seruauntes of Christ doyng the wil of God from the hart with good will euen as thoughe ye serued the Lord and not men Eph. vj. And i. Pet. ij seruauntes obey your masters with all feare not onely if they be good and curteous but also though they be froward For it commeth of grace if a man for conscience towarde God endure grief suffering wrongfully For what prayse is it if when ye be buffeted for your faultes ye take it paciently But and if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it paciently thē is there thanke with God Hereunto verely were ye called For Christ also suffred for our sakes leauing vs an example to follow hys steppes In what so euer kynde therefore thou art a seruaunt during the tyme of thy couenauntes thy maister is vnto thee in the stede and rowme of God and God thorough hym feedeth thee clotheth thee ruleth thee and learneth thee His cōmaundementes are Gods commaundementes and thou oughtest to obey hym as God and in all thinges to seeke his pleasure and profite For thou art his good and possession as hys Oxe or hys Horse in so much that who so euer doth but desire thee in hys hart from him without his loue and licence is condēned of God which sayth Exod. xx See thou once couet not thy neighbours seruauntes Paule the Apostle sent home Onemus vnto his maister as thou readest in the epistle of Paule to Philemon In so much that though the sayd Philemon with his seruaunt also was cōuerted by Paul obeyed vnto Paule and to the worde that Paule preached not hys seruaunt onely but also himselfe yea and though that Paule was in necessitie and lacked ministers to minister vnto hym in y t bondes which he suffered for the Gospels sake yet would he not retaine the seruaunt necessary vnto the furtheraunce of the Gospell wythout the consent of the mayster O how sore differeth the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles from the doctrine of the Pope and of his Apostles For if any man wyll obeye neither father nor mother neither Lord nor maister neither King nor Prince the same needeth but onely to take the marke of the beast that is to shaue himselfe a Monke a Fryer or a priest and is then immediatly free and exempted from all seruice and obedience due vnto man He that will obey no man as they will not is most acceptable vnto them The more disobedient that thou art vnto Gods ordinaūces the more apt meete art thou for theirs Neither is the professing vowing and swearyng obediēce vnto their ordinaunces any other thyng thē the defiyng denying forswearyng obedience vnto the ordinaunces of God ¶ The obedience of Subiectes vnto kinges Princes and rulers LEt euery soule submit himself vnto the aucthoritie of the hyer powers There is no power but of God The powers that be are ordayned of God Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God They that resist shal receaue to themselues damnation For rulers are not to be feared for good workes but for euill Wilt thou be without feare of the power Do well then and so shalt thou be praysed of the same For he is the minister of God for thy wealth But and if thou do euill then feare For he beareth not a swearde for nought For he is the minister of god to take vengeaunce on them that do euill Wherefore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience Euen for this cause pay ye tribute For they are Gods ministers seruing for the same purpose Geue to euery man therefore hys dutie Tribute to whom tribute belongeth Custome to whom custome is due feare to whome feare belongeth honour to whome honour perteineth Owe nothing to any man but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the lawe For these commaundementes Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnes Thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaundement are all comprehended in thys saying Loue thyne neighbour as thy selfe Loue hurteth not his neighbour therfore is loue the fulfilling of the lawe AS a father ouer his children is both Lorde and iudge forbidding one brother to auenge hymselfe on an other but if any cause of strife be betwene them will haue it brought vnto hymselfe or his assignes to be iudged and correct so God forbiddeth all men to auenge themselues and taketh the aucthoritie and office of auenging vnto himselfe saying Vengeance is myne and I will rewarde Deut. xxxij Which text Paule alleageth Rom. xij For it is impossible that a man should be a righteous an egall or an indifferent iudge in hys owne cause lustes and appetites so blinde vs. Moreouer when thou auengest thy self thou makest not peace but stirrest vp more debate God therefore hath geuē lawes vnto all nations and in all landes hath put kinges gouerners and rulers in hys owne stede to rule the world thorough them And hath commaunded all causes to be brought before them as thou readest Exod. xxij In all causes sayth he of iniury or wrong whether it be Oxe Asse shepe or vesture or any lost thing which an other chalengeth let the cause of both parties be brought vnto the Gods whome the Gods condemne the same shall paye double vnto his neighbour Marke the iudges are called Gods in the Scriptures because they are in Gods rowme and execute the commaundements of God And in an other place of the sayde chapter Moses chargeth saying see that thou rayle not on the Gods neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people Who so euer therefore resisteth them resisteth God for they are in y ◠rowne of God and they that reliste shall receaue the damnation Such obedience vnto father and mother mayster husband Emperor King Lordes and rulers requireth God of all nations yea of the very Turkes and Infidels The blessing and rewarde of them that kepe them is the life of thys worlde as thou readest Leuit. xviij Keepe my ordinaunces and lawes which if a man keepe he shall liue therein which text Paule rehearseth Rom. x. prouing thereby that the righteousnes of the law is but worldly and the rewarde thereof is the lyfe of thys worlde And the curse of them that breaketh them is the losse of thys life as thou seest by y ◠punishment appointed for them And whoseuer keepeth the lawe whether it be for feare for vayne glory or profite though no man rewarde hym yet shall God blesse him aboundantly and send hym worldly prosperitie as thou readest Deut. xxviij What good blessinges accompany the keping of the lawe and as we see the Turkes farre exceede vs Christen men in worldly prosperity for their iust keeping of their temporall lawes Likewise though no man punishe the breakers of the lawe yet shall God send hys curses
vpon them till they be vtterly brought to nought as thou readest most terribly euen in the same place Neither may the inferior person auenge hymselfe vpon the superior or violently resiste hym for what so euer wrong it be If he doe he is condemned in the deede doyng in as much as he taketh vpon hym that which belongeth to God onely which sayth Vengeaunce is mine and I will rewarde Deut. xxxij And Christ sayth Mat. 26. All they that take the sworde shall perishe with the sworde Takest thou a sworde to auenge thy selfe so geuest thou not rowme vnto God to auenge thee but robbest hym of his most hye honour in that thou wilt not let hym be iudge ouer thee If any mā might haue auenged him selfe vpon his superior that might Dauid most righteously haue done vpon kyng Saul which so wrongfully persecuted Dauid euen for no other cause thē that God had annointed him kyng and promised him the kyngdome Yet when God had deliuered Saul into y t handes of Dauid that he might haue done what he would with him as thou seest in the first booke of kynges the xxiiij Chapter how Saul came into the caue where Dauid was And Dauid came to hym secretly and cut of a peace of his garment And as soone as he had done it his hart smote him because hee had done so much vnto hys Lord. And when his mē couraged him to slea him he aūswered the Lord forbid it me that I should lay myne hand on him Neither suffered he his men to hurt him When Saul was gone out Dauid folowed and shewed hym the peece of his garmēt and sayd why beleuest thou the wordes of men that say Dauid goeth about to do thee harme perceaue and see that there is neither euill nor wickednesse in my hand and that I haue not trespassed against thee and yet thou layest awayte for my lyfe God iudge betwene thee and me and auenge me of thee but myne hand be not vpō thee as the old prouerbe sayth sayd Dauid out of the wicked shall wickednesse proceede but myne hand be not vpō thee meanyng that God euer punisheth one wicked by another And agayne sayd Dauid GOD be iudge and iudge betwen thee and me and behold pleate my cause geue me iudgement or right of thee And in the. xxvj Chapter of the same booke when Saul persecuted Dauid againe Dauid came to Saul by night as he slept and all his men and tooke away his speare and a cuppe of water from his head Then sayd Abisai Dauide seruaūt God hath deliuered thee thine enemie into thine hand this day let me now therfore nayle hym to the ground with my speare and geue hym but euen one stripe and no more Dauid forbad him saying Kill hym not For who sayd he shall lay handes on the Lordes annoynted be not giltie The Lord liueth or by the Lordes life sayd he he dyeth not except the Lord smite him or y ◠his day be come to dye or els go to battaile there perish Why did not Dauid slea Saul seyng he was so wicked not in persecutyng Dauid onely but in disobeying Gods commaundements and in that he had slayne lxxxv of Gods priestes wrongfully Verely for it was not lawfull For if he had done it he must haue sinned agaynst God For God hath made the kyng in euery Realme iudge ouer all and ouer him is there no iudge He that iudgeth the kyng iudgeth God he that layeth handes on the king layeth hand on God and he that resisteth the kyng resisteth God and damneth Gods law and ordinaunce If the subiectes sinne they must be brought to y t kynges iudgement If the kyng sinne he must be reserued vnto y t iudgement wrath and vengeaunce of God And as it is to resiste the kyng so is it to resiste his officer whiche is set or sent to execute the kynges commaundement And in the first Chapter of the secōd booke of Kings Dauid commaunded the young man to be slayne whiche brought vnto him the crown bracelet of Saul and sayd to please Dauid with all that he hym selfe had slayne Saul And in the fourth Chapter of the same booke Dauid commaunded those two to be slayne whiche brought vnto hym the head of Isboseth Sauls sonne by whose meanes yet the whole kingdome returned vnto Dauid accordyng vnto the promise of God And Luke xiij When they shewed Christ of the Galileans whose bloud Pilate mingled with their owne sacrifice he aūswered suppose ye that these Galileās were sinners aboue all other Galileās because they suffred such punishment I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall lykewise perish This was told Christ no doubt of such an entent as they asked him Math. xxij Whether it were lawfull to geue tribute vnto Cesar For they thought that it was no sinne to resist an Heathē Prince as few of vs would thinke if we were vnder the Turke that it were sinne to rise agaynst him and to ryd our selues from vnder his dominion so sore haue our Bishops robbed vs of the true doctrine of Christ But Christ cōdemned their dedes and also the secrete thoughtes of all other that consented thereunto saying except ye repēt ye shall likewise perish As who should say I know that ye are within in your hartes such as they were outward in their dedes and are vnder the same damnation except therfore ye repent betimes ye shall breake out at the last into lyke deedes and likewise perish as it came afterward to passe Hereby seest thou that the kyng is in thys worlde without lawe may at his lust doe right or wrong shall geue acomptes but to God onely An other conclusion is this that no person neither any degree may be exempt from thys ordinaunce of God Neither can the profession of Monkes and Fryers or any thyng that the Pope or Byshops can laye for themselues except them from the sworde of the Emperour of kings if they breake the lawes For it is written let euery soule submitte hymselfe vnto the aucthoritie of the hyer powers Here is no man except but all soules must obey The hyer powers are the temporall kynges and Princes vnto whom God hath geuen the sword to punishe who soeuer sinneth God hath not geuen them swordes to punishe one and to let an other goe free and sinne vnpunished Moreouer with what face durst y ◠spiritualtie which ought to be the light an example of good lyuing vnto all other desire to sinne vnpunished or to be excepted frō tribute toll or custome that they would not beare paine with their brethrē vnto y ◠maintenaunce of kings and officers ordayned of God to punishe sinne There is no power but of God by power vnderstand the aucthoritie of kynges and Princes The powers that be are ordayned of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth power resisteth god Yea though he be Pope Byshoppe Monke or Fryer They
