ignoraunce of Christ and of his owne sinne and without repentaunce faith that his sinnes be forgeuen him in Christ and therefore is mercilesse vnto hys brother whom Christ commaunded him to pitie and loue And in that ignoraunce he walketh that is worketh euill and loueth the thinges of the worlde and seeketh in them the lustes of the â—lesh which are the quenching of the spirite and death of the soule for loue of them hateth his brother And this ignoraunce of Christ which is vnbeleef is the cause of all the wickednes that we do vnto our brethren I write vnto you little children that your sinnes are forgeuen you for hys names sake I write vnto you fathers that ye know him that was from the beginning I write vnto you yong men how that ye haue ouercome the wicked I write vnto you that are yong in the fayth and yet weake and therefore fall now and then how that your sinnes are forgeuen you as soone as ye repent and reconcile your selues vnto your brethren whom ye haue offended euen for his names sake onely and not for our owne deedes whether afore or after or for any other mans deedes or satisfaction saue for his onely I write vnto you that are fathers in the doctrine of God to teach other how that ye know him that was from the begynnyng is no new thing though he newly receaued our nature And through knowledge of him which is the onely light and the dore vnto the knowledge of God ye are become fathers in the Scriptures Or els ye had neuer vnderstand it though ye had studied neuer so much as it appeareth by the indurate Iewes and also by oure owne new Pharisies which persecute the scripture and the true sence therof because they be drowned in the ignoraunce of Christ as their deedes and contrary liuing well testifie I write vnto you yong meÌ„ that are strong in suffering persecutions and fight for your profession not with the sword but with suffering how that ye haue ouercome that wicked which poisoned the world at the beginning and yet woorketh in the children of darcknesse and vnbeleefe and that in beleuing the woorde of truth as it foloweth anone after I write vnto you yong children howe that ye knowe the Father I write vnto you fathers howe that ye know him that was from the beginning I write vnto you young men that ye be strong and the woorde of God dwelleth in you and that ye haue ouercomme the wicked I write vnto you yong children how that ye know the Father whome yee loue thorough knowledge of the Sonne or els you had neuer knowne him as a father but as a Iudge and a tyrant and had hated him I write vn to you fathers as before howe ye are fathers of all trueth in knowing the Sonne Or els ye had euer continued in darknesse remedilesse I write vnto you youÌ„g men how y t ye are strong and that your strength is the word of God which dwelleth in your brest through fayth in which ye haue ouercome the wicked deuill and all his pompe as it foloweth chapt v. this is the victorye that ouercommeth the world euen our fayth Loue not the worlde nor the thinges that are in the worlde If a man loue the worlde the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in the worlde as the lust of the fleshe the lust of the eyes and the pride of good are not of the Father but are of the world And the worlde vanisheth away and the lust thereof But he that doth the will of God abideth euer The loue of the world quencheth the loue of God Balaam for the loue of the world closed his eyes at the cleare light which he well saw For loue of the world the olde Pharisies blasphemed the holy Ghost and persecuted the maniâ—est truth which they coulde not improue For loue of the world many are this day fallen away and many which stood on the truthes side and defended it a while for loue of the worlde haue gotten them vnto the contrarye parte and are become the Popes mamalukes are waxed the most wicked â—…s vnto the truth and most cruel agaynst it They know the truth but they loue the worlde And when they espyed the truth could not stand wysh the honoures which they sought in the world they hated it deadly and both wittingly and willingly persecuted it sinning against the holy Ghost Which sinne shall not escape here vnpunished as it shall not be without damnation in the world to come but shall haue an ende here with confusion and shame as had the glory of our right reuerend father in God Thomas Wolfse late cardinall and legate a latere c. whome after his shitten death as the saying is his owne seruauntes which before exalted his glory haue sent to hel with grace and priuiledge By the lust of the flesh is vnderstaÌ„d lechery whiche maketh a man altogether a swine and by the lust of the eyes is vnderstoode couetousnes which is the roote of all euil and maketh â—o erre from the fayth 1. Tim. vlâ— And then followeth pride whiche three are the world and captaines ouer all other vices and occasions of all mischief And if pride couetousnes and lechery be the world as S. Iohn sayth then turne your eyes vnto the spiritualtie vnto the pope cardinals bishops aâ—bates and all other prelates and see whether suche dignities bee not the world and whether the way to them be not also the world To get the olde abbats treasure I thinke it be the readiest way to be the newe How fewe come by promotion except they buy it or serue long for it or both To be wel skilled in war and in polling to maintaine war and lustes and to be a good ambassadour is the onely way to a bishopricke or to pay truely for it See whether pluralities vnions totquets and chainging the lesse benefice bysshoprike for the greater for the contrary chainge I trow was neuer â—ene may be without couetousnes pride And then if such thinges be the world and the world not of God how is our spiritualtie of God If pride be seking of glory and they that seeke glory can not beleue Ioh. 5. How can our spiritualty beleue in Christ If couetousnes turne men from the fayth how are our spiritualty in the fayth If Christ when the deuill proferred hym the kyngdomes of the world and the glorie thereof refused them as thynges vnpossible to stande with hys kyngdome whiche is not of the worlde of whom are our spiritualtie whiche haue receyued them If couetousnes be a traytour and taught Iudas to sell his maister how should he not in so long time teache oure spiritualtie the same craft namely when they be of all kinges secretes and the ambassadours of their secretes and haue thereto thoroughout al ChristeÌ„dome a secret couÌ„sell of their
and comforte of the Scripture might haue hope That is the examples that are in the Scripture comfort vs in all our tribulations and make vs to put our trust in GOD and patiently to abide hys leysure And in the x. of the firste to the Corinthians hee bringeth in examples of the Scripture to feare vs and to bridle the fleshe that wee cast not the yoke of the lawe of God from of our neckes and fall to lustyng and doyng of euill So nowe the Scripture is a lyght sheweth as the true way both what to do what to hope for And a defeÌ„ce from all errour and a comforte in aduersitie that we dispaire not and feareth vs in prosperitie that we synne not Séeke therefore in the Scripture as thou readest it first the law what God commaundeth vs to do And secondarely the promises whiche God promiseth vs agayn namely in Christ Iesu our Lord. Then seeke examples first of comfort how God purgeth all them that submit themselues to walke in his wayes in the Purgatory of tribulation deliueryng them yet at the latter end and neuer sufferyng any of them to perishe that cleaue fast to hys promises And finally note the examples which are writteÌ„ to feare the flesh that we sinne not That is how God suffereth the vngodly and wicked sinners that resist God and refuse to folow him to continue in their wickednesse euer waxyng worse and worse vntill their sinne be so sore encreased and so abhominable that if they shuld loÌ„ger endure they would corrupt the very elect But for y e electes sake God sendeth them preachers Neuerthelesse they harden their hartes agaynste the truth and God destroyeth them vtterly and beginneth the world a new This comfort shalt thou euermore finde in the playne texte and litterall sense Neither is there any storye so homely so rude yea or so vyle as it semeth outward wherein is not excedyng great comforte And when some which seme to theÌ„ selues great clarkes say they wott not what more profite is in many gestes of the Scripture if they be read without an allegory then in a tale of Robenhode say thou that they were written for our consolation and comforte that we dispayre not if such like happen vnto vs. We be not holyer then Noe though he were once dronke Neither better beloued then Iacob though his owne sonne defyled his bead We be not holyer then Lot thoughe his daughters thorow ignoraunce deceaued hym nor peraduenture holier then those daughters Neither are we holyer then Dauid though he brake wedlocke and vpon the same committed abhominable murther All those men haue witnesse of the Scripture that they pleased God and were good meÌ„ both before that those things chaunced and also after Neuerlesse such thynges happened them for our example not that we should counterfeite their euill but if whyle wee fight with our selues enforsyng to walke in the law of God as they dyd we yet fall likewise that we despayre not but come agayne to the lawes of God and take better hold We read sence the tyme of Christes death of virgins y t haue bene brought vnto the common stues and there defiled and of Martyrs that haue bene bound and whores haue abused theyr bodyes Why The iudgementes of God are bottomlesse Such thynges chaunced partly for examples partely God thorow sinne healeth sinne Pride can neither be healed nor yet appeare but thorow such horrible deades Peraduenture they were of the popes sect and reioysed fleshly thinking that heauen came by dedes and not by Christ and that the outward dede iustifyed them and made theÌ„ holy and not the inward spirite receaued by fayth the consent of hart vnto the law of God As thou readest therfore thinke that euery sillable pertayneth to thine own selfe sucke out the pithe of the Scripture and arme thy selfe agaynst all assaultes First note with strong fayth the power of God in creatyng all of nought Then marke the greuous fall of Adam and of vs all in him thorow the light regardyng of the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God In the iiij Chapter God turneth hym vnto Abell and theÌ„ to his offeryng but not to Cain and