neuer cease til thei had goteÌ„ him out of the way and thei had before brought to death diuerse whom the king did highly fauor before the king him self whom thei moued by all meanes to put them to execucyon quickly could perceyue spye out their craft and suttilty But he bad me gyue hym the paper wherin I had writton my disputacyon that he might shewe it to the bisshop of londoÌ„ to the other bisshops in the councel the coÌ„tentes wherof was this Right honorable and noble lord and ye right reuerend fathers yesterday whan I disputed of the sacramentes with the bisshop of london we came thus farre that those only ought to be called sacramentes which haue the word of god for them and this point only remained to be further declared that nothing ought to be taken for the word of god but only the holy bokes of the old and newe testameÌ„t For the bisshop of london affirmed that the tradicions and ceremonys wherof the old ecclesiastical writers do make mencyon were receiued of the apostles and geuen us of the fathers from hand to hand and therfor thei may be laufully called the word of god vnwrittoÌ„ and our faith must be proued by them as well as by the holy scripture which is writton in the bible Now I haue determined to coÌ„fute this saing and opinyoÌ„ and to shewe by the manifest testimonys of christ of the Apostles of the prophetes and also of the old doctors that the Christen faith ought to leane only vpon the holy scripture and that the bokes of the old newe testament only ought to be had and taken for the word of god And because there hangeth a nother disputacyoÌ„ vpon this that is to say of the auctorite of the doctors and of councels I wil also speake of them For cochleus and other blasphemos lyers which for the bellys sake haue salable tuÌ„ges and in whom the saing which Paul alledgeth against them that mainteyne wicked doctrine for their bellys sake doth very wel agre saing The cretyaÌ„s are alweys false lyers wicked beastes and slowe bellys These hipocrites I say do plainly hold that the church that is to say the bisshops as thei vnderstond hath pour to iudge ouer the scripture and to examyne it and also that it hath auctoryte to allowe or to refuse the gospel and to dispense with the .x. commandments and to alter the forme of baptyme and to make newe articles of our faith beside those which be conteined in the scripture Some there be that speake yet more reuerently saing that thei contend not of the scripture or of the word of god but of the exposicyon theroff which thei wil haue to be taken and sought of the church and of the doctors which be alowed of the church vnto whose iudgemeÌ„t thei say we ought to stand in all coÌ„trouersys of our faith what so euer thei deere whether thei haue any scripture for them or no. This sophistical suttelty although it hath more coning than the first grosse blasphemy yet it is to the same effect and thei both haue one end and defend both one opinion But yet before the bisshop of londoÌ„ there was neuer none so farre past shame as to say that the rytes and ceremonys in the church which can not be proued by the scripture ought to be called the word of god vnwritten â–ª and that we ought to byld our faith vp on them as vp on the holy scripture written in the bible This threfold maze or rather one traâ—â—formed .iij. ways couered painted with diuers wordes hath those reasons onli to coÌ„firme it which the bisshop did before alledge for the vnwritton word and certeÌ„ other which I wil reherse and confute in the end of this writing But first I wil beate downe this grosse blasphemy and I wil shewe and declare that our whole fayth and all the articles of the christeÌ„ religioÌ„ be coÌ„teined in the scripture of the prophetes and apostles so that a christen man is bownd to byleue no other thing than such things as may be proued out of that scripture This horrible blindnes of men and the boldnes malycyos obstinacy which foloweth therup on wherthorow thei blaspheme god and his holy word is rather to be lamented than to be conuict with many reasons the thing being so manifest But the nerer that the brightnes of the sonne of reightwisnes doth coÌ„e and the more clerely that the light of the gospel doth shyne so moch more blinder and more obstynate are the vnfaithful made in so moch veryly that thei are more blynder now in the gret light than thei were before and thei stomble in very dede vp on the stomblyng stone and vp on the rock of sclander For the false teachers euen whan thei were in the most blind darknes were neuer so bold nor impudent as to breake out in to such a blasphemy as to say the church might make newe articles of the faith not coÌ„teyned in the scripture or that it hath auctorite to dispeÌ„se with the .x. coÌ„mandmeÌ„ts and to alter the forme of baptyme Gerson duns dorbel Decam Tomas BonaueÌ„ture do plainly condemne this heresy and thei affirme that the truth reueled of god and conteined in the body of the bible or in the holy scripture is the foundacion of our faith that is to say the thiÌ„g where vp oÌ„ our fayth ought to be bylded thei wold neuer haue byleued that there shuld euer be so gret blindnes in the church that any man shuld be so bold as to affirme that the articles of the christen faith ought to be sought not in the scripture but in the gloses of men and in bisshops lawes or that mans tradicions rites and ceremonys receyued in the church and not conteyned in the scripture ought to be called the word of god vnwritton But I wil cease my coÌ„playning seing I know that now is the latter tyme wherof the prophetes christ and the apostles did prophecy that there shuld come false prophetes which shuld face out the gospel and imagyne a newe gospel euen stynking hethenyssh old wiuyssh and capcyos fables inuented by the suttyl wit of man as peter and paul calle them and of these false prophetes that is to say Antichrist did daniel christ and paul admonissh us that he shuld extolle him self a boue god and shuld robbe god of his name pour wisdom and mercy and shuld accuse him of right wisnes cruelnes and weakenes vnabylyte which thing we do manifestly see in maner in all their doctrynes as in their pardons in the popes your in purgatory in pryuate masses in the prayng vnto saintes in worshipyng of Images in the vowes of monkes and pristes and in all mans tradicyons And I pray yow is not this to accuse god of ignorance of malice and of sluggisshnes neclygence to say that god hath not writton in his holy bokes of scripture all things necessary vnto our saluacyon as though either he did not remember althings
