the holy place foūde euerlastyng redēption Heb ix He is gone that gaue the lawe an other is come in his rowme by whom grace is geuē Ioh. i. Aarō is gone for the true prest for euer after the order of Melchisedech is come To conclude the fygure is vanyshed because the lyght hath shyned Then what nede we so costly gloryous pompe of ceremonies in the new testamēt we disprayse not those buyldinges to the which the people cōmeth to hear the worde of god more cōmodiously but we disprayse the abuse the erroure namely that they kepe no measure can neuer make an ende of buyldynge deckynge of such royal churches Exo. xxxvi at the cōmaūdement of Moses the cryer forbyddeth that nother mā nor womā shuld offer vp ony more to the buyldyng of the tabernacle for the people offred vp a great deale more thē nede was Now our cryers wtout ende measure requyre gyftes of the people to the buyldinges of tēples Wher doth Christ requyre in the new testament such ornamētes of churches and where doth he appoynt such buyldyng to be made Cōmaūded not he vs to worship the father ī spret in verite The which two wordes cōdēne the whole tragedy of ceremonies which we thīke profitable good for praier For what helpeth to the sprete and trueth of worshippyng of God such infinite diuersite of vestimentes belles organes and sōges of dyuerse kyndes Yf those thynges kyndle deuotion steare vp a mans mynde to God it were best that not only churches but also houses townes hye waies stretes shuld be ful of yanglyng of belles be replenyshed with ymages The Lorde requyreth the sprete and trueth and we cōtrarye wyse shewe and set forth a carnal pompe solemnite of ceremonyes the which is not only as great as all the Iewes fashions and rytes but passeth them farre both in nombre and greatnesse hauyng in steade of the sprete the flesh for the trueth moost coloured and paynted ypocrysye for we spende the whole daye with syngynge sacrifysyng and mumblynge We speake with tunges but no mā preacheth which shulde speake vnto men to edifye exorte and to comforte .i. Cor. xiiii The Apostle wyl leuer speake .v. wordes with his vnderstādyng that he may iustruc teach other also rather thē ten thousand with tūges We thōdre out psalmes wtout vnderstādyng for auaūtage lucre makyng a sound wtout deuotiō alas the word of God is cōpelled to geue place to this blind seruice the ordināce of the apostle also We crye now a dayes as the Iewes cryed in tymes paste Ieremie vii The temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde Goddes seruice Goddes seruice Goddes seruice trustyng in wordes of lyenge where as all thys busynesse of ceremonyes is playne hyred geare for mony that it may be fulfilled that the Lorde sayde Malachie i. Who is ther amonge you that wyll shut the dores wyl kyndle myn aultare frely for nought wherfore it foloweth I haue no pleasure in you sayth the Lorde of hoostes I wyll take no reward of your handes Yf that the tragedy and spectakle of ceremonyes lyketh you so well go to let vs brynge home agayne the whole Iewysnesh and the whole maner of worshyppynge of the Iewes let vs deck vp Aaron let vs orden leuytes let vs kyll and offer vp shepe oxen and calues and euen let vs be circumcysed wyth the madde Iewes and let vs loke for an other Messyas that may bryng vs in to the lande of Canaan not by the power of the Lorde but of the world Surely yf that moost costly and sumptuous worshyppyng of God is christes religion in the which holynesse consisteth I graunt that I can not tell what is oure religion But yf Christ be oure Lorde and master and hys doctryne be the doctryne of the father the truthe and the waye then is the whole heape of ceremonyes nothynge lesse than the worshyppyng of God Where do we reade in the gospel of hyred prayers which ye wyll let a man haue for mony and yf he geue no penny he shall haue no pater noster where doth the Lorde alowe byenge sellyng choppynge and chaūgynge in holy thynges As for those places which they brynge for the appoyntynge and assignynge of a certayne place of prayer euery mā may se that they handle them without ony maner of iudgement and with playne ygnoraunce of scriptur It is euē of the same sorte that they fayne that the deuyl is afrayed of holy water as thoughe he were not more afrayed at the syght of a christē man whome the oyntement of the holy goost hath made holy and is the temple of the holy goost And as for that thay they brynge for the halowynge of beedes and the nombre of pater nosters and the Psalter of our lady suche other it is more vayne then ony tryfles be in the worlde and more foolysher then the tales which olde wyues tell in wynter nyghtes by the fyre syde Therfore we must praye to the father of heauē thorowe oure Lorde Iesus Christe in spirit and truthe in euery place that our prayers be not bound to places For ether we go in to oure preuy chambre and shut the dore after vs pray vnto the father which is in secrete or we praye in euery place after the learnynge of saynt Paule in the fyrst epistel the .ii. chapter to Timoth. For the whole worlde is the temple churche of God The heauen the heauen of al heauens ar not able to receaue the Lord how much lesse then thys church Yf I ascende vp to heauē sayeth the royal prophete thou arte ther yf I descende and go downe to hel thou art present And God his owne self sayeth by Ieremy the prophete in the xxiii chapt I fyl both heauē and earth And the Apostell in his preachyng to the men of Athens sayeth God is not far from vs for we lyue in hym are moued and be in hym Actu xvii ¶ Of vowes The newe learnynge Vowe to the Lorde perfourme it that the ye vowe Psal lxxv Therfor we may vowe we ought to geue it that we vowe for ther a is lawe made of geuynge to them whiche vowed In the .iiii. boke of the sentence it is wrytten A vowe is made when a mā of his owne wyl promyseth that he wyl do or kepe some good thynge to the which otherwyse he is not bound although he be bound after the vowe be made There be .iii. principalle substancial vowes that is of pouerte chastite obedience He that is once made a religious man or a preste is bound to lyue so for euer by hys vowe ¶ The olde learnynge A vowe is a law say the scoole mē made to perfourme such thynges as mē haue vowed It is playne what the holy scripture doth affyrme and iudge of the lawe and of the workes of it Now is mā not iustifyed or made
