mayster but he had no veray fast hope that he myght walke there He was not stronge in his faythe therfore our sauyour sayd vnto hym Modice fidei quare dubitasti But of the stronge faythe that hath a coÌ„fydence hope adioyned therunto he sayth iÌ„ an other place Si habueritis fidem sicut granuÌ„ sinapis dicetis monti huic transi hinc et transibit That is to say yf ye had faythe lyke vnto a corne of mustard sede ye shold coÌ„maund this mouÌ„tayn to remoue hyÌ„selfe it shold by your faythe auoyde this is a grete fayth hath also coÌ„fydence hope adioyned therwith A corne of mustard sede is veray lytle but it hath a gret vertue compact and gadred in it So whan the bemes of faythe hope be ioyned togyder in one poynt than it is of mighty power The bemes of the sonÌ„e whan by reflexyon of a brennyng glasse they be gadred togyder they be so myghty that â—omen welthes be blessed whaÌ„ eyther those that be phiâ—osophers gouerne or elles those that gouerne gyue them to philosophy And scrypture exhorteth prynces to the same sayenge Et nuÌ„c reges intelligite erudimini qui iudicatis terram that is to say And now ye that be kynges study to haue vnderstandynge ye that take vpon you the JudgemeÌ„tes of the worlde inforse you to haue lernynge ¶ But now lette vs retourne to our mater agayne For this grouÌ„de he bryngeth saynt Paule in dyuers places sayenge that a man is iustyfyed by his faythe onely withouten workes Neuerthelesse saynt Austyn saythe that saynt Paules wordes were myscoÌ„ceyued in the begynnyng of the chirche for the whiche as he saythe the other apostles in theyr epistoles studyeth to the coÌ„trary parte But some here thynketh that Martyn luther lytle regardeth saynt Austyn And a trouthe it is but yet that is a foule presumpcyon let hym at the least beleue the other apostles whome withouten manyfest heresye he can not denye Saynt James sayth Ex factis iustificatur homo noÌ„ ex fide tmÌ„ A man is iustifyed by his dedes and not by his faythe alone whiche thynge saynt James dothe not onely saye but also proueth it by dyuers wayes One is this Demones credunt et contremiscunt The deuylles he saythe hathe faythe yet no man maye say that the deuylles be iustyfyed by theyr faythe How many that lyue in horryble synne that yet haue the faythe of chryst Jesu wold rather dye or they shold renye theyr faythe but for all that they be not iustyfyed But yf onely faythe dyd iustifye bothe they and the deuylles also shold be iustyfyed Second the same example that saynt Paule vseth vnto the Romaynes to proue that faythe iustifyed a synner withouten workes the same vseth saynt James to the contrary the example I meane of Abraham as there appereth in the same place But ye than wyll saye Syr be these apostles one contrary to an other To this saynt Austyn saythe that nay forsothe But that saynt James onely contrareth that that may be construed mystaken in saynt Paule For saynt Paule meaneth of the workes that gothe before faythe saynt James meaneth of the workes that folowe after the faythe Saynt Paule meaneth that the worke of circuÌ„cysyon or of other workes of the lawe was not necessary for the iustyfyeng of Abraham to go before his faythe but his faythe withouten them dyd iustyfye hym Saynt James meaneth of the fruytfull workes that folowe after faythe the whiche gyue euydence of a lyfely faythe and these iustyfyeth a man and these he saythe yf Abraham had not had he had not ben iustyfyed yf Abraham had not ben redy to offer vp his sone Isaac at the commaundynge of god he had not ben iustyfyed but bycause he was so redy therfore he saythe Abraham ex operibus iustificatus est That is to saye Abraham was iustifyed by his workes wherfore saynt James speketh not agaynst saynt Paule but agaynst the mysunderstandynge and mysconceyuynge of hym Of the whiche mysconceyuynge saint Peter also speketh in his second epistle sayeng In quibus sunt quedam difficilia intellectu