieth chapter of Deuteronomiō ye will proue that god hath commaunded us nothing vnpossible for us to do because Moses saieth This precepte that I commaunde the this daie is not aboue the ner farre from the et cete Then must I require you to take the answere of S. Paul who saieth that it is the righteousnesse of faith which speaketh those wordes and that the worde which Moses there spake of is the worde of faith that Paul himself preached Yf ye thinke there to proue your purpose because Moses laieth before the people life and death good and euel blessinge and cursinge and biddeth them chose life et ce Then must I desire you not onely to remembre the office of the lawe wherfore it was geuen and wher to it serueth But also to considre that in the begynnyng of the same thirtieth chapter Moses himself saieth these wordes The lorde thy god shall circumcise thine hert and the hert of thy posterite that thou mayest loue the lorde thy god with all thy hert and in all thy soule et cet Wherby it is euident that excepte god circūcise our hertes we are not able to loue him ner to kepe his cōmaundementes So that these wordes of Moses do proue rather impossibilite in us For the circūcision of the hert saieth the Apostle is the true circumcision which is done in the sprete and not in the lettre whose prayse is not of men but of god All these thre chapters now proue that like as to be saued to kepe gods cōmaundementes to haue circūcised hartes and to ouercome the world with the lustes therof is the onely workyng of god in us Euen so to them that loue god are his cōmaundementes not greuous not thorow anye possibilite of man but partly because Christ hath takē awaie the curse of the lawe and deliuered thē frō the heuy burthens of their soules and partly because they delite in gods cōmaundementes and esteme his word sweter then hony as Dauid did For loue maketh all thinges light Standish Therfore I conclude in all our workynge we do not cōmitte sinne Couerdale Of an euell Maior and Minor foloweth a weake conclusiō Ye haue wrung and wrested the scriptures violently to make them serue for your purpose and now without anie scripture make ye youre conclusion that in all youre workyng ye do not committe sinne To the probacion wherof because ye bring no scripture your selfe I will helpe you with a text where the scripture saieth thus There is no righteous man vpon erth that doth good and sinneth not Yf ye be a man I wil not reason much with you of righteousnesse for I am a sinfull man miselfe then must ye nedes graunt this scripture to be true Yf ye be no man then am I sory that I haue disputed with you so long for angels haue no nede of my wordes and as for deuels they will not be counsailed Standish No ner our dedes and actes which be good can not be called so et cet Couerdale Of. D. Barnes secrete intent and meaning will not I presume to be iudge but what maye be gathered by the circumstaunce of his wordes I
glorifye our father which is in heauen Hath not our Sauioure chosen and ordeyned us to go and bringe forth frute et cet Were we not made heyres of eternall saluacion and baptised to the intent that we shulde now malke in a new life Are we not deed from the curse of the lawe and maried vnto Christ to the intent that we shulde now bringe forth frute vnto god Hath not god ordeined us to walke in good workes Are we not chosen of god to shew now his wonderful workes which hath called us out of darknesse in to his maruelous light Must we not lead an honest conuersacion in the world that they which bacbyte us as euell doers maye se our good workes and prayse god Now to do good dedes to bring forth good frutes to walke in a new life to shew gods wonderfull workes to lead an honest conuersacion in the world what is it els but to shew and set forth our profession the life that we haue promised and taken us to at the font stone euen the holy couenaunt and appoyntment that we haue made with the eternall god Do ye not considre also that the scripture appoynting maried women their estate and dewtye willeth them to be of so honest conuersacion that euen they which as yet will not beleue gods worde maye without the worde be won by theyr godly liuinge And not onely this but so to araye them selues in comly apparel with shamefastnesse and discrete bahaueour without excesse as it becommeth wemen that professe godlynesse thorow good workes What can be more planely spokeÌ„ then this How ernest is the scripture likewise in mouinge and commaunding us specially that take in hande to instructe and teach other aboue all thinges to shew example of good workes in the doctrine of god et cet that such as resiste his trueth maie be ashamed of their parte hauinge nothinge in us to reporte amysse And immediatly after in the same chapter how diligeÌ„t is the Apostle in requiring Titus to exhorte seruauntes to the doing of their dewtie to their masters and to shewe all faithfulnesse But for what intent to merite or deserue immortalâ—â—â— â–ª Naye to the intent that in all thinges they maie do worshippe to the doctrine of god oure Sauioure that the name of god and