against the doctrynes tradicyons of men saing All flessh is euen grasse all the glory of it that is to say euen his most excellent wisdom pour is euen lyke the floure of an herbe the grasse widdereth away and the floure of the herbe falleth a way for the spyryte breath of the lord hath blowne vpon it And the peple be very grasse the grasse I say widdereth the floure falleth but the word of the lord endureth for euer c. He threatneth also euerlasting night of infidelyte or vnbylefe if we beleue eyther any newe reuelacyons withowt the word of god or els any apparicyoÌ„s of dead spretes The wordes after the true hebrue text be these Shal the peple seke councel of their god or shal thei are councel of the deade for the liuyng shal thei not rather loke serch in the lawe of the lord and tak the testimony of god vnto councel Iff thei tel you not saith he according vnto this word thei shal haue no morniÌ„g lyght Sureli this is a sore threatning vnto them which vnderstond what this voyce is what this derknes signifyeth and who is the auctor causer of it Iohn calleth christ the light that shyneth in darknes that lightneth all meÌ„ which come in to this world he saith that the true life is in the word of god that life is the light of men again that god is the light in whom is no darknes at all that who so euer walketh in darknes hath no felowship with god And christ calleth hiÌ„ self the life of the world he saith vnto us Walk in the light whyle ye haue it that no darknes compasse now c. Now the deuel is the prince of all darknes he did first steale this light from mankind thorow infidelite he did first robbe us of the true knowlege of god and brought us in to all darknes of infydelite and in to all kindes of errors But the sonne of rigtuosnes hath restored this light vnto the world agayne and his coming was vnto us the bright morniÌ„g wherof Esay speaketh in this place And it is no meruel that we haue walked in a continual darknes thus long for we haue forsaken the word of god and sought the light in the deuils doctrine in our own wisdom in mans tradicyons we haue had so gret confydence in fantasyes that we haue byleued deade spyrites made newe artycles of our fayth euen owt of the appearing of them as namely that there is a purgatory after this life out of the which soules may be redemed thorow the sacrifice of the masse which the pope and the deuyl haue ordeyned to be a sacrifice for the quick and the deade contrary to the institutyon and ordinaÌ„ce of christ But now let us heare what witnesse christ him selfe the euerlasting word of god geueth of his scripture For the same question was disputed of eueÌ„ in christes tyme among the high doctors which thought that the scripture without the tradicyons of the elders was not sufficient vnto their saluacyon and one of those doctors came to christ and saide master what may I doo to enioye euerlasting life But christ seÌ„t this curios infidele vnto the scripture sayng what is writton in the lawe How dost thow reade thereiÌ„ as though he shuld say Doist thou thinck that god is a wauerer or a changeling that wil alter his mynd euery howr as men change their lawes and imagine dayli newe opinions of god I tell the the word of god continueth for euer and do thou nothing but euen the selfe thing only that thow seyst writton in the law and so thou shalt liue he saith not now how thinkest thou or how dost thow heare the pharises the scribes preach teach but he sendeth hym to the scripture and sayth what readest thou there Do that thou shalt lyue And although the scribes pharises and doctors did euer patch their lawes and tradicyons vnto tâ—e word of god yea and preferred theÌ„ also before it as christ sheweth in the .xv. .xxiij. of Mathew yet all other among wâ—om the true church did raygne had on iudgement bylefe namely that the wil of god must be known by the scripture only that aâ—l articles must be iudged and examyned by it as christ declareth where as he saith vnto the iewes Serch the scriptures for ye beleue surely that ye shal haue euerlasting life in theÌ„ by the which wordes christ testifieth playnly that this was the opynion and iudgement of the oâ—d church that all men shuld knowe the wil of god by the scripture only and that thei shuld iudge all articles of the faith necessari vnto saluacyon by that only And where as he biddeth theÌ„ examâ—ne his preaching by the scripture he sheweth euidently euin the whole gospel to becoÌ„teyned in the old scripture And who so euer denieth the coÌ„mandment of Moyses before rehersed to perteyne vnto us because the Apostles had not yet writtoÌ„ their bokes thei be very asseheades withowt any knoulege or vnderstoÌ„ding For this rule did the Apostels folowe whan thei testified vn to the church of the gospel that no boke shuld be receyued except it consentyd with the old scripture and by this rule the church refused the bokes which confirmed their storys by the prophetes And by this rule do the Euangelistes proue their writings Paul also procureth auctorite vn to his pistle to the Roma .j. by this same rule where as he saith that his gospel was before promised by the prophetes in the holy scriptures To this purpose also serue these saings of christ If ye beleued Moyses ye wold bileue me also for he wrote of me c. and agayne this Serche the scriptures c. for euen thei beare witnesse of me Now this controuersy of the vnwritton word of mans gloses and tradicyons if we wil folow the councel of our fore fathers and stande to the iudgement of the church in christes tyme I wil lay this senteÌ„ce of the old church confirmed of christ for me against all that my aduersarys can make or say writton in the xij of Iohn The word which I haue spoken shal iudge them in the last day And if this word were not writtoÌ„ or if it were not all writton who could besure certen of his saluacyon or of the wil and pleasure of god And if our faith and the saluacyon of mankynd did depend only of mennes doctryne so that the soÌ„me rule of our religion were not writton in the scripture who durst trust bileue that one hole perfight and vnblemisshed sentence of christ were left vnto us For seing the deuel wresteth the scripture vnto eueri wicked opinyon and durst refuse the scripture thorow the Manicheis as he doth now adays cause it be burnt by the bisshops who dowteth but that he wold rather haue destroyed the whole scripture at ones more than .xv. hundreth yere agone and to haue