que indocti et instabiles deprauaÌ„t sicut et ceteras scripturas ad suam ipsorum perditionem That is to saye in the epistoles of our ryght dere broder Paule be some thynges harde to be coÌ„ceyued whiche the vnstable myndes dothe misconstrue lyke as they do many other scryptures to theyr owne damnacyon Thus ye maye se that dyuers other haue mysconstrued saynt Paule byfore this as nowe dothe Martyn luther to his owne peryll and damnacyon ¶ But here one thynge I merueyle moche of Martyn luther specyally that he saythe that in all scrypture there is no more testymony agaynst hym but this one place of saynt James for it is not to be douted but many moo maye be brought And fyrst oure sauyour in the gospell of Luce saythe Date eleemosynam ecce omnia munda sunt vobis That is to saye gyue ye almes and all thynges shal be clene vnto you what is this clennesse but the iustyfyenge of our soules the whiche is promest for the workes of almes yf I beleue neuer so moche and yf I releue not the poore in theyr necessyte I shall not atteyne vnto this clennesse Ferthermore in the gospel of Matthew Si remiseritis hominibus erra ta sua remittet vobis pater vester celestis Quod si non remiseritis hominibus errata sua nec pater remittet vobis errata vestra That is to saye yf ye do forgyue vnto them that hathe greued you theyr offences your father in heuen shal do lykewyse to you and yf ye do not forgyue to men whiche hath greued you theyr offences nor your father shall not forgyue to you your offences done agaynst hym Ouer this he saythe in the same gospell Non omnis qui dicit mihi domine domine intrabit in regnuÌ„ celorum sed qui facit voluntatem patris mei that is to say yf we worke not the wyll of almyghty god the father we shall not be iustyfyed nor entre into the kyngdome of heuen Besydes these in the same gospell Nisi abundauerit iusticia vestra plusquam scribaruÌ„ phariseorum non intrabitis in regnum celorum That is to saye onlesse your iustyce or your maner of lyuyng be more better and ample than was the iustyce and lyuyng of the Jewes and pharysees ye shal not entre into the kyngdom of heuen whiche is to be vnderstaÌ„ded de iusticia operum of the iustyce of workes as clerly appeereth of all that foloweth Besydes this he saythe OmÌ„is q i audit verba mea hec non facit ea similis erit viro stulto qui edificauit domum suam super arenam That is to saye Al the hereth these my wordes worketh not therafter is lyke vnto an vnwyse man that buyldeth his hous vpoÌ„ an vnsure grouÌ„d And saynt Paule also saythe Non auditores legis sed tactores
of the sonÌ„e whiche as we se this tyme of the yere spred vpon the grouÌ„de dothe quycken make lyfely many creatures the which before appeered as deed who that vewed and beheld in the wynter season the trees whan they be wydred and theyr lefes shaken from them and all the moystour shronke into the roote no lust of grenenes nor of lyf appeereth outwardly yf he had had none experyence of this mater before he wold thynke it an vnlyke thyng that the same trees shold reuyue agayne be so lustely clad with lefes floures as we now se them And yet this is done by the subtyll operacyon and secrete workynge of the sonne bemes spred vpon the grounde Neuerthelesse not euery beme of the sonne hathe this vertue It is a trouthe the bemes of the sonÌ„e in wynter be lyght as they be now this tyme of the yere but that lyght is so faynt and feble that it gyueth no lyfe for than we sholde haue herbes and trees to growe as wel in wynter as they now do this tyme of the yere The cause of this weykenes is for the sonne shooreth so lowe by the grounde that his bemes than sklaunteth vpon the grounde and dothe not rebouÌ„de nor double in themselfe agayne towardes the sonne and this is the cause of this weykenes they wyll set tynder or clothe on fyre And lykewyse it is of the bemes of the faythe hope whan they be ioyntly compacte and vnyte togyder yf a