his doctrine be not euell spokeÌ„ of Thus wolde he haue Timothy also to teach and exhorte and then saieth he these wordes Yf any man teach otherwise and agreeth not vnto the wholsome wordes of oure lord Iesus Christ and to the doctryne of godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothinge et cet Reade ye the text forth and remembre your selfe well considre in what case ye are and how wyde your doctryne disagreeth from the wholsome word of god Yf I shuld saye ye were puft vp ignoraunt a waist brayne et cete of a corrupte mynde or robbed of the trueth ye wolde happlie be angrie Yet be coÌ„tent to let Paul speake to you for though he rayle not yet shall ye not find him a flatrer Standish Which thing beynge true as the church confesseth et cete Couerdale The church of the wicked graunteth many moo thinges then it shall euer be able to proue excepte it be with violence and shedding oâ—â—nnoceÌ„t bloud which is in very dede a fearce sore and strong waye of probacion Nether be they heretikes that denye this your doctryne for I haue proued vnto you by open scriptures that your doctryne is false Standish Be not oure owne good workes meritorious to ourselues Couerdale Yes parde for the prophet saieth All our righteousnesses are as the cloth of a menstruous woman Standish Whether shall we rather beleue S. Hierome et cete Couerdale Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of god is greater for this is the witnesse of god which he hath testified of his sonne et cete Euen that god hath geuen us euerlasting life and this life is in his sonne S. Augustine saieth also All my hope is in the death of my lord his death is my meryte my refuge my saluacion my life and my resurrection Standishe Which for their detestable opynions deserued iustly to be burnte as heretikes Couerdale Yf they were not burnte heretikes in dede no force And yf they were iust deseruers it is a tokeÌ„ that they medled the more with righteousnesse for no man can iustly erre ner iustly coÌ„mitte treason Standishe What a detestable heresie is it to saie the cause that we be commaunded to do good workes is to set forth oure profession Couerdale Is not oure profession the promes and couenaunt that we haue made with god to seke his glory and oure neghbours profet euen to loue him with all oure herte with all our soules and with all oure strength and oure neghbour as oure selues In the which two pointes hangeth all the lawe and the Prophetes Are not we bound then by gods commaundement to set forth the glory of god oure neghbours profit and loue to them both Remembre what places of scripture I haue pointed you to afore concernyng this matter Standish Before whom shulde we set it forth before god he knowoth oure profession before Couerdale What then Studye allwaye to haue a cleare conscience toward god and men after the Apostles ensample Standish Before man So we maie haue good workes as the pharises had et cet Couerdale Though Pharises do their workes to be sene of men will you therfore beyng a preacher not geue good ensample to other ner let your light so shyne before men that they seinge your good workes maie geue the glory vnto god What are ye so farre from the knowlege of this geer and yet a preacher a reader and a post of the church Who wolde thinke that you which are so well aquaynted with him that can compare the deare bloud of Christ to the stinckynge bloud of a swyne shuld be so farre from the vnderstondinge of such thinges O wicked hogges whom Sathan hath possessed of that sort Is the worthy prynce of oure redempcion come to that worshippe amonge you No maruaill that ye are so blinded in your vnderstondinge for ther was neuer enemie of Christes bloud that had yet anye cleare iudgment in his worde till he ernestly repented and gaue him selfe wholy to the studye and life that it teacheth Barnes I Beleue that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do professe Christ Standish Allbe it that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue et cet Couerdale Ye saye that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue and yet ye call the same belefe erroneous and damnable Is the Christen beleue erroneous and damnable Or is it erroneous and damnable to beleue as euery Christen man ought to beleue Thus are ye not onely contrary to youre selfe but iudge Christen men also to be heretikes Standishe For you iudge as appeareth by your preaching et cet
