masters of one mynde one will might a man serue for if one wil one mynde and one accorde be in twenty then are they all but one master And two masters where one is vnder the other and a substitute may a man serue For the seruice of the inferiour is the coÌ„maundement of the superiour As to serue obey Father Mother Husband Master and Lord is Gods commaundement But and if the inferiour be of a contrary will to the superiour commauÌ„de any contrary thing then mayst thou not obey For now they be two coÌ„trary masters So God and Mammon are two coÌ„trary masters yea two contrary Gods and of contrary commaundementes God sayth I thy Lord God am but one me shalt y u serue alone that is y u shalt loue me with all thyne hart or with thyne whole hart with all thy soule with all thy might Thou shalt neither serue obey or loue any thyng saue me and that I byd thee that as farre and no further then I byd thee And Mammon sayth the same For Mammon wil be a God also and serued and loued alone God sayth see thou loue thy neighbour that thou labour with thine haÌ„ds to get thy liuyng and somewhat aboue to helpe him MaÌ„mon sayth he is called thy neighbour because he is nye thee Now who is so nye thee as thy self Ergo proximus esto tibi that is loue thy selfe make lewde and vyle wretches to labour diligently to get thee as much as thou mayst and some scrappes aboue for them selues Or wilt thou be perfect Then disguist thy selfe and put on a gray coate a blacke or a pyed geue thy selfe to deuotion despise the world and take a couetous I would say a contemplatiue life vpon thee Tell the people how hoate Purgatorie is and what paynes there must be suffered for small fantes And then geue mercyfully a thousaÌ„d folde for one spirituall for temporall geue heauen and take but house and land and foolish temporall thynges God sayth iudge truly betwene thy brethren and therefore take no giftes Mammon sayth it is good maner and apoynt of curtesie to take that is offered And he that geueth thee loueth thee better then such a churâ—…e that geueth thee naught yea thou arâ— more bound to fauour his cause God sayth fell and geue almose Mammon sayth lay vp to haue inough to mainteyne thyne estate and to defeÌ„d thee from thyne enemyes and to serue thee in thyne age c. For as much then as God Mammon be two so contrary masters that whosoeuer will serue God must geue vp Mammon and all that will serue MammoÌ„ must forsake God it foloweth that they which are the sworne seruauÌ„ts of Mammon and haue his holy spirite and are his faithfull Church are not the true seruaunts of God nor haue his spirite of truth in them or can be his true Church Moreouer seing that God Mammon be so contrary that Gods worde is death in Mammons eare his doctrine poyson in Mammons mouth it foloweth that if the ministers of Gods word do fauour Mammon they will so fashion their speach so sound their wordes that they may be pleasaunt in the eares of Mammon Finally alonely to haue richesse is not to be the seruauÌ„t of Mammon but to loue it and cleaâ—e to it in thyne hart For if thou haue goods onely to maintâ—ine the office whiche God hath put thee in of the rest to helpe thy neighbours nede so art thou Lord ouer thy Mammon and not his seruaunt Of theÌ„ that be rich how shalt thou know the master of Mammon from the seruaunt verely first by the gettyng secondarely when his poore neighbour complaineth if he be Mammons seruaunt Mammon wil shut vp his hart and make hym without compassion Thirdly the crosse of Christ will trye them the one from the other For wheÌ„ persecution ariseth for the word then will the true seruaunt of Christ byd Mammon â—dew And the faithfull seruaunt of Mammon will vtter his hypocrisie and not onely renounce the doctrine of Christ but also be a cruel a sharpe persecuter therof to put away all surmise and that his fidelitie which he hath in his master Mammon map openly appeare Therfore I say vnto you care not for your lyues what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke neither for your bodyes what ye shall put on Is not the lyfe more then meate and the body more then the rayment He that bundeth a costely house eueÌ„ to the tylyng will not leaue there and lose so great cost for so small a trifle more No more will he that gaue thee so precious a soule so bewtifull a body let either of them perish agayne before y e day for so small a thnig as foode or rayment God neuer made mouth but he made meate for it nor body but he made rayment also Howbeit MaÌ„mon blindeth our eyes so that we can neither see nor iudge a right Behold the foules of the ayre how they sow not neither reape nor gather into storehouses and yet your heauenly father fedeth them And are not ye farre better then they Which of you with takyng thought is able to put one cubite vnto his stature He that careth for y â— least of his creatures will much more care for y t greatest The byrdes of the ayre and beasts preach all to vs that we should leaue caring and put our trust in our father But Mammon hath made vs so dull and so cleane without capacitie that none example or argument be it neuer so vehement caÌ„ enter the wittes of vs to make vs see or iudge a right Finally what a madnes it is to take so great thought for fode or rayment when the wealth health life of thy body and all together is out of thy power If all the world were thyne thou couldest not make thy selfe one inche leÌ„ger nor that thy stomacke shall disgeste the meate that thou puttest into it No thou art not sure that that whiche thou puttest into thy mouth shall go through thee or whether it shall choke thee Thou canst not make when thou lyest or sittest down that thou shalt arise agayn or when thou slepest that thou shalt awake agayne or that thou shouldest liue one houre loÌ„ger So that he which cared for thee when thou couldest not care must care for thee still or els thou shouldest perish And he will not care for thee to thy soules profite if thou mistrust him and care for thy selfe And for rayment why take ye thought Behold the lylies of the field how they grow they labour not neither spynne And yet I say to you that euen Salomon in all his glorie was not apparelled lyke one of them Wherefore if the grasse whiche is to day in the fieldes and to morow shal be cast into the furnace God so clothe howe much more shal he do the same vnto you O ye of litle fayth