hys offeryng Where thou seest that thoughe the dedes of the euil appeare outwardly as glorious as the dedes of y t good yet in the sight of God which looketh on the hart the deede is good because of the man and not the man good because of his deede In the vj. God sendeth Noe to preach to the wicked and geueth them space to repent they wax hard harted God bringeth them to nought And yet saueth Noe euen by y t same water by whiche he destroyed them Marke also what folowed the pride of the buildyng of the Tower of Babell Consider how God sendeth foorth Abraham out of his owne countey into a straunge land full of wicked people and gaue him but a bare promisse with him that would blesse him defende him Abraham beleued and that worde saued and deliuered him in all perilles so that we see how that maÌ„s life is not maintayned â—y bread onely as Christe sayth but much rather by beleuyng the promises of God Behold how soberly how circumspectly both AbrahaÌ„ and also Isaac behaued them selues among the infidels Abraham byeth that which might haue ben geuen him for nought to cut of occasions Isaac when his welles whiche he had digged were taken from him geueth rowme and resisteth not Moreouer they eare and sowe and fede their cattell and make confederations and and take perpetuall truce and doe all outward thinges Euen as they doe whiche haue no fayth for God hath not made vs to be idle in this world Euery man must worke godly truly to y t vttermost of the power that God hath geuen him and yet not trust therin but in Gods word or promise and God will worke with vs and bryng that we do to good effect And theÌ„ wheÌ„ our power will extende no further Gods promises will worke all alone How many thynges also resisted the promises of God to Iacob And yet Iacob coniureth God with hys owne promises saying O GOD of my father Abraham and GOD of my father Isaac O Lord which saydest vnto me returne vnto thine owne countrey and vnto the place were thou waste borne and I wil do thee good I am not worthy of the lest of those mercyes nor of that trouth whiche thou hast done to thy seruaunt I went out with a staffe and come home with two droues deliuer me out of the handes of my brother Esau for I feare him greatly c. And God deliuered him and will likewise all that call vnto his promises with a repentyng hart were they neuer so great sinnes Marke also the weake infirmities of the man He loueth one wife more then an other one sonne more then an other And see how God purgeth hym Esau threateneth hym Laban begyleth him The beloued wife is long baren
them whiche with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quenche the true doctrine of Christe And as thou canst heale no disease except thou begyn at the roote euen so canst thou preach agaynst no mischief except thou begyn at the Byshops Kinges they are but shadowes vayne names and thynges idle hauyng nothing to do in the world but when our holy father nedeth their helpe The Pope contrarie vnto all conscience and agaynst all the doctrine of Christ which sayth my kyngdome is not of this world Iohn xviij hath vsurped the right of the Emperour And by policie of the Byshops of Almany and with corruptyng the Electours or chosers of the Emperor with money bryngeth to passe that such a one is euer chosen Emperour that is not able to make his partie good with the Pope To stoppe the Emperour that he come not at Rome he bringeth the French kyng vp to Milane and on the other side bryngeth he the Venetians If the Venetiās come to nye the Byshops of Fraunce must bryng in the French kyng And the Socheners are called and sent for to come and succour And for their labour he geueth to some a Rose to an other a cappe of mayntenaunce One is called most Christen king an other defender of the fayth an other the eldest sonne of the most holy seate He blaseth also the armes of other and putteth in the holy crosse the crown of thorne or the nayles and so forth If the Frēch kyng go to hye and crepe vp other to Bononie or Naples then must our English Byshops bryng in our kyng The craft of the Byshops is to entitle one kyng with an others Realme He is called kyng of Dennemarke and of England he kyng of England and of Fraunce Then to blinde the Lordes and the commons the kyng must chalenge his right Then must the lande be taxed and euery man paye and the treasure borne out of the Realme and the land beggerde How many a thousand mens liues hath it cost And how many an hundred thousand poundes hath it caried out of the Realme in our remembraunce Besides how abhominable an example of gatheryng was there such verely as neuer tyraunt sence the world began did yea such as was neuer before heard or thought on neither among Iewes Saresens Turkes or Heathen sence God created the Sunne to shyne that a beast should breake vp into the Temple of God that is to say into the hart and consciences of men and compell them to sweare euery man what hee was worthe to lende that should neuer be payd agayne How many thousandes forsware thē selues How many thousandes set them selues aboue their habilitie partly for feare lest they should be forsworne and partly to saue their credence When the pope hath his purpose then is peace made no man woteth how and our most enemy is our most frend Now because the Emperour is able to obteine his right French English Venetians and all must vpō him O great whore of Babylon how abuseth she the Princes of the world how dronke hath she made them with her wyne How shamefull licences doth she geue them to vse Nichromancy to hold whores to diuorse them selues to breake the fayth and promises that one maketh with an other that the confessours shall deliuer vnto the kyng the confession of whom he will and dispēceth with them euen of the very lawe of God whiche Christ him selfe can not do ¶ Agaynst the Popes false power MAthew xxvj Christ sayth vnto Peter put vp thy sword into his sheth For all that lay hand vpon the sword shal perish with the sword that is who soeuer without the cōmaundement of the temporall officer to whom God hath geuē the sword layeth hand on the sword to take vengeaunce the same deserueth death in the deede doyng God did not put Peter onely vnder the tēporall sword but also Christ him selfe As it appeareth in the fourth Chapter to the Galathiās And Christ sayth Math. iij. Thus becommeth it vs to fulfill all righteousnes that is to say all ordinaunces of God If the head be then vnder the tēporall sword how can the members be excepted If Peter sinned in defendyng Christ against the temporall sword whose authoritie and Ministers the Byshops then abused agaynst Christ as ours do now who can excuse our Prelates of sinne which will obey no man neither Kyng nor Emperour Yea who can excuse from sinne either the Kynges that geue either the Byshops that receaue such exemptions contrarie to Gods ordinaunces and Christes doctrine And Math. xvij both Christ and also Peter pay tribute where the meanyng of Christes question vnto Peter is if Princes take tribute of straungers onely and not of their children then verily ought I to be free whiche am the sonne of God whose seruaūtes and Ministers they are and of whom they haue their authoritie Yet because they neither knew that neither Christ came to vse that authoritie but to bee our seruaunt and to beare our burthen and to obey all ordinaunces both in right and wrong for our sakes and to teach vs therfore sayd he to S. Peter Pay for thee and melest we offend thē Moreouer though that Christ Peter because they were poore might haue escaped yet would he not for feare of offendyng other and hurtyng their consciences For he might well haue geuen occasion vnto the tribute gatherers to haue iudged amisse both of him and his doctrine yea and the Iewes might happely haue bene offended thereby and haue thought that it had not ben lawful for them to haue payd tribute vnto Heathen Princes and Idolaters seyng that he so great a Prophet payd not Yea and what other thyng causeth the lay so litle to regarde their Princes as that they see them both despised disobeyed of the spiritualtie But our Prelates whiche care for none offendyng of consciences and lesse for Gods ordinaunces will pay nought but when Princes must fight in our most holy fathers quarell and agaynst Christ Then are they the first There also is none so poore that then hath not somewhat to geue Marke here how past all shame our schole Doctours are as Rochester is in his Sermon agaynst Martin Luther which of this text of Mathew dispute that Peter because he payd tribute is greater then the other Apostles and hath more authority and power then they and was head vnto thē all cōtrary vnto so many cleare textes where Christ rebuketh them saying that is an Heathenish thyng that one should clyme aboue an other or desire to be greater To be great in the kingdome of heauē is to be a seruaunt and he that most humbleth hym selfe and becommeth a seruaunt vnto other after the ensample of Christ I meane his Apostles and not of the Pope and his Apostles our Cardinals and Byshops y e same is greatest in that kingdome If Peter in paying tribute became greatest how