man had suche a faythe and confydence than he myght commauÌ„de a gret mouÌ„tayne to remoue for his pleasure and this were a myghty faythe Neuerthelesse yf a man had suche a faythe yet yf he wanted the hete of charyte he were but as a deed tree For saynt Paule sayth Si habuero omnem fidem ita vt moÌ„tes transferram charitatem auÌ„t non habuero nihil sum yf I haue all faythe he that speketh of all leueth none vnspoken of yf I haue all faythe he saythe so myghty faythe that by my faythe I maye remoue at my commauÌ„dement gret mouÌ„taynes yet yf I want the hete of charyte I am nothyng but as a deed stok a tree withouten lyf And therfore saynt James saythe Fides sine operibê° mortua est Faythe withouten the fruyte of good workes is deed To this purpose our instruccyon saythe Ille testimoniuÌ„ ê“hibebit de me that is to saye he shall bere wytnesse of me Of whom of christ What is christ Luxvera que illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum that is to saye the true lyght the whiche enlyghtneth euery creature coÌ„mynge into this world who shall bere wytnesse or gyue euydence of this lyght the spyryte of god Quia charitas dei diffusa est in cordibê° nostris per spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ qui datus est nobis That is to saye the hete of the charyte of god is spred in our hertes by the holy spyryte the whiche is gyuen vnto vs. hete of charyte gyueth euydence that that lyght is lyfely Haue a man neuer so moche lyght of faythe onlesse he haue also this hete of charyte sterynge his soule and bryngyng forthe lyfely workes he is but a deed stock as a tree withouten lyfe For as I sayd though the naturall sonne shyne neuer so bryght vpon a tree yf this tree haue in it no grenenes nor puttyng forthe of buddes and lefes this tree is not alyue So whan the bemes of the spirytuall sonÌ„e be spred vpon our soules yf we fele not the sterynge hete to fruytfull workes our soules be but deed ¶ But now to what purpose serueth this instruccyon To this it subuerteth one grete grouÌ„de of Martyn luther whiche is this that faythe alone withouten workes dothe Justifye a synÌ„er vpoÌ„ the whiche grouÌ„d he byldeth many other erroneous artycles specyally that the sacramentes of christes chirche dothe not Justyfye but onely faythe A perylous artycle able to subuerte all the order of the chirche but touchynge these sacramentes the kynges grace our souerayne lorde in his owne persone hath with his pen so substauÌ„cyally foghten agaynst Martyn luther that I doute not but euery true christen man that shal rede his boke shall se those blessed sacramentes clered delyuered from the skalauÌ„derous mouthe cruel tethe that Martyn luther hath set vpon them wherin al englond maye take grete comforte specially al those that loue lernynge Plato saythe TuÌ„ beatas fore respublicas quando aut philosophi regnent aut reges philosophentur That is to saye than shall Ye se whan a bowle is throwen sklantlynge vpon a wall it slydeth forward and rebouÌ„deth not bakward dyrectly agayne to hym that was the thrower but whan it is dyrectly cast agaynst a wall with a grete vyolence than it dothe dyrectly rebounde agayne In this maner it is of the sonne bemes the more nye that the sonne draweth vnto vs now this tyme of the yere the more dyrectly his bemes bete vpon the grouÌ„de the more dyrectly they rebouÌ„de retourne agayne towardes the sonÌ„e And by the reason of the nyenesse of beme to beme ryseth a greter strengthe in the beme and a more full lyght quia omÌ„is virtus vnita fortior est that is to say For euery vertue that is gadred togyder is more stronger ¶ Asengell threde is nothynge so stronge as is a double nor a syngle beme of the sonne is nothyng so myghty as whaÌ„ it is doubled and bowghted in it selfe by rebouÌ„dyng and reflexyon Forthermore of these two ryseth an hete a warmenes the whiche is the pryncypall worker of lyfe in euery creature But for all