laie to D. Barnes charge I haue talked with you afore Touchinge martirs Like as we haue cause sufficient to prayse god dailie for his worde mynistred vnto us by those martyrs that ye here haue named and for all such as be true folowers of thē So haue we no litle occasion to lamente and be sory that anie man betaking himselfe to godlines and makyng a couenaunt with god to lyue vnfaynedly after his worde shulde not professe the same in true fidelite and good workes Our lorde be praised yet which thorow the fall of other men hath warned us to beware of vnthankfulnesse For whan they that pretende to be setters vp of godlynesse are either ypocrites to god vntrue in the effaires of their prince maynteynours of pryde of ydillnesse of swearyng of excesse and of aduoutrye in them selues or in their housholde seruauntes Gods good worde must weere the papyre and be iack out of seruyce from other men Now god shew the right Barnes ANd that allwayes I haue spoken reuerently of sayntes and praised them as much as scripture wylled me to do Standishe Here he planely sheweth himselfe to be an heretike et cet Couerdale I am sure that Christes church hath made no such ordinaunce nether geuen any sentēce or iudgment that men shall not speake reuerently of saintes nether that men shall prayse them otherwyse then scripture teacheth How sheweth he himselfe thē to be an heretike in this behalfe that foloweth the example of Christes church and not of your vnholy synagoge What maketh youre diffiniciō of heresie to proue that he is an heretike which not onely speaketh reuerently of sayntes but also prayseth them acordinge to the rule of scripture Verely your diffinicion commeth out at an importunite Ye might also haue diffyned it thus and haue sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. volo decerno That is to saie I will so haue it I am at a full poynt For truly I se litle in youre writinge but wilfulnesse and obstinate resisting of the manifest trueth Well god is able to brydle you Standish Also in this his saienge that he wil do nothinge but that scripture byddeth him he planely goeth agaynst scripture et cet Couerdale Is he not a worthy Apostle legate or messaūger that hauinge commission of his prince what to saie in his message will speake thinges of his owne heade or more then his master commaundeth him Forsoith he declare manifestly whose Apostle ye be But now let us se how the scriptute will mainteine this spirituall treason euen treason verely and no better agaynst the Kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes Christ oure Sauyoure saieth vnto his Apostles these wordes As my liuinge father sent me so send I you How did his father send him My doctrine saieth he is not myne owne but my fathers that hath sent me Therfore saieth he go ye youre waye and teach all nacions and baptise them et cet and teach thē to kepe all thinges what so euer I haue commaunded you Ought not stewardes to be faithfull mynistres of their masters goodes to paye euery man good money as they be cōmaunded and not to geue false coyne in stead of syluer and golde Must we not contynue in the doctrine of Christ and speake that thing which is agreable to gods worde Your doctrine wold haue us to renne at ryote and not to kepe us with in the boundes that god hath appoynted us Standish So that here he proueth himselfe to haue another propertye of an heretike which is to go about with the worde of god to destroye the worde of god et cete Couerdale Like as ye proue not here with what text of scripture D. Barnes shulde go aboute to destroie the scripture so declare ye manifestly by this your opyniō and wrestinge of the texte to be one yourselfe that with the worde of god goeth aboute to destroye the worde of god Now to your thre places that ye bringe out of gods worde Where fynde ye in the fiftenth chapter of the actes that we must obeye more then holy scriptuture byddeth us First S. Peter confesseth there in that coūsail that it is a tēpting of god to laie anie yock of the ceremonies of Moses lawe vpon the neckes of Christes disciples or to trouble the weake consciences of those which lately we returned and conuerted to the faith And afore in the same place he confesseth that god appoynted and ordeyned him to preach the worde of the gospell and maketh mencion of none other doctrine Againe like as by the comē consente of the Apostles in the same coūsail ye se that they wolde not be brought in to subiection ner geue place to those false brethern that wolde haue brought in ceremonies of the law to binde mens cōsciences withal So wolde they not that the brethren which were turned to Christ shulde abuse their libertie in him but absteyne from certayne meates for offendinge of the weake which thinge also S. Paul requyreth ernestly in his Epistles In the xvj chapter of the Actes Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and whan Paul sawe that to circumcise Timothye was a thing which might be done for the time and was not requyred of the Iewes as a thing necessary he was content Wherby it is manifest that like as in thinges indifferent they had allwaye respecte to the tyme in forbearinge weake conscientes for a whyle so preached they none other doctryne but gods onely worde In the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians S. Paul whan he hath told them of the great departing from the faith doth geue thankes to god for calling thē to his trueth of the gospel in the which he requireth thē to stand stedfast and to kepe such ordinaunces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or by epistle Now let me demaunde of you this question In the xv of the Actes whan Peter preacheth the worde of the gospell and forbyddeth the binding of weake consciences with supersticious thinges and consenteth