spirite of the lyuing God not in tables of stone as the ten commaundementes but in the fleshy tables of the hart as who shuld say we writ not a dead law with inke and in parchemenâ— nor graue that which damned you in tables of stone but preache you that which bringeth the spirite of lyfe vnto your brestes which spirite writeth and graueth the law of loue in your hartes and geueth you lust to do the will of God And furthermore sayth he our ablenes coÌ„meth of God which hath made vs able to minister the new TestameÌ„t not of the letter y t is to say not of the law but of the spirite For the letter that is to say the law killeth but the spirite geueth life that is to say the spirite of God whiche entreth your hartes wheÌ„ ye beleue the glad tydinges that are preached you in Christe quickeneth your hartes and geueth you life lust and maketh you to do of loue and of your owne accorde without compulsioÌ„ that which the law compelled you to do and daÌ„ned you because ye could not doe with loue and lust and naturally Thus seest thou that the letter signifieth not the litterall sence and the spirite the spirituall sence And Rom. ij Paul vseth this terme Littera for the law And Rom. vij where he setteth it so playne that it the great wrath of God had not blinded them they could neuer haue stombled at it God is a spirite and all his wordes are spirituall His litterall sence is spituall and all his wordes are spiritual When thou readest Math. j. she shall beare a sonne thou shalt cal his name Iesus For he shall saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes This litteral sence is spiritual and euerlasting life vnto as many as beleue it And the litterall sence of these wordes Math. v. blessed are the mercyfull for they shall haue mercy are spirituall and life Wherby they that are mercyfull may of right by the truth and promise of God challenge mercy And like is it of these wordes Math. vj. If you forgeue othermen their sinnes your heauenly father shall forgeue you yours And so is it of all the promises of God Finally all gods wordes are spiritual if thou haue eyes of God to see the right meanyng of the text whereunto y â— Scripture perteyneth the final end and cause therof All the Scripture is either the promises and TestameÌ„t of God in Christ and stories perteining thereunto to strength thy faith either the law and stories perteining therto to feare thee from euil doing There is no story nor gest seme it neuer so simple or so vyle vnto the worlde but that thou shalt finde therein spirite and life and edifieng in the litterall sense For it is gods Scripture written for thy learnyng and comforte There is no cloute or tagge there that hath not precious reliques wrapt therein of fayth hope pacience and long sufferyng and of the truth of God and also of hys righteousnes Set before thee the storie of Ruben which defiled his fathers beo Marke what a crosse God suffered to fal on the necke of his elect Iacob CoÌ„sider first the shame among the heatheÌ„ when as yet there was no moe of the whole world within the Testament of God but he and his houshold I report me to our Prelates which sweare by their honor whether it were a crosse or no. Seest thou not how our wicked bylders rage because they see their bildynges burne now they are tryed by the fire of Gods word and how they stirre vp the whole world to quench the word of God for feare of loosing their honour Then what busines had he to pacifie his children Looke what a do he had at y â— defiling of his daughter Dina. And be thou sure that the brethren there were no more furious for the defiling of their sister then the sonnes heare for defiling of their mother Marke what folowed Ruben to feare other that they shame not their fathers and mothers He was cursed and lost the kyngdome and also the Priestdome and his tribe or generatioÌ„ was euer few in number as it appeareth in the stories of the Bible The adulterie of Dauid with Barsabe is an ensample not to moue vs to euill but if while we folow the way of righteousnes any chaunce driue vs aside that we despayre not For if we saw not such infirmities in Gods elect we which are so weake and fall so oft should vtterly dispaire thinke that God had cleane forsaken vs. It is therfore a sure and an vndoubted conclusion whether we be holy or vnholy we are all sinners But the differeÌ„ce is that Gods sinners consent not to their sinne They consent vnto the law that it is both holy and righteous and mourne to haue their sinne taken away But the deuils sinners consent vnto their sinne and would haue the law and hell taken away and are enemies vnto the righteousnes of God Likewise in the whomely gest of Noe when he was dronke and lay in his tente with hys priuy members open hast thou great edifyeng in the litteral sence Thou seest what became of the curied children of wicked Ham which saw his fathers priuie members and gested therof vnto his brethren Thou seest also what blessing fell on Sem and Iaphet which went backward and couered their fathers members saw them not And thirdly thou seest what infirmitie accompanieth Goâ—s elect be they neuer so holy which yet is not imputed vnto theÌ„ For the fayth trust they haue in God swalloweth vp all their sinnes Notwithstandyng this text offereth vs an apte and an hansome allegory or similitude to describe our wicked Ham Antichrist the Pope which many huÌ„dred yeares hath done all the shame that hart caÌ„ thinke vnto the priâ—ey meÌ„ber of God which is the word of promise or y â— word of faith as Paule calleth it Rom. x. and the Gospell and TestameÌ„t of Christ wherewith we are begotten as thou seest i. Peter i. and Iames. i. And as the cursed children of Ham grew into gyauntes so mightie and great that the children of Israell semed but greshoppers in respect of them so the cursed sonnes of our Ham the Pope his Cardinals Bysshops Abbots Monkes and Friers are become mighty gyauntes aboue all power and authoritie so that the children of faith in respect of them are much lesse then greshoppers They heape mountayne vppon mountayne will to heaueÌ„ by their own strength by away of their owne making not by the way Christ Neuer the latter those gyauÌ„tes for the wickednes abhominatioÌ„s which they had wrought did God vtterly destroy part of them by the childreÌ„ of Loth and part by the children of Esau and seuen nations of them by the children of Israell So no doubt shall he destroy these for like abhominations that shortly For their kyngdome is but the kyngdome of lyes and falshead which must needes perish at
of their heauenly father confirmed with y ◠bloud of their Lord Christ For vnto them it is harder to enter into y ◠kingdome of heauen then for a camel to enter through y ◠eye of an nedle Mar. 10. No they haue no part in the kyngdome of Christ God Ephe. v. Therefore is it euident why Christ so diligētly warneth all his to beware of couetousnesse and why hee admitteth none to be his Disciples except he first forsake all together For there was neuer couetouse person true yet either to God or man If a couetous mā be chosē to preach Gods word he is a false Prophet immediatly If he be of the lay sorte so ioyneth he him self vnto the false Prophetes to persecute the truth Couetousnesse is not onely aboue all other lustes those thornes that choke y t word of God in them that possesse it But it is also a deadly enemy to all that interprete Gods word truly All other vices though they laugh thē to scorne that talke godly yet they can suffer thē to lyue and to dwell in the countrey But couetousnes cannot rest as long as there is one that cleaueth to Gods word in all the land Take hede to thy preacher therfore and be sure if he be couetous and gape for promotion that he is a false Prophet leaueneth the Scripture for all his crying fathers fathers holy Church and fiften hūdred yeares and for all his other holy pretenses Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted This mournyng is also in the spirite and no kinne to the sowre lokyng of hipocrites nor to the impaciēt weywardnesse of those fleshely which euer whyne and complayne that the world is naught because they cānot obtayne and enioy their lustes therin Neither forbiddeth it alwayes to be mery and and to laugh make good chere now and then to forget sorrow that ouermuch heauynesse swalow not a man cleane vp For the wise man sayth sorow hath cost many their lyues And Prouer. xvij an heauy spirite drieth vp the bones And Paule commaundeth Philip. iiij to reioyse euer And Roma xij he sayth reioyse with them that reioyse and sorow with thē that sorow and wepe with them that wepe which seme two contraries This mourning is that crosse without which was neuer any Disciple of Christ or euer shal be For of what soeuer state or degree thou be in this world if thou professe y ◠Gospell there foloweth the a crosse as warmenesse accompanieth the sonne shynyng vnder which thy spirite shall grone and mourne secretly not onely because the world and thyne owne flesh carie thee away cleane cōtrary to the purpose of thyne hart But also to see and behold the wretchednesse misfortunes of thy brethrē for which because thou louest them as well as thy selfe thou shalt mourne and sorow no lesse thē for thy selfe Though thou be King or Emperour yet if thou knowest Christ and God through Christ and entendest to walke in the fight of God and to minister thyne office truly thou shalt to kepe iustice with all be compelled to do dayly that which thou art no lesse loth to do then if thou shouldest cut of arme hand or any other member of thyne owne body yea and if thou wilt folow the right way and neither turne on the right hand nor on the left thou shalt haue immediatly thine own subiectes thyne owne seruauntes thyne owne Lordes thyne own coūsellours and thyne owne Prophetes thereto agaynst thee Vnto whose froward malice and stubburnesse thou shalt be cōpelled to permitte a thousand thynges agaynst thy conscience not able to resiste them at whiche thyne hart shall blede inwardly and shalt sawse thy swete soppes which the world weneth thou hast with sorowes mough and still mournyng studyeng either alone or els with a few frēdes secretly night and day and sighing to God for helpe to mitigate the furious frowardnesse of them whō thou art not able to with stand that all go not after the will of the vngodly What was Dauid cōpelled to suffer all the dayes of his lyfe of his own seruauntes the sonnes of Seruia Beside the mischaūces of his own children And how was our king Iohn forsaken of his owne Lordes when he would haue put a good and godly reformatiō in his owne land How was Henry the secōd compassed in lyke maner of his own Prelates whom he had promoted of nought with the secrete conspiracie of some of his own temporal Lordes with thē I spare to speake of y e mournyng of the true preachers the poore cōmon people which haue none other helpe but the secret hand of God and the word of his promise But they shal be cōforted of all their tribulatiō and their sorrow shal be turned into ioye and that infinite euerlastyng in the lyfe to come Neither are they without comfort here in this world for Christ hath promised to sēd them a comfortour to be with them for euer the spirite of trouth whiche the world knoweth not Iohn xiiij And they reioyse in hope of the comfort to come Rom. xij And they ouercome through fayth as it is written Hebr. xj the Saintes through fayth ouercame kyngdomes obtained the promises And. i. Iohn v. this is the victorie that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith But the blind world neither seeth our comfort nor our trust in God nor how God thorough faith in his word helpeth vs maketh vs ouercome How ouercome they wilt thou say that be alwayes persecuted and euer slayne verely in euery battaile some of them that wynne the field be slayne yet they leaue the victorie vnto their deare frēdes for whose sakes they toke the fight vppon them and therfore are conquerours seyng they obtayne their purpose maynteine that they fought for The cursed riche of this worlde whiche haue their ioye and comfort in their riches haue sence the begynnyng fought agaynst them to wede thē out of the worlde But yet in vayne For though they haue alwayes slayne som yet those that were slayne wanne the victory for their brethren with death euer increased the nūber of them And though they semed to dye in the sight of the foolish yet they are in peace and haue obtayned that euerlastyng kyngdome for which they fought And beside all this when God plagueth the world for their sinne these y ◠mourne and sorrow are marked with the signe of Thau in their foreheades and saued from the plague that they perish not with the wicked as thou seest Ezech. ix as Lot was deliuered frō among the Sodomites And contrariwise cursed are they that laugh now ▪ that is to say which haue their ioy solace and comfort in their riches for they shall sorrow and weepe Luke vj. And as it was answered the rich man Luke xvj sonne remember how that thou receauedst thy good dayes in thy life tyme and Lazarus likewise euill
