is suche thynges dothe he thynke speake and worke But we be fleshe therfor we sauour of fleshly thynges Why do we not graunte with saynt Austin in the boke of true innocency that whan a man lyueth after his owne way and not after God he is lyke the deuel for an angel shulde not haue lyued after an angell but after God that he myght stonde in the trueth A mā hath nought of hym self but lyeng and synne but yf a man haue ony trueth or ryghteousnesse he hath it of the welle which is Christe And that which we haue by goddes lyberalite hangeth of gods power and not of oure myght Fyrst cōsider me well the wordes of the holy goost Ro. ix where he calleth his owne the vessels of mercy and Roma viii The children of God be led with the sprite of god Esaie xxvi Lorde thou hast wrought all our workes in vs. Therfore knowlege thyself the handy worke of the almyghty maker ordened in Chiste Iesu to brynge forth good workes that he hath ordeyned marke which he hath ordeyned that we shuld worke in them Ephes ii Therfore that thou consentest to the inspiracion of God hast a good wyll and workest wel the grace of god worketh all these thynges in ye. Thou in dede cōsentest wylleste and workest but god maketh the to consente wyll and worke so that thys sayng also may be alwayes iustly layd before thyne eyes what hast thou that thou hast not receaued Yf thou hast receaued it of other why doest thou reioyce boaste as though thou haddest not receaued it i. Corinth iiii Not to vs Lorde not vnto vs but to thy name geue prayse Behold nowe not thy frewyll but bounde But yf the sonne delyuer the then salte thou be truly fre Iohā viii For we be delyuered from syn by Christ that we may serue ryghteousnesse Roma vi ¶ Of fayth workes the newe learnynge Not onely faythe iustifyeth for workes iustifye also and fayth may stande and be without good fruts grace that iustifieth in hym that is a breaker of the cōmaundemēt of god Therfore ther are two kyndes of ryghteousnesses necessary to saluatiō that is to wyte of fayth workes The one without the other excepte a mā haue no tyme or leasur doth not saue a man ¶ The olde learninge We suppose that a man is iustifyed by fayth without the dedes of the lawe Ro. iii. Here the Apostell doth not doute or gesse as som do vnderstonde hym a mysse for the truthe of the greke hath we reken or gather by reason For Theophilactus doth expoūde thys word sayth sillogizometha as though by reasonynge he gathered thys foresayde sayenge Wherfore workes do not iustifye but fayth And this is not my dreame but the moost pure doctrine of the holy goost in the .iii. .iiii. to the Roma Where as the Apostell reasonyng by the scripture of Abrahā beyng iustifyed most euidently proueth that fayth is rekened to vs for righteousnes Yf Abrahā sayth he was iustified by his works he hath where vpō he may boast but not before god For what sayeth the scripture Genest xv Abraham gaue credence to God and that was rekened vnto hym for righteousnesse And in the ende of the fourth chapt he sayeth That it was not wrytten for hym onely that it was rekened to hym for ryghteousnesse but also for vs to whome it shal be rekened Nother vnderstandeth he here onely the ceremonyall workes of the lawe but also of the .x. cōmandementes the which is playne Roma iii. when he sayde that no man was iustifyed by the workes of the lawe shortly after he sayeth For the knowlege of syn is thorow the lawe The which clause doth sufficiētly shewe of what workes of the lawe he speaketh Yf it be so that oure workes also do iustifye than Christ geueth but the halfe of oure saluacion and then how many saueours shal ther be Ther is onely but one iustifyer and saueoure that is Christe by whome we be iustifyed frely thorow hys grace Roma iii. Thefore workes do not iustifye but fayth in Christe not that fayth the scoolmen cal informis that is a dead fayth but that true and lyuyng faythe workynge by charite Gala. v. chapt lykewyse as we be iustifyed before god by fayth the which is the true iustifycacion so before men that se vs in the face we be iustifyed by workes that is to saye we be knowen to be ryghteous by the frute of good workes of the which thynge the wordes of saynt Iames ought to be vnderstonde so he that wyll loke well on Paules disputacion of fayth and workes shall easely perceaue why that we saye that faythe alone iustifyeth For we fayne not with this word alone a fayth that is wthout charite but we shew that workes be not the begynnyng of oure iustifycacion Also we be not saued by workes Titum iii. but accordynge to the mercy of god thorow the lauour of regeneracion and by renewynge of the holy goost lest ony man shulde boaste of man Good workes are not forbydden by this doctrine but faythe the welle of good workes is taught and vnto grace is geuen that is hyr dewty Parte of the prayse is geuen vnto vs by the newe learnyng of scoolmen the which thynge how blasphemous a thyng it is the faythful Christē men can tell And so the old learnyng