all thyng for vauntage leadeth in the darkenesse of death M. Tyndall doth knowe how that S. Augustine and S. Hierome do proue with holy Scripture that confessioÌ„ is of necessitie vnto saluation Tyndall That is false if ye meane eareconfession Why alledge ye not the places where But ye know by S. Hierome and other stories and by the conuersation with Erasmus how it came vp and that the vse was once farre other then now M. I meruell that Tyndal denieth Purgatory except he entend to go to hell Tyndall He entendeth to purge here vnto the vttermost of his power hopeth that death will end and finish hys purgation And if there be any other purgyng he will commit it to God take it as he findeth it when he coÌ„meth at it and in the meane tyme take no thought therefore but for this that is present wherewith all Saintes were purged and were taught so to be And Tyndall marueleth what secret pilles they take to purge them selues whiche not onely will not purge here with the crosse of Christ but also bye out theyr Purgatory therof the pope for a groat or vj. pence The xviij Chapter M. The Clergie doth nothyng vnto the heretikes but as the holy Doctours dyd Tyndall Yes ye put them in your prisons and diote them and handle them after your fashion as temporall tyrauÌ„tes and dispute with them secretly and will not come at light And ye slea theÌ„ for rebukyng you with Gods worde and so did not the old holy Doctours If a man slea his father ye care not But if any man touche one of you though he haue neuer so great an occasion geuen him ye curse him and if he will not submitte him selfe vnto your punishmeÌ„t ye leaue him vnto the temporall power whome ye haue hyred with y e spoyle of his goodes to be your hangman so that he must lose his life for geuyng one of you but a blowe on the cheke M. Saint Paule gaue two heretickes vnto the deuill whiche tormented theyr fleshe whiche was no small punishement and haply he slew them Tyndall O expounder of the Scripture like Hugo Charensis which exposideth haereticum hominem deuita take the hereticke out of his lyfe We read of no payne that he had whom the Corinthians excommunicated and gaue to Sathan to slea his fleshe saue that hee was ashamed of hym selfe and repented when he saw his offence so earnestly taken and so abhorred But ye because ye haue no power to deliuer them to Sathan to blynde theyr myndes ye deliuer theÌ„ to the fire to destroy their flesh that no more is seene of them after then the ashes ¶ FINIS ¶ The practise of papisticall Prelates made by Wylliam Tyndall ¶ In the yeare of our Lorde 1530. ¶ William Tyndall to the Christian Reader WHen the olde Scribes and Phariseis had darckned the Scripture wyth their traditions and false interpretacions and wicked perswasions of fleshly wisdome and shut vp the kingdome of heauen which is Gods word that the people coulde not enter in vnto the knowledge of the true way as Christ complayneth in the Gospell Math. x. iij. Then they sat in the hartes of men with their false doctrine in the stead of God and hys word slew the soules of the people to deuoure their bodyes and to robbe them of their worldly substaunce But when Christ and Iohn the Baptiste had restored the Scripture agayne vnto the true vnderstanding and had vttered their falsehead and improued their tradicions and confounded their false interpretations with the cleare and euident textes and with power of the holy Ghost had brought all their iuggling and hypocrisie to light theÌ„ they gat them vnto the elders of the people perswaded them saying this man is surely of the deuill and hys myracles be of the deuill no doubt And these good workes which he doth in healing the people yea and his preaching against our couetousnes are but a cloke to bring hym vnto hys purpose that when he hath gotteÌ„ him disciples ynow he may rise against the Emperour and make hymselfe kyng And then shall the Romaynes come take our land from vs and cary away our people and put other naâ—ions in our realme and so shall we lose all that we haue and the most part of our liues therto Take heede therefore betimes while there is remedy yer he go so far that ye be not able to resiste hym The elders of the people which were rich and welthy though before they in a maner fauoured Christ or at y â— least way were indifferent nor greatly caryng whether God or the deuil raigned so that they might bide in their authoritie feared immediatly as Herode did of the losse of his kingdome when the wise men asked where the new borne king of Iewed was and conspired with the Scribes and Phariseis against Christ and tooke him and braught him vnto Pilate saying We haue â—ounde this fellow peruerting the people and forbidding to pay tribute vnto Cesar and saying that he is king and mouyng the people from Galile vnto this place The Pilate though he likewise was before indifferent put now in feare of the losse of his office thorow such perswasions slew innocent Christ And in very deede as the Scribes Phariseis were all their liues before blynde guides vnto the destruction of their soules euen so were they at their last ende blinde Prophetes vnto the destruction of their bodyes For after that they had slayne Christ and diuers of his Apostles and persecuted those poore wretches that beleued on hym God to aduenge the poore innocent bloude that bare witnes vnto the truth poured hys wrath among them that they theÌ„selues rose against the Emperour And the Romaynes came according as they blyndly prophesied and slew the most part of them and caryed y e rest captiue into all nacions and put other nacions in the Realme But whose fault was that insurrection against the Emperour and mischiefe that followed Christes and his Apostles whom they falsely accused before hand Nay Christ taught that they shoulde geue Cesar that pertayned vnto Cesar and God that which belonged to God EueÌ„ that they should geue Cesar lawfull their bodely seruice God the hart and that they should loue Gods law repent of their euill come and receaue mercy and let the wrath of god be taken from of them And the Apostles taught that all soules should obey the hyer powers or temporall rulers but their obstinate malice that so hardened their harâ—s that they coulde not repent and their raylyng vppon the open and manifest with which they coulde not improue and resisting the holy Ghost and sleying of the preachers of righteousnes brought the wrath of God vpoÌ„ theÌ„ and was cause of their vtter destruction Euen so our Scribes and Pharises now that their hypocrisie is disclosed and there falshead so brought
Disciples hee aunswered The blind see the lepers are clensed the dead arise againe c. meanyng that if I do the workes which are prophesied that Christ should do when he coÌ„meth why doubt ye whether I be hee or no as who should say aske y â— scripture whether I be Christ or no not my selfe How happeneth it then that our Prelates wil not come to the light also that we may see whether their workes be wrought in GOD or no Why feare they to let the â—ay men see what they do Why make they all their examinations in darkenes Why examine they not their causes of heresie openly as the lay men do their fellous and murtherers Wherefore did Christ and his Apostles also warne vs so diligently of Antichrist and of false Prophetes that should come Because that we should slomber or sleepe carelesse or rather that we should looke in the light of the Scripture with all diligeÌ„ce to spie them when they came and not to suffer our selues to be disceaued and led out of y â— way Iohn biddeth iudge the spirites Whereby shall we iudge them but by the Scripture How shalt thou know whether the Prophet be true or false or whether hee speake Gods word of his owne head if thou wilt not see the Scriptures Why sayd Dauid in the second Psalme be learned ye that iudge the earth lest the Lord be angry with you and ye perish froÌ„ the right way A terrible warnyng verely yea and looke on the stories well thou shalt finde very few kinges sence the beginning of the world that haue not perished from the right way and that because they would not be learned The Emperour and Kynges are nothyng now a dayes but euen hangmen vnto the Pope and Byshops to kill whosoeuer they condemne without any more a do as Pylate was vnto the Scribes and Phariseis and the hye Byshops to hang Christ For as those Prelates aunswered Pylate wheÌ„ he asked what he had done if he were not an euill doer we would not haue brought him vnto thee As who should say we are to holy to do any thyng amisse y u mayst beleue vs well inough yea and his bloude on our heades sayd they kill him hardly we will beare the charge our soules for thyne we haue also a law by which he ought to dye for he calleth him selfe Gods sonne Euen so say our Prelates he ought to dye by our lawes he speaketh agaynst the Church And your grace is sworne to defend the liberties and ordinaunces of the Church and to maynteine our most holy fathers authoritie our soules for yours ye shall do a meritorious dede therin Neuertheles as Pylate escaped not the iudgement of God euen so is it to be feared lest our temporall powers shall not Wherfore be learned ye that iudge the earth lest the Lord be angry with you and ye perish from the right way Who slew the Prophetes Who slew Christ Who slew his Apostles Who the martirs and all the righteous that euer were slayne The kynges and the temporall sword at the request of the false Prophetes They deserued such murther to do and to haue their part with y e hypocrites because they would not be learned and see the truth them selues Wherfore suffered y â— Prophets because they rebuked the hypocrites which beguiled the world and namely Princes and rulers and taught them to put their trust in thynges of vanitie and not in Gods word And taught them to do such deedes of mercy as were profitable vnto no man but vnto the false Prophetes them selues onely makyng marchauÌ„dise of Gods word wherfore slew they Christ euen for rebuking the hipocrites because he said wo be to you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrites for ye shut vp the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ before men Math. xxiij that is as it is writteÌ„ Luke xj ye haue taken away the keye of knowledge The law of God whiche is the keye wherewith men bynde and the promises which are the keyes wherewith men loose haue our hypocrites also taken away They will suffer no man to know Gods word but burne it and make heresie of it yea and because the people begyn to smell their falsehode they make it treason to the kyng and breakyng of the kynges peace to haue so much as their Pater noster in English And in stede of Gods law they bynde w t their owne law And in stede of Gods promises they lose iustifye with pardons and ceremonies which they them selues haue imagined for their owne profite They preach it were better for thee to eate fleshe on good Friday then to hate thy neighbour but let any man eate flesh but on a Saterday or breake any other tradition of theirs and he shal be bounde not losed till hee haue payd the vtter most farthing either with shame most vyle or death most cruell but hate thy neighbour as much as thou wilt and thou shalt haue no rebuke of them yea robbe him murther him and theÌ„ come to them and welcome They haue a saÌ„ctuary for thee to saue thee yea and a neckuerse if thou canst but read a litle Latinly though it be neuer so soryly so that y â— be ready to receaue y â— beastes marke They care for no vnderstandyng it is inough if thou canst rowle vp a payre of Mattens or an Euensong and mumble a few ceremonies And because they be rebuked this they rage Be learned therefore ye that iudge y â— world lest God be angry with you and ye perish from the right way Wo be to you scribes and phariseis ypocrites sayth Christ Math. xriij for ye deudure widdowes houses vnder a coulor of long prayer Our hypocrites robbe not the widdowes onely but Knight Squyre Lord Duke Kyng and Emperour and euen the whole world vnder the same couloure teaching the people to trust in their prayers and not in Christ for whose sake God hath forgeuen all the synne of the whole worlde vnto as many as repeÌ„t and beleue They feare theÌ„ with purgatory and promyse to pray perpetually least the laÌ„des should euer returne home agayne vnto the right heyres What hast thou bought with robbyng thy heyres or wyth geuing the hypocrites that which thou robbest of other men Perpetuall prayer Yea perpetuall payne For they appoint thee no tyme of deliueraunce their prayers are so mighty The Pope for money can empty purgatory when he will It is verely purgatory For it purgeth and maketh cleane riddaunce yea it is hel For it deuoureth all thynges Hys fatherhode sendeth them to heauen with scala coeli that is wyth a ladder to scale the walles For by the dore Christ wil they not let them come in That dore haue they stopped vp and that because ye should buye ladders of them For some they pray dayly which gaue theÌ„ perpetuities and yet make Saintes of them receauing offeringes in theyr names and