policy And finally marke one point in Luke 14. None of them that reâ—useth not al that he possesseth caÌ„ be my disciple that is he that casteth not away y â— loue of all worldly thinges can be no scholer of Christes to learne his doctrine TheÌ„ he addeth that salt is good but if the salt be vnsauery or hath lost his veâ—…e what can be seasoned therwith verely nothing Now by salt is vnderstand the doctrine and the meaning is if ye be couetous and loue worldly thinges it will corrupt y e salt of your doctrine so that whatsoeuer you powder therewith it shal be more vnsauery then before Where your treasure is there are your hartes If your treasure be in y e worlde so is the loue of your hartes And if ye loue the world the thynges of the world the loue of God is not in you and the loue of God is the loue of his commaundements and he that loueth not Gods commaundementes shall neuer preach them truely because he loueth them not But shall corrupt them with gloses that they may stand with that which his hart loueth and vntill they haue an other sence then euer God gaue them Ergo no couetous person can be a true Prophet It is not for nought then that Christ to oft and so diligently warneth his disciples to beware of couetousnes as of that thing which he wist well had euer corrupt the woorde of God and euer shoulde The light of thy body is thyne eye wherfore if thine eye be single all thy body shall be full of lyght But and if thine eye be wicked thaÌ„ shall thy whole body be darcke If therfore the light that is in thee be darcknesse how great is that darknesse Note the conclusion wyth a proper similitude The eye is the light of the body and by the light of the eye all other members see and are gouerned As long as the eye seeth hand foote do their duties neyther is there any feare that a man should sinnible or fall into fire or water But if the eye be blynde all the body is blinde and that so blinde that there is no remedy at al set a candle before him he seeth not geue hym a lanterne in hys hand and yet he goeth not straighte Bring him out into the sunne point hym vnto y t which thou wouldest haue hym see yt boteth not Euen so if couetousnesse haue blinded the spirituall eye peruerted the right entent of the lawe of God and of the workes commaunded by God and of the sacrifâ—ce ceremonies and sacramentes and of all other ordinaunces of God which entent is the spirituall eye then is all the doctrine darcke and very blyndnes yea and then how darke is the darcknes when that which is pure blindnes is beleued to be light how darcke is the doctrine of them that teach that a man may compell God wyth the woorkes of free will to geue them hys fauour grace or make God vnrighteous How darcke is the doctrine of them which to y e rebuke of Christes bloud teach that woorkes do iustifie before God and make satifaction for sinnes How blinde are they which thinke prayer to be the pattering of many wordes and will therefore not onely be praysed and payed of the world but also by the title thereof chalenge heaueÌ„ not by y e merites of Christes bloud How darcke is the doctrine of them whose fayth is onely and all together in appointmentes which they themselues haue fayned betwene them and God vnto which yet God neuer subscribed In which also they assigne what worke and how much they will do and what rewarde and how great God must geue them or chuse whether he will be vnrighteous How darcke is the doctrine of them that say stifly that the worke of the Sacramentes in it selfe not referring it to styrre vp the faith of the promises annexed to theÌ„ doth iustifie and affirme that bodely payne for the payne it selfe not referryng it either to the loue of y e law of god or of their neighbour doth please God How darcke damnable deuelish is the doctrine of them which not onely thinke lucre to be the seruice of God but also are so farre past all shame that they affirme they be the holy Church and cannot erre and all that they decree must be an article of our fayth and that it is damnable once to doubt or search the Scripture whether their doctrine will therto agree or no But say their decrees must be beleued as they sound how contrary so euer the Scripture be and the Scripture must be expounded and made agree to them They neede not to regarde the Scripture but to do and say as their holy Ghost moueth them and if the Scripture be contrary then make it a nose of waxe and wrest it this way and that way till it agree Faith of workes was the darcknesse of the false Prophets out of the which the true could not draw them Faith of workes was the blyndnesse of the phariseis out of the which neither Iohn Baptist nor Christ could bryng them And though Iohn Baptist pyped to them with reasons of the Scripture in uincible and Christ therto added miracles yet the Phariseis would not daunce For Iohn Baptist as they thought was to mad to lyue so strayte a life and to refuse to be iustified therby And as for Christ his Disciples the Phariseis were much holyer them selues fasted oftener and prayed thicker yea and vttered many mo wordes in their prayer then they Fayth of workes is that belefe of the Turkes Iewes which driueth them euer away from Christ Faith of workes hath ben that light of darcknes in which a great part of vs Christen haue walked euer sence Pelagius and Faustus well about xij C. yeares and euer mo and mo in which all our religious haue walked all and more to this foure or fiue hundred yeare in which the Priestes also haue walked a long season the Lord bryng them out agayne Finally how darcke is the darcknesse when a Pharisey and a very Pelagian standeth vp and preacheth agaynst the Phariseis the Pelagians and is alowed of al y e audience And in conclusion when the world euer sence it began hath doth of naturall blindnesse beleue in their owne workes theÌ„ if the Scripture be peruerted to confirme that errour how sore are their hartes hardened and how depe is that darckenesse No man can serue two masters for he shal either hate the one and loue the other or cleaue to the one and despise the other Ye can not serue God and Mammon Mammon is riches or aboundance of goods And Christ concludeth with a plaine similitude that as it is impossible to serue two contrary masters as it is impossible to be retayned vnto two diuers Lords which are enemies one to the other so is it impossible to serue God and Mammon Two
neighbour and the order of our iustifying saluation for as much as all such thynges were played before the peoples faces dayly in the ceremonies euery child wist the meanyng but got them vnto allegories faynyng them euery maÌ„ after his owne brayne without rule all most on euery silable and from thence vnto disputyng and wastyng their braynes about wordes not attending the significations vntill at the last the laye people had lost the meanyng of the ceremonies the Prelates the vnderstandyng of the playne text and of the Greke Latin and specially of the Hebrue whiche is most of nede to be knowen and of all phrases the proper maner of speakynges and borowed speach of the Hebrues Remember ye not how within this xxx yeares and farre lesse and yet dureth vnto this day the old barkyng curres Dunces disciples lyke draffe called Scotistes the children of darkenesse raged in euery pulpit agaynst Greke Latin and Hebrue and what sorrow the Scholemasters that taught the true Latin toung had with them some beatyng the pulpit with theyr fistes for madnesse roaryng out with open and somyng mouth that if there were but one Tirence or Virgil in the world and that same in their fleues a fire before them they would burne them therein though it should cost theÌ„ their liues affirming that all good learnyng decayed was vtterly lost sence men gaue them vnto the Latin touÌ„g yea I day say that there be xx thousand Priests Curates this day in England and not so few that caÌ„ not geue you the right English vnto this text in the Pater noster fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo in terra aunswere therto And assoone as the signification of the ceremonies was lost and the priestes preached Christ no longer then the common people began to wax mad out of their mindes vpon the ceremonies And that trust and confidence which the ceremonies preached to be geuen vnto Gods worde and Christes bloud that same they turned vnto the ceremonie it selfe as though a man were so mad to forget that the bushe at the tauerne dore did signisse wine to be solde within but would beleue that y â— bushe it selfe would quench his thirste And so they became seruauntes vnto y â— ceremonies ascribing their iustifying and saluation vnto them supposyng that it was nothing else to be a christeÌ„ man then to serue ceremonies him most christen that most serued them contrary wise him that was not Popishe and ceremoniall no christeÌ„ man at all For I pray you for what cause worship we our spiritualtie so highly or wherefore thinke we their prayers better then the poore laye mens then for their disguisings and ceremonies yea and what other vertue see we in y â— holiest of them then to waite vppon dumme superstitious ceremonies Yea and how coÌ„meth it that a poore laye man hauing wife and xx children and not able to finde them though all his neighbours know his necessitie shal