¶ A disputacioÌ„ of purgatorye made by Johan Frith which is deuided in to thre bokes ¶ The first boke is an answere vnto Rastell which goeth aboute to proue purgatorye by naturall philosophye ¶ The seconde boke answereth vnto Sir Thomas More which laboureth to proue purgatorye by scripture ¶ The thirde boke maketh answere vnto my lorde of Rochestre which most leaneth vnto the doctoures ☞ Beware lest any man come and spoyle you thorow philosophye and deceytfull vanite thorow the tradicions of men and ordinacions after the worlde and not after Christ. ☜ Colossenices ii Johan Frith vnto the Christen Reader GRace and peace be with the christen reader I am sure there are manye that will moch mer uel and counte it a greate presumpcion that I beinge so yon ge and of so smalle lerninge da re atteÌ„pte to dispute this matter ageÌ„st these thre personages of the which numbre two that is to saye my 〈◊〉 de of Rochestre aÌ„d Sir thomas More are aun cient meÌ„ both of greate witte and dignite Notwithstondinge I wil desire them pacientlye 〈◊〉 heare mine answere not aduertysinge who spea keth the wordes but rathere what is sayed And as concerninge myne youth let them remembre what paule monischeth 〈◊〉 Timo. 〈◊〉 willinge that Timothens shuld instrude the congregacion and that no man shulde despice his youthe for as the sprete of god is bouÌ„de to no place eueÌ„ so is he not addicre to any age or person but enspireth when he will and where he wil makin 〈◊〉 the yonge to se visioÌ„s espye the truth and â—…he eldres to dreame dreames and to wandre in phantasyes Ades 2. Joeâ—… 2. And as touchinge my lâ—…ninge I must nedes aknowiege as the truth is that it is verysmal neuerthelesse that litle as I am bounde haue I determed by goddes grace to bestowe to the edefyinge of christes congregacioÌ„ which I praye god to encrease in the knowlege of his worde I wolde not that any man shulde admitte my wordes or lerninge excepte they will stonde with the scripture and be approued therbye Laye them to the touchstone aÌ„d trye them with goddes worde If they be founde false aÌ„d countrefaite then dampne them and I shall also reuoâ—…e them with all myne harte But if the scri pture alowe them that you can not denye but it so is then reciste not the doctrine of god but knowlege youre ignoraunce and seduccion and retourne gladlye in to the right waye For if you can not improue it by goddes worde and yet of an hate and malicious minde that you beare vnto the truth laboure to resist it and coÌ„ 〈◊〉 it that it shulde not sprede I ensure you youre sinne is â—…remissible and euen agenst the holye gost and the bloude of them that perish for faute of enstruccion shalbe requyred on youre handes â—…araduenture some of you will saye that youre fathers and olde 〈◊〉 with ma ny holye men and doctoureo haue so heleued that therfore you will abyde by the olde I an swere The wayes and iudgementes of god are mâ—…ruelous who 〈◊〉 whethere god haue suffered his 〈◊〉 to erre and be seduced for a 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 that the vnfaithfull which wold not beleue the truth but had pleasure in iniquite might stâ—…ble at their erroure in to their 〈◊〉 confusion and ruyne Al though a maÌ„ be neuer so faithfull and holye yet is there moch imperfâ—…ction in him as longe as he is included in this mortall bodye how be it it is not imputed vnto him but thorow the faith in christes bloude hoellye pacefyed and forgeuen And ther fore it is not sure that we folowe their exterior workes or other imaginacions but let vs euer conferre them vnto the pure worde of god and as the 〈◊〉 testefyeth so let 〈◊〉 thâ—… 〈◊〉 lorde of Rochestre doth testefye him silfe writinge vppoÌ„ the. 〈◊〉 article that there are manye poyntes both of the gospels and other scriptures which are now discussed more 〈◊〉 lye and more clerelye vnderstondeÌ„ then they ha ue bene in tymes past And addeth furthermore that there are diuerse places iÌ„ scripture yet sum deale darke which he douteth not but that they shalbe more open and light vnto ourâ—… posterite for why shall we despayre of that sayeth he sith that the scripture is for that entent lefte with vs that it maye be vnderstonde of vs exactlye and to the vttmost poynte Of this maye you euidentlâ—…e perceaue that â—…he olde fathers and holye doctoures haue not sene all the truth But sumwhat is also lefte thorow the hye prouision of god to be discussed of their successoures And therfore is it not mete that we streyght wayes cleaue vnto their wordes with out any further enserchinge the scriptures but we must examine all thinges by the scriptures although S. Paule or Peter shulde preach it vnto vs as