onely in number exceedyng but in knowledge also excellyng both by preaching and Printing doe so garnishe the Church in euery respecte that it may seeme and so peraduenture wil be thought this time of ours to stand now in little neede of such bookes and momumentes as these of former antiquitie yet notwithstandyng I am not of that mynde so to thinke For albeit increasing of learning of tonges and sciences wyth quicknes of wit in youth and other doth maruailously shut vp as is to be seene to the sufficient furnishyng of Christes Church yet so it happeneth I can not tell how the farther I looke backe into those former tymes of Tyndall Frith and others lyke more simplicitie wyth true zeale and humble modestie I see wyth lesse corruption of affections in them and yet wyth these dayes of ours I finde no fault As by reading and conferring their workes togither may eftsoones appeare In opening the Scriptures what trueth what soundnes can a man require more or what more is to be sayd then is to be founde in Tyndall In his Prologues vppon the fiue bookes of Moses vppon Ionas vppon the Gospelles and Epistles of S. Paule namely to the Romaines how perfectly doth he hit the right sence and true meaning in euery thing In his obedience how fruitfully teacheth he euery person his dutie In his expositions and vppon the parable of the wicked Mammon how pithely doth he perswade how grauely doth he exhort how louingly doth he comforte simply without ostentation vehement without contention Which two faultes as they cōmonly are wont to folow the most part of writers so how farre the same were from him and he from them his replies and aunsweres to Syr Thomas More doe well declare in doctrine sound in hart humble in life vnrebukeable in disputation modest in rebuking charitable in trueth feruent and yet no lesse prudent in dispensing with the same and bearyng with time and with weakenes of men as much as he might sauing onely where mere necessitie constrayned hym otherwise to doe for defence of trueth against wilfull blyndnes and subtile hypocrisie as in the Practise of Prelates is notorious to be seene Briefly such was his modestie zeale charitie and painefull trauaile that he neuer sought for any thing lesse then for hymselfe for nothyng more then for Christes glory and edification of other for whose cause not onely he bestowed his labours but hys life and bloud also Wherfore not vnrightly he might be then as he is yet cauled the Apostle of England as Paule cauleth Epaphroditus the Apostle of the Philippians for his singular care and affection toward them For as the Apostles in the primatiue age first planted the Church in trueth of the Gospell so the same trueth beyng agayne defaced and decayed by enemies in thys our latter tyme there was none that trauayled more earnestly in restoring of the same in this Realme of England then dyd William Tyndall With which William Tyndall no lesse may be adioyned also Iohn Frith and D. Barnes both for that they togither with him in one cause and about one tyme sustayned the first brunt in this our latter age and gaue the first onset agaynst the enemies as also for the speciall giftes of fruitfull erudition and plentifull knowledge wrought in them by God and so by them left vnto vs in their writinges Wherfore accordyng to our promise in the booke of Actes and Monumentes wee thought good herein to spend a litle diligence in collecting and setting abroad their bookes togither so many as could be founde to remaine as perpetuall Lāpes shyning in the Church of Christ to geeue lyght to all posteritie And although the Printer herein taking great paynes coulde not paraduenture come by all howbeit I trust there lacke not many yet the Lord be thanked for those which he hath gotte and here published vnto vs. And woulde God the like diligence had beene vsed of our auncient forelders in the tyme of Wickliffe Puruey Clerke Brute Thorpe Husse Hierome and such other in searching and collecting their workes and writings No doubt but many thinges had remayned in lyght which now be lefte in obliuion But by reason the Arte of Printing was not yet inuented their worthy bookes were the sooner abolyshed Such was then the wickednes of those dayes and the practise of those Prelates then so craftie that no good booke coulde appeare though it were the Scripture it selfe in Englyshe but it was restrayned and so consumed Whereby ignoraunce and blyndnes so preuayled amonge the people tyll at the last it so pleased the goodnes of our God to prouide a remedy for that mischiefe by multiplying good bookes by the Printers penne in such sort as no earthly power was able after that though they did their best to stoppe the course thereof were he neuer so myghtie and all for the fartheraunce of Christes Church Wherefore receaue gracious Reader the Bookes here collected and offered to thy hand and thanke God thou hast them and reade them whilest thou mayst while time life and memory serueth thee In reading wherof the Lord graunt thou mayst receaue no lesse fruit by them then the harty desire of the setter forth is to wishe well vnto thee And the same Lord also graunt I beseech him that this my exhortation wishe so may worke in all that not onely the good but the enemies also which be not yet wonne to the worde of trueth setting aside all partialitie and preiudice of opinion woulde