with the other Apostles to haue such a charitable respecte to the tyme Is that as much as to will that men shal obeie more then is grounded in scripture In the xvj of the Actes whan Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and deale gently with the consciences of the weake acordinge to the tyme will they that men shall obeie more then holy scripture teacheth them ij Tessa ij Whan S. Paul requyreth them to stande stedfast in the trueth of the gospell and to kepe such ordinaūces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or in their Epistles willeth he them to obeye more then is conteyned in holy scripture Thus is it euydent where about ye go namely euen by your false alledginge of such places of gods worde to destroye the worde of god This is
teach or warne me Seing that I was obedient vnto them whan they sayde beleue the gospel why may I not obeie them whan they saye vnto me beleue not Manicheus et cet By the circumstaunce now of S. Augustines wordes it is euident first that he wolde beleue no such doctrine as men brought vp of their owne heades Secondly that he wold beleue no vncertayne doctryne ner that he knewe not to be true Thirdly that the occasion which moued him to beleue the gospell was the whole consent and auctorite of the catholike or vniuersall church Now like as he reporteth not of them that they preached anie other doctryne vnto him saue the gospell so saieth he not that he beleued anye other lernyng saue onely it And in confutinge of Manicheus erroure he bringeth none other doctryne but the scripture as it is manifest in the same fifth chapter of his boke What helpe haue ye now in S. Augustines wordes either to proue praieng to saintes or that a particular church maye by her auctorite make anye article necessary to be beleued excepte it be grounded in scripture Ye meant somwhat whan ye chopped vp S. Augustines wordes of that fashion It is not for naught that ye so haue peruerted his sayeng and reade it otherwise then it standeth in his boke For these are his wordes I shulde not beleue the gospell vnlesse the auctorite of the catholike church dyd moue me Now is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much to saye as vniuersalis Which worde like as ye leaue out in youre lectiō so folowe ye the mynde of Franciscus Maronis such another holy father as was your inquit quidam who commynge long after S. Augustine dyd gather of these his forsaid wordes that the auctorite of the church is greater then the auctorite of holy scripture where as S. Aug. meant nothinge lesse but teacheth us that who so euer bringeth vp anye opynion or setteth forth anye doctryne we shall receaue none but that which agreeth with the manifest doctryne of the vniuersall church of Christ That is we shall holde us to that doctryne which was taught by the Prophetes by the Apostles and by such other as were true folowers of them in Christes holy congregacion and church Standish Is it not still fundamentum et columna veritatis et cet Couerdale The vniuersall congregacion and multitude of thē that beleue in Christ is still the house of god the church of the liuinge god the piler and stablishment of the trueth For there dwelleth god with his mercy grace trueth forgyuenesse et cet Nether dyd the Apostles contrary to Christes former institucion whan they to set vp his name which then was so sore spurned at dyd baptise in the same yf ye remembre well the prerogatyue of holy baptyme and the presence of the blessed trenyte therin Standishe Paul the vessel of election m. v. hundert yeres and more past desired the Romaynes cap. xv the Collo cap. iiij the Tessa j. Tessa v. to praye for him et cet Couerdale I turned not ouer two leafes of your treatise sens I red these your wordes where ye saie thus How can it be in scripture thou impudent heretike the prayer vnto saintes Lorde Iesu what meane ye man Will ye by scripture proue that thing which as ye your self confesse can not be in scripture Do ye not graūt your selfe that the holy scripture is the very worde of god Wyll ye then by gods holy worde proue that thinge which can not be therin Wyll ye belye the worde of god Saye ye not your selfe in another place afore that it is an abhominable vice to slaundre it To what poynt no to haue ye brought that worshipfull doctrine of your vnholy mother the malignaunt church Which teacheth that we must now praie vnto S. Paul and other sayntes because that he beynge here in this body dyd requyre other men to praye for him and for all saintes Now is his request such that yf we shuld fulfill it yet for him aswell as whan he was lyuyng vpō erth thē shuld we desire god to be good to his holy sayntes that are out of this life And then god saue oure lady helpe S. Paul and conforte swete S. Anthony A mocker are ye with gods holy word and a shameful slaūdrer therof therfore as vnworthy to be answered vnto euery vayne sentence of your vnstable doctryne so leaue I your long disputacion therin Desiringe all Christen readers to note wel what scriptures ye bring forth and to cōpare the same vnto the open texte and then trie which of oure