the greke hath Moreouer ther is no man but he knoweth that synne is knowen by the lawe but this concupiscence is forboden of the lawe for it is synne Infirmityes surely also paynes do not fall vnder the precepte And it is knowen that the Apostell sayeth Ro. vii I dyd not knowe synne but by the lawe for I had not knowen that cōcupiscence had ben a synne yf the lawe had not sayd thou shalt not lust and by and by he calleth it synne But this is the difference namely before the baptyme of the sprete and water that concupiscence or lust was a synne raygnynge but after the wasshynge of regeneration it is synne ouercōme and subdued of his own nature in dede it is euell but a man truely regenerate and not walkynge after the flesh doth represse and holde downe synne with the spret of grace that it raygne not nor haue the ouerhande that ther be no damnacyon vnto them that be grafted in Christ Roma viii For it is not rekened hym to damnacion for the sprete that resysteth the fleshe The whiche thynge saynt Austen in these wordes doth conclude All synne is forgeuē in baptyme not that it shulde not be at all but that it shulde not be rekened for synne Now iudge good reader which of vs speake more truly they that make so lyght a thyng of this olde leuen of malyce callynge it a lytel infirmite onely whiche neuerthelesse is no veniall synne do not know the grace of god do blaspheme vs that make a great thing of it as it is a great thynge in very dede that we shulde haue nede of the great grace of God We do exalte magnifye with kynde deuocion godlynes the bloud of Christ where with al synne is pourged redemed that we lowly cōfessours graūters of our synnes may fynde grace in the eyes of god the iuste iudge ¶ Of worshippynge of sayntes The new Not only Christ is our mediatour but also the sayntes which raygne in heauē with Christ wherfor they ought to be called vpō as mediatours of intercessiō the which purchase vnto vs many good thinges Our Lorde diuidyng his kyngdom hath cōmitted the one halfe of his kyngdom that is mercy to the sayntes to be geuē and distributed vnto the worlde the other part that is iudgement he kepeth behynde for himselfe For he that wyll obtayne ony thynge of a prynce he seketh out some mā of authorite at whose request he may obtayne that he wyl haue the which shulde not spede yf he came to the prince alone Mary the mother of God yf she brake the heade of the old serpēt why shuld she not be a meane for mankinde Therfore our lady the saītes do worke partly our saluation The blessed virgin is the neck Christ is the head we be the mēbres no good gyftes come downe into the mēbres but thorow Mary as the necke Also the saintes worke miracles For how many beyng syck with diuerse sicknesses haue bē holpen at the monumētes tōbes of the saintes ¶ The olde learnynge A synner alone maye not appeare in the syght of God for our god is a cōsumynge fyre Heb. xiii except he be brought to hym by a mediatour for whose merites sake he doth forgeue the synners trespasses Christ is the mediatour .i. Timo. ii Heb. ix Ro. viii our satisfacciō .i. Io. ii our ryghteousnesse .i. Cor i. our prest for euer Psal cix Heb. iiii v.vii.viii.ix.x Christ is not a fearfull iudge to faythful mē but an aduocate callyng vnto him those that be ladē Mat. xi He is of so great mercy that he gaue his lyfe for his shepe Io. x. Mat. xx Then we ought not to be afrayed of Christe as yf he were a iudge but we ought to come to the trone of grace because we be synners that so we myght be delyuered of synne for he is the lambe c. Mat. ix Lu. v. He came not in to this world to cal ryghteous men c. A syck man feareth not a phisicyan but the sycker that he is the more desyrous he is of the phisicyan Shall that phisicyan which dyed for vs when we were yet synners Ro. v. be now vnconstāt and do no thinge but threaten kyl so that we haue nede of some mā to playe the mediatour meane betwene hym vs to swage his wrath O vnsemynge thought of a christē mā What a carnall and a fleshly dreame is this How fonde a kinde of fellowes are these how vnlearned in the scripture Who dyed for vs dyd Steuen or Peter Dyd not Christ dye for vs that of suche a charite as is not able to be expressed Io. xv Greater loue thē this can no man haue euen that a man bestowe his lyfe for his frendes And yet for al that great charite we dreame that Christ is a fearfull tyraunt that he wyll put awaye a wretched synner nedynge a phisicyan with a cruel coūtenaūce cōmytte hym to the tourmentours excepte he brynge some saynt with hym So worship we now the sōne of God which humbled hymselfe to the death of the crosse that we not beleuynge his wordes whā he sayeth Come to me I shall refresh you I am the waye I bestowe my lyfe for my shepe but dare be so bolde as to accuse hym of lyeng say these be voyde wordes which thou doest say Thou hast cōmitted mercy to the saintes thou canst do nothing els but threatē vndo synners I wyll turne me to some of the sayntes which shal be me patrone and aduocate by the. Are not these saynges wicked vngodly yet they that wolde be rekened moost holy of all be of thys mynde and opinion they condemne vs of heresye before the matter be knowen The scripture byddeth vs axe in the name of Christe such thynge as we haue nede of Iohā xvi and not in the name of sayntes Recōciliacion saluation is in none other name Actu iiii