not get with begging for Christes sake in a long sommers day inough to fynde them two dayes honestly when if a disguised monster come he shall wyth an houres lying in the pulpit get inough to finde thirty or forty sturdy lubbers a moneth long of which y â— weakest shall be as strong in the belly when he commeth vnto the manger as the mightâ—est porter in y â— weyhouse or best courser that is in y â— kynges stable Is there any other cause then disguising and ceremonies For y e deedes of the ceremonies we count better theÌ„ the deedes which God coÌ„maundeth to be done to our neighbour at hys nede who thinketh it as good a deede to feede the poore as to sticke vp a candle before a post or as to sprinckle himself with holy water Neither is it possible to be otherwise as long as the signification is lost For what other thyng can the people thinke then that such deedes be ordeyned of God and because as it is euident they serue not our neighbours neede to be referred vnto y e person of God and he though he be aspirite yet serued therewyth And then he can not but forth on dispute in his blynde reason that as god is greater then man so is that deede that is appointed to serue God greater then that which serueth man And then when it is not possible to thinke them ordeyned for nought what can I other wise thinke then that they were ordeyned to iustitie and that I should be holy therby according to the popes doctrine as though God were better pleased when I sprinkle my selfe with water or set vp a candle before a block then if I fed or clothed or holpe at his neede him whom he so tenderly loueth that he gaue his owne sonne vnto the death for hym and commaunded me to loue him as my selfe And when the people beganne to run that way the prelaces were glad and holpe to heue after with subtill allegories and falsifying the scripture went and halowed the ceremonies to make them more worshipfull that the laye people should haue them in greater estimation honour and to be afrayde to touch them for reuerence vnto the holy charme that was sayd ouer them and affirmed also that Christes death had purchased such grace vnto y â— ceremonies to forgeue sinne and to iustifie O monster Christes death purchased grace for mans soule to repent of euill and to beleue in Christ for remission of sinne and to loue the lawe of God his neighbour as himselfe which is the true worshipping of god in the spirite and he dyed not to purchase such honour vnto vnseÌ„sible thinges that maÌ„ to his dishonour should do them honourable seruice receaue his saluation of them This I haue declared vnto you y t ye might see and feele euery thing sensibly For I entend not to leade you in darcknesse Neyther though twise ij Cranes make not iiij wilde Gees woulde I therefore that he shoulde beleue that twise two made not foure Neither entend I to proue vnto you that Paules steple is the cause why Temmes is broke in about Erith or y â— Teinterden steple is the cause of the decay of Sandwich hauen as M. More iesteth Neuerthelesse this I woulde were perswaded vnto you as it is true that the building of theÌ„ and such like thorow y â— false fayth that we haue in them is the decay of all the hauens in England of al the cities townes hye wayes and shortly of the whole common wealth For since these false monsters crope vp into our consciences and robbed vs of the knowledge of our sauiour Christ makyng vs beleue in such popeholy workes and to thinke that there was none other way vnto heauen we haue not ceassed to build theÌ„ abbeyes cloysters coledges Chauntries and cathedrall churches with hye steples striuing and enuying one an other who shoulde do most And as
them but my merite is the fayth of Iesus Christ onely by whiche fayth such workes are good accordyng to the wordes of our Lord Mat. xxv I was hongry and thou gauest me to eate and it foloweth that ye haue done to the least of my brethrē ye haue done to me c. and euer we should cōsider the true sentēce that a good worke maketh not a good man but a good man maketh a good woorke for fayth maketh the man both good and righteous for a righteous man lyueth by fayth Rom. i. and what soeuer spryngeth not out of fayth is sinne Rom. xiiij And all my tēporall goodes that I haue not geuen or deliuered or not geuen by writing of mine own hand bearing the date of this present writyng I do leaue and geue to Margarete my wife and to Richard my sonne which I make mine executours witnes this myne owne hand the x. day of October in the xxij yeare of the raigne of kyng Henry the eight Tyndall NOw let vs examine the partes of this Testament sentence by sentēce First to commit our selues to God aboue all is the first of all preceptes the first stone in the foundatiō of our faith that we beleue put our trust in one God one all true one almighty all good all mercifull cleauing fast to his truth might mercy and goodnes surely certified fully persuaded that he is our God yea ours to vs all true without all falshead guile can not fayle in his promises And to vs almighty that his will can not be let to fulfill all y e truth that he hath promised vs. And to vs all good and all mercyfull what soeuer we haue done and how soeuer greuously we haue trespassed so that we come to hym the way that he hath appointed which way is Iesus Christ onely as we shal see folowingly This first clause then is the first commaūdement or at the least the first sentēce in the first commaundement and the first Article of our Crede And that this trust and confidēce in the mercy of God is thorough Iesus Christ is the secōd article of our Crede confirmed and testified throughout all scripture That Christ bringeth vs into this grace Paule proueth Rom. v. saying Iustified by fayth we are at peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom we haue an entryng in vnto this grace in which we stand And Ephes iij. By whom sayth Paule we haue a bold entring in thorough the fayth that is in him and in the second of the sayd Epistle By him we haue an entring in vnto the father and a litle before in the same Chapter he is our peace And Iohn in the first Chapter Behold the Lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinne of the world which sinne was the bush that stopped the entryng in and kept vs out the sword wherewith was kept the entryng vnto the tree of lyfe from Adam and all his ofspryng And in the second of the first of Peter which bare our sinnes in his body and by whose stripes we are made whole By whom we haue redemptiō through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of our sinnes Collos i. Ephes i. And Rom. iiij He was deliuered for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustifyeng And concernyng the resurrection it is an article of our fayth and proued there sufficiently and that it shal be by the power of Christ is also the open Scripture Iohn vj. This is the will of my father which sent me that I lose nothing of all that he hath geuen me but that I rayse it vp agayne in the last day and agayn I am the resurrectiō Iohn xi That this liuely faith is sufficient to iustification without addyng to of any more helpe is this wise proued The promiser is God of whom Paul sayth Rom. viij If God be on our side what matter maketh it who be agaynst vs he is thereto all good all mercyfull all true and all mighty wherfore sufficiēt to be beleued by his othe more ouer Christ in whom the promise is made hath receaued all power in heauen and in earth Math. the last He hath also a perpetuall Priesthode and therfore able perpetually to saue Heb. vij And that there is but one mediatour Christ as Paul i. Tim. ij And by that word vnderstand an attonemaker a peace maker and brynger into grace and fauour hauyng full power so to do And that Christ is so is proued at the full It is written Iohn iij. The father loueth the sonne and hath geuē all into his hand And he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe and he that beleueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God bydeth vpon hym All things are geuē me of my father Luke x. And all who soeuer call on the name of the Lord shal be saued Actes ij Of his fulnes haue we al receaued Ioh. i. There is no other name geuen to mā in which we must be saued Actes iiij And agayne vnto his name beare all the Prophets record that by his name shall all that beleue in him receaue remission Actes x. In hym dwelleth all the fulnes of God bodely Collos ij All what soeuer my father hath are myne Iohn xvj What soeuer ye aske in my name that will I do for you Iohn xiiij One Lord one fayth one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all through all and in you all Ephes iiij There is but one whose seruaunt I am to do his will But one that shall pay me my wages there is but one to whom I am boūde Ergo but one that hath power ouer me to dāne or saue me I will adde to this Paules Argument Balat iij. GOD sware vnto Abraham cccc yeare before the law was geuen that we should be saued by Christ Ergo the law geuen cccc yeares after can not disanull that couenaunt So dispute I Christ whē he had suffered his passiō and was risen agayne and entred into his glory was sufficient for his Apostles without any other meane or helpe Ergo the holynes of no Saint since hath diminished ought of that his power but that he is as full sufficient now for the promise is as deepely made to vs as to them Moreouer the treasure of his mercy was layde vp in Christ for all that should beleue yer the world was made Ergo nothyng that hath happened sence hath chaunged the purpose of the inunuariable God Moreuer to exclude the blynd imagination falsely called fayth of them that geue them selues to vice without resistence affirmyng that they haue no power to do otherwise but that God hath so made them and therfore must saue them they not entendyng or purposing to mende their liuyng but sinning with whole consent and full lust he declareth what fayth he meaneth ij maner of wayes First by that he saith who soeuer beleueth and is Baptised shal be