we se experience Actes xvij that when Paule preached the audience daylye serched the scriptures whether it were as he sayed But you haue bene of longe continuaunce secluded from the scriptures which is the cause of such grosse erroures as ye are now fallen in so that ye coulde neyther serch them nor yet once loke on them Alas what blindnes doth occupye oure eyâ—…s Are ye so childishe to beleue that the same worde which hath made the vnfaithfull and heretikes faithfull and christen in tymes past is now so farre altered that it shulde cause the faithfull and christen to become he retiâ—…es I praye god open youre eyes How be it we maye now wel tast at oure fingres endes that we haue longe bene in that miserable case that Paule prophesyed vppon vs. ij Thessalo ij that god hath sent vs stronge delusions because we wolde not receave the knowlege of the truth what greater delusion can we haue then to thinke that the verye worde of god which was writen for oure comforte which is the verye fode and sastenaunce of oure soules which is the sure metyarde and perfeyte touchstone that iudgeth and examineth all thinges to thinke I saye that this holesome worde shulde be oure poyson and condempnacyon And al be it oure forefathers haue ly â—…ed with out it and receaved all for truth that oure prelates belyes haue imagined yet is not their faute and oures a like although I tan not excuse their ignoraunce but that it is sinne before the face of god for they had not the light of goddes worde opened vnto them Now sith we haue the light declared vnto vs and yet will proceade in blinde ignorauncye and not coÌ„â—…rre and examine these iuglinge mistes with the light of goddes worde oure ignoraunce is wilfull and with out excuse Suffer therfore all thinges what so euer they be to be tryed and examined by the scripture If they be true then shall the scripture do them no hurte but stablish and strengthen them for the scripture discloseth nothinge but falsehed and condempneth nothinge but that is damnable And now
eternall deeth and dampnacyon And so hath Christ velyvered vs from the pitte wherin is no water that is to saye from hell everlastinge dampnacyon not that we were in hell all readye although we were bounde vnder sinne and readye to be cast therin but because we shuld not entre in to hell This is the pure vnderstondinge of the teâ—…te Here might I dispute with him both of hell and of limbus patruÌ„ but because I will be as shorte as possible is I will deferre that vntill a nother occasion that I mayâ—… reason with him sumwhat at large ANother place is there also in the olde testa ment that putteth purgatorie quyte out of question For sayeth he what is playner then the places which in the boke of the Machabees made mencyon of the devoute remembraunce prayoure almoyse sacrifice to be done for soules when the good and holye man Iudas Machabeus gathered monye amonge the people to buye sacrifyce with all to be offered vp for the soules of them that were deed in the batayle What shifte finde they here Surelye a verye shamlesse shifte and are 〈◊〉 to take them to that taklinge which is their shoteaÌ„ker alwaye when they finde the storme so greate that they se their shippe goeth al to wracke For first they â—…se to sette some false glosse vnto the texte and if that helpe not then falle they to a shamelesse boldnesse and let not to denye the scripture and all The place which he recyteth is writeÌ„ 2. Ma chabeo 12. And to saye the truth the boke is not of 〈◊〉 auctorite to make an article of oure faith neyther is it admitted in the canon of y â— hebrues Here he obiecteth that the church hath â—…lowed it and the holye doctoures as S. Hiero me S. Austine and soch other I answere S. Hieromes minde is opened vnto vs by the pistle which he wrote before the proverbes of So lomon his wordes are these Sicut Iudith et Tobie et Machabeorum libros ligit quiâ—… eoâ—… ecclesia sed inter canonicas scripturas non reci pit sic et hec duo volumina legat ad edificationem plebis non ad authoritatâ—…m ecclesiasticoruÌ„ dogmatum confirmandum That is like as the church doth read y â— bokes of Iudith Thobias and the Machabees but receaveth them not emonge the canonicall scriptures even so let it read these two bokes he meaneth y â— boke of sapience and ecclesiasticus vnto the edefyinge of the people and not to confirme the doctrine of the church therbye And it is nothinge like that S. Austayne shulde dissente from S. Hierom for they were both in one tyme yee and. S. Hierom out lyved S. Austayne And therfore the church coulde not admitte any such bokes eyther before S. Austaynes tyme or in his tyme but that S. Hierom shulde haue