The presthode of Christe is for euermore And the Apostell sayeth Ro. viii that Christ remayneth abydeth at the ryght hande of the father maketh intercession for vs. He is onely the way to the father Iohā xiiii By hym we haue an entraūce to come to the father Ephe ii By hym we haue boldnesse and intraūce to god in all confidence thorow the fayth in hym Ephe. iii. He is oure hope .i. Timoth. i. He came that he myght saue synners i. Timoth i. He gaue hym self an oblacion to god for vs Ephesiās v. And we amonge so many prayses of burnyng charite fre mercy haue not learned yet to truste in hym whiche is our reconcyler and brynger in fauour so gētell and lyberall that he dyd not dysdayne to be an oblacion for syn for vs that we myght be made the ryghteousnesse of god thorow hym so myghty that they that beleue in hym cā not be ashamed Roma ix Farther more the mother that is a virgyne vsurpeth or taketh vnto her
the necessite and nede of the church and that we maye praye together Ther must nedes be certayne dayes appoynted in the whiche whyle as the busynesse of the soule is in hande we must absteyne from prophane housholde labours Yet for all that we must take hede lest we lese and destroye meÌ„s soules with snares of commaundemeÌ„tes and take hede that we playe not the Iewes and obserue dayes as they obserued the sabbath day the feastes of the new Moone against the doctrine of the holy goost Gala. iiii as thoughe they were necessarye to be kepte for ryghteousnesse For that were to cast awaye the lyberte of fayth to turne agayn to the weake and beggerly elementes and ceremonyes and to denye Christe The Hebrues were commaunded to kepe the sabbath daye but whan the lyght came the shadow vanyshed awaye so that it is not lawfull now to ony man to orden ony lawe or make synne where scripture maketh none and leaueth the liberte Collos ii Let no maÌ„ iudge you in the parte of the Sabbath day c. Saynt Austen speaketh thus of the Sabbath day in his boke of true innocency Seyenge that the kepynge of the sabbath daye is taken away the which is shadowed by the vacacyon rest of one daye he kepeth a perpetuall sabbath daye that hauynge hope of the rest to come geueth hymselfe to holy workes doth not boast iÌ„ his own workes as though he had receaued them of none other knowlegeth that he worketh in hym the which euen in workynge is quyet at reste Therfore saynt Ierome sayeth very well that in the newe testament all dayes be equall lyke holy that euery day is the holy daye of the resurreccyon that it is lawfull to fast alwayes and to eate the body of the Lord alwayes to praye And the Apostell Roma xiiii wyll not that he shulde be rashly iudged that which iudgeth the same of euery day Those thinges that were coÌ„maunded or forbydden in the law as concernynge dayes meates clothynges places and persones or outwarde thynges they were ordened layd on mens neckes for the tyme of correccyon But now whan the grace of the gospell doth shyne they vanysh awaye and lyberte raigneth where by we worship God nomore with certayne dayes prefixed and with outwarde workes as the Iewes dyd but in sprete and trueth For these ceremonyes of the lawe dyd belonge to the Iewes and not to the gentyles Actu xv Ye maye se playnly Mat. xii Mar ii Luce. xiiii Ioh. v. and .ix. how that Christe the auctour of our lyberte dyd intreate the Sabbath day Therfore it were the byshoppes dewty to put downe some of those holy daies the which christen people haue no nede of the whiche geue occasyon to the people both to lese theyr monye and theyr soules ¶ Of prayer The new learnynge We must praye at certayne houres as at matynes syxt houre the thyrde the fyrst at euensonge and at suche other And it is made more conueniently in churches halowed vnto God accordyng to this sayenge Blesse the Lord in the churches c. My house shal be called the house of prayer Ther be many thinges iÌ„ the teÌ„ples which stire vp deuotioÌ„ as the maieste of the place the christned bels organes sacrynge belles syngynge waxe candels the reliques of sayntes pictures ymages halowed vestimentes the sacrament of the altare hallowed altares in the worship of sayntes banners supplications the anoyntynge of the church and the hallowynge of the same the holy water which euen the deuels be afrayed of the presence of angels for it is wrytten Genesis xxviii This place is terrible and ther is a sure promys of hearyng as it is in the thyrde boke of the kynges the viii Chapter The Lorde answered to the prayer of Salomon I haue herde thy prayer which thou prayed before me I haue hallowed this place which thou haste buylded that I may set my name there for euermore and myne eyes and my harte shal be there for euermore c. Also ther be certayne hallowed beedes and they be honge vp on the churche dores a certayne nombre of pater nosters and aues muste be kepte also ther be some prayers whiche haue pardon longynge therto Also we muste saye a pater noster euery daye to oure owne Apostles to the sayntes whiche we haue chosen vnto our selues for deuotion ¶ The olde learnynge The blessed Trinite is to be worshipped in euery place Psalm .c.iii. O thou my soule geue thankes and blesse the Lorde in euery place of his lordshippe Christe also sayeth Ioh. iiii The houre commeth now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in sprete and in trueth for verely suche the father requyreth to worshippe hym God is a sprete and they that worship hym muste worship hym in sprete and verite Where as Christ doth answer the Samaritane axynge hym of the place of prayer and sayeth WomaÌ„ beleue me the houre commeth yee he sayd that the houre was euen then when ye shal nother in this mouÌ„tayne nor yet in Ierusalem worship the father .i. Timo. ii sayeth Paul I wyl that meÌ„ praye in euery place lyftynge pure cleane haÌ„des without wrath arguynge or altercacyon Lykewyse in