cogis auri sacrafames What doth not that holy hunger compell them that loue this world inordinatly to committe might that deuils belye be once full truth should haue audience and wordes be constcued a right and takeÌ„ in the same sence as they be ment Though it seme not impossible haply that there might be a place where the soules might be kept for a space to be taught and instruct yet that there should be fitch a Iayle as they Iangle and such fashions as they fayne is playne impossible and repugnaunt to the Scripture for when a man is traÌ„slated veterly out of the kyngdome of Sathan and so confirmed in grace that he can not sinne so burnyng in loue that his lust can not be plucked from Gods will and beyng partaker with vs of all the promises of God and vnder the commaundemeÌ„tes what could be denyed hym in that deepe innocencie of hys most kynde father that hath left no mercy vnpromised and askyng it thereto in the name of his sonne Iesus the child of his hartes lust whiche is our Lord hath left no mercy vndeserued for vs namely when GOD hath sworne that he will put of righteousnes and be to vs a father and that of all mercy and hath slayne his most deare sonne Iesus to confirme hys othe Finally seyng that Christes loue taketh all to the best and nothing is here that may not be wel vnderstanded the circumstances declaryng in what sence all was ment they ought to haue interpreted in charitably if ought had bene founde doubtefull or seemyng to sound amysse Moreouer if any thyng had ben therin that could not haue ben taken well yet their part had bene to haue interprete it as spoken of idlenes of the head by the reason of sickenesse for as much as the man was vertuous wise and well learned and of good fame and report and sounde in the fayth whyle he was a lyue But if they say he was suspect when he was a lyue then is their doyng so much the worsse and to bee thought that they feared hys doctrine when hee was a lyue and mistrusted their owne part their conscieÌ„ces testifyeng to them that he held no other doctrine theÌ„ that was true seyng they then neither spake nor wrote agaynst him nor brought hym to any examinatioÌ„ Besides that some mery felowes will thinke that they ought first to haue sent to him to wyt whether he would haue reuoked yet they had so despitefully burnt the dead body that could not aunswere for it selfe nor interprete his wordes how he ment them namely the man beyng of so worshypfull and auncieÌ„t a bloud But here will I make at end desiryng y t reader to loke on this thing with indifferent eyes and iudge whether I haue expouÌ„ded the wordes of this TestameÌ„t as they should seme to signifie or not iudge also whether the maker therof seme not by his worke both vertuous and godly whiche if it so bee thinke that he was the worsse bycause the dead body was burnt to ashes but rather learne to know the great desyre that hypocrites haue to finde one craft or other to dase the truth with cause it to be counted for heresie of the simple and vnlearned people whiche are so ignoraunt they can not spye theyr sutteltie it must nedes be heresie that toucheth any thyng their rotten byle they wil haue it so who soeuer say nay onely the eternall God must be prayed to night day to amende them in whose power it onely lyeth Who also graunt theÌ„ once earnestly to thirst his true doctrine contained in the sweete and pure fountaines of hys Scriptures and in his pathes to direct their wayes AMEN Here endeth the Exposition of Master Tracies will by William Tyndall ¶ A frutefull and godly treatise expressing the right institution and vsage of the Sacramentes of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesu Christ Compiled by William Tyndall TO vnderstaÌ„d the pith of y â— SacrameÌ„tes how they came vp the very meanyng of them we must consider diligently the maners fashions of the Hebrues which were a people of great grauitie sadnesse and earnest in all their doynges if any notable thyng chaunced among them so that they not onely wrote but also set vp pillers and markes diuers signes to testifie the same vnto their posteritie and named the places where the thynges were done with such names as could not but keepe the dedes in memorie As Iacob called the place where he saw God face to face Pheniell that is Gods face And the place where the Egyptians mourned for Iacob seueÌ„ dayes the people of the countrey called Abell Miram that is the lamentation of the Egyptians to the intent that such names should kepe the gestes and stories in minde And likewise in all their couenaunts they not onely promised one to another and sware theron but also set vp signes and tokens therof and gaue the places names to keepe the thyng in minde And they vsed therto such circumstaunces protestations solemne fashions and ceremonies to confirme the coâ—enauÌ„tes and to testifie that they were made with great earnest aduise and deliberation to the intent that it should be to much shame and to much abhomination both before God and man to breake them euer after As Abraham Genes 21. when he made a couenaunt of peace with Abimeleck kyng of the Philistines after they had eaten and dronke together and sworne hee put seuen Lambes by them selues and Abimelecke receiued them of his hand to testifie that he there had digged a certaine well and that the right therof pertained to hym And he called the well Beer Seba the well of Swearyng or the well of seneÌ„ because of the oth of the seueÌ„ lambes and by that title did Abraham his children chalenge it many hundred yeares after And when Iacob Laban made a coueâ—aunt together Genes 31. they cast vp an heape of stones in witnesse and called it Giliad the heape of witnesse and they bound ech other for theÌ„ and their posteritie that neither part should passe the heape to the others countreyward to hurt or conquer their land and Laban bouÌ„d Iacob also that he should take no other wiues besides his daughters to vexe them And of all that couenaunt they made that heape a witnes calling it the witnesseheape that their children should enquire the cause of the name their father should declare vnto them the history And such fashions as they vse among them selues did God also vse to themward in all his notable dedes whether of mercy in deliueryng them or of wrath in punishing their disobedience and traÌ„sgression in all his promises to them and couenauntes made betwene them and hym As when after the generall floude God made a couenaunt with Noe and all mankind also withall liuing creatures that he would no more drowne the world he gaue them the
oft mencioned is fayth of the whiche meate â—ayth the Prophet the iust liueth Fayth in him is therfore the meate whiche Christ prepareth dresseth so purely poulderyng and spicyng it with spirituall Allegories in all this Chapter folowyng to giue vs euerlastyng life through it Then sayd the Iewes vnto hym What token doest thou whereby we might know that we should beleue in thee Do somwhat that we might beleue in thee what thyng workest thou that we might know thee to be God Thou knowest well inough that our fathers did eate bread or MaÌ„na in the deserte as it is written hee gaue them bread from aboue Iesus aunswered Verely verely I say vnto you Moses gaue ye not that bread from heaueÌ„ for though it fell downe from the ayre yet was it not heaueÌ„ly foode for it dyd but feede the belly but this bread of God that is descended from heauen whom my father giueth refresheth the soule so aboundauntly that it geueth life vn to the world When the Iewes vnderstode not this saying whiche was nought elles then the declaryng of the Gospell for by the eatyng of this bread hee meant that belefe of this his Gospell they sayd Syr giue vs this bread euermore Iesus sayd vnto theÌ„ I am the bread of life and who so commeth to me shall not hunger who so beleueth in me shal neuer thyrst When the Iewes hard Christ say the bread that descended from heaueÌ„ should giue lyfe to the world they desired to haue this bread giuen them for euer And Iesus perceiuing that they vnderstode not the sence of this Gospel he expouÌ„ded vnto them who was this so liuely bread that giueth life to all the world saying I am the bread of life and who so commeth to me that is to say who so is graffed and ioyned to me by faith shall neuer hunger that is who so beleueth in me is satisfied It is fayth therefore that stancheth this hunger and thyrst of the soule Fayth it is therfore in Christ that filleth our hungry hartes so that we caÌ„ desire none other if we â–ª once eate drinke him by fayth that is to say if we beleue his flesh and body to haue bene broken his bloud shed for our sinnes For then are our soules satisfied and we be iustified Ouer this it foloweth But I haue told you this because ye looke vppon me and beleue me not that is ye be offended that I sayd he that commeth to me shall neither hunger nor thyrst seyng that your selues beyng present be yet both hungry and thyrstie But this commeth because ye haue sene me with your bodily eyes and yet see me beleue not in me but I speake not of such sight nor commyng but of the sight of fayth which who so hath he shall haue none other desire he shall not seeke by night to loue an other before whom be would lay his grief He shal not runne wandering here and there to seke dead stockes and stones for he is certified by his â—ayth to whom hee shall cleaue he is coupled by fayth vnto me his very spouse liuely foode the onely treasure of his soule neuer more to thyrst for any other This light of fayth ye haue not for ye beleue not nor trust in me wherfore ye vnderstand not how I am the very bread and meate of your soules that is to say your faith hope And the cause of this your blyndnes is I will not say ouer hardly to you that the father hath not drawne you in to the knowledge of me or els ye had receiued me For all that the father giueth me must come vnto me And as for me I cast out no maÌ„ that commeth to me For I am not come downe froÌ„ heauen to do my will whiche ye attribute vnto me as vnto eche any other man for I am verely a very man accordyng to that nature I haue a speciall proper will but much more obedieÌ„t to my father then one of you For your will oft resisteth and repugneth Gods will but so doth mine neuer I am therfore come downe to doe his will that hath sent me And to do you to witte what his will is This I say is my fathers will y t hath sent me That of all that he hath giueÌ„ me I leeâ—e none but must rayse hym vp agayne in the last day and to be playne This is the will of him that sent me That who so seeth that is to know the sonne and beleueth in him he shall haue lyfe euerlalastyng and I shall styrre hym vp in y e last day Here may ye see what meate he speaketh of God sent his sonne into this world that we might liue thorough him Who liueth by him They that eate his flesh drinke his bloud Who eate his flesh drinke his bloud They that beleue his body crucified his bloud shed for their sinnes