this we be not yet sure that any tree is alyue to than we se some puttynge forthe of buddes or lefes out of the same tree ¶ This example yf ye perceyue it maye enduce vs to conceyue how wonderfully the spyrytuall sonne almyghty god worketh by his spyrytuall and inuysyble bemes of his lyght spred vpoÌ„ the soule of man or vpon the chirche bothe whiche is called in scrypture a spyrytuall erthe Dominus dabit benignitatem et terra nostra dabit fructuÌ„ suuÌ„ That is to saye our lorde shall gyue his gracyous influence and our erthe shall yelde fruytful workes The bemes of almyghty god spred vpon our soules quyckeneth them causeth this lyfe in vs and the fruyte of good workes Fyrst they cause the lyghte of faythe but this is a veray sklender lyght wtouten the reboundynge of hope the hete of charyte faythe wtouten hope is a sklender beme of a lytle power But Joyne vnto hym hope whiche reboundeth vp to god agayne adâ—â— que non videntur thaÌ„ is he moche stronger than he whas byfore For nowe this is doubled and bowghted in it selfe and gadred more nye vnto hymselfe made more valyaunt and mighty than it was before Before it was lyke vnto the faythe that saynt Peter had whan christ bad hym come to hym vpon the see he beleued his
iustificabuntur that is to saye Suche as onely be herers of the lawe of god shal not be iustifyed but the workers therafter And saynt James saythe Estote factores verbi et non auditores tantum fallentes vosmetipsos that is to saye be ye workers of the worde of god and not onely the herers for than ye disceyue yourself saynt Paule agayne sayth Si secundum carnem vixeritis morie mini Si spiritu facta carnis mortificaueritis viuetis that is to say yf ye lyue after the workes of your flesshe ye shall dye but yf ye mortifye in you by spyryte the workes of your flesshe ye shall lyue And fynally saynt Paule sayth resoluyng his owne sentence fides que per dilectionem operatur that is to saye Fay the whiche is wrought by loue accordynge to the whiche saynt James saythe Uides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius ex operibus fides consummata est That is to saye Thou seest how that faythe helped his workes and how of the worker his faythe was made perfyt By all the whiche testimonyes ye may playnely se that not onely faythe suffyseth but also loue and workes be requyred to the iustyfyenge of our soules And thus moche for the seconde instrucyon ¶ Here foloweth the thyrde instruccyon agaynst Martyn luther TOwching the third instruccyoÌ„ it foloweth in the gospel Et vos testimoniuÌ„ ê“hibebitis quia ab initio mecuÌ„ estis That is to saye ye shall bere wytnesse bycause ye be conuersaunt with me fro the begynnyng To whome shall they bere wytnesse but vnto the vniuersall chirche of chryst Theyr wytnesse thaÌ„ must be allowed of euery true christen man ¶ Of these wordes of the other aboue rehersed it shal appeere that more testimony must be admytted for sufficyent authoryte than only yt. that is wrytten in the byble Whiche one thynge yf we may establysshe it wyl cast downe a grete nobre of Martyn luthers artycles But for this we must coÌ„sydre that these .iij. persones of whome this gospel hathe made mencyon though al theyr workes be vndiuyded vndeseuered one from an other but ioyntly go togyders yet scripture assygneth thre seuerall tymes vnto these .iij. ê‘sones in the which they haue instructeth man of the trouth necessary to be byleued First almighty god the fader istructed our elders by his ê“phetes as saint Paule sayth MultiphariaÌ„ multisque modis olim deê° loqueÌ„s patribê° iÌ„ ê“phetis that is to saye Almighty god the fyrst ê‘sone iÌ„ the godhed many diuers wayes instructed our fathers by his ê“phetes saynt Paule meaneth here by our fathers the Jewes of whom we spuÌ„ally desceÌ„ded for AbrahaÌ„ that was theyr carnal fader is oures also spuÌ„al Now almighty god the father taught them by his ê“phetes whose ê“phecyes