two doctrynes is moost agreable to gods holy worde The doctryne of the Prophetes of Christ oure Sauioure of his holy Apostles and of such as haue and do folowe them in the catholike or vniuersall church and congregacion of god Is his holy worde and scripture which as holy S. Paul darre aduowe is able to instructe us vnto saluacion which is thorow the faith in Christ Iesu et cet Yf youre article therfore of prayenge to sayntes that be out of this life were a thing belonging to saluacion no doubte the same holy scripture of god wold haue taught it The awncient firme stable and true doctryne of Christes catholike or vniuersall church is this that like as Christ Iesus toke vpon him oure flesh and bloude without sinne and deliuered us frō eternall death and hell so is he still oure mercifull and faithfull hie prest in thinges concerning god to make agrement for oure sinnes and able to socoure such as are tempted He is the seate of grace to whom yf we resorte we maie receaue mercy and fynde grace to helpe in tyme of nede he is able also euer to saue them that come vnto god by him and lyueth euer to make intercessiō for us yee and appeareth now for us before the face of god This doctryne is confirmed by those same textes of scripture that ye bring in j. Iohn secundo Iohn xiiij j Timoth. secundo and yet without open scriptures are ye not ashamed to resiste it We are cōmaunded thorow out all holy scripture both of the olde and new Testamēt to praie vnto Allmightie god to call vpon him to make oure peticions vnto him and to aske of him what soeuer we lacke We haue his true and faithfull promes that yf we so do we shall be hearde we shall haue oure request we shall finde that we seke we shall be delyuered et cet We haue ensamples innumerable that all those faithfull people whom the scripture maketh mencion of dyd make their peticions and praier to none other but vnto god whyle they were in this life Let Cornelius whom we spake of afore and the practise of the prymityue church beare recorde Shal we now refuse gods holy cōmaundemēt thinke scorne of his louing promes despise the ensamples of his catholike and vniuersall church and defye gods holy ordinaunce as ye
can stoppe the trueth no farther ye wold beare us in hand that it is the wryters iudgment onely which ascrybeth vnto him that he paciently toke his death as though there were none els that herd him and sawe him dye but the wryter alone Couerdale Allbe it I will iudge onely of the outwarde behaueour Couerdale Iudge not after the outward appearaūce saieth our sauyour but geue a righteous iudgment Yet do ye not as ye saye for in many places of your treatise ye iudge the mans mynde and intent yee contrary to his wordes Standishe Takyng occasion by his erroneous wordes to iudge he dyed an obstinate heretike Couerdale Ye can not denye but that after the open confession of his faith and his humble requestes vnto the Kynges grace he than reconcyled himselfe to all men and at the last whan he had desyred thē to praye for him toke his death paciently and yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightye god For all this ye do not onely call his wordes erroneous but also geue sentence that he dyed an obstinate heretike Standish And as for the inward secretes whether he be condēned or saued whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no et cet I remitte that to the secrete counsaill of the blessed trenite Couerdale A wonderfull thing is it that ye are so vnstable in your wordes Do ye not take vpon you afore to iudge that he dyed an obstinate heretike And now ye can not tell whether he be saued or condemned whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no. But can an obstinate heretike yelde vp his soule whan he is deed all ready Can an obstinate heretike be saued Beholde now to what worshippe ye bring your doctryne at the last Standish Vnto whom be laude honour and glory for euermore Amen Couerdale Amen Euen to that same blessed trenyte father sonne and holy goost be honour and glory now and euermore Amen The Apostle describing the office and dewtie of a ministre or preacher of gods word wylleth him among all other qualities to shew himself such a laudable workman as nede not be ashamed handling the word of trueth iustly Wherfore seyng ye haue so vnreuerently handled gods holy word peruerted it wrested it and belyed it so oft and many tymes in your treatise Maruaill not at this myne inuectyue agaynst your false doctryne As for symple ignoraunce and such frayll weaknesse as accompanyeth the nature of man whether he will or no it may be suffred and borne But wilful spurnyng at gods holy word froward and false belieng therof must nedes be rebuked and improued Your zele for all your holy pretēce is to suppresse gods trueth to mainteine that doctrine which the catholike or vniuersal church of christ neuer receaued and to defend the church malignaūt in hir wickednesse This is manifest by your present practise But god allmightie which soweth the sede of his holy word and dayly increaceth it in the hartes of his faithfull shall though no man els will