these cleaâ—e vnto his gracious fauour But how could they cleane thus vnto him except they knew him And therfore he added saying Euery man that seeth the sonne that is to say vnderstandeth wherfore the sonne was sent into this world and beleueth in him shall haue euerlastyng lyfe Here it appeared to the carnall Iewes that Christ had taken to much vpon him selfe to say I am the bread of lyfe which am come downe froÌ„ heauen to giue life to the world wherfore the flesh that is to say the Iewes now murmured and noâ— maruelled as M. More sheweth his owne dreame to an other text folowyng whiche I shall touch anone they murmured at this saying of Christ I am the bread which am come from heauen saying Is not this Iesus Iosephes sonne whose father mother we know well inough How then sayth he I am come from heauen Iesus auÌ„swered saying Murmour not among your selues Heard ye not what I told you euen now All that my father giueth me come to me your vnbelefe wherof foloweth this false vnderstanding of my wordes spiritually spoken compelleth me to tell you one thyng more theÌ„ once or twise This therfore it is No maÌ„ may come to me the onely earnest peny pledge â–ª of your saluatioÌ„ vnlesse my father that sent me draw him and whoÌ„ he draweth vnto me that is ioyneth vnto me by fayth him shall I styrre vp in the last day I wonder that ye take my wordes so straungely beleuyng them to be some hard râ—dels or darke parables when I say nothyng els theÌ„ that is written in your owne Prophetes both in Esay and Ieremy saying that all shall be taught of the Lord. Sith eueÌ„ your Prophetes testifie this knowledge to be giueÌ„ you of my father what can be spokeÌ„ more playnly then to say what my father giueth me that commeth to me or this no man may come to me except my father draw him And yet haue it more manifestly Who so hath heard my father and is learned of him he commeth
to me as vnto the very onely anker of his saluation Not that any man hath sene the father lest peradnenture ye mistake these wordes to heare and to learne as though they pertemed to the outward senses and not rather to the mynde and inward illuminyng of the soule For no man euer saw the father although he worke secretly vpon his hart so that what so euer hee willeth we must heare and learne No man I say seeth him but he that is sent of God as I sayd before of my selfe he it is that seeth the father Now therfore say I vnto you verely verely as playnly y t who so beleueth trusteth in me he hath life euerlasting Now haue ye y t summe of this my doctrine euē my very gospel y e whole tale of all my legacy and message wherfore I am sent into the world Had M. More vnderstode this short sentence who so beleueth in me hath life euerlastyng knowne what Paule with the other Apostles preached especially Paul being a yeare a halfe amōg the Corinthiās determinyng not neither presumyng to haue knowē any other thyng to be preached them as him selfe saith then Iesus Christ that he was crucified Had M. More vnderstand this point he should neuer haue thus blasphemed Christ his sufficiēt Scriptures neither haue so belyed his Euāgelistes holy Apostles as to say they wrote not all thinges necessary for our saluation but left out things of necessitie to be beleued makyng Gods holy testamēt insufficient vnperfite First reueled vnto our fathers written oft sence by Moyses and then by his Prophetes and at last written both by his holy Euangelistes and Apostles to But turne we to Iohn agayne let More mocke still lye to I am y ◠bread of life saith Christ And no mā denyeth y ◠our fathers elders did eate Manna in the desert yet are they dead But he that eateth of this bread that is to say beleueth in me he hath life euerlastyng For it is I that am this liuely bread which am come from heauen of whom who so eate by faith shal neuer dye Here therfore it is to be noted diligently y ◠Christ meaneth as euery mā may see by y ◠eating of this bread none other thyng then the belefe in him self offred vp for our sinnes whiche faith onely iustifieth vs. Whiche sentence to declare more playnly that he would haue it noted more diligently he repeteth it yet agayn saying It is I y t am the liuely bread which am come down frō heauē who so eateth of this bread shall liue euerlastingly And to put you cleare out of doubt I shall shew you in few wordes what this matter is by what wayes I must be the Sauiour redemer of the world to giue it this life so oft rehearsed therfore now take good heede This bread which I speake of so much shall giue it you it is myne owne flesh which I must lay forth pay for the life of y ◠world Here it is now manifest that he should suffer death in his own flesh for our redēptiō to geue vs this life euerlastyng Thus now may ye see how Christes fleshe which he called bread is the spirituall foode meate of our soules Whē our soules by fayth see God the father not to haue spared his onely so deare beloued sonne but to haue deliuered him to suffer that ignominious so paynefull death to restore vs to lyfe thē haue we eaten his flesh and dronken his bloud assured firmely of the fauour of God satisfied certified of our saluation After this communication that he sayd The bread whiche I shall geue you is my flesh whiche I shall pay for the lyfe of the world yet were the carnall Iewes neuer the wiser For their vnbelief and sturdy hatred would not suffer the very spirituall sence mynde of Christes wordes to enter into theyr hartes They could not see that Christes flesh broken and crucified and not bodely eaten should be our saluation and this spiritual meate as our soules to bee fed and certified of the mercy of God and forgiuenes of our sinnes thorough his passion and not for any eatyng of his fleshe with our teeth The more ignoraunt therfore fleshly they were the more fierce were they full of indignatiō striuyng one agaynst an other saying How may this felow geue vs his flesh to eate it They stoke fast yet in his fleshe before their eyes those fleshly Iewes Wherfore no maruell though they abhorred the bodely eatyng thereof although our fleshly Papistes beyng of the Iewes carnall opinion yet abhorre it not neither ceasse they dayly to crucifie and offer him vp agayne which was once for euer and all offred as Paule testifieth And euen here sith Christ came to teache to take away all doubt and to breake strife he might his wordes otherwise declared then he hath will here after expounde them haue soluted their question saying if he had so ment as More meaneth that he would haue bene conuayed and conuersed as our iugglers sleighly can conuaye him with a few woordes into a singyng loafe or els as the Thomisticall Papistes say bene inuisible with all his dimensioned body vnder the fourme of bread transubstantiated into it And after a like Thomisticall mystery the wyne transubstantiated to into hys bloud so that they should eate his flesh and drinke his bloud after their owne carnall vnderstanding but yet in an other forme to put away all grudge of stomacke Or sith S. Iohn if he had vnderstode his maisters minde and tooke vpon hym to write his wordes would leaue this Sermon vnto the world to be read he might now haue deliuered vs and them frō this doubt But Christ would not so satisfie theyr question but aunswered Verely verely I say vnto you except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall not haue that life in your selues He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath lyfe euerlasting and I shall styrre him vp in the last day for my flesh is very meate and my bloud the very drinke He saith not here that bread shal be transubstanciated or conuerted into his body nor yet the wyne into his bloud But now cōferre this saying to his purpose at the begynnyng where he had them worke for that meate that should neuer perish tellyng them that to beleue in hym whom God hath sent was the worke of God And who so beleueth in hym should neuer thyrst nor hunger but haue lyfe euerlastyng Conferre also this that foloweth and then shalt see it playne that his wordes be vnderstand spiritually of the belefe in his flesh crucified and his bloud shed for which belefe we bee promised euerlastyng lyfe hym selfe saying Who so beleueth in me hath life euerlastyng Here therfore their questiō how may this man giue vs his
flesh to eate it is soluted euen when he gaue his body to be broken his bloud to be shed And we eate and drinke it in deede wheÌ„ we beleue stedfastly that hee dyed for the remission of our sinnes Austen and Tertullian to witnesse But here maketh More his argument agaynst the young man Because the Iewes maruelleâ— at this saying My flesh is very meate and my bloud drinke And not at this I am the dore and the very vyne therefore this text sayth he My flesh is c. must be vnderstand after the litterall sence that is to wirte eueÌ„ as the carnall Iewes vnderstode it murmuring at it beyng offended goyng their wayes froÌ„ Christ for their so carnall vnderstandyng therof And the other textes I am the dore c. must be vnderstand in an Allegory and spituall sence because his hearers maruelled nothyng at the maner of the speach Loe Christen Reader here hast thou not a â—ast but a great tunne full of Mores mischief and pernicious peruertyng of Gods holy worde and as thou seist him here falsely pestilently destroy the pure sence of Gods worde so doth hee in all other places of hys bookes First where he sayth they marueiled at this Christes saying My flesh is very meate c. that is not so neither is there any such worde in the text except More will expounde Murmurabant idest mirabantur they murmured that is to say they marueiled as he expouÌ„deth Oportet idest expedit conuenit He must dye or it behoueth him to dye that is to say it was expedient and of good coÌ„gruence that he should dye c. Thus this Poete may make a man to signifie an Asse blacke white to blere the simple eyes But yet for his Lordly pleasure let vs graunt him that they murmured is as much to say as they meruayled because perchaunce the one may folow at the other And then do I aske him whether Christes Disciples and his Apostles heard â—im not vnderstode him not when he sayd I am the doore and the vyne and when hee sayd My flesh c. If he say no or nay the Scripture is playne agaynst him If he say yea or yes then yea doe I aske hym whether his Disciples and Apostles thus hearyng and vnderstandyng hys woordes in all these three Chapters wondered and meruayled as More sayth or murmuâ—ed as hath the text at their