set vp in the steade of it his own blasphemes and that thei shuld haue bene called the writton word of god rather thaÌ„ the vnwritton inuented word Oh lord the holy gost had euel prouided for us if he had left us in the holy scripture only part of the word and will of god And how could god haue lauffully daÌ„ned us for receyuing strange doctrines euen after the commandmentes of the bisshops if he had not left all things necessary for our saluacyon writton in his holy word And againe where as christ coÌ„mandeth us to heare the church if we shuld not know the true church only by the scripture but by pour auc torite saccession who shuld haue durst ones to haue opened his lippes against the Idolatrissh seruice and false tradicioÌ„s of the bishops or ones haue whisspred against any wickednes had it bene neuer so manifest But thei being thorouly bliÌ„ded do not perceyue this most shameful and detestable blasphemy Thei doo not consyder what ignorance neclygence vnmercifulnes thei ascrybe vnto god whaÌ„ as thei say that god did not regard that the word shuld be writton whereby he saith that we shal be iudged at the latter day But the holy gost esspyed before the malyce of the deuel and also this blasphemy and therfor to represse and confownd his purpose and tyranny and agayne to stopp the mouthes of all other he enioyned his scribes that is to say the Prophetes Apostels and euangelistes to wryte this word that we shuld haue by us a sure and a perpetual testimony whereunto we might surely trust and wherby he might shew declare hym selfe to damne the wicked lawfully And he coÌ„manded the apostels that thei shuld beare witnes of this scripture and that thei shulde reiecte all other writinges whose so euer thei were which went abowt to mixe their lyes with the gospel lyke as s. luke in the prologe of his gospel sayth I thought it good to wryte vnto the gentil brother Theophyl all things which I haue serched out with all dilygence from the beginning that thou mightest haue a perfight grouÌ„de to bild thy fayth vp on which thou leâ—nydst in thy youth c. By this so euydent a testymony hath the holy goost stablysshed confirmed our hartes agaynst the blasphemy of antichrist which accuseth the holy gost of most shameful wickednes and vnrightuosnes saing that he did not regard to wryte all Articles of our christen religyon and faith but that he wold thei shuld depend vpon vncerten doctrynes which the bisshops might make and alter as oft as thei list And the holy gost was not content with this one testimony but he caused the self same euangelist which had promised him self to wryte all things from the beginnig with all diligeÌ„ce to testifye agayne that he had fulfilled his promes for in the begiÌ„nig of the actes he saith that he hath writtoÌ„ in the story of his gospel of all things which christ both did and taught eueÌ„ vntyl that day that he left this world And because there were certeÌ„ which did falsely wrytte and wrest this place the holy father Chrisostome doth expownd it thus There be some that enquire how luke could wryght of all things which christ both did taught seiÌ„g Iohn sayth it were impossible to wryte all thiÌ„gs whom I answer saith he luke meneth not al thiÌ„gs but of all things necessary vnto our saluacion But the holy gost nedeth no helpe of animan to coÌ„firm his wordes for he which is the most coning craftesman of all and hath the knoulege of all wordes did espie before what cauillacyon the deuel wold make at that therfor he maketh answere vnto it euen by the self same euangelist For where as Ihon had sayd that Iesus had done many miracles which be not writtoÌ„ he addeth immediatly and saith These be writtoÌ„ that ye shuld bileue that Iesus is the son of god that ye beleuing shuld haue euerlastiÌ„g life hy his name By thâ—s wordes it is manifest that the soÌ„me of all christes doctrine and so many miracles also were writton as be sufficyent to confirme our faith all maner of articles whiche we be bownd to byleue For this article that Iesus is the son of god the promised seede which shuld breake the serpentes heade and restore that lyfe which the deuel had stolen from us and had brought agayne restored thorow the apperyng of the gospel that light which was darckened hidden by the prince of darknes vnto themyserable world sitting or liuing before in darknes in the shadowe of death this article I say is the soÌ„me of the whole scripture and the principal point or article of s. Iohns gospel And for this articles sake he sayth in his first pistel that he wrote all things vnto all men and that he which byleueth in the son hathe the witnesse iÌ„ him selfe that is to say he doth vnderstonde the somme of the whole scripture And because god wold haue the holy bokes wrâ—ttoÌ„ testifye of this sede that was to come namely the son of god the whole scripture is a testimony of this christ and son of god there are many tâ—mâ—s dyuerse witnesses alledged in the scripture to beare witnes of christ that he is the son of god coÌ„ceyued by the holy gost borne of the virgine suffred death is rysen vp agayn c. And vnto this had he respect whâ—n he sayd Serche the scriptures for thei beare witnes of me And peter speaketh in like maner sâ—iÌ„g All the prophetâ—s do witnesse with hâ—m that god forgeueth all the synÌ„es vnto them which bileue and put their confydence in this christ And Paul saith in lyke maner that rightuosnes was testifyed of in the lawe in the prophetes Wherfore thos testimonys which proue Iesus to be the son of god do sufficiently proue also our whole christeÌ„ faith and all maner of articles necessarâ—y to saluacyon and to euerlasting life And it were no hard thing to dyduce and drawe all the articles of the faith euen owt of this one For he that byleueth Iesus to be the son of god must nedes also grant god the father almyghty maker of heauen and erth to be the natural father of our lord Iesus christ and that for his sake he is our father and we be the soÌ„nes of god for Iesus sake and thorow him And christ saith byleue ye in god so byleue in me also do ye not byleue that I am in the father and the father in me And Iohn saith who so euer confesseth Iesus to be the son of god khe hath both the father the son Item who so euer bileueth Iesus to be the natural son of god must nedes acknoulege that he is that Emanuel of whom Esay did Prophecy that he shuld be borne of a virgyn and shuld suffer death lyke as other scriptures had before testifyed he saythe O ye folisshe hartes harde to byleue all thiÌ„gs which the prophetes haue