knowne of it And so maye you gather that if S. Austayne â—…lowe these bokes or els saie y t the church hath alowed theÌ„ you maye not vnderstoÌ„de y t they ha ue alowed and receaved them as canonicall scri ptures for then you make S. Hierom a 〈◊〉 But thus you must vnderstoâ—…de it that they ha ue receaved them to be red for the edefyinge oâ—… the people and not to confirme the doctrine of the church or articles of the faith therby accordinge to S. Hieroms exposition Now mayâ—… you se y t oure shoteanker as he calleth it is so stronge that al his stormes and waves can not once move it for we denye not but that the boke is receaved of y e church to be red and weshewe by S. Hierome for whate entenâ—… it is receaved and red not to proue any article of oure faith therbye but onlye to ordre oure maner of lyvinge therafter in soch poyntes as are not re pugnaunte vnto the canonicall scripture But yet for this once to do the man pleasu re we will let slippe oure shoteanker and take the sees with him And for all their furious win des aÌ„d frothye waves we will never stricke say le so stronge is oure shippe aud so wel belanced Be it in case that this boke of the Macabees were of as god auctorite as Esai yet can he not prove this fyrye and paynefull purgatorye therâ—…ye For it speaketh not one worde neyther of fyre nor payne but it speaketh of a sacrifyce offered for the deed that they might be loosed from their sinnes because there is a resurreccioÌ„ of the deed which maye well be with out any payne or fyre So that this conclusion is verye baâ—… and naked It is good to offer sacrifyce for the deed that they maye be loosed from their sinnes ergo there is a sensible fyre which doth punish the holye aÌ„d chosen people of god I am sure there is no childe but he maye perceave y t this argument is nought Besides that it is to be doubted whether Iudas did well or not in offerings this sacrifyce And therfore ougâ—…t we not of a folish presumpcyon to folowe his facte vntill we knowe how it was accepted Parad venture thou wilt saye that the dede is commended in the sayed te xte where it sayeth But because he considered that they which with godlines had entred theire slepe that is their deeth had good favoure layed vpp in store for them therfore is the remeÌ„ braunce to praye for the deed hoiye and hoâ—…esome that they maye be loosed from their sinnes I answere that the persones which were slayne in the battayle for whom this prayer and sacrifyce was made were founde to haue vnder their clokes oblacyons of idolles which were at Iamniam and for that cause were they slayne as it is playne in the texte yee and all the host praysed the right iudgement of god Now these men that were so slayne were dampned by the lawe Deutero 7. which sayeth The images of their goddes thou shalt burne with fyre and se that thou covette not the silver or golde that is on them nor take it vnto the lest thou be snared therwith for it is an abominacion vnto the lorde thy god Bringe not therfore the abominacioÌ„ vnto thine house lest thou be a dampned thinge as it is But vtterlye defye it and abhorre it for it is a thinge that must be destroyed Of this maye we evideÌ„tlye perceave that albe alâ—…e 〈◊〉 did this thinge of a good minde yet was he de ceaved for his sacrifyce coulde nothinge helpe them sith they were dampned by the lawe and entred not their slepe with godlinesse as he supposed Huthermore it is evident that the Iewes 〈◊〉 sacrifices for the sinnes of them that lyved Leuitici 4 5 6. 〈◊〉 But how knew they that tho se sacrifyces shuld extendâ—… them selues vnto the sinnes of the deed And they were commaunded vnder the payne of cursinge that they shuld adde nothinge vnto the worde of god Deuter. 12. Uerelye it is like that the preastes even at that tyme sought their awne profytte
abused thesa 〈◊〉 fyces and deceaved the simple people Master More also sayeth that the monye was sent to buye sacrifices which shuld beoffered for the sinne of the slayne Now knoweth everye christen that all maner of sacrifices and offeringes were nothinge but figures of Christ which shuld be offered for the sinne of his people So that when Christ came all sacrifyces aÌ„d oblacions ceased If thou shuldest now offer a calfe to purge thy sinne thou were no doubte in iuryous vnto the bloude of Christ for if thou thought his bloude sufficent then woldest thou not seke a nother sacrifyce for thy sinne yee I will go further with you there was not one sacrifice in the olde testament that purged or toke awaye sinne For the bloude of oxen or gootes can not take awaye sinne Hebreorum x. But all the sacrifyces which were then offered did but signefye