them to continue still wyth violence And thus teach our deuines as it appereth by their argumentes He that taketh most payne say they is greatest and so forth The people are throughly brought in beliefe that the deede in it selfe without any further respect saueth them if they be so long at Church or say so many Pater nosters and reade so much in a toung whtch they vnderstand not or goe so much a pilgrimage and take so much payne or fast such a superstitious fast or obserue such a superstitious obseruaūce neither profitable to himselfe nor to hys neyghbour but done of a good entent onely say they to please God withall ye to kisse the paxe they thinke it a meritorious deede when to loue their neyghbour and to forgeue hym which thyng is signified thereby they studie not to doe nor haue power to doe nor thinke that they are bounde to doe it if they be offended by hym So fore haue our false prophets brought y ◠people out of their wittes haue wrapped thē in darcknes and haue rocked them a sleepe in blyndnes and ignorauncy Now is all such doctrine false doctrine and all such fayth false fayth For the deede pleaseth not but as farre forth as it is applyed vnto our neyghbours profet or the taming of our bodyes to keepe the commaundement Now must the body be tame onely and that wyth the remedies that God hath ordeined and not kylled Thou must not forswere the naturall remedy which God hath ordeined and bryng thy selfe into such case that thou shouldest eyther breake Gods commaundement or kyll thy selfe or burne nyght and day wythout rest so that thou cāst not once thinke a godly thought neyther is it lawfull to forsake thy neyghbour and to withdraw thy selfe from seruing him and to get thee into a den and lyue idlely profitable to no man but robbing all men first of fayth and then of goodes and land and of all he hath wyth makyng hym beleue in the hypocrisy of thy superstitious prayers and Popeholy deedes The prayer of fayth and y e deedes thereof that spring of loue are accepted before God The prayer is good according to the proportion of fayth and the deede according to the measure of loue Now he that bideth in the world as Monkes call it hath more fayth then the cloysterer For he hangeth on God in all thynges He must trust God to sende hym good speede good lucke fauour helpe a good mayster a good neyghbour a good seruaunt a good wyfe a good chapman marchaunt to send hys marchaundice safe to land and a thousand like He loueth also more which appeareth in that hee doth seruice alwayes vnto his neighbour To pray one for an other are we equally boūd and to pray is a thyng that we may alwayes doe what so euer we haue in hand and that to do may no man hyre an other Christes bloud hath hyred vs all ready Thus in the deede deliteth God as farforth as we do it either to to serue our neighbour with all as I haue sayd or to tame the flesh that we may fulfill the commaundement from the bottome of the hart And as for our payne takyng God reioyseth not therin as a tyraunt but pitieth vs as it were morneth with vs and is alway ready and at hand to helpe vs if we call as a mercyfull father and a kynd mother Neuer the later hee suffereth vs to fall into many temptations and much aduersitie yea him selfe layeth the crosse of tribulatiō on our backes not that he reioyseth in our sorrow but to driue sinne out of y ◠flesh which can none otherwise be cured as the Phisition and Surgion do many thinges which are paynefull to the sicke not that they reioyse in the paynes of the poore wretches but to persecute and to driue out the diseases which can no otherwise be healed When the people beleue therfore if they doe so much woorke or suffer so much payne or go so much a pilgrimage that they are safe is a false fayth For a Christen man is not saued by woorkes but by fayth in the promises before all good woorkes though that the woorkes when we worke Gods commaūdement with a good wil and not workes of our own imagination declare that we are safe and that the spirite of him that hath made vs safe is in vs yea and as God through preachyng of fayth doth purge and iustifie the hart euen so thorough workyng of deedes doth he purge and iustifie the members makyng vs perfect both in body and soule after the lykenesse of Christ Neither nedeth a Christen man to runne hether or thether to Rome to Hierusalem or S. Iames or any other pilgrimage farre or nere to be saued thereby or to purchase forgeuenes of his sinnes For a Christen mās health and saluation is with in him euen in his mouth Roma x. The word is nye thee euen in thy mouth and in thyne hart that is the word of faith which we preach sayth Paul If we beleue the promises with our hartes and confesse them with our mouthes we are safe This is our health with in vs. But how shall they beleue that they heare not And how shal they heare without a preacher sayth Paul Roma x. For looke on the promises of God and so are all our preachers domme Or if they preach them they so sause thē and leuen thē that no stomacke can brooke them nor finde any sauor in them For they paynte vs such an eare confession as is impossible to be kept and more impossible that it should stand with the promises and Testament of God And they ioyne them penaunce as they call it to fast to go pilgrimages and geue so much to make satisfaction with all They preach their Masses their merites their pardons their ceremonies and put the promise cleane out of possession The word of health and saluation is nye thee in thy mouth thyne hart sayth Paul Nay say they thy saluation is in our faythfull eare This is their hold thereby know they all secretes thereby mocke they all men and all mens wiues and beguile Knight and Squier Lord and Kyng and betray all Realmes The Byshops with the Pope haue a certaine conspiration and secret treason agaynst the whole world And by confession know they what Kings and Emperours thinke If ought be agaynst them do they neuer so euill then moue they their captiues to warre and to fight and geue them pardons to slay whom they will haue taken out of the way They haue with falsehode taken from all Kynges and Emperours their right and duties whiche now they call their freedomes liberties priuileges haue peruerted the ordinaunces that God left in the world and haue made euery Kyng sweare to defend their falsehode against their own selues So that now if any man preach Gods worde truly and shew the fredome and libertie of the soule whiche we haue in
to bring vs vnto fauour Likewise doth a Christen man geue to hys brethren robbeth them not as friers and monkes do but as Paule commaundeth Ephes 4. laboureth wyth his handes some good worke to haue wherewith to helpe the needy They geue not but receiue onely They labour not but liue idely of the sweat of the poore There is none so poore a widow though she haue not to finde hir self and her children nor any mony to geue yet shall the frier snatch a chese or somewhat They preach sayst thou and labour in the woorde First I say they are not called and therefore ought not for it is the Curates office The Curate can not saist thou What doth the theefe there then Secondarily a true preacher preacheth Christes testament only and maketh Christ the cause and reward of all our deedes and teacheth euery man to beare hys crosse willingly for Christes sake But these are enemies vnto the crosse of Christ and preach theyr belly which is theyr God Ephes 3. and they thinke that lucre is the seruing of God 1. Tim. 6. that is they thinke them christen onely which offer vnto their belies which when thou hast filled then spue they out prayers for thee to be thy reward and yet wâ—t not what praier meaneth Prayer is the longing for Gods promises which promises as they preach them not so loÌ„g they not for them nor wish them vnto any man Theyr longing is to fill theyr paunch whom they serue not Christ and through sweet preaching and flattring woordes deceaue the hartes of the simple and vnlearned Rom. 16. Finally as Christ is the whole cause why we do all thing for our neighbor euen so is he the cause why God doth all thyng for vs why he receaueth vs into his holy Testament and maketh vs heyres of al his promises and poureth his spirit into vs and maketh vs his sonnes and fashioneth vs like vnto Christ and maketh vs such as he would haue vs to be The assuraunce that we are the sonnes beloued and heires with Christ haue Gods spirite in vs is the consent of our hartes vnto the law of God Which law is all perfection and the marke whereat all we ought to shoot And he that hitteth that marke so that he fulfilleth the law with all his hart soule and might and with full loue and lust without all let or resistance is pure gold and needeth not to be put any more in the fire he is straight and right needeth to be no more shauen he is full fashioned like Christ and can haue no more added vnto him Neuerthelesse there is none so perfect in this life that findeth not let resistance by the reason of originall sinne or birth poyson that remayneth in him as thou maist see in the liues of all the saintes throughout all the scripture and in Paul Rom. 7. The will is present sayth he but I fynde no meanes to performe that whiche is good I doo not that good thing which I would but that euill do I which I would not I finde by the law that when I would do good euill is present with me I delite in the law as concerning the inner man but I finde an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde subduing me vnto the law of sinne Which law of sinne is nothing but a corrupt and a poysoned nature which breaketh into euill lustes and from euill lustes into wicked deedes must be purged with the true purgatory of the crosse of Christ that is thou must hate it with all thine hart and desyre God to take it from thee And then whatsoeuer crosse God putteth on thy backe beare it paciently whether it be pouertie sickenes or persecution or what soeuer it be and take it for the right Purgatory and thinke that God hath nailed thee fast to it to purge thee therby For he that loueth not the law and hateth hys sinne hath not professed in his hart to fight against it and mourneth not to god to take it away to purge him of it y â— same hath no part with Christ If thou loue the law and fyndest that thou hast yet synne hangyng on thee where of thou sorowest to be deliuered and purged as for an example thou hast a couetous mynde and mistrustest God and therfore arte moued to begyle thy neighbour arte vnto him mercylesse not caring whether he sinke or swymme