it is chewed the pleasanter it is and the more groundly it is searched the precioser thynges are found in it so great treasure of spirituall thinges lyeth hid therin I will therfore bestow my labour diligence thorow this little preface or prologue to prepare a way in therunto so farreforth as God shall geue me grace that it may be the better vnderstand of euery man for it hath ben hitherto euill darkened with gloses and wonderful dreames of sophisters that no man could spy out the intent and meanyng of it which neuerthelesse of it selfe is a bright lyght and sufficient to geue light vnto all the scripture First we must marke diligently the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and aboue all thing know what Paul meaneth by these wordes the Law sinne grace fayth righteousnes flesh sprite and such lyke or els read thou it neuer so ofte thou shalt but loose thy labor This word Lawe may not be vnderstand here after the common manner and to vse Pauls terme after the maner of men or after mans wayes that thou wouldest say the law here in this place were nothyng but learnyng which techeth what ought to be done and what ought not to be done as it goeth with mans law where the law is fulfilled with outward workes only though the harte be neuer so far of but God iudgeth after the grounde of the harte ye and the thoughtes and the secret mouinges of the mynde therfore hys law requireth the grounde of the hart and loue from the bottome therof and is not content with the outward worke onely but rebuketh those workes most of all which spryng not of loue from the ground and low bottome of the hart though they appeare outward neuer so honest and good as Christ in the gospell rebuketh the pharises aboue all other that were open sinners and calleth them hipocrites that is to say Simulars and paynted Sepulchers which Pharises yet liued no men so pure as pertayning to the outward dedes and workes of y t law ye and Paul in the third chapter of his epistle vnto the Philippiās confesseth of himselfe that as touching the lawe he was such a one as no man coulde complayne on and notwithstandyng was yet a murderer of the christen per secuted them and tormented them so sore that he compelled them to blaspheme Christ was altogether mercilesse as many which now fayne outward good workes are For this cause the 115. psalme calleth all men lyers because that no man kepeth the law from the ground of the harte neither can kepe it For all men are naturally inclyned vnto euill and hate the law we fynde in our selues vnlust and tediousnes to do good but lust and delectation to do euill Now where no free lust is to do good there the bottom of the hart fulfilleth not the law and there no doute is also sinne and wrathe deserued before GOD though there be neuer so great outwarde shew and apparance of honest liuing For this cause concludeth S. Paule in the second chapter that the Iewes all are sinners and transgressors of the law thoughe they make men beleue thorow hipocrisie of outward works how that they fulfill the law sayth that he onely whiche doth the law is righteous before God meanyng therby that no mā with outward workes fulfilleth the law Thou saith he to the Iewe teachest a mā should not breake wedlocke and yet breakest wedlocke thy selfe Wherin thou iudgest an other man therein condemnest thou thy selfe for thou thy selfe doest euen the very same thynges whiche thou iudgest As thoughe hee would say thou liuest outwardly well in the workes of the law and iudgest them that liue not so thou teachest other men and seest a mote in an other mās eie but art not ware of the beame that is in thyne owne eye For though thou keepe the lawe outwardly with works for feare of rebuke shame and punishment either for loue of reward vantage vayne glory yet doest thou all without lust and loue toward the law and haddest leuer a great deale otherwise do if thou diddest not feare the lawe ye inwardly in thine harte thou wouldest that there were no law no nor yet God the author and venger of the lawe if it were possible so paynefull it is vnto thee to haue thyne appetites refrayned and to bee kepte downe Wherfore then it is a playne conclusion that thou from the grounde and bottome of thyne hart art an enemy to the law What preuayleth it now that thou teachest an other man not to steale when thou thyne owne selfe art a thefe in thyne hart and outwardly wouldest fayne steale if thou durst though that the outward dedes abyde not alway behind with such hypocrites and dissimulers but breake forth among euen as an euill scabbe or a pocke can not alwayes be kept in with violence of medicine Thou teachest an other man but teachest not thy selfe ye thou w◅est not what thou teachest for thou vnderstadest not the law a right how that it can not be fulfilled and satisfied but with inward loue and affection much lesse can it be fulfilled with outward deedes and workes onely Moreouer the law encreaseth sinne as he sayth in the fift Chapter because that mā is an enemie to the law for as much as it requireth so many thinges cleane contrarie to his nature wherof he is not able to fulfill one pointe or title as the law requireth it And therfore are we more prouoked and haue greater lust to breake it For whiche causes sake he sayth in the seuenth Chapter that the lawe is spirituall as though he would say if the law wer fleshly and but mans doctrine it might be fulfilled satisfied and stilled with outward deedes But now is the law ghostly and no man fulfilleth it except that all that he doth spryng of loue from the bottome of the hart Such a new hart and lusty courage vnto the law ward canst thou neuer come by of thyne owne strength enforcement but by the operation and workyng of the spirite For the spirite of God onely maketh a man spirituall like vnto the law so that now hence forth hee doth nothyng of feare or for lucre or vantages sake or of vaine glory but of a free hart and of inward lust The law is spirituall and wil be both loued and fulfilled of a spirituall hart and therefore of necessitie requireth it the spirit that maketh a mans hart free and geueth him lust and courage vnto the law ward Where such a spirite is not there remaineth sinne grudging and hatred against the law which law neuerthelesse is good righteous and holy Acquaint thy selfe therfore with the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and let this now sticke fast in thyne hart that it is not both one to do the dedes and workes of the law and to fulfill the law The worke of y t law is what soeuer a man doth or
in the latter ende In the 8. and 9. chapters he exhorteth thē to helpe the poore saintes that were at Ierusalem In the 10. 11. and 12. he inueyegth against the false prophetes And in the last Chapter he threateneth them that had sinned and not amended themselues A Prologue vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Gallathians by W. Tyndall AS ye read Act. 15. how certaine came from Ierusalem to Antioche vexed y t disciples there affirming y t they coulde not be saued except they were circumcised Euen so after Paul had conuerted the Galathians coupled them to Christ to trust in him only for the remission of synne and hope of grace and saluation and was departed there came false apostles vnto thē as vnto the Corinthiās and vnto all places where Paul had preached and that in the name of Peter Iames and Iohn whom they called the hye Apostles and preached circumcision and the kepyng of the law to be saued by and minished Paules authoritie To the confounding of those Paul magnifieth hys office and Apostleship in the two first chapiters and maketh hymselfe equall vnto the hie Apostles and concludeth that euery man muste be iustified without deseruyngs without workes and without helpe of the law but alone by Christ And in the 3. and 4. he proueth the same with Scripture examples and similitudes and sheweth that the law is cause of more sinne and bryngeth the curse of God vpon vs and iustifieth vs not but that iustifiyng commeth of grace promised vs of GOD through the deseruyng of Christe by whome if we beleue we are iustified without helpe of the woorkes of the lawe And in the 5. and 6. he exhorteth vnto the workes of loue which folow fayth and iustifiyng So that in all his Epistle he obserueth this order First he preacheth the damnatiō of the law then the iustifiyng of fayth and thyrdly the workes of loue For on that cōdition that wee loue henceforth and worke is the mercy giuen vs or els if we will not worke the will of GOD henceforward we fall from fauour grace and the inheritance that is freely geuen vs for Christes sake through our owne fault we lose agayne A Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Ephesians IN this Epistle and namely in the three firste Chapters Paul sheweth that the Gospell grace therof was foresene and predestmate of God from before the begynnyng and deserued through Christ now at the last sent forth that all men should beleue thereon thereby to be iustified made righteous liuyng and happy and to bee deliuered from vnder the damnation of the law and captiuitie of ceremonies And in the fourth he teacheth to auoyde traditions and mens doctrine and to beware of puttyng trust in any thyng saue Christ affirmyng that he onely is sufficient and that in him we haue all thynges and beside him neede nothyng In the v. and vj. he exhorteth to exercise the faith and to declare it abroad through good workes and to auoyde sinne and to arme them with spiritual armour agaynst the deuill that they might stand fast in time of tribulation and vnder the crosse The Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Philippians by W. Tyndall PAule prayseth the Philippians and exhorteth them to stād fast in the true faith and to encrease in loue And because that false Prophetes study alwayes to impugne and destroy y ◠true fayth he warneth them of such worke learners or teachers of woorkes and prayseth Epaphroditus And all this doth hee in the first and seconde Chapters In the thyrd he reproueth faythles and mans righteousnes whiche false Prophetes teach and mainteyne And he setteth him for an ensample howe that he him selfe had liued in such false righteousnes and holinesse vnrebukeable that was so that no man could complaine on him and yet now setteth nought therby for Christes righteousnes sake And finally he affirmeth that such false Prophetes are the enemyes of the crosse make their bellye 's their GOD for further then they may safely and without all perill and sufferyng will they not preach Christ A Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Colossians by W. Tyndall AS the Epistle to y t Galathians holdeth the maner and fashion of the Epistle to the Romains briefly comprehendyng all that is therein at length disputed Euen so this Epistle foloweth the ensample of the Epistle to the Ephesians conteynyng the tenour of the same Epistle with fewer wordes In the first Chapter he praiseth thē and wisheth that they continue in the fayth and grow perfecter therin thē describeth he the Gospell how that it is a wisedome that confesseth Christ to be the Lord and God crucified for vs and a wisedome that hath bene hyd in Christ sence afore the beginning of the world and now first begon to be opened throughe the preachyng of the Apostles In the ij he warneth them of mens doctrine and describeth the false Prophetes to the vttermost and rebuketh them accordyng In y t thyrd he exhorteth to be frutefull in the pure fayth with all maner of good workes one to an other and describeth al degrees and what their duties are In the fourth he exhorteth to pray and also to pray for him and saluteth them A Prologue vpon the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians by W. Tyndall THis Epistle did Paule write of exceeding loue and care and prayseth them in the two firste chapters because they did receiue the Gospell earnestly and had in tribulation and persecution continued therin stedfastly and were become an ensample vnto all congregations and had thereto suffred of their own kinsmē as Christ and his apostles did of y e Iewes puttyng them therto in mynde how purely and godly he had lyued among thē to their ensample and thanketh God that hys gospel had brought forth such fruite among them In the third chapter he sheweth his diligence and care least hys so greate labor and their so blessed a beginning should haue bene in vayne Sathan his apostles vexyng them with persecution and destroying their faith with mens doctrine And therefore he sente Tymothie to them to comforte them and strengthen them in the fayth and thanketh GOD that they had so constantly endured and desireth God to encrease them In the fourth he exhorteth them to kepe themselues from sinne and to do good one to another And thereto he informeth them concernyng the resurrection In the fift he writeth of the last day that it should come sodenly exhortyng to prepare them selues thereafter and to kepe a good order concernyng obedience and rule The Prologue vpon the second Epistle of S. Paule to the Thessalonians by W. Tyndall BEcause in the fore epistle he had said y t the last day should come sodenly the Thessalonians thought that it should come shortly Wherefore in this Epistle he declareth hymselfe And in the first chapter he comforteth
teachers Looke vpon the Popes false doctrine what is the end thereof and what seeke they thereby Wherefore serueth Purgatory but to purge thy purse and to polle thee robbe both thee and thy hayres of house and laÌ„ds and of all thou hast that they may be in honour Serue not Pardons for the same purpose Whereto perteineth praying to Saintes but to offer vnto their belies Wherfore serueth confession but to sit in thy conscience and to make thee feare and tremble at what soeuer they dreame and that thou worship them as Gods and so forth in all their traditions ceremonies and coniurations they serue not the Lord but their belies And of their false expoundyng the Scripture and drawyng it contrary vnto the example of Christ and the Apostles and holy Prophetes vnto their damnable couetousnes and filthy ambition take an example Math. xvj When Peter sayth to Christ thou art the sonne of the liuyng God and Christ aunswered thou art Peter and vpoÌ„ this rocke I will build my congregation By the rocke interpret they Peter And theÌ„ commeth the Pope wil be Peters successour whether Peter will or will not yea whether God will or will not and though all the Scripture say nay to any such successioÌ„ and saith loe I am the rocke the foundation and head of Christes Church Now sayth all the Scripture that the rocke is Christ the fayth and Gods word As Christ sayth Math. vij he that heareth my wordes doth therafter is like a man that buildeth on a rocke For the house that is build on Gods woorde will stand though heauen should fall And Iohn xv Christ is the wine and we the braunches so is Christ the rocke the stocke and fouÌ„dation wheron we be built And Paul i. Cor. iij. calleth Christ our foundatioÌ„ and all other whether it be Peter or Paule hee calleth them seruauntes to preach Christ and to build vs on hym If therfore the Pope be Peters successour his dutie is to preach Christ onely and other authoritie hath he none And. ij xj Paule marieth vs vnto Christ and driueth vs from all trust confidence in man And Epht. ij sayth Paule Ye are build on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes that is on y â— word which they preached Christ beyng sayth he the head corner stone in whom euery buildyng coupled together groweth vp into an holy temple in the Lord in whom also ye are built together made an habitatioÌ„ for God in the spirit And Peter in y â— ij of his first Epistle buildeth vs on Christ contrary to the Pope whiche buildeth on hymselfe Hell gates shall not preuaile agaynst it that is to say agaynst the congregation that is builde vppon Christes sayth and vpon Gods word Now were the Pope the rocke hell gates could not preuayle agaynst him For the house could not stand if the rocke and foundation wheron it is builte did perish but the contrary see we in our Popes For hell gates haue preuayled agaynst them many huÌ„dred yeares and haue swalowed them vp if Gods word be true and the storyes that are written of them yea or if it be true that we see with our eyes I will geue thee the keyes of heauen sayth Christ and not I geue And Iohn xx after y t resurreccioÌ„ payed 〈◊〉 and gaue y â— keyes to them all indifferently What soeuer thou byndest on earth it shal be bounde in heauen what soeuer thou lousest on earth it shal be loused in heauen Of this text maketh the Pope what he will and expoundeth it contrary to all the Scripture contrary to Christes practising and the Apostles and all the Prophetes Now the scripture geueth record to himselfe and euer expoundeth it selfe by an other open text If the Pope theÌ„ can not bryng for his exposition the practisyng of Christ or of the Apostles and prophetes or an open text then is his exposition false doctrine Christ expoundeth him selfe Math. xviij saying If y â— brother sinne agaynst the rebuke him betwixt him thee alone If he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he heare thee not theÌ„ take with thee one or two and so forth as it standeth in the text He concludeth saying to them all whatsoeuer ye bynde in earth it shal be bound in heauen and what soeuer ye louse on earth it shal be loused in heaueÌ„ Where byndyng is but to rebuke them that sinne and lousing to forgeue them that repent And Iohn xx Whose sinnes ye forgeue they are forgeuen and whose sinnes ye hold they are holden And Paul i. Cor. v. byndeth and ij Cor. ij louseth after the same maner Also this byndyng and lousyng is one power and as he byndeth so louseth he yea and byndeth first ere he caÌ„louse For who can louse that is not bound Now what soeuer Peter byndeth or his successour as he wil be called and is not but in dead y t very successour of Sathan is not so to be vnderstood that Peter or the Pope hath power to commaunde a man to be in deadly sinne or to bee damned or to go iâ—to hell saying bee thou in deadly sinne be thou damned go thou to hell go thou to Purgatory For that exposition is contrary to the euerlastyng Testament that God hath made vnto vs in Christ He sent his sonne Christ to louse vs from sinne and damnation and hell and that to testifie vnto the world sent he his Disciples Actes i. Paule also hath no power to destroy but to edifie ij Cor. x. and. xiij How can Christ geue his Disciples power agaynst him selfe and against his euerlastyng Testament Can he send them to preach saluation geue them power to damne whom they lust What mercy and profite haue we in Christes death and in his Gospell if the Pope which passeth all men in wickednesse hath power to sende whom he will to hell and to damne whom he lusteth we had theÌ„ no cause to call him Iesus y â— is to say sauiour but might of right call him destroyer Wherfore then this bynding is to be vnderstood as Christ interpreteth it in the places aboue rehearsed as the Apostles practised it and is nothyng but to rebuke men of their sinnes by preachyng the law A man must first sinne agaynste Gods law ere the Pope can bynde hym yea and a man must firste sinne agaynste Gods lawe ere hee neede to feare the Popes curse For cursing and binding are both one nothyng sauing to rebuke a maÌ„ of his sinnes by Gods law It foloweth also then that the lousyng is of like maner and is nothing but forgeuing of sinne to them that repent throughe preachyng of the promises whiche God hath made in Christe in whom onely we haue all forgeuenes of sinnes as Christ interpreteth it and as the Apostles and Prophetes practised it So is it a false power that the Pope taketh on hym to louse Gods
sonne of God heire of euerlastyng lise The first is the office of the lawe The second pertayneth vnto Christ onely thorow fayth Now if thou geue the lawe a false glose 〈◊〉 say that the lawe is a thyng which a man may do of his owne strength euen out of the power of his free wyll and that by the dedes of the law thou mayst deserue forgeuenes of thy foresinnes Then dyed Christ in vayne Galat. ij and is made almost of no sleade seyng thou art become thyne owne sauiour Nether can Christ where that glose is admitted be otherwise takeÌ„ or estemed of Christen men for all his passion and promises made to vs in his bloude then he is of the turkes how that he was an holy prophet and that he prayeth for vs as other Saintes do saue that we Christen thinke that he is somewhat more in fauour then other saintes be though we imagine hym so proude that he will not heare vs but thorow his mâ—â—de mother and other holy saintes which all we count much more meeke and mercifull then he but hym most of might and that he hath also an higher place in heauen as the graye Fryers and obseruaunts set hym as it were froÌ„ the chinne vpward aboue S. Fraunces And so when by this false interpretation of the lawe Christ which is the doore the way and the groÌ„und or foundation of all the scripture is lost concerning the chiefest frute of hys passion and no more sene in his owne likenes then is the scripture locked vp and henceforth extreame darcknes and a maze wherein if thou walke thou wottest neither where thou art nor canst finde any way out It is a confused Chaos and a minglyng of all thinges together without order euery thyng contrary to an other It is an hedge or groue of briers wherin if thou be caught it is impossible to get out but that if thou lowse thy selfe in one place thou art tangled and caught in an other for it This wise was the scripture locked vp of the Scribes Phareseis that the Iewes could not see Christ when he came nor yet can And though Christ with these iij. chapters did open it agayne yet by such gloses for our vnthankfulnes sake that we had no lust to lyue accordyng haue we Christen lost Christ agayne and the vnderstanding of the most cleare text wherewith Christ expoundeth and restoreth the lawe agayne For the hipocrites whatsoeuer semeth impossible to their corrupt nature vnrenued in Christ that they couer ouerwith the mist of their gloses that the light therof shuld not be seene As they haue interpreted here y â— words of Christ wherwith he restoreth the law agayne to be but good councelles onely but no preceptes that binde the consciences And thereto they haue so ruffled and tangled the temporall and spirituall regiment together and made thereof such confusion that no man can know the one from the other to the entent that they would seme to haue both by the aucthoritie of Christ which neuer vsurped temporall regiment vnto him Notwithstanding most deare reader if thou reade this exposition with a good hart onely to know the truth for the amendyng cheifely of thine owne liuing and theÌ„ of other mennes as charitie requireth where an occasion is geuen theÌ„ shalt thou perceaue their falshod and see their mist expelled with the brightnes of the incuytable truth An other conclusion is this all the good promises which are made vs thorow out all the scripture for Christes sake for hys loue his passion or suffering his bloudsheding or death all are made vs on this condition and couenaunt on our party that we henceforth loue the law of God to walke therin to do it fashion our lyues therafter In so much that whosoeuer hath not the lawe of God written in hys hart that he loue it haue hys lust in it and recorde therein night and day vnderstanding it as God hath geuen it and as Christ and the Apostles expounde it the same hath no part in the promises or can haue any true faith in the bloud of Christ because there is no promise made him but to them onely that promise to keepe the lawe Thou wilt happely say to me agayne if I cannot haue my sinnes forgeuen except I loue the lawe and of loue endeuour my selfe to keepe it then the keeping of the lawe iustifieth me I aunswere that the argument is false and but blinde sophistrie and lyke vnto thys argument I cannot haue forgeuenes of my sinne except I haue sinned Ergo to haue sinned is the forgeuenes of sinne And it is like to this also No man can be healed of the pockes but he that hath them Ergo to haue the pockes doth heale the pockes And lyke sophistry are these argumentes if thou wilt enter into life keepe the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes Math. xix Ergo the deedes of the lawe iustifie vs. Item the hearers of y â— lawe are not righteous in the sight of God but the doâ—rs of the lawe shall be iustified Rom. ij Ergo the deedes of the lawe iustifie from sinne And agayne we must all stand before the iudgement feate of Christ to receaue euery man according to the deedes which he did in the body Ergo the lawe or the deedes of the lawe iustifie These and all such are naughty argumeÌ„ts For ye see that the kyng pardoneth no murtherer but on a condition that he henceforth keepe the lawe and do no more so and yet ye know well inough that he is saued by grace fauour and pardon yet the keping of y â— lawe come Howbeit if he breake the lawe afterwarde he falleth agayne into the same daunger of death Euen so none of vs can be receaued to grace but vpon a condition to keepe the law neyther yet continue any longer in grace then that purpose lasteth And if we breake the law we must sue for a new pardon and haue a new sight agaynst sinne hell and desperation yeâ— we can come to a quiet fayth againe and fele that the sinne is forgeuen Neyther can there be in the a stable and an vndoubted fayth that thy sinne is forgeuen thee except there be also a lusty courage in thine hart a trust that thou wilt sinne no more for on that condition that thou endeuour thy selfe to sinne no more is the promise of mercy and forgeuenes made vnto thee And as thy loue to the lawe increaseth so doth thy fayth in Christ and so doth thyne hope and longing for the life to come And as thy loue is colde so is thy fayth weake thine hope and longing for the lyfe to come litle And where no loue to the lawe is there is neither fayth in Christ for the forgeuenes of sinne nor longing for the lyfe to come but in steede of fayth a wicked imagination that God is so vnrighteous that he is not offended with sinne And in stede of hope a
all that is corrupt must be salted And those personnes are of all other most corrupt and therfore may not be left vntouched The Popes pardons must be rebuked the abuse of the Masse of the Sacramentes and of all the ceremonyes must be rebuked and salted And selling of merites and of prayers must be salted The abuse of fastyng and of pilgrimage must be salted All idolatry false faith must be rebuked And those Fryers that teach men to beleue in S. Fraunces coate how that they shall neuer come in hell or purgatory if they be buryed therein may not be passed ouer with silence The payne griefe of salting made Monkes flee to their cloysture Nay say they we went thether of pure denotion to pray for the people Yea but for all that the more ye encrease and y e more ye multiply your prayers the worse the world is That is not our fault say they but theirs that they dispose not themselues but continue in sinne and so are vnapt to receaue the influence of our prayers O hipocrits if ye weee true salt and had good harts and loued your neighbours if dead men be neighbours to them that are aliue and woulde come out of your dennes and take payne to salt and season them ye should make a great many of them so apt that your prayers might take effect But now seyng as ye say they be so vnsauery that your prayers be to theÌ„ improfitable though their goods be to you profitable and yet ye haue no compassioÌ„ to come out and â—alt theÌ„ it is manifest that ye loue not them but theirs and that ye pray not for them but vnder the colour of praying mocke them and robbe them Finally salt which is the true vnderstandyng of the law of faith and of the intent of all workes hath in you lost her vertue neither be there any so vnsauery in the world as yeare nor any that so sore kicke agaynst true saltyng as ye and therfore are ye to be cast out and troden vnder foote and despised of all men by the righteous iudgement of God If salt haue lost his saltnesse it is good for nothing but to be troden vnder foote of men That is if the preacher whiche for his doctrine is called salt haue lost y e nature of salt that is to say his sharpnesse in rebukyng all vnrighteousnes all naturall reason naturall witte and vnderstandyng all trust and confidence in what soeuer it be saue in the bloud of Christ he is coÌ„demned of God and disalowed of all them that cleaue to the truth In what case staÌ„d they then that haue benefices preach not verely though they stand at the altar yet are they excommunicat and cast out of the liuing Church of almighty God And what if the doctrine be not true salt verely then is it to be troden vnder foote As must all werish and vnsauery ceremonies whiche haue losâ—e their significatioÌ„s and not onely teach not and are become vnprofitable do no more seruice to man But also haue obtained authoritie as God in the hart of man that maÌ„ serueth them and putteth in them the trust confidence that he should put in God hys maker thorough Iesus Christ his redemer Are the institutions of man better then Gods yea are Gods ordinauÌ„ces better now theÌ„ in the old tyme The Prophets trode vnder foote and defied the teÌ„ple of God and the sacrifices of God and all ceremonies that God had ordained with sastinges and prayinges and all that the people peruerted and committed idolatrie with We haue as straite a commaundement to salt and rebuke all vngodlinesse as had y e Prophetes Will they then haue their ceremonies honourably spokeÌ„ of then let them restore them to the right vse and put the salt of the true meanyng significations of them to theÌ„ agayne But as they be now vsed none that loueth Christ caÌ„ speake honourably of them What true Christen man can geue honour to that that taketh all honour froÌ„ Christ who can geue honour to that that slayeth the soule of his brother robbeth his hart of that trust and coÌ„â—â—deÌ„ce which he should geue to his Lord that hath bought him with his bloud â–ª Ye are the light of the world A Citie that is set on an hil caÌ„not be hid neither do men light a candle And put it vnder a bushell but on a caÌ„dlesticke and so geueth it light to all that are in the house Let your light so shine before meÌ„ that they may see your good woorkes and prayse your father that is in heauen Christ goeth forth and describeth y â— office of an Apostle and true preacher by another likenesse callyng them as before the salt of the earth EueÌ„ so here the light of the worldâ—… signifiyng therby that all y e doctrine all the wisdome and hie knowledge of the world whether it were Philosophy of naturall concâ—usions of maners and vertue or of lawes of righteousnes whether it were of the holy scripture and of God hymselfe was yet but a darcknes vntill the doctrine of hys Apostles came that is to say vntill the knowledge of Christ came how that he is the sacrifice for our sinnes our satisfaction our peace attonement and redemption our life therto and resurrection Whatsoeuer holinesse wisdome vertue perfectnesse or righteousnes is in y e world among men howsoeuer perfect holy they appeare yet is all dampnable darcknesse except the right knowledge of Christes bloud be there first to iâ—ftifie the hart before all other holinesse An other coÌ„clusion As a citie built on a hill can not be hid no more can the light of Christes Gospell Let the world rage as much as it will yet it wil shine on their sore eyes whether they be content or no. An other conclusion as men light not a candle to whelme it vnder a busshell but to put it on a candlesticke to light all that are in the house euen so the light of Christes Gospell may nor be hid nor made a seuerall thyng as though it pertayned to some certayne holy persons onely Nay it is the light of the whole world and pertaineth to all men and therfore may not be made seuerall It is a madnesse that diuerse men say the lay people may not know it except they can proue that the laye people be not of the world Moreouer it will not be hid but as the lightning that breaketh out of the cloudes shyneth ouer all euen so doth the Gospel of Christ For where it is truely receaued there it purifieth the hart and maketh the person to consent to the lawes of God and to beginne a new and a godly lyuing fashioned after Gods lawes and without all dissimulation And then it wil kendle so great loue in hym towarde his neighbour that he shall not onely haue compassioÌ„ on hym in hys bodely aduersitie but much more pitie him ouer the blyndenes of his soule and