taketh not away workes but setteth them in theyr place that they maye be witnesses of our fayth subdue the fleshe serue our neyghbour but not that they shuld iustifye seynge that onely fayth of the mere mercy of god thorow his worde doth iustifye a man The person that is iustified worketh iustly yet for al that it doth not boaste of the righteousnesse of workes as necessary to saluatiō leste when it seketh his owne righteousnesse it lese the ryghteousnesse of God that is faythe Roma x. And it graunteth the very truth with Esay .lxiiii. That the ryghteousnesse of his workes is lyke a fylthy clothe defyled with the flours of a woman And he an vnprofitable seruaunt The which is onely the way to come to true ryghteousnesse of oure workes That is when thou workyng besely yet in al thy workes knowlegest thy self a synner flyēge onely to the grace of the mediatour settest muche by the pryce of oure redempciōn For yf the ryghteousnesse of our workes be of ony value the death of Christe hath not wholy and fully wrought oure saluacion the whiche is blasphemous The short argument of Paule stondeth and is sure and vnmoueable Yf the righteousnesse come of the lawe then is Christe dead in vayne But Christ dyed not in vayne therfore ye boaste in vayne of the ryghteousnesse of workes and of the lawe ¶ Of meryte or deseruynge the newe learnynge Whan we do that lyeth in vs ī drawynge out of a good mocion towarde god by the frenesse of the wyll we deserue the fyrste grace of congruite semlynesse although not of worthynes Also the soule endued with
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.
A coÌ„parison betwene the Olde learnynge the Newe ¶ Translated out of latin in Englysh by Wyliam Turner Prynted in Sowthwarke by me Iames NicolsoÌ„ Anno. 1537. The contentes of this boke Of the sacramentes Of penaunce Of confession Of satisfaccyon Of frewyll Of fayth and workes Of merites Of synne Of the worshippynge of sayntes Of the supper of the Lorde Of the choyse of meates Of fastynge Of the difference of dayes Of prayer Of vowes Of counselles Of matrimony Of bisshoppes Of ceremonies Of mans traditions Of councels lawes made by a multitude of bisshoppes gathered together ¶ To the reader Some ther be that do defye All that is newe and euer do crye The olde is better awaye with the new Because it is false and the olde is true Let them this boke reade and beholde For it preferreth the learnyng most olde ¶ Vrbanus Regius to a certayne frende of his wysheth CHRIST oure ryghteousnesse WHan our saueour in the fyrst of Marke had caste out of a man an vncleane sprete the Iewes were astoÌ„nyed sayenge what new learnynge is this It was thought new to those wretches for lacke of knowlege of scripture which of all thynges was oldest that is to saye the Gospell the which was longe tofore promysed by the prophetes in the scripture of the soÌ„ne of God Iesu Christ The same thynge was sayd to Paul whan he preached Christ at Athene they toke him led hym to Marcis strete sayenge May we not knowe what new learnyng this is that ye teach for ye brynge in to our eares new thynges Was the teachynge of the Apostles I praye you strayght waye new because it was thought new to the proude gentyles swellynge and bounde with theyr carnall and fleshly wysedome Euen suche lyke thinges in these later dayes do they al suffer which teach purely the Gospel of the gracyous fauour and glory of God Which do not abuse the worde of euerlastynge truth for auauÌ„tage but as it were of syncernesse but as it were of god so speak we by Christ in the syght of God This is the new doctrine saye our aduersaries lately deuysed fâ—rnyshed in the shoppes or workhouses of heretikes Let vs abyde styl in our old fayth Let the holynesse of our fathers the authorite of the couÌ„cels the consent of the longe tyme so many ages holde vs in the wayes of our fathers Let the heretikes go shake theyr eares with theyr new learnynge which spronge and rose vp of late Those thynges which we teach came not all from Christe and the Apostles by wrytynge neuerthelesse they came by a faythfull reuelacyon shewynge vnto vs. To whom I wyll answere none otherwyse then Christ answered the Saduces Ye erre sayeth he and ar ignoraunt in the scripture And wolde to God that I myghte purchace and obtayne so much equyte of a braynlesse kynde of meÌ„ as one heythen man sheweth to another that is yf they wolde fyrst heare the cause or matter and then afterwarde yf it please them condemne hym that is accused Now they condemne innocentes without ony hearynge of theyr cause And they crye vnto vs which defeÌ„de the worde of God with nothynge but galowes ropes and fyre not witesafyng vs the leest corner of the catholyke church In so much that I wonder of what sprete they be of For that gentle and pleasaunt sprete of Christ the which fedeth the mysticall body seketh for the health and not for the destruccyon of them that erre Charite the frute of the holy goost as the apostell sayeth doth thynke none