so thou maist winne by him or get from him that he hath then get thee to the obseruaunte which is so purged froÌ„ that sinne that he will not once handle a peny with that wyle doth the suttle foxe make the goose come flying into his hole ready prepared for his mouth without hys labour or swet buy of his incrites which he hath in store geue thy money not into his holy haÌ„ds but to offer him that he hath hired either with part of his prayers or part of his praye to take the sinne vpon him and to handle his money for him In like maner if any parson that is vnder obedieÌ„ce vnto Gods ordinaunce whether it be sonne or daughter seruaunt wife or subiect consent vnto the ordinaunce yet finde contrary motions let him go also to theÌ„ that haue professed an obedience of their owne making and bye part of their merites If thy wife geue the ix wordes for three go to the charterhouse and bye of their silence And so if the absteinyng of the obseruaunt from handling money heale thine hart from desiryng money the obedience of them that will obey nothyng but their owne ordinaunce heale thy disobedience to Gods ordinaunce and the sileÌ„ce of the charterhouse Monke tanâ—e thy wiues toung theÌ„ beleue that their prayers shall deliuer thy soule from the paines of that terrible and feareful Purgatory which they haue fayned to purge thy purse withall The spiritualtie encreaseth dayly Mo prelates mo Priestes mo moÌ„kes friers chanons nunnes and mo heretikes I would say heremites with lyke draffe Set before the y â— encrease of S. FrauÌ„ces disciples in so few yeares RekeÌ„ how many thousands yea how many twenty thousaÌ„des not disciples onely but whole cloisters are sprong out of hell of them in so litle space Pateryng of prayers encreaseth dayly Their seruice as they call it waxeth longer and longer and the labour of their lippes greater new Saintes new seruice new festes and new holy dayes What take all these away Sinne Nay For we â—ee the contrary by experience that sinne groweth as they grow But they take away first Gods word with fayth hope peace vnitie loue concorde then house and laÌ„d rent see tower towne goodes and cattell and the very meate out of mens mouthes All these lyue by Purgatory When other weepe for their frendes they sing merely when other loose their frendes they get frendes The Pope with all his
And therefore is he comforted and thou tormented Blessed are the meeke for they shall enherite the earth By the earth vnderstand all that we possesse in this world which all God will keepe for vs if we be softe and meâ—ke And whatsoeuer trouble arise yet if we will be patient and abide the end will go on our side as it is writteÌ„ in the 36. Psal The wicked shall be weded out but they that abide the Lordes laysure shall enherite y â— earth And agayne within a while the wicked shall be gone thou shalt beholde the place where he was and he shal be away but the meeke or softe shall enherite the earth Euen as we say be still haue thy will and of little medling commeth much rest for a patient man shall weare out all his enemies It is impossible to dwell in any place where no displeasure should be done thee If it be done vnwillingly as wheÌ„ thy neighbours beastes breake into thy corne by some chaunce against his will then it is reason that thou be softe and forgeue If it be done of malice and selfe wil then with reuenging thou doost but with pottering in the fire make the flame greater and geuest an occasioÌ„ of more euill to be done thee If any man rayle on thee and rebuke thee answere not agayne and the heat of his malice shal die in it selfe and goe out immediatly as fire doth when no more woode is laide theron If the wrong that is done be greater then thou art able to beare trust in God and complayne with all meekenesse vnto the officer that is set of God to forbid such violence And if y e Gentlemen that dwell about thee be tyrauntes be ready to helpe to fet home their woode to plow their land to bring in their haruest and so forth and let thy wife visit my Lady now and then with a couple of fat Hennes or a fat Capon and such like and then thou shalt possesse all the remnaunt in rest or els one quarell or other may be picked to thee to make thee quite of all together Chuse whether thou wilt with softnesse and suffering haue God on thy side euer to saue thee and to geue thee euer inough and to haue a good conscience and peace on the earth or wyth furiousnesse and impatiencie to haue God agaynst thee and to be polled a littel and little of all together and to haue an euill conscience and neuer rest on earth and to haue thy dayes shortened thereto God hath promised if thou be meke and softe and suffer a little persecution to geue thee not onely the life to come but also an hundred folde here in this life that is to say to geue thee his owne selfe and to be thy protectour and minister to thee euer inough which may of right be called an huÌ„dred folde and is a treasure passing the treasure of all Princes Finally Christ teacheth here how euery maÌ„ must liue for him selfe amoÌ„g them to whom he is a neighbour in priuate matters in which he is but as a neighbour though he be a king and in which thou canst not be to soft But and if thou be an officer theÌ„ thou must be good kynde and mercifull but not a milkesoppe and negligent And to whom thou art a father them must thou rule and make obedient and that with sharpnesse if softnesse will not be heard and so in all other offices Blessed are they that honger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shal be fulfilled Righteousnes in this place is not taken for the principall righteousnes of a Christen man thorow which the parson is good accepted before God For these viij pointes are but doctrine of the frutes and workes of a Christen man before which the fayth must be there to make righteous wythout all deseruing of workes and as a tree out of which all such fruites and workes must spryng Wherefore vnderstand here the outward righteousnes before the word and true and faythfull dealing ech with other and iust executing of the offices of all maner degrees and meke obedience of all that are vnder power So that the meaning is happy are they which not onely do their duties to all men but also study and helpe to the vttermost of their power with worde deede counsell and exhorting that all other deale truely also according to the degree that euery man beareth in the world and be as desirous to further good order righteous dealyng as the hungry thirsty be desirous to eate and drinke And note that it is not for naught that he saith hunger and thirst For except thy soule hunger thirst for this righteousnes of her new nature as the body doth for meate and drinke of hys olde nature the deuill the children of this world which cannot suffer that a man either deale truely himselfe or helpe other will so resist thee plague thee and so weary thee that thou haddest leuer of very mystrust desperation that thy state should be better to forsake all make thy selfe a MoÌ„ke or a Fryer yea to ruÌ„ne into a strauÌ„ge couÌ„try leaue all thy frends then to abide in the world and to let it chuse whether it wil sinke or swimme But to comfort vs that we faint not or be weary of well doing Christ promiseth that all that haue this thyrst and honger shall haue their lust satisfied and be traÌ„slated into a kingdome where none vnrighteousnes is besides that thou shalt here at length see many come to the right way and helpe with thee and many thinges that cannot be all together mended yet somewhat bettered and more tolerable so that all righteousnesse shall not be quenched And contrariwise cursed be all they that are full as Luke in the vj. sayth that is to say the hypocrites which to auoyde all labour sorrow care combraunce and suffring wyth their brethren get them to dennes to liue at rest and to fill their bellies the wealth of other meÌ„ not regarded No it were a grief to them that other were better that they alone may be taken for holy and that whosoeuer will to heauen must buy it of them yea they be so full that they preferre them selues before poore sinners and looke as narowly on them as the Pharisey did on the Publicanâ— thanking God that he alone was good and the other euyll Cursed are they yet for all their fulnesse for they shall hunger wyth euerlasting hunger where none shall geue them to eate nor they haue any refreshing of their paynes Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy To be mercifull is to haue compassion and to feele an other maÌ„s disease and to mourne with theÌ„ that mourne and suffer with them that suffer and to helpe and succour them that are in tribulation and aduersitie and to coÌ„fort them with good counsell wholsome instruction and louing wordes And
to minister to him Christes Gospel Wherfore if they say it is here or there in Saint Fraunces coate or Dominickes and such like that if thou wilt put on that coat thou shalt finde it there it is falfe For if it were there thou shouldest see it shyne abroad though thou creptst not into a sell or a monkes coule as thou seest y â— lightning without crepyng into the cloudes yea their light would so shine that men should not onely see y â— lyght of the Gospell but also their good workes which would as fast come out as they now runne in In so much that y â— shouldest see theÌ„ make theÌ„sel es pore to helpe other as they now make other poore to make theÌ„selues rich This lyght and salt pertayned not then to the Apostles and now to our Bishops and spiritualtie onely No it pertayneth to the temporall men also For all kynges and all rulers are bound to be salt and light not onely in example of liuing but also in teaching of doctrine vnto their subiects as wel as they be bounde to punishe euill doers Doth not the scripture testifie that kyng Dauid was chosen to be a shepeheard and to feede his people wyth Gods worde It is an euill scholemaster that cannot but beate onely But it is a good scholemaster that so teacheth that few neede to be beateÌ„ This salt and light therefore partayne to the temporaltie also and that to euery meÌ„ber of Christes Church so that euery man ought to be salt light to other Euery man then may be a common preacher thou wilt say and preach euery where by his owne auctoritie Nay verely No man may yet be a commoÌ„ preacher saue he that is called and chosen thereto by the commoÌ„ ordinaunce of the congregation as long as the preacher teacheth the true worde of God But euery priuate man ought to be in vertuous lyuing both light and salt to hys neighbour in so much that the poorest ought to striue to ouerrun the Byshop and to preach to hym in ensample of liuing Moreouer euery man ought to preach in worde deede vnto his houshould and to them that are vnder his gouernaunce c. And though no maÌ„ may preach openly saue he that hath the office committed vnto hym yet ought euery maÌ„ to endeuour himselfe to be as well learned as the preacher as nie as it is possible And euery man may priuatly enforme hys neighbour yea and the preacher and Byshop to if nede be For if the preacher preach wrong then may any man whatsoeuer he be rebuke him first priuately and then if that helpe not to complayne further And when all is proued according to the order of charitie and yet none amendment had theÌ„ ought euery man that caÌ„ to resist him and to stand by Christes doctrine to ieoparde lyfe all for it Looke on the olde ensamples they shal teach thee The Gospel hath an other fredome with her then the temporall regiment Though euery mans body and goods be vnder y â— kyng do he right or wroÌ„g yet is the auctoritie of Gods woorde free and aboue the kyng so that the worst in the realme may tell y e kyng if he do hym wrong that he doth nought and otherwise theÌ„ God hath coÌ„maunded hym and so warne hym to auoide the wrath of God which is the pacient aduenger of all vnrighteousnes May I then and ought also to resist father and mother and all temporall power wyth Gods worde when they wroÌ„gfully do or commaunde that hurteth or killeth the body and haue I no power to resiste the Byshop or preacher that wyth false doctrine slayeth the soules for which my maister and Lord Christ hath shed his