with indifferent iudgementes bestow some reading and hearyng likewise of these to taste what they doe teach to vewe their reasons and to trye their spirite to marke the expositions of Tyndall the argumentes of Frith the Articles and allegations of Barnes Which if they shall finde agreable to the tyme and antiquitie of the Apostles doctrine and touchstone of Gods worde to vse them to their instruction If not then to myslike them as they finde cause after they haue first tryed them and not before And thus not to deteine thee with longer processe from the reading of better matter I referre and commende thee and thy studies gentle reader with my harty wishe and prayer to the grace of Christ Iesu and direction of hys holy spirite desiryng thee lykewyse to doe the same for mee Iohn Foxe The Martyrdome and burning of William Tyndall in Brabant by Filford Castell Lord opē the K. of Englāds eyes Here foloweth the historie and discourse of the lyfe of William Tyndall out of the booke of Actes and Monumentes Briefly extracted FOr somuch as the lyfe of W. Tyndall author of this treatise immediately folowing is sufficiently at large discoursed in the booke of Actes and Monumentes by reason whereof we shall not néede greatly to intermedle with any new repetition therof yet notwithstanding because as we haue takē in hand to collect and set forth his whole workes togither so we thought it not vnconuenient to collecte likewise some briefe notes concerning the order of his
God and fayth of Christ and corrupt the text of the couenaunt with false gloses and are disobedient to God and therefore sâ—… deadly Oâ— this also ye see the difference betwene the lambes of true beleuers and betwene the vncleane swyne that follow carnall lustes fleshly libertie and the churlishe and hypocrâ—…e dogges Which for the blinde zeale of their owne righteousnes persecute the righteousnes of the fayth in Christes bloud The effeminate and careles swyne which coÌ„tinue in their fleshlines cease not to wallow theÌ„selues in their olde podell thinke that they beleue very well in Christes bloud but they are deceaued as thou mayst clearely perceaue because they feare not the damnation of euill workes nor loue the lawe of good workes and therefore haue no part in the promise The cruell and doggishe hypocrits which take vpon them to worke thinke they loue the lawe which yet they neuer sawe saue vnder a vayle But they be deceaued as thou mayst perceaue by that they beleue not in Christ for the forgeuenes of sinne Whereby also I meane that they beleue not thou mayst perceaue that they vnderstand not the lawe For if they vnderstoode the lawe it would eyther driue them to Christ or make them dispayre immediatly But the true beleuers beholde the lawe in her owne likenes and see the impossibilitie thereof to be fulfilled wyth naturall power and therefore flee to Christ for mercy grace and power and then of a very thankfulnes for the mercy receaued loue the lawe in her owne likenes and submit theÌ„selues to learne it and to profit therein and to do to morow that they can not do to day Ye see also the difference of all manner of faythes The fayth of the true beleuers is that God iustifieth or forgeueth and Christ deserueth it and the fayth or trust in Christes bloud receaueth it and certifieth the coÌ„science thereof and saueth and deliuereth her from feare of death and damnation And this is that we meane when we say fayth iustifieth that fayth I meane in Christ and not in our owne workes certifieth the conscience that our sinnes are forgeueÌ„ vs for Christes bloudes sake But the fayth of hypocrites is that God forgeueth and workes deserue it And that same false fayth in their owne workes receaueth the mercy promised to the merites of their owne workes and so Christ vtterly excluded And thus ye see that faith is the thing that to affirmed to iustifie of all partyes For faith in Christes bloud which is Gods promise quieteth the conscience of the true beleuers And a false fayth or trust in workes which is their owne fayning beguileth the blynde hypocrites for a season tyll God for the greatnes of their sinne when it is â—ull openeth their eyes then they dispayre But the swyne say God is so good that he wyll saue deuilles and all and damne no man perpetually whatsoeuer he do An other conclusion is this to beleue in Christ for the remission of sinnes and of a thankfulnes for that mercy to loue the lawe truely that is to say to loue God that is father of all and geueth all and Iesus Christ that is Lord of vs all and bought vs al with all our hartes soules power and might and our brethren for our fathers sake because they be created after his image and for our Lord and master Christes sake because they be the price of his bloud and to long for the lyfe to come because this lyfe cannot be fedde without sinne These â—…tes I say are the profession and religion of a Christen maÌ„ and the inward baptime of the hart signifyed by the outward washing of the bodye And they be that spirituall character badge or signe wherewith God thorouge hys spirite marketh all his immediatly and assoone as they be ioyned to Christ and made members of hys Church by true fayth The Church of Christ then is the multitude of all them that beleue in Christ for the remission of sinne and of a thankfulnes for that mercy loue the lawe of God purely and without gloses and of hate they haue to the sinne of this world long for the life to come This is the church that cannot erre dampnably nor any long tyme nor all of them but assoone as any question aryseth the truth of Gods promise stirreth vp one or other to teach them the truth of euery thing needefull to saluation out of Gods worde and lighteneth the hartes of the other true members to see the same and to consent thereto And as all they that haue their hartes washed wyth this inwarde baptyme