that Christ shuld come and be made a sacrifyce for vs which shuld purge oure sinne for ever Now were their sacrifices aÌ„d oblacions institute of god and yet could they not take awaye sinne But onlye signifyed y t Christ thorow his bloude shulde take it awaye what madnes theÌ„ is come in to oure braynes that we thinke that oure oblacyons which are ordeyned but of oure awne imaginacion shuld take awaye sinne Uvhat if Iudas gathered soch an offeringe in the olde testament shuld it then folowe that we must do so to which knowe that Christ is to me and that all oblacyons are ceased in him shall we become Iewes and go backe agayne to the shadowe and ceremonye sith we haue the bodye and signification which is Christ Iesu Be it that Iudas were a holye man might he not yet do amisse Be it in case that he did well shall we therfore streight wayes out of his wor ke grounde an article of oure faith Dauid was an holye man and yet committed â—…e both murther and ad voutrye shall we with out further enserchinge the scriptures streyght wayes folow his example 〈◊〉 was an holye man and was commaunded of god to offer his awne sonne shall we offer oure children therfore Ge dion and Iosua destroyed the vnfaithfull kinges and princes and dyd well and were preysed of god Must we do so to And wherfore shall we more folowe the example of Iudâ—…s then of the other Shall I tell you whye verelye for this example of Iudas bringeth monye vnto oure spiritualtye These xij thousande drachmas shyne so bright in their yies that with out other candell lantren or spectacles they haue espyed an article of oure faith you maye not coÌ„ sidre that they haue taken this texte of xij thou sand drachmas for a pistle in soule masses for then parad venture you might fall in to some shâ—…ewed suspeccion that they shuld do it of covetuousnes which faute 〈◊〉 be espied in ouâ—…e spiritualtye as you know well ynough He y â— holdeth any ceremonye of the lawe as necessarie is bounde to kepe and fulfill the hole lawe This is evident of Paule Gala. 6. where he sayeth If ye be circumcysed then are ye deâ—… toures to fulfill the hole lawe That is if ye put any confidence in circumcysioÌ„ or recounte it as necessarie for 〈◊〉 it is of it silfe neyther good nor evell then make you youre selues bonde vn der the lawe which burthen neyther we nor oure fathers coulde beare and tempte god Act. 15 And this sacrifice of Iudas was but a ceremonye signifyed y t christ shuld with his bloude quench oure sinnes ergo he y t kepeth or counte th this ceremonye as necessarye as are aâ—… y â— arti cles of y â— faith doth captiuâ—… him silfevnder y â— lawe teÌ„pteth god to speake nomore sharpelye yet will I go a litle nere vnto you Iudas him silfe beleved not that there was a purgatorye For in the tyme of the olde testament there was no purgatorye as the scolemeÌ„ graunte theÌ„ selues but onlye a place of rest which they called limbus patrum wherfore they are pituous lye deceaved that will prove purgatorye by the tâ—…xtes of the olde testament sith as they saye theÌ„ selves there was no purgatorye at y t tyme. â—…ynallye I can not finde a place that of it silfe more properlye confuteth this phantastical purgatorye theÌ„ doth this same texte which they sticke so sore to imageninge that it stablisheth purgatorye The texte sayeth on this maner ex cepte he had hoped that they which were slayne shuld ryse agayne It shuld seme voyed and in vayne to praye for the deed If you fayne a pur gatorye theÌ„ must this texte nedes be false for be it in case that the deed shuld not ryse agayne Now saith the texte that it were voyed aÌ„d in vayne to praye for the deed if they shuld not ri â—…e agayne But if there were a purgatorye whe rin they shulde be purged and punished in the meane ceason then were it not in vayne to pra ye for them to delyuer them out of that payne but rather verye frutefull and necessarye although they shuld never rise agayne aÌ„d therfore if this texte be of auctorite it is impossible y t there shuld be any purgatorye neyther is there any texte that in my iudgement can better vnder mine purgatorye and make it fall Parad venture you desyre to knowe my min de in this place and that I shuld expounde vnto you what Iudas ment in his oblacion sith he thought of no purgatorye as the for sayde texte doth well specefye Uerelye I thinke that Iudas beleued that there shuld be a resurreccion as this texte prayseth him sayenge thinkin ge well and devoutelye of the resurrection For emonge the Iewes there were manye that bele ved not the resurrection of oure flesch aÌ„d they that beleved it were yet so rude and ignoraunte that they thought they shuld