the .vii. chapter of the Actes where saynt Steuen checkynge the blyndnesse of the Iewes auauÌ„cynge the temple of Salomon sayeth But he that is hyest of al dwelleth not in teÌ„ples made with handes As sayeth also the prophete Esay .lxvi. Heauen is my seate earth is my foote stoole what house wyll ye buylde for me sayeth the Lorde or what is my restynge place hath not my hande made all these thynges and all these thynges be made sayeth the Lorde On whom than shall I loke euen hym that is of an humble a lowly sprete standeth in awe of my wordes We haue the wordes of the father of the soÌ„ne of the place of prayer the which the holy goost spake shall we not beleue the soÌ„ne whom the father coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be herde Mat. xvii And he dyd saye with an earnest affirmacyon Woman beleue me c. I knowe that ther was in the olde law the arke of the conuenauÌ„t and the sumptuous temple of the Lorde where as the Iewes had the promyse of God .ii. Para vii Myne eares shal be lyfted vp vnto the eares of him which shal praye in this place for I haue chosen this place But what shal we do now seynge that Moses is gone which was the seruaunt of the whole house of the Lorde the sonne commeth Iesus Christ whiche is the Apostle and the byshop of our fayth coÌ„fessioÌ„ Heb. iii. that he is com to prepare the quyck teÌ„ples of God as a byshop of good thynges for to come entrynge by a greater more ê‘fect tabernacle not made with haÌ„des that is to say not as maÌ„s buyldynge nother by the bloud of goates calues but by his own bloud he entred once for al iÌ„ to
lawes that ether the lyberte of a christen man be in ieopardy or we offende agaynst Goddes lawe In this case the positiue lawe byndeth not for the intent of the lawmaker is not to kyll ony man or to geue an occasyon to breake Goddes lawe But seynge that it can not be satisfyed and fulfylled doutlesse it remitteth and lowseth those thynges that it dyd decre And yf ther chaunce ony reasonable cause of breakynge such a tradicyon it wyl pronounce the transgressour assoyled and cleare and not rashe but what more reasonable cause is ther thē auoydynge of deadly synne or the ieopardy of conscience Paule was content so to chastise his flesh to auoyde offēdyng of his brother that he wolde neuer eate flesh rather then to offende hym ¶ Of Coūcels and lawes made by a great multytude of byshoppes gathered together The new learnyng Yf the authorite of councels be despised all thynges in the churche shal be doutfull vncertayne for the heresyes that were once condemned in the coūcels shal come agayn Therfore it is not lawfull vnto a priuate man to affyrme or teache ony thynge agaynst the councels For the councell is gathered together in the name of Christ it is ruled of the holy gooste and therfore it erreth not so that the cōstitucyons of the councels be the constitucyons of the catholyke church whom the councell doth represent But those thynges that the church ordeneth are as well to be obserued and kepte as the canonicall scripture Nother is it nedefull that the councell adde or put testimonyes of scripture to his determinacyons seyenge that the Apostles and the elders dyd not stablysh the fyrst councell holden at Ierusalem with scriptures Actu xv The olde learnynge Ihon in the .iiii. Chapter of his fyrst epistell byddeth proue spretes whether they be of God or no therfore it is lawfull for christen men to iudge the sprete of coūcels for they saye that the holy goost is author of the coūcell What rule shal we haue I pray you to proue and trye spretes besyde the worde of God This seynge that is sure true seuen tymes purged and a candel in a darke place shal be a touch stone to proue to trye all learnynge of men by Yf the holy goost doth rule the councelles and the same spret of truth taught the Apostles euery trueth and yf the Apostles dyd preache that and geue it vnto vs it foloweth that the constitucyons and the councels must agre wyth the learnynge of Christ and the Apostles that is wyth the holy scripture for the sprete of God differeth not from hymselfe he is symple his learnyng is symple But seynge it is openly knowen that the coūcels haue decrees contrarye to holy scripture and also to the holy goost Who wyll forbyd vs to doute vpon suche constitucyons of councels The Apostles learnynge wyll that a byshoppe shulde be an husbande of one wyfe Ther is a councell that forbyddeth byshoppes the vse of holy matrimony what authorite is here The doctrine of Paule is the Gospell and the lawe of God the which ought not to be chaūged seynge that it doth threaten death and cursynge euen to the angelicall sprites yf they durst brynge ony other Gospell But now yf they orden and determine those thynges whiche be contrary to the scripture who wyll deny but they maye erre I haue not sayd this to despyse the coūcels that be coūcels in dede but we set God aboue the councell For we graunt accordynge to the promyse of our saueour that Christ is present in the congregacyon that is gathered in the name of Christ but we graunte no man power and authorite to decre orden ony thynge in the church of God agaynst the scriptures We receaue no man that commeth in his owne name Ihon the .v. chapter and that speaketh not of the father but of his own selfe Besyde this the scripture geueth no greater power to a generall councel than to .ii. or .iii. gathered in the name of the Lorde the which congregacion hath authorite to excōmunicate hym that rebelleth and is stubburne and an open synner but it hath not authorite to make preceptes and to thruste thē in to mēs cōsciences that be fre Farthermore the scripture hath prophecyed that false doctores shuld come in the latter dayes in the name of Christe the whiche shall deceaue many men saynge I am Christe The whyche moost earneste warnynge of oure saueour not without a cause