euell but is glad and reioyceth with the trueth beleueth all thynges trusteth all thynges Surely they that set asyde the blynde iudgement of the affeccyon and loke earnestly vpon the matter iudge otherwyse of vs. For the olde auÌ„cient fathers dyd neuer knowe or heare tell of the moost parte of those thynges whiche oure condemners do teache then ye maye be sure that theyr learnynge ought not to be rekened for olde learnynge and apostolicall Furthermore not euery thynge that the olde fathers wrote sauoureth of the syncernesse and purenesse of the sprete of the Apostles Certayne thynges which were deuised with in these foure hundreth yeares yee rather euen of late haue bene receaued by and by of them as soone as they were made namely this is theyr learnynge and so olde that they desyre for this that the Gospell almoost shulde be cast awaye and couÌ„ted as a new teachynge and learnynge Therfore I wolde that they shulde knowe and vnderstande that we do teache and preache the olde and the trewe heauenly doctryne of the sprete that is the gospell of god The greate mystery of holynesse and godlynesse that god was declared in the fleshe was iustified in sprete sene of the angelles preached to the gentyles that coÌ„fidence was geueÌ„ to him in the worlde was receaued in to glory What saye you be these newes God dyd predestinate vs that he myght chose and purches vs to be his soÌ„nes by Christe Iesus in his owne selfe accordynge to the pleasure of his wyl that the glory of the grace of God myght be praysed whereby he made vs welbeloued thorowe his welbeloud by whome we haue redeÌ„pcioÌ„ thorowe his bloude forgeuenesse of synnes accordyng to the ryches of his grace This was the fathers counsell vpon vs before the begynnyng of the worlde that he shuld saue vs and calle vs with an holy vocacion not accordyng to our workes but accordyng to his purpose and grace whiche is geuen vnto vs thorowe Iesus Christ before the euerlasting times but it is opened and declared nowe by the appearing of our saueour Christ which put deathe away and hathe thorowe the gospel brought forthe the lyfe into lyght and mortalite The which thyng seyng that it was promysed so longe ago by the prophetes at the coÌ„maundement of the holy gooste and nowe published thorowe al the coastes of the worlde howe dare they for shame call it newe learnyng Ceasse you wycked men and staunche your blasphemyes geue glory and prayse with vs vnto god and enbrace loue as ye ought to do the mysteries of the truthe with deuoute myndes lefte ye be indurate and made harde harted of god with the reprobate and castawayes the which beleue not the truth but alowe vnryghtuousnesse The are is layed at the roote of the trees Wherfore I doynge the offyce of a christen brother haue made a comparyson betwene the newe learnynge and the olde whereby deare brother thou maye easely knowe whether we are called worthely or vnworthely the preachers of new learnyng For so dyd they call vs of late scornynge and of a contempte and you desyred of me to know what I thought best to answer to these braynles and madde fellowes The which thynge seynge that it can not be expressed in an epystell I thought it beste to bestow a few houres in thys matter in these dayes called fastyngam in latyn carnis priuium whiche hath the name of the takyng awaye
sure argument much lyke vnto this the mayster byddeth the seruaūt go an hūdreth myles on one day ergo he may go an hūdreth myles on a daye Although I se many mē of great reputacyō almost promysyng thēselues the victory in the defendyng of frewyl with this shorte argument Whan in the meane season they cōsyder not how lytle this doctrine maketh for the glory of Christ which before al thynges oughte to be soughte Is it not a great sklaunder of the true learnynge to teach after this wyse Grace geuen frely or the generall influence with the vnderstandynge that vnderstandeth or directeth aryght and the wyll confirmably wyllyng are ynough to deserue the fyrst grace whiche maketh a man fyrst to come in fauour Who wolde haue loked for so muche lyfe and health in the man that was left halfe dead of the theues Luce. x. that although he could not heal him selfe yet he myght go in to the potycaryes shoppe nedynge no horse myght shewe hys grefe bye salues pay for them whē he had done Go to I am content let them teach the iustificacyon can not be by our strength with out grace that iustifieth yet they teach that the begynnynge of penaunce is in vs whē they geue vnto vs the preparynge vnto grace doynge as muche as lyeth in vs that we maye deserue of a symlynesse the fyrst grace by a good mocyon drawen out of the fredome of the wyll Is not this to geue the fyrste good motion to nature Moreouer they saye That a man by his naturall strength may fulfyll goddes commaundementes as concernyng the substaūce of the acte although not accordynge to the intent of the cōmaūder that is god Yf that be true it is in a synners power to amende or to continue in synne