boke of lyfe himselfe Paule wysshed also to be cursed frome Christ for his brethrens sake Rom. iâ— These praiers were of another maner effect theÌ„ the prayers of our popeholy pykepurses prayng for the soules in the bitter paynes of purgatory Agayne ye maye rede the god wolde haue spared the dystruccioÌ„ of the eyties which were dystroyed for syn Gene. xviii for the sakes of teÌ„ good persoÌ„s yf they mought haue ben founde in them at the request of Abraham Remembre the exortacioÌ„ of saynt Iames Iâ—â—â— v. for one man to praye for an other declaryng what efficacy is in the ryghtuous maÌ„nes praier if it be ferueÌ„t By example of Helyas that was a man mortall euen as we are iiiii Reg xvii whiche tolde kynge Achab that it shulde not rayne it rayned not on the earthe by the space of iii. yeres and .vi. monethes and he prayed agayne iiii Reg xviii and the heuen gaue raine the erth brought forth fruyt I wold the people wolde be exercysed in redyng heryng such lyke stories whiche mought put them in remembrauÌ„ce of the great mercy goodnes of god alwayes shewed vnto them which did feare loue him what effecte their prayers were of Wherin they mought also take exaÌ„ple what punisshmeÌ„t god toke vpoÌ„ obstinate synners ydolatres whiche though god ofteÌ„ spared to punysshe theÌ„ for the ryghtuous meÌ„nes sakes at theyr huÌ„ble ferueÌ„t prayers yet is ther to be notyd in theÌ„ all after what sorte maner god sparyd them Salomon whiche had commytted Idolatrye displeased the lorde agaynst whoÌ„ god raysed vp sundry aduersaries to trouble him his kyngdome yet the lorde spared him made him a promyse that he shulde possesse styll his lande duringe his lyfe iiii Reg xi for his father dauids sake which had walked in the wayes of the lorde but there was no promise made vnto him that he shulde inheryte the kyngedome of heauen for his fathers sake I am sure he neuer came ther but yf it were for Chrystes sake only Nother the best saynt that euer dyed so where ye fynde that god shewed his mercy vpon synners for the ryghtuous meÌ„nes sakes Consyder alwayes the diuersyte of the benefite gyuen only for Chrystes sake which is the kyngdome of heauen and that whiche was gyuen at the petycyons and for the loue of holye men beynge but a temporall rewarde it is but a temporall rewarde for a man to haue his lyfe prolonged Neyther to inioy landes ryches honoure helth or suche other thynges mar xvi Act. v. The apostles by theyr lyfe tyme receaued power of the lorde to gyue helthe to them that were sycke And to caste out deuyls and vnclen spyrytes iiii Be. xvii yee and ye shal rede of holy men that by theyr prayers haue reuyuyd the deed to lyfe yet al these were but temporal benefites gyuen also of hym by his sayntes to confyrme theyr faythe in his name that they dyd it whiche is Christe to whome belongeth only the remission of synnes and the kyngdome of god Rom. v. Now seyng it beloÌ„geth onlye to him to gyue the one to forgyue the other they ought onely to be requyred and desyred of him And if ye purpose to praye vnto the deed saintes for any thing belongynge either to your bodyes or soules vpon the grounde of this argument sayeng for as moche as they were holye men and women in theyr tyme and that god spared the punysshment of synners often for their sakes and at the feruente and humble prayers moche rather it is to be thought that they now hauing receauid a glorified body and be in ioye with Christ shal be herde of the lord And the sinners sparyd at their request and prayers To that I answere yf ye were certayne that the sayntes whiche are deed whose bodyes remayne in the earthe to the resurruccyon of all flesshe do aswell heare your voyces nowe as they did the voyces of the people beinge here and spekyng vnto them by their lyfe tyme. That then it were conuenyent ye shulde praye vnto them to praye with you and for you to god But for as moche as I neuer yet could be certefied by ony man throughe scripture that they do heare oure prayers for my parte I thinke it but a vayne thinge to truste in the vncertayne thinge and to leue the certayne to leue Christ and praye to his saintes To all those that knowe the saintes here 's them I saye it is well done but to al them that beleue it and know it not I saye it is not well done For