ryse but to optayne a carnall kingdone and haue their enemies subdued vnder them with out rebellioÌ„ And therto sticke the Iewes vnto this daye And it is most like y t this shuld be his meaninge we shal all ryse agayne and possesse this londe in pe ace and these men which are slayne are out of the fauoure of god because they haue coÌ„trarye to y â— lawe Deut. 7. taken of the Idolles oblacions therfore is it best that we sende a sacrifice vnto Ierusalem to pacefye the wrath of god towardes them lest when they rise agayne the lorde shuld sende some plage amongest vs for theyr transgression which they committed whi le they were here lyvinge If any man can better gesse I am wel conteÌ„t to admitte it but this is plaine ynough he thought that this sacrifice could not helpe theÌ„ before they shuld rise agayne which doth fullye destroye purgatorye For where he sayeth that it were voyed and in vayne to praye for y â— deed excepte they shuld ryse agayne Is euen as moâ—…h to saye vnto him that hath any wytte as that this prayer and
in scripture for so shall he be sure not to sinne theÌ„ to beleve for an article of the faith that thin ge which is false in dead for so shulde he surelye sinne and transgresse agenst god and his holye worde And so is there greate perell to beleue a thinge for an article of the faith which is not opened nor spoken of in scripture But if I beleue it not allthough it were true yet is there no right nor lawe that can condemne me Now ma ye you se that to beleue for an article of y e faith that there is a purgatorie sith it can not be pro ved by scripture maye condemne a man make him lye for ever in the paynes of hell where as the tother shulde but a litle lenger lye in the paynes of purgatorye if there were one aÌ„d so shall he be sure to catch most harme that beleveth there is a purgatory Savinge sayeth ma ster More that his heresye shall kepe him from thence and sende him doune depe in to hell Before he supposed that it coulde not be proved by scripture And now stondinge the sa 〈◊〉 supposicyon he calleth it an heresye and an heresye is a stiffe holden opinion repugnaunte vnto scripture If purgatorye can not be proved by scripture as he maketh his supposition then can not the contrarye opinion be nepugnaunte to scripture and thus of his awne supposition he doth evell to call it an heresye And where he sayth that his opinion shall sende him doune depe in to hell verelye he steppeth to farre in goddes iudgement to conclude and detâ—…ne so cruellye aÌ„d speciallie in the same ar gument where he supposeth that it can not be proved for if it can not be proved by scripture wherbye will ye coÌ„demne him so depe that holdeth y â— contrarye forsouth you are a firce iudge god geue you yies to se. â—…inallye if ye pitye any man in payne never knew ye payne comparable to oures whose fire passeth as farre in heate all the fyres that ever burned vppon erth as y â— hotest of all those passeth a fayned fyre paynted on a walle 〈◊〉 emonge all his other poetrye it is re ason that we graunte him this yee and that ou re fyre is but water in comparison to it For I ensure you it hath alone melted more golde and siluer foroure spiritualtyes profite out of poore mennes purses then all the golde smythes fy res with in englonde neyther yet therwith can the raginge heate be aswaged But it melteth castels harde stones londes and tenementes in numerable For all youre sectes of religion moÌ„kes fryres chanons and nunnes with other pre estes regulare and seculare by this fyre multiplication and alcuniye haue obtayned their ho le riches and pleasures eveÌ„ the swete of englon de And so must we graunte him that this fire is 〈◊〉 hote Now maye you well perceave what a slender fundacion their note purgatorye hath For by this confutacion maye you easilye se that it hath no grounde nor auctorite of scripture Not withstandinge it is the fundacyoÌ„ of all religioÌ„s and cloysters yee and of all the goodes y t now are in the spiritualtye Are not they wyttye wor kemen which can buylde so moch on so slender a fundacioÌ„ How be it they haue made it so top pehevye that it is surelye like to haue a falie Thus hath Master More a full aâ—…swere both to his scriptures which were to farre wrested out of their places and also to his awne apparent reasons How be it if his mastershippe be not fullye pacyfyed let him more groundlye opeÌ„ his minde and bringe for his purposse all that he thinketh to make for it and I shall by goddes grace shortlye make him an answere and guyet his minde ☜ ¶ Thus endeth the seconde boke ☜ ¶ The thirde boke which answereth vnto my lorde of Rochestre and declareth the minde of the