of the sprite are of the church and haue the keyes of the scripture ye and of binding and lowsing and do not erre Euen so they that sinne of purpose wyll not heare when their faultes be tolde them but seeke liberties and priuilegies to sinne vnpunished and glose out the lawe of God and mainteine ceremonies traditions and customes to destroy the fayth of Christ the same be members of Sathan all their doctrine is poison Errour darcknes ye though they be Popes Byshoppes Abbotes Eurates and Doctoures of diuinitie and though they can rehearse all the scripture without booke and though they be seene in Greeke Ebrew and Latine ye and though they so preach Christ and the passion of Christ that they make the poore women weepe and howle agayne For when they come to the point that they should minister Christes passion vnto the saluation of our soules there they poyson all together and glose out the lawe that should make vs feele our saluation in Christ and driue vs in that poynt from Christ and teach vs to put our trust in our owne workes for the remission and satisfaction of our sinnes and in the Apish play of hypocrites which sell their merites in steede of Christes bloud passion â–ª â—o now deare reader to beleue in Christes bloud for the remission of sinnâ— and putchasing of all the good promises that helpe to the lyfe to come and to loue the law and to long for the life to come is the inward Baptisme of the soule the Baptisme that onely auayleth in the sight of God the new generation and image of Christ the onely keye also to binde and â—owse synners The touchstone to trye all doctrines The lanterne and light that scattereth and expelleth the mist darknes of all hypocrisie and a preseruatiue agaynst all errour and heresie The mother of all good workes The earnest of euerlastyng lyfe and title whereby we chalenge our inheritaunce And thoughe fayth in Christes bloude make the mariage betwene our soule and Christ is properly the Mariage garment yea and the signe Thau that defendeth vs from the sâ—…tyng and power of the euill aungels and is also the rocke whereon Christes Churche is built and whereon all that is built standeth against all weather of wynde and tempestes yet might the
all that is corrupt must be salted And those personnes are of all other most corrupt and therfore may not be left vntouched The Popes pardons must be rebuked the abuse of the Masse of the Sacramentes and of all the ceremonyes must be rebuked and salted And selling of merites and of prayers must be salted The abuse of fastyng and of pilgrimage must be salted All idolatry false faith must be rebuked And those Fryers that teach men to beleue in S. Fraunces coate how that they shall neuer come in hell or purgatory if they be buryed therein may not be passed ouer with silence The payne griefe of salting made Monkes flee to their cloysture Nay say they we went thether of pure denotion to pray for the people Yea but for all that the more ye encrease and y e more ye multiply your prayers the worse the world is That is not our fault say they but theirs that they dispose not themselues but continue in sinne and so are vnapt to receaue the influence of our prayers O hipocrits if ye weee true salt and had good harts and loued your neighbours if dead men be neighbours to them that are aliue and woulde come out of your dennes and take payne to salt and season them ye should make a great many of them so apt that your prayers might take effect But now seyng as ye say they be so vnsauery that your prayers be to theÌ„ improfitable though their goods be to you profitable and yet ye haue no compassioÌ„ to come out and â—alt theÌ„ it is manifest that ye loue not them but theirs and that ye pray not for them but vnder the colour of praying mocke them and robbe them Finally salt which is the true vnderstandyng of the law of faith and of the intent of all workes hath in you lost her vertue neither be there any so vnsauery in the world as yeare nor any that so sore kicke agaynst true saltyng as ye and therfore are ye to be cast out and troden vnder foote and despised of all men by the righteous iudgement of God If salt haue lost his saltnesse it is good for nothing but to be troden vnder foote of men That is if the preacher whiche for his doctrine is called salt haue lost y e nature of salt that is to say his sharpnesse in rebukyng all vnrighteousnes all naturall reason naturall witte and vnderstandyng all trust and confidence in what soeuer it be saue in the bloud of Christ he is coÌ„demned of God and disalowed of all them that cleaue to the truth In what case staÌ„d they then that haue benefices preach not verely though they stand at the altar yet are they excommunicat and cast out of the liuing Church of almighty God And what if the doctrine be not true salt verely then is it to be troden vnder foote As must all werish and vnsauery ceremonies whiche haue losâ—e their significatioÌ„s and not onely teach not and are become vnprofitable do no more seruice to man But also haue obtained authoritie as God in the hart of man that maÌ„ serueth them and putteth in them the trust confidence that he should put in God hys maker thorough Iesus Christ his redemer Are the institutions of man better then Gods yea are Gods ordinauÌ„ces better now theÌ„ in the old tyme The Prophets trode vnder foote and defied the teÌ„ple of God and the sacrifices of God and all ceremonies that God had ordained with sastinges and prayinges and all that the people peruerted and committed idolatrie with We haue as straite a commaundement to salt and rebuke all vngodlinesse as had y e Prophetes Will they then haue their ceremonies honourably spokeÌ„ of then let them restore them to the right vse and put the salt of the true meanyng significations of them to theÌ„ agayne But as they be now vsed none that loueth Christ caÌ„ speake honourably