of the sonÌ„e whiche as we se this tyme of the yere spred vpon the grouÌ„de dothe quycken make lyfely many creatures the which before appeered as deed who that vewed and beheld in the wynter season the trees whan they be wydred and theyr lefes shaken from them and all the moystour shronke into the roote no lust of grenenes nor of lyf appeereth outwardly yf he had had none experyence of this mater before he wold thynke it an vnlyke thyng that the same trees shold reuyue agayne be so lustely clad with lefes floures as we now se them And yet this is done by the subtyll operacyon and secrete workynge of the sonne bemes spred vpon the grounde Neuerthelesse not euery beme of the sonne hathe this vertue It is a trouthe the bemes of the sonÌ„e in wynter be lyght as they be now this tyme of the yere but that lyght is so faynt and feble that it gyueth no lyfe for than we sholde haue herbes and trees to growe as wel in wynter as they now do this tyme of the yere The cause of this weykenes is for the sonne shooreth so lowe by the grounde that his bemes than sklaunteth vpon the grounde and dothe not rebouÌ„de nor double in themselfe agayne towardes the sonne and this is the cause of this weykenes they wyll set tynder or clothe on fyre And lykewyse it is of the bemes of the faythe hope whan they be ioyntly compacte and vnyte togyder yf a man had suche a faythe and confydence than he myght commauÌ„de a gret mouÌ„tayne to remoue for his pleasure and this were a myghty faythe Neuerthelesse yf a man had suche a faythe yet yf he wanted the hete of charyte he were but as a deed tree For saynt Paule sayth Si habuero omnem fidem ita vt moÌ„tes transferram charitatem auÌ„t non habuero nihil sum yf I haue all faythe he that speketh of all leueth none vnspoken of yf I haue all faythe he saythe so myghty faythe that by my faythe I maye remoue at my commauÌ„dement gret mouÌ„taynes yet yf I want the hete of charyte I am nothyng but as a deed stok a tree withouten lyf And therfore saynt James saythe Fides sine operibê° mortua est Faythe withouten the fruyte of good workes is deed To this purpose our instruccyon saythe Ille testimoniuÌ„ ê“hibebit de me that is to saye he shall bere wytnesse of me Of whom of christ What is christ Luxvera que illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum that is to saye the true lyght the whiche enlyghtneth euery creature coÌ„mynge into this world who shall bere wytnesse or gyue euydence of this lyght the spyryte of god Quia charitas dei diffusa est in cordibê° nostris per spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ qui datus est nobis That is to saye the hete of the charyte of god is spred in our hertes by the holy spyryte the whiche is gyuen vnto vs. hete of charyte gyueth euydence that that lyght is lyfely Haue a man neuer so moche lyght of faythe onlesse he haue also this hete of charyte sterynge his soule and bryngyng forthe lyfely workes he is but a deed stock as a tree withouten lyfe For as I sayd though the naturall sonne shyne neuer so bryght vpon a tree yf this tree haue in it no grenenes nor puttyng forthe of buddes and lefes this tree is not alyue So whan the bemes of the spirytuall sonÌ„e be spred vpon our soules yf we fele not the sterynge hete to fruytfull workes our soules be but deed ¶ But now to what purpose serueth this instruccyon To this it subuerteth one grete grouÌ„de of Martyn luther whiche is this that faythe alone withouten workes dothe Justifye a synÌ„er vpoÌ„ the whiche grouÌ„d he byldeth many other erroneous artycles specyally that the sacramentes of christes chirche dothe not Justyfye but onely faythe A perylous artycle able to subuerte all the order of the chirche but touchynge these sacramentes the kynges grace our souerayne lorde in his owne persone hath with his pen so substauÌ„cyally foghten agaynst Martyn luther that I doute not but euery true christen man that shal rede his boke shall se those blessed sacramentes clered delyuered from the skalauÌ„derous mouthe cruel tethe that Martyn luther hath set vpon them wherin al englond maye take grete comforte specially al those