maketh vs more ware and circumspecte that we shulde not beleue euery sprete In dede these be goodly and glorious names The church The councel to be gathered in the name of Christe but Christe and the Apostles haue warned vs that those thynges alone shuld not moue vs the whych dyd describe these latter dayes with so horryble colours that it is wonder men can not perceaue these thynges Ciprian in a certayne coūcel where as were .lxxxvi. byshoppes syttynge taught wronge of the baptysynge of heretikes and for the moost part all the bysshoppes of Aphrica Numidia and Mauritania erred with hym Yf it be so that the councels erre about the sacramentes of the church who can safely wythout yeoperdy from hence forth beleue the councels makyng lawes wythout scripture Moeroeuer the same thynges maye chaunce we do not doute to great and generall councels that haue chaūced vnto the particular and prouinciall councels And suerly I thynke and hold that then all thynges shal be more doutfull vncertayne whā the authorite of the worde doth fayle the which ought to be sounde and vndefyled For the churche gaue not authorite to the word but the worde gaue authorite to the church And whan the congregacion beleueth the gospell it is safe and the heresyes which in tymes paste were bannyshed away and quenched they were quenched with the swearde of the sprete which is the word of God Truely heresye is plucked vp by the roote none other waye thā with the word of God wholsome learnynge Therfore the Apostle wyll that a bisshop shuld be fenced and harnessed with wholsom learnyng that he may ouercōme them that resiste and fyght agaynst hym Put the case that the councell dyd orden ony thynge without scripture by by wyll Gerson and learned and honest men with hym saye We must beleue more the sayenge of one man fensed with the authorite of canonicall scripture than to the declaration of the pope or the generall coūcel I passe ouer here the manyfest sayenge of Innocētius in chap. Cum venerab De excep that is to wyte That no profe is to be admitted agaynste the scripture but al thyng shuld be holden without dout Here vpon it foloweth that it is not lawfull for the coūcell to charge the congregacion with ony thynge without the cōsent of the scriptur And the councell of Ierusalem decreed nothyng wythout scripture boastynge auauncyng the holy goost only For besyde the word of Amos the .ix. Chapter all other thynges had strength of the scripture not
which is fayth in Christ Fayth and belefe in Christ is onely our ryghteousnesse which worketh afterward by charite the which yf it continue in safegarde in the liberte of the sprite ye may lyue and be occupyed in the ceremonyes of the churche without ony blame For he that is iustifyed by faythe kepeth ceremonyes lest he shuld offende those that be yet weake in the fayth not as necessary to ryghteousnesse but as a teachyng and a bryngyng vp for weaklynges beleuyng stedfastly that all those outward thynges be fre vnto vs thorow fayth and that we owe nothyng to ony body but onely loue Roma xiii By thys rule the Apostle beynge conuersant amonge hys brethrē without the yeoperde and the losse of conscience and faythe was so fre by the sprite of faythe that for al that he made hym selfe an vnderlynge and a seruaunt of all mē and was of all fashion to saue some at the leest He had knowlege but he knowe that knowlege dyd swell and charite dyd edyfye i. Corinth viii and .ix. He graunted that all thynges be lawfull vnto hym but that all thynges be nor profitable that al thynges be lawfull but all thynges do not edifye And he dyd folowe those thynges which belōged vnto peace and to edifyenge We wyll folow thys Apostle not geuynge oure lyberte to the occasion of the fleshe but in seruynge one an other by charite Galat. v. Here must the ouerseers and ministers of the churche be monyshed that they vnlade the congregacion holden downe with so many ceremonyes and lawes that almoost the condicion and state of the Iewes were more tollerable then the state of Christen men Now it is not onely folyshenesse but also wyckednesse that Christē mē shuld stryue amonge them selfes for ceremonyes I can not tel what whose bage is charite and not ceremonyes Ihon. xiii ¶ Of mans tradicions The newe learnynge Ther is a canon or a rule the whiche maketh equall the constitucions of popes and bysshoppes wyth the gospell and it affirmeth that the gospell can not be well vpholdē excepte the statutes and ordinaūces of the fathers be kepte as Leo the .iiii. sayeth in the .xx. distinction in the chapter De libellis All thynges that be necessary to be knowen to our saluation be not expressed in the canonicall scripture but the holy goost afterwarde that the scripture was wryttē dyd shew many wholsome thynges vnto oure forefathers Iohan. xvi I haue many thynges to say vnto you which ye can not beare at thys tyme. And those thynges that were in practyse than are not now all written but euen geuē from one to an other as by hande and are come euen to oure tyme as Damascen in a sermon of the dead wryteth that the memory of faythfull deadmen came vnto vs from the Apostels tymes Moreouer Paule taught the people that he purchassed vnto Christe whan he was with them many thynges the which were neuer wrytten Also he that heareth not the church let hym be counted as an heythen a publicane therfor she may make lawes and constitucions necessary for mans saluatiō Also that is necessary to saluation whose transgressyon is deadly synne but the ordinaunces of the church be such the fyrst is proued by Abbas in the proemy or preface of the decretales And in the fyrst chapter of constitucions he allegeth Calderine Iohā Andrea and Thomas And for thys purpose maketh the text in the chapter Quo iure the viii distinction where as it is wrytten that the breaker of the tradicions of the churche synneth deadly