of them What true Christen man can geue honour to that that taketh all honour froÌ„ Christ who can geue honour to that that slayeth the soule of his brother robbeth his hart of that trust and coÌ„â—â—deÌ„ce which he should geue to his Lord that hath bought him with his bloud â–ª Ye are the light of the world A Citie that is set on an hil caÌ„not be hid neither do men light a candle And put it vnder a bushell but on a caÌ„dlesticke and so geueth it light to all that are in the house Let your light so shine before meÌ„ that they may see your good woorkes and prayse your father that is in heauen Christ goeth forth and describeth y â— office of an Apostle and true preacher by another likenesse callyng them as before the salt of the earth EueÌ„ so here the light of the worldâ—… signifiyng therby that all y e doctrine all the wisdome and hie knowledge of the world whether it were Philosophy of naturall concâ—usions of maners and vertue or of lawes of righteousnes whether it were of the holy scripture and of God hymselfe was yet but a darcknes vntill the doctrine of hys Apostles came that is to say vntill the knowledge of Christ came how that he is the sacrifice for our sinnes our satisfaction our peace attonement and redemption our life therto and resurrection Whatsoeuer holinesse wisdome vertue perfectnesse or righteousnes is in y e world among men howsoeuer perfect holy they appeare yet is all dampnable darcknesse except the right knowledge of Christes bloud be there first to iâ—ftifie the hart before all other holinesse An other coÌ„clusion As a citie built on a hill can not be hid no more can the light of Christes Gospell Let the world rage as much as it will yet it wil shine on their sore eyes whether they be content or no. An other conclusion as men light not a candle to whelme it vnder a busshell but to put it on a candlesticke to light all that are in the house euen so the light of Christes Gospell may nor be hid nor made a seuerall thyng as though it pertayned to some certayne holy persons onely Nay it is the light of the whole world and pertaineth to all men and therfore may not be made seuerall It is a madnesse that diuerse men say the lay people may not know it except they can proue that the laye people be not of the world Moreouer it will not be hid but as the lightning that breaketh out of the cloudes shyneth ouer all euen so doth the Gospel of Christ For where it is truely receaued there it purifieth the hart and maketh the person to consent to the lawes of God and to beginne a new and a godly lyuing fashioned after Gods lawes and without all dissimulation And then it wil kendle so great loue in hym towarde his neighbour that he shall not onely haue compassioÌ„ on hym in hys bodely aduersitie but much more pitie him ouer the blyndenes of his soule and
graces both curtesie and wisedome wold haue charged the iudges to haue examined the euideÌ„ce layd agaynst him diligeÌ„tly so to haue quit hym with more honesty then to geue him pardon of that he neuer trespassed in and to haue rid the spiritualitie out of hate and all suspition Then sayth he Hunne was sore suspect of heresie and conuict And after he sayth Hunne was an hereticke in deede and in perill so to be proued And then how was he conuict I heard say that he was first conuict wheÌ„ he was dead and then they did wroÌ„g to burne him till they had spoken with him to were whether he would abiure or no. M. The Byshop of London was wise vertuous and cunnyng Tyndall For all those three yet he would haue made the old Deane Colet of Paules an hereticke for translatyng the Pater nâ—ster in English had not the Byshop of Canterbury holpe the Deane The xvj Chapter THe messenger asketh hym if there be an old lawfull translatioÌ„ before Wicleffes how happeneth it that it is in so few mens handes seyng so many desire it He aunswereth the Printer dare not Print it and then hang on a doubtâ—ul triall whether it were translated sence or before for if it were traÌ„slated sence it must be first approued What may not M. More say by authoritie of his Poetrie there is a lawfull traÌ„slation y t no maÌ„ knoweth which is as much as no lawfull traÌ„slatioÌ„ Why might not y e bishops shew which were that lawfull traÌ„slation let it be Printed Nay if that might haue bene obteined of theÌ„ with large money it had be Printed ye may be sure loÌ„g yer this But Sir aunswere me here vnto how happeneth that ye defenders translate not one your selues to cease the murmour of the people put to your own gloses to preuent heretikes ye would no doubt haue done it long sence if ye could haue made your gloses agree w t the text in euery place And what can you say to this how that besides they haue done their best to disanull all traÌ„slating by Parlament they haue disputed before the kynges grace that is it perilous and not mete and so concluded that it shall not be vnder a preteÌ„ce of deferring it of certein yeares where M. More was their speciall Orator to fayne lyes for their purpose M. Nothyng discourageth the Clergie so much as that they of the worste sorte most calleth after it Tyndall It might well be Phariseis full of holynesse long not after it but Publicans that hunger after mercy might sore desire it Howbeit it is in very deede a suspect thyng a great signe of an heretike to require it Then he iuggleth with allegories Syr Moses deliuered them all that he had receaued of God that in the mother toung in which all that had the hart therto studied and not the Priests onely as thou mayst see in the Scripture And the Apostles kept nothyng behind as Paul testified Actes xx how he had shewed them all the counsell of God had kept nought backe Shuld the lay people lesse hearken vnto the expositions of the Prelates in doubtfull places if the text were in their handes when they preached M. The Iewes geue great reuerence vnto the