as moche as they haue not the scrypture to certefy theÌ„ of their wel doing The vnlearned multytude exceptyd in whome I thynke it is nother wel nor euyll done whiche knowe nothing more theÌ„ is preached taught by their curates vnto them So they refuse not the truth aproued by scripture when it is taught them whiche I refer vnto the bisshoppes and wel learned men in the scriptures wherin is contayned al thynges necessary belongynge to faith and saluacion But admyt that ye were certayne that the sayntes do heare you whiche I thynke trulye wolde trouble the mooste parte of the clergye within Englande to approue suppose you that they wold pray either with you or for you if ye thynke euyll in youre harte not beyng pourged with contricion for syn and to praye for good thynges with your mouthe no truly onles they do only heare the voyce and knowe not the harte But God whiche hearethe the voyce and knoweth the secretes of the mynde Ro. viii regardeth neither the honoure whiche ye gyue him neither the prayer of your mouth onles your hertes agre withall and if you praye for grace with your mouth and couyt it with all your hertes it shal be gyuen you yf you pray forgyuenesse of your synnes are penytent for them in youre hertes they shal be forgyueÌ„ you Axe what soeuer ye wyll in faithe and it shal be graunted vnto you Ioh. xv But in whose name ye shulde aske I haue shewed you and for his sake ther is a promis made vnto you that ye shall obtayn it It is not for saynt frauÌ„cis sake that ye shall posses the celestial heritage nother yet his holye cowle that can preserue you frome hell for your sinnes let the frers say as they list It is a vayne reasoÌ„ that I haue harde dyuers men make which by a similitude apply the fauour of worldly princes vnto the fauour of the celestial god sayeng if a man haue any thing to do with the kinge he must fyrste sue vnto the noble men of the courte and suche as be of the kynges preuy chambre yf he thynke to opteyne his purpose not to prease to the kyng hym selfe And so lykewyse vnto God a man shulde fyrste pray and be a sueter vnto his sayntes not presume to go to hym selfe Is not this an vnwyse thynge that men
the .iiii. page of F the .xii. lyne of Christ In the .xiii. page .xvii. lyne of G the for theyr And in the last page of the same say for lye WHat christiaÌ„ hert way lyth not whiche doth cogytate and remembre how vncharitably the people of god haue bene dysceaued that of no lytle tyme through crafty scole maisters And false prechers Coll. ii which more regardynge the satysfyenge of these detestable apetytes theÌ„ the saluacion of the precyous soules of meÌ„ haue kept theÌ„ from the trewe knowledge of his holy gospell that shulde instructe them the perfyte and redye way vnto hym whiche sayde Mat. xi Eccl. vi Come vnto me all ye that laboure and are ladyn and I shall refresshe you i. Pe. ii Esa liii So that the people haue bene as shepe strayeng in wildernes knowing not whyther to go IohnÌ„ x Pro. xxxvii And yf ony hearyng the voyce of theyr trewe shepeherde begaÌ„ to take the streyght pathe or way towardes hym mat vii there were a sorte of rauenyng wolues alwayes wayting redye to rent and deuoure them but oure mercyfull Chryste beynge the good shepherde of his flocke IohnÌ„ x Ezech. xxxiiii Miche v. Nowe hauyng compassyon vpon the great dystruccyon of hys shepe Sendes abrode his seruauntes and faythful mynysters to seke and gather them whiche were scattered abrode togythers agayne / whoÌ„ the wolffes and papystycall foxys dare not abyde to trye withall But yet alas for pytye / ther is a great noumbre of Chrystes flocke whiche haue bene kepte so long from heryng the voyce of their shepherde that scarsly they knowe hym Ioh. iiii nowe callynge them vnto him They stand in a stay dowtyng whether it be he and his mynysters that calles them or not And some wyll harkeÌ„ nothyng at al vnto his voyce so that many ronne hedlynge styl into suche snares as were inuented to take theÌ„ in Whose myserable estate I know not what to say vnto What wold you that Christ shuld do more for you then he hathe done Ioh. iii. Rom. v i. Pe. iii he hathe gyuen his lyfe for the redempcion of your soules hath left vnto you his holy Testament that therin ye maye beholde and vnderstande what hys