because that also the positiue lawe byndeth in matters of conscience ergo they bynd Herevpon Iohan Mayre with great pryde disdayne sayeth in the .iiii. distinctiō the .iii. q. To thynke that he that breaketh the commaundementes of the church synneth not deadly is an erroure ¶ The olde learnynge Mathew the .xvii. Chapter the heauēly father maketh his onely begotten sonne doctor and teacher of the church sayenge Heare hym And he put his wordes in his mouthe Deuteronomy .xviii. he sayeth And I wyll be a reuenger and a punyssher of thē which refuse the learnynge of thys doctoure He which sayeth Iohan. vii My doctryne is not myne but his which sent me that doctor is the euerlastynge wysdome of the father the way the lyght the truthe whom we beleue stedstly that he bothe wolde and dyd geue vnto his church not botched clowted or vnperfecte and vnstable learnynge but soūde perfecte and vnchaungeable to the whiche nedeth nothyng to be put to as an addition for those thynges that are necessary for to be knowen for mans saluation be contayned plenteously in the canonical scripture Somtymes the Apostles spake and treated vpon the kyngdome of God more plenteously in speakynge than it is wrytten in bokes yet for all that as for the sūme of the sentence and doctrine they preached none other thynge than the gospell whiche we haue wrytten so that those thynges which perteyne vnto a christen mans lyfe muste be learned of no where els but of the byble that is of the newe testement and of the olde For all scripture geuē by the inspiration of God sayth the Apostle .ii. tim .iii. is profitable to teachynge to improue to informe to instruc in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes Then why do we thrust in the churches handes the lawes of men as necessary to Christes regilion I do not speake here of the ciuyll lawe I know that the lawes of secular power are to be kepte for the conscience sake for they haue theyr strēgth of Goddes lawe Rom. xiii I speake of the decrees of mē with the which they wolde bynde mens consciences Farthermore the Apostle in the .ii. Tim iii. chap. prayseth the holy scripture with a great verdit prayse sayenge The holy scripture may make the wyse vnto health thorow fayth which is in Christ Iesu Who dar set thys tytle before his constitucions that they maye make you learned to saluaciō thys honour is onely dew vnto the holy scriptur of God Farther more yf ther were ony thynges shewed oure fathers a. M. year ago by the holy goost the which were not knowen in tyme of the flourynge of the churche that newly dyd springe vp to the Apostles and to the church they be ether necessary to saluacion or not necessary Yf they be not necessary but ordened for the tyme why is a mans conscience boūde with them Yf they be necessary ether ther is an other waye to saluacion nowe than was in the primitiue churche or els they were all damned that departed before that reuelation for they knewe not the thynge that was necessary to theyr saluacion The whyche thynges seynge that they be the moost vayne that can be and foolysh and that the same maner of iustifyenge and saluation is now that was than and was than that is now why make we those thynges necessary that be not necessary And why set
we so lytell by the lyberte of the gospell that we had as leue our dreames as the moost holy gospel we do not reiect and refuse the constituciōs and ordinaunces of bysshoppes which vexe not the conscience but pertayne and be profytable for the cōmune peace and tranquillite of mens conuersacion onely we defy reiecte those lawes in the which ether they commaūde or forbidde vnder payn of deadly synne without the lawe of God Onely god ought to raygne in the conscience in whose hande peculyarly be menes soules The Apostle calleth hym the aduersary of God which goeth aboute to syt in the temple of God and boaste hym self as a God .ii. Tessalo ii And .ii. Cori. iii. We be the ministers of the new testament ministers of the sprit and not of the letter What auayle mans constitutions to iustificacion yf ye say that they prepare to obey God the easyer I answere There is nothyng that can prepare the mynde to kepe the law of God or fashion it but onely the grace of God The Apostle Galat. i. pronoūceth acursed not onely mā but also an angell of heauen that durst preach an other gospell then Paule preached Yf it be the power of God to saluacyon of all that beleue why do we myngle and ioyne our chaffe with so great a power And in the fyrst to the Corinthians the thyrde chapter Other fundacyon can no mā lay then that which is layed which is Iesus Christ Yf no man ought to put ony thyng to Moses law Deute xii why shulde we adde put vnto the gospell ony thyng seynge euen Cameracensis a scooleman calleth it the moost perfect lawe and ryghtest and the strayghtest in preceptes Why do we not leaue our lawes and follow the busynesse that Christ appoynted Math. the last Teache all people to kepe all thynges what so euer I haue commaunded you We be mynisters seruauntes of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God Now is it requyred of the stewardes or disposers that they be foūde faythfull These priuities and mysteries be the artycles of oure fayth of the Gospell the wysedome of the crosse the knowlege of grace gotten by Christe Let vs preache these thynges for the health of the people of God and let vs not abuse oure power the which the Lorde gaue vs to edifye with and not to destroye .ii. Corinth the .xiii. cha The Canon or rule that maketh the ordynaūces of fathers equale with the Gospel is openly vngodly and wycked the whiche euen oure aduersaryes can not receaue yf they knewe the canon of the scripture To be shorte fayth where with a ryghteous mā lyueth is conceaued taken and drawen out of the canonicall scripture and not of the decrees of the fathers as saynt Austyne wytnesseth