naturall lust consent and custome to sinne and quickeneth them and purgeth them with the holesome penaunce of Christes doctrine make them serue the law outward and beare holesome frute of loue vnto the profect of their neighbours according to Christes loue vnto vs. For if the spirite of Christ with whiche God annoynteth vs and maketh vs kynges and sealeth vs and maketh vs his sure and seuerall kyngdome whiche he giueth vs in earnest 2. Cor. 1. And with whiche hee chaungeth vs into the Image of Christ 2. Cor. 4. dwell in our soules through fayth the same spirite can not but quicken the members also make them fruteful Rom. viij Wherfore the fayth and hope of the Pope whiche by their owne confession may stand with all wickednes and consent vnto all euill be without repentaunce toward Gods lawe as it appeareth by their three capitall sinnes touched of Iohn a litle aboue pride couetousnes and lecherie are no true fayth and hope but vayne wordes and visures onely accordyng to his other disguisyng and names of hypocrisie All that committe sinne committe vnrighteousnes for sinne is vnrighteousnes That the English calleth here vnrighteousnes the Greeke calleth Anomia vnlawfulnes or breakyng y t law So that all sinne is breaking of Gods law onely the traÌ„sgression of Gods law is sinne Now all Gods lawes are contained in these two pointes beleue in Christ and loue thy neighbour And these two poyntes are the interpretyng and expoundyng of all lawes so that whatsoeuer edifieth in faith and loue is to be kept as loÌ„g as it so doth And whatsoeuer hurteth faith or loue is to bee broken immediatly though Kyng Emperour Pope or an AuÌ„gell commaunde it And all indifferent thynges that neither helpe nor hurt fayth and loue are whole in the hands of Father Mother Master Lord and Prince So that if they will sinne agaynst God and ouerlade our backes we may well runne away if we can escape but not aduenge ouer selues But and if they will breake into thy conscience as the Pope doth with his dome traditions and fayth to do this saueth thy soule and to leaue it vndone loseth thy soule theÌ„ defie them as the workes of Antichrist for they make thee synne agaynst the fayth that is in Christes bloud by which onely thy soule is saued and for lacke of that onely daÌ„ned And howe loue breaketh the law take an example It is a good law that meÌ„ come to the Church on the Sondayes to heare Gods worde and to receaue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ in remembrauÌ„ce of his benefites and so to strengthen thy soule for to walke in his loue and in the loue of our neighbour for his sake c. yet if my father mother or any other that requireth my helpe bee sicke I breake that good commaundement to do my dutie to myne elders or my neighbour And thus all lawes are vnder loue giue roome to loue And loue interpreteth them yea and breaketh them at a time though God hymselfe coÌ„maunde them For loue is Lord ouer al lawes And ye know that he appeared to take away our sinnes and there is no sinne in him Christ dyed not alone to purchasse pardon for our foresinnes but also to sâ—ay all sinne and the life of sinne in our members For all we that are Baptised in the name of Christ sayth Paule Rom. 6. are Baptised to dye with hym concernyng sinne and that as he after his resurrection dyeth no more so we after our Baptisme should walke in a new life and sinne no more Our meÌ„bers are crucified with him in all that pertayneth vnto the lyfe of sinne And if in Christ be no sinne then how can therbe wilfull sinne in the fayth that is in hym or in the quicke members that through fayth grow out of hym Euery man therefore that hath the true fayth of Christ purgeth hym selfe as he is pure All that abyde in him sinne not And al that sinne haue neither sene him nor knowen him As there is no sinne in Christ the stocke so can there be none in y e quicke members that lyue and grow in hym by fayth And they that giue them selues to sinne haue neither sene knoweÌ„ or felt by fayth y â— mercy that is in hym Our holy father then which forbiddeth Matrimonie and giueth his Disciples licences with his holy blessing to kepe whores and pluralities vnions and totquots to robbe the Parishes hath neither sene nor knowen Christ no more haue his Disciples that consent vnto his iniquitie And if they know him not they caÌ„ not truly describe him vnto vs. It foloweth then that their preachyng is but hypocrisie Litle children let no man beguile you He that worketh righteousnes is righteous as he is righteous Iudge men by their deedes For whosoeuer hath the light of God in his soule he will let his light shyne that men shall see his good woorkes And therfore where ye see not the righteousnes of woorkes in the members outward there be sure is no righteousnes of fayth in the hart in ward Let no man mocke you with vayne wordes Whosoeuer preacheth Christ in worde deede him take for Christes Vicare And them that would proue them selues his Vicares with Sophistrie and when it is come to the poynte make a sword onely their mighty arguments and liue coÌ„trary to all his doctrine and in all their preachinges blaspheme and rayle on his blessed bloud take for the Vicares of Antichrist He that sinneth is of the deuill for the deuill sinneth from the begynneth But for this cause appeared the sonne of God Euen to destroy the woorkes of the deuill All that are borne of God do no sinne for his seede abideth in them and they can not sinne because they be borne of God And hereby are the sonnes of God knowen and also the sonnes of the deuill God and the deuill are two contrary fathers two contrary fountaines and two contrary causes the one of all goodnes the other of all euil And they that do euill are borne of the deuill and first euil by that byrth yer they do euil For yer a man do any euill outward of purpose he conceaued that euill first in his mynde and coÌ„sented vnto it and so was euil in his hart yer he wrought euill and yer he conceiued euill in hys hart he was borne of the deuil and had receaued of his seede and nature By the reason of which nature seede and byrth he worketh euill naturally and caÌ„ do no other As Christ saith Iohn 8. ye are of your father the deuill therefore will do the lustes of your father And on the other side they that do good are first borne of God and receaue of his nature seede and by the reason of that nature and seede are first good yer they do good by y t same rule And Christ which is coÌ„trary to the deuill
is written Abac. ij the righteous man lyueth by his fayth And Roma v. because we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with God thorough our Lord Iesus Christ c. WheÌ„ these faithfull or righteous departe theÌ„ sayth this text that they are fooles which thinke them to be in payne or affliction for it affirmeth that they are in peace Now sith their Purgatory whiche they imagine is payne and affliction and yet fayne that the righteous onely shal enter into it after their death then are they fooles that suppose there is a Purgatory or els this text can not be true For what entent will God haue vs tormented in Purgatory to make satisfaction for our sinnes verely theÌ„ is Christ dead in vayne as we haue often proued before But thinke you not rather that our purgation should be to encrease our fayth or grace or charitie for these thrée couer the multitude of sinnes no verely we can not fayne a purgatory for any such cause For fayth springeth by hearing of the word Roma x. But the Pope sendeth theÌ„ no preachers thether Ergo theyr fayth can not there be encreased And agayne payne ingendreth and kyndleth hate against God and not loue or charitie Furthermore My Lord of Rochester is coÌ„pelled to graunt that the soules in Purgatorye obtayne there neither more fayth nor grace nor charitie then they brought in with them and so can I sée no reasonable cause why there should be a purgatory Neuerthelesse M. More sayth that both their grace and charitie is encreased And so may you perceaue that lyes can neuer agrée how wyttie so euer they be that fayne and cloke them For in some poyntes they shall be founde contrary so that at the length they may be disclosed when thou hast no power to accomplish the outward fact For the wiseman sayth Prou. xxiij sonne geue me God is fully pacified with thy will thy hart Now if thy will be vpright and so that thou haue a desire to fulfill the law then doth God reken that will vnto thée for the full fact If then through the frayltie of thy members thou fall into sinne thou mayest well say with the Apostle Roma vâ—j The good that I would doe that do I not that is I haue a will and desire to fulfill the law of God not to displease my heauenly father yet that I do not But the euill which I hate that do I that is I do committe sinne whiche in déede I hate Now if I hate the sinne whiche I do then loue I the law of God whiche forbiddeth sinne and do consent vnto this law that it is good righteous and holy And so the sinne whiche I hate and yet commit it thorough the frayltie of my members is not imputed or rekened vnto me for sinne Neither will S. Paule graunt that it is I which do that sinne but he sayd I haue a will to doe good but I can not performe that will For I do not that good which I would but the euill whiche I would not that do I. Now if I doe that thyng whiche I would not do then is it not I that do it but the sinne that dwelleth with in me I delight in the law of God with myne inward man that is with my will and minde which is renued with the spirite of God but I sée an other law in my members which rebelleth agaynst the law of my mynde and maketh me bonde vnto the law of sinne which is in my members So that I my selfe in my will and mynde do obey the law of God hatyng sinne as the law coÌ„maundeth me and not consentyng vnto it in my mynde will but in my flesh and members I serue the law of sinne for the frayltie of my members compelleth me to sinne Rom. 7. As by example if I sée a poore man whiche is not of abilitie to do me any pleasure and neuertheles doth all his diligence to séeke my fauour would with hart and mynde geue me some acceptable preseÌ„t if he were of power beyng also sory that hee can not performe his will â—nd mynde towardes me Now if there be any point of humanitie or gentlenesse in me I will count this man for my frende and accept his good will as well as though he had in dede performed his wil. For his habilitie extendeth no further If his power were better better should I haue Euen so sith we are not of power and habilitie to performe the law of God and yet beare a good hart towardes God and his law lamentyng our imbecillitie that we can do him no further pleasure then will God recount vs not as his enemyes but as his deare children and beloued frendes Neither will hee afterward thrust vs into Purgatory but as a tender father pardon vs our trespasses and accept our good will for the full déede S. Paule exhorteth vs Gal. vj. that we worke well while we haue tyme for what soeuer a man doth sow that shall he réepe by this may we euidently perceaue that hée shall not receaue according to his doing or sufferyng in an other world and therfore caÌ„ there be no Purgatory The wiseman sayth Eccle. xiiij worke righteousnes before thy death for after this lyfe there is no méete that is to say succour to bee founde There are some which wil vnderstaÌ„d this place also the text in the xlviij argument on this maner that there should be no place of deseruyng but yet there may well bee a place of punishment But this solution besides that it is not grounded on Scripture is very slender For I pray you wherfore should their inuention of Purgatory serue but to bee a place of purgyng punishment and penaunce by the which the soule should make satisfaction that it might so deserue to enter into the rest of heauen Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from heÌ„ce forward yea truly sayth the spirite that they may rest froÌ„ their labours But theyr workes folow with them This text they vse in theyr soule masses as thoughe it made for Purgatory But surely me thinketh that it maketh much against them For let vs enquire of all the proctours and fautours of Purgatory whether y â— soules that must be prayed for are departed in the Lord or not And they must néedes aunswere that they are departed in the Lord for the vnfaithfull which dye not in the Lord must not be prayed for And therfore must they be vpright Christen soules which are tormeÌ„ted for the other are all damned Now sayth the text that all such dead as dye in the Lord are blessed but what blessednesse were that to broyle in Purgatory And if they would here fayne a glose as their maner is when they are in a straite euer to séeke a startyng hole say that they are blessed because they are in a good hope
they had blynded y ◠Scripture whose knowledge as it were a keye letteth into God with gloses and traditions Likewise findest thou Math. xxiij As Peter aunswered in the name of al so Christ promised him the keyes in the person of all Math. xvj And in the. xx of Iohn he payed them saying receaue the holy Ghost who soeuers sinnes ye remitte they are remitted or forgeuen who soeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained or holden With preachyng the promises loose they as many as repent and beleue And for that Iohn sayth receaue y t holy ghost Luke in his last Chapter sayth then opened he their wittes that they might vnderstand the Scriptures and sayd vnto them thus it is written And thus it behoued Christ to suffre and to rise agayne the thyrd day And that repentaunce remission of sinnes should be preached in his name amōg all nations At preachyng of the law repent men and at the preachyng of the promises do they beleue are saued Peter in the second of the Actes practised his keyes and by preachyng the law brought the people into y t knowledge of them selues and bound their consciences so that they were pricked in their hartes and sayd vnto Peter and to the other Apostles what shall we doe Then brought they foorth the keye of the swete promises saying repent and be Baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receaue the gift of the holy ghost For the promise was made vnto you and vnto your children and to all that are a farre euen as many as the Lord shal call Of like examples is the Actes full and Peters Epistles and Paules Epistles and all the Scripture neither hath our holy father any other authoritie of Christ or by the reason of his predecessor Peter then to preach Gods word As Christ cōpareth the vnderstandyng of Scripture vnto a keye so compareth he it to a net and vnto leuen and vnto many other thinges for certeine properties I maruell therfore that they boast not them selues of their nette and leuen as well as of their keyes for they are all one thyng But as Christ biddeth vs beware of y ◠leuē of the Phariseis so beware of their counterfeted keyes and of their false nette which are their traditiōs and ceremonies their hipocrisie false doctrine wherewith they katch not soules vnto Christ but authoritie and riches vnto them selues Let christen kynges therefore keepe their fayth and truth and all lawfull promises and bondes not one wyth an other onely but euen wyth the Turke or whatsoeuer infidell it be For so it is right before God as the scriptures and exāples of the Bible testifie Whosoeuer voweth an vnlawful vow promiseth an vnlawfull promise sweareth an vnlawful oth sinneth against God and ought therfore to breake it He nedeth not to sue to Rome for a licence For he hath Gods word not a licēce onely but also a commaundement to breake it They therefore y ◠are sworne to be true vnto Cardinals Byshops that is to say false vnto God the king and the realme may breake their othes lawfully without grudge of conscience by the aucthoritie of Gods worde In makyng them they sinned but in repētyng and breakyng them they please God hyghly and receaue forgeuenes in Christ Let kynges take their dutie of their subiectes and that is necessary vnto y t defence of the realme Let them rule their Realmes them selues wyth the helpe of laye men that are sage wyse learned and expert Is it not a shame aboue all shames a monstrous thing that no man should be founde able to gouerne a worldly kyngdome saue byshops and prelates that haue forsakē the worlde and are taken out of the worlde and appoynted to preach the kyngdome of God Christ sayth y t hys kingdome is not of this world Iohn 18. And Luk. 12. vnto y ◠young mā that desired hym to bid his brother to geue hym part of the inheritaunce he aunswered who made me a iudge or a deuider among you No man that layeth his hand to the Plowe and looketh backe is apt for the kingdome of heauen Luke ix No man can serue two maisters but he must despise the one Math. vj. To preach Gods worde is to much for halfe a man And to minister a temporall kingdome is to much for halfe a man also Either other requireth an whole man One therfore can not well do both He that auengeth himselfe on euery trifle is not mete to preach y t pacience of Christ how that a man ought to forgeue and to suffer all thynges He that is ouerwhelmed with all maner riches and doth but seeke more dayly is not meete to preach pouertie He that will obey no man is not mete to preach how we ought to obey all men Peter saith Act. vj. It is not meete that we should leaue the word of God and serue at the tables Paule sayth in the ix chapter of the first Corinthe Wo is me if I preach not a terible saying verely for Popes Cardinals and Byshoppes If he had sayd wo be vnto me if I fight not moue Princes vnto warre or if I encrease not S. Peters patrimonie as they call it it had bene a more easy saying for them Christ forbiddeth hys disciples and that oft as thou mayst see Math. xviij And also xx Mark ix and also x. Luk. ix and also xxij Euen at his last supper not onely to clime aboue Lordes kynges and Emperours in worldly rule but also to exalt themselues one aboue an other in y e kingdome of God But in vayne for the Pope would not heare it though he had commaunded it tenne thousand tymes Gods worde should rule onely and not Byshoppes decrees or the Popes pleasure That ought they to preach purely and spiritually and to fashion their liues after wyth all ensample of godly liuyng long suffering to draw all to Christ and not to expounde the Scriptures carnally and worldly saying God spake thys to Peter and I am his successour therefore thys aucthoritie is myne onely and then bring in the tyranny of their fleshly wisdome in praesentia maioris cessat potestas minoris that is in the presence of the greater y ◠lesse hath no power There is no brotherhod where such philosophy is taught SVch philosophy and so to abuse the scriptures and to mocke with Gods word is after the maner of the Byshop of Rochesters diuinitie For he in hys Sermō of the condemnation of Martin Luther proueth by a shadow of the olde testament that is by Moyses and Aaron that Sathan and Antichrist our most holy father the Pope is Christes vicare head of Christes cōgregation Moyses sayth he signifieth Christ and Aaron the Pope And yet the epistle vnto the Hebrues proueth that the hye Priest of the olde lawe signifieth Christ and his
Christ or entende to restore the Kynges agayne vnto their duties and right and to the rowme and authoritie which they haue of God and of shadowes to make theÌ„ Kynges in deede to put the world in his order agayne then the Kynges deliuer their swordes and authoritie vnto the hypocrites to â—lay him So dronken are they with the wine of the whore ¶ The text that foloweth in Paule wil they happely lay to my charge and others How shall they preach except they be sent sayth Paul in the sayd x. to the Romaines We wil they say the Pope Cardinals and Byshoppes all authority is ours The Scripture perteineth vnto vs and is our possession And we haue a law that who soeuer presume to preach without the authoritie of the Bishops is excommunicate in the deede doyng Whence therefore hast thou thine authoritie wil they say The old Phariseis had the Scripture in captiuitie likewise and asked Christ by what authoritie doest thou these thynges as who should say We are phariseis thou art none of our order nor hast authoritie of vs. Christ asked them an other question and so will I do our hypocrites Who seÌ„t you God Nay hee that is sent of God speaketh Gods word Iohn iij. Now speake ye not Gods worde nor any thyng saue your own lawes made cleane contrary vnto Gods worde Christes Apostles preached Christ not them selues He that is of the truth preacheth the truth Now ye preach nothyng but lyes and therefore are of the deuill the father of all lyes of hym are ye sent And as for mine authoritie or who sent me I report me vnto my workes as Christ Iohn v. and. x. If Gods word beare recorde that I say truth why should any man doubt but that God the father of truth and of lyght hath sent me as the father of lyes of darknes hath sent you and that the spirite of truth and of light is with me as the spirite of lyes and of darkenes is with you By this meanes thou wilt that euery man be a preacher will they say Nay verely For GOD will that not and therfore will I it not no more then I would that euery man of London were Mayre of London or euery man of the Realme Kyng therof God is not the author of dissention and strife but of vnitie and peace and of good order I will therefore that where a congregation is gathered together in Christ one be chosen after the rule of Paul and that hee onely preach and els no maÌ„ openly but that euery man teach hys houshold after the same doctrine But if the preacher preach false then whosoeuers harte God moueth to the same it shal be law full to rebuke and improue the false teacher with the cleare and manifest Scripture and that same is no doubt a true Prophet sent of GOD. For the Scripture is gods and theirs that beleue and not the false Prophet SAcrament is then as much to say as an holy signe And the Sacramentes which Christ ordeined preach Gods word vnto vs and therfore iustifie and minister the spirite to them that beleue as Paul thorough preachyng the Gospell was a minister of righteousnes of the spirite vnto all that beleued his preachyng Domme ceremonies are no Sacramentes but superstitiousnes Christes SacrameÌ„ts preach the fayth of Christ as his Apostles did thereby iustifie Antichristes domme ceremonies preach not y â— fayth that is in Christ as his Apostles our Byshops and Cardinals do not But as Antichristes Bishops are ordeined to kill who soeuer preach the true faith of Christ so are his ceremonies ordeined to quench the faith which Christes SacrameÌ„tes preach And hereby maist thou knowe the difference betwene Christes signes or Sacramentes and Antichristes signes or ceremonyes that Christes signes speake and Antichristes be domme Hereby seest thou what is to be thought of all other ceremonies as halowed water bread salt bowes belles waxe ashes and so forth and all other disguisinges and Apesplay and of all maner coniurations as the coniuring of church and churchyardes and of alter stones such like Where no promise of God is there can be no fayth nor iustifiyng nor forgeuenes of sinnes For it is more then madnes to looke for any thing of god saue that he hath promised How farre he hath promised so farre is he boduÌ„ to them that beleue and further not To haue a fayth therefore or a trust in any thing where god hath not promised is plaine idolatry and a worshipping of thyne own imagination in stede of God Let vs see the pith of a ceremony or two to iudge the rest by In coniuring of holy water they pray that whosoeuer be sprinckled therewith may receaue health as well of body as of soule and likewise in makyng holy bread and so forth in the coniurations of other ceremonies Now we see by dayly experience that halfe their prayer is vnheard For no man receaueth health of body thereby No more of likelihode do they of soule Yea we see also by experience that no man receaueth health of soule thereby For no man by sprinckling himselfe with holy water and wyth eating holy bread is more mercifull then before or forgeueth wrong or becommeth at one with his enemy or is more patient and lesse couetous and so forth Which are the sure tokens of the soule health They preach also that the wagging of the Byshops hand ouer vs blesseth vs and putteth away our sinnes Are these workes not against Christ How can they do more shame vnto Christes bloud For if the wagging of the Byshops hand ouer me be so precious a thyng in the sight of God that I am thereby blessed how then am I full blessed wyth all spirituall blessinge in Christ as Paul saith Ephe. j Or if my sinnes be full done away in Christ how remayneth there any to be done away by such phantasies The Apostles knew no wayes to put away sin or to blesse vs but by preaching Christ Paule sayth Gal. ij If righteousnes come by the law then Christ dyed in vayne So dispute I here If blessing come by the wagging of the Byshops hand then dyed Christ in vayne and his death blesseth vs not And a little afore sayth Paule if while we seeke to be iustified by Christ we be yet found sinners so that we must be iustified by the law or ceremonies is not Christ then a minister of sinne So dispute I here If while we seeke to be blessed in Christ we are yet vnblessed and must be blessed by the wagging of the Byshoppes hand what haue we then of Christ but curse Thou wilt say When we come first to the fayth then Christ forgeueth vs and blesseth vs. But the sinnes which we afterward commit are forgeuen vs through such thinges I aunswere If any man repent truely and come to the fayth and put hys trust in Christ theÌ„ as oft as he sinneth of frayltie at
heauen if they were here could preach no more then is preached of necessitie vnto our soules How then should we receaue a new article of the fayth with out scripture as profitable vnto my soule when I had beleued it as smoke for â—ore eyes What holpe it me to beleue that our Ladies bodye is in heauen What am I the better for the beliefe of Purgatory to feare men thou wilt say Christ his Apostles thought hell â—…ough And yet besides that the fleshly imaginatioÌ„ may not stand with Gods worde what great feare can there be of that terrible fire which thou mayst quench almost for three halfe pence And that the Apostles should teach ought by mouth which they woulde not write I pray you for what purpose because they should not come into the handes of the Heathen for mocking saith M. More I pray you what thing more to be mocked of the Heathen coulde they teach then the resurrection and that Christ was God and man and dyed betwene two theeues and that for his deathes sake all that repent and beleue therein should haue their sinnes forgeuen them yea and if the Apostles vnderstoode thereby as we do what madder thing vnto heathen people coulde they haue taught theÌ„ y t bread is Christes body wyne his bloud And yet all these thynges they wrote And agayne purgatory confession in the eare penaunce and satisfaction for sinne to Godward with holy deedes and praying to Saintes with such like as dumme sacraments and ceremonies are maruelous agreable vnto the superstition of the Heathen people so that they needed not to abstaine from writing of theÌ„ for feare least the Heathen should haue mocked them Moreouer what is it that the Apostles taught by mouth and durst not write The sacramentes As for baptim and the sacrament of the body and bloude of Christ they wrote and it is expressed what is signified by them And also all the ceremonies and sacramentes that were froÌ„ Adam to Christ had significations and all that are made mention of in the new testameÌ„t Wherefore in as much as the sacramentes of the olde testament haue significations and in as much as the sacramentes of the new testament of which meÌ„tion is made that they were deliuered vnto vs by the very Apostles at Christes commaundement haue also significatioÌ„s and in as much as the office of an Apostle is to edifie in Christ and in as much as a dumme eremonie edifieth not but hurteth altogether for if it preach not vnto me then I can not but put confideÌ„ce therin that the deede it selfe iustifieth me which is y e denying of Christes bloud and in as much as no meÌ„tion is made of theÌ„ as well as of other nor is knowen what is ment by them therefore it appeareth that the Apostles taught them not but that they be the false marchaundise of wily hipocrites And therto priesthode was in the tyme of the Apostles an office which if they would do truely it woulde more profite then all the sacraments in y e world And agayne Gods holinesses strine not one against an other nor defile one another Their sacraments defile one another For wedlocke defileth priesthode more theÌ„ whordome theft murther or any sinne against nature They will haply demaunde where it is written that women should baptise Verely in this commaundement Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe it is written that they may and ought to minister not onely Baptim but all other in tyme of neede if they be so necessarie as they preach them And finally though we were sure that God hymselfe had geuen vs a sacrament whatsoeuer it were yet if y e signification were once lost we must of necessitie either seeke vp the significatioÌ„ or put some significatioÌ„ of Gods word therto what we ought to do or beleue therby or els put it downe For it is impossible to obserue a sacrament without significatioÌ„ but vnto our daÌ„pnatioÌ„ If we keepe y â— faith purely the law of loue vndefiled which are y â— significatioÌ„s of all ceremonies there is no icopardy to alter or chaunge the fashion of the ceremony or to put it downe if neede require ¶ Whether the Churche can erre THere is an other question whether the Church may erre Which if ye vnderstand of the Pope and hys generation it is verely as hard a question as to aske whether he which hath both hys eyes out be blynde or no or whether it be possible for him that hath one legge shorter theÌ„ an other to halt But I sayd that Christes elect church is the whole multitude of all repenting sinners that beleue in Christ and put all their trust and confideÌ„ce in the mercy of God feeling in their hartes that God for Christes sake loueth theÌ„ and will be or rather is mercifull vnto them and forgeueth theÌ„ their sinnes of which they repent and that he forgeueth them also all the motions vnto sinne of which they feare least they shoulde thereby be drawen into sinne agayne And this faith they haue with out all respect of their owne deseruinges yea and for none other cause then that the mercifull truth of God the father which can not lie hath so promised and so sworne And this faith and knowledge is euerlasting life and by this we be borne a new and made the sonnes of God and obtayne forgeuenes of sinnes and are translated from death to life froÌ„ the wrath of God vnto his loue and fauour And this faith is the mother of all truth and bringeth with her y e spirite of all truth Which spirite purgeth vs as from all sinne euen so froÌ„ all lies and errour noysome and hurtfull And this faith is the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes whereon Paul sayth Ephes ij that we are built and therby of the houshold of God And this fayth is the rocke wheron Christ build his congregatioÌ„ Christ asked the Apostles Math. xvj whom they tooke him for And Peter aunswered for them all saying I say that thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God y t arâ— come into this world That is we beleue that thou art he that was promised vnto AbrahaÌ„ that should come blesse vs and deliuer vs. Howbeit Peter yet wist not by what meanes But now it is opened throroughout all the world that through the offeryng of hys body bloud that offeryng is a satisfaction for the sinne of all that repent and a purchasyng of what soeuer they can aske to keepe them in fauour And that they sinne no more And Christ aunswered vpoÌ„ this rocke I will build my congregation that is vppon this fayth And agaynst the rocke of this fayth can no synne no hell no deuill no lyes nor errour preuayle For what soeuer any maÌ„ hath committed if he repent and come to this rocke he is safe And that this fayth is the onely way by which the Church of Christ
goeth vnto God and vnto the inheritaunce of all his riches testifie all the Apostles and Prophetes all the Scripture with signes and miracles and all y t bloud of Martyrs And who soeuer goeth vnto God and vnto forgeuenesse of sinnes or saluation by any other way then this the same is an hereticke out of the rightway not of Christes Church For this knowledge maketh a man of y e Church And the Church is Christes body Collos i. and euery person of the Church is a member of Christ Ephes 5. Now it is no meÌ„ber of Christ that hath not Christs spirit in it Rom. viij as it is no part of me or member of my body wherein my soule is not present and quickeneth it And then if a man be none of Christes he is not of his Church ¶ How a true member of Christes Church sinneth not and how he is yet a sinner FUrthermore he that hath this fayth can not sinne and therfore can not be deceaued with damnable errours For by this fayth we be as I sayd borne of God Now he that is borne of God can not sinne for his seed dwel leth in him he can not therfore sinne because he is borne of God i. Iohn iij. which seede is the holy ghost that kepeth a mans hart from consenting vnto sinne And therfore it is a false conclusioÌ„ that M. More holdeth how that a maÌ„ may haue a right faith ioyned with all kyndes of abhomination sinne And yet euery member of Christes congregation is a sinner and synneth dayly some more and some lesse For it is written i. Iohn i. if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the truth is not in vs. And agayne if we say we haue not sinned we make hym a liar and his word is not in vs. And Paul Rom. vij sayth that good which I would that do I not but that euill which I would not that do I. So it is not I that do it sayth he but sinne that dwelleth in me Thus are we sinners and no sinners No sinners if thou looke vnto the profession of our hartes toward the law of God on our repentaunce and sorow that we haue both because we haue sinned and also because we be yet full of sinne still and vnto the promises of mercy in our Sauiour Christ and vnto our fayth Sinners are we if thou loke vnto the frail tie of our flesh which is as the weakenesse of one that is newly recouered out of a great disease by y â— reason wher of our dedes are imperfect And by the reason wherof also when occasions be great we fall into horrible dedes and the frute of the sinne which remaineth in our meÌ„bers breaketh out Notwithstanding yet the spirite leaueth vs not but rebuketh vs bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our profession so that we neuer cast of the yocke of God froÌ„ our neckes neither yeld vp our selues vnto sinne for to serue it but fight a fresh and begyn a new battaile ¶ How a Christen man can not erre and how he may yet erre ANd as they sinne not so they erre not And on the other side as they sinne so they erre but neuer vnto death and damnation For they neuer sinne of purpose nor hold any errour maliciously sinnyng against the holy ghost but of weakenesse infirmitie As good obedient childreÌ„ though they loue their fathers commaundements yet breake them oft by the reason of their weakenesse And as they can not yeld them selues bond vnto sinne to serue it eueÌ„ so they can not erre in any thyng that should be agaynst the promises which are in Christ And in other thynges their errours be not vnto damnation though they be neuer so great because they hold them not maliciously As now if some when they read in the new Testament of Christs brethren would thinke that they were our Ladyes children after the byrth of Christ because they know not the vse of speakyng of the Scripture or of the Hebrues how that â—ye kinsineÌ„ be called brethren or happely they might be Iosephes children by some first wife neither can haue any to teach him for tyraÌ„ny that is so great yet could it not hurte him though he dyed therein because it hurteth not the redeÌ„ption that is in Christes bloud For though she had none but Christ I am therfore neuer the more saued neither yet y e lesse though she had had And in such lyke an hundred that plucke not a mans faith from Christ they might erre and yet be neuerthelesse saued no though the contrary were written in the Gospell For as in other sinnes as soone as they be rebuked they repent euen so here assoone as they were better taught they should immediatly knowledge their errour and not resiste But they which maliciously maynteine opinions agaynst the Scripture or that y t caÌ„ not be proued by the Scripture or such as make no matter vnto the Scripture and saluation that is in Christ whether they be true or no and for the blind zeale of them make sectes breakyng y t vnitie of Christes Church for whose sake they ought to suffer all thyng and rise agaynst their neighbours whom they ought to loue as them selues to sleâ— them such men I say are fallen from Christ and make an Idole of their opinions For except they put trust in such opinions and thought them necessarie vnto saluatioÌ„ or with a cankred conscience went about to deceaue for some filthy purpose they would neuer breake the vnitie of fayth or yet slea their brethren Now is this a playne conclusion that both they y t trust in their own works and they also y t put confidence in theyr owne opinions be fallen from Christ and erre from the way of fayth that is in Christes bloud therfore are none of Christes Church because they be not built vpon the rocke of fayth ¶ Fayth is euer assayled and fought with all MOreouer this our fayth which we haue in Christ is euer fought agaynst euer assayled beaten at with besperation not when we sinne only but also in all temptations of aduersitie into which God bringeth vs to nurtour vs and to shew vs our owne hartes the hipocrisie false thoughtes that there lye hid our almost no fayth at all and as little loue euen theÌ„ haply when we thought our selues most perfect of all For when temptations come we can not stand when we haue sinned fayth is feeble when wrong is done vs we can not forgeue in sickenesse in losse of goodes and in all tribulations we be impatient when our neighbour needeth our helpe that We must depart with hym of ours then loue is colde And thus we learne and feele that there is no goodnes nor yet power to do good but of God onely And in all such teÌ„ptatioÌ„s our fayth perisheth not vtterly neither our loue and consent vnto the lawe of God But they