Bible and we sit on it Tyndall The Pope putteth it vnder his feete and treadeth on it in tokeÌ„ that he is Lord ouer it that it should serue him and he not it M. God hath ordeined the ordinaries for chief Phisitions Tyndall They be Lawyers ordeined of the Pope and can no more skill of the Scripture then they that neuer saw it ye and haue professed a contrary doctrine They be right hangmen to murther who soeuer desireth for that doctrine that God hath geueÌ„ to be the ordinary of our fayth and liuyng And when he maketh so great difficultie and hardnesse in Paules Epistles I say it is impossible to vnderstand eyther Peter or Paul or ought at all in y e scripture for him that denieth y t iustifiyng of faith in Christes bloud And agayn it is impossible to vnderstaÌ„d in y e scripture more then a Turke for whosoeuer hath not the lawe of God written in his hart to fulfill it Of which pointe and of true faith to I feare me that you are voyde and empty with all your spiritualtie whose defender ye haue taken vppon you to bee for to mocke out the truth for lucre and vauÌ„tage An aunswere to M. Mores fourth booke CHristes church hath the true doctrine already and the selfe same that S. Paule woulde not geue an Angell audience vnto the contrary Tyndall But the Popes Church will not heare that doctrine More Confirmed with such a multitude of miracles and so much bloud of martyrs and commoÌ„ consent of all Christendome Tyndall Who shewed a miracle to confirme his preaching of eare confession and Pardons with like pedlery or who shed his bloud for them I can shew you many thousandes that ye haue slayne for preaching the contrary And agayne Grecia the one halfe of Christendome coÌ„senteth not vnto theÌ„ which Greekes if such thinges had come from the Apostles should haue had them er ye M. The spiritualtie be not so tender eared but that they may heare their sinnes rebuked Tyndall They consent not vnto the way of truth but sinne of malice and of professioÌ„ And therfore as they haue no power to repent euen so can they not but persecute both him that rebuketh them and his doctrine to after the ensamples of the Phariseis and all tyrauntes that begunne before namely if the preacher touch any ground wher by they should be reformed or by what meanes they maintaine their mischief The second Chapter MOre A Fryers liuing that hath maryed a Nunne maketh it easie to know that his doctrine is not good Tyndall The profession of either other is plaine Idolatry and deceauing of a maÌ„s soule and robbing him of his good and taken vpon them ignorauÌ„tly therto Wherfore when they be come vnto the knowledge of the truth they ought no longer therein to abyde but the Popes forbyddyng Matrimony and to eate of meates created of God for mans vse which is deuillishe doctrine by Paules prophesie hys geuing licence to hold whores his continuall occupiyng of Princes in shedding of Christen bloud his robbing of y e poore thoroughout Christendome of all that was geuen to maintaine them his setting vp in Rome a stues not of womeÌ„ onely but of the male kynde also agaynst nature and a thousand abhominations to grosse for a Turke are tokens good inough that he is y e right Antichrist and his doctrine sprong of the deuill More In penaunce Martin saith there needeth no contricion nor satisfaction Tyndall Call it repentaunce and theÌ„ it is contricion of it selfe And as for mendes making with worldly
that pray to them 433. b Saint Bartholomew 285. a Sanctuaries 112. a Salt 196. b. 277. b. meanyng therof 197. a Salt of the word vnsauery through couetousnes 231. b Salt of Papistes vnsauery 280. a Salutation 370. b Saluation certified in writyng 255. b. is within vs. 155. a. by grace 395 b. by fayth 34. a. commeth by the word 18. b Salue Regina 326. a Sathan an enemie to man 442. a Satisfaction what how we should make it 37. b. onely for our sinnes what 257. b. Christes bloud 394. a. true fayth 387. b Satisfaction may bee made to our neighbour 133. a Scala coeli 139. b Scriptures 103. a. how they speake 87. b. haue sene God 417. b. wisedome thereof 99. a. contentes and methode therof 169. a. how to bee searched 3. b. how locked vp 184. b. and 388. b. how to be read 30. b. how to be vnderstode 7. a. 33. a. of whom vnderstode 319. a. the right touchestone 103. a. teache the truth 388. b. must be kept sincerely 22. a Scripture teacheth the truth 388. b. chief of the Apostles 344. b. declareth gods good wil nedeth no miracles 301. a. authorised with true miracles ibidem 304. a. testifieth of the right Church 293. b. containeth our saluation wholly 256. a. causeth belefe of Scripture 304. a Scripture hath body and soule 23. b. calleth signes thyngs signified 469 b. deliuered first to the people in the vulgare toung 319. a. ought to bee knowen of all men 142. a. ought to be in English 101. a. should be in euery language 377. a Scriptures caused of God to auoyde heresies 303. a. must trye the Papistes 288. a. corrupted by the pope and why 256. b. hidde by the pope and Papistes 1. a. 304. and 394. b. wrested by Papistes 24. a. 446. a. locked vp by Papistes and why 23. b. suppressed by Papistes 1. b Scripture resisteth Popish doctrine 304. b Scriptures speake diuersly 79. b. full of hidde misteries 440. a. opened with two keyes 31. a. containe three principall thynges 23. b. not grosly to be vnderstode 80. a. haue but one sense 166. a Scholes of Diuinitie 104. a Schole doctrine of Papistes corrupt 171. a Scholemasters take great wages and teach not 101. b Scribes Phariseis and elders erred 303. b Scribes and Phariseis what they were 201. b. were very Antichrists 60. b Scoffyng 313. a Secretes 371. a. of God knowen to few 12. b Sectaries Papish are scoulders and braulers 2. b Sectes through mans wisedome innumerable in Popery 300. b. damnable amongest Papistes and heretiques 173. a Sâ—â—ge of Pauie 371. b Seruice