bloud Be we otherwise vnder our Byshops then Christ and hys Apostles and all the other Prophetes were vnder the Byshops of the olde law Nay verely and therefore may we and also ought to do as they dyd and to aunswere as the Apostles dyd Act. v. Oportet magis obedire deo quà m hominibus We must rather obey God then men In the Gospell euery man is Christes Disciple and a person for himself to defend Christes doctrine in his owne person The fayth of the Byshop will not helpe me nor the byshoppes keeping the lawe is sufficient for me But I must beleue in Christ for the remission of all sinne for myne owne selfe and in myne owne person No more is the Bishops or preachers defending Gods woorde inough for me But I must defende it in mine owne person and ieopard lyfe and all thereon when I see neede occasion I am bouÌ„d to get worldly substauÌ„ce for my selfe for myne houshold with my iust labour and somewhat more for theÌ„ that cannot to saue my neighbours body And am I not more bouÌ„d to labour for Gods word to haue therof in store to saue my neighbours soule And when is it so much tyme to resiste with Gods word and to helpe as wheÌ„ they which are beleued to minister the true word do slea the soules with false doctrine for couetousnes sake He that is not ready to giue hys lyue for the maintenaunce of Christes doctrine agaynst hypocrites with what soeuer name or title they be disguised y â— same is not worthy of Christe nor can bee Christes Disciple by the very wordes and testimony of Christ Neuerthelesse we must vse wisedome pacieÌ„ce mekenes and a discrete processe after the due order of charitie in our defendyng the word of God least while we go about to amende our Prelates we make theÌ„ worse But when we haue proued all that charitie bindeth vs yet in vaine then we must come forth opeÌ„ly and rebuke their wickednes in the face oâ— the world and ieoparde life all theron Ye shall not thinke that I am come to destroy the law or the propheres no I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them For truly I say vnto you till heaueÌ„ and earth perish there shal not one iote or one title of the law scape till all be fulfilled A litle before Christ calleth his Disciples the light of the world the salt of the earth that because of their doctrine wherewith they should lighten the blynd vnderstandyng of man and with true knowledge driue out y â— false opinions and sophisticall persuasions of natural reason deliuer the Scripture out of y â— captiuitie of false gloses which the hypocritishe Phariseis had pâ—â—ched therto and â—o out of the light of trueknowledge to styrre vp a new liuyng and to salt season the corrupt maners of the old blind conuersation For where false doctrine corrupt opinions and sophistical gloses raigne in the witte and vnderstandyng there is the liuing deuilish in the sight of God how soeuer it appeare in the sight of the blind world And on the other side where the doctrine is true and perfect there foloweth godly liuing of
and hys Apostles Neither could it bee brought to passe vntill the Pope had got the Emperours sword out of hys haÌ„d The Grekes which were the one halfe of Christendome then I suppose would neuer admit it Now godly loue would neuer suffer them to coÌ„sent that we should be bouÌ„d vnto that burthen which they themselues could not beare as M. More in an other place affirmeth that they dyd And agayne we haue manifest storyes that it was brought in with violence ot sword that all the Priestes of Germany were coÌ„pelled to put away their wiues And we finde that whersoeuer the pope raigneth he came in with deceauyng the kyng of the countrey and then with his sword coÌ„â—elled the rest The Pope came but now late into Wales to raigne there ouer the Byshops and Priestes and that with the sword of the kyng of England And yet though all the Clergie of christendome had graunted it all the Church had not made it nor yet the tenth part of the Church The lay people be as well of the Churche as the Priestes Neither can all the Priestes in the world of right make any law wherin their part lyeth without their consent Now it perteineth vnto the coÌ„mon people and most of all vnto the weakest that their Priestes be endued with all vertue and honestie And the chastitie of his wife daughter and seruaunt perteineth vnto euery particular man which we see by experience defiled dayly by the vnchast chastitie of the spiritualitie Wherfore if the Parishes or any one Parish after they had sene the experience what incoÌ„ueniences came of their chastitie would haue no Curate except he had a wife to cut of occasions as Paule when he had sene that proofe would haue no young widowes minister who saue a tyraunt should be agaynst them Moreouer the generall Councels of the spiritualtie are of no other maner sence the Pope was a God then the generall Parlamentes of the temporalitie Where no man dare say hys mynde frely and liberally for â—eare of some one and of his flatterers And looke in what captiuitie the Parlamentes be vnder the priuate couÌ„sels of kinges so are the generall CouÌ„cels vnder the Pope and his Cardinals And this is the maner of both Some one two or three wilye Foxes that haue all other in subiection as ye haue sene in my Lord Cardinall imagine not what ought to be but what they lust to haue and conceaue in theyr own braynes and go with child some tyme a yeare ij iij. iiij v. vi or vij and some tyme. xx and aboue castyng canâ—esing and compassing for the byrth agaynst oportunitie openyng the matter priuely vnder an othe a litle and a litle vnto certaine Secretaries whose part is therin as they finde men of actiuitie and of courage prepared to sell soule and body for promotion And the matter in the meane tyme is turmoyled and tossed among themselues and persuasions and sutle reasons are forged to blind the right way and to beguile mens wittes And whoÌ„ they feare to haue aduersaries able to resist them for such meanes are sought to bring them in vnto their partie or to conuey them out of the way And wheÌ„ oportunitie is come they call a counsel or ParlameÌ„t vnder a contrary preteÌ„ce And a Masse of the holy ghost whom they desire as farre away as were possible is song and a goodly Sermon is made to blere mens eyes with all And then sodenly other meÌ„ vnprouided the matter is opened after the most suttle maner And many are beguiled with suttle argumentes and craftie persuasions And they that hold hard agaynst theÌ„ are called aside and reasoned with a part and handled after a fashion and partly entised with fayre promises and partly feared with cruell threatnyngs and so some are ouercome with siluer syllogismes other for feare of threatnyng are driuen vnto silence And if any be found at the last that will not obey their falsehead and tyranny they rayle on him and iest him out of couÌ„tenaunce call him opinatiue selfe mynded and obstinate beare him in hand that the deuill is in him that he so cleaueth vnto his owne witte though he speake no silllable but Gods word is asked whether he wil be wiser then other meÌ„ And in the spiritualitie they excommunicate him and make an hereticke of him And this to be true in the Clergies chastitie is as cleare as y e day by manifest chronicles in so much that the Prelates of Rome were a brewyng it aboue an hundred yeares and I wot not how long lenger yer they could bryng it to passe and yet in vayne til they had got the Emperours sword to proue that it was most expedient so to be And for what entent to bryng all vnder the Pope and that the Prelates of all landes might as the old maner was come and wayte on the Pope at Rome where he prepared theÌ„ whores inough And that his sworne Prelates in euery land might the more conueniently wayte in Kyngs Courtes to minister the commoÌ„ wealth vnto the popes pleasure and profite For had the Clergie kept their wiues they could neuer haue come vnto this where they now be and to these pluralities vnioÌ„s and totquottes For there is no lay man though he were neuer so euill disposed that could for his wife children haue leysure to coÌ„trâ—…e such mischiefe and to runne from countrey to countrey to learne falshead and subtiltie as our spiritualtie do which without feare of God and shame of man keepe whores whersoeuer they come And thus ye see that the clergies chastitie pertayneth as much vnto the temporaltie as vnto the spiritualtie And an other is this no power among them that professe the truth may bynde where God lowseth saue onely where loue and my neighbours necessitie requireth it of me Neyther can any power now binde them to come but they may freely keepe or breake as the thing is hurtfull or expedieÌ„t Neither can there be any bond where loue and necessitie requireth the contrary So that this law loue thy neighbour to helpe him as thou wouldest be holp must interpret all mans lawes As if I had sworne young or vnwisely that I would liue chast all the world had bound me if afterwarde I burnt and could not ouercome the passion I ought to mary For I must condition my vow and shew a cause of it thereto I may not vow for the chastitie it selfe as though it were sacrifice to please God in it self for that is the Idolatry of heathen I must therfore vowe to do my neyghbour seruice which in that case he may not require or to geue my selfe more quietly to prayer and studie which is not possible as long as I burne and the minde will not be quiet or that I may the better keepe y e lawes of God which if I burne I stand thorow my chastitie in more ieopardy to breake
where sinners be â–ª that what soeuer they bouÌ„d should be bound and whatsoeuer they loosed should be loosed Moreouer euery man and woman that know Christ his doctrine haue the keyes and power to bynde loose man order and in their measure as tyme place and occasion geueth priuately May not a wife if her husband sinne agaynst God and her and take an other woman tell him his fault betwene him her secretly and in good maner humbly binde his conscience with the law of God And if he repent may she not forgeue him and loose him as well as the Pope Yea and better to as long as the sinne is secret in as much as hee sinneth specially agaynst her and not agaynst the Pope And so may the sonne do to hys father and a seruaunt to his master and euery man to his neighbour as thou seest in the sayd xviij chapter of Mathew Howbeit to bynde and lose in the conscience by open preachyng pertaineth vnto the officers that are appoynted therto And to bynde and lose open sinners and them that will not repent till they be complayned on vnto the congregation pertaineth vnto the congregation Finally there were many that preached Christ at Rome yer Peter came thether if he came euer thether as Paule and many other Had they not authoritie to bynde and lose Or els how did they conuert the people Peter also was an Apostle and went srom place to place as Paule dyd and as Paule ordeyned Byshoppes in euery place to teach the people so no doubt did Peter Why then might not those Byshops chalenge authoritie by Peter as well as they of Rome They say also in their own Legendes that Peter had his seate at Antioch first Dyd he runne to Rome leauing no maÌ„ behynde hym to teach the people at Antioch God forbid Why then myght not that Byshop chalenge Peters authoritie They will haply say sooner theÌ„ proue it that Peter dyed at Rome and therefore his authoritie is greatest there Then by that rule Christes power is no where so full as at Hierusalem But what hath Christes inuisible kyngdoÌ„e to do with places Where Christes Gospell is there is his power full and all his authoritie as well in one place as in an other Finally to get authoritie whence so euer they caÌ„ snatch it they ioyne Paule with Peter in their owne lawes Distinctio xxij saying By the authoritie of Peter and Paule Which is cleane agaynst themselues For they say in their awne lawe in the presence of the superior the power of the inferior ceaseth and is none at all Now if Peter be greater then Paule then by that rule where Peter is preseÌ„t there Paule is but a subiect and without authoritie And where Christ is present bodely and preacheth himselfe there the Apostles geue vp their authoritie and holde their