bi chance in the streate the right excellent lord Crumwel going vnto the parlament howse in the yeare .1537 he whan he sawe me called me vnto him toke me with him to the parlameÌ„t house to westmyster where we fownd all the bisshops gathered to gether vnto whom as he went and toke me with him all the bisshops and prelates did rise vp and did obeisance vnto him as to their vicar general and after he had saluted them he sate him down in the highest place right against hym sate the Archibisshop of cantorbery after him the Archbisshop of yorke and than London Lincoln Salisbery Bathe Ely Herford Chichester Norwich Rochester and Worcester and certeÌ„ other whose names I haue forgoten all these did sitâ— at a table couered with a carpet with certeÌ„ prystes standing about them Than the lord Crumwel being vicar general of the reame lord of the preuy seale and chefe secret counceler vnto the king turned him self to the bisshops sayd Right reuerend fathers in christ The kings maiesty geueth yow high thankes that ye haue so diligently without any excuse assembled hether acording to his commandment and ye be not ignorant that ye be called hether to determyne certen coÌ„trouersys which at this tyme be moued concernyng the christen religion and faith not only in this reame but also in all nacions thorowt the world for the kiÌ„g studieth day night to set a quietnes in the church and he can not rest vntil all such controuersis be fully debated and ended thorow the determinacyon of yow and of his whole parlament For all though his special desyre is to set a stey for the vnlerned peple whose consciences are in dout what thei may bileue and he him selfe by his excellent lerning knoweth these controuersys welinough yet he wil suffer no comon alteracyon but by the consent of yow and of his whole parlameÌ„t By the which thing ye may perceiue both his high wisdom and also his gret loue toward yow he desiereth yow for christes sake that all malyce obstynacy carnal respect set apart ye will frindly louingly dispute among your selues of the coÌ„trouersys moued in the church and that ye wyl coÌ„clude all things by the word of god with out all brauling or scolding neither will his magesty suffer the scripture to be wrâ—sted defaced by any glosys any papistical lawes or by any auctoryte of doctors or councels and moch lesse wil he admit any articles or doctrine not conteyned in the scripture but approued only by coÌ„tynuance of tyme and old custome and by vnwritton verytes as ye were wont to doo Ye know wel iÌ„ough that ye be bound to shewe this seruice to christ to his church yet notwithstoÌ„ding his magesty wil giue you high thanckes if ye wil set coÌ„clude a godly and a perfight vnyte wherunto this is the only way and meane if ye wil determyne all things by the scripture as god commaÌ„deth yow in deuteronomy which thing his maiesty exhorteth and desyreth yow Whan the lord crumwel had spoken his mynd after this sort with high grauyte as he was a man of a gret witt of excellent wisdom and of goodly eloqueÌ„ce all the bisshops did ryse vp and gaue thankes to the kings maiesty for his ferueÌ„t study and desyre toward an vnite and for this vertuos exhortacyon most worthy a christen king After this began thei to dispute of the sacramentes And first of all the bisshop of london which was an ernest defender of the popes part whom a litel before the lord crumwel had rebuked by name for defending of vnwritton verites this bisshop of london I say went about to defend that there were .vij. sacrameÌ„tes of our christeÌ„ religion which he wold proue by certeÌ„ stincking gloses and old lousy writers and he had vp on his syde the Archbisshop of york the bisshop of lincoln bath chichyster and norwich The bisshop of salisbery Ely herford and worcester and certeÌ„ other with the Archbisshop of Cantorbery were against him And after thei had made moch strife and coÌ„tencyon about the saings of the doctors one contrary to a nother The bisshop of cantorbery spake and sayd thus It besemeth not men of lerning grauyte to make moche babling and brauling about bare wordes so that we agree in the very substaÌ„ce and effect of the matter For to braule abowt wordes Is the property of sophisters and such as meane disceight and suttilty which delight in the debate and dissencyon of the world and in the miserable state of the church and not of them which shuld seke the glory of christ and shuld study for the vnyte and quietnes of the church There be waighty controuersis now moued put forth not of ceremonis light things but of the tru vnderstanding and of the right difference of the lawe and of the gospel of the maner and way how synnes be forgeuen of cowmforting doutful and wauering conscieÌ„ces by what meanes thei may be certifyed that thei please god seing thei fele the strength of the lawe accusing them of sinne of the true vse of the sacrameÌ„tes whether the outward work of them doth iustifye man or whether we receyue our iustificacyon thorow fayth Item which be the good workes and the true seruice and honor which pleaseth god and whether the choise of meates the difference of garmentes the vowys of monkes and pristes and other tradicyoÌ„s which haue no word of god to coÌ„firme them whether these I say beright good workes and such as make a perfâ—ght christen man or no. Item whether vaine seruyce and false honoryng of god and mans tradicyons do bynd mens consciences or no. Finally whether the ceremonis of confirmacyon of orders and of annealing and soch other which can not be proued to be institute of christ nor haue any word in them to certifye us of remissyon of sinnes ought to be called sacramentes and to be coÌ„pared with baptim and the supper of the lord or no. Thes be no light maters but euen the principal poyntes of our christen religioÌ„ wherfor we contend not about wordes and trifles but of high and ernest matters Christ saith Blessed be the peace makers for thei shal be called the soÌ„nys of god And Paul coÌ„mandeth bisshops to auoyde brawling and coÌ„tencion about words which be profitable to nothiÌ„g but vnto the subuersion and destructioÌ„ of the hearers and be monissheth specially that he shuld resist with the scriptures whan any man disputeth with him of the fayth he addeth a cause wher as he sayth Doing this thou shalt preserue both thy selfe and also them which heare the. Now if ye wil folow thâ—se councellers Christ and Paul all contencyon and brauling about wordes must be set apart and ye must stablissh a godly and a perfight vnyte coÌ„cord out of the scripture Wherfor in this disputacioÌ„ we must first agree of the nomber of the sacramentes and what a sacrament doth signify in the holy scripture and whan