in the .ix. boke of the cytie of God the .xviii. Chapter Then wherefore shulde I receaue it as an artycle of my fayth that whiche the scripture inspired of God hath not I am commaunded to proue and trye spretes whether they be of God or no the which lyberte of iudgynge of all doctrines by the scriptures no man wyll take frō vs. The wordes of saint Ihon in the .xvi. Chapter stablysh nothynge mans tradityons for God dyd fulfyl his promesse at Wytsonday when he sent the holy goost and led his discyples in to all trueth the whiche before that tyme they coulde not beare Who wyl denye that the memorye and remēbraunce of those that be departed dyd come from the Apostles vnto vs seynge that saynt Paule the fyrste to the Tessalonians the fourth chapter commaunded the Tessalonians that one shulde comforte another with the worde of the resurreccyon of the dead in Christe But now that we maye answer to theyr rethoricall argumēt where in they reason that by the breakynge of the ordynaunce of the church a man synneth deadly we answere that the knowlege of synne is by the the lawe Roma the .iii. Chapter The Apostle speaketh of Goddes lawe and not of mans Alwayes vnderstande I of mans lawe that is clere or whole mās law the which assayeth to binde mās cōscyence◠I moued by the scripture thinke that a mās cōscience nother ought nor can be boūde with mans constitucyon for we are indued with lyberte which we wyll vse the which lyberte is the lyberte of the conscyence .i. Corin. the .iii. Chapter All thynges be yours whether it be Paul ether Apollo ether Cephas wherby we vnderstande that nother Paul nor Cephas hath authorite to bynde mens cōscience where God doth not bynde The fyrst to the Corinthians the twelft Chapter Be ye not made seruauntes of men Collossenses the seconde Chapter You beynge dead wyth Christe why be ye holden styl wyth decrees And for the moost parte suche constitucyons be contrarye to the worde dede of the Apostles But as Gerson beareth wytnesse in the seconde lection of the spirituall lyfe the .vii. corollary It is not in the popes power nother in the councels power nor in the churches power to chaūge the learnynge geuen and taught of the euangelistes and of Paule Master Gasper Satzger dyd se this in the defension of the constitucyons of the churche the which openly and playnly graunteth that the learnynge that is without the scripture though it be good yet byndeth not by goddes lawe And it is no maruayl for only Christ ought to raygne in mans cōscience by his worde which onely maye saue and condempne Math. the .x. Chapter Feare not thē which can kyll the body and not the soule but fear hym which can cast both body and soule in euerlastyng fyre Truely yf they can make a constitucyon and commaunde it vnder payne of deadly synne they maye kyll the soule but the trueth of the gospell is otherwyse The sentence of Ezechiell is pronounced agaynst them in the .xiii. Chapter Wo be to them that make bolsters vnder the the heade of euery age to catch soules that they might kyl soules which dye not How doth the scoolemēs learnyng of the power of byndyng of mens constitucyons agre with it selfe seynge Thomas graunteth playnly that the commaundementes of the positiue law bynde more with the intent of the lawmaker then with the wordes of it so that he is more to be rekened a breaker of the cōmaūdement that doth agaynst the intent of the lawmaker thē he that swarueth frō the letter of the ordinaūce of the law But the intent of the maker of the positiue lawe is not that hys precepte shulde be alwayes kepte because that many impedimentes may chaunce in the which it is not expedient to kepe the law yee somtyme the kepynge of the precepte were damnable Wherfore in euery precept of the positiue lawe the excepcyon of a reasonable cause is admitted Now put the case that ther is a law that a mā shal not eat flesh on the fryday that a preste shal not haue a wyfe Here the intent of the lawmaker is to brynge to goodnesse But it chaunceth yf we kepe those
the benefites receaued of hym And fyrste wyll I declare the maner of iustificacyon remission of synnes and saluacyon whiche in scripture are all one thynge of whom it doth come and to how many thynges it is applyed Fyrst it is applyed vnto God for Paul sayeth Rom. viii It is God that iustifyeth or maketh ryghteous c. And Ro. iii. That he onely myght be ryghteous and the ryghteous maker of hym which is of the fayth on Iesus Secondarely it is referred vnto Christ Actu iiii sayeth Peter Ther is none other name geuen vnto men vnder heauen in the which we shulde be saued Roma iii. sayeth Paul Without deseruynge are they made ryghteous or iustifyed euen by his grace thorow the redempcyon that is done by Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth for a mercy seate thorow fayth in his bloude to shewe the ryghteousnesse that auayleth before hym c. Thyrdly it is applyed vnto mercy Tit. iii. Not of workes or dedes of ryghteousnes which we wrought but after his mercy he saued vs. Roma viii Therfore whan God wolde shewe wrath and to make his power knowen he brought forth with great pacyence the vessels of wrath which are ordeyned to damnacyon that he myght declare the ryches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory whome he hath called c. Item i. Pet. i. Blessed be God and the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ which accordynge to his great mercy hath begottē vs agayn to a lyuely hope Fourthly it is attributed vnto his eleccyon Ephe. i. Accordynge as he hath chosen vs by hym or euer the fundacyon of the worlde was layed that we shulde be holy and with out blame before him in loue Ioh. xv I haue chosen you and ordyned you that ye go and brynge forth frute .ii. Timo. i. God hath saued vs and called vs wyth an holy callynge not accordynge to oure dedes but accordynge to his owne purpose and