graces both curtesie and wisedome wold haue charged the iudges to haue examined the euideÌ„ce layd agaynst him diligeÌ„tly so to haue quit hym with more honesty then to geue him pardon of that he neuer trespassed in and to haue rid the spiritualitie out of hate and all suspition Then sayth he Hunne was sore suspect of heresie and conuict And after he sayth Hunne was an hereticke in deede and in perill so to be proued And then how was he conuict I heard say that he was first conuict wheÌ„ he was dead and then they did wroÌ„g to burne him till they had spoken with him to were whether he would abiure or no. M. The Byshop of London was wise vertuous and cunnyng Tyndall For all those three yet he would haue made the old Deane Colet of Paules an hereticke for translatyng the Pater nâ—ster in English had not the Byshop of Canterbury holpe the Deane The xvj Chapter THe messenger asketh hym if there be an old lawfull translatioÌ„ before Wicleffes how happeneth it that it is in so few mens handes seyng so many desire it He aunswereth the Printer dare not Print it and then hang on a doubtâ—ul triall whether it were translated sence or before for if it were traÌ„slated sence it must be first approued What may not M. More say by authoritie of his Poetrie there is a lawfull traÌ„slation y t no maÌ„ knoweth which is as much as no lawfull traÌ„slatioÌ„ Why might not y e bishops shew which were that lawfull traÌ„slation let it be Printed Nay if that might haue bene obteined of theÌ„ with large money it had be Printed ye may be sure loÌ„g yer this But Sir aunswere me here vnto how happeneth that ye defenders translate not one your selues to cease the murmour of the people put to your own gloses to preuent heretikes ye would no doubt haue done it long sence if ye could haue made your gloses agree w t the text in euery place And what can you say to this how that besides they haue done their best to disanull all traÌ„slating by Parlament they haue disputed before the kynges grace that is it perilous and not mete and so concluded that it shall not be vnder a preteÌ„ce of deferring it of certein yeares where M. More was their speciall Orator to fayne lyes for their purpose M. Nothyng discourageth the Clergie so much as that they of the worste sorte most calleth after it Tyndall It might well be Phariseis full of holynesse long not after it but Publicans that hunger after mercy might sore desire it Howbeit it is in very deede a suspect thyng a great signe of an heretike to require it Then he iuggleth with allegories Syr Moses deliuered them all that he had receaued of God that in the mother toung in which all that had the hart therto studied and not the Priests onely as thou mayst see in the Scripture And the Apostles kept nothyng behind as Paul testified Actes xx how he had shewed them all the counsell of God had kept nought backe Shuld the lay people lesse hearken vnto the expositions of the Prelates in doubtfull places if the text were in their handes when they preached M. The Iewes geue great reuerence vnto the Bible and we sit on it Tyndall The Pope putteth it vnder his feete and treadeth on it in tokeÌ„ that he is Lord ouer it that it should serue him and he not it M. God hath ordeined the ordinaries for chief Phisitions Tyndall They be Lawyers ordeined of the Pope and can no more skill of the Scripture then they that neuer saw it ye and haue professed a contrary doctrine They be right hangmen to murther who soeuer desireth for that doctrine that God hath geueÌ„ to be the ordinary of our fayth and liuyng And when he maketh so great difficultie and hardnesse in Paules Epistles I say it is impossible to vnderstand eyther Peter or Paul or ought at all in y e scripture for him that denieth y t iustifiyng of faith in Christes bloud And agayn it is impossible to vnderstaÌ„d in y e scripture more then a Turke for whosoeuer hath not the lawe of God written in his hart to fulfill it Of which pointe and of true faith to I feare me that you are voyde and empty with all your spiritualtie whose defender ye haue taken vppon you to bee for to mocke out the truth for lucre and vauÌ„tage An aunswere to M. Mores fourth booke CHristes church hath the true doctrine already and the selfe same that S. Paule woulde not geue an Angell audience vnto the contrary Tyndall But the Popes Church will not heare that doctrine More Confirmed with such a multitude of miracles and so much bloud of martyrs and commoÌ„ consent of all Christendome Tyndall Who shewed a miracle to confirme his preaching of eare confession and Pardons with like pedlery or who shed his bloud for them I can shew you many thousandes that ye haue slayne for preaching the contrary And agayne Grecia the one halfe of Christendome coÌ„senteth not vnto theÌ„ which Greekes if such thinges had come from the Apostles should haue had them er ye M. The spiritualtie be not so tender eared but that they may heare their sinnes rebuked Tyndall They consent not vnto the way of truth but sinne of malice and of professioÌ„ And therfore as they haue no power to repent euen so can they not but persecute both him that rebuketh them and his doctrine to after the ensamples of the Phariseis and all tyrauntes that begunne before namely if the preacher touch any ground wher by they should be reformed or by what meanes they maintaine their mischief The second Chapter MOre A Fryers liuing that hath maryed a Nunne maketh it easie to know that his doctrine is not good Tyndall The profession of either other is plaine Idolatry and deceauing of a maÌ„s soule and robbing him of his good and taken vpon them ignorauÌ„tly therto Wherfore when they be come vnto the knowledge of the truth they ought no longer therein to abyde but the Popes forbyddyng Matrimony and to eate of meates created of God for mans vse which is deuillishe doctrine by Paules prophesie hys geuing licence to hold whores his continuall occupiyng of Princes in shedding of Christen bloud his robbing of y e poore thoroughout Christendome of all that was geuen to maintaine them his setting vp in Rome a stues not of womeÌ„ onely but of the male kynde also agaynst nature and a thousand abhominations to grosse for a Turke are tokens good inough that he is y e right Antichrist and his doctrine sprong of the deuill More In penaunce Martin saith there needeth no contricion nor satisfaction Tyndall Call it repentaunce and theÌ„ it is contricion of it selfe And as for mendes making with worldly
things that do to thy brother whom thou hast offended and vnto God offer the repeÌ„taunce of thine hart and the satisfaction of Christes bloud M. Tyndall saith that the confessour vttereth the confessions of them that be rich But yet we see that both rich and poore keepe whores openly without paying peny Tyndall If they be very rich they be suffered because they may be good defenders of the spiritualty and if they be very poore because they haue no money to pay or els they fine with one or other secretly More Vppon that lye Tyndall buildeth the destruction of the sacrament of penaunce Tyndall Sacrament is a signe signifiyng what I should do or beleue or both As Baptim is the signe of repeÌ„taunce signifiyng that I must repent of euill and beleue to be saued therfroÌ„ by the bloud of Christ Now Syr in your penaunce describe vs which is y e signe and the outward sacrament and what is the thing that â–ª I must do or beleue and then we will ensearch whether it may be a sacrament or no. More Tyndall saith that confession is the worst inuention that euer was Tyndall As ye fashion it meane I and of that filthy priapishe confession which ye spew in the eare wherewyth ye exclude y e forgeuenes that is in Christes bloud for all that repent and beleue therein and make the people beleue that their sinnes be neuer forgeuen vntill they be shriuen vnto the Priest and theÌ„ for no other cause saue that they haue there tolde them and for the holy deedes to come which the confessour hath enioyned them more proâ—itable ofttimes for himselfe then any man els More Neuer man had grace to spie that before Tyndall Tyndall Yes very many For many nacions neuer receaued it And the Greekes when they had proued it and saw the baudery that folowed of it put it downe agayne For which cause and to know all secretes and to leade the consciences captiue the Pope falsely maintaineth it M. What fruit would then come of penaunce Tyndall â–ª Of your iugglyng terme penaunce I can not affirme But of repentaunce would come this fruit that no man that had it should sinne wyllingly but euery man should continually fight against his fleshe More He teacheth that the sacrament hath no vertue at all but by faith onely Tynd. The fayth of a repeÌ„ting soule in Christes bloude doth iustifie onely And the sacrameÌ„t standeth in as good stead as a liuely preacher And as the preacher iustifieth me not but my faith in the doctrine euen so the signe iustifieth not but the faith in the promise which the sacrament signifieth preacheth And to preach is all the vertue of the sacrament And where the sacramentes preach not there they haue no vertue at all And sir we teach not as ye do to beleue in the sacrament or in holy church but to beleue the sacrament and holy church More He teacheth that fayth suffiseth vnto saluation without good workes Tyndall The Scripture sayth that assoone as a man repenteth of euill beleueth in Christes bloud he obtayneth mercy immediatly because he should loue God and of that loue do good woorkes and that he tarieth not in sinne stil till he haue done good workes and then is first forgeuen for hys workes sake as the Pope beareth his in hand excluding the vertue of Christes bloud For a man must be first reconciled vnto God by Christ and in Gods fauour yer his workes can be good and pleasaunt in the sight of god But we say not as some damnably lye on vs that we should do euill to be iustified by faith as thou maist see Rom. iij. how they sayde of the Apostles for like preaching M. He calleth it sacrilege to please god with good workes Tyndall To referre the worke vnto the person of God to buy out thy sin therewith is to make an Idole of god or a creature But if thou referâ—e thy worke vnto thy neighbours profite or taming of thine owne fleshe then thou pleasest God therwith More Item that a man can do no good woorke Tyndall It is false But he sayth a man can do no good woorke till he beleue that his sinnes be forgeuen hym in Christ and till he loue Gods lawe and haue obtayned grace to woorke with And then sayth he that we caÌ„ not do our workes so perfectly by the reason of our corrupte fleshe but that there is some imperâ—ectnes therein as in the workes of them that be not their craftes master Which is yet not reckoned because they do their good willes and be scholers goe to schole to learne to do better M. Item that the good and righteous man sinneth alway in doing well Tyndall In all his woorkes there lacketh somewhat and is a faulte vntil he do theÌ„ with as great loue vnto his neighbour as Christ did for him and as long as there is more resistaunce in his flesh then was in Christes or lesse hope in God and then no lenger M. Item that no sinne damneth a man saue vnbeleffe Tyndall What soeuer a man hath done if he repent and beleue in Christ it is forgeuen him And so it foloweth that no sinne daÌ„neth saue there where there is no belefe M. Item that we haue no frewill to do ought therewith though the grace of God be ioined therto and that God doth all in vs both good and bad and we doe but suffer as waxe doth of the workemaÌ„ Tyndall First where hee affirmeth that we say our will is not free to doe good and to helpe to compel the members when God hath geuen vs grace to loue his lawes is false But we say that we haue no frewill to captiuate our wittes and vnderstandyng for to beleue the pope in what soeuer he saith without reason geuing when we find in the Scripture contrary testimonie and see in hym so great falsehead and deedes so abhominable and thereto all the signes by which the Scripture teacheth vs to know Antichrist And we affirme that we haue no frewill to preuent God his grace before grace prepare our selues thereto neither caÌ„ we consent vnto God before grace be come For vntil god haue preueÌ„ted vs powred y e spirit of his grace into our soules to loue his lawes and hath graueÌ„ theÌ„ in our harts by the outward ministration of his true preacher and inward workyng of his spirite or by inspiratioÌ„ onely we know noâ— God as he is to be knowen nor feele y e good nesse or any swetnesse in his law How then can we consent thereto â–ª Sayth not the text that we can do no good while we be euill and they which seke glorie and to clyme in honour aboue their brethren can not beleue the truth and that whores theues murtherers extortioners such like haue no parte
cum lucro for lucre say they maketh the labour light euer noselyng them in ceremonyes in their owne constitutions decrees ordinaunces and lawes of holy Church And the promises and Testament which the Sacrament of Christes body bloud did preach dayly vnto the people that they put out of knowledge and say now that it is a sacrifice for the soules of Purgatory that they might the better sell their Masse And in the Vniuersities they haue ordeined that no man shall looke on the Scripture vntill he be noseled in heatheÌ„ learning viij or nyne yeare armed with false principles with whiche he is cleane shut out of the vnderstandyng of the Scripture And at his first commyng vnto Vniuersitie he is sworne that he shall not defame the Vniuersitie what soeuer he seeth And when he taketh first degree he is sworne that he shall hold none opinion condemned by the Churche but what such opinions be that he shall not know And they wheÌ„ they be admitted to studye Diuinitye because y e Scripture is locked vp with such false expositions with false principles of natural Philosophy that they can not enter in they go about the out side and dispute all their lyues about words vaine opinioÌ„s pertaining as much vnto the healyng of a mans hele as health of his soule Prouided yet all way lest god geue his singulare grace vnto any person that none may preach except he be admitted of the Byshops Then came Thomas de Aquino and he made the Pope a God with his sophistrie and the Pope made him a Sainte for his labour and called him Doctour Sanctus for whose holynesse no man may deny what so euer he sayth saue in certaine places where among so many lyes he sayd now and then true And in like maner who soeuer defendeth hys traditioÌ„s decrees and priuileges him he made a Sainte also for his labour were his liuyng neuer so contrary vnto the Scripture as Thomas of Canterbury with many other like whose life was like Thomas Cardinalles but not Christes neither is Thomas Cardinals life any thyng saue a counterfaytyng of saint Thomas of Canterbury Thomas Becket was first sene in marchaundise temporall and then to learne spirituall marchaundise he gat hym to Theobald Archbyshop of Canterbury which sent him diuers times to Rome about businesse of holy Churche And when Theobald had spyed his actiuitie he shore him Deacon lest he should go backe made him Archdeacon of Canterbury and vppon that presented him to the kyng And the kyng made hym his Chaunceller in which office he passed the pompe pride of Thomas Cardinall as farre as the ones shrine passeth the others tombe in glory and riches And after that he was a man of warre and captayneÌ„ ouer fiue or sixe thousand men in ful harnesse as bright as S. George his speare in his hand encountred who soeuer came against him and ouerthrew the iolyest rutter that was in all the host of FrauÌ„ce And out of the siâ—ld hoate from bloud shedyng was he made Bishop of Canterbury and did put of his helme and put on his mitre put of his harnesse on with his robes and layde downe hys speare tooke his crosse yer his haÌ„des were cold and so came with a lusty corage of a maÌ„ of warre to fight an other while against his Prince for the Pope Where his Princes causes were with the law of God and the Popes cleane contrary And the pompe of his consecration was after his old worldly fashioÌ„ Howbeit yet he is made a Saint for his worshyppyng of the holy seate of saint Peter not that seate of Peter whiche is Christes Gospell but an other lyed to be Peters and is in deede Cathedra pestilentiae a chayre of false do ctrine And because he could no skill of our Lordes Gospell he sayd of Matene with our Lady Such as vnderstand the Latin read his life and compare it vnto the Scripture and theÌ„ he shall see such holynesse as were here to long to be rehearsed And euery Abbay euery Cathedrall Church did shrine them one God or other and myngled the lyues of the very Saintes with starke lyes to moue meÌ„ to offer whiche thing they call deuotion And though in all their doings they oppresse the temporaltie and their coÌ„mon wealth and be greuous vnto the rich and paynfull to the poore yet they be so many and so exercised in wyles so sutill and so knit and sworne together that they compasse the temporalitie and make them beare theÌ„ whether they will or will not as the Oke doth the Iuye partly with iugglyng and beside that with worldly policy For euery Abbot will make him that may do most in the shyre or with the kyng the stuard of his landes and geue him a feeyearely and will lend vnto some and feast other that by such meanes they do what they will And litle master ParsoÌ„ after the same maner if he come into an house and the wife be snoutefaire he will roote him selfe there by one craft or other either by vsing such pastime as the good maÌ„ doth or in beyng beneficiall by one way or other or he will lend him and so bryng him into his daunger that he can not thrust him out when he would but must be compelled to beare him and to let him be homely whether he will or no. An example of practise out of our owne Chronicles TAke an exaÌ„ple of their practise out of our owne stories Kyng Herold exiled or banished Robert Archbyshop of CaÌ„terbury For what cause the English PolychronicoÌ„ specifieth not But if the cause were not somwhat suspect I thinke they would not haue passed it ouer with sileÌ„ce This Robert gat him immediatly vnto king William the coÌ„querour then Duke of NormaÌ„dy And the pope Alexander sent Duke William a baner to go and conquere England and cleane remission vnto who soeuer would folow the baner and go with kyng WilliaÌ„ Here marke how streight the Pope folowed Christes steppes his Apostles they preached forgeuenesse of sinnes to all that repented thorough Christes bloud shedyng y t pope preacheth forgeuenesse of sinnes to all that wil sâ—ea their brethreÌ„â—ought with Christes bloud to subdue them vnto his tyranny What soeuer other cause Duke William had agaynst K. Herold thou maist be sure y t the pope wold not haue medled if Herold had not troubled his kyngdome neither should Duke William haue bene able to coÌ„quere the land at that tyme except the spiritualtie had wrought on his side What bloud did that conquest cost England thorow which almost all the Lords of the Englishe bloud were slayne and the Normandes became rulers all the lawes were chaunged into French But what careth the holy father for sheding of laye mens bloude It were better that ten hundred thousand laye knaues lost their liues then that holy Church should lose one
necessary to prepare this Pathway into the Scripture for you that ye might walke surely euer know the true frō the false And aboue all to put you in remembraunce of certaine pointes which are that ye well vnderstand what these wordes meane The old Testament The new Testament The law The Gospell Moses Christ Nature Grace Workyng and beleuing Dedes and faith Lest we ascribe to the one that which belongeth to the other and make of Christ Moses of the Gospell the Law despise grace and robbe fayth fal from meke learnyng into idle despitions brawlyng and scoldyng about wordes The old Testament is a booke wherein is written the law of God the dedes of them which fulfill them of them also which fulfill them not The new Testament is a booke wherein are conteined the promises of God and the dedes of them which beleue them or beleue them not Euangelion that we call the Gospel is a Breke word and signifieth good mery glad and ioyfull tydinges that maketh a mans hart glad and maketh him sing daunce and leape for ioy As when Dauid had killed Goliath the gyaunt came glad tydinges vnto the Iewes that their fearefull and cruell enemy was slayne and they deliuered out of all daunger for gladnes wherof they song daunced and were ioyful In like maner is the Euangelion of God which we call Gospell and the new Testament ioyfull tydinges and as some say a good hearing published by the Apostles throughout all the world of Christ the right Dauid how that hee hath fought with sinne with death and the deuil ouercome them wherby all men that were in bondage to sinne woūded with death ouercome of the deuill are without their owne merites or deseruinges losed iustified restored to life and saued brought to libertie and reconciled vnto the fauour of God set at one with him agayne whiche tydinges as many as beleue laude prayse thanke God are glad syng and daunce for ioy This Euangelion or Gospell that is to say such ioyfull tydinges is called y ◠new Testament Because that as a mā whē he shall dye appointeth his goods to be dealt distributed after his death among them whiche he nameth to bee his heyres Euen so Christ before hys death commaūded and appointed that such Euangelion Gospell or tydynges should be declared throughout all the world and therewith to geue vnto all that repent and beleue all his goodes that is to say his lyfe wherewith hee swalowed and deuoured vp death hys righteousnes wherewith he banished sinne his saluatiō wherwith he ouercame eternall damnation Now cā the wretched man that knoweth him selfe to be wrapped in sinne and in daūger to death hell heare no more ioyous a thyng them such glad and comfortable tydinges of Christ So that he can not but be glad and laugh frō the low bottome of his hart if hee beleue that the tydinges are true To strēgth such sayth with all God promised this his Euangelion in the old Testament by the Prophetes as Paul sayth Rom. 1. How that he was chosē out to preach Gods Euāgeliō which he before had promised by the Prophetes in the Scriptures that treate of his sonne which was borne of the sede of Dauid In the Gene. iij. God sayth to the Serpent I wil put hatred betwen thee and the woman betwen thy seede and her sede that selfe sede shall treade thy head vnder foote Christ is this womās seede he it is that hath troden vnder foote the deuils head that is to say sinne death hell all his power For without this seede can no man anoyde sinne death hell and euerlasting damnation Agayne Gene. xxij God promised Abraham saying in thy seede shall all the generations of the earth be blessed Christ is that seede of Abraham sayth S. Paule Gala. iij. He hath blessed all the world through the Gospell For where Christ is not there remaineth the curse that fell on Adam as soone as he had sinned so that they are in bōdage vnder the damnation of sinne death and hell Against this curse blesseth now the Gospell all the world in asmuch as it cryeth opēly vnto all that knowledge their sinnes and repēt saying who soeuer beleueth on the sede of Abraham shal be blessed that is he shal be deliuered from sinne death and hell and shall hence forth continue righteous and saued for euer as Christ hym selfe sayth in the xj of Iohn He that beleueth on me shall neuer more dye The law sayth Iohn i. was geuē by Moses but grace and verity by Iesus Christ The law whose minister is Moses was geuen to bryng vs vnto the knowledge of our selues that we might thereby feele and perceaue what we are of nature The law cōdemneth vs and all our deedes and is called of Paule in the ij Cor. iij. the ministration of death For it killeth our consciences and driueth vs to desperation in as much as it requireth of vs that which is vnpossible for our nature to do It requireth of vs the deedes of an whole man It requireth perfect loue from the low bottome and grounde of the hart as well in all thinges whiche we suffer as in the thinges which we do But sayth Iohn in the same place grace and veritie is geuē vs in Christ So that when the law hath passed vpō vs and condemned vs to death which is his nature to do then haue we in Christ grace that is to say fauour promises of life of mercy of pardon freely by y e merites of Christ in Christ haue we veritie truth in that God for his sake fulfilleth all his promises to them that beleue Therfore is y ◠Gospell the ministration of life Paule calleth it in the fore rehearsed place of the Cor. ij the ministration of the spirite and of righteousnes In the Gospell when we beleeue the promises we receaue the spirit of life and are iustified in the bloud of Christ from all thyngs wherof the law condemned vs. And we receaue loue vnto the law and power to fulfill it and grow therein dayly Of Christ it is written in the fore rehearsed Ioh. i. this is he of whose aboundaunce or fulnes all we haue receaued grace for grace or fauour for fauour That is to say for the fauour that God hath to his sonne Christ he geueth vnto vs his fauour good wil al giftes of his grace as a father to his sonnes As affirmeth Paule saying whiche loued vs in his beloued before the creation of y ◠world So y ◠Christ bringeth the loue of God vnto vs and not our owne holy woorkes Christ is made Lord ouer all and is called in Scripture Gods mercy stole who soeuer therfore flyeth to Christ can neither heare nor receaue of God any other thyng saue mercy In the old Testamēt are many promises which are nothyng els but the Euāgelion or Gospel to saue those
word testifyeth against vs that wee are all sinners yea and els Christ dyed in vayne Salomon sayth 3. Reg. 8. That there is no man that sinneth not agaynst God And Paule proueth by the authoritie of the Scripture vnto the Romaines that we are all sinners without exception And the scripture witnesseth that we are damnable sinners and that our nature is to sinne Which corrupt and poysoned nature though it be begō to be healed yet it is neuer through whole vntil the houre of death For the which cause with all our best fruites there growe weedes among Neither can there be any deed so perfect that could not be amended When a blind bungler wondreth at his glorious woorkes a cunning workeman y t hath a cleare iudgement perceaueth that it is vnpossible to make a woorke that coulde not bee made better Now the law requireth workes of vs in the highest degree of perfection and ceaseth not to accuse vs vntill our workes flow naturally as glorious in perfection as the woorkes of Christ And Christ teacheth vs to pray in our Pater noster Forgeeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue our trespassers Whereby ye may easelye vnderstande that we sinne dayly one against another and all agaynst God Christ taught also to pray that our Father should not let vs slip into temptation signifying that our nature cannot but sinne if occasions be geuen except that God of his especiall grace keepe vs backe Which readinesse to sinne is damnable sinne in the lawe of God Dauid prayed Psal 68. Let not the tempest drowne me let me not fall into the bottome and let not the pitte shut her mouth vpon me as who shoulde say First keepe me O God from sinning then if I shall chaunce to fall as no flesh can escape one time or other then call me shortly backe agayne and let me not sincke to deepe therein and though I yet fall neuer so deepe yet Lord let not the way of mercy be stopped signifying that it is vnpossible to stand of our selues and much lesse to rise againe Which impotencie and feblenes is damnable in the law of God except that wee saw it and repented and were fled to Christ for mercy Chap. 2. MY little children I write these thinges vnto you that ye sinne not And though any man sinne yet we haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ which is righteous I write vnto you on the one syde that God is light and therfore that no man which willingly walketh in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse hath any felowship with that light or part in the bloud of his Sonne And this I write and testifie vnto you my deare children that ye sinne not that is that ye consent not vnto sinne nor should sinne of lust and purpose maliciously but contrariwise that ye feare God resiste sinne with all your might and power according as ye haue promised For whosoeuer sinneth of purpose after the knowledge of truth the same sinneth against the holy Ghost remedilesse Heb. 6. 10. And on the other side I testifie vnto you that we be alway sinners though not of purpose and malice after the nature of damned deuils but of infirmitie and frailtie of our flesh which flesh not onely let teth vs that our woorkes can not be perfect but also now then through manifold occasions and temptations caryeth vs cleane out of the right way spight of our hartes How be it I say if when the rage is past we turne vnto the right way agayne and confesse our sinnes vnto our Father with a repenting hart he hath promised vs mercie and is true to fulfill it So that if we sinne not deuilishly against the holy Ghost refusing the doctrine which we can not improue that it should not be true but after the frail tie of man there is no cause to dispair For we haue an aduocate and an intercessour with the Father euen Iesus Christ that is righteous The name of our aduocate is Iesus that is to say a sauiour Cal his name Iesus sayd the Angell to Ioseph for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Math. 1. And this aduocate our Iesus to saue vs from our sinnes continueth euer as it is written Heb. 7. and hath Sempiternum Sacerdotium an euerlasting office to make an attonment for sinne by the reason wherof sayth the text he is able euer to saue them that come to God through him with repentance and fayth and liueth euer to speake for vs. And besides that our Iesus is God and almightie He tooke our nature vpon him and felt al our infirmities and sicknesses and in feeling learned to haue compassion on vs and for compassion cryed mightely in prayers to God the Father for vs was heard And the voyce of the same bloud that once cryed not for vengeaunce as Abels but for mercy onely was heard cryeth now and euer and is euer heard as oft as we call vnto remembrance with repenting fayth how that it was shed for our sinnes He is also called Christus that is to say king annoynted with all might and power ouer sinne death and hell and ouer all sinnes so that none that flyeth vnto him shall euer come into iudgement of damnation He is annoynted with all fulnesse of grace and hath all the treasure and riches of the spirite of God in his hande with which he blesseth all men according to the promise made to Abraham and is thereto mercifull to geue vnto al that cal on him And how much be loueth vs I report me vnto the ensamples of his deedes And he is righteous both towarde God in that he neuer sinned and therfore hath obtayned all his fauour and grace and also toward vs in that he is true to fulfill all the mercye that he hath promised vs euen vnto the vttermost iotte And he is the satisfaction for our sinnes and not for oures only but also for all the worldes That I call satisfaction the Greeke calleth Ilasmos and the Hebrue Copar And it is first taken for the swaging of wounds sores and swellings and the taking away of payne and sinarte of them And thence is borowed for the pacifying and swaging of wrath and anger and for an amendes making a contenting satisfaction a raunsome making at one as it is to see aboundantly in the Bible So that Christ is a full contenting satisfaction and raūsome for our sinnes And not for oures onely which are Apostles and Disciples of Christ while he was yet here or for ours which are Iewes or Israclites and the seed of Abraham or for ours that nowe beleue at this present tyme but for all mens sinnes both for their sinnes which went before and beleued the promises to come for ours which haue sene them fulfilled and also for all them whiche shall afterward beleue vnto the worldes ende of what soeuer nation or degree they be For Paule commaundeth 1. Timo.