olde doâ—…oures NOw will I addresse me to the thirde parte which shalbe an answere vnto my lorde of Rochestre And al his reasons and argumentes both of scriptures and doctures which are not be fore dissolued in the secoÌ„de par te will I clene confute by goddes grace in this thirde boke How be it the che fest of his scriptures hath Master More pervsed aÌ„d hath in a maner nothinge but that was before writen by my lorde of Rochestre savinge that he maketh the selye soules to pule to helpe his matter with all My lorde of Rochestre is the first patrone and defeudar of this phantasye And even as Master More toke his worke out of my lorde â—…f Rochestres even so plucked Rastell as his boke out of Master Mores My lorde of Rochestre to confirme his sentence rekeneth vpp the doctoures by heape ma ster Johan master Uvyllyam master Thomas et omnes But as concerninge the doctoures y â— they are not so fullye on hys syde as he wolde make them seme is sone proved And where shulde I better beginne to confute him then of his awne wordes for he writeth him silfe vppon the. xviij article on this maner ☞ ☜ â—…Here is no man now a dayes that douteth of purgatorye sayeth he and yet emonge the old auncient fathers was there eyther none or els verye seldome mencyon made of it And also emonge the grecians even vnto this daye is not purgatorye beleved Let him read y t will the commentaryes of the olde grecians and as I suppose he shall finde eyther no worde spokeÌ„ of it or els verye fewe these are my lordes wordes I wondre what obliuiousnes is comeÌ„ vppoÌ„ him that he so cleaveth vnto the doctures whoÌ„ he affirmed before eyther to make no mencyon of it or els verye seldome Notwithstondinge I will declare you somwhate of the doctures that you maye the better know their meaninge To speake of the doctures and what their minde was in this matter it were necessarye to declare in what tyme they were and what condi cyon the worlde was in in their dayes S. Austyne Ambrose and Nierome were in one tyme even aboute iiij hundred yeare after Christ aÌ„d yet before their tyme were there arisen infinite heretikes by hole sectes as the Arryans Domi tians Eunomians vigilaÌ„cians â—…lagians with infinite other which had so swerved from the truth and wrested the scripture out of frame y â— it was not possible for one man no nor for one mannes age to restore it agayne vnto the true sense Emonge these there were some which not onlye fayned a purgatorye but alsoo dooted so farre that they affirmed that everye man were he never so vicions shulde be saved thorow y t fyre and alleged for them the place of Daule 1. Lorinthiorum iij. These holye doctoures perceyvinge those greate erroures thought it not best by by to condemnne all thinges indiffereÌ„t lye But to suffre and dissemble with the lesse that they might wede out the opinions which wâ—…re most
derstonde of the childreÌ„ of Israel which thorow the lorde were delivered from their affliccions and enemyes and then offered their loyall sacrifices of prayse and thankes to y â— lorde their shil de and proteccion NOw flieth my lorde vnto the church and sa yeth that because the church hath affirmed it we must nedes beleue it for the church caÌ„ not erre As thouchinge this poynte I will referre you vnto a worke that wyllyam Tindaâ—… hath writen agenst M. More wherin ye shall well perceyve what the church of Christ is and that his church never determed any such thinge But that it is the sinagoge of Satan y t maketh articles of y â— faith and bindeth mennes coÌ„sciences further then the scripture wille THen wexeth his lordeshippe somwhat hate ageÌ„st Marten Luther Because he wolde y â— no man shulde be compâ—…led to beleue purgatorye For my lorde sayeth that it is profitable and well done to compell men to beleue such thinges whether they will or wil not And to sta blish his opinion he plucketh out a worde of y â— parable of luke xiiij that a certen man made a greate souper and sayed vnto his servauntes goo forth quyclye in 〈◊〉 the wayes and compell â—…em to entre in â—…erelye there Christ ment no nother thinge but that his apostles shulde goo forth in to all the worlde and preach his worde vnto all na cyons openinge vnto them the miserable state and condâ—…n that they be in and agayne what mercye god hath shewed theÌ„ in his sonne christ This wolde Christ that his apostles shulde expounde and laye out so evidentlye by reasons scriptures and miracles vnto the gentils y t they shuld even by their manifest persuasions be coÌ„pelled to graunte vnto them that he was christ and to take vppon theÌ„ the faith that is in christ One this maner did Christ compell y â— saducees to