we cal baptyme and the supper of the lord sacramentes of the gospell what we meane therby I knowe right wel that s. Ambrose and other autors calle the wasshīg of the disciples fete and other things sacramētes which I am sure yow your selues wold not suffer to be nombred among the other sacramentes This exhortacyon did the archbisshop make most soberly discretely as he is a man of a singular grauyte with such swetenes that it did my hart good to hear him And bicause I did signifye bi some token of my countnance that this admonicyō of the archbisshop did please delight me excellētly wel the lord cromwel bad me speake what I thought of this disputacyō but he told the bisshops before that I was the kings scolar and therfor he desiered them to be cōtent to heare me indifferently Than I after the rude maner of the scholes rather than after any courtly solemnyte bowing my knee for a token of curtesy and reuerence as It became me with out any preface at all begā to speake after this maner Ryght honorable noble lord and yow most reuerend fathers and prelates of the church although I come vnprepared vnto this disputacyon yet trusting in the ayde of christ which promiseth to geue both mouth and wisdom vnto vs whan we be required of our fayth I wil vtter my sētence and iudgement of this disputacyon And I think that my lord archbisshop hath geuen you a profitable exhortacion that ye shuld first agree of the significacyon of a sacramēt whether ye wil call a sacramēt a ceremony institute of christ in the gospel to signifie a special or a singular vertu of the gospel and of godlines as paul namith remissyon of sinnes to be or whether ye mene that euery ceremony generally which may be a token or a significacyon of an holy thing to be a sacramēt For after this latter significacyon I wil not stike to grant yow that there be .vij. sacramentes and more to If ye wil. But yet Paul semeth to describe a sacrament after the first significacion wheras he sayth that circūcisiō is a token and a seale of the rightwisnes of fayth This diffinycion of one particular sacrament must be vnderstōd to perteine vnto all sacramentes generally for the Iewes had but one sacrament only as all the scholastical writers do grant And he describeth baptyme after the same maner in the .v. to the Ephesians wheras he sayth that Christ doth sanctifye the church that is to say all that be baptised thorow the bath of water in the word of life For here also he addeth the word and promes of god vnto the ceremony and Christ also requireth fayth where as he saith who so euer bileueth and is baptised shal be saued And s. Austen describeth a sacramēt thus The word of god coming vnto the element maketh the sacrament and in a nother place he saith a sacrament is a thing wherin the pour of god vnder the forme of visible thinges doth work secretly saluacyon And the master of the sentences doth describe a sacrament no nother wise A sacramēt saith he is an inuysible grace and hath a visible forme and bi this inuysible grace I meane saith he remissyon of sinnes Finally s. Thomas denieth that any mā hath auctorite to institute a sacrament Now if ye agree vnto this diffinicyon of a sacramēt it is an easy thing to iudge of the nomber of those sacramentes which haue the manifest word of god and be institute bi christ to signifye vnto us the remissyon of our sinnes s. Austen saith that there be but .ij. such sacramentes in the .cxviij. pistle vnto Ianuarius His wordes be these First I wold haue the to vnderstōd the somme and effect of this disputacyō which is this that our lord Iesus Christ as he him self saith in the gospel hath ladē us but with a light and easy yock or burden Wherfore he hath glewed the felowship of his newe peple with sacramentes very fewe in nomber very easy to be kept and very excellent in signifycacyon which be baptyme and the supper of the lord and such other if there be any moo commanded in the holy scripture those except which were burdēs for the seruytute of the peple in the old lawe for the hardnes of their hartes et ce And agayne in the .iij. boke of the lerning of a Christen man he saith the scripture hath taught us but fewe signes as be the sacramēt of baptyme and the solemne celebracyon and rememberance of the body and blode of the lord et ce The bisshop of london could scarsly suffer me to speake thus moch but he brake forth and said thus vnto me where as ye affirme all right and true sacramentes to be institute of Christ or to haue the manifest scripture to proue them or that all sacramentes must haue a significacyō of remissyon of sinnes It is all false Than I answered that I wold proue all that I had sayd to be true not only by the scripture but by the old doctors and by the schole writers also But the bisshop of herforth whom the kings grace fauored highly both for his singular wisdom and lerning which was thā newe comne out of germany where he had bene Imbassytor being moued with the frowardnes of this bisshop of londō sayd vnto me brother Alexander contend not moch with him about the myndes and sayngs of the doctors and schole writers for ye knowe that thei in many places doo differ among them selfes and that thei are contrary to them selues also almost in euery article And there is no hope of any concord to be made if we must leane to their iudgementes in these maters of controuersy and we be commāded by the kings grace to dispute by the holy scripture et c. And he turned him to the bisshops and made a short and pythy oracyon Think ye not sayd he that we can by any sophistical suttiltes steale out of the world agayn the light which euery man doth see Christ hath so lightned the world at this tyme that the light of the gospel hath put to flight all misty darknes and it wil shortly haue the higher hād of all cloudes though we resist in vaine neuer so moch The lay peple do now knowe the holy scripture better than many of us And the germanes haue made the text of the Bible so playne and easy by the hebrewe and the greke tōg that now many things may be better vnderstand without any gloses at all than by all the commentarys of the doctors And more ouer thei haue so openned these controuersys by their writings that womē and childern may wonder at the blindnes falshode that hath bene hetherto Wherfor ye must consider ernestly what ye wil determyne of these controuersys that ye make not your selues to be mocked and laughed to storne of all the world and that ye bring them not to haue this opinion of yow to think euer more here after that ye haue