godlye wyll is And though it haue bene longe kept frome you yet nowe of hys mercyfull goodnes ye haue fre lybertye to pervse it Also he hath apoynted vnto you true faythfull mynystres of his worde / with sure strong defenders / agaynst suche as were wonte to be deuourers of his shepe What thing els do you lacke / these thinges are the excellent giftes of the grace of god and yf ye lacke grace strength to come vnto hym / why call ye not for it And aske it of hym iÌ„ whoÌ„ ye haue a ê“myse by christ that what so euer ye desyre of the father in his name / it shal be gyuen you I meruayll ye consyder and remembre not howe suche as toke on them IohnÌ„ â— Mat. xxi Mat. xi to be youre pastours in tyme paste haue pylled you If ye wyll styll folow them / ye may well be resembled to a frowarde or folysshe shepe that wyl ronne among the breres and rent the woll from his awne backe / or in to a dyke drowne hym selfe / your wyttes in this dothe appere to be no better then a shepes wyt / god hathe gyuen you the vse of reason / to none other creature but vnto man onely And for as moche as ye wyll obstynatly abuse that noble and excellent gyfte / wherby onely ye excell that bruyt beastes I can not se but your foly is inexcusable Thynke you it shall be a suffycyent excuse for you to say / the bysshops / the preestes / and suche as were our gostly fathers taught vs this to do / our fathers this many yeres before vs haue folowed this way Truely what way so euer your fathers folowed / yf it were not the same way / that christ apoynted them by his gospell to walke in / without the great mercye of god be reserued vnto them maâ— â—v the blynd folowers with the blynde guydes are fallen both in the pyt Howbeit I suppose verely yf the gospel of god had ben so preachid vnto your fathers as it is vnto you they wolde haue repented there yngnoraunces and iniquites moche more theÌ„ many do now at this tyme / ye and yf the gospel myght haue had fre passage adn to be preached vnto all creatures as Cryst coÌ„maunded his dyscyples to do Maâ— xvi i Matâ— xxviii Ioh. xi I thynke verely that Idolatrye shulde neuer haue crepte in to the churche of Cryst as it hath done For it is to be supposed that when the bisshop of Rome / with suche as pretended to be the successours of Christ his appostles / delyted not in pouerte / but toke pleasure in pryde and coulde no longer away with the rule that theyr mayster Chryst had prescrybed vnto theÌ„ / supposyng they shulde neuer attayne to be lordes and maysters by that scyence Then they layde theyr heddes togyther howe they myght peruerte and suppresse the gospell and to oppresse all those the contrary to theyr myndes wolde stycke ther vnto then made they decreys and lawes to serue for theyr awne purpose vnder a holy pretence set them forth to begyle the people withall And when they had begyled kynges and prynces / such as had theyr auctoryte by the worde of god Then they sone perswaded that moost parte of the people therunto And suche as wolde cleue to goddes gospell / and not to theyr constytucyons / were taken as heretykes and constrayned to adiure or to be brent And when they had brought theyr purpose to passe somwhat according to theyr awne myndes / that the prynces and theyr people obeyed them Then that antichryst the bysshop of Rome was not ashamed to exempt hym selfe from all prynces lawes / to put the lawe and testament of the lorde god vnder his fote / as though god and man / heuen and earth had ben at his coÌ„maundement But as for purgatory it was a palace of his awne / euery man knewe he mought do there what hym lyst And after he had with the helpe of his louynge frendes attayned to the glory of his vsurped papystycall power / yf any prynce began to wtstand his wycked pleasure out came the thonder bolte of excoÌ„municacion to interdicte both hym his realme / as the cronycles of Englande and Fraunce can specyfy It is no meruayle though our fore fathers haue ben disceyued / and wandered in darkenes seynge they were taught with blynd tradicions the lyght of goddes word were taken from theÌ„ Wherfore theyr foly is not so great in the syght of god as ours Ephe. v to whom the lyght is offered do refuse it And as I sayd before I thynke that dyuers of our fathers wolde haue repented moche more then many of vs