of God 177. b. of Christ passeth seruice of Saintes 295. b Seruauntes all in Christ 121. a Seruauntes must be taught to know Christ 121. b Seruaunts of Mammon not Christes Church 233. b Shauelings winne whosoeuer loose 141. b. put downe Christ 127. a. are the world 405. b. desire to be sanctified with an whore rather then a wife 144. a. chalenge onely Gods spirite to them selues 137. b Shauyng borowed of the heathen oylyng of the Iewes 134. a Sheepes clothyng 241. b Sheryng what it signifieth 135. b Sheild of fayth inuincible 4. b Shippes saylyng by laÌ„d a. M. miles 372. a Shrift a woorke of Sathan 147. b. put downe among the Grecians for knauery 147. b Shrinyng of Saintes 351. b Shuttyng the chamber doore expouÌ„ded 220. b Sicke comforted by Papistes with a Latin Gospell 135. a Signes euident of the latter day 53. a Signe of y e cros truly beholdeÌ„ 282. b Signes are called commonly by the names of thynges signed 447. a Signe of Christes body called by the name of Christes body 444. b Significations of thynges must bee sought 248. a Significations of Sacramentes taken away by the Pope 256. a SignificatioÌ„ of our Baptisme 386. b Similitude 332. a. 360. b. 380. a. of what force 12. a. aptly applyed 18. b 109. b Similitude of woorkes 69. b. of a mother 421. a. of an earthly kyng 432. b Similitudes their vse 170. a. proue weakely 171. a Similitudes and reasons of mens wisedome 170. b Similitudes of well and euill doyng 219. a Simon Magus his fayth 95. b Sinne. 41. b. 321. a. defined 410. b. how farre it extendeth 113. b. vnder grace 186. b. vnder the law ibidem encreased by the law 40. b. all with out fayth 153. a. when it chiefly raigneth in vs. 40. a. paine therof 307 b. must be wrestled withall 397. a Sinne called in Scriptures vnbelefe 41. b. agaynst the holy ghost 254. b. cannot stand with fayth 258. a. the best marchaundize 151. a Sinne all of our selues goodnes all of God 384. b Sinnes accompsed no sinne â—5 a. are of our selues 32. a. veniall 186. b. beadly 187. a. all forgeuen for Iesus sake 387. a. washed away 13. a. how knowen to be forgeuen 47. b Sinners must be holpen of vs or els we must perish with them in their sinne 203. b Sinners all in generall 44. a Sinners all forget not God 260. b. must repent spedely 334. b Sinners saued all by Christes power 357. b Sinceritie required in all 104. a Sir Thomas Hitton 294. a. murdered 375. a Sâ—eigh practises 367. a Sâ—â—res of Papistes 316. a Solution of doubtes 240. a. of Popish reasons 262. a Sophisters 168. a. say the litterall sense killeth 168. a Soules departed rest at Gods pleasure 324. b Soundnes in fayth bryngeth knowledge in Scriptures 38â— a Spirices 414. b Spirite of God maketh a man spirituall 40. b Spirite of God accompanieth fayth 65. b contrary to the â—lesh 48. a Spirite resisted by our byâ—… remainyng in vs. 165. a Spirite vncleane 35. a Spirit of God â—o guide to Popistes 148. a Spirite 〈◊〉 188. b Spech boâ—… 166. b Spirituall 〈◊〉 1â—4 a Spirituall â—…ers why â—…ned 1â—… Spiâ—… 247 b Spirituall â—…ce of God what 443. a Spirituall â—…ng onely â—…eth 464 â–ª b Spirituall vnderstandâ—ng of Chrisâ—… 460 â–ª b Spirituall and tempâ—ral reâ—… 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 woulâ— not that sâ—… 3â—8 a 〈…〉 desâ—…sed 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 â—45 〈…〉 with coâ—… â—07 〈…〉 for Châ—… vs. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 and temporâ—… 201. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 workes true â—ayth 41. b 〈…〉 402. b Sâ—… the fourth â—ope 〈◊〉 b 〈…〉 the second Pope â—48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 277 â–ª b â—…e 24â— b â—…ctrine 29◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 the â—…ers 143 a â—…ed how 〈◊〉 be applyed to 〈…〉 31. b Submission to Christ â—â—1 a Suffraunce with Christe bryngeth ioy 342. a Suffraganes why ordained 152. a Summe of Gods law 410. b Supper of Christe howe instituted 470. a. a memortall of his death 441. b. why geuen vs. 323. a Superstition odious 401. b. furthered by Papistes 279. a Superstitious obseruations 248. b Superstitious fast God abhorreth 274. b Suttletie of the Pope to enlarge hâ—â— kingdome 356. a. of Allegorâ—es 1â— b. of the Popes Clergy 〈…〉 Suttle conueyaunces of Papistes 3â—6 a Sute in law without offence â—45 a Swarmes of Popishe sectes 280. a. 〈…〉 Swearyng 30â— b. by God 〈…〉 how lawfull 〈…〉
damnation to rewarde Briefly her meditations and her thoughtes are heauenly and all that shée doth is spirituall For shée can not erre shée cleaueth so fast to the worde of God that is the veritie And for this cause S. Paule calleth her the piller and grounde of truth not that shée is so sure of and in her owne strength but that shée sticketh so fast to the lyuyng God and to hys blessed worde that is the very true Church that is scattered thorow all the worlde and is neyther bounde to person by the reason of dignitie nor yet to any place by the reason of fayned holynes but shée is a frée thynge thorow all the worlde as S. Augustine doth witnesse in these wordes The holy Church are wée but I doe not say as one should say wée that bée here alonely that heare mée now but as many as be here faythfull Christened mē in this Church that is to say in thys Citye as many as bée in thys region as many as bée beyonde the sea as many as bée in all the worlde for from the rysing of the sunne till the goyng down is the name of God praysed so is the holy Church our mother c. Here haue you playnely that the holy Church is the congregation of faythfull men wheresoeuer they bée in the worlde And neyther the Pope nor yet hys Cardinalles bée more this Church or of thys Church then the poorest man in earth For this church standeth alonely in the spirituall faith of Christ Iesus and not in dignities nor honours of the worlde as Liranus doth declare in these wordes The