whan he gaue the scripture to be writton or els that he could not tell all things or els that he hidde certeÌ„ things from us of purpose that so he myght damne and destroy us where as he had sayd before euidently that we shuld be iudged at the latter day by the word which he had spoken vnto us But thei be so blynded by the deuel that thei can not perceyue the abhominacion of this blasphemy Now to confirme all godly myndes and to call them back from their dotyng I haue gathered in order certen testimonys which do euidently proue that the wrytton word of god is the fowndacion of our christen fayth and that all the articles of our christen fayth ought to be prouyd by the holy scriptures The first is in the .iiij. of Deuteronoâ—ye shal not adde vnto the worde which I speake vnto yow neyther mynissh from it And who dyd euer expownd this to be vnderstand of the vnwritton word before thes lying false prophetys and antichrystes And if it ought to be vnderstoÌ„d of the writton scripture only than do thei playnly agaynst gods word which Imagyne that there shuld be any vnwritton word But I am not ignorant how these mockers are wont to iest or scoff a way and to face owt this place sayng that there is one kynd of adding which minyssheth a nother which altereth a nother which maketh largyer and a nother which fulfilleth thei grant that this sayng refuseth all maner of addings sauyng the last maner wherby the scripture is made more manifest and open But to coÌ„fute this fansy Imaginacyon the manifest scripture is suffycyeÌ„t deute the .vj. what I command that shalt thow do only vnto the lord thou shalt neyther adde nor minyssh any thing And in the last chapt of the Apoca. Who so euer addeth any thing vnto this the lord shal seÌ„d hym the plages which be writoÌ„ in this boke which place all the duns men euen duns him self granteth that it ought to be vnderstond of the whole scripture wherfore it is manifest that those synne against the commandment of god which affirme that there is any word of god vnwriton like as thei do which expownd the scripture after their own fansis or gyue iudgement of the wil of god with owt the manifest word of god For it is a deuillyssh lye to say that the scripture can not be vnderstond with owt mens commeÌ„tarys or glosys because it is so darke dowtful that it may be applyed to coÌ„firme all maner of heresys In the .xxviij. of deuter are proffred benedyccyons of all sortys vnto them that kepe those things which are writton in the boke of the lawe And in the .xxxij. chap. of the same boke Moyses doth manifestly say thus Set and fyxe your hartes vpoÌ„ all the wordes which I testyfye vnto you this day that ye may command your childern to kepe and obserue all things which are writton in the boke of this lawe for thei be not geuen and commanded vnto yow in vayne but that euery one of you should lyue after them Marke here is euerlasting life promysed vnto them which kepe those things that are writton in the scripture And Moyses doth playnly say that this is the fynal and only cause why god wold haue his word to be writton that all men in general and euery one in sâ—eciall of what order degre or occupacyon so euer he be shuld haue the word of god where by thei might be saued wherupoÌ„ it foloweth that it is a manifest blasphemy to say that we may be saued or damned by any tradicyoÌ„s of man And here thei are conuyct to be starck idyotes which asscrybe this ignoraÌ„ce neclygence vnto god as though he either could not or els wold not coÌ„myt all articles necessary vnto our saluacyon to be writton in the holy scripture For thei declare euydently that thei knowe not the final cause why the scripture is geuen vnto us but thei Imagyne god to be lyke some ignorant poete which hath geuen us a patched and an vnperfight worke For god wold that in the scripture his will shuld shyne as it were in a glasse and that the perfight image of hys deyte which paule calleth the prynt and seale of his substance shuld appeare therin Item s. Iohn sayth that this word doth shyne in darknes and that it is the lyght which shineth in mens hartes blynded of the deuyl thorow sinne and that christ doth open vnto us the wil of god thorow his gospel which will no mortal man did euer knowe but so farre as this word which is in the fathers bosom dyd open vnto him Wherfor we may perceyue that it is not only thorow the ignorance of man that the word of god is thus blasphemed but thorow the malyce of the deuyl For the deuel neuer ceaseth to disfigure this word namely the son of god whom he despysed before the world was made and shal fight with him euen with all his pour vntyl the day of iudgement In the .xvij. of deute The king is coÌ„manded to haue alweys in his handes and in his sight the boke of the lawe and to reade owt of it all the dayes of his life for this purpose that he shuld lerne to feare his lord god And for his study diligeÌ„ce this promes is made him that he shuld lyue loÌ„g and that his kingdome shuld be geuen to many of his progeny lynage And wold to god all christen kinges and princes wold think surely the reading of the holy bokes of scripture to be a part off their offyce not to reade them in lateÌ„ which thei vnderstand not but so to reade it as thei may lerne the wil of god how he wil be feared by his word only and not by any popish lawes and mans tradicyons And if thei wold do thus I durst surely waraÌ„t them both that thei shuld lyue longer and also that thei shuld haue lesse tumult and sedicyon in their life tyme. For now seing thei play the tyraÌ„nes ouer the scripture and ouer the readers of it it is no meruel that god doth ponissh them for their cruelnes and that there be fewe of them but that dye some shameful and cruel death for such is the end of tirannes wont to be Ioachim king of Iuda sawe all his sonnes headed and he him self his eyes before put out was bownd and led presoner in to babylon and it was sayd openly vnto him because thow hast brent the boke of Iheremy there shal be none left of thy sede which shal sit vpon the throne of dauid and thy cark as shal be cast out in to the heate in the day time and in to the frost in the night tyme. Antiochus which coÌ„manded the holy bokes of scripture to be burnt perisshed miserably in desperacyon and thorow a meruelos falle Both daniel and paul do testifye that he was the figure of the last Antichrist that euer shuld be Wherfor I wil not spend my wordes in