Yf nature maye do so muche what nede haue we of grace Whan symple men heare those thynges whan shall they at ony tyme learne Christ truely whan wyl they geue thankes for the vnspeakeable benefyte of theyr redēption A lytell thynge holdeth me but I laye on these teachers the sayeng of saynt Peter They denye the Lorde that bought them and they make marchaūdyse of the people of God with theyr fained wordes Whan dyd Christ or the Apostles euer speake after this maner The merite of cōgruence the meryte of worthynesse to do that lyeth in hym fre wyll the productiue vertue of fre wyl Thou christen man flye these sayenges as the pestilent blast of the crafty serpent where with he maketh oure nature whiche is proude already to swell agaynst God Thou haste good reader a tayste of the scoolemens learnynge of frewyll the whiche hangeth nothynge together For whan they be charged wyth scripture in the despite of the Pelagians they wyll be thought fauourers of grace somtyme with a maruaylous euasyon preferryng a specyall helpe of God before mans wyll both in wyllynge and in workynge And a lytell after they leape backe agayne to the excellent gyftes of theyr nature lest they shulde be thought to fauoure the Manichees ¶ The olde learnynge Romano the .xiiii. Chapter What so euer is not of fayth that is synne Then that good motion of fre wyll before grace that iustifyeth is synne Thē what madnes is it to wyll to deserue grace by synne Or what lyberte is it whan a man can not do well of hymselfe but only euel what health is that to haue power to fal and not to ryse or stande without the helpe of an other the seconde to the Corinthians the thyrde chapter Our sufficiency or ablenesse to do good is of God Roma the thyrde Chap. Fayth iustifyeth Before fayth a man is a synner and euell then how can he haue a good mocyon of hymselfe whom fayth hath not steared vp how can a thorne tre brynge forth a grape Ioh. viii Euery man that doth synne is the seruaunt of synne .ii. Petri. ii A man is brought in bondage vnto hym of whome he is ouercome Ephe. ii By nature we be the chyldrē of wrath Ge. vi We be flesh Io. iii. Excepte that we be borne agayne .i. Corin. ii A carnall man perceaueth not those thynges which be of the sprete of God Then how can the seruaunt of synne the sonne of wrath fleshe a carnall man before he be regenerate haue mexe naturall power good motions of hymselfe Can an euell tre brynge forth good frute Excepte that we be regenerate with the grace of Christ accordynge to the ymage of the earthy Adam we beare no goodnesse Seynge that the holy goost doth expressely and vehemently pronoūce that we be not only prone and ready to euell but also euel in dede Farthermore the Lord maketh lawes but before that thou bryng in this cōclusiō Therfore we may or els wherfore haue we so many preceptes threatenynges learne of Paul Roma the iii. Chap. that the lawe is the knowledge of synne and not the auctor of ryghteousnesse The lawe is spirituall we be carnal solde vnder synne Rom. vii Therfore thou must be spirituall that thou maye kepe the lawe which is not in thy power but it is the grace of God Wherfore thou maye learne of the lawe to knowe thy mysery that which after thou haste knowen thou arte compelled to go to Christe the perfeccyon and the fulfyllynge of the lawe The lawe iustifyeth the not but it declareth to thy shame howe farre thou arte from the dew clennesse of lyfe by thyne owne faute Therfore thou mayest not thynke thus with thy selfe I haue a good lawe what nedeth more but my laboure and dylygence I knowe good reason wyll tell me what is ryghte I wyll laye to my handes and I wyll be iustifyed by my dedes drawen out and commaunded Not so ye wycked personnes not so heare and take hede of the holy wordes of scripture and the proude pharisaicall sprete shall haue hys combe cut The Israhelites dyd caste in theyr myndes whan the lawe was sette forth that they coulde do all thynges lokynge on Moses face whiche was couered But it was sayde vnto them Deuteronomi the .v. Chapter Who can geue them such a minde to feare me and to kepe my commaundementes Surely iustifyenge begynneth at feare and loue But ye se that they haue not the feare of the Lorde nor suche a mynde as can do ony good of it selfe Therfore in Deutero xxx sayeth Moses The Lorde shal circumcise thyne harte and Ezechiel xi I wyll take away the stony hartes And Ihō the .vi. Ther cōmeth no mā to me excepte my father draw hym Wherfore ye ypocrytes learne of the lawe youre dewty feblenesse and paynes and when ye fele Moses handes heuy flye to hym for succurre with all your harte the which Romanor viii is descrybed to be the fulfiller of the lawe Math. xi Christ promysed rest of the soule to all them that be laden For when we do the beste that lyeth in vs we beyng euell trees brynge fyrth euell frutes that is to saye we synne For such as euery man
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
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