maynteyne and defende it himselfe We also whom god will not to be ydle shall do our best and be carieng stones to the makyng vp of the wal which ye haue broken downe To the intent that Christ our sauyour maye haue his owne glorye which ye haue robbed him of our prince his honoure and oure neghboure his dewtie To all true Christen readers Faynt not thou in faith deare reader nether waxe colde in loue and charite though the enemies of gods worde be gathered together and growne in to such swarmes Be thou strong in the lorde and in the power of his might And let it not discorage the that the sayd worde is so litle in the estimacion of the world so greatly despised so sore persecuted so wickedly peruerted wrested and belyed so vnthankfully receaued so shamefully denied and so slouthfully folowed Arme thy selfe therfore with the confortable ensamples of the scripture And as touchinge those ioly Nimrottes that persecute gods worde hunting it out of euery corner whetting ther swerdes and bendyng their bowes agaynst it Be thou sure that the god of oure fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall do with thē as he euer was wont to do with tirauntes in times past Thou seist thorow out the stories of the holy byble how that like as he turneth some of their hartes from crueltie to mekenesse Euē so with death with fyre with water and with such other his plages destroyeth he them that will nedes despise his warninge Yee breaketh their bowes in peces and killeth thē with ther own swerdes As for Iamnes and Iambres those wicked sorcerers and couetous chaplens that teach cōtrary to gods worde and dissuade the greate mē of the world frō it Their owne wrestinge and belyeng of it must nedes cōfound thē For though ther be many that resist the truth yet whan it is uttered and commeth to light their madnesse as S. Paul saieth shall be manifest vnto all men And as Moses rodd deuoured their roddes in the Kynges presence So likewise the same places of scripture that they alledge for their wicked purpose shall destroye their false doctryne in the face of the world Yee euen as litle honestie as the papistry hath gotten by wresting of Tu es Petrus et cet so small profit are they like to haue for belyeng of other textes Nether is it to be feared but god will do for one parte of his worde asmuch as for another whan he seith his tyme. Concernyng those bely beastes that for no cōmaundement ner promes of god for no example warnyng ner exhortacion will be counsayled but still blaspheme his holy worde thorow their vngodly conuersacion let not that withdrawe the from the waye of righteousnesse Loue not thou Christ the worse though Iudas be a traytoure Sett not thou the lesse by his wholsome doctrine though dogges turne to their vomite and though swine walow in their stinking mire agayne I knowe gentle reader that to all true Christē hartes it is a great tentaciō to se gods holy worde either persecuted belyed or vnthankfully receaued But first remembre thy selfe well by the practyse of all stories whan was it without persecucion Whan was there not one tyraunt or other that exercised all his power strength witte and counsaill against it Whan were the childrē of Israel without some bloudy Edomites Egiptians Assirians Babilonians Philistines or other Secōdly Whan was not gods worde belied peruerted or euell spoken of by one false Prophet or other Were there not heretikes and flatringe chaplens in all ages that withdrue men from the trueth and misreported the straight waies of the lord Thirdly whan were there not some multitudes that pretēding a loue toward Christes word did but folow him for their own belies sake whan was the sede of Christes word sowē but some parte of it fell vpō the stony ground where it withred and among the thornes
verely as ye saie your selfe the propertye of an heretike and this propertye lerne ye of the father of all heresye euen father Satan Who by angelis suis mandauit et cete wolde proue that a man maye tempte his lord god But like as Satan wrestyng that place of scripture which made moost against him was cōmaunded by oure Sauioure to auoyde so be ye sure that your false doctryne can not stand Dawlbe your wall and spare not for Ezechiel telleth you planely that god wyll sende such a shower of rayne among all lyeng prophetes as shall ouerthrowe it Your laboure is but lost so long as ye dawlbe your wall with vntempred morter Standish Also where he saieth that he hath euer spoken reuerently of sayntes et cet Couerdale Ye graūted afore his wordes to be true whan he sayde that all such as for confessyng Christes name and for his sake do suffre death are sayntes in heauen This reuerent talkynge and praysinge of sayntes dyd ye alowe afore And now contrary to your awne wordes ye saye that ye wote not whether he euer spake reuerently of them or no Yet confesse ye that ye haue heard him fortye tymes Who will now trust you that are so double in your wordes Barnes ANd that oure lady I saye she was a virgyn immaculate and vndefyled and that she is the moost purest virgyn that euer god created and a vessell electe of god of whom