told yow Must not Christ nedes haue suffred all these things so entre in to his glory Agayne it was impossyble that the son of god shuld be holdē down of death but that he shuld breake the paynes of hell ryse vp agayne As peter doth proue in the actes out of Dauyd and lyke wise Paul to proue his ascensyon vnto heauen alledgeth this verse out of the psalm Thou didst ascend vnto the highth And tokest captyuyte prysoner and gauest dyuers gyftes vnto men And dauyd speaketh of this son saing The lord sayd vnto my lord syt at my right hand vntyl I make thy emnys thy fotestole Which place paul expowndeth of the kingdom of christ after his resurrectiō and ascensyon .j. to the coryn .xv. Furthermore if thou byleuest Iesus to be the son of god than thou shalt grant that he hath sent the holy gost to sanctifye the congregacyon that is to say all the faythful according to his promes and that he is the god in whose name he cōmanded that we shuld be baptysed lyke as in his fathers name and his Itē all the prophetes do beare witnes of the holy gost namely that we must receyue remissyon of synnes thorow his name and he promyseth that he wil rayse us vp againe vnto euerlastīg life These thinges haue I spoken the more largely for the shameful cauellacyon and blasphemy of London which denyeth that all the articles of our faith can be proued by the scripture because s. Iohn saith that Iesus dyd many miracles which be not writton in this boke Now wil I alledge the myndes of Cirillus and. s. Austen to confute this wicked and blasphemos opinyon Cyrillus writing vpon Iohn the .xij. chap. speaketh thus Iohn saith there is a gret multitude and an infinyte nomber of the myracles which the lord did but those saith he which we haue shewed yow be sufficyent to them that reade them diligently for the stablysshing confirmacyon of a perfight fayth and I am not to be blamed though I haue not writton them all For if all were gathered one by one none left out the whole world wold not receyue the multytude of the bokes Wherfor all that he did were not writtō But all things which the writers thought sufficyent both for the fayth and bylefe and also for the life and conuersacyon of men that we myght shyne with a right and perfight fayth and with true workes vertues and so come vnto the kyngdom of heauen thorow our lord christ be wrytton wherfor it is a newelye lately inuēted in the deuels shop to say that all the articles of the christen fayth can not be proued by the scripture and that mēs tradicyōs besyde the scripture be good workes and please god Now ye may see that the church in Cyrillus tyme did not acknoulege this wicked blasphemy Austen affirmeth the same writing vp on this place of Iohn these be writton that ye shuld byliue etc. Our lord Iesus saith he did many miracles but all be not writton for those that shuld be writtō were specialy chosen pyked owt as many as wer thought necessary and sufficient for the saluacyō of the faithful By these auctorites ye may see that thei belye the old doctors which say that they maynteyne any such blasphemy But now to make an end of alledging any more testimonies I wil cyte only .ij. specyal and most faithful witnesses against this deuelyssh sophistical cauillacyon and opinyon namely Peter and Paul and so wil I make an end For euery man that hath any witt at all may plaīly perceyue that Peter wrote his second pistle against such blasphemers as do imagine a new word of god besyde that which is writton For he calleth the scripture euen a very true prophecy and he calleth them false or lyeng Prophetes which teach cōtrary to this prophetical and Apostolical prophecy or any thing which is not conteyned in it and he teacheth this rule wherby we shuld auoyde all maner of lyes that we shuld trye and examine them by this prophetical word or prophetical scripture wherunto he cōmandeth us to haue a specyal eye as vnto the candel which dryueth out and banisheth away all darknes and lyes of the deuel His wordes be these I wryte vnto yow this second pistle to prick you vp to quyckē your hartes that ye might remember the wordes which haue bene told now before by the holy prophetes and also the wordes of our message and cōmandment which be the Apostles of the lord and sauior for ye must knowe that in the latter dayes there shal come mockers Now these mockers he paynteth with specyal colors wher by thei may be known Thei shal bring in saith he pernicyos and dānable sectes or as Paul saith thei shal speake lies in hypocrisy vnder the color and pretense of holynes Forbidding to mary to absteyne from the meates which god hath created to be receyued of the faithful with thankes geuyng And thei shal denie the lord saith he which hath bought or redemed them and the way of the truth shal thei slander and reuyle as certen blasphemers do now a dayes speake blasphemosly of paul because he doth manifestly confute mans satisfaccyons rightwisnes and redempcyō by workes And therfor saythe he for couetosnes sake thei shal make marchādise of now thorow fables and false doctryne inuēted of their own braynes and he compareth thē to Sodom and Gomor and he sayth that thei haue eyes ful of adultery But their doctryne peter calleth disceitful fables and he sayth that their suttelty must be disclosed by the lantern of the prophetycal scripture And we haue the word of prophecy saith he wher unto ye do well to harken as vnto a candel geuyng lyght in the dark nyght tyl the daye lyght appeare and the mornyng sterre ryse in your hartes for as moch as ye know that no prophetycal scripture belongeth to mās interpretacyō nor it was neuer thrust vnto us by mās wil But the holy men of god were inspyred of the holy gost and moued to speake it This is a sure and a substancyal testimony to cōfute all maner of doctrines and tradicyons besyde the scripture yea and to refuse all maner of doctors and writars which speake any thing of their own brayne without scripture to confirme it For. s. Peter putteth a speciall difference betwene prophecy or prophetical scripture and an Interpretacyon which is inuented of mās own brayne and tradicyons which are made and enioyned at mans cōmandmēt and he calleth all maner of doctrines which be not conteined in the scripture of the holy goost capcyos disceyghtful fables and he ascribeth an high auctoryte vnto the old prophecy and prophetical scripture For whan he had alledged for his doctryne the diuinite of christ which he had sene and the voyce of the father which he had hard and agayn the witnes of Moyses and Elyas te in wickednes and thei shal subuert bewitch their hearers that thei shal