graunte the resurreccion Matthei xxij And by these meanes compelled he the Pharisâ—…s to graunte in their consciences that he did his myracles with the power of god and yet astir warde of verye hate knowinge in their hartes the contrarye they sayed that he did them bi the po wer of the devâ—…ll Matthei xij But to saye that Christ wolde haue his disciples to compell men with presonmeÌ„t feters 〈◊〉 ginge swerde fy re is verye false farre from the â—…enesse of a christen spirite although my lorde approue it ne ver so moch For Christ did forbid his disciples such tyrannye 〈◊〉 rebuked them because they wolde haue desyred that fyre shulde descende from heaven to consume the Samaritanes whych wolde not receyue Christ Luke ix But he coÌ„ maunded them that if men wolde not receyve their doctrine they shulde departe from thence and sprincle of the dust of their fetâ—… to be a testimonye agenst the vnfaithfull that they had bene there and preached vnto them the worde of liffe But with violence will god haue no man compelled vnto his lawe Paule also testifyeth ij Corin. 1. that he had not rule over the Corinthians as touchinge their faith By oure fayth we stande in the lorde and by oâ—…re infidelite we falle from him As no man can serch the herte but onlye god so can no man iudge or ordre ou 〈◊〉 faith but onlye god thorow his holye spreteâ—… 〈◊〉 faith is a gifte of god which he destributeth at his awne pleasure 1. Cor. â—…ij If he geue it not this daye he maye geue it to morow And if thou perceyve by any exterior worke that they neyboure haue it not enstructe him with goddes worde and praye god to geue him grace to beleue and that is rather a poynte of a christen man then to coÌ„pell a man by deeth or exterior violence Hynallye what doeth thy compulsion and violence Uerelye nothinge but make a starcke hypocrite For no man can compell the harte to beleue a thynge excepte it se evidence and sufficient profe I haue harde tell of a boye which was present at his fathers burninge for his bele ue and assone as the officers had espyed y e boye they sayed to ech other Let vs take him and examine him also parad veÌ„ture we shall finde him as greate an heretike as his father Uvhen thâ—… boye sawe that his father was deed and that y â— catchpolles begaÌ„ne to snatch at him he was sore dismayed and thought that he shulde dye to And wheÌ„ one of them apposed him askinge him how he beleved he answered Master I beleue even as it pleaseth you Even so by tourmen tes and craftye handlinge a man maye be compelâ—…ed to saye that he beleveth the thinge which he neyther thinketh nor yet can beleue For a mannes faith is not in his awne power But how doth god accepte this thinge to saye that I beleue that which in dede I beleue not Uere lye he vtterlye coÌ„deÌ„pneth it whether the opinioÌ„ be true or false For if the opinion be true as by example that the faith in Christes bloude iustefyeth me before god and I confesse it before all the bysshopes in engloude with my mouth and beleue it not with myne harte then am I nothinge the better for I shulde haue no parte of Christes bloude but I am moch the worse For first god condempneth me which iudgeth me after myne harte and also myne awne harte condeÌ„pneth me because I haue openlye graun tid that myne harte deuyeth And contrarie wyse if I shulde beleue this fullye in inyne harte ad yet for feare of persecu tion shulde denye it when I were examined opeÌ„ lye of my faith then shall I be condemned of god excepte I repent and also mine awne har te shalbe a witnesse to condemne me And so is it verâ—…e noysome and vngodlye to be compelled vnto any thinge for god ever sercheth the harte which can not be compelled ☜ BUt my lorde obiecteth writinge vppon the xviiâ—… article sayinge If a man take awaye purgatorye for what entent shall we nede any pardons As longe sayeth he as no man regar ded purgatorye there was no man that sought any pardon for all the estimacyon of pardons hangeth therof so that we shall haue no nede of them if there be no purgatory Uerelye I care not though I graunte him that to And I thinke y â— Monye was the mother of them both For out of y â— scripture shall he be able to proue neyther nother But maÌ„mon is a greate god even of power ynough to inveÌ„t such knackes yee and to make them articles of the faith to â—…urne those that can not beleve theÌ„ And it was a preatye practise to make such poyntes articles of the faith for after y t oure holye fathers had geven vppe prea chinge wolde take no more paynes neyther ser ve their brothren any more then sette they vppe such articles of the faith as shulde bringe in mo nye to vppholde their astate with all