2. To pray for all mē and all degrees saying that to bee acceptable vnto our Sauiour God whiche will haue all men saued and come to the knowledge of the truth that is some of al natiōs and all degrees not the Iewes onely For sayth hee there is one God and one mediatour betwene God and man the man Christ Iesus whiche gaue him selfe a redemption and full satisfaction for all men Let this therefore be an vndoubted Article of thy fayth not of an hystorie fayth as thou beleuest a gest of Alexander or of the old Romains but of a liuely fayth and belefe to put thy trust and confidēce in and to by and sell theron as we say and to haue thy sinnes takē away and thy soule saued thereby if thou hold it fast and to continue euer in sinne and to haue thy soule damned if thou let it slip that our Iesus our Saniour that saueth his people from their sinnes our Christ that is our kyng ouer all sinne death and hell annoynted with fulnesse of all grace and with the spirite of God to distribute vnto all men hath accordyng vnto the Epistle to the Hebrues all the scripture in the dayes of his mortall flesh with fastyng praying sufferyng and crying to God mightily for vs with shedyng his bloud made full satisfaction both a poena a culpa with our holy fathers leaue for all the sinnes of the world both of theirs that went before of theirs that come after in the faith whether it be Original sinne or actual not onely the sinnes cōmitted with consent to euill in tyme of ignoraunce before the knowledge of the truth but also the sinnes done of frailtie after we haue forsaken euill and cōsented to the lawes of God in our harts promising to folow Christ and walke in the light of his doctrine Hee saueth his people from their sinnes Math. 1. and that he onely So that there is no other name to be saued by Actes 4. And vnto hym beare all the Prophets recorde that all that beleue in hym shall receaue remission of their sinnes in his name Actes 10. And by him onely we haue an entring in vnto the father and vnto all grace Ephe. 2. 3. and Rom. 5. And as many as come before hym are theues murtherers Iohn 10. That is whosoeuer preacheth any other forginenesse of sinne then through fayth in hys name the same slayeth the soule This to be true not onely of originall but of actual and aswel of that we commit after our profession as before mayst thou euidently see by the ensamples of the Scripture Christ forgaue the woman taken in adulterie Iohn 8 and an other whom be healed Iohn 5 And he forgaue Publicanes and open sinners and put none to do penaunce as they call it for to make satisfactiō for the sinne which he forgaue through repentaunce fayth but enioyned them the lyfe of penaunce the profession of their Baptisme to tame the flesh in kepyng the commaundementes and that they should sinne no more And those sinners were for the most part Iewes and had their Originall sinne forgiuen them before through fayth in the Testament of God Christ forgaue his Apostles their actuall sinnes after their professiō which they committed in denyeng hym put none to do penaunce for satisfactiō Peter Actes 2. absolueth the Iewes thorough repentaunce and fayth from their actuall sinnes whiche they dyd in consentyng vnto Christes death and enioyned them no penaūce to make satisfaction Paul also had his actuall sinnes forgiuen hym frely thorough repentaunce and fayth without mention of satisfactiō Actes 9. So that accordyng vnto this present texte of Iohu If it chaūce vs to sinne of frailtie let vs not dispayre for we haue an aduocate and intercessour a true attorney with the father Iesus Christ righteous toward God and man and is the reconcilyng and satisfaction for our sinnes For Christes workes are perfect so that he hath obtained vs all mercy and hath set vs in the full state of grace and fauour of God and hath shade vs as welbeloued as the aungels of heauen though we be yet weake As the yoūg childrē though they can do no good at all are yet as tenderly beloued as the old And God for Christes sake hath promised that whatsoeuer euil we shal do yet if we turne and repent he will neuer more thinke on our sinnes Thou wilt say God forgiueth the displeasure but we must suffer payne to satisfie the righteousnes of God A then God hath a righteousnes whiche may not forgeue paine al y t the poore sinner shuld go skotfre without ought at all God was vnrighteous to forgiue the theefe his payne and all thorough repentaunce faith vnto whom for lack of laysure was no penasice enioyned And my faith is that whatsoeuer exāple of mercy God hath shewed one that same he hath promised all ye will he peraduenture forgiue me but I must make amendes If I owe you xx l. ye will forgiue me that is ye will no more be angry with me but I shal pay you the. xx poundes O Popishe forgiuenesse with whom it goeth after the common prouerbe no peny no pardon His fatherhode giueth pardō frely but we must pay money aboundantly Paules doctrine is Rom. 9. if a man worke it ought not to be sayd that his hyre was giuē hym of grace or fauour but of dutie But to hym that worketh not but beleueth in hym that iustifieth the vngodly his faith he sayth not his workes although he commaundeth vs diligently to worke and despiseth none that God commaūdeth his faith saith hee is rekened hym for hys righteousnes Confirmyng his saying with the testimonie of the prophet Dauid in the 32. Psalme saying Blessed is the man vnto whō God imputeth or rekeneth not his sinne that is to say which man although he be a sinner yet God layeth not it to his charge for his faithes sake And in the. xi hee sayth If it come of grace then it cōmeth not of works For then were grace no grace sayth he For it was a very straunge speakyng in Paules cares to call that grace that came of deseruyng of workes Or that deseruyng of workes whiche came by grace for he rekened workes grace to be contrary in such maner of speach But our holy father hath coupled thē together of pure liberalitie I dare say not for couetousnes For as his holynesse if hee haue a cause agaynst any man immediatly bretheth out an excommunication vppon hym and will haue satisfaction for the vttermost farthing and somwhat aboue to teach thē to beware agaynst an other tyme yet he will blesse agayne from the terrible sentence of his heauy curse euen so of that blessed complection hee describeth the nature of the mercy of God that God will remitte his anger to vs vppon the appointment of our satisfaction When the Scripture sayth Christ is our
And whome he prophecyed to be saued was saued Euen so whomesoeuer a true preacher of Gods word saith shall be damned for his sinne because he will not repent and beleue in Christ the same is damned And whomesoeuer a true preacher of Gods worde sayth shall be saued because he repenteth and beleeueth in Christes bloud the same is saued And this is the binding and losing that Christment Notwithstanding ye must vnderstand that when we haue sinned though our hartes were not to sinne and though we repeÌ„t ere the deed be done yet the body in sinning hath ouercome the spirite and hath got the maistrye So that the spirite is now weaker and feebler to vertue and to folow the law of God and doctrine of Christ and the flesh stronger to folow vice and sinne Wherfore as when an olde sore is broken forth againe we begin as it were a new cure with greater diligence and more care then before euen so here we must renue our old battayl against the flesh and more strongly goe to worke to subdue it and to quench the lustes therof which are waxen so ranke that they bnd out openly according to the profession of our baptisme which is y â— very sacrament or signe of repentance or if they wil so haue it called penance by the interpretation of Paul Rom. 6. For the plunging into the water as it betokeneth on the one part that Christ hath wasshed our soules w t his bloud euen so on the other parte it signifyeth that we haue promised to quentch and â—lay the lustes of the flesh with prayer fasting and holy meditation after the doctrine of Christ and with all godlye exercise that tame the fleshe and kyll not the man Wherupon the Bisshops that succeded the Apostles when men had done any open sinnes enioyned them penaunce as they call it by the authoritie of the congregation and gouernoures therof and aduise of the most wise and discrete and with the willing cousent of the trespassers to tame the flesh as to go woolward to weare shurtes of heire to goe barefoote and bare head to pray to fast bread and water some once in the weeke some twise or al the weeke an whole yeare ij yeares iij. yeares vij yeares xx yeares some all their liues long And to goe in pilgrimage to visite y â— memoriall of saintes to strength them the better to follow the ensample and such like and all to slay the worldly minde of the flesh Which maner when it was once receiued of y t people by custome it became a law And the bishops by little little gat it whole into their own handes When the Bishops sawe that how they had got the simple people vnder them in such humble obedience they beganne to set vp their crestes and to raigne ouer them as princes and to enioyne sore penaunce for small trifles namely if ought were done agaynste their pleasure and beate some sore and spared other and solde their penaunce to the ritch and ouerladed the poore vntill the tyranny was waxed so grenous that the people woulde beare it no longer For by this time what w t the multitude of ceremonies and heap of mens constitutions whose right vse was thereto cleane forgotten partly because our shepheardes were busyed to seeke themselues and their hye authority exalted euery maÌ„ his throne and were become wolues vnto y t flock the cause why the people were disobedient vnto holesome counsel the word of God was sore darckened and no where purely preached And therefore the Prelates loth to lose their hye authoritie and to let the people goe free of their yoke began to turne their tale and sing a new song how that this penaunce was enioyned to make satisfaction to God for the sinne that was committed robbing our soules of the fruite of Christes bloud and making vs imageseruauntes referring oure deedes vnto the persoÌ„ of God worshipping him as an image of our own imagination with bodely worke saying moreouer if we would not do such penaunce here at their iniunctions we must do it in an other worlde and so fayned purgatory where we must suffer vij yeares for euery sinne And when the kingdome of Antichrist was so enlarged that it must haue an head they set vp our holy father of Rome or rather vsurped that Rome with violence and to him was geuen this prerogatiue to sell whome he would from purgatorye And the sacrament of penaunce they thus describe Contrition Confession and Satisfaction Contrition sorow for thy sinnes Confession not to God and them whome thou hast offended but tell thy sinnes in the priestes eare Satisfaction to do certaine deedes enioyned of them to buy out thy sinnes And in theyr description they haue cleane excluded the fayth in the satisfaction of Christes bloud which onely bringeth life and the spirite of life and righteousnes and without the which it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. In whose stead they haue put in the presumption of our owne works And for lacke of trust in Christes bloud our contrition is but a fruitlesse sorrow in y t respect of hell which maketh vs hate the law still consequently God that made it where true contrition annexed with fayth is sorrow in respect of the law vnto which we consent that it is good loue it and therfore mourne partly because we haue offended it and partly because we lacke power to fulfill it as we would These thynges to be true our Prelates know by open hystories as well as wheÌ„ it is Noone the Sunne is flat South but it deliteth them to resist the holy ghost and to persecute the preachers of the thynges whiche if they as well loued as they knowe to be true they would preache the same them selues and lyue therafter Hereof ye may see our woorkes are but to tame the flesh onely and can be no satisfactioÌ„ to God except we make him an image our selues image seruaunts And hereof ye may see how out of this open penaunce came the eare coÌ„fession satisfaction of workes Purgatorie and pardons For when they had put the satisfaction of Christes bloud out of y t way then as they compelled to coÌ„fesse open sinnes and to take open penaunce eueÌ„ so they compelled to confesse secrete sinnes and to take secret penauÌ„ce And as they made marchauÌ„dise of open penauÌ„ce so did they of secret And for theÌ„ that would not receaue such pardon fayned they Purgatory and for them that receaued them fayned they pardoÌ„ turnyng bindyng and losing with preaching Gods word vnto byeng and sellyng sinne for money And since that tyme hetherto the worse the people were the better were the Prelates coÌ„tent euer resistyng that they should be made better through their blessed couetousnes proude desire of honour And out of this false presumption of workes spranke the wicked vowes of Religion which they vow to make satisfaction for sinne and to
came to destroy the workes of the deuill in vs to giue vs a new byrth a new nature and to sow new seede in vs that we should by the reasoÌ„ of that byrth sinne no more For the seede of that byrth that is to wete the spirite of God and the liuely seede of his word sowen in our hartes kepeth our harts that we can not consent to sinne as the seede of the deuill holdeth the hartes of his that they can not consent to good This is coÌ„trary vnto the Pope in two poyntes in one that he sayth that our good deedes make vs first good and teacheth vs not to beleue in Christes bloud there to be washed made first good And in an other that he sayth God choseth vs first for our good qualites properties and for the enforcement and good endeuour of our frewill What good endeuour is there where the deuill possesseth the whole hart that it can consent to no good And finally there is great difference betwene the sinne of them that beleue in Christ vnfaynedly and the sinne of them that beleue not For they that beleue sinne not of purpose and of coÌ„sent to wickednesse that it is good castyng and compassyng afore hand without grudge of coÌ„science to bryng their purpose about As ye see our hypocrites haue vexed all Christendome this xx yeares to bryng a little lust to effect Their fathers conceiued mischief viij hundreth yeares ago And the sonnes consent vnto the same haue no power to depart therefrom And therfore their sinne is deuilishe and vnder the damnation of the law But if he that beleueth sinne he doth it not of purpose or that he consenteth vnto the life of sinne But of infirmitie chauÌ„ce and some great temptation that hath ouercome him And therefore his sinne is veniall and vnder mercy and grace though it be murther theft or adulterie and not vnder the daÌ„nation of the law So that his father shall scourge hym but not cast hym away or damne hym Marke in the sinne of Saule of Dauid Saule euer excused his sinne and could not but persecute the will of God And Dauid confessed his sinne with great repentauÌ„ce at the first warnyng whensoeuer he forgot him selfe All that worke not righteousnes are not of God Nor hee that loueth not his brother For this is the tydinges which ye heard at the begynnyg that we should loue one an other and not be as Cain which was of the deuill and slew his brother And wherefore slew he him for his deedes were euill and hys brothers righteous Maruell not my brethren thoughe the worlde hate you The law of righteousnes is that we loue one an other as Christ loued vs and he that hath not this law liuyng in his hart and when the tyme is bringeth not forth the frutes therof the same is not of God but of the deuill whose byrth and properties of the same ye see described in Cain how he resisted God and persecuted the childreÌ„ of God for their belefe workes therof And as ye see in Cain and his brother Abell so shall it euer continue betwene the children of God and of the deuill vnto the worldes ende Wonder not therefore thoughe the worlde hate you We know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren He that loueth not his brother abydeth in death All that hate theyr brethren are murtherers and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall lyfe abydyng in hym If thou loue thy brother in Christ and art ready to do to suffer for him as Christ dyd for thee then thou art sure thereby that thou art the sonne of God and heyre of life and deliuered froÌ„ death and damnation So haue Christen men signes to know whether they be in the state of grace or no. And on the other side he that hath no power to loue his brethren may be sure that he is in the state of death and damnation An other is this let euery man looke vpoÌ„ his hart and be sure that he which hateth his brother hath slayne hym before God is a murtherer And murtherers shal not obteine the kingdome of God Gala. 5. But are Caines brethren and the deuils children and are heyres of death and euer vnder damnation Compare the regiment of the spiritualtie which haue had the temperall sword in their handes now aboue viij hundreth yeares vnto this doctrine of Iohn Iudge whether they haue led vs truely after the steppes of Christes doctrine Hereby we are assured of loue because hee left his lyfe for vs and therfore ought we to leaue our lyues for our brethren He then that hath the substaunce of the worlde and seith his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion froÌ„ him how dwelleth the loue of God in hym If we felt the loue of Christes death it would sure set our hart on fire to loue hym agayne and our brethren for his sake and should neuer cease to sâ—ay our resisting members vntill we could not onely be wel content that our brethren were in a more prosperous state then we but also vntill we could blesse them wheâ—â— they curse vs and pray for them when they persecute vs and to suffer death for theÌ„ to testifie the worde of their soules health vnto them and with loue to ouercome them and to wynne them vnto Christ If now euery Christen man ought to haue this rule of his profession before his eyes to learne it that hee should loue his brother as Christ dyd hym to depart with his lyfe for his brothers example how farre are they of from good scholers that can not finde in their hartes to depart with a litle of the aboundaunce superfluitie of their temporall goodes to helpe their neighbours neede My litle children let vs not loue in worde nor with the toung but with the dede and of a truth For thereby we know that we be of the truth and so shall we certifie our hartes in his sight If we haue power to worke then doth the worke certefie our hartes that our fayth in Christ and loue to God and our neighbour for his sake are vnfayned and that we are true children and no hypocrites And then are we bold in our coÌ„science before God And this is it that Peter meaneth 2. Pet. 1. where he biddeth vs minister in our fayth vertue godly liuing and all maner of good workes and therewith to make our vocation and election or our calling add chosing sure For the sight of the worke doth certify vs that God hath called vs and chosen vs vnto grace and mercy But and if when the time of woorking is come I fly and haue no power to worke then will our conscience accuse vs of sinne and transgressioÌ„ within the hart before God and so for feare of the rodde we dare not be bolde but draw backe and stand alooâ—e Let a childe haue neuer so mercifull a father yet if
he breake his fathers cōmaundementes though he be not vnder damnatiō yet is he euer child and rebuked and now then lasshed with the rod by the reason wherof he is neuer bold in his fathers presence But y t childe that kepeth his fathers commaūdements is sure of himselfe and bolde in his fathers presence to speake aske what he will They that minister well get them good degree and great confidēce in the fayth that is in Christ Iesu sayth Paule 1. Tim. 3. He that worketh is bold before God and man For hys conscience accuseth hym not within neither haue wee ought to wyte hym withall or to cast in his teeth And as without the sight of the woorkes Iacob the Apostle can not see thy fayth Iaco. 2. no more shalt thou euer be sure or bold before God or man But if our hartes condemne vs God is greater then our hart and knoweth all thyng If our conscience accuse vs of sinne God is so great and so mightie that it can not be hid Dearely beloued if our hartes condemne vs not then we trust to Godward And whatsoeuer wee aske that shall we receaue of him because we keepe his commaundementes and do the thynges whiche are pleasaunt in his sight Kepyng of the commaundementes maketh a man see his fayth and to bee bold therein And fayth when it is without conscience of sinne goeth into God boldly and is strong and mighty in prayer to coniure God by all hys mercyes therewith obtayneth what soeuer hee asketh of all his promises And the text sayth because we kepe his commaundementes Yea verely hys commaundemētes make vs bold But the keepyng of mens traditions and domine ceremonies make vs not bold before God nor certifie our conscience that our faith is vnfayned Thou shalt not know by sprynkling thy selfe with holy water nor kyssing the pax nor with takyng asshes or though thou were annoynted with all the oyle in Thames strete that thy fayth is sure But and if thou couldest finde in thyne hart to bestowe both lyfe and goodes vpon thy neighbour in a iust cause and hast proued it then art thou sure that thou louest Christ and feelest that thou hast thy trust in his bloud And this is his commaundemēt that wee beleue in his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commaundement Fayth is the first and also the roote of all commaundementes And out of fayth spryngeth loue and out of loue workes And when I breake any commaundemēt I sinne agaynst loue For had I loued I had not done it And when I sinne agaynst loue I sinne agaynst fayth For had I earnestly and with a full trust remembred the mercy that Christ hath shewed me I must haue loued Wherefore when we haue broken any commaundement there is no other way to bee restored agayne thē to go through repētaunce vnto our fayth agayne and aske mercy for Christes sake And assoone as we haue receaued faith that our sinne is forgiuen wee shall immediatly loue the commaundemēt agayne and through loue receaue power to worke And he that keepeth his commaundemētes abideth in him and he in hym And hereby we knowe that there dwelleth in vs of hys spirite which he gaue vs. Through the woorkes we are sure that we continue in Christ and Christ in vs and that his spirite dwelleth in vs. For his spirite it is that kepeth vs in fayth and through fayth in loue and through loue in workes The fourth Chapter DEarely beloued beleue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they bee of God For many false Prophetes are gone out into the world Spirites are taken here for preachers because of the preachyng or doctrine which if it be good is of the spirite of God and if it be euill of the spirite of the deuill Now ought we not to beleue euery mans doctrine vnaduisedly or condeinne any mans preachyng yer it be heard and sene what it is But a Christen mās part is to examine iudge trie it whether it be true or no. Quench not the spirit saith Paul i. Thess the last Neither despise prophesiynges but proue all thyng and kepe that whiche is good Destroy not the giftes of the spirite of God but trie whether they be of God and good for the edifiyng of his congregation and keepe that whiche is good and refuse that whiche is euill And suffer euery person that hath any gift of God to serue God therin in his degree and estate after a Christen maner and a due order Why shall we try the doctrines Verely for there bee many false Prophetes abroad already We told you before that Antichrist should come as our master Christ told vs that he shuld come But now I certify you that Antichristes kyngdome is begon already And his Disciples are gone out to preache Trie therefore all doctrine wherewith shall we trie it with the doctrine of the Apostles and with the Scripture which is the touchstone ye and because ye loue compendiousnes ye shall haue a short rule to trie them with all Hereby knowe ye the spirite of God Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the fleshe is of God And euery spirite that cōfesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God And the same is that spirite of Antichrist of whō ye haue heard that he should come And euen now he is in the world already Whatsoeuer opinion any member of Antichrist holdeth the ground of all his doctrine is to destroy this article of our fayth that Christ is come in the flesh For though the most part of all heretickes confesse that Christ is come in the flesh after their maner yet they deny that he is come as the Scripture testifieth the Apostles preached hym to be come The whole study of the deuill and all his members is to destroy the hope and trust that we should haue in Christes flesh and in those thynges which he suffered for vs in his flesh in the Testament and promises of mercy which are made vs in his flesh For the scripture testifieth that Christ hath taken away the sinne of the world in his flesh and that the same houre that he yelded vp his spirite into the hands of his father hee had full purged and made full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world So that all the sinne of the worlde both before his passion and after must be put away through repentaunce toward the law and fayth and trust in his bloud without respect of any other satisfactiō sacrifice or worke For if I once sinne the law rebuketh my consciēce and setteth variaunce betwene God and me And I shal neuer be at peace with God agayne vntill I haue heard the voyce of hys mouth how that my sinne is forgiuen me for Christes bloud sake And assoone as I that beleue I am at peace with God Rom. v. and loue his law agayne and of loue
swete water and bloud of very agonie conceiued of his passioÌ„ so nighe at hand The bloud stricken on the postes saued theÌ„ that they were not plagued with the Egyptians deliuered them out of the captiuitie of Pharao And the bloud of Christ strickeÌ„ on the postes of our consciences deliuereth vs from the captiuitie of Pharao the deuill and smitting of his auÌ„gels c. There might not a bone thereof be broken no more were there of Christes though the ij that were hanged with him had either of them his legges his armes brokeÌ„ Moreouer that it was a very prophecie of y e death of Christ of the vertue of his passion it is made the more manifest by the woordes of Christ himselfe Luke 22. for the night before hys passion when he had eaten Pesah with his Disciples he sayd I will no more â—ate of it henceforth till it be fulfilled in the kyngdome of GOD. As who should say This memoriall which we yearely haue hetherto obserued was once fulfilled in the kyngdome of this world when your fathers were deliuered out of bondage and seruitude of the Egyptians But it hath yet an other signification hetherto vnknowen vnto you which must be fulfilled spirituallie in the kingdome of God by my passion that is at hand and bloud that now shall shortly be shed by the which ye shal be deliuered out of the power of Sathan sinne and hell made heyres of the kyngdome of heauen Neither was it the lambes bloud that deliuered you then For what regarde hath God in the bloud of shepe and calues but the bloud of Christ whom that lambe figured and described his innocencie purenes and obedience to hys father and compassion to mankynde ward whose feble nature he had put on with all the infirmities of the same saue sinne did then deliuer you to bryng you to the fayth of this deliueraunce and to make you through faith partakers therof Many things there be in the Scripture whiche haue a carnall fulfillyng euen there where they be spoken or done and yet haue an other spirituall signification to be fulfilled long after in Christ and his kyngdome and yet neuer knowen till the thyng be done As the Serpent of Brasse which Moses haÌ„ged vp in the wildernes though it tooke effect carnally in the wildernes yet it so describeth the liftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse the vertue of his passion that no touÌ„g could better declare it to make the hart feele it If ye aske why they may not be knowen till they be done and what prophecie may helpe I aunswere If men dyd vnderstand them before they were done they would endeuour to let the fulfillyng of them and when the significatioÌ„ is fulfilled then to see how playnly it was described in the Scripture doth excedyngly coÌ„firme the fayth thereof and make it better to be vnderstand And when this Pesah was fulfilled spirituallie in the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ by the death and bloud â—heddyng of Christ it ended there And in y t roome therof coÌ„cernyng that spirituall significatioÌ„ came the signe of the SacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ as Baptisme came in stede of CircuÌ„cision thyngs more easie lesse paynefull and tedious to be obserued and more gentle to prouoke and entise the Heathen For as the lambe describeth the death of Christ to come and the maner of his passion by which we should be deliuered euen so doth the ceremonie of the body and bloud of Christ testifie vnto vs that he hath giuen him selfe to death for vs and redemed vs already if we beleue and cleue 〈◊〉 to the profession of our Baptisme 〈…〉 thâ—â—in or will if any tempest had 〈◊〉 vs out of the right course returne to the right way agayne This to be so the wordes of the Instituâ—â—d declare which are these 1. Cor. 11. The Lord Iesus the night that he was betraâ—ed tooke bread and gaue thankes and brake it and sayd Take eate this is my body that shal be giuen for you this doe in remembraunce of me And likewise he tooke the cup wheÌ„ Supper was done saying This cup is the new TestameÌ„t in my bloud this do as often as ye shall drinke it in the remembraunce of me Here ye see by these woordes that it was ordeined to kepe the death of Christ in minde and to testifie that his body was giueÌ„ and his bloud shed for vs. And Luke 22. This is my body that is giueÌ„ for you do this in remembraunce of me And this cup is the new Testament in my bloud whiche shal be shed for you Loe here ye see agayne that it was instituted to kepe y t death of Christ in minde and to testifie wherfore he dyed eueÌ„ to saue vs from sinne death and hell that we should seeke none other meanes to be deliuered with for there is none other name for vs to be saued by but onely by the name of Iesus Actes 4. And as the children of Israell stong of the firie Serpents could haue none other remedy to saue them from present death then to go and behold the brasen Serpent hanged vp by Moses in the wildernes whiche lookyng on onely healed them Euen so if the styng of death whiche is sinne haue wounded their soule with the workyng of the law in the consciences there is none other remedy then to runne to Christ which shed his bloud hangyng vpon the Crosse and to his euerlastyng Testament and mercyfull promise that it was shed for vs for the remissioÌ„ of our sinnes If thou be stong with conscieÌ„ce of sinne the Cockatrice of thy poysoned nature hath beheld her selfe in the glasse of the righteous law of GOD there is none other salue for remedie theÌ„ to runne to Christ immediatly and to the father through him And to say father I haue sinned agaynst thee and thy godly holy and righteous law agaynst my brother whom I ought of all right to loue for thy sake as well as my selfe forgeue me O father for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake accordyng to thy most mercyfull promises Testament I will aske my brother forgiuenes if the peace I meane be not made already and will make to my power such satisfaction to hym as shall seme right in his eyes if he be reasonable or as the congregatioÌ„ shall assigne or faythfull men thereunto appointed by the congregation or such as I and he will agree vpon and will endeuour my self to do so no more with the helpe of thy grace And will submit my selfe to the wholesome ordinaunce of the coÌ„gregation accordyng the doctrine of thy sonne Iesus and of his faithful Apostles For there is none other name giuen vnder heauen wherby we shal be saued but onely the name of Iesus Hereof ye see that the SacrameÌ„t is an absolutioÌ„ of our sinnes as often as we receiue it where it is truly