also therfore the more synne is in them Beware howe ye speake euyll of the worde of god for it is a synne greater then al your good workes can satysfye agayne for it Thynke not nor saye not bycause suche men and suche men be nothynge the better for the Gospell Therfore I wyll not medle with it What canst thou tell what god wolde worke in thy herte yf thou dydest rede it the thyng is so good of it selfe that thou art far from grace to thinke it wold worke any euyll in the. Doyst thou thinke because thou seest some lewde persons that knowe it abuse theyr knowlege that thou shuldest do lyke wyse O folysshe man that so doest mystrust the mercye and goodnesse of God towardes the His goodnesse and mercye is layde forth for al men and though euery man haue not grace to attayne vnto it yet dyuers men whiche haue it not at one tyme maye haue it at an other And so they whome thou seyst to be euyll and knowe the scrypture yet beware dispyse not nor resuse not the scripture therfore for it may worke in their hertes at some other tyme when it shall please god to whom thou mayst apoynt no tyme. Ther is yet an other opinioÌ„ of theÌ„ sayeng they wyl here no preachyng because the preachers agre no better Truely it is an vnwyse reason and in my mynde but a fayned excuse for yf all the clergy of England agreed in one and preached one true way and doctryne yet many I suppose wolde be no more dylygent in heryng but as slowe to come to the sermons as they be now for thankes be to god the thing is merely wel brought to passe there are very fewe sermons made specyally in the Cyte and aboute the Cyte of London whiche is in the herte of the realme that the one is repugnaunt vnto the other Perchaunce there be some curres that wolde fayne barke were it not that they more feared the temporal scourge then the sworde and punysshment of God And what be these that say they wyll here no preachynge but euen they whiche also wyll not rede the scrypture neyther here it redde vnto them wherfore they are to be reproued of frowarde and obstynat ygnorancy Who is so blynde as they that wyll not se And who are more deffer then they that wyll not here For truly of this effycacy is the word of god that who soeuer wyll come to rede it or to the preachynge therof with a pure true and vnfayned mynde wyllynge to learne and not to be a brabler and a busy dysputer thereof He shall not all onely receyue great conforte and consolacyon therein But also the very fruyte and knowledge to deserne the trewe preacher of god from hym that falsly peruerteth the scryptures to mayntayne ther with hys awne wycked intent and purpose Nowe seyng that the word of god is so excellent a thynge that no condygne prayse maye be gyuen therunto Wo maye they be that are sclaunderers therof zacha Wherfore returne with a contryte mynde vnto god that he may turne vnto you trust vnto his promys and he wyll not dysceaue you And saye not with your selues I am old I haue lyued this many yeres after this forte It is to late for me to chaunge nowe Remembre the parable of certayne men that were hyred to worke in the housholders vyneyarde Mâ—â— some came in the mornyng some at noone and some in the euenynge and they that came last had lyke rewarde with them that came fyrst they whiche came fyrst and at none grudged at them that came laste bycause they had lyke rewarde with them Then sayd the lord of the vyneyarde why grudge ye haue I not gyuen you your promyse why shuld I not gyue to euery man as it pleaseth me So men are called to repentauÌ„ce some in youthe some in mydle age and some in olde age And the lorde may rewarde hym as well that came last as he that came fyrst and no man may say vnto hym why do you so So it appereth that heuen is not due vnto mennes good workes and dedes but it is gyuen of the fre lyberte and goodnesse of God vnto al them that trusteth in his promyse hauyng a perfyte fayth in Iesê° Christ And howe that fayth may be knowen I haue wrytten you before And yf ye meruayll why the preestes in tyme past tolde you not this tale and what the cause was that they forbade you the scrypture Truely they knew wel that theyr lyuyng dyd not accorde therwithall and that it was the thyng that wolde manyfest their pryde theyr couetousnesse and