grace Fyfthly it is attributed vnto grace Ephe ii By grace are ye saued thorow fayth and that not of youre selues Gala. i. I maruayle that ye are so soone turned from hym that hath called you in the grace of Christ Tit. ii The grace of God that bryngeth saluacyon vnto all men hath appeared Syxtly it is assygned vnto the worde Ioh. xv Now are ye clene because of the word which I haue spokē vnto you Esa lv Lyke as the rayne and snow cōmeth downe from heauen and returneth not thyther agayne but watereth the earth maketh it frutfull and grene that it maye geue corne and breade vnto the sower So the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne agayne voyde vnto me but shall accomplysh my wyll and prosper in the thynge whervnto I shall sende it Seuēthly it is asscrybed vnto fayth as Rom. iii. I speake of the ryghteousnesse before God whiche cōmeth by fayth on Iesus Christ And Roma iiii Vnto hym that beleueth on hym that iustifyeth the vngodly is fayth counted for ryghteousnesse Ro. v. Because that we are iustifyed by fayth we haue peace with God thorow our Lorde Iesus Christ Eyghtly it is attribute vnto good workes as Iac. i. Ye se thē how that of dedes a mā is iustifyed not of fayth The places are so manifest notwithstanding the cōmune opiniō the faith only iustifieth that I am sure it troubleth no small nōbre of people and peraduenture it may astōny euen them which counte thē selues well learned For it is a great thynge to bringe the olde and wylye foxe to a lease Yee it is euen a new thynge vnto the proud Pharyses to saye that good workes are not meritorious to obtayne heauen by for hetherto haue they founded and vnderpropped theyr church with nothynge so greatly as with thys opinion What hath abused fastynge more than thereby to obtayne heauen For fastynge after theyr owne chosynge they left the true fast that God requyreth and cōmaūdeth Esa lviii zach vii What caused more abuse of the supper of the Lorde thē to vse it that is the remembraunce of the benefyt and sacrifyce for our synnes for a net hooke to gather catch mony with sayeng that it is a worke meritorious a sacrifyce for redemyng of synnes Somtyme were none chosen prestes but such as were endued with such gyftes as Paul requyreth in a byshop now that the B. of Ro. kyngdom requyreth many fauterers adherētes that purgatory may be swepte and kepte clene the which is no office for such Lordes as byshops be therfore syr Ihon lacklatyne shal suffise for that office wel ynough and masse shal be made a sacrifice to pourge and clense pylgatory purgatory shuld I haue sayd Lord Lord opē once oure eyen that we maye se the blasphemy done to thy holy bloude Now wyll I go to youre cōsciences ye that boast so greatly of good meritorious workes I require you by the answer that we all shall geue at the great daye Dyd Peter that was prince of the apostles as ye saye euer say nasse for the dead ether hym selfe or by other shew here vpō ony autenticall cronicle or hys owne wrytynge Yf ye can not than graunt that it is an inuencion of youre owne ergo a lye and a thynge that shall perysh with your dayes Yf Gods mercy shudle be bounde to sende soules to youre purgatory and at youre massynge agayne to release them than were Christ no Iesus and God no father but a seruaunt of yours and contrary to hys owne wordes doctryne Leaue therfore youre new erronious doctryne and wyth the olde teachers geue God humbly glory What caused more the abuse of honourynge of sayntes whyche dyenge in charite are ioyned with vs is charyte and therfore as true membres of one body ceasse not to praye with vs so that worshyppyng theyr pictures ymages we rather blaspheme God which hath forbiddē such maner of worshyppynge than worshyp them But leste I be to tedious vnto the good reader therfore wyll I do my dilygence to expresse the pyth of all thys matter in fewe wordes God the father thorow the loue that he had to hys sonne Christ Iesu dyd caste hys mercy vnto vs which were sonken into the depth of synne and pytied vs of his mercy and pitye he chose vs that we shulde be holy and wythout spotte in hys syghte And to them that he chose he instilled the grace of hys sprite and sent them the word of health which they receaued thorow beleuynge it than come they to the felynge of the goodnesse of God and of very loue are ready to fulfyll what soeuer God commaundeth thē and loke how muche they beleue euen so much they worke And though it be true that we be iustifyed in Christ before the fundacions of the worlde were layed yet is that only knowe to God and we haue no felynge of it vntyll fayth come And euen as God commeth downwarde for he thorow Christ had mercy on vs and of mercy dyd chose vs before we were and than after we come into this world instilleth grace thorow his sprete and than sendeth vs hys worde whiche the sprete causeth vs to beleue worketh fayth in vs from whence all good workes flowe euē so do we go vpward and by my fayth do know surely that God hath sent me hys word grace thorow his sprete to cause me beleue it therfore cōclud that he hath chosen me hath mercy vnto me thorow Christ hys only son which is the mage of the inuisible God fyrst begottē before all creatures Now is my dewtye agayne whā I haue perceaue this goodnesse of God the father and hys sonne Iesus Christ to me warde that I stonde not styll and let hys grace be vacant and ydle in me but accordynge to the sprete the he hath poured in me and the grace that is geuē me to vse hys gyftes accordynge to hys wyll cōmaundement to procede from vertue to vertue as from steppe to steppe alwaye approchynge oure louynge fathers kyngdome nearer and nearer where he sytteth rayneth worlde without ende To the which brynge vs he that wyll all mankynde to be saued AMEN ¶ Fautes escaped in the pryntynge The iiii leafe the ii page the xii lyne reade Fare ye well and praye for c.