that loue lernynge Plato saythe TuÌ„ beatas fore respublicas quando aut philosophi regnent aut reges philosophentur That is to saye than shall Ye se whan a bowle is throwen sklantlynge vpon a wall it slydeth forward and rebouÌ„deth not bakward dyrectly agayne to hym that was the thrower but whan it is dyrectly cast agaynst a wall with a grete vyolence than it dothe dyrectly rebounde agayne In this maner it is of the sonne bemes the more nye that the sonne draweth vnto vs now this tyme of the yere the more dyrectly his bemes bete vpon the grouÌ„de the more dyrectly they rebouÌ„de retourne agayne towardes the sonÌ„e And by the reason of the nyenesse of beme to beme ryseth a greter strengthe in the beme and a more full lyght quia omÌ„is virtus vnita fortior est that is to say For euery vertue that is gadred togyder is more stronger ¶ Asengell threde is nothynge so stronge as is a double nor a syngle beme of the sonne is nothyng so myghty as whaÌ„ it is doubled and bowghted in it selfe by rebouÌ„dyng and reflexyon Forthermore of these two ryseth an hete a warmenes the whiche is the pryncypall worker of lyfe in euery creature But for all this we be not yet sure that any tree is alyue to than we se some puttynge forthe of buddes or lefes out of the same tree ¶ This example yf ye perceyue it maye enduce vs to conceyue how wonderfully the spyrytuall sonne almyghty god worketh by his spyrytuall and inuysyble bemes of his lyght spred vpoÌ„ the soule of man or vpon the chirche bothe whiche is called in scrypture a spyrytuall erthe Dominus dabit benignitatem et terra nostra dabit fructuÌ„ suuÌ„ That is to saye our lorde shall gyue his gracyous influence and our erthe shall yelde fruytful workes The bemes of almyghty god spred vpon our soules quyckeneth them causeth this lyfe in vs and the fruyte of good workes Fyrst they cause the lyghte of faythe but this is a veray sklender lyght wtouten the reboundynge of hope the hete of charyte faythe wtouten hope is a sklender beme of a lytle power But Joyne vnto hym hope whiche reboundeth vp to god agayne adâ—â— que non videntur thaÌ„ is he moche stronger than he whas byfore For nowe this is doubled and bowghted in it selfe and gadred more nye vnto hymselfe made more valyaunt and mighty than it was before Before it was lyke vnto the faythe that saynt Peter had whan christ bad hym come to hym vpon the see he beleued his
iustificabuntur that is to saye Suche as onely be herers of the lawe of god shal not be iustifyed but the workers therafter And saynt James saythe Estote factores verbi et non auditores tantum fallentes vosmetipsos that is to saye be ye workers of the worde of god and not onely the herers for than ye disceyue yourself saynt Paule agayne sayth Si secundum carnem vixeritis morie mini Si spiritu facta carnis mortificaueritis viuetis that is to say yf ye lyue after the workes of your flesshe ye shall dye but yf ye mortifye in you by spyryte the workes of your flesshe ye shall lyue And fynally saynt Paule sayth resoluyng his owne sentence fides que per dilectionem operatur that is to saye Fay the whiche is wrought by loue accordynge to the whiche saynt James saythe Uides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius ex operibus fides consummata est That is to saye Thou seest how that faythe helped his workes and how of the worker his faythe was made perfyt By all the whiche testimonyes ye may playnely se that not onely faythe suffyseth but also loue and workes be requyred to the iustyfyenge of our soules And thus moche for the seconde instrucyon ¶ Here foloweth the thyrde instruccyon agaynst Martyn luther TOwching the third instruccyoÌ„ it foloweth in the gospel Et vos testimoniuÌ„ ê“hibebitis quia ab initio mecuÌ„ estis That is to saye ye shall bere wytnesse bycause ye be conuersaunt with me fro the begynnyng To whome shall they bere wytnesse but vnto the vniuersall chirche of chryst Theyr wytnesse thaÌ„ must be allowed of euery true christen man ¶ Of these wordes of the other aboue rehersed it shal appeere that more testimony must be admytted for sufficyent authoryte than only yt. that