Iesus Christe shulde be borne Standish Here yet ignorauntly et cete he goeth forther then the scripture speaketh et cet Couerdale Be these his wordes out of the boundes of scripture or not acording to the scripture Reade them ouer agayne Standishe He wolde neuer willingly graunt anye thynge but that is in scripture Couerdale Then like as ye proue him to haue bene a true messaunger of god in grauntinge to the holy scripture which by your owne cōfession is gods very worde so declare ye that yf he reuoked anie thing that is in it or graunted ought cōtrary vnto it It was done agaynst his will Haue ye not now a great cause to make such tryumphinge of reuocacions in your sermons Standish Albeit here with the church he doth professe that oure lady did continue a virgin still et cete Couerdale Doth not the scripture affirme this doctryne that the mother of oure Sauyoure is the purest virgin that euer god created Will not the Prophecies of Christes birth the perfourmaūce of the same and the practises of the holy goost in Christes blessed mother alowe this doctrine Haue ye noted the worke of god in her no better Yf she had anye nede of you ye shew her but a faynte frendshippe in reportynge that her most pure virginite hath none other grounde but the auctorite of your church Verely such your doting doctrine wil make both you and your church be lesse set by Standish Deus n tantam eam fecit inquit quidam et ce Couerdale Is not your doctryne now well sealed with butter Whan ye haue presumed to cōtroll gods word and to call the blessed mother of Christ with other names then the holy goost geueth her Now to ratifye and cōfirme your false matter ye bring in an heretike to helpe you Can not Christes worthy mother kepe still the gracious names that the holy trenite hath geuen her but she must now haue a sorte of hereticall Ruffyans to become new godfathers vnto her Call her as gods worde teacheth you full of grace blessed immaculate virgin et cete Praye to god that ye maye folowe the fote steppes of her constant faith her feruent charite and godly loue her moost meke and humble behaueoure her vnfained trueth et ce And whan ye talke in matters of Christes religion bring forth playne and manifest wordes of his scripture and no Romysh heretike ner a text out of frame to proue youre purpose withall Barnes THen saide M. Sheriffe You haue sayd well of her before And he beynge afrayed that M. Sheriffe had bene or shulde be agreued with any thing that he shulde saye sayd M. Sheriffe Yf I speak any thing that you will me not do nomore but beckē me with your hand and I wil straight waie holde my peace For I will not be dishobedient in anie thing but will obeye Standishe Now as he faineth he wold gyue no slaunder or offence Sed sero sapiunt Phriges Couerdale At this poynt ye are with D. Barnes that though he be out of this life yet what so euer he sayd in this protestacion or dyd at the tyme therof ye iudge him to the worst and slaunder him But your owne prouerbe that ye bring in doth admonishe you that it is to laite for though ye belye him and slaunder him neuer so much it can not hurt him Standishe Now he saieth he is afraied to displease irep◠dauerunt timore vbi non erat timor et cete Couerdale Like as ye referre to him the wordes which are not his owne so reporte ye of him that he was afrayed where no feare was But was there no feare at the fyre syde The manhode of our sauioure Christ feared death and so dyd that holy Kynge Ezechias As for you ye must nedes be of some bolde and stowte kynde that can kyll a deed man But how serueth those wordes of the Psalme to this youre purpose The holy goost speaketh of such wicked workers as eat vp gods people like bred call not vpon god are afraied to se god stande on ryghteous mens syde and mocke poore mē for putting their trust in god How maketh this scripture now to proue that ther is no feare where a man seyth death present before his eyes O wicked mockers with gods holy worde Standish Now se I praye you how obedient he saieth he will be which before tyme was euer dishobedient et cete Couerdale Ye saye much and proue litle touching this man whose present protestacion and his boke written afore declareth planely his obedience toward his prynce whose wholsome commaundement yf he haue at anye tyme disobeyed contrary to this his doctryne and example I am the more sory But yet haue ye not proued it to be so Touchinge bishoppes which are to be estemed acordinge to their estate I wote not what dishobedience ye haue to proue against him Such bishoppes as laboure in the worde of god and in the doctryne therof are to be counted worthye of double honoure therfore in herkenyng vnto such he dyd well and yf he dispysed such he despysed Christ But yf he folowed S. Iohns bydding and dyd not receaue such false Apostles as bring not the doctryne of Christ then can ye not iustly blame him Barnes AFter this ther was one that asked him what he saide of the sacrament of the altare Then sayde he vnto M. Pope which was there present M. Pope ye know and. M. Ryche yf ye be alyue that ther was one accused before my lord