Church doth not stand in men by reason of spirituall power or secular dignities For many Princes and many Popes and other inferiour persons haue swerned frō the fayth Wherfore that Church doth stand in those persons in whome is the true knowledge and confession of fayth and of veritie c. O my Lordes what will you say to Lyra I haue great maruayle that you burne hym not It is hye tyme to condemne hym for an heretike for hée speaketh agaynst your lawe xxiiij q. 1. Quodcunque Where as your glose declareth that God suffereth not the church of Rome for to erre And Lyra sayth playnely that many popes haue erred and also that the Church standeth not in dignitie but in confession of Christ and of hys blessed veritie But now here wyll bée obiected that I fayne such a Church as our Logitions doe intentionem secundam that is a thyng y t is no where Where shall a man finde a Church that is so pure and so cleane that hath neyther spot nor wrinckle in her and that is wythout all sinne séeyng that all men must of trueth saye forgéeue vs our trespasse And if any man say bée hée neuer so righteous that hée hath no sinne thē is hee a lyer and there is no veritie in hym To thys I aunswere that thys holy Church hath sin in her yet is shée pure and cleane Marke S. Paules wordes Christe hath geuen hymselfe for her that hée might make her glorious So that the cleannes of this holy church is the mercy of God toward her thorow Christ for whose sake he layeth nothing to her charge yea and if any other person woulde hée is ready to géeue her his cleanes and to let her by fayth clayme of right hys purenes for her owne For betwéene them all is common as betwéene man and wyfe So that if the Church looke on her owne merites and of her owne workes shée is full of sinne and must néedes say demitte mihi debita The which shée néeded not to say if shée had none But if shée referre her selfe vnto the merites of her blessed husbande Christ Iesus and to the cleanes that shée hath in hys bloud thē is shée without spotte For by the reason that shée sticketh by fayth so fast vnto her husband Christ and doth abyde in confession of her sinne requireth mercy for them therfore is there nothing layde to her charge but all thyng is forgéeuen her And therefore sayth S. Paule there is no damnation vnto them that bée in Christ Iesu And that this may bée the playner I wyll bryng you S. Augustines wordes the which was vexed of the Donatistes wyth thys same reason that is layd agaynst mée hys wordes bée these The whole Church sayth forgéeue vs our sinnes wherefore shée hath spottes and wrinckles but by knowledging of them her wrinckles bée extended and stretched out by knowledging her spottes are washed away The church abydeth in prayer that shée myght bée clēsed by knowledging of her sinnes As lōg as we liue hereso standeth it and when wée shall departe out of thys bodye all such thynges bée forgéeuen to euery mā wherfore by thys meane y ◠church of God is in the treasures of God wythout spotte and wrinckles and therefore here doe wée not lyue wythout sinne but wee shall passe from hence wythout sinne c. Here haue you clearely that the church of God is clensed and purified by Christ for knowledgyng of her sinnes and not by her owne purenes Wherefore such a church there must néedes bée though that y e carnall eye can not sée her nor fleshly reason can iudge of her Wherefore wée beléeue thys article by fayth that holy church is a communion or felow shyp of holy men and know it not by séeyng or féelyng as wée doe the felowshyp of Drapers or mercers for then were it none article of the faith And it is playne that all your exterior signes wyth all your holy ornamentes as your holy myters your holy crossestaues your holy pyllers polaxis your holy red gloues your holy ouches and your holy rynges your holy annoynted fingers your holy vestmentes your holy challices and your holy golden showes yea take also to helpe you S. Thomas of Canterburyes holy showe wyth all the holy bootes of holy Monkes and all these togither can not make one crumme of holynes in you nor helpe you one pricke forward that you may bée wythin thys church For if these thynges coulde helpe then were it no mastery to make an Asse to bée of the church of God But our holy mother the Church hath an other holynes that commeth from God the father thorough the swéete bloud of his blessed sonne Iesus Christ in whom is all her confidence and trust Vnto whom she sticketh onely by sted fast fayth by whose purenes shee is also pure in that that she doth confesse her vnclennes for shee beléeueth stedfastly that she hath an aduocate for her sinne to y e father of heauen which is Christ Iesus and hée is the satisfaction for her sinnes hée of his mercy not of her merites hath chosen her for to bée his and because she is his therfore must she bée cleane so long as she abideth in him This is well declared in S. Iohn where our master Christe is
Christes glad tydings first through openyng of the law to rebuke all thinges and to proue all thynges sinne that procede not of the spirite of faith in Christ and to proue all men sinners and children of wrath by inheritaunce and howe that to sinne is their nature and that by nature they can no otherwise doe then sinne and therewith to abate the pride of man and to bring him vnto the knowledge of him selfe and of his miserie wretchednes that he might desire helpe Euen so doth S. Paule and beginneth in the first Chapter to rebuke vnbelefe and grose sinnes which all men see as the Idolatrie and as the grose sinnes of the heathen were and as the sinnes now are of all them whiche liue in ignoraunce without fayth and without the fauour of GOD and sayth The wrath of GOD of heauen appeareth through the Gospell vpon all men for their vngodly vnholy lyuyng For though it be knowē and dayly vnderstād by the creatures that there is but