is wrytten in the byble Whiche one thynge yf we may establysshe it wyl cast downe a grete nobre of Martyn luthers artycles But for this we must coÌ„sydre that these .iij. persones of whome this gospel hathe made mencyon though al theyr workes be vndiuyded vndeseuered one from an other but ioyntly go togyders yet scripture assygneth thre seuerall tymes vnto these .iij. ê‘sones in the which they haue instructeth man of the trouth necessary to be byleued First almighty god the fader istructed our elders by his ê“phetes as saint Paule sayth MultiphariaÌ„ multisque modis olim deê° loqueÌ„s patribê° iÌ„ ê“phetis that is to saye Almighty god the fyrst ê‘sone iÌ„ the godhed many diuers wayes instructed our fathers by his ê“phetes saynt Paule meaneth here by our fathers the Jewes of whom we spuÌ„ally desceÌ„ded for AbrahaÌ„ that was theyr carnal fader is oures also spuÌ„al Now almighty god the father taught them by his ê“phetes whose ê“phecyes all be it they be wrytten in scrypture yet was there many moo thinges which they spook vnwrytten that was of as gret authoryte as that that was wrytten which the mayster of Jewes calleth cabala which is deriuyed fro man to man by mouthe onely not by wrytyng After this the second ê‘son the sone of god our sauiour christ Jesu was send by his father into this world to instructe man bothe by hymselfe by his apostles the which were coÌ„uersauÌ„t with hym as the gospel here sayth fro the begining These blessyd apostles left vnto vs also many thinges by mouthe which is not written in the byble This thyng may appeere by saynt paule whiche cam after them was not pÌ„sent whaÌ„ christ saye these wordes vnto them iÌ„ .ij. epistole ad thessaloniceÌ„ses state tenete traditioÌ„es qÌ„s didicistis siue ê‘ sermoneÌ„ siue ê‘ eplam nrÌ„am that is to say be ye ê¯stauÌ„t kepe those iÌ„struccioÌ„s erudicyoÌ„s that ye haue lerned of vs. ather by mouth or els by wryting yf saynt paule that was latter thaÌ„ the other apostles to whom these wordes were sayd of christ wyl haue his tradicyoÌ„s obserued kept aswel those that he tolde them by mouth as those that he wrote with his peÌ„ne why shal not lyke wyse the tradicioÌ„s of al the other apostles be of lyke strengthe to make fayth to bere wytnesse of the trouthe Here ye may se by expÌ„sse scrypture of saynt paule that we be bounde to byleue many mo thynges thaÌ„ be wrytten put iÌ„ the byble We shall coÌ„ferme this by Origene which is an auÌ„cyent doctor to whome in this poynt grete faythe is to be gyueÌ„ He in the boke of noÌ„bres omelia .v. sayth Sêª iÌ„ ecclÌ„iasticis obseruationibê° sunt noÌ„nulla que omnibê° facere necesse est nec tnÌ„ ratio eoruÌ„ oiÌ„bê° patet NaÌ„ ê™ verbi gratia genua flectimus orantes et ê™ ex omnibê° celi plagis ad solaÌ„ orientis partem conuersi fundimê° orationem noÌ„ facile puto cuiquam ratione compertuÌ„ Sed eucharistie seu percipiende seu quo ritu geritur explicande vel eoruÌ„ que geruÌ„tur in baptismo verboruÌ„ gestoruÌ„que et ordinum atque interrogationuÌ„ et responsionuÌ„ quis facile explicet ratione Et tamen hec omnia operta licet et velata portamê° super humeros quuÌ„ implemus ea et exequimur vt a magno pontifice christo et a filiis eius tradita et coÌ„mendata suscepimus That is to saye But in the obseruancyes of the chirche be many thynges whiche is necessary for vs to do and yet the reason why that we so do is not open to al men As in example whan that we make our prayers knelynge and whan amonges all the other plages of heuen we chose the eest parte towarde the whiche we make our prayer I thynke not that the reason of this is lyghtly knowen to any man Of the obseruaÌ„cyes also and rytes that we vse aboute the sacrament of the alter to be consecrate or elles of the sacrament of baptyme to be minystred whoo can expresse the reason of al those wordes gestures orders questyoÌ„s answers that there be accustomed And yet neuerthelesse al these we bere couerd hyd vpon our sholders whaÌ„ that we do perfourme and execute them accordynge to the tradicyoÌ„s erudycyons whiche we haue receyued coÌ„mended vntyll vs by the grete bysshop christ by his