haue gret delight in the deuels cauillacyons and blasphemis Such fals lying prophetes doth paul set forthe in such lyuely colors as thei ought be paynted with and maketh a comparyson betwene a faythful preacher of the gospel and a false hipocryte and dissembler And he describeth both by these tokeÌ„s The tokens of a good and faithful bisshop be these j. The husband of one wife ij Sobre iij. Discrete iiij Lowely and meke v. A keper of hospitalyte vj. Apt to teach vij No dronkerd viij No fighter but a iust dealer hating all quarelling and contencyon ix Not desieros of filthy luker but abhorring all couetosnes x. Not doble tunged â—j No yong scolar butt holding the mistery of the fayth wyth a pure conscyence False hypocrytes and dissemblers be these j. Forbydders of mariage ij Vnthankful or vnkynd iij. Geuyn to all pleasures and ryot iiij Proud and vayn glorros v. Vnmercyful and cruel vj. Slanderers blasphemers seducers of other men in to errors suffring themselues to be seduced vij Vnchast and geuen to all voluptuosnes viij Vnpacyent braynles braulers about wordes froward and sensual mynded ix Couetos and louers of them selues x. Betrayers of secret councel rassâ—blabbes xj Hauing a color and out ward shyne of holynes and yet denyeÌ„g the specyal vertu and pyth therof Now there is no man so blynd or of â—o lytle witt which can not discern and know false seducers from true preachers by these tokens but yet because there be many hipocrytes which pretend to be as holy and deuowt as angels thorow their fylthy wyueles life and abstynence from meates and difference of garmentes he reproueth this doctrine of theirs by name saing that thei shal forsake the fayth and the vertu and pyth of holynes that is to say the rigtuosnes of faith that thei shal teach lyes the deuyls doctrine thorow hypocrisy namely this that mariage is vnlauful and forbidden vnto certen persons Item thei shal put difference betwene meates garmentes that one kynd is more holy than a nother c. And thei shal affirme that these doctrynes do conteyne in them saluacyon the pyth of holynes and the perfeccyon of a christen man And he sayth that these do turn stopp their eares from the truth and from the holy scripture turning them vnto vayne fables that thei shal not abyde holsom doctrine nor the swete word of our lord Iesus christ that thorow fayth is profytable vnto true holines but thei shal procure them selues a multitude of masters which shal preache vnto them after their own appetites that thei shal dote abowt vayn questyons and contencyons of wordes because the truth is takeÌ„ from them thei shal byleue surely euen luker to be holynes because thei be infect and poysoned in their hartes and myndes and thei shal haue but lytle delight or pleasure in the doctryne of fayth but put their confidence in opynions articles inueÌ„ted of their own braynes and of other men and those shal thei highly esteme euen for heauenly wisdom and true holynes For thus doth paul him self affirme vnto the thessalonyans that god shal send them a strong myghty blyndnes that thei shal byleue lyes and that all which byleue not the truth and the holsom word of our lord Iesus christ shal be damned he saith also that thei shal haue delyght and pleasure in vnrigtuosnes that is to say thei shal think them selues saued by those things which haue no vertu of saluacioÌ„ in them namely by the workes of their own handes which are not confyrmed by the word of god but only by false and lying myracles Such do not harkeÌ„ vnto the angels singyng glory be vnto god aboue and peace delyght ioy vnto men in the erth c. For thei can not delight them selues vpon this infant because he is symple myserable abiect and disfigured with the crosse of affliccion for thei think luker to be holynes thei seke ryches and hygh empyres or kyngdoms thei geue no eare vnto god speaking from heauen This is my dearly beloued sonne in whom I delight but thei delight in other things than in him in whom god wold us to delight and reioyse And ther for paul biddeth us toshunne them saing that thei ought not to he herd and that no man ought to dispute or reason with them but that we ought to fle from them as from an infectuos canker and to stop our eares at theyr bablyng capcyos disceyght ful wordes and folissh and wicked questyons he wil not suffre us to moue one hear brede out of the scripture to cople or reason with theÌ„ but to resist and withstand them with the holy scripture for he saith But thow stand fast in those things which thou hast lerned in those things which are coÌ„mitted vnto the remembriÌ„g of whom thou hast lerned them and that euersyns thou wart a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which be able to make the perfyghtly lerned thorow faith vnto the saluacyoÌ„ which is in christ Iesus for as moch as all scripture inspired by god is profitable to teach and to reproue c. And paul reasoneth thus A bisshop ought to resist his aduersarys with that lerniÌ„g wherby he maye be enstruct in the doctryne of faith eschew the doctrines of the deuel and saue both himself and his hearers But the holy scripture is such lerning wher for he ought to resist by the holy scripture which reasoÌ„ he proueth by the propertys of a good and faithful preacher For the property sayth he of a true teacher is eyther To teach to improue false doctryne to amend and edyfye or to instruct in rightwisnes For as he sayth a bisshop must be apt to teach and to reproue the aduersarys of the faith and he must be such one as must be myghtie and also able to conuynce them that be aduersaris to the truth further more such as erre thorow ignorance or infirmytie thei must reforme them in to the ryght way fynally it is necessary for childern to be norisshed with mylke and gentle instruccyons Now if the holy scriptures be sufficyent to teach instruct perfyghtly thaÌ„ it must nedes folow that all thiÌ„gs necessary vnto saluacyon may be taught owt of them And agayne if thei be sufficient to coÌ„uynce them which resist the truth or fight agaynst the articles of the fayth vphold the deuels doctrynes thaÌ„ it must folow also that all heresis may be confuted by them and that thei lye abhominably which imagyne a newe vnwrtttoÌ„ word for that cause And this refuge or excuse to say that although the scripture be profitable for such thiÌ„gs yet it is not sufficyeÌ„t That is false sayth paul For I affirme sayth he that the holy scriptures do teach us abundantly all thyngs wherby a man of god that is to say a christen man may be perfight and apt or ready vnto all goodnes and thus it foloweth also that thei teach lyes which affirme any