all theyr synfull lyuyng Wherfore they bare men in hand that it was to hye matters for theÌ„ to meddle with but that they must receaue it of them And how truly they gaue it vnto the peple He that hath eares to here let him heare and he that hath eies to se let him se Luc. x. Beholde for the kyngedome of god is come nye vnto you whiche ye desire daylt in your Pater noster when ye saye adueniat regnum tuum the Gospel is preached and laid before you that ye may therin seke oute what his wyl is Luce. xi Mat. vii he byddes you seke and ye shal fynd knocke and it shal be opened vnto you where wyll ye seke but in his holy testament Wyll ye seke it in the bysshops of romes decretals and in Legenda aurea as your fathers dyd truly ye may knocke then vntyll your heades ake and seke vntyll your eies be blynde and yet not fynde the way to the kyngdoÌ„e of god ye shall as sone fynd it in Beuys of HamptoÌ„ Guy of warwycke as amonge the holy bokes that ye your fathers in tyme past haue ben permytted to loke on but shulde I saye that all oure fathers are losse whiche were not taught nor coulde not be suffered to knowe the perfyte waye god forbyde for when Chryste sayd to his disciples Math. xix mar x. It is as harde for a Camell to go throughe the eye of a nedle as for a ryche man to entre into the kyngedome of heauen they aunsweryd Lorde who then shal be sauyd He sayd that which is impossyble vnto men is possyble ynough vnto god now seynge the nothyng is impossyble vnto God Luce. xiii I dout not but manye of oure fathers which walked not the streight path vnto christ because they could not be sufferid to know it yet hauing a zele louiÌ„g miÌ„d vnto hiÌ„ optained his mercye But vnto vs whiche haue the open way declared frowardly to refuse it there is non excuse wyll serue ¶ And nowe to retourne agayne to a parte of my purpose I ernestly exhorte all you whiche are not alonely my natyue countrey men but also redemed with the same precyous blood that I am Rom. v. â—â—â— ix i Pet. i i Ioh. i. that ye wyll put away your coÌ„fydence in pilgrymages vnto deed sayntes and
myndes how ye haue bestowed the porcyon of your substauÌ„ce I meane not only of your teÌ„poral substauÌ„ce but of the true ê“fyte fayth that you promysed at your baptym to bere vnto Iesê° christ as concernynge youre transsytorye goodes you can not denye but ye haue bestowed it on deed Images wher his wyl is ye shuld relyue ther with his awne quycke and lyuynge Image Luce. xxv The poore people whiche be sycke lame and blynd and the impotent and agyd which can not labour and suche as be in prysoÌ„ ye haue not folowed his pleasure but done contrary vnto it Wherfore truly ye are not mete seruauntes for him oneles ye repent your folly and folysshe ygnoraunce yf ye allege that your gostly fathers taught you this to do I say vnto you that they be your gostly dystroyers that so counselled you to commyt ydolatrye whiche for the mayntenaunce of their naughty sinfull lyfe shut you out of the kyngedome of god Mat. xxiii and wolde not suffre you to come therunto neyther they them selues wolde entre into it The kyngdome of god is taken in some places for his lyuely worde Luce. x. his gospell hys glad tydynges whiche he brought to saue the worlde withall through faythe in his passyon For true it is that ye haue ben commauÌ„dyd not to rede nor medle therwithall and they haue byn reputed and suffered as heretykes whiche haue presumed to do contrarye to that coÌ„maundement But nowe I praye you returne home agayn as the prodygall sonne dyd vnto his father Luc. xv Behold what a feast is prepared for you couet no longer to be fed with the dregges of theyr tradycyons whiche maye be resymbled vnto the coddes that he wolde fayne haue eaten of amonge the swyne Nowe do as he dyd returne home agayne the table is layd the gospel of Chryst is opened vnto you come and ye shall here the coÌ„fortable wordes of christ what ioye ther is in heuen for a synner that commyth to repentaunce Luc xâ— Consydre within youre selues whether ye haue not ben lost in synne or not when the fayth whiche ye ought to haue in Christ onely to be saued by the merytes of his passyon was deuyded and attributed parte vnto one saynt parte vnto an other as it appereth by sekyng vnto the Images Peraduenture ye