peace and sit downe at hys feete and become scholers harkeÌ„ to Wherfore in that they ioyne Paule wyth Peter and chalenge their superioritie as well by the authoritie of Paule as of Peter there they make Paule fellow and equall wyth Peter And thus it is false that Peter was greater then his felowes But y t blinde owles care not what they houle seyng it is night and the day light of Gods worde shut vp that no man can spye them Moreouer with this terme Peters seat they iuggle a pase as with infinite other saying that Peters seat is the chiefe seat but what Peters seat is that they tell you not For wist ye that ye should soone perceaue that they lye Peters seat is no stoole or chayre for what hath the kingdome of Christ to do with such baggage but it is a spirituall thing Christ saith in the Gospell Math. xxiij The Scribes Phariseis sit on Moses seat What was Moses seat there a chayre or the temple or the châ—rches or sinagoge of the land Nay verely for Moses came neuer there But Moses seat was Moses lawe and doctrine EueÌ„ so Peters seat is Peters doctrine the Gospell of Christ which Peter taught And the same doctrine is Peters keyes so that Peters seat Peters keyes and Peters doctrine is all one thyng Now is Peters doctrine Paules doctrine and the doctrine of all the xij Apostles indifferently for they taught all one thing Wherefore it followeth that Peters keyes and Peters seat be the keyes seat of Paule also and of all the other xij Apostles and are nothing saue the gospell of Christ And thus as Peters doctrine is no better then Paules but one thing Euen so Peters seat is no greater nor hyer nor holier theÌ„ the seat of the other xij Peters seat nowe is Christs seat Christes gospel on which all the Apostles sat and on which this day sitteth al they onely y e preach christ truely Wherfore as Antichrist preacheth not Peters doctrine which is Christes Gospell so he sitteth not on Peters seat but on the seat of Sathan whose vicar he is and on the seat of his owne lawes and ceremonies and false doctrine wherunto he compelleth all men with violence of sworde Then he clame to Purgatory with the ladder of the sayd text whatsoeuer thou bindest in earth c. Purgatory sayth he is in earth wherefore I am Lord there to Neuerthelesse as he can proue no purgatory so caÌ„ he not proue that if there were any it should be in the earth It might well be in the element or spere of fire vnder the Mone as well as in the earth But to bynde and lose is as I haue aboue sayde to preach and to feede and with Christes doctrine to purge soules And they that be dead be not of the flocke which Christ bad Peter feede but they that lyue onely TheÌ„ clame he vp with the same ladder still ouer all vowes and professioÌ„s of all religious persoÌ„s and ouer othes made betwene man and man to dispence with them and ouer all mens testamentes to alter them For what thou makest an hospitall that will he shortly make a colledge of Priestes or a place of religion or what he lusteth TheÌ„ all maner Monkes and Fryers and like draffe tooke dispensations of hym for the ordinaunces of theyr olde fouÌ„ders And because as they thought they had prayed distributed for theyr soules inough to bring them out of purgatory they thrust theÌ„ out of theyr beadrolles and tooke dayly moe and moe But euer since they tooke dispensations of the Pope both for their rules and to deuide all among them they receaued in the name not of the poore but of purgatory to queÌ„ch the raging fire thereof which is as hote as theyr bellyes can fayne it and fooles be out of their wittes to beleue it promising a Masse dayly for xl shillinges by the yeare of which foundations wheÌ„ they haue gotten twenty they will yet with an vnion purchased of the Pope make
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
that pray to them 433. b Saint Bartholomew 285. a Sanctuaries 112. a Salt 196. b. 277. b. meanyng therof 197. a Salt of the word vnsauery through couetousnes 231. b Salt of Papistes vnsauery 280. a Salutation 370. b Saluation certified in writyng 255. b. is within vs. 155. a. by grace 395 b. by fayth 34. a. commeth by the word 18. b Salue Regina 326. a Sathan an enemie to man 442. a Satisfaction what how we should make it 37. b. onely for our sinnes what 257. b. Christes bloud 394. a. true fayth 387. b Satisfaction may bee made to our neighbour 133. a Scala coeli 139. b Scriptures 103. a. how they speake 87. b. haue sene God 417. b. wisedome thereof 99. a. contentes and methode therof 169. a. how to bee searched 3. b. how locked vp 184. b. and 388. b. how to be read 30. b. how to be vnderstode 7. a. 33. a. of whom vnderstode 319. a. the right touchestone 103. a. teache the truth 388. b. must be kept sincerely 22. a Scripture teacheth the truth 388. b. chief of the Apostles 344. b. declareth gods good wil nedeth no miracles 301. a. authorised with true miracles ibidem 304. a. testifieth of the right Church 293. b. containeth our saluation wholly 256. a. causeth belefe of Scripture 304. a Scripture hath body and soule 23. b. calleth signes thyngs signified 469 b. deliuered first to the people in the vulgare toung 319. a. ought to bee knowen of all men 142. a. ought to be in English 101. a. should be in euery language 377. a Scriptures caused of God to auoyde heresies 303. a. must trye the Papistes 288. a. corrupted by the pope and why 256. b. hidde by the pope and Papistes 1. a. 304. and 394. b. wrested by Papistes 24. a. 446. a. locked vp by Papistes and why 23. b. suppressed by Papistes 1. b Scripture resisteth Popish doctrine 304. b Scriptures speake diuersly 79. b. full of hidde misteries 440. a. opened with two keyes 31. a. containe three principall thynges 23. b. not grosly to be vnderstode 80. a. haue but one sense 166. a Scholes of Diuinitie 104. a Schole doctrine of Papistes corrupt 171. a Scholemasters take great wages and teach not 101. b Scribes Phariseis and elders erred 303. b Scribes and Phariseis what they were 201. b. were very Antichrists 60. b Scoffyng 313. a Secretes 371. a. of God knowen to few 12. b Sectaries Papish are scoulders and braulers 2. b Sectes through mans wisedome innumerable in Popery 300. b. damnable amongest Papistes and heretiques 173. a Sâ—â—ge of Pauie 371. b Seruice of God 177. b. of Christ passeth seruice of Saintes 295. b Seruauntes all in Christ 121. a Seruauntes must be taught to know Christ 121. b Seruaunts of Mammon not Christes Church 233. b Shauelings winne whosoeuer loose 141. b. put downe Christ 127. a. are the world 405. b. desire to be sanctified with an whore rather then a wife 144. a. chalenge onely Gods spirite to them selues 137. b Shauyng borowed of the heathen oylyng of the Iewes 134. a Sheepes clothyng 241. b Sheryng what it signifieth 135. b Sheild of fayth inuincible 4. b Shippes saylyng by laÌ„d a. M. miles 372. a Shrift a woorke of Sathan 147. b. put downe among the Grecians for knauery 147. b Shrinyng of Saintes 351. b Shuttyng the chamber doore expouÌ„ded 220. b Sicke comforted by Papistes with a Latin Gospell 135. a Signes euident of the latter day 53. a Signe of y e cros truly beholdeÌ„ 282. b Signes are called commonly by the names of thynges signed 447. a Signe of Christes body called by the name of Christes body 444. b Significations of thynges must bee sought 248. a Significations of Sacramentes taken away by the Pope 256. a SignificatioÌ„ of our Baptisme 386. b Similitude 332. a. 360. b. 380. a. of what force 12. a. aptly applyed 18. b 109. b Similitude of woorkes 69. b. of a mother 421. a. of an earthly kyng 432. b Similitudes their vse 170. a. proue weakely 171. a Similitudes and reasons of mens wisedome 170. b Similitudes of well and euill doyng 219. a Simon Magus his fayth 95. b Sinne. 41. b. 321. a. defined 410. b. how farre it extendeth 113. b. vnder grace 186. b. vnder the law ibidem encreased by the law 40. b. all with out fayth 153. a. when it chiefly raigneth in vs. 40. a. paine therof 307 b. must be wrestled withall 397. a Sinne called in Scriptures vnbelefe 41. b. agaynst the holy ghost 254. b. cannot stand with fayth 258. a. the best marchaundize 151. a Sinne all of our selues goodnes all of God 384. b Sinnes accompsed no sinne â—5 a. are of our selues 32. a. veniall 186. b. beadly 187. a. all forgeuen for Iesus sake 387. a. washed away 13. a. how knowen to be forgeuen 47. b Sinners must be holpen of vs or els we must perish with them in their sinne 203. b Sinners all in generall 44. a Sinners all forget not God 260. b. must repent spedely 334. b Sinners saued all by Christes power 357. b Sinceritie required in all 104. a Sir Thomas Hitton 294. a. murdered 375. a Sâ—eigh practises 367. a Sâ—â—res of Papistes 316. a Solution of doubtes 240. a. of Popish reasons 262. a Sophisters 168. a. say the litterall sense killeth 168. a Soules departed rest at Gods pleasure 324. b Soundnes in fayth bryngeth knowledge in Scriptures 38â— a Spirices 414. b Spirite of God maketh a man spirituall 40. b Spirite of God accompanieth fayth 65. b contrary to the â—lesh 48. a Spirite resisted by our byâ—… remainyng in vs. 165. a Spirite vncleane 35. a Spirit of God â—o guide to Popistes 148. a Spirite 〈◊〉 188. b Spech boâ—… 166. b Spirituall 〈◊〉 1â—4 a Spirituall â—…ers why â—…ned 1â—… Spiâ—… 247 b Spirituall â—…ce of God what 443. a Spirituall â—…ng onely â—…eth 464 â–ª b Spirituall vnderstandâ—ng of Chrisâ—… 460 â–ª b Spirituall and tempâ—ral reâ—… 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 woulâ— not that sâ—… 3â—8 a 〈…〉 desâ—…sed 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 â—45 〈…〉 with coâ—… â—07 〈…〉 for Châ—… vs. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 and temporâ—… 201. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 workes true â—ayth 41. b 〈…〉 402. b Sâ—… the fourth â—ope 〈◊〉 b 〈…〉 the second Pope â—48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 277 â–ª b â—…e 24â— b â—…ctrine 29◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 the â—…ers 143 a â—…ed how 〈◊〉 be applyed to 〈…〉 31. b Submission to Christ â—â—1 a Suffraunce with Christe bryngeth ioy 342. a Suffraganes why ordained 152. a Summe of Gods law 410. b Supper of Christe howe instituted 470. a. a memortall of his death 441. b. why geuen vs. 323. a Superstition odious 401. b. furthered by Papistes 279. a Superstitious obseruations 248. b Superstitious fast God abhorreth 274. b Suttletie of the Pope to enlarge hâ—â— kingdome 356. a. of Allegorâ—es 1â— b. of the Popes Clergy 〈…〉 Suttle conueyaunces of Papistes 3â—6 a Sute in law without offence â—45 a Swarmes of Popishe sectes 280. a. 〈…〉 Swearyng 30â— b. by God 〈…〉 how lawfull 〈…〉