maisters speech What thinke ye More must aunswere here Here may ye see whether this old holy vpholder of the Popes Churche is brought euen to be taken in his owne trappe For the Disciples and his Apostles neither murmured nor merâ—ayled nor yet were offended w t this their maister Christes wordes and maner of speech for they wâ—…ainted with such phâ—…red their maister Christ when hâ—â—…e will ye also go hence frâ—me â–ª Lord sayd they to whom shall we goe thou hast the wordes of euerlastyng lyâ—e and we beleue that thou arâ—… sonne of the liuyng God Lo M. More they neither meruailed nor murmured And why For because as ye say theâ— vnderstode iâ— in an Allegory 〈◊〉 â—â—d perceiued well that hee meant not of hys materiall â—ody to bee eaten with their teeth but he meant 〈◊〉 of him selfe to be beleued to be very God and very man hauing flesh and bloud as they had and yet was he â—he sonne of the liuyng God This belefe gathered they of all hys spirituall sayinges as hym selfe expounded his own wordes saying My flesh profiteth nothyng meanyng to be eaten but it is the spirite that giueth this life And the wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and lyfe so that who so beleue my flesh to be crucified and broken and my bloud to be shed for his sinnes he eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud and hath lyfe euerlastyng And this is the lyfe wherewith the righteous lyue euen by fayth The second argument of More AFter this text thus wisely proued to be vnderstand in the litterall sence with carnall Iewes and not in the Allegorike or spirituall sense with Christ his Apostles the whole suÌ„me of Mores confutation of the young maÌ„ standeth vpon this Argument 〈◊〉 Posse ad Esse That is to witte God may do it Ergâ— it is done Christ may make his body in many or in all places at once Ergo it is in many or in all places at once Which maner of argumentation how false and naught it is euery sophister and euery man that hath witte perceiueth A like argument God may shew More the truth and call him to repentaunce as he did Paul for persecutyng his Church Ergo More is conuerted to God Or God may let him run of an indurate hart with Pharao and at last take an open and soden vengeaunce vppon him for persecutyng hys worde and burnyng his poore members Ergo it is done already M. More must firste proue it vs by expresse wordes of holy Scripture and not by hys owne vnwritten dreames that Christes body is in many places or in all places at once and then though our reason can not reach it yet our fayth measured and directed with the worde of fayth will both reach it receiue it and hold it fast to not because it is possible to God and impossible to reason but bicause the written woorde of our fayth sayth it But wheÌ„ we read Gods wordes in mo then xx places contrary that his body should be here More must giue vs leue to beleue his vnwritten vanities verities I should say at laysure Here mayst thou see Christen reader wherefore More would so fayne make thee beleue that the Apostles left out certeine thynges vnwritten of necessitie to be beleued eueÌ„ to stablish the Popes kyngdome which standeth of Mores vnwritten vanities As of the presence of Christes body and makyng therof in the bread Of Purgatory of inuocation of Saintes worshyppyng of stones and stockes pilgrimages halowyng of bowes and belles and crepyng to the crosse c. If ye will beleue what so euer More can fayne without the Scripture then caÌ„ this Poete faine you an other Church theÌ„ Christes and that ye must beleue it what so euer it teacheth you for he hath fained to that it caÌ„ not erre though ye see it erre and fight agaynst it selfe a thousand rymes Yea if it tell you blacke is white good is bad and the deuill is God yet must ye beleue it or els be burned as heretikes But let vs returne to our purpose To dispute of Gods almighty absolute power what God may do with his body it is great folie and no lesse presumption to More sith the Pope whiche is no whole God but halfe a God by their owne decrees haue decreed no man to dispute of his power But Christen Reader be thou content to know that Gods wil his word and his power be all one and repugne not And neither willeth he nor may not do any thing includyng
sometime they losse the coate frō his backe Our maister Christe sayth vnto you you haue receiued it frée geue it frée agayne and you geue nothyng frée But I know your aūswere You will say that you sell not your Masse nor Sacramentes nor the word of God but the labour that you haue about them O thou deuill when wilt thou bée without an excuse whē wilt thou graunt thy selfe gilty Tell me ye that bée without shame if you doe sell but your labour is it not sore and an vnlawfull price to sell it so deare what Byshop can deserue by his labour a thousand pound by yeare yet some of them haue a great deale more and labour nothyng at all How deare wil these men sell their labour if they shoulde bée tankerdebearers They would make water dearer thē wyne Yea tel me what labour there is with in the Realme that is halfe so deare sold as their idlenes is But you belly gods did not Christes Apostles take paynes labours about the ministration of the worde and in fulfillyng of their office more in one day then you doe in all your lyues and yet was it not lawfull for them more to receiue then a lyuyng For our maister Christ sayd y t worke man is worthy of his meate so y e our maister wold that they should receiue no more but that was necessarie Also S. Paule sayth our Lord dyd ordeine that they whiche preache the Gospell should lyue on y t Gospell Marke how hée sayth they that preach y t Gospell Now which of you all doth preache y e Gospel not one and yet will you enioye these innumerable possessions S. Hierome sayth on this same text you must lyue on the Gospell but not bée riche also Chrisostome sayth I say boldly that the byshops and Prelates of the Church may haue nothyng but meate and drinke and cloth c. Heare haue you playnely that if you did labour faythfully and truely in the Gospell you could haue but a lyuyng there on and no Lordly possessions but now doe you nothing in the worlde but excercise tyranny on them that would preach the Gospell and make lawes and statutes to destroy them and the holy Gospell of God so that Chrisostome speaketh well of you Beholde I sée men that haue no trew sence of holy scripture yea they vnderstand nothing at all thereof to passe ouer many things for I am ashamed to call thē mad mē triflers wranglers they bée such as know not what they say nor of what thynge they speake but all onely bée they mighty bold to make lawes to curse cōdemne those things of y t which they know nothing at all c. Bée not these your workes who can say but that these wordes be spoken of you who maketh statutes and lawes but you who curseth and condemneth but you how can you lay these thinges from you how can you auoyde thē so long shall they bée layd agaynst you tyll you can bring in one that is gylty of them I think that will bée long And yet will you haue these great possessions and bée also greate Lordes doing nothing therefore at al but al onely play the part of a byshop as a Christmas game player doth of a king and as a Popet which springeth vp and downe and cryeth Peepe Péepe and goeth his way So doe you make a coūtenaūce of great holines of great perfectiō but all y e world can testify what you doe in indeede More ouer you are more bound to the Gospell then all other men bee in y e world for thereby haue you all your honour all your riches all your Lordly possessions and if the gospell were not men would no more regard you then they doe Coblers yet deserue you worst of all men of the Gospell Wherefore I can no more say vnto you but the wordes of our Maister Christ Woe bée vnto you hypocrites the whiche shut heauen gates before other men and as S. Luke sayth you haue taken away y e key of science and neyther enter in your selfe nor yet suffer other that come to enter in Now let mée sée how all your keyes and al your power can assoyle you frō this same woe y t our M. Christ doth heare laye vnto you This worde of God byndeth you to euerlasting damnation let vs sée if your piklocke can open this locke then will I say that you haue the keyes of heauen or els not I thinke you may séeke all your clegge with keyes and fynde not one that will open this locke FINIS ¶ Free will of man after the fall of Adam of hys naturall strength can doe nothyng but sinne beefore God IN this article will wée not dispute what man may doe by the cōmon influence geuen hym of God ouer these inferior and worldelye thinges as what power hée hath in eating and drinking in sléeping and speaking in buying and sellyng and in all other such naturall thinges that bée géeuen of God indifferently to all men both to good and bad But here will wée search what strength is in man of his naturall power without the spirit of God for to will or to doe those thinges that bée acceptable before God vnto the fulfilling of the will of God as to beléeue in God to loue God after his commaundemēts to loue iustice for it selfe to take God for his father to recken him to bée mercifull vnto him to feare God louingly with all other thinges that mē doe call good workes this is the thing that wée will search to knowe Now that hée can doe nothyng in these causes by his frée wil our maister Christ prooueth it in these wordes Hee that abideth in mée and I in him bringeth forth much fruite for without mée cā ye doe nothing if a man abide not in mée hée is cast out as a braunch and shall burne Here it is open that fréewill without grace can doe nothing I doe not speake of eating drinking though that bée of grace but nothing that is fruitfull that is meritorious that is worthy of thanke that is acceptable before God For hee that hath not Christ in hym is cast out this is the first fruite of freewill than wythereth hée that is the second fruite this wythering helpeth hym nothing to goodnesse hée must wither let him doe the best than is hée gathered and cast in the fire this is the thirde fruit What can bée in the fire doe nothing but burne Hée can not lye there as a thing indifferent but hée must néedes burne hée cā not come out of y t fier by his owne strēgth let hym intende as much as hée can his intention can not helpe hym nor yet further hym So that all the might of fréewil when hée is left alone is nothyng els but firste to bée cast out and seconde to wyther so decayeth hée thyrdly to be