a Brasen Serpent 274. b. it was not God 299. a Bread 323. a. not coÌ„secrate by Christ 467. b. howe it signifieth Christes flesh 59. a Bread and wyne are Sacramentes to holy vses 477. a Bread and wyne in the Sacrament called the body and bloud of Christ 469. a Breakyng of promise 290. b Breakyng the Sacrament among Princes 295. b Bribetaking a pestilence in Iudges 123. a Brothers weakenes must be considered 40. b Buildyng of Abbeyes 351. b Buildyng on sande 246. a. 35. a Burbon the Emperours chief Capiâ—ayne 37â— a Burden of spirituall Lawyers 140. a Burtals are to be celebrated honorably and why 434. a C. CAlil what kynde of sacrifice 291. b Candles 280. a. 277. b Canonization 297. b Captiuitie of the Israelites 97. b Captious Papistes how to be aunswered 268. b Cap of maintenaunce 114. b Carnall man 293. b Carnall man ignorauut of Gods spirite 407. a Carnall weakenes comforted 454. a Cardinall Wolsey most false 375. a. his practise 368. b. had twoo faces 371. b. his hat 375. a Cardinal Wolsey and his Chaplems passed the xij Apostles in pompâ— 370. b Care of what sorte forbidden 236. a. of the Scripture 305. b. of a Christian man 100. b. of the spiritualtie for the temporaltie 192. b Care for worldly wealth to be reiected 234. b. to keepe Gods couenauÌ„â— the chief care 235. b Care due to euery man of what sort 236. b Carefulnes of god for y â— weake 189. a Carolus Magnus 348. b Cause of false miracles 301. a. of Turkish Iewish obstinacy 301. b Cause of loue searched of the spirituall 247. b Caution in swearyng 209. a Cautels in vowes 21. b Ceremonies 9. a. 12. a. 237. b. preferred by Papistes 278. b. Scholemasters to the Iewes 12. a. cause of ignoraunce 278. a. bryng not the holy ghost 152. b. cannot iustifie 10. a. reiected without good doctrine 248. a Ceremonies with their true signififations tollerable 278. b. confirme fayth 12. b. contayne profitable doctrine 12. b Ceremonies had significations generally at the begynnyng 277. b. why geuen 10. a Ceremonies of the communion how first they came into the Churche 277. a Ceremonies of the new Testament 226. a Ceremonies and Sacraments their vses 12. a Certification of pardon for sinnes 213. a Charles the Great his life 349. b. a whoremonger and a saint 350. a. b receiueth the Empyre of the Pope 349. a. an Emperour for the popes purpose 350. a. compelled all to obey the Pope 349. b Charles called of the Pope most Christian kyng 349. b 253. b. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitie 242. b. moderateth the law 209. a Charitie â—eruent in the primitiue Church 346. a Charitie hath diuerse significations 253. b Chastitie 242. b. fayned 20. b. wilfull 16. b. of the Clergy 315. a Chastitie of Priestes originall therof 347. b Chast vnchastitie of Papistes 311. a Chastising of the body is for our profite 328. b Cheeke to be strikeÌ„ on the other side what it meaneth 210. a Chief cause of the institution of the Sacrament 440. b Children of fayth Abrahams children 63. a. they woorke of loue 163. a Children of God obedient to the law 325. a. why tempted with aduersitie 236. a ChildreÌ„ all of wrath by Adam 337. b how to be brought vp 120. b. not to be rigourously dealt withall of pareÌ„tes 120. b. howe destroyed 120. b to be taught Gods word 101. b Choise put to vs in ij thynges 99. b Christ 226. a. he onely is holy 407. a a store house of mercy 64. b. our onely Sauiour 394. b. our example 195. b. our fayth and rocke 173. a. our lyfe 390. b. father of all righteousnes 72. a. our aduocate 395. a. our anker hold 6. a. our hope 91. a. our onely Phisitian 75. b. our righteousnes 82. b Christ purchaseth all goodnes for vs 70. b. his burden is easie 286. a. asure foundation 92. a. A perfect coÌ„forter of Christians 292. a Christ dyd good workes and why 383. a. his workes rewarded in vs. 92. b. his loue 164. b. the fulnes of all goodnes 424. a. the way to saluation ibid the comforter in all afflictions 440. b. no sinner 160. b. iustifieth the greatest sinner 120. a. loueth all ChristiaÌ„s alike 162. b. he brought saluation as AdaÌ„ brought sinne 46. a. his generall rule 63. b. an example of all goodnes 383. a. In hym we are all in all 75. a. his saying to hypocrites 409. a Christ ignoraunt of worldly matters 163. b. hys Church 187. b. he is very God 390. a. possessed by fayth bryngeth all goodnes 89. a. to whoÌ„ geuen 185. a. neither shaueÌ„ shorne nor annoynted with oyle 132. b. how hee was entreated 97. b. hys doctrine and the Popes contrary 409. b. his exchauÌ„ge with vs. 402. a. why he deliuered vs. 22. a. geuen to sinners 161. a. his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to preach maketh Pristes 145. b. what authoritie he gaue his Apostles 150. b. onely without sinne 336. b Christ dyd all thynges for our saluation 382. b. onely mediatour betwen God and man 431. b. dwelleth in vs by fayth 464. a. In no cause to bee denyed 101. a. his seate is hys preachyng 175. a. will not falsefie the Scriptures 461. a. is very maÌ„ 390. a. his Vicare who 411. b. his flocke a litle flocke 105. b. his Disciples are acquaynted with hys phrases 460. b. his three witnesses 421. b. sent his Apostles with lyke authority 126. a. why he came from heauen to earth 458. a. Raignyng in vs all is good 163. b. Gods mercy stoole 379. a. his Churche euer persecuted 289. b. a kyng 401. a. kyng ouer death hell and sinne 394. b. preached in the old Testament 23. a Christes Gospell must bee fed with the bloud of fayth 453. b. hys passion to saluation not vnderstode of whom 187. b. most contrary to the Pope 145. a. and. 362. b. his steps how to be folowed 108. b. and. 73. a told his Disciples of hys AscentioÌ„ 470. b. playnly declareth his bodyly departure ibid. Christ causeth God to loue vs. 164. b openeth hym selfe to the Iewes 457. b. playnly declareth his bodyly departure 470. b. condemneth Phariseis and why 17. a. sought of many for a worldly purpose 105 b. compared with Ionas 27. b. persecuted and slayne with ChristiaÌ„s 139. a. his wordes offend y t Iewes and his Disciples 464. a. he is all to a Christian 163. a. 54. b. all in all things 102. a. his mercyfulnes 394. b. mercyfull to the penitent 29. a. preached repentaunce 28. b Christ why slayne 138. b. once sacrificed is a sacrifice for euer 447. a. onely an acceptable sacrifice 18. a. why he gaue hym selfe 394. a. hys bloud putteth away all sinne 72. b. an euerlastyng satisfaction 14. a. apprehended by faith 457. b. expoundeth the paschall lambe 439. b. his glorified body in heauen 471. a. his memoriall Masse 323. a. his bloud onely purchaseth remission of sins 55. b. his flesh y e foode of our soules 459. b. a
whence 38â— a Heretikes alledged by Rochester for his purpose 129. b Heretikes falleÌ„ out of the mist 295. a Heretikes all termed that resist the Popes tyranny 315. a Hierome 311. b. agaynst Popish Bishops and Priestes 150. a Hildericus 348. a Historicall fayth much inâ—eriour to feelyng fayth 267. a Holy dayes 181. b. and 274. a. their ordinaunce 248. a Holy dayes and offryng dayes how first they came vp 133. b Holy Church hath borne a swynge 289. b Holy ghost 5. a. shall rebuke y â— world 247. a Holy straunge gestures like Apishe play 282. b Holy water what it signifieth 276. a Honoryng God what 269. b Honour Gods name how we must â—22 a Honour superfluous 374. a Honour due to rulers â—69 b. to our neighbours ibidem Honor of Christ abrogate with trust in Saintes â—â—6 b Honour double due to vertuous Bishops 53. b Hope her office 188. b Hope certaine in Christ saueth 91. b Hope loue fayth inseparable 185. b Horsley 318. a House what it meaneth 406. 〈◊〉 Houshold must be cared for 84. a Humilitie of the Apostles 2. a. aduanuceth to heauen 456. a Hunne a Marchaunt 318. a Hunnes a kynde of people 351. b Husbandes how to rule their wiues 54. b Husbandes must rule their wiues by Gods word 121. a Husband in Gods stede to his wife 108. a Hypocriticall prayers 13. b. blynd reasons 274. a Hypocrisie of Papistes 181. a. must not be rebuked 142. a. condemned of Paule generally 44. a Hipocrites their holines 245. a. blind 114 a. howe they read Gods lawe 24. a. what deedes of mercy they taught 138. b. why they extoll their workes 244. b. how they bynd and louse 134. a. how they apply Gods punishement 105. a. neede Iohn Baptist 264. a Hypocrites sit in Christ seate 263. a. loue offrynges 161. b. causers of all wickednes 105. a. must be salted 196. a. lyue altogether by theft 141. a I. IAmes reproueth false frutes 333. b Idolatry 239. b. 424. a. 425. b. and 443. a Idolatry of mans ImaginatioÌ„ bringeth confusion 161. a Idolatry to worshyp Images 273. a. set vp the shauelynges 398. b Idolatours all before we came to Christ 312. b Idolatrous persons their worshyp 299. b Idols abhorred of God 8. b Ierome a brother of Grenwich hys entent 60. a Ierusalem the first seate of the hygh Byshop 347. a. destroyed 282. b Iesus 408. a. signifieth a Sauiour 174. a. our aduocate 393. b. a true Messias 420. a. calleth to hys father for vs. 393. b. the way to his father 431. a. procureth all thynges for vs. 280. a. looke more in this word Christ Iewes require signes to confirme their belefe 425. a. committed Idolatry 298. a. their obstinate blyndnes 459. b. accused Christ falsely 304. a. procured their owne vengeaunce 〈◊〉 how 340. b. rebuked of incredulitie 458. a. rebuked of Christ and why 298. b. enforced by Scripture to acknowledge Christ 275. b. their harts how hardned 30. a. locked froÌ„ the vnderstaÌ„dyng of scripture 33. a. iustified by fayth 273. a Iewes and Gentils how they differ 44. a. instructed of ceremonies 12. a. deliuered by Christ from errour â—â—5 b. conuerted to Christ 275. a. saued by fayth in Gods promise 12. b. captures to their workes 274. a Iewishe murmuryng reproued of Christ 458. b. their incredulitie taxed 438. a Iewish state in traditions more easie then the Christians 277. b Ignoraunce of Scripture whence 278. a. excuseth not 245. b. promoted Popery 182. a. made vs seruauntes to ceremonies 278. b. her fruites 277. a Ignoraunce of More 406. a. of the Apostles 26. a Ignoraunt who 404. b. Popishe Priestes 278. a Incredulitie chief of all sinnes 43. b Infidels mocke our domme ceremonies which quench fayth 132. a Infirmitie of our nature 13. a. how to be cured 171. a Inseparable the loue of God our neighbour 420. a Institution of the Sacrament 440. a. of the Lordes Supper 444. b Institution of the paschall lambe 439. a Instruction necessary for all preachers 43. b Interdiction 135. a Introductions into the Scriptures 390. a Images how well vsed 270. b. disalowed in the primitiue Church 325 a. not tollerable in Churches 325. b seruauntes to man and not econtrâ— 270. b. forbidden of God 8. b. must be abstaynod from 22. a Imageseruice abhorred of GOD. 401. b Imaginations Papall are Idolatry 280. a. carnall without Gods spirite 26. b Imaginations of man confirmed by Saintes miracles 30. a. alter not God 83. a Imperiall power and the Popes vertue perished together 351. a Impure harted who 193. b Iohn Tisen seruaunt to the Bishop of London a secret Ambassadour 456. b Iohn Baptist 263. b. expounded the law truly 264. b Iohn Baptist and our Lady were sinners 336. a Iohn the xij Pope 352. a Ionas his sacrifice 28. b. prayeth out of the Whales belly 28. b. moued the Heathen to repentaunce with preachyng 30. b Ionas afrayde 27. a. deuided within him selfe 27. a. an vnmeete message of hym selfe 26. b Ionas beyng carnall fled from God ibid. confesseth his sinnes 27. a Ioseph an example of Gods wonderfull workyng 98. a Israelites haue a kyng geuen them 118. a. mo in nuÌ„ber then the Iewes 298. a. howe comforted of Moses 98. a Iudas 251. a. 310. a. perished 337. a Iudas a Priest a Cardinall and a Pope 146. a Iudges 122. b. are called Gods 110. a. must be learned 138. a Iudgementes Papall Concernyng sinne 311. b. not indifferent 341. a Iudgements hypocritical of Scriptures 389. b Iudgyng of false miracles intollerable to Papistes 364. a Iudgyng rebuked of some sort 237. a Iugglers 108. a Iugglyng with wordes 279. b. with textes 357. b Iugglyng termes of Papistes 254. a. of More 330. b Iust who 335. a Iustification 17. a. 332. a. onely commeth by fayth 10. a. 14. a Iustification by fayth lothsome to Papistes 18. a. not by merites 17. a. of our selues 17. b IustificatioÌ„ commeth not by workes though they be neuer so glorious 153. b Iusticiaries bond children of the law 167. b Iustifiyng signifieth Gods fauour 117. a K. KEy 184. a. of the Scripture 388. a Keys of knowledge 357. a. what they be 123. b. promised payd ibid. are the law of God 138. b. counterfetted to be auoyded 123. a Kepers of the commaundemeÌ„t in the state of grace 402. b Kernell of all fruites faith 243. a Kindlyng first of Purgatory 398. a King Lewes 369. a King Iohn 249. b King Henry of Windsore 298. a King HeÌ„ry the iiij an vsurper 338. b King Henry the viij with his army abused 369. b. called defender of the fayth 349. b King Herold 362. a King of Fraunce made a Monke 348. b King is annointed 393. b. Gods gift though a tyraunt 178. b. a great benefite though neuer so euill 112. b. in gods rowme in this world 111. a hath Gods authoritie 213. b. may correct the spiritualtie 214. b. Lord of body and goodes 214. a. cannot priuiledge the spiritualtie to sinne 111. b. is bound by office
God either wiped out or leuened by shauelyngs and why 151. b Promotiōs of the spiritualty 406. b Propertie of the Gospell 194. a Properties of the Hebrue toungue agreeth with the English 102. b Prophaners of Gods word 104. b Prosperitie is a curse 99. a A Prophet who 76. a Prophetes of whom slayne 138. b. and why ibidē bore their brethrens weakenes 25. b Prophesie of Paule to Tim. iij. and iiij chap. fulfilled in our dayes 53. b Protestation of the authour of this worke 157. b Protectour of Purgatory More 364. a A prouiso of the Papistes 361. b Pseudochristi 132. a Publicans what they be 216. a Purgatory 256. a. 265. a. 324. a. and why so called 139. a. the Popes creature 150. a. profitable to Papistes 307. b. not proued by Scripture 456. b. is terrible 396. b. stuffeth purses and disheriteth right heires 139. a. a iayle tormēting 307 b. is in earth as the pope sayth 359 a. visible and inuisible 297. b. none to the penitent 307. a Punishement how it must be executed 211. b Pure fayth aboundeth with good workes 52. b Purenes of the heart 143. a. of conscience 142. a Puttyng on of handes without faith of no force 152. b Purses stuffed with Purgatory 139. a Q. QValis pater talis filius 353. a Quicke and dead burnt of Papistes 435. b Questions of Scripture how to bee iudged 137. a R. RAblementes of Popery 136. b. of the Popes gard 343. b. takē for the Church 249. b Racha 203. a Raynebow a pledge of Gods promise 436. b Rauenous Wolues 242. a Raylyng 290. b Readynes to doe good commeth of God 259. a Realme decayeth by buildyng of Abbeis cloisters c. 279. b Reasons Papall prouyng the Pope the Church 262. b. against translatyng Scriptures 1. a Receipt of a child in Christes name how to be vnderstode 343. a Reconciliation 387. a. to our brother 44. b Reformation must be had by loue 344. b Regeneration causeth the loue of God 382. a Regimentes states and degrees of two sortes 201. b Regiment spirituall and temporall poysoned by Papistes 181. b Regiment temporall not vsed of Christ 185. a Religion how to be tried 3. a. one holyer then an other 104. a. blynded with couetousnes 19. b Religious shauelynges beholde the outward side onely 114. a Reliques and Images enriched poore neglected 272. a Remission of sinnes 369. b Remission of sinnes to conquere England 362. b Remedy agaynst vayneglory 217. b Repentaunce 18. b. 320. b. and 331. a. how acquired 254. b. preached by Christ 28. b. by Sacramentes 13. a. preached to the Iewes by the Apostles 28. a Repentaunce the forerunner of faith 18. b. hath three partes 37. b. taught by Baptisme 14. b. signified by Baptisme 146. b Repentaunce prepareth the way to Christ 145. b Repentaūce and sure fayth in Christ purge our sinnes 157. a Repentaunce interpreted for penaūce of Tyndall 254. a Repentaunce and forgiuenes come by preachyng 123. b Repentaunt iustified by fayth 31. b. no sinner before God 82. b. receiueth Gods promises in Christ 31. a Request how to be made to God 222. b Resistaunce must be made agaynst all false doctrine 454. a Resistaunce agaynst God dishonoreth hym 270. a Resistaūce of magistrates resistaūce of God 213. a Resistaunce 393. a Restitution of the law 202. b Resurrection of Christ 261. a. destroyed by More 296. a. foolish to the heathen 256. b Rest of conscience in Christ 177. b Reuengement must bee referred to to God and his officers 215. b Reward how it commeth 218. b. of patience in persecutiō for the Gospel 52. a. of obedience 107. a. of disobedience 107. a Righteous liue by fayth 336. a Righteousnes of many sortes 380. b. both outward and inward what 68. b. commeth freely from Christ 71. a. how purchased 44. a. where contayned 194. a. how to be vnderstode 43. a. and 191. b Righteousnes of the Phariseis 200. b. of the kyngdome of heauen 235. a. of man odious to Gods worde 52. a Riches 189. a Rich in spirite 189. a Rich men theeues before God if they helpe not the poore 77. a. must pray for dayly bread 239. a Richard the second slayne 28. b Right Antichrist who 408. a Right penaunce 387. b Right Israelites not all that came of Israell 275. b Ripe fruites offred 424. b Rites and ceremonies Papal 407. b Roan persecuteth 454. b Robin good felow and the Pope a lyke 174. b Robinhode of authoritie in the popes behalfe 129. b Robart of Caunterbury 362. a Romish Church abhominable 267. a Rome how it came to be chief 347. a. mother of all wickednes ibidem Roote of all goodnes fayth 404. a. of all commaundementes fayth 414. a Rochester an Orator 129. b. his Diuinitie 124. b. improued 129. a. faithles 130. b. miscōstrueth Pauls text most shamefully 130. a. falsly allegeth Paule for ceremonies 128. b his malicious blyndnes 127. a. alledgeth heretickes for his purpose 129. b. maketh Aaron a figure of of the Pope 127. b Ruben his story 169. a Rustler 372. b Rule to know if we loue God 403. a Rulers Gods gift 118. a. for whom ordayned 228. b. why euill 118. a. not to be resisted 385. b. their dutie toward runagates 207. b Rulers repine to heare their faultes 214. b S. SAbboth day must serue vs. 274. a. for mās vse 287. a. how it should be occupyed 274. b Sacramentes 273. a. why ordayned 425. a. and. 442. a. not without significations 322. a. all haue significations 322. a. all haue significations 256. b. without significations to be reiected 455. a. are sinne to the vnfaythfull 443. a. how profitable 13. a. how they iustifie 143. b. confirme weake consciences 448. b. preach repentaunce vnto vs. 13. a. are stories to keepe the couenaunt in memorie 441. a. signes of Gods promise 144. a. no Sacraments to the dead 13. b Sacramētes of whom superstitiously ministred 293. a. abused by Papistes 13. b. of Papistes disagree 253. a. Robbed through confession 157. b. ministred in an vnknowen toung 153. a Sacramēts of Papistes are dumine 152. a Sacrament 320. b. what it meaneth 445. a. of Christes body to whom profitable 323. b. the effect thereof 441. b. how to be receiued 470. a. a sure token of our saluation 442. a. onely preacheth iustification 143. the true meanyng therof 464. b Sacrifice and Sacrament differre 13. b Sacrifice 310. a. 322. b. 273. b. of bloud 424. b. of the old law 281. a Sacrifices and ceremonies whē they ceased 357. b Sacrifices old why ordained 29. a Sacrilegie in Papistes 20. a Sacerdos 144. b Saluation to beleue in Christ 70. a. not attayned by pilgrimage 155. a Sanctus 408. a Saintes 295. b. in heauen who 298. a. cannot helpe vs. 70. b. not to be trusted in 296. a. why not to be called on 325. a. are examples 159. a Saintes truly worshypped 280. a. examples of fayth 133. b. desire our saluation 280. a. ioyful of our company 401. a. abhorre them
tormentes in his owne body to deliuer vs from the paines that we had deserued But seyng they thinke their reasō so strōg and inuincible I will confute it with one question that they shal not know whyther to turne them But first I will ground me vpon this Scripture S. Paule writeth 1. Thess 4. on this maner we that liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord vnto iudgemēt shall not come yere they that sléepe for the Lord himselfe shall descende from heauen with a shoute and the voyce of the Archaungell and trōpe of God And the dead in Christ shall arise first then shall we whiche liue and remaine bée caught vp with them also in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayre and so shall we euer be with the Lord. Now harken to my question Those men that shal be found alyue at the last day for as it was in the tyme of Noe euē so shall the last day come vppon vs vnwares and as a théefe in the night Math. 24. those men I speake of shall any of thē be saued or not There is no mā that liueth but hee may well say his Pater nostor of the which one part is Forgeue vs Lorde our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs therfore is no man pure and with out all sinne And this confirmeth S. Iohn saying If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. 1. Iohn 1. what remedie now shall they all be damned There is no doubt but some of them shall not be very euill although they haue not made sufficient satisfaction vnto God in this world they ought not to go vnto hell to euerlastyng dānatiō as your owne reason proueth and then shall there be no Purgatory to purge and punishe them Besides that if there were a Purgatory at y ◠time yet could they not be cast into it for all shall be done in the twinklyng of an eye 1. Cor. xv and they shall be caught vp to mete the Lord. 1. Thess 4. Is God not as iust then as he was before will he not haue punished as well then as before Nowe sée you no euasion for all your suttle imaginations for they are not pure and without spotte as you say except they make satisfaction them selues vnto God But they must be without spot or wrincle that shall enter into heauē as Rastell him selfe doth proue in the ix Chapter of hys thyrd Dialogue Howbeit I regarde not his testimony but the Scripture affirmeth that to be true as Paul sayth Ephesians 1. and. 5. Now sith they must be pure euē without spot or wrincle that shall enter into heauen and these persons are yet spotted with sinne and haue neither place nor space to purge them in you must néedes conclude whether you will or not that they must all bee damned and yet you thinke that vnreasonable to Sée whyther your Argumentes of naturall reason bring you But what sayth the Scripture verely Paule 1. Thess 4. espyed an other way for he saith and so shall we euer be with the Lord and not damned Of this may we euidently conclude that some shal be saued although they be sinners neuer come in Purgatory there taketh Rastell a fall all his faultours and sith God is as iust and mercyfull now as he shall be then why shall we go more in Purgatory thē they But marke I pray you how properly that substauntiall reason wherewith they go about to stablishe Purgatory concludeth which condemneth into hell so many thousandes yea and euen them whom Paule affirmeth to be saued And yet at the begynnyng it séemed very reasonable Now haue I proued you sufficiētly that this their reason can proue no Purgatory for as I sayd there shall sinners enter into heauen and neuer come in Purgatory Here peraduenture you bee desirous to know how Gods iustice is pacified For all sinne by the iustice of God must néedes be punished Now can the world espy no punishment here and therefore they thought it necessary to imagine a purgatory to purge punish sinne Here aunswere I with S. Paule Christ the sonne of God beyng the brightnes of his glory very image of his substaūce bearing vp all things with the word of his power hath in hys owne person purged our sinnes and is set on the right hande of God Behold the true Purgatory and consumyng fire whiche hath fully burnt vp and consumed our sinnes hath for euer pacified the fathers wrath towardes vs. Marke how he sayth that Christ in his owne person hath purged our sinnes If thou yet séeke an other purgation then are you iniurious vnto the bloud of Christ For if thou thought his bloud sufficiēt then wouldest thou séeke no other Purgatory but geue him all the thākes and all the prayse of thy whole health and saluation and reioyse whole in the Lord. Paul writeth ▪ Ephes 5. on this maner Christ loued the congregation And what dyd he for it sent he it into Purgatory there to be clensed Nay verely but gaue hym selfe for it that he might sāctifie it and clense it in the fountaine of water thorough the word to make it vnto hym selfe a glorious congregation without spot or wrincle or any such thyng but that it should bee holy and without blame Now if Christ by these meanes haue sanctified it and made it without spot wrincle and blame then were it agaynst all right to cast it into Purgatory wherfore I must néedes cōclude that either Paul saith not true which affirmeth that Christ hath so purged his congregatiō or els that Christ is vnrighteous if he cast them into Purgatory whiche are wtout spot wrincle and blame in his sight Christ those vs in hym before the begynnyng of the worlde that we might bee holy and without spotte in his sight Ephes 1. If through his chosyng and election we be without spot in his sight Alas what blind vnthāke fulnes is that to suppose that he will yet haue vs tormented in Purgatory Peraduenture euery man perceaueth not what this meaneth that we are righteous in hys sight seyng that euery man is a sinner 1. Iohn 1 Therefore I will briefly declare the meanyng of the Apostle This is first a cleare case that there lyueth no mā vppon the earth without sinne Notwithstandyng all they that were chosen in Christ before the foundatiō of the world were laid are without spot of sinne in the sight of God Ephes 1. So that they are both sinners righteous If we consider the imperfectiō of our fayth and charitie If we consider the conflict of the flesh and the spirite Gala. 5. If we consider our rebellious members which are sold vnder sinne Roma 7. then are we greuous sinners And cōtrarywise if we beleue that of mercyable fauour God gaue his most deare sonne to redeme vs