all be it they be wrytten in scrypture yet was there many moo thinges which they spook vnwrytten that was of as gret authoryte as that that was wrytten which the mayster of Jewes calleth cabala which is deriuyed fro man to man by mouthe onely not by wrytyng After this the second ê‘son the sone of god our sauiour christ Jesu was send by his father into this world to instructe man bothe by hymselfe by his apostles the which were coÌ„uersauÌ„t with hym as the gospel here sayth fro the begining These blessyd apostles left vnto vs also many thinges by mouthe which is not written in the byble This thyng may appeere by saynt paule whiche cam after them was not pÌ„sent whaÌ„ christ saye these wordes vnto them iÌ„ .ij. epistole ad thessaloniceÌ„ses state tenete traditioÌ„es qÌ„s didicistis siue ê‘ sermoneÌ„ siue ê‘ eplam nrÌ„am that is to say be ye ê¯stauÌ„t kepe those iÌ„struccioÌ„s erudicyoÌ„s that ye haue lerned of vs. ather by mouth or els by wryting yf saynt paule that was latter thaÌ„ the other apostles to whom these wordes were sayd of christ wyl haue his tradicyoÌ„s obserued kept aswel those that he tolde them by mouth as those that he wrote with his peÌ„ne why shal not lyke wyse the tradicioÌ„s of al the other apostles be of lyke strengthe to make fayth to bere wytnesse of the trouthe Here ye may se by expÌ„sse scrypture of saynt paule that we be bounde to byleue many mo thynges thaÌ„ be wrytten put iÌ„ the byble We shall coÌ„ferme this by Origene which is an auÌ„cyent doctor to whome in this poynt grete faythe is to be gyueÌ„ He in the boke of noÌ„bres omelia .v. sayth Sêª iÌ„ ecclÌ„iasticis obseruationibê° sunt noÌ„nulla que omnibê° facere necesse est nec tnÌ„ ratio eoruÌ„ oiÌ„bê° patet NaÌ„ ê™ verbi gratia genua flectimus orantes et ê™ ex omnibê° celi plagis ad solaÌ„ orientis partem conuersi fundimê° orationem noÌ„ facile puto cuiquam ratione compertuÌ„ Sed eucharistie seu percipiende seu quo ritu geritur explicande vel eoruÌ„ que geruÌ„tur in baptismo verboruÌ„ gestoruÌ„que et ordinum atque interrogationuÌ„ et responsionuÌ„ quis facile explicet ratione Et tamen hec omnia operta licet et velata portamê° super humeros quuÌ„ implemus ea et exequimur vt a magno pontifice christo et a filiis eius tradita et coÌ„mendata suscepimus That is to saye But in the obseruancyes of the chirche be many thynges whiche is necessary for vs to do and yet the reason why that we so do is not open to al men As in example whan that we make our prayers knelynge and whan amonges all the other plages of heuen we chose the eest parte towarde the whiche we make our prayer I thynke not that the reason of this is lyghtly knowen to any man Of the obseruaÌ„cyes also and rytes that we vse aboute the sacrament of the alter to be consecrate or elles of the sacrament of baptyme to be minystred whoo can expresse the reason of al those wordes gestures orders questyoÌ„s answers that there be accustomed And yet neuerthelesse al these we bere couerd hyd vpon our sholders whaÌ„ that we do perfourme and execute them accordynge to the tradicyoÌ„s erudycyons whiche we haue receyued coÌ„mended vntyll vs by the grete bysshop christ by his children the holy apostles Of the whiche wordes of Oxigene it clerly dothe appeere that many suche tradycyoÌ„s were left vnto the christen people by christ his apostles the whiche we must folowe notwithstaÌ„dyng they be not wrytten in scripture To the whiche purpose I myght also brynge the testimonyes of Damascene Demose Augustine Hierome other moo ¶ Thyrdly the thyrd persone in the trynyte that is to saye the holy spiryt of trouth was sent fro the other twayne to abyde with vs for euer and to be as a coÌ„forter contynuell in christes chirche whan the stormes teÌ„pestes of heresyes do aryse agaynst al floghteryng doutfulnes to teche vs the veray certayne trouthe where vnto we shold rest After that the apostles were departed from vs the holy spyryte