children the holy apostles Of the whiche wordes of Oxigene it clerly dothe appeere that many suche tradycyoÌ„s were left vnto the christen people by christ his apostles the whiche we must folowe notwithstaÌ„dyng they be not wrytten in scripture To the whiche purpose I myght also brynge the testimonyes of Damascene Demose Augustine Hierome other moo ¶ Thyrdly the thyrd persone in the trynyte that is to saye the holy spiryt of trouth was sent fro the other twayne to abyde with vs for euer and to be as a coÌ„forter contynuell in christes chirche whan the stormes teÌ„pestes of heresyes do aryse agaynst al floghteryng doutfulnes to teche vs the veray certayne trouthe where vnto we shold rest After that the apostles were departed from vs the holy spyryte
that be offred vnto vs of this gospell gracyously Fyrst that the holy spyryte whiche is the thyrd persone in the dyuynyte was sente frome the father almyghty god frome his sone our sauyour chryst Jesu to he the spiryte of trouthe resyaunt for euer in the chirch the chryst to be as a coÌ„forter fro tyme to tyme agaynst all stormes tempestes of heresyes acertaynynge vs in the tyme of euery doutulnes the veray trouthe where vnto we shall holde kepe vs. By the occasyon of this instruccyon I shewed .iij. thynges Fyrst that this instruccyon all the hole gospell ê‘teyneth to the vnyuersal chirche of chryst whiche thynge I proued by Luthers owne wordes Second that the heed of this vnyuersall chirche was the pope vnder chryst whiche one poynt taketh away one grete grounde of MartyÌ„ luther shaketh sore many of his erronyous artycles Thyrde that Martyn luther dyuydyng hymself from that heed of this body can not haue in hyÌ„ this spiryte of trouth For the second instruccyon I shewed you that the hete of charyte spred in our hertes by the holy spryte of god gyueth euydence of the lyfely lyght of faythe shynynge vpon oure soules froÌ„ our sauyour chryst by the whiche instruccyon was vndermyned an other grete grouÌ„d of MartyÌ„ luthers whiche is that onely faythe dothe iustyfye a synÌ„er wtouten workes For the thyrde instruccyon I shewed that the erudycyons left vnto the chirch by the holy apostles bereth vnto vs testymony of the fayth of chryste and what thynge we shall beleue in his chyrche where also was losed an other grounde of Martyn luther which wyll not admyt any other testymony but onely that that is wrytten in scrypture Agaynst whome I proued that he must besydes the scryptures wrytten receyue also the tradycyons of the apostles not wrytten ouer this the couÌ„celles generall in whom the holy goost dyd speke and the interpretacyons of scryptures made by the holy bysshoppes doctours of the chyrche by whose monthes the thyrde persone in the godhede the spiryte of trouthe spake and speketh enformynge the chirche for this tyme lyke as dyd the father almyghty god by his prophetes before as dyd his sone the seconde persone by hys apostles For the fourthe instruccyon I shewed you that the defence whiche is made for Martyn luther by his adherentes wherby manye weyke soules be ouerthroweÌ„ is clerely take away by the moost louynge moost gracyous forwarnynge of our sauiour christ as ye haue herde in the ende of the gospelle And yet eftsones for his moost excellente charyte he warneth all his chrysten people saynge and repetynge Hec locutus sum vobis vt quum venerit hora eorum reminiseamini quia hec dixi vobis That is to saye These thynges I haue tolde you to th entent that whaÌ„ the dauÌ„gers shall be fall yet ye may remeÌ„bre that I byfore dyd warne you of theym Who that thus often warned wyll yet gyue faythe to Martyn luther or to any other suche heretyke rather than to christ Jesu vnto the spyryte of trouthe whiche is left in the chirche of chryst vnto the worldes ende specyally to enforme vs of the trouth this man goethe fer wyde from that streygth way is neuer lyke to entre into the port of euerlastynge rest whiche al we desyre couet to come vnto to the which he brynge vs qui cuÌ„ patre et spiritu sancto viuit et regnat deus peroiÌ„a secula seseculorum Amen ¶ Imprynted by Wynkyn de Worde wynkyn worde