disceatfulnes Then as meÌ„ past shame being both without feare of God and man spared not to put in executioÌ„ these abhominable doctrines insomuch that they deposed openly Princes and Emperours yea and assoyled all their subiectes from the obedience of them the commaundement of God not regarded But that my wordes should the better appeare to all men I shall recite some of their practises both out of AuteÌ„ticke crownycles and out af their owne lawe ¶ Zacharias did depose the king of Fraunce not all onely for his iniquitie but also because he was vnprofitable for so greate a power and set tâ— his â—â—éede Pipinum the Emperours father and did assoyle all Fraunce of their othe and alleagyaunce that they had made â—nto the olde king The which thing the holy church of Rome doth oftimes by hir auctorite c. ¶ Now would to God your grace earnestly would looke on this lawe or at the least to suffer and géeue the worde of God into y e handes of your subiectes to compare the obedience that these men both preache and practice to it But fayne would I know of them all who hath deposed any king syth Christes passion sauiÌ„g they onelye who will bée kinges felowes yea and coÌ„troulers sauing they only Is not this a subtile crafte of Antychrist to warne other men of heretykes and of traytours and in the meane season while men stand lokeing fhr traytours commeth hée in and playeth the parte of an open traytour sauing onely hée coloureth his name and calleth himselfe a true Byshop is ready to accuse other meÌ„ of treasoÌ„ that he might escape hymselfe but hée is sure that hée wil neuer accuse none of them that speake against the auctorite of Princes But if a man doe beginne but to open his mouth for to declare that hee hath no temporall power then rageth hée and cryeth out treason treason But let vs returne to their lawe sée how they can proue it by Gods word and how it standeth with true subiection Is this resonable that the Pope and they being by Gods lawe but subiectes shall depose a king what example have they of our master Christ or if any of his Apostles what scripture haue they to helpe them How dare they bée so bolde as to depose a king which is ordayned of God yea and by his holy worde hauing no example nor scripture for them Be they aboue God his blessed worde But they will say that the king was a wicked man I aunswere the crownicles geue contrary witnesse how y e he was a very good man and ryght simple And because hée was simple Therefore Pipinus which had all y e rule vnder him thought him self better worthy to rule then the king so wrote by a Byshop and by his chaplayne vnto the Pope desireth hym to geue senteÌ„ce whether he was better worthy to bee king that had all the paynes and labours or hée that had no labour could doe nothing Now the Pope to make Pipinum his frend and trusting by that meanes to haue helpe of hym agaynst the Emperour with whoÌ„ hée had then béene at variance gaue seÌ„teÌ„ce with him deposed the other and made hym a Monke that this falshod should not bée perceiued they fained that y e king had béene a MoÌ„ke afore called Samuell This can I proue by good cronicles Now let your noble grace consider if it were right not onely to depose suche a king but also to make him a MoÌ„ke Thus haue they done w t other noble kinges And no doubt but that same or worse will they attempt to doe vnto your grace if you displease them and at the least they will doe their vttermoste Let all the hole rable of theÌ„ tell your grace when a true preacher of Christes Gospell dyd such a déede There is no officer that hath néede to bée afrayde of Christes Gospell nor yet of the preachers thereof But of these preuye traytours can no man bée too wary But let vs graunt them that y e kyng was a wicked man The Scripture commaundeth vs to obey to wicked Princes and geueth vs none auctoritye to depose them as their owne glose testifyeth vpon this text Subdeti estote Who was more wicked then Herode yet S. Iohn suffered death vnder hym who was wyckedder theÌ„ Pilate And yet Christ did not put hym downe But was crucified vnder hym Bréeflye which of all y e Princes were good in the Apostles dayes yet they deposed none So that Gods worde and their owne learnynge and the practise of our Maister Christe and his holy Apostels are openly agaynst them Moreouer their owne glose sayth that he was not deposed because he was vnsufficient but because hée was wanton and lecherous with wéemen O my Lordes if you bee not afrayde of the vengeauÌ„ce of God at the least take a litle shame of the worlde vnto you that haue so long tyme with so great tyranny defended these lawes that bée so openly agaynst Gods ordinaunce agaynst Gods word and agaynst the common ordinaunce and coÌ„sent of all the world And this haue you done to the great iniury of noble Princes to the intollerable subduyng of all noble bloud to the oppression of their true subiectes to the destruction of all common wealthes and finally to the euerlastyng damnation of many a Christened soule Tell me by your fayth doe you beléeue that there is a liuyng God that is mighty to punish his enemies if you beléeue it say vnto me can you deuise for to auoyde hys vengeaunce which bée so openly contrary to hys woorde What aunswere thinke you to make to hym Thinke you that hée will suffer your worde to be heard and let his godly word bee despised Thinke you that it will bée sufficient for you to say that they bée the lawes of holy Churche Thinke you that hee will bee thus taught of you Then were it tyme to plucke hym downe and set you vp Nay my Lordes hée is no childe nor you shall finde it no childes game thus to trifle and playe with hys holy word and hys blessed ordinauÌ„ce yea and that to the despising of the maker both of heauen and earth Say what ye will ye are not able by no learnyng to defende this matter neither afore God nor yet afore our noble Prince nor afore any man of learnyng that will bee true to his prince For whiche way soeuer you turne you our master Christ all his blessed Apostles bee agaynst you will openly accuse you that you bée coÌ„trary to their worde and to theyr déede Aunswere you to them aunswere not to me If I hold my peace they will speake Nor it will helpe you but litle to crye after your old maner heresie heresie a traytour a traytour for now you crye agaynst your selues of those thynges Christ and his Apostles doe accuse you Doe you thinke it with the ordinaunce of God that you shal depose a kyng
should not bée released but thorow your power séeyng that you bée but ministers and seruauntes ordayned of Christ vnto her profite and not to your honour Thys wyll I declare by an example I put this case that there bée a prisoner bounde fast in cheynes ouer the which you haue the custody and the kéepyng after the kynges commaundement now the kynges grace saith vnto you loose that fellow let hym goe frée out of prison vnder this cōdition that he shal promise to serue no Prince but mée onely What will you loose him or not Cā you or dare you kéepe hym longer if you woulde Or can you compell him to make any other composition with you than alonely to serue y e king If you woulde kéepe him longer in prison did you not runne in the kynges displeasure And if hée did promise you any other composition were hée bounde thereto Nay doubtles Moreouer in loosing of him what thyng doe you by your auctoritie yea what thyng doe you at all but that you are mynisters vnto the kynges commaundement and a seruaunt to the poore fellowe The ministration seruice is yours but the auctoritie is the kinges of the which you haue neuer a crumme Take an other example If it please the kynges grace to make any of you an Embassadour and geeue you a commission and commaundement to fetch home into his lande a banished man vnto whom the kinges grace writeth his pardon with such wordes and vnder such condition as pleaseth his grace Now this pardō deliuereth hée to you for to beare and to declare vnto the banished man Here woulde I know of you what you can doe for this banished man more then is written in your cōmission Also what can you doe againste hym in these thinges that the kinges grace hath pardoned hym You can neyther adde nor take away from the kinges pardon You can no more doe but declare it vnto the partie And if hée receaue it then may hée as lawfully and as fréely come into the land as you may and you can not say by right that you haue by your auctoritie discharged hym or geuen him any pardō of his banishmēt but alonely you haue deliuered declared vnto hym the kinges pardon which when hée had receaued with the considerations therein then is hée discharged of hys banishment And if hée will not receaue the kinges pardon then can you neyther helpe him into the land nor yet discharge hym of his trāsgression but onely you leaue hym and declare vnto him yea and that by the kinges wordes that hée is a banished man and so shall remayne till hée receaue the kinges pardon So likewise y e word of God where in is pardon for all sinners is committed vnto you to preach and to declare which if they receiue by faith they are frée and loosed from their synnes but if they doe not they are bound not by your auctorytie for you bée but mynisters and seruauntes and can no further goe then your commyssion but by y e auctorytie of God onely Wherefore sée well to your conscyence how you can discharge your self afore God that doe so presūptuously vsurpe his auctorite of the which you haue neyther worde nor example in scripture Moreouer how can you prooue this manner of absolution Ego absaluo te auctoritate mihi comissa for to bée lawfull I pray you where was there euer any auctoritie cōmitted vnto man to take away synne There is no auctoritie committed vnto man but all onely ministraciō of the worde Now your absolucion maketh mencion of auctoritie yea and that without the sworde and a great many of you vnderstode not the worde Duns sayth Quod absolutio sacerdotis est dispositio necessitatis ad remissionem culpae How thinke you bée these fitte wordes for a Christen man if your absolution bée necessary then can not God take away sinne without you nor you wtout hym but God and you togither take away sinne Whether will you now Will you ascend so hie will you bée check mates with God I thinke shortly you will also bée Gods The Pharesies did recken much better of God then you doe for they sayd that God onely did absolue from sinnes you say I doe assoyle yea and that by auctoritie so that you farre passe the Pharesies But let vs sée what S. Augustine sayth of such mē many sinnes bée forgeuen thee hée Prophecyed of men that bée to come There weare many men to come that would say I forgéeue sinnes I iustefie I sanctifie I make whole so many as I baptise Wherefore the Iewes did better vnderstande the remissyon of synnes thē heretykes doe for the Iewes sayde what mā is this y e forgeueth synnes the heretyke saith I forgeue I make cleane I sanctifie c. These wordes bée playne inough agaynst you for you say we haue auctoritie to remyt synnes And. S. Augustine sayth you bée heretyckes for so saying You can not denye but S. Augustine reprooueth your owne absolucion where in you say that your absolution is requisite of necessitie to remyssion of sinnes the which is nothing els but clearly denying of christ of his blessed bloud and also of his holy worde But if wée had grace wée might perceaue that neyther you nor your absolucion nor yet any thing y e you doe weare of God For all y e you doe is clearely done for mony and for no other cause Recken one thing that you doe as concerning your ministration but that you will haue money for it As not so much as washing of a heape of stones Whereby haue you gotten all your great possessions but alonely vnder the collour that you bée Christes holy bishops For money you make whore dome as lawfull as matrimony For money stollen good shall bée better thē heritage For money you make vsury lawful marchaundise For money all sinnes bée vertue Yea and also haue great pardon to them For money you sell man wife mayde child king and land For money you make as good marchaūdise of womens priuities as a Goldsmith doth of gilted plate You will recken that this is a shame for me to write but it is more shame for you to doe it And if you did not these shamefull déedes I shoulde haue none occasiō to make this shamefull writyng Take you away y e cause and I will take away y t writyng Yea you are not so content but you sell Christ you sel the blessed Sacrament of his flesh and bloud you sell his holy worde you sell all other Sacramentes Briefely you sell all maner of thyng that euer hée left in earth to the comfort of mans soule and all for money Yea and not so content but you make also more lawes and more statutes dispense with them for money and all these thynges doe you by the authoritie of the keyes that both open heauen and hell and a mans coffer and also his pursse yea