authoritie For he that admitteth prayers and sacrifice to be done for the dead yea also affirmeth that they are holy and whole some for such sinnes as are dāned by the law of God which are in déede very mortall doth not he agaynst the word of God yea and also agaynst the cōmon consent of all mē But this booke doth so which admitteth prayer and sacrifice to bée done for the dead that were slayne in the battayle for theyr offence yea and also damned by the law Deut. 7. Now conclude your selues what ye thinke of this booke Thus much hath M. More brought to proue his purpose out of the old Testament and I thinke ye sée it sufficiently aunswered And now he entendeth to proue hys Purgatory by good and substaunciall authoritie in the new Testament also FIrst let vs consider sayth Master More the wordes of the blessed Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn where he sayth Est peccatum ad mortem non dico vt pro eo roget quis There is sayth hee some sinne that is vnto the death I byd not that any man should pray for that this sinne as the interpreters agree is vnderstād of desperation and impenitēce as though Saint Iohn would say that who departe out of this world impenitent or in despayre any prayer after made can neuer stand hym in stede Then it appeareth clearely that S. Iohn meaneth that there are other whiche dye not in such case for whom hee would men should pray because that prayer to such soules may be profitable But that profite can no man take beyng in heauen where it needeth not nor beyng in hell where it boteth not wherefore it appeareth that such prayer helpeth onely for Purgatory which thou must therfore nedes graunt except thou deny S. Iohn The text is written 1. Iohn 5. which sayth there is a sinne vnto the death I byd not that any man shall pray for that In this place doth M. More vnderstād by this word death temporall death and then he taketh his pleasure But we will desire hym to looke two lynes aboue and not to snatch one péece of the text on this fashion I will rehearse you the whole text and then ye shal heare myne aunswere The text is this if any man perceaue that his brother doth sinne a sinne not vnto y t death let him aske and he shall geue hym lyfe to them that sinne not vnto death For there is some sinne that is vnto death I bid not that any mā should pray for that Now marke myne aunswere Death and life be contrary and both wordes are in this text therfore if you vnderstand this woord death for temporall death then must you also vnderstand by this word life temporall lyfe And so should our prayer restore men agayne vnto temporall lyfe But I ensure you M. More taketh this word death so confusedly that no mā can tel what he meaneth For in one place he taketh it for temporall death saying who so depart out of this world impenitent c. And in an other place he is compelled to take it for euerlastyng death Therfore will I shewe you the very vnderstandyng of y t text And better interpreters desire I none then Christ him selfe which sayd vnto the Phariseis euery blasphemy shall be forgeuen but y t blasphemy against the holy ghost which S. Iohn calleth a sinne vnto the death shall neuer be forgeuen but is giltie vnto euerlastyng damnation Marke iij. what sinne or blasphemie is this verely y t declareth S. Marke saying They sayd that he had an vncleane spirite y t was y t sinne vnto death euerlastyng that was the sinne that should neuer be forgeuen He proueth so euidently vnto thē that his miracles were done with y t spirite of God that they could not deny it And yet of an hard and obstinate hart euen knowyng the contrary they sayd that he had a deuill within hym These Phariseis dyed not forth with but lyued peraduenture many yeares after Notwithstāding if all the Apostles had prayed for these Phariseis whiles they were yet lyuing for all that their sinne should neuer haue bene forgeuen them And truth is that after they dyed in impenitencie and desperation which was the frute of that sinne but not the sinne it selfe Now sée ye the meanyng of this text and what the sinne vnto death or agaynst the holy ghost is If any man perceaue his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death that is not against the holy ghost let him aske and he shall geue him life that is let him pray vnto God for his brother and his sinne shal be forgeuen him But if he sée his brother sinne a sinne vnto death that is agaynst the holy ghost let him neuer pray for him for it boteth not And so is not the text vnderstand of prayer after this lyfe as M. More imagineth but euen of prayer for our brother which is lyuing with vs. Notwithstanding this sinne is not lightly knowne excepte the person knowledge it hym selfe or els the spirite of God opē it vnto vs. Therfore may we pray for all men except we haue euident knowledge that they haue so offended as is before rehearsed And this is his text taken from him wherwith he laboureth to proue Purgatory What say they to the wordes of S. Iohn Apoc. 5. I haue heard sayth he euery creature that is in heauen and vppon the earth and vnder the earth and that be in the Sea and all thynges that be in them all these haue I heard say benediction and honour and glory and power for euer be to him that is sitting in the throne and vnto the lambe By the creatures in heauen hee meaneth aungels By the creatures vpon the earth he meaneth men By the creatures vnder the earth he meaneth the soules in Purgatory And by the creatures in the Sea hee meaneth men that sayle on the Sea By this text I vnderstand not onely aungels and men but also heauen and earth and all that is in them euē all beastes fishes wormes and other creatures thinke that all these creatures do prayse the Lord. And where he taketh the creatures vnder y t earth for the soules in Purgatory I take it for all maner of creatures vnder y t earth both wormes vermine and all other And where he draweth the text and maketh the creatures in the sea to signifie men that are sayling on the Sea I say that the creatures in the Sea do signifie fishes and such other thyngs and that S. Iohn by this textment euen playnly that all maner of thynges geue prayse vnto God and the lambe yea and I dare be bold to adde that euen the very deuils damned soules are compelled to prayse hym For their iust punishment commendeth his puysaunt power righteousnes Neither néedest thou to wōder or thinke this any new thyng for Dauid in the 148. byddeth Serpentes beastes and byrdes to prayse
of their deliueraunce and toke in his hande bread blessed brake it and gaue it to his disciples saying this is my body which shal be geuen for you For this night shall y ◠power of Pharao y e diuell be distroyed and to morow shall you be deliuered from Egypt y e place of sinne and shall take your iourney towardes the heauenly mansion which is prepared of God for all that loue him Now cōpare them togeather 1 The paschall lābe was instituted eaten the night before the children of Israell were indeede deliuered from Egipt Likewise was the sacrament instituted and eatē y t night before we were deliuered from our sinnes 2 The pascall lambe was a very lambe in deede And so is the sacrament very bread in déede 3 The pascall lambe was cauled the passing by of y e Lord which destroyed the power of Pharao and deliuered thē The sacrament is called the body of y e Lord whiche destroyed y e power of the deuill and deliuered vs. 4 ¶ As many as did eate the pascall lambe in fayth were very mery and gaue God greate thankes For they were sure the next day to be deliuered out of Egipt as many did eate his sacrament in fayth were mery gaue God great thākes for they were sure the next day to be deliuered frō there sinne 5. They that did not eate the pascall lambe in fayth could not be merye For they were not so sure of deliueraunce from the power of Pharao They y ◠did not eate this Sacrament in fayth could not be mery For they were not sure of deliueraunce from the power of the deuill 6. They that beleued the worde of the Lord did more eate the passing by of the Lord which should deliuer thē then they did the lambe They that did beleeue the word of the Lord did more eate y e body of the Lord which should be geuen for their deliuerance then they did the bread For y ◠thing doth a man moste eate y t he most hath in memory most reuolueth in mynd as appeareth by Christ Iohn 4. I haue meate to eate y t ye know not 7. They that beléeued not y e next day to be deliuered from Egipt did not eate y e passing by of y e Lord although they did eate the lambe They y ◠beleued not the next day to be deliuered from sinne dyd not eate the body of the Lorde although they eate the breade 8. The children of Israell were but once deliuered from Egypt notwithstanding they did euery yeare eate y e lambe to kéepe that facte in perpetuall remembraunce Euen so Christ bought and redemed vs but once for all and was offered and sacrificed but once for all though y e sacrament therof be daylye broken amonge vs to kéepe that benefite in continuall memorye 9. As many as dyd eate y e Paschall Lambe in fayth and beleued Gods word as touching their deliueraunce from Egypt were as sure of their deliueraunce through fayth as they were sure of the Lambe by eating it As many as doe eate this sacrament in fayth and beleeue Gods word as touching their deliueraūce frō sinne are as sure of their deliueraunce through fayth as they are sure of the bread by eating it 10. As many as did eate of that Paschall Lambe did magnifie theyr God testifying that he onely was the God almighty and they his people sticking to hym to be deliuered by his power from all daunger As many as do eate of thys sacrament doe magnifie their God testifying that he only is the God almighty and they his people sticking by him to be deliuered by hys power from all danger 11. When the Israelites were deliuered frō Egypt they eate neuerthelesse the Paschall Lambe which was still called the passing by because it was y e remēbraunce of the passing by of y e Lord and hartely reioyced offering hym sacrifice acknowledgyng w t infinite thākes that they were the fellowship of thē that had such a mercifull God Now Christes electe are deliuered frō sinne they eate neuerthelesse the sacramēt which is still called hys body that once dyed for their deliueraunce and hartely reioyce offering to hym the sacrifice of prayse knowledging with infinite thākes that they are of the fellowship of thē that haue such a mercifull God 12. The Paschall Lābe after their deliueraunce it was yearely eaten brought as much myrth and ioye vnto them that did eate it in fayth as it did to their fathers which felt Pharao hys fury and were not yet deliuered For they knew right well that except God of his mercy and wonderful power had so deliuered them they shoulde also them selues haue been bond in the land of Egypt and vnder that wicked prince Pharao of which bondage they greatly reioyced to bee rid already and thanked God highly because they found thē selues in that plenteous land which God prouided for them The sacrament which after our deliueraunce is yearely and dayly eaten bringeth as much myrth and ioye vnto vs that eate it in fayth as it did to the Apostles which were not yet deliuered For we know right well that except God of hys mercye through y e bloud of hys sonne had so deliuered vs we shoulde also our selues haue been bonde in Egypt the place of sinne vnder y t wicked prince the deuill of which bōdage we greatly reioyce to be rid already thanke God highly because we finde our selues in y e state of grace haue receaued through faith the first fruites and a taste of the spirite which testifyeth vnto vs y ◠we are the childrē of God ¶ Thys Maundy of remēbraunce was it that Paule receaued of the Lorde and deliuered to the Corinthians in the xi chapter For though he borrowe one propertie and similitude of the sacrament in the x. chapter that in my minde maketh neither with vs nor against vs albeit some thinke that it maketh whole for the exposition of Christes wordes this is my body But in my minde they are deceaued For y e occasion that Paule spake of it in the x. chapter was thys The Corinthians had knowledge that all meates were indifferent and whether it were offered to an Idole or not that the meate was not the worse and they might lawfully eate of it whether it were solde thē in the Shambles or set before them when they dyned and supped in an vnfaithfull mans house asking no questions except some man did tell them that it was offered to an Idoll and then they should not eate of it for offendyng his conscience that so tolde them albeit they were els frée and the thing indifferent thys knowledge because it was not annexed with charitie was the occasion of great offending For by reason thereof they satte downe among the Gentiles at their feastes where they eate in the honor of their Idols and so did not onely wound the conscience of their weake brethrē but
wicked eate not hys body it must also thereof néedes followe that the sacrament is not hys naturall bodye For they doe eate the sacrament as all mē know Besides that the faythfull doe not eate Christes body with their téeth And therefore it must followe that the wicked doe not eate it with their téeth The antecedent or first part of the reason is prooued by the wordes of Christ which sayth that the flesh profiteth nothyng at all meaning that it doth not profite as they vnderstoode hym that is to say it profiteth nothyng to bée eaten carnally with their téeth and belly as they vnderstoode hym For els it profiteth much to bée eaten spiritually that is to say to beléeue that through hys body breakyng bloud shedding our sinnes are purged And thus doth Origene S. Austen Beda Chrysostome and Athanasius expound it as appeareth in the booke before And therfore Frith sayth that onely faythfull men eate hys body not with their téeth and mouth but with their fayth and hart that digest it into y e bowells of their soules through beléeuing that it was broken on the crosse to washe away their sinnes And the wicked eate not hys body but onely the bread and their damnation because they eate hym not spiritually that is because they beléeue not in hys bodye breaking and bloud shedding †The third point wherin Frith dissenteth from our prelates and their proctoure 3. THe Prelates beléeue that men ought to worship the sacramēt But Frith sayth nay and affirmeth that it is Idolatry to worship it And hée sayth that Christ and his Apostles taught vs not so to doe neither did the holy fathers so teach vs. And Frith sayth that the authors of thys worshipping are the children of perdition which haue ouerwhelmed this world with sinne Neuerthelesse we must receaue it reuerently because of the doctrine that it bringeth vs. For it preacheth Christes death vnto vs and describeth it before our eyes euen as a faythfull preacher by the worde doth instill it into vs by our eares and hearing And that it supplyeth the roome of a preacher is euident by the woordes of S. Austen which sayth Paulus quamuis portaret farcinam corporis quod aggrauat animā potuit tamen significando predicare Dominum Iesum Christum aliter per linguam suam aliter per epistolam aliter per sacramentum corporis Christi That is to fay though Paule did bere the burthen of the body which doth honorate the soule yet was he able in signifiyng to preach y e lord Iesus Christ one way by his tonge and an other way by an epistle an other way by the sacrament of Christes body c. For as the people by vnderstanding the fignification of the wordes which he spake did heare the glorious Gospell of God and as by the reading of his pistle they vnderstoode his minde and receiued the word of the soules health so by the ministration of the sacrament they might sée with their eye the thing which they heard read and so haue their sences occupied about the mistery that they might the more earnestly print it in their minde As by example The Prophet Hieremie being in Hierusalem in the tyme of Sedechias king of the Iewes prophesyed and preached vnto them y t they should be takē prisoners of Nabugodonesar the king of Babilon the Iewes were angry with him and woulde not beléeue his wordes And therfore be made a chayne or fetters of wood and put them about his neke and prophesied agayne and preached that they should be taken prisoners led captiue into Babilon And as his wordes did certifie their eares y t they should be subdued so the chayne dyd represent their captiuitie euen before their eye Whiche thyng did more vehemently woorke in them then the bare wordes could doe and euen so it is in the Sacrament For likewise as the woordes dyd instill into our eares that his body was geuen for vs and his bloud shed for the remission of our sinnes euen so did the mynistration of the sacrament expresse y e same thing vnto our sight and doth more effectuously moue then the bare wordes might doe and make vs more attent vnto the thing that we may wholye geue thankes vnto God and prayse him for his bounteous benefites And therfore seyng it is a preacher expressing vnto our sight y e same thing that y e wordes doe to our eares represēt you must receyue it with reuerence sober behauiour aduertising y t thing that it representeth vnto you And euen y e same honour is dew vnto it which is geuen vnto the scripture that is the word of God For vnto y t must a man deuoutlye geue eare and reuerently take the booke in hys hande yea and if he kisse y t booke for the doctrines sake that he learenth thereout he is to bée cōmended Neuerthelesse if he should goe sence hys booke men might well thinke that he were very childishe But if he should knéele downe and pray to this booke then he dyd commyt playne Idolatrye Consider deare bretheren what I say and auoyde this Ieoperdye which thing auoyded I care not as touching the presence of his body though you beléeue that hys naturall flesh be there in déede and not onely in a misterye as I haue taught For when y t Ieoperdye is past he were a foole that would bee contētious for a thing as long as there cōmeth no hurt therbye The Germanes which beléeue the presence of his body do not worshyp it but playnly teach the contrary and in that poynt thankes be to God all they whom you call heretickes do agrée fulwell Onely auoyde this Idolatry and I desire no more ¶ The conclusion of this treatise NOwe deare brethren I beséech you for the mercy y t ye looke for in Christ Iesu that you accepte this worke with a single eye and no contentious hart For necessitie hath compelled me to write it because I was informed both of my Lord of Winchester and other credible persōs that I had by the meanes of my first treatise offended many men Which thing may well be true For it was to slender to instruct all them which haue since seene it albe 〈◊〉 it were sufficient for their vse to whō it was first deliuered And therfore I thought it not onely expedient but also necessary to instruct them further in the truth that they might sée plaine euidence of that thyng wherein they were offended By this worke you shal espye their blasphemyes the venemous toūges where with they flaunder not onelye them that publish the truth but euen the truth it selfe They shame not to say y t we affirme it to bee onely bread and nothing els And we say not so but we say that beside the substaunce of bread it is y e sacrament of Christes body and bloud As y e Iuye hanging before the tauerne doore is more then bare Iuye For beside the substaunce
simpliciter forbidden Also good lawes bée Gods gifts Wherfore it must néedes followe that wée may lawfully vse them But as men may misuse cunning and beautie so may mē also misuse the excellent gift of the lawes not that lawes bée euill but because wée vse them not to the intent that they were ordayned for No man doubteth but in vsing of all Gods creatures there must bée an epykya that is a meane a measure and an order so that no man may therby destroy his neighbour against the order of charitie which is a guide and a ruler in vsing of all creatures As for men to make a rumour in a whole countrey for a trifle or els for a mā to sue his neighbour which is not able by no meanes to paye hys debte and so vtterly to vndoe hym and to take none ende with him but after the extremitie of the lawe I say that this maner of sutes doe not become Christen men Vbi transgreditur equitatis et charitatis limites And that all men may clearely perceiue that these onely were both my words and intent I shall rehearse the occasion that moued mée to speake of the lawyers and sueters The cause was thys There was a poore man dead and had made an other poore man his executour and bequethed in his will to a Churche in Cambridge a kettell worth ij s. iiij d. the which kettel was afterwarde required by the Churche Warden But this executour beyng a poore man and not able to geue this bequest at that tyme therefore hée desired the Church Warden of longer respite but hée could not be heard for the Church Warden would haue the vttermost of the law and sued him be fore the Commissary and at the last condemned him vnto prison where hée lay and neither was able to pay his dette nor to helpe his wife children Now bicause I might doe somthing with y e Church Warden therefore the poore mans wife came wéeping and waylyng to me desiring me in the way of charitie to speake to the Church Wardē for to bée good to her poore husband wherby I was moued to send for this my frend his name is called Ihon Drake a mā well knowē in Cambridge vnto whom I spake in this maner Countreyman I am very sory to heare of your vncharitable demeanour Here hath béene w t mee a poore woman wéepyng and waylyng and crying out howe you haue vndone her her poore husband and her miserable children for all they haue not one bitte of bread towardes their foode neither is shée able to labour Wherefore I marueile sore at you that you wil bée so extreme vnto poore men whom God visited with pouertie to proue your charity What mercy will you haue at Christes hand the whiche is so extreme vnto your poore neighbour whom hée hath bought with his precious bloud Vnto this hée made me aunswere on this maner how that thyng pertained not to hym but vnto the Church wherfore hée sayd that all Doctours of law did say that they must sue therefore vnder the payne of deadly sinne And if it were wrong why did they learne so Now I had many wordes with hym betwéene him and me as concernyng this maner But the next day when I preached by the reason that the selfe same mā stoode afore me in y e Church was I brought to remembraunce of the case that hée and I had commoned of And bicause I had not clearely cōuerted hym therfore I recited the case in a parable that no man knew what I meant but hée I. And of this thyng was I moued as God knoweth to speake of suters the whiche I thinke in this case no Christen man can alow And therefore I say in myne Article these lawyers Now is there vtterly sinne among you sayth Paule bicause you goe to law one with an other why rather suffer you not wrōg why rather suffer ye not your selues to bée robbed Also our master sayth If any man will sue at the lawe and take thy coate from thée let him haue thy cloke also May not I say these wordes wherfore were they written by the holy ghost but that they should bée learned Here our master Christ and S. Paule speaketh agaynst suters no man can denye it the text is so cleare Now what suyng can bée vnlawfull if this bée not vnlawfull against the which I did speake Here is a poore man wife and children destroyed and no charitable wayes taken with the poore man whereby hée might make restitution And my learning saith That Summum ius summa iniuria est Wherefore I will bée iudged by all Christen men if I ought not in this case to géeue my frende counsell not for to sue Or whether I bée worthy to bée condemned for an hereticke because I counsell my frende and brother rather to suffer wrong than for to vndoe a whole housholde for a naughtie leude kettel But let vs sée how the holy doctours that hath written ouer these places of scripture doth erpounde them First Athanasius on this text of Saint Paule that I bryng There is vtterly sinne among you that is to say It is to your condemnation and to your ignomynie that you doe exercise iudicials among you Wherefore doe you not rather suffer wrong Also saint Hierome It is sinne vnto you that you doe against the cōmaūdemēt of Christ that you haue iudgementes among you the which ought alwayes to kéepe peace yea though it were with the losse of your temporall goods Wherefore doe you not rather suffer wronge Where as ye ought by the commaundement of the Gospell and by the example of the Lorde patiently to suffer there doe you the contrary not all onely not suffer but you doe wrong vnto them that doe no wronge c. Marke how S. Hierome calleth it a precepte and a commaundement and no counsell and also calleth it sinne to doe against this cōmaundement Likewise Haymo saith It is offence and sinne in you that you haue iudicials For accusation engendreth strife strife engendreth discorde discorde engendreth hatred And least paraduenture they woulde say this is no sinne to require mine owne Therefore sayth the Apostle Truely it is sinne vnto you for you doe against the cōmaundement of the Lord the which sayth He that taketh away thy good aske it not againe Wherefore doe you not rather suffer losse that ye might fulfill the commaundement of the Lord. c. Marke how hée calleth it the commaundement of God and it is sinne to aske our owne with contention Now what haue I sayde in mine article that holy scripture and also holy Doctours do not say But after this came a Doctour of lawe whom I knew not and sayde that their lawe had condemned thys epiniō and declared those scriptures to bée but counsels But I denyed that and sayd I knew no such lawe And sodainely Doctour Steuen now Byshop of Winchester shewed mée their lawe whose wordes bée
By this word doe we receiue lyfe as the prophet sayth Thy speach shall quicken mée Also the secreates of our hartes be opened by this word S. Paule declareth saying if there come one that doth not beléeue hée is reproued by the word of all men and the secreates of his harte are opened By this worde also is declared vnto vs grace and euerlasting lyfe as S. Paule sayth Christ hath put away death and hath brought lyfe and immortalitie vnto the light through the Gospell This is the thing onely where by that our conscience is losed and made frée from synne Therefore sayth the holy Prophet there is much peace vn to them that loue the lawe of God there is no sclauÌ„der vnto them Much peace is nothyng els but remission of sinnes yea that without any doubt for hée that is loosed by the worde of God that is hée that hath the open word of God for hym that his sinnes bée forgeueÌ„ him hée can not bée sclauÌ„dered that is there is nothyng can make him to doubt but though heauen and hell life and death doe threaten him hée is not offended hée is not sclaundered but hydeth fast knoweth surely that all these thynges must perishe but the word of God bydeth for euer Wherefore this is the very keye that iudgeth the thoughtes and the intentes of the hart as S. Paule sayth By this haue we also the very knowledge of our sinne as S. Paule declareth to the Romaines by this is also declared vnto vs grace also remission of our sinnes if we beléeue it Wherefore this must néedes bée the very true keye as you may sée euidently thoroughout all Scripture and not your boasted and craked power for there is no such thynge nor yet can bée in man that can loose the soule of man from hys sinne Wherefore it is damnable and deuillishe learning and commeth of the presumptuous pride of maÌ„ to learne that man hath a power in hym by the which power mans soule is bounde or loosed from sinne But this is all that man hath hée is a minister and a dispensator of the heauenly worde of God for whose sake our sinnes bée remitted when we beléeue it and our sinnes bée retained when wée doe de spise it Therfore the blessed word of God is the very keye and in that is all the might and power to loouse our sinnes and man is but a minister and a seruaunt vnto this worde This may bée prooued by our Maister Christes wordes where hée sayth Goe your wayes into all the worlde and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures and hée that doth beléeue and is baptised shal be saued but hée that doth not beléeue shall bee damned Here may you playnely sée that the Apostles bée but ministers and seruauntes and haue no power but alonely ministration The keyes that they haue whereby they must loose men and bynde is the very worde of God And therfore sayth our Maister Christ hée that beléeueth shall bée saued and hée that doth not beléeue shal bée damned By this worde did the holy Apostles declare grace thorough Christ and learned meÌ„ to set all their hope of saluation in Christ onely By this worde did they learne men to knowledge their sinne and to séeke for grace fully and wholly to hope for remission forgéeuenes of theyr sinnes in Christ onely Briefely by these keyes is opened all goodnes if they bée receaued And all goodnes is shutte from vs if wée receaue them not Now where this keye is receaued by faith there is all things â—wsed that is all sinnes bée forgéeuen and the consciences bée made frée And where it commeth not in nor is receaued by faith there all thynges bée shutte and bounde Of this maner did the holy Apostles bynde and loose when they preached this holy worde of God vnto y â— people As wée haue an open example of S. Peter that preached this holy worde and at his preaching y e hearers were pricked in their hartes and asked Peter what they myght doe and hée aunswered them repent and bée baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus for remission of your sinnes and you shall receaue the gifte of the holy Ghost wherfore as many as receaued his word were baptised Here you haue playnely the very true maner of loosing from sinnes as y e holy Apostles vsed it that is when the people beléeued the worde that they preached theÌ„ they declared how their sinnes were remitted for Christes sake and not thorow any power that they had for they were but ministers But the very power was in the word of God whereby they were deliuered from their sinnes This is well proued by our maister Christes word where hée sayth vnto them goe and preach saying That the kyngdome of heauen is at hande What is this the kyngdome of heauen not any power that is in man but remission of sinnes shall bée geuen to them that receiue either your power or your persons and therfore followeth it In what house you enter say first peace bée with you and if the house bée worthy your peace shall come vppon the same that is to say if they reciue your word and beléeue it than shall your peace that is the peace of the Gospel which you bring with you geue them quietnes of conscieÌ„ce and lose them from all synne But if the house bée not worthy your peace shall returne to you agayn and whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor will heare your preaching when you depart out of that house shake of the dust from your féete I say vnto you it shal be easyer for Sodom and Gomorra in the day of Iudgment then for that Cytie What is this your peace shall returne agayne nothing els but that they shall not bée pertakers thereof but shall remaine bound in their sinne And why because they receiue not your persons or your power nay trewlye but because they heare not your preaching It is not to bée doubted but that many men by hearing the Apostles preaching the word of God were losed from their synnes and yet neuer spake with the Apostles Wherefore the receauyng of the word not the Apostle loseth vs from our sinnes for that cause the Apostle did declare by their departing froÌ„ theÌ„ that would not beleue the word y e they remained still in their sinnes for as S. Marke sayth your departyng shal bée a testimonie agaynst them that is to say a token of their condemnation We haue also an open practise of S. Paule how hée dyd bynde theÌ„ that did not receiue his preaching to whoÌ„ hée sayth these wordes Your bloud vpon your heades I will departe froÌ„ hence in clennes vnto the Gentiles Now haue you playnely how the holy Apostle dyd bynde and loose and with what keye they did it that is by preachyng of the holy word of God And because this thyng shoulde
bée dons without any errour and that no man should doubt in it hée gaue them the holye ghost saying these wordes whose sinnes you doe forgeue shall bee forgeuen whose sinnes you doe retaine shall bée retained To these wordes addeth S. Luke Thē opened hée their wytte that they might vnder stand the Scriptures so that where S. Iohn sayth hée gaue them the holy ghost Luke sayeth hée opened their wytte to vnderstand Scripture It foloweth in Luke thus thus is it written that Christe must suffer death and rise agayne the thyrd day that repentaūce remission of sinnes shoulde bée preached in hys name among all nations Now where Saint Iohn sayth whose sins you doe loose shall bée loosed c. That sayth Luke in these wordes remissiō of sinnes must bée preached in hys name So that whose sinnes you doe loose shal bée loosed is nothyng els but that you must preach remission of sins in my name and as many as receiue this word you shall loose them by this word as many as doe not receiue it you shall bynde them by that same word That this is the sentence of these two places it is opē by that that they speake all of one story of that thyng that was done all in one day This doth also S. Paule prooue wel where hée reciteth the wordes of Luke saying Christ must néedes suffer ryse agayne from death and this Iesus is Christ Here is it plaine that s Paule losed men from their sinnes by preaching remissiō through Christ so that you haue openly here the practise of the holy Apostles how they did bynde loose by preaching the word of God They did bynde with the word when it was not beléeued They dyd loose by the worde when it was beléeued Thus dyd they by one word preache both saluation and damnatiō but vnto diuers men This vertue of the worde doth S. Paule declare in these wordes we are vnto God the swéete sauour of Christe both among them that are saued and also among them which perish To the one part are we the sauour of death vnto death vnto the other parte are we the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe What is this sauour nothyng els but the Gospell which is vnto one sauour of lyfe that is nothyng els but loosing and remission of sinnes And vnto the other it is the sauour of death vnto death that is occasion of bynding and reteinyng in sinne This doth Paule also declare in an other place The preachyng of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnes But vnto vs whiche are saued it is the power of God What is y e power of God nothyng els but remission and losing from our sinnes What is foolishenes nothyng els but they despise the Gospell recken it of no value and of no power Wherfore they remayne bound in their sinne Thus is it declared that one word of God worketh in diuers mē diuers operatiōs In y e one it worketh lyfe y e is remission of sinnes in the other worketh it death is taken for foolishnes that is it declareth them bounde and retained in their dānable sinnes and yet in him selfe hée is of one goodnes and of our nature but the diuersitie commeth of them that bée the receiuers This may bée proued by a naturall example The dew of heauē cōmeth downe indifferently vppon all grounde but in the one it bryngeth forth good corne swéete frutes and in the other it bryngeth forth nettles brombilles that bée nothyng worth but to the fier This exāple haue you in the epistle to the Hebrues for this same purpose Likewise by one word doe the holy Apostles Christes ministers loose and bynde but this doe they not by charmyng coungeryng iugglyng and whyslyng absolutions as you doe But by preachyng the holy word of God which when it is beléeued doth quiet and loose our conscience from all sinne and offereth it vs through Christ onely But when it is not beléeued then doth it bynde vs and retaine vs in sinne So that this holy worde is the very true keye of heauen for by it heauen is opened and shut This doth Chrisostome wel prooue in these wordes The key is the word and the knowledge of Scriptures whereby the gate of veritie is opened vnto men c. S. Augustine doth also witnes the same saying These keyes hath bée geuen to the Churche that what shée byndeth in earth shall bée bound in heauē and what shée looseth in earth shall bée loosed in heauen that is to say who soeuer doth not beléeue that his sinnes bée forgeuē hym in the Churche they bée not forgeuen hym But hée that doth beléeue and auerte him selfe from his sinnes beyng with in the Church by that same fayth and amendement is hée made whole c. Here haue you openly that by bée leeuing the worde of God our sinnes bée loosed by vnbeléefe bée we boūde in our sins But now must we search to whom these keyes bée geuen They may not all onely bée geuen to Peter for then Paule and the two sonnes of thunder had them not Nor they may not bee geuen to one more then to the other For Christ was indifferent and they were all his Apostles their confession was all one Wherfore no doubt but these keyes weare geuen vnto all Christes Apostles vnto the whole Church as S. Augustine doth declare openly vpon Iohn This may bée also proued by the wordes of your owne lawe which bée these if Peter haue power all onelye to binde and to loose then doth it not the Church But if this bée donne in the Church then did Peter when hée receaued y e keyes sygnifie holy chucrh c. Heare haue you openly that Peter had not onely the keyes but hée receiued them in the name of the Church Wherefore they béelong to all Christen men This doth Origene well prooue in these wordes Tu es Petrus c. These wordes were spoken vnto Peter vnto all Apostles vnto all maner of perfect faythfull men for all they are Petrus in all them is builded the church of Christ and agaynst none of them can the gates of hell preuayle Doost thou recken that y t keyes of heauen were all onely geuen to Peter and that no other Christen man did receaue them c. Here is it clearely that all Christen men bée Peter and all they haue receyued the keyes of heauen and hell can not preuayle agaynst them S. Augustine doth also testifie the same in these wordes Wherefore the church which is founded and grounded in Christ of hym hath receyued in Peter the keyes of heauen that is to say power to bynde and loose c. Thus is it playne that those keyes are geuē to y e whole church of Christ for her fayth and they bée the cōmon treasure of the Church and béelonge no more to one man then to
cast into the fire All this is wors and wors Finally hée burneth this is worst of all for here is hée past helpe so that this is the strength that fréewill hath to bryng him selfe to vtter destruction Now where will our Duns men bryng in their Bonum conatum they are so longe in bryngyng of it in that fréewill is brought to the fire there can hée neither saue him selfe froÌ„ burning nor yet helpe him selfe out But to this my Lord of Rochester aunswereth in a certaine place that fréewill can doe no good meritorious sed tameÌ„ non omnino facit nihil What is this to say but nihil If hée doe no good y t is meritorious nor worthy of thaÌ„ke before God I pray you what doth hée but nihil Our disputation is what goodnes that hée can doe wtout grace and you graunt that hée can doe no goodnes and yet you say that hée can doe somethyng But let vs sée how S. Augustine vnderstandeth this text of S. Iohn Lest any man should suppose that the braunche of hym selfe could bryng forth at the lest wayes a litle frute therfore sayth hée nor with out me can you doe a litle but without me can you doe nothyng therfore whether it bée litle or much without him can it not bée done without whoÌ„ is nothyng done One of two things must the braunche néedes doe either abyde in the vyne or els burne in the fier if it bée not in the vyne then is it in the fire c. My Lord where will you bryng in here your somethyng that fréewill doth Saint Augustine sayth without grace caÌ„ fréewil doe neither litle nor much for if shée bée not in Christ shée burneth in the fire Call you that somwhat Where bée nowe M. Dunsis meÌ„ with their bonum conatum bonum studium applicationem ad bonum Here must they néedes lye in the fire with all their good inteÌ„tes with their good preparations and their holy dispositions Also S. Paule we are not sufficient to thinke any thyng of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God What is this that we are not able to thinke any thyng of our selues what can bée a smaller thyng theÌ„ to thinke and yet this small thynge can we not doe It is also open that Saint Paule meaneth not of the thinkyng that coÌ„meth by naturall power for y t God doth not let but letteth it proceede after his first ordinaunce as we haue open experience in infidels But here hée speaketh of such a thinkyng as is acceptable and thankful before God and therefore foloweth it God hath made vs worthy ministers of y e new Testament Here is it open that hée speaketh of that thinking that is a singular and a speciall gift of God and not of the common gift of nature for that were nothyng to the ministratioÌ„ of the Gospell But let vs sée what S. Barnarde sayth of this text What shall we say is this alonely all the merite of fréewill that hée doth alonely consent yea doubtles Not that the same consent in the whiche is all his merite is not of God when that we can neither thinke the whiche is lesse then to consent any thyng of our selues as though we were sufficient of our selues These wordes bée not myne but the Apostles the whiche geueth vnto God and not to his fréewil all maner of thinges that can bée good that is to say to thinke to will or to performe c. Here you not that all thyngs that can bée good S. Barnarde geueth to God Now what strength hath fréewill hee can neither thinke good nor wel nor yet performe it what remaineth I know nothyng but either it is included in thinking in willyng or in performyng and all these bée geueÌ„ to God Also our maister Christ saith Shal men gather grapes of thornes or figges of bromble bushes An euill trée can bryng foorth no good frute What meaneth our maister wheÌ„ hée sayth that grapes bée not gathered of thornes nothyng els but that y e frute must bée lyke the manner of the trée And therefore sayth hée an euill trée can not bryng forth good frute Now can you not denye but that fréewill without grace is an euill trée Ergo his frute must needes bée euil hée may well bryng forth frute but it shall not bée good Is not all fréewils power declared in these wordes hée can not I pray you what meaneth our maister Christ in these woordes hee can not Christ sayd hée can not and will you say hée can Also our maister sayth You adders byrdes howe can you speake good thynges séeyng that you bée euill Had not these men fréewill and yet sayth our maister they could not speake good thynges You recken it but a small power to speake good and yet as small as it is fréewill can not doe it hée may well speake but it shall not bée good For how should hée speake good that is euill of him selfe how should hée doe good that knoweth no good but is the very enemy of goodnes yea and asmuch as â—yeth in him hée wold there were no goodnes You haue also a commoÌ„ principle there is nothyng loued and desired but that that is knowne Now how should fréewill flée from sinne and desire goodnes and hée knoweth not whiche is very sinne and which not As S. Paule sayth by the law is the knowledge of sinne so blinde as fréewil that hée knoweth not sinne to bée sinne nor vertue to bee vertue but iudgeth that thyng to bée good that is euill and that thyng that is euill to bée good for hée is lost hath no true iudgement As S. Augustine sayth what goodnes can hée doe that is lost except that hée bée deliuered from his miserie Can hée doe good by his fréewill God forbyd for man euill vsing his freewill did both loose him selfe also his freewill and as man being alyue doth kill him self wheÌ„ hee hath killed him selfe hée caÌ„ not make him selfe aliue agayne So likewise wheÌ„ we doe sinne by fréewill sinne hath the victory then is fréewil cleane lost for of whom a man is ouercome vnto hym must hée bée seruaunt Doubtles this sentence is of Peter the Apostle the whiche séeyng that it is true I pray you what maner of freedome can a bonde seruaunt haue except it bée when it pleaseth him to sinne c. What can bée sayd to this doth hée not clearely say that maÌ„ hath lost his fréewil by sinne and can no more doe vnto goodnes then a dead man can doe to make him selfe alyue agayne yea hée can doe nothyng but delight in sinne Call you that a fréedome Call you that bonum conatuÌ„ Call you that a preparyng to grace S. Augustine doth declare what goodnes that fréewill deserueth without grace saying O cursed fréewill without God we haue experience what freewill caÌ„ doe without God therfore are we miserable because we haue
iudge and if Christes worde condemne the couÌ„sell who shal approoue it who shall prayse it who shall defende it The temporall sworde nor the multitude of Byshops nor interdiction excommunication nor cursing can then helpe Wherefore let euery true ChristeÌ„ man looke on this matter indifferently it is no trifling wyth God nor with his holy worde for God will remayne for euer his holy word must bée fulfilled and if we wil not fulfill it bée shal cast vs down to the déepe pit of hell and make of stones meÌ„ in our stede that shall kéepe his worde It is no light thyng for it lyeth on the saluation and damnation both of body and soule froÌ„ the which we can not bée deliuered with these glorious wordes Concilium ConciliuÌ„ Patres Patres Episcopi Episcopi for all these may bée the ministers of the deuill yea though they were aungels Therfore ones agayne I doe monish and exhorte in the glorious name of the lyuing God and in y e swéet bloud of Christ Iesus all true ChristeÌ„ men to take héede what they doe agaynste Christes holy word whiche is their eternal God their mercyfull redemerand shall bée also their mighty and glorious iudge Now let vs examine the wordes of the Councell First of all the Councell graunteth that in the begynning of the church all Christen men were houseled vnder both kyndes nowe would I knowe of the Councell of whom the Church had receiued this maner of Christ or his holy Apostles as doubtles shée dyd then what authoritye had the Councell to chaunge the institution of Christ and of his holy Apostles and also the vse and practise of holy Church was not the first Churche of God Did shée not kéepe Christes institution did shée not fulfill Christes word Did not y e holy Apostles learne here so And now shall the Councell of Constance first condemne Christ and his blessed word then the learnyng of Christes holy Apostles and also the long vse and practise of Christes blessed Church without any Scripture without authoritie or without any speciall reuelation froÌ„ God but alonely for auoydyng of certeine perils Yea and not content alonely to coÌ„demne these thinges but vnder the paine of heresie to coÌ„demne them This is to sore a coÌ„demnation of Christes open woorde and of that thyng whiche they graunt that the Church dyd vse at the begynnyng Furthermore the Councell sayth that holy fathers and the Church dyd bryng in this custome to housell laye men vnder one kinde Are you not ashamed of these woordes Doth not your conscience prike you thus openly to lye yea of Christ and of his holy Church Christes worde is openly agaynste you and you graunt that the vse of the church was also otherwise And as for holy fathers here may you sée what they say to it but you are the children of the kyngdome of lyes and doubtlesse if you bryng not foorth the holy fathers that make for you you shall not alonely bée taken for abhominable and â—…en lyers but also for shameful and detestable sclaunderers both of holy Church and also of holy fathers But it is no wonder for Antichrist must declare him selfe openly to bée agaynst Christ yet is hée neuer without an excuse and a shaddow of holynes where by hée may blynd the poore people But what excuse had hée here in the Councell to coÌ„demne Christes worde That they might auoyde certaine sclauÌ„ders and perrils béecause that there is no body without bloud Bée not these lawfull causes to condemne Christes open word yea and that vnder the payne of heresie Is not this a new maner of law to make that hée that will not obeye a statute made agaynst Gods word which hée is bouÌ„de to obey vnder payne of euerlastyng damnation alonely for auoydyng perrils to bée condemned for an hereticke Briefely by this reason may they condemne all holy Scripture by laying icoperdies perrils thereto they may condemne all the creatures of God for there may bée perill in vsing of them all But what néede many wordes to prooue this Councell to bée of the deuill for if that bée not of the deuill that is contrary to Christ and hath no excuse for it but alonely to auoyde perrils I caÌ„ not tell what is of the deuill I am sure Antichrist shall neuer bée without some carnall excuse for if hée will deny Christ to bée both God man hée shall haue stronger carnall reasons for him then the Councell hath for this but this matter must not bée iudged by carnal reasons It is Gods worde that is aboue all creatures wherefore let vs goe to the Scriptures as a sure ancore to ouercome Antichrist with all his carnall reasons First our maister Christ when hée dyd institute this blessed Sacrament did vse these woordes take it and eate it this is my body c. Likewise takyng the challice hée gaue thankes gaue it vnto them saying drinke all of this this is my bloud of the newe testament the which shall bée shed for many into remission of sinnes These bée playne wordes drinke of it all hée that sayth all excepteth no man Furthermore hée knewe that there might bée ieoperdies in the receiuyng of it yet hée sayth drinke of it all for it is my bloud that shall bée shed for the remission of sinnes Now was it not shed for lay mens sinnes why shal they not then drinke of it The maister and the Lord sayth drinke therof and shall the miserable seruaunt withstand his commaundemeÌ„t yea commaunde the playne contrary and say drinke not therof But now commeth my Lord of Rochester which perceiueth that the Councel is connict in that that it consenteth that the whole Church in the begynnyng did receiue this Sacrament vnder both kyndes and yet forbiddeth that same thyng and sayth to mainteine this errour that Christe spake these wordes drinke of it all alonely to his Apostles for there were no other men there but the Apostles and therfore they must alonely drinke therof I aunswere My Lord if this thing were alonely lawfull vnto the Apostles how will you discharge the primatiue Churche in the whiche were those men that Christ ministred this Sacrament vnto yea the selfe men did minister it vnder both kyndes to the whole congregation accordyng to this commaundement drinke of it all Dout not but they vnderstoode Christes will as well as you in this commaundement But in the way of communication let vs grauÌ„t you that to the Apostles this was onely sayd how will you theÌ„ discharge your owne Priestes from deadly sinne the which receiue it vnder both kindes and yet bée they neither Apostles nor successours of theÌ„ but after your own learnyng the Bishops alonely bée their successours the Priestes doe represent lxxij Disciples Shal they in this thyng represeÌ„t the Apostles and in absoluyng from sinne but the Disciples But let vs sée farther in your for fetched reason tel vs how
scattered far and long in her trew head Christ Iesus taught hath learned not to feare the contâ—…elyes of the Crosse nor yet of death but more and more is shee strengthned not in resistyng but in sufferyng c. 250. col 2 The Popes law sayth Therfore is the Church holy because shee beleueth righteously in God c. 246. col 2 The Popes law sayth The whole Church can not erre Also in an other place of the congregation of faythfull men must needes bee which also caÌ„ not erre c. 247. col 2 ¶ That the keyes of the Churche bee the Woorde of God and not mans power HIerome sayth vppon these wordes I shall geue thee the keyes of heaueÌ„ This place the Byshops the Priests not vnderstanding haue vsurped vnto them somewhat of the Phariseis pride so that they thinke that they may condemne innocentes and loose them that bee giltie wheÌ„ beefore God not the sentence of the Priest but the lyfe of the giltie is regarded c. 257. col 2 Augustine sayth That must bee called a key where by the hardnes of our hartes are opened vnto fayth where by y t secretnes of myndes are made manifest A key it is sayth hee the whiche doth both open the conscience to the knowledge of sinne and also includeth grace vnto the wholsomnes of euerlastyng mistery c. 258. col 1 This doth Chrisostome well proue in these wordes Thâ— key is the word the knowledge of Scriptures wherby the gate of veritie is opened vnto men c. 261. col 1 Augustine doth also witnes the same saying These keyes hath hee geuen to the Church that what shee byndeth in in earth shall bee bounde in heaueÌ„ and what shee looseth in earth shal bee loosed in heaueÌ„ that is to say who soeuer doth not beleeue that his sinnes bee forgeuen hym in the Church they bee not forgeuen hym But hee that doth beleeue and auerte hym selfe from hys sinnes beyng within the Churche by that same fayth and amendement is he made whole c. 261. col 1 Origene vpon these wordes Tu es Petrus c. The wordes were spoken vnto Peter vnto all Apostles vnto all maner of perfect faythfull men for all they are Petrus and in all them is builded the Church of Christ and agaynst none of them can the gates of hell preâ—ayle Doost thou reckeÌ„ that the keyes of heauen were alonely geuen to Peter and that no other Christen maÌ„ dyd receaue them c. 261. col 2 Augustine doth also testifie the same in these wordes Wherfore the Church whiche is founded and grounded in Christ of hym hath receiued in Peter the keyes of heaueÌ„ that is to say power to bynde and loose c. 261. col 2 Chrisostome sayth The key bearers are Priestes vnto whom is committed the word to teach and to interprete Scripture c. 262. col 2 Ambrose sayth Sinnes bee forgeueÌ„ by the word of God whose interpreter is the Deacon c. 262. col 2 Chrisostome sayth Behold I see meÌ„ that haue no trew sence of holy Scripture yea they vnderstand nothyng at all therof to passe ouer many things for I am ashamed to call them madde men triflers and wranglers they bee such as know not what they say nor of what thyng they speake but alonely bee they mightye and bolde to make lawes and to curse and coÌ„demne those thynges of the whiche they know nothyng at all c. 265. col 2 The Popes â–ª law sayth If Peter haue power alonely to bynde and to loose then doth it not the Church But if this bee done in the Church then did Peter wheÌ„ hee receaued the keyes signifie holy Church c. 261. col 2 ¶ That free will of man after the fall of Adam of his naturall streÌ„gth can doe nothyng but sinne beefore God AVgustine sayth Lest any maÌ„ should suppose that the braunche of hym selfe could bryng forth at y t lest wayes a litle srute therfore saith hee nor with out me can you doe a litle but without we caÌ„ you doe nothyng Therefore whether it bee litle or much without him can it not bee done without whoÌ„ is nothyng done One of two thinges must the braunche needes doe either abyde in the vyne or els burne in the fire if it bee not in the vyne then is it in the fire c. 267. col 1 Barnarde sayth What shall we say is this alonely all the merite of freewill that hee doth alonely coÌ„sent yea doubtles Not that the same consent in the which is all his merite is not of God when that we can neither thinke the which is lesse then to coÌ„sent any thing of our selues as though we were sufficient of our selues These wordes bee not myne but the Apostles the whiche geueth vnto God and not to his free-will all maner of thinges that can bee good that is to say to thinke to will or to performe c. 267. col 2 Augustine sayth What goodnes can hee doe that is lost except that hee bee deliuered from his miserie Can hee doe good by his freewill God forbyd for man euill vsyng hys freewill dyd both loose him selfe and also his freewil and as man beeyng alyue doth kil him selfe and when he hath killed him selfe hee can not make hym selfe alyue agayne So likewise when we doe sinne by freewil and sinne hath the victory then is freewill cleane lost for of whom a man is ouercome vnto hym must hee bee seruaunt Doubtles this sentence is of Peter the Apostle the which seeing that it is true I pray you what maner of freedome caÌ„ a bonde seruaunt haue except it bee when it pleaseth him to sinne c. 268. col 1 Augustine sayth O cursed freewill without God we haue experieÌ„ce what freewil can doe without God therfore are we miserable because we haue experience what freewill is able to doe without God Behold maÌ„ was made good by his freewill was hee made an euill man When shall an euill man by his freewill forsaking God make a man good hee beeyng good could not keepe him selfe good and now that he is euill shall hee make him selfe good when that hee was good hee kept not hym selfe good and now that hee is euill shall hee say I make my selfe good c. 268. col 2 Augustine sayth Hee that feedeth without mee feedeth agaynst mee c. 269. col 2 Augustine sayth Thou wilt say that can my will doe that can my freewill doe What will what manner of free-will except that hee guide thee thou fallest except hee lift thee vp thou lyest stil How canst thou then doe it by thy spirite seeing that the Apostle saith As many as bee led by the spirite of God bee the children of God Wilt thou doe of thy selfe Wilt thou bee led of thyne owne selfe to mortifie the deedes of the flesh what will it profite thee
as yee ought by the commaundement of the Gospell and by the example of y t Lorde patiently to suffer there doe you the coÌ„trary not all onely not suffer but you doe wrong vnto them y t doe no wrong c. 209. col 1 Haymo sayth It is offence and sinne in you that you haue Iudicials For accusation engendreth strife strife engendreth discorde discorde engendreth hatred And least peraduenture they woulde say this is no sinne to require myne owne Therefore sayth y t Apostle Truely it is sinne vnto you for you do against the commaundement of y t Lord the which sayth Hee that taketh away thy good aske it not agayne Wherefore doe you not rather suffer losse that ye might fulfill the commaundement of the Lorde c. 209. col 1 That Auricular confessioÌ„ is not necessary to saluation translated into English out of his booke De Doctorum Sententijs ¶ De Poenitentia Dist 1. Cap. Conuertimini TVrne vnto me with all your hart and I will turne vnto you By turnyng is ment the turnyng vpsidedowne of the hart For if our hart bee turned thoroughly from euill vnto God it forthwith deserueth the frute of conuersion that God beyng turned from wrath to mercy may pardoÌ„ our offences which beefore hee intended to reueÌ„ge Wherby it is geuen vs to vnderstand that without any confession of mouth we may bee forgeuen By this meanes also these leypers whom the Lord wylled to shew them selues to the priestes were made whole and souÌ„d in the way before they came to the Priestes By which fact it is geuen vs to vnderstaÌ„d that before we shewe our faces to the Priest that is before we confesse our sinnes we are clensed from the lepry of â—inne It foloweth by this also that the Lord would declare that not by y t sentence of the Priest but by the gift of diuine grace the sinner is made cleane He cleÌ„sed the lepour by touching afterward according to the law coÌ„maunded him to offer sacrifice It foloweth but before hee came to the Priest hee is clensed whilest that by the contrition of his hart before the confession of the mouth remission of sinne is graunted Therfore onely coÌ„trition in the which is made a reuiuing taketh away sinne Hee hath therfore his reuiuour present with him and dwellyng within hym ¶ In the same place Cap. Scindite REnt your hartes and not your garmeÌ„t c. Shewyng that in the contritioÌ„ of the hart which is vnderstanded by the rentyng therof sinnes were forgeuen and not by confessioÌ„ of the mouth which is a part of exteriour satisfactioÌ„ which hee calleth the rentyng of our garmentes by a part vnderstandyng the whole ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius IN what houre soeuer a sinner shal be conuerted c. For it is not said wheÌ„ soeuer hee shal coÌ„fesse with his mouth but onely when hee shall bee turned shall bee sory for his sinnes hee shall liue and not dye ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius THey doe more easely purchase gods fauour which beeing not conuicted by mans iudgement but of their own accord acknowlege their faultes which doe either by their owne confessions bewray the same or els when other meÌ„ know not what priuye offenders they bee doe coÌ„demne them selues to voluntary excommunication and seperating them selues from the aulter whereon they ministred not by compultion but willingly bewayle their life as no life beeyng sure that they beeyng recoÌ„ciled by the fruites of effectual peniteÌ„cy they do not onely recouer things that were lost from God but beeyng also made Citizens of the euerlastyng habitation they may come to ioy euerlastyng ¶ Chrisostome vpon the Psalme Miserere mei Homi. 11. COnfesse thy sinnes that thou mayst blot them out if thou be abashed to confesse that thou hast offended coÌ„fesse them dayly in thy soule I doe not say that thou shouldest confesse to thy companion or felow seruaunt who may obrayed thee declare theÌ„ to God who hath regarde of them But if thou declare them not is God ignoraunt of them or will hee learne them by thee When thou didest theÌ„ hee was at haÌ„d wheÌ„ thou coÌ„mittest them hee had perfect knowledge ¶ The same Chrisostome vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues LEt vs therfore persuade our selues that we haue sinned nor let the toung onely pronounce it but the inward conscience also Neither let vs onely say that wee bee sinners but let vs specially accompt euery singulare offence I doe not say y t thou shouldest bewray thy selfe publikly neither that thou shouldst accuse thy selfe to others but I would haue thee obey the Prophet saying Reuele thy waye vnto the Lord. ¶ S. Ambrose De Poenitentia Petri Sermo 46. PEter brust forth into teares askyng nothing with his voice I doe finde that hee wept but I finde not what he sayed Of his teares I read but of hys satisfaction I read nothyng ¶ S. Augustine lib. 10. coÌ„fession cap. 1. THerfore to thee Lord am I manifestly knowen what soeuer I am what profiteth me then to confesse my selfe vnto thee Neither doe I it with wordes of the flesh or with voyce but with the wordes of my soule and with clamour of my thought which thy eare vnderstandeth For whereas I am euill to confesse my selfe vnto thee is nothyng els but to mislike of my selfe And when I am godly to confesse me vnto thee is nothyng els then not to attribute the same to my selfe Because thou Lord doest blesse the iust but first thou doest iustifie hym beeyng wicked My confession therfore my God in thy sight is made vnto thee both secretely and not secretly For it is secret in speach but crieth out in hart Neither doe I say any good thyng vnto men which thou hast not first heard of me neither thou also shalt heare any such thyng of me which thou hast not first shewed vnto me What therfore haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confession as though they should heale all my sorowes griefes who commonly are wont to bee curious to know an other mans lyfe and slow to amende their owne Why demauÌ„d they of me to heare what I am which will not heare of thee who they them selues are And how know they that they heare of me to bee true Forasmuch as no man knoweth what is done in man but the spirite of maÌ„ that is in man ¶ De Poenitentia Distinc 1. Cap. Quinatus FOrasmuch therfore as it is proued that before our confession wee are quickened by grace and made the children of light it manifestly appeareth that onely by the contrition of the hart without confession of the mouth sinne is remitted ¶ In the same place Cap. Omnes qui. THerfore confession is made for the vtteraunce and not for obtaynyng of pardon And euen as Circumcision was geueÌ„ to Abraham as a signe of iustice and not as the cause of iustificatioÌ„ So the confession to the Priest is offered as a signe of
Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Luke The Prologue of W. Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Iohn The epistle to the Romaynes to the excellentest part of the new Testament Here you must note these wordes law sinne c. Law how it is to be vnderstand The law of God requireth the bottom of our hartes S. Paul was a great persecutor of the christians If we be not willing to do good then doth sinne raign in vs. No man can fulfill the law but Christ onely The pâ—â—e and perfect kepyng of the law is to do the â—aâ—e of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 but oâ— inward loue The law encreaseth sinne The law is spiritual The spirite of god maketh a maÌ„ spirituall The law is good righteous and holy Workes of the law the fulfilling of the law are two things By the workes of the law no man can be iustified As the law is spiritual so it must be fulfilled spiritually Where true fayth is there is the spirit of God Our iustification is by fayth in Christ Out of true fayth springeth all good workeâ— Oâ—synne Sinne what it is Sinne in y â— scripture is chiefly called vnbe liefe Grace how it is vnderstand in the scriptures Gift what it is God for Christes sake receaueth vs. There is no damnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Faith what it is False and fained faith True faith is liuely Fayth is not idle The true definition of fayth Good workeâ— cannot be separate from true fayth Righteousnes how it is to be vnderstaÌ„d Flesh spirite what they are â—ow to vnderstand them How this word fleshe is to be vnderstand in the Scripture Increduâ—â—tie is the chief of all sinnes Fleshe is here well described What soâ—euer procedeth of faith is spirituall A necessary and profitable instruction for all preachers The maner of S. PauÌ„les doctrine Nature is so blinde that we caÌ„not see nor vnderstand the goodnes of God hys mercy shewed vnto vs in Christ Iesu hys â—owne S. Paule coÌ„demneth all hipocrisiâ— How S. Paul rebuketh hypocrites The difference betwene the Iewe the Gentile All men are sinners The waye howe wee must bee made righteous Faith obteineth the fulfillyng of the law S. Paule auÌ„swereth to the caueling question that our Papistes vse agaynst iustificatioÌ„ of faith onely Good workes are ouâ— ward signes of true fayth Wee are first iustified theÌ„ foloweth good workes Gods mercy moueth vs to fayth in his promises so that God in al things worketh our iustification Gods mercy saueth vs and not we our selues If we lack Abrahams fayth we cannot be Abrahams children Fayth onely receaueth the grace that coÌ„meth by Abraham The frutes workes of fayth Fayth before all workes iustifieth Good workes are the fruites of fayth Where true fayth is there are good workes Where fayth lacketh there is all euill workes As by â—â—aÌ„ came sinne so by Christ came saluation The principall work of faith and the battaile betwen the spirite and the flesh What it is not to be vnder the law What it is to be vnder the lawe The right fredome libertie froÌ„ sinne and from the law Example Our consciences bound and in daunger to the lawe by olde Adam so loÌ„g as he liueth in vs. The law requireth of vs that which we cannot pay The law doth vtter and declare what sinne is What wâ— may do of our selues and what we may not do Where feare and shame is away there all wickednes is committed The fleshe is contrary to the sprite The sprite lusteth contrary to the flesh There is no daunger to theÌ„ that are in Christ The right worke of fayth is to mortify the flesh Predestiâ—… cion is in the handes of God How farre we may proceede in predestination Predestinâ—tion is not rashly to be disputed of Which are good workes mete to be done Loue is y â— fulfilling of the law We must deale louingly with our weake brethren The weaknes of our brethren is to be considered In the epistle to the Romaines is conteyned a sufficient doctrine for a Christen man Beware of the traditious of men This epistle declareth it self Weake and yong consciences as to be stubborne for the last shal receiue the equall reward with the first Loue fulfilleth the law It is the parte of a good shepherd to veÌ„ture hys lyfe for hys sheepe tribulatioÌ„ for the Gospell sake maketh vs sure of eternall lyfe All that repent are iustified thorough saith by Christ and not by workes The law condeÌ„neth but the beleuyng of Gods promises iustifieth In sekyng any other satisfaction theÌ„ Christ we beceauâ— our selues Hereby are we warned that workes saue vs not but the word that is the promise Mannes righteousnes zeale or imagination without Gods worde is odious For fayth when it is preached bringeth y e spirite and power to fulfill the law Who so hath a pure fayth can not but abouÌ„d with good workes Not the receauyng of the Gospel but the coÌ„tinuaunce to the latter ende maketh vs blessed He meaneth therby lest they should fall from the worde they had already receaued PatieÌ„ce in persecution for Christs sake rewarded with y â— crowne of euerlasting ioy and felicitie Hereby haue we euident signes that the latter day is at hand The office of a bishop The Pope his Prelates are here playnly set forth for what Christ loosed freely the Pope did bynd it to lose it agayne for money Vertuous Byshops are worthy double honor Byshops must be vigilant in their vocationâ— This hath already ben fulfilled in our spiritualtie What maner a man a Byshop or Curate ought to be Good deedes please god so farre foorth as they are applied to the kepyng of the commaundements but Christ onely iustifieth Christ is all to a Christen man MeÌ„ ought to rule theyr wiues with godâ— word To watch is not onely to abstaine from slepe but also to auoyde all occasions that may drawe vs to sinne As god reioyceth not in the dede it selfe â–ª so doth he not in â—…dle faith without works Good workes are a shew of our fayth as the fruit is of the tree He prophesieth of the popes spiritualtie The condition of the worlde shall waxe worse and worse Where 〈◊〉 true fayth is there are also good workes Christes bloud purchaseth forgeuenes of sinnes and not mans workes Whether this were Paules epistle or no great learned men haue doubted Some deny it to haue bene written by anye Apostle and refuse it as not Catholike A solution of the former doubts This not to be denied to be Paules Epistle Mercy is locked vp from hym which wilfully yeldeth his body 〈◊〉 soule to sinne No place in the scripture so plainly describeth the significations figures of the olde testament as this epistle doth This epistle for that it agreeth with the rest of the scripture ought to be of equal authoritie with the other This epistle is to be taken as holy scripture The papistes alleage this text for their purpose thorough misunderstandyng the same Fayth only
and of his Apostles and iudge their fruites What blessing meaneth The commaundement maketh Priestes Putting on of haÌ„ds What Iudas is now A point of practise ☞ Repentaunce Repentaunce is signified by Baptime ☜ One confession is to knowledge wherein thou puttest thy trust If when tyrauntes oppose thee thou haue power to confesse then art thou sure that thou art sate An other confession is to knowledge thy sinnes in 〈…〉 vnto God Shrift Shrift was put downe for knauery among the Greekes But is stablished theâ— by among vs. How a maÌ„ shall know that 〈◊〉 sinnes are forgeuen Blind reason to their guide and not Gods spirite Learne to know them for they are verely lepers in theyr hartes AttritioÌ„ is of the leues of the phariseis Whom a man offendeth 〈◊〉 must hee confesse It hath no recorde in 〈◊〉 y â— Scripture that God shuld crepe in hyde him 〈◊〉 in Antichristes eare Christ is 〈◊〉 euerlastyng satisfaction Baptisme â—…steth eâ—er Of byndyng and loosing and of the Popes authoritie or power The Pope chalengeth power not ouer man onely but ouer God also Purgatory is the Popes creature he may therfore be bold there The Pope bindeth the aungels The true byndyng loosing S. Hierome agaynst Bishops and Priestes The curse is to bee feared The right maner of loosing ☜ Christ vnderstode this texte all power is geueÌ„ me in heauen in earth also vsed it farre other wise then the Pope ☜ What authoritie Christ gaue hys Apostles The right byndyng loosyng How the Pope reigneth vnder Christ A poena et a culia is a proper breaâ—… The Pope is more mightie more mercifull for money theÌ„ God is for the death of his onely sonne The merites of saintes The merites of Christ The Pope selleth that which God geueth frely Fryers Sinne is y â— best marchaundise that is Christ prophesied of Antichrist and tolde why he shoulde come The promises are either put out or leauened and why All is in Latin The Pope commaundeth God to curse A custome that is vsed in the marches of waies Gods sacramentes preach Gods promises The popes sacraments are dumme Christening of belles Why SuffragaÌ„s are ordeined The Byshops deuide all among theÌ„ Ceremonies bring not the holy Ghost Putting on of haÌ„ds Prayer of fayth doth the miracles The â—…ting on oâ— hands doth neither helpe nor hinder What soeuer is not of fayth is sinne The latine tounge destroyeth the sayth That the worke without y â— promise saueth is unproued The prople beleue in y â— worke without y â— prâ—…e Volowâ—…g ☜ The worke saueth not but the worde that is to say 〈◊〉 promise ☜ Workes be they neuer so glorious iustifie not In all thing they leaue ouâ— the promises How farre forth the deede is acceptable to God Our prayers acceptable according to our fayth ouâ— deedes according to the measure of loue A ChristeÌ„ maÌ„ nedeth not to go a pilgrimage to be saued therby Saluation is with in vs. Confession ☞ Byshops worke there treason thorough confession Kynges be sworne to the bishops and not the Byshops vnto the kynges How shall they preach except they be sent is expounded Howe to know who is sent of God and who is not No man may preach but he that is called sent of god ☜ The difference betwene true Sacraments and false A sayth without Gods promise is idolatrie The Byshops blessing How the Apostles blessed vs. RepentaÌ„ce and sure fayth in in Christ purgeth our sinnes The protestation of the author Confession robbeth the Sacraments and maketh theÌ„ frutelesse What grace is Howe to knowe what iustifieth and what not or what bringeth grace and what not With their Chaplayns quoth hee God geue grace their Chaplayns at the last make them not so mad to say seruice alone while they True miracles draw to Christ The effect and force of our good deedes False miracles driue from Christ He that teacheth to trust in a saint is a false Prophet What he should pray that prayeth for his neighbour The 〈…〉 be 〈◊〉 and not deceaued The spiriâ—… pray not that we might come to y â— knowledge of Christ The 〈◊〉 are but an enâ—… 〈◊〉 Offerings cause of the miracles God y â— father fulfilleth his promises to vs for Christes sake not for the merites of saintes as y â— Papistes taught All such Martyrs are the popes martyrs not Gods For martyr signifieth a witnes bearer now is he not Gods witnes that testifieth not his worde The reasons which they make for y â— worshipping of Saintes are solued It is not like wyth kynges and God Christ is no sinner Nothyng bringeth a man sooner to confusioÌ„ then the Idolatry of his owne imaginatioÌ„ â—hrist is a 〈◊〉 geue to â—…rs God loueth mercy Hypocrites loue oâ—â—eâ—ynges We are at peace in our consciences when we beleue constantly ouâ— sinnes are remitted throughe Iesus Christ Why we come not to Christ God looketh on our good dedes Intichrist turneth the rootes of the trees vnword In Christâ— we are one as good as an other equally beloued indifferently heard Christ is all to a Christen man The childreÌ„ of faith worke of loue and nede no law to coÌ„pâ—ll them We are all Christes seruauntes and serue Christ The contempt or loue we shewe one to another the same shewe we to Christ Christ knoweth nothyng worldly 〈◊〉 not his â—…ry mother As long as Christ abydeth so loÌ„g a Christen maÌ„ loueth Money byndeth not Christâ— people to pray God careth for his The bely to a God cause of all vnto our spiritualty â—â—ll is of the bely nothyng of Christ Christes loue forget teth her selfe but Monkes loue thinketh on the bely Friers and Monkes ought not to preach Christ is the whole cause why God loueth vs. Howe to know that we are Goddes sonnes The lawe is y â— mark yea and the touch stone where w t we ought to trye our selues see how farre â—orth we are purged Our byrth poyson that remayneth in vs. resisteth the spirite ☞ The right crosse of Christ Hee that loueth not the law hateth sin hath no part with Christ Howe to try the do â–ª ctrine of our spiritualtie If the prayers merites of our religious men purge our lustes then are they of value and els not ☞ What the spiritualtis taketh away with their prayers WheÌ„ other wept they sing and wheÌ„ other loose they wynne All is of Purgatory â—…ese Phisitions geue none other medicines saue purgations onely Allegory what it signifieth The scripture hath but one sence â—oroweâ—â—peach â–ª ☜ The right vse of allegories Allegories are no sense of Scripture ☞ Allegories proue nothyng If thou câ— not proue the allegory with an open text then is it false doctrine The litterall sense proueth the allegory They thâ—â— iustifie theÌ„ selues by their workes are the bond children of the law The fayth was lost thorough Allegories Chopologicall sophisters Poetry is as good diuinitie as the Scripture to our schole
Dauiour of the world from their sins All that loue God loue all that beleue in him He that loueth God loueth also the sonnes of God The loue of God and the loue of my neighbour are in seperable Workes set forth 〈◊〉 declare faith To doe good to my neighbour is to do God good seruice A goodly similitude Al that are borne of God ouercome the world The conquestes of fayth Christ had three witnesses The true doctrine of the Sacramentes is away from vs. The faythfull haue the true witnes of God in their harts The vnfaythfull worshyp God in imageseruice and outward Popery The Papistes haue not the fayth of the Apostles neither do they know and therefore they rayle on it To aske in Christes name what it is Such as lacke fayth in Christ wander they wot not whether The sinne to y t death All that are borne of God câ— not sinne The armour of a Christen man The world seeth not the thyngs that are of God Christ eâ—e 〈◊〉 is the founteine and fulnes of all good giftes He that seketh any other way to eternall saluation then by Christ shal neuer come there Idolatrie Idolater As great Idolatry may be coÌ„mitted to the Image of a Saint as was by the Gentiles committed vnto Idoles Grosse worshyppyng of God Ceremonies Sacrifices The Iewes could beleue nothyng with out tokeÌ„s Sacraments and ceremonies were ordeined onely for remembraunces Idolatry We ought to be fraÌ„ke and to distribute to our poore brethren such as God hath sent vs. Supersticious Popery are Idolatry In all our needes wee must call vpon God in the name of Iesu Christ he will â—eare vs. The masse as the pope vseth it is damnable Idolatrie We must eâ—er cleaue vnto God and submit our selues to his mercy The masse at the first was a declaration of Christes passion 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 10. and 12. Ephe. 1. What penaunce was Greuous sinne not passed vpoÌ„ Discipline vsed in the primatiue Church The description of the partes of the masse The abhominable vse of the masse The abuse of the Sacrament Halfe of the Sacrament kept from the lay people The frutefull and profitable doctrine of the Sacramentes are kept from vs. I descriptioÌ„ of God Iesus Christ the onely way to his father The belefe of the resurrection is an article of our faith Fayth is sufficient to iustifie vs. Christ the onely mediatour betwene God and man ArgumeÌ„to prouyng our saluation in Christ The false fayth of the downe falling sinner Fayth in the promise betwene â—â—od and 〈…〉 our soules Gods promises haue couenauÌ„tes annexed vn to them the breakers â–ª â—herof are â—…luded 〈◊〉 the promise An obiection of our aduersaries against iustificatioÌ„ by fayth A compendious declaration of our iustification by fayth A similitude of an earthly kyng pardonyng a condemned person The prayer of the faythfull for his brother taking effect thankes therefore muâ—â— wholly bee attributed to the geuer All our helpe is froÌ„ aboue for man can not helpe â—ut when God prepareth hys hart Praying to Saintes is damnable Saintes abhorre theÌ„ that pray vnto them M. Tracie studious in S. Austen Burials must be ceâ—â—brated honorably for the hope of our resurrection One must pray for an other and one helpe an other A true Christian feareth not the Popes Purgatory Couetousnes pretely described God graunteth all thynges to the faythfull Papistes burne both quicke and dead if they touch their roten sores Writinges and monuments preserue the memory of notable doynges Gene. 32. Gene. 50. A sure hande of all couenaâ—tes amoÌ„gst the Iewes Gene. 21. The well of swearing or the well of seuen Gene. 31. A heape of stones was a sufficient bande for all couenauntes Gene. 9. The rainebow a pledge of Gods promise Gene. 17. The blessing of God to AbrahaÌ„ Gene. 17. Circumcision the seale of Gods couenaunt with vs. Rom. 2. Gods promise recheth to all Abrahams posteritie Baptisme to vs is as CircumcisioÌ„ was to the Iewes Axod 13. Exod. 20. Nume 10. Nume 15. Iosua 4. 3. Reg. 11. 4. Reg. 13. Esay 12. Ierem. 27. Luke 1. Luke 1. Luke 2. Exod. 12. Exod. 12. The institution of y t Paâ—ch all lambe Christes death figured by the Paschall lambe Luke 22. Christes exposition of y t Paschall lambe The Scriptures of God 〈◊〉 full of hiâ—den misteries Nume 21. Iohn 3. 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 was spiritually fulfilled in the kyngdome of heauen 〈◊〉 â—…tâ—t oâ— of y t SacrameÌ„t of y t body bâ—… of our 〈…〉 Christ The Paschall lambe 〈◊〉 the death and sacrâ—… 〈…〉 〈…〉 together 1. Cor. 11. The chief and onely cause of the institution of the Sacrament Actes 4. 1. Cor. 15. In all afflictions we must resoâ—â— to Christ We must be ordered by the congregation Onely by the name of Iesus Christ commeth our saluation Actes 4. The nature of the SacrameÌ„t of the Sâ—ppeâ— of our Lord. Sacramentes and ceremonies were first ordeined by God to kepe hys couenantes and promises in remeÌ„braunce Sacramentes are as stories to keepe Christes couenaunts in memory Circumcisio without fayth auayled noching Baptisme w t out fayth auayleth nothyng Baptisme and the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud are both necessary The Sacrament of Baptisme what it worketh in vs. The Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ what it worketh in vs. Marke 10. The law driueth a sinner to desperatioÌ„ The deuill enemy to man The flesh enemy to man The impeâ—…ent and wilfull sinner feeleth not the wrath of God in his law The law the flesh the deuill are three great enemyes vnto man Why the Sacramentes were chiefly ordeined by God God hath coÌ„maunded his Sacramentes to be had in dayly vse the cause why The Sacrament of Christes body bloud 〈…〉 to keÌ„ of Christes promise of our saluation in his death Iudi. 13. A brief collection of the premisses Math. 1. Math. 7. To an ignorauÌ„t and vnfaithfull person the Sacramentes and ceremonies are sinne Idolatry what it is The spirituall and right seruyng of God what it is Math. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. The institution of the Sacramentes of Christes body and bloud Who they are that receaue the benefite of Christes death The cup of the bloud of Christ what it is Exod. 24. Hebr. 9. The great mercyfull differeÌ„ce betwene the old Testament the new The great mercy of God to maÌ„kynd Marke 14. Luke 22. The cause of the institution of y e SacrameÌ„t of Christes body The signe of the body of Christ is called by the name of Christes body whiche is there signified 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 11. Hebr. 10. What the SacrameÌ„t meaneth why the same was instituted There are iij. opinioÌ„s about the SacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of Christ The first opinion The second opinion The thyrd opinion A declaration made by them of the first opinioÌ„ aboue mentioned A declaratioÌ„ of them of the secoÌ„d opinion abouâ— mentioned A declaration of theÌ„ of the third opinion about mentioned
doe so to which know that Christ is come and that all oblations are ceased in hym shall we become Iewes and go backe agayne to the shadow and ceremonie sith we haue the body and significatiō whiche is Christ Iesue Be it that Iudas were a holy man might he not do yet amisse Be it in case that he dyd well shall we therfore straight wayes out of his worke ground an article of our fayth Dauid was an holy man yet committed he both murther and aduoutry shal we without further ensearchyng the Scriptures streightwayes folow his example Abraham was an holy man and was commaūded of God to offer his owne sonne shall we offer our children therfore Gedson and Iosue destroyed the vnfaythfull Kyngs and Princes and did well and were praysed of God Must we do so to And wherfore shall we more felow the example of Iudas thē of the other Shall I tell you why Verelye for this example of Iudas bringeth money vnto our spiritualty These xij thousād drachmas shyne so bright in their eyes y t without other cādle lanterne or spectacles they haue espyed an article of our fayth you may not consider that they haue taken this text of xij thousand drachmes for an Epistle in soule masses for then peraduēture you might fall into some shrewed suspection that they should do it of couetousnes which faulte can not be espyed in our spiritualtie as you know well inough He that holdeth any ceremony of the law as necessary is boūd to kéepe and fulfill the whole law This is euident of Paul Gal. 6. where he sayth If ye be circumcised then are ye debtours to fulfill the whole law That is if ye put any confidence in circumcision or recounte it as necessary for els it is of it selfe neither good nor euil then make you your selues boūde vnder the law which burthen neither we nor our fathers could beare and tempt God Act. xv And this sacrifice of Iudas was but a ceremony signified y t Christ should with his bloud quench our sinnes Ergo he that keepeth or coūteth this ceremony as necessary as are all the articles of the fayth doth captiue him self vnder the law and tempteth God to speake no more sharpely Yet will I go a litle nere vnto you Iudas hym selfe beleued not y t there was a Purgatory For in the tyme of the old Testament there was no purgatory as the Scholemen graūt themselues but onely a place of rest which they called Limbus patrum wherfore they are pitiously deceaued that will proue Purgatory by the textes of the old Testament sith as they say themselues there was no Purgatory at that tyme. Finally I cā not finde a place that of it selfe more properly cōfuteth this phantasticall Purgatory then doth this same texte whiche they sticke so sore to imaginyng that it stablisheth Purgatory The text saith on this maner except hee had hoped that they which were slayne should rise agayn It should séeme voyde and in vayne to pray for the dead If you fayne a Purgatory thē must this text néedes be false for be it in case that the dead should not rise agayne Now sayth the text that it were voyde in vayne to pray for the dead if they should not rise agayne But if there were a Purgatory wherein they should be purged and punished in the meane season then were it not in vayne to pray for them to deliuer them out of that payne but rather very frutefull and necessary although they should neuer ryse agayne And therfore if this text be of authoritie is it impossible that there should be any Purgatory neither is there any text that in my iudgement can better vndermine Purgatory and make it fall Peraduenture you desire to know my mynde in this place and that I should expoūd vnto you what Iudasment in his oblatiō sith he thought of no Purgatory as y t foresayd text doth well specifie Verely I thinke that Iudas beleued that there should be a resurrection as this text praysed hym saying thinkyng well and deuoutly of the resurrection For among the Iewes there were many that beleued not the resurrection of our flesh and they that beleued it were yet so rude and ignoraūt that they thought they should ryse but to obtayne a carnall kyngdome haue their enemyes subdued vnder them without rebellion And thereto sticke the Iewes vnto this day And it is most lyke that this should be his meanyng we shall all ryse agayne and possesse this land in peace and these men which are slaine are out of the fauour of God because they haue contrary to the law Deut. vij Take of the idols oblations therfore is it best that we send a sacrifice vnto Ierusalem to pacifie the wrath of God towardes them lest whē they rise againe the Lord should send some plague amongest vs for their trāsgressiō which they committed while they were here lyuyng If any mā can better gesse I am wel cōtent to admit it but this is playne inough he thought that this sacrifice could not helpe thē before they should rise agayne which doth fully destroy Purgatory For where he sayth that it were voyde in vayne to pray for the dead excepte they should ryse agayne Is euen as much to say vnto hym that hath any witte as that this prayer sacrifices can do them no good before they be risen agayne from death for els were it not in vayne to praye for them although they should neuer ryse agayn As by example if I say to a man that he shall neuer obtayne his purpose except he should sue to the kings grace it is euen as much to say to a mā that hath any wytte as he shall neuer obtaine his purpose before he hath sued to the kynges hyghnes Master More goeth about to iest them out of countenaunce which say that the booke of Machabées is not autētike because it is not receaued in y t Canon of the Hebrues and sayth that by this reason we may also denye the booke of Sapience proue our selues insipientes but verely if he admitte the booke of Sapience to be true and autentike I feare me it will go nye to proue hym an insipient for grauntyng that there is a Purgatory Read the. 45. argument agaynst Rastell then iudge whether I say true or not Hetherto haue I let slyp our shoteanker and haue runne the Seas with hym grauntyng him for his pleasure that this booke should be of as good authority as Esay Not that the Church or holy Doctours or any wise man supposeth it of so good authoritie but onely to sée what conclusion might be brought vpon it that once graūted And if any man would require my iudgement as concerning this booke I would shortly aunswere that either this booke is false and of no authoritie or els that Christ his Apostles all holy Doctours Scholemen therto are false and without