wyl say we beleued in god and we sought the ymage for goddes sake Whether ye pleased god therw t or not ye shall here what he sayd vnto Moyses Deu. v. Exo. xx and to the chyldren of Israell I am the Lorde thy god which hath brought the out of the lande of Egypte out of the house of bondage Deu. viii Thou shalte haue none other goddes in my syght thou shalte make that no grauen ymage of any maner of lykenesse of the thynges that are aboue in heuen and beneth vpon the erthe nor in the water vnder the erthe Thou shalte not honour them nor serue them for I that lorde thy god am a ielouse god vysytyng the synne of the fathers vpon the chyldren to the thyrde and fourth generacyon of theÌ„ that hate me Deu. xxxiiii and shewe mercy vpon many thousandes of them that loue me and kepe my coÌ„maundementes I stedfastly beleue that this coÌ„mauÌ„dement dyd not alone perteyne vnto the chyldren of Israell but vnto all men and is to be obserued of al those whiche to the worldes ende beleueth Iesus Chryst the sonne of god to be the sauyour of the world Now ye that haue made these ymages honoured and worshypped them consydre with your selues whether ye haue not commytted the thyng which the chyldren of Israel were coÌ„mauÌ„ded by the mouth of god not to do For I am sure they are like to some thiÌ„g that is iÌ„ heueÌ„ aboue in the erth beneth or in the water vnder the erth O lord that ye haue turned you froÌ„ the lyuyng god vnto deed ymages which haue eyes se not eares here not noses and smell not handes and fele not feyt and goo not mouthes and speake not they are lyke vnto them whome the prophet Ieremy admonysshed the people of Ierusalem of Bar. vi when they were led captyue into babylon whether it be good or euyll that any man do vnto them They are not able to recompeÌ„ce it Eccle. v though a man make a vowe vnto them and kepe it not they wyll not requyre it They can not delyuer a man frome deth neyther are they able to defend the weake from the myghtye they can not restore a blynde man to hys sight nor helpe any man at his nede they can not shewe no mercye to the wydowe nor do good to the fatherles Cap. xiiii They must be borne vpon mennes shulders as those that haue no feyt wherby they declare vnto men that they be nothynge worth Confoundyd be they that worshyp them for yf they fall to the grounde they they can not ryse vp agayne of them selues when they be set vp in the teÌ„ple theyr eies be ful of dust through the feyt of them that come in theyr faces wax blacke through the smoke that is in the temple The owles the swalowes and byrdes fle vpon theÌ„ and the cattes ronne ouer theyr heades They can not defende them selues frome the robbers and theues the verye wycked are stronger then they they strepe them oute of theyr apparell that they be clothyd withall they take theyr golde and syluer from them and get them awaye yet can they not helpe them selues they can gyue no sentence of a matter nother defende the loude from wrong to be short they can not do so moche as a crowe that fleyth betwyxe heauen and earth He concludyth sayenge blyssed is the godly man that hath no ymage and worshyppeth none Bar vi for he shalde far froÌ„ reproue Many thynges haue I omyttyd to wryte of coÌ„tayned in this Epystle to the intente that the myndes of those whiche thynke I haue not wrytten truly And the coÌ„scyence of them whiche haue ben and be yet combred with the execrable zele to venerate and worshyp them may be mouyd to rede the same Whome I instauntly desyre also to pervse the xiii .xiiii. and .xv. Chapters of Sapience called the boke of wysdome And to resorte vnto suche psalmes places of scripture as the cotacyons in the margent therof shall induse you vnto and I doute not but your coÌ„scyence shal be quyeted and satysfyed in that matter onles it be suche that obstynatly wyl repugne agaiÌ„st the sryptures wyl of god Whiche I couÌ„t vnworthy to be called christians it shall also testefye vnto you howe shamefullye ye haue ben mocked withal dysceyued what hath byn done with the offryng money and other thynges offeryd vnto oure Images Thynke you it may not be verifyed as Ieremy wrote vnto theÌ„ that the preestes dyd adorne trime theyr harlottes theyr chyldren with al. I suppose verely there was but a smale porcyoÌ„ therof