and by what authoritie your highe pollitike rule saued that you dare géeue either of these kindes to the laye men seyng they were both alonely geuen to the Apostles for eueÌ„ by that authoritie that you haue power to take away the one kynd by that selfe same haue you power to take away the other for they were both geuen at once and indifferently to the receiuers so that as many as receiued the one receiued also the other and to them that hée sayd take and eate this this is my body to them hée sayd drinke all of this c. Now if you may thus take away y e partes of y e sacramentes at your pleasure y e coÌ„sequent shall bée y â— incontinuance all the sacramentes shal be destroyed and Christes word set at naught Wherefore my Lord this blasphemous euation will not helpe you but such shamfull solutions must they vse that will be agaynst the open worde of God Amend your conscience my Lorde for if you doe not remeÌ„ber the terrible wordes of y â— Prophet hée shall shake his sword bend his bowe make it al ready therein hath hée prepared the shot of death his arrowes for to burne This is no smal threatning nor lightly to auoide But let vs sée what the scriptures say that which I gaue vnto you I receaued of y e Lord. Marke S. Paules wordes how hée receaued this thyng of the Lorde c. The Lord Iesus the same night in y e which hée was betraied tooke bread and thanked and brake it and sayde Take ye and eate this is my body which is broken for you this doe yée in the remembraunce of mée After y e same manner hée tooke the cup said this cup is the New testament in my bloud this doe as oft as you drinke in the rememberaunce of mée for as often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this câ—p you shall shew the Lordes death tyll hée come Marke diligently how S. Paule declareth how the Lord Iesus Christ dyd institute this blessed and comfortable sacrameÌ„t in both kindes and in both kindes dyd mynister it hymselfe and not that all onely but also enacted this coÌ„mauÌ„dement to all Christen people which must receiue it This doe as often c. Yea and this commauÌ„dement is geueÌ„ after the Sacrament is ministred in both kinds Teaching vs that in both kindes the Lord hath instituted this Sacrament to bée receiued and also that they y â— so receaue it not breake this commaundement of the Lorde This doe as often c. This commaundement S. Paule did not lightly let slyp but hée knew that it was the ordinaunce and y e commaundement of the Lord and also knew y e one iot or tytle of his wordes should not nor ought nor can not bée let slip without perrell of the soules of them y â— so littell makes of his word And therfore hée durst not nor would not and yet hée had as great auctoritie as the counsell of constance let slip or tanspose the institution and commaundement of the Lord but wholy and fully with all diligence hée wrote those wordes vnto all the whole congregation of the Corinthians not to the ministers or priestes all onely but to the whole congregation that is as well to the mynisters of the word as to lay men and also the contrary for hée sayth when you come togither that you may perceaue y â— hée speakes indifferently hée there reproueth theÌ„ that tarryed not for poore men And also these wordes bée playne who so euer shall eate of this bread and drink of this cup worthely c. Now vnto this whole congregatioÌ„ I doubt not but by y e spirit of the Lord which sawe béefore this damnable errour to bée instituted of antichrist and his very all onely mynisters hée sayd drinke you yea and to reproue and manifestly to declare this open errour hée adeth this worde Cuppe signifying and teaching that Christes ordinaunce is not to receaue the bloud in the body onely but to receaue the bloud after his institution by it selfe out of the cup lest they should bée found correctours and blasphemers of the holy institution and commaundement of the Lord Of whom S. Paule receaued this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t and of no couÌ„sels Now what ChristeÌ„ man can doubt but our M. Christ to whom all thing is bare and open both things present also to come knew that there was bloud in his owne body Also Saynt Paule his scholer which learned this lesson of hym was not ignorant that there was bloud in his body And yet firste our maister Christ géeueth his bloud alone by it selfe out of the cup and his diligent scholer knowyng the doctrine of his maister dyd the same regardyng his maisters doctrine and preferring it before his carnall reasoÌ„ which knew that there was bloud in euery body but his maisters doctrine taught him that his maister kept not his bloud in his body but for vs lost and damned persons for our innume rable detestable and aboue all capacitie to declare damnable and abhominable sinnes brake his body shed his bloude thereout plentously and therewith made sacrifice and satisfactioÌ„ for all our sinnes as Saint Iohn sayth The bloud of Iesus Christ clen seth vs from all sinne also we are sanctified by the offeryng of the body of Iesus Christ once for all Now that all Christen men which bée sanctified by the offeryng of this body and by sheadyng the bloud out of this body shoulde alwayes haue both those partes in remeÌ„braunce hée according as the bloud was deuided froÌ„ the body for all sinners indiffereÌ„tly that will come vnto Christe and accordyng to his maisters institution commauÌ„dement ministred this Sacrament and also ordeined it to bée ministred to all men The body by it selfe the bloud by it selfe That they might alway not remember alonely that our Sauiour Christ offered his body for vs but also shed out of that same body his most precious bloud and therfore sayth S. Paule as his maister Christ taught him As often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shall shew the Lordes death till hée come Now my Lordes come to your counselles Christ and S. Paule defendeth thys thyng partinaciter as you call it that is stifly and strongly wyll they abide by it and will not reuoke it Wherfore after the decrée of your Counsell they bée condemned for heretickes I can no more say but God helpe them for there is no remedy with them but they must néedes to the fier for they will not bée abiured in no wise It is a piteous case that two so good men as these bée will bée thus openly agaynst the decrée of the holy counsell yea and against so many and so noble fathers and so great clarkes the which knew this matter as ye say as well as they and it is not to bée thought that the holy Ghost would leaue so
caÌ„ I say to it I must bée content I can doe no more but say my learnyng and let God alone wyth hys punishment Also blessed S. Augustine writing of thys same matter sayth these wordes Certayne men doe affirme those men to bée aduoulterers that doth marry after they haue vowed â—hastitie but I doe affirme that those men doe greuously sinne the which doth separate them c. Note first that S. Angustine wryteth of them that had vowed chastitie And yet notwithstanding hée woulde that those men shoulde continue in their maryage togither The which thyng hée would neuer haue suffered if it had béene vnlawfull and heresâ—e as men woulde make it now a dayes Secondarily obserue that there were in his dayes as â—ée now many in ours that thought it a greuous sinne for a man to marry after hys vowe And yet this opinion S. Augustine doth condemne Now let men admit this doctrine of S. Augustine and I wil require no more And if they will condemne me then let them also condemne S. Augustine for I haue learned it of hym Also blessed S. Ambrose writeth of virginitie in this maner Chastitie of body ought to bée desired of vs. The which thyng I doe geue for a couÌ„sell and doe not commauÌ„de it imperiously For virginitie is a thyng alonely that ought to bée counsayled but not to bée commaunded it is rather a thyng of voluntary will then of a precept c. Note how S. Ambrose teacheth how that virginitie ought not to bée required as vnder a precept Wherfore it must néedes folow that the Popes doctrine is vnlawfull wheÌ„ hée commaundeth that no man shall bée a Priest except hée vow chastitie For â—ere the Pope compelleth men vnder a colour for to vow chastitie As for an example It chaunceth me to méete by the way a théef the which sayth vnto me Thou shalt not goe ouer y â— bridge except thou wilt deliuer me thy purse Now is it of trueth that I may choose whether I will goe ouer the bridge or not but yet this man doth violence for coÌ„pellyng mee either to goe backe agayne or els to lose my purse if that I will goe ouer And I doubt not but the kynges lawe will both condemne hym for doyng violence and also take him for a théefe So likewise the pope doth wrong when hée sayth I shall not bée a priest except that I first vow chastitie I say that this condition is vnlawfull and it is wrongfully done to bynde me to any thyng vnder any condition that God hath left frée to me Moreouer our M. Christ did not require that condition of hys priests Wherfore it must néedes folow that it is not a thyng that of necessitie belongeth to Priesthode Also S. Hierome approoueth this doctrine of mine saying Let bishops and priestes read this thyng hée speaketh agaynst mispendyng of goodes that is offered to helpe poore men with the which doth teach their children prophane letters and maketh them to read commedies and to sing baudy songes of iesters and these children they finde of the charges of the church c. Obserue this y â— S. Hierom speaketh here of Byshops and priests children the whiche they could not haue if they were vnmaryed For it is not to bée supposed that S. Hieâ—ome speaketh of bastardes or of whores children for then hée would haue vsed other wordes So that good reader it is cleare after the doctrine of holy Doctours that it is lawful for Priestes to haue wiues and specially if they can not lyue sole But now will we goe farther and sée what holy councels hath ordeined in this cause The trueth is that y â— deuill hath of long tyme harped on this stryng to sorbyd Priestes Matrimony Not for any deuotion that hée had to virginitie for hée knew well men could not kéepe it farther then theyr gifts were but alonely that hée might lay a snare for mens soules and also bryng the holy institution and ordinaunce of God into a contempt and a despising But God hath alwayes of hys infinite mercy styrred vp some good man to resiste hym We doe read in authenticall storyes that in the couÌ„cell of Nicene certeine men went about to haue priâ—ated Priestes from their wyues But almighty God dyd lâ—t them The woordes of the storyes bée these The Councell of Nicene willyng to reforme the lyfe of men dyd set certayne lawes the which we call Canones among the whiche certayne men would haue had a lawe to hée brought in that Byshops priests Deacons and Subdeacons should not lye with their wyues which they had maryed before theyr consecratioÌ„ But Paphnutius a confessour dyd withstand them and sayd that theyr mariage was honorable and it was pure chastitie for theÌ„ to lye with theyr wyues So that the CouÌ„cell was persuaded not to make any such law affirmyng it for to bée a greuous occasion both vnto them also vnto their wyues of fornication And this thyng dyd Paphnutius though that hée hym selfe was vnmaryed The Councell dyd alowe this sentence So that nothyng was decréed as coÌ„cernyng this thyng but euery man was left vnto hys freewill and not bounde of any necessitie c. Here is to bée noted that this holy CouÌ„cell dyd not recken it an vnpure â–ª or a filthye thyng for a Byshop or a Priest to coÌ„pany with his wyfe But they doe grauÌ„t that it is a pure and a cleane chastitie for a Priest to company with his wife The which is clearely agaynst y â— Pope For hée sayth that it is fleshly and carnall and that their handes bée defiled and they made vnworthy thereby to handle the blessed Sacramentes But here will bee sayd that these meÌ„ had wyues before theyr consecration the whiche thyng they will also graunt that a maryed man may bée chosen a Byshop also kéepe his wife afterward But hée may not marry after hys coÌ„secration that had no wyfe before To this I aunswere that it is no lawfull solution thus to say For if it bée lawfull for a maÌ„ to kéepe his wyfe after his Priesthode why shall it not bée as lawfull for hym to take a wyfe after hys coÌ„secration What thyng is there in hys matrimony that is made after hys consecration that was not in his matrimony before hys consecration Or for what cause dyd hée take a wyfe before hys consecration If hée dyd it to auoyde fornication then is hée now much more bound to take a wyfe then before for it becommeth hym a great deale worse to lyue in fornication after hys consecratioÌ„ then hée dyd before But these meÌ„ that maketh this lighte solution doe not haÌ„dle this matter truely before God For it is not their meanyng that maryed men should either bée Byshops or Priestes For let them shew me in all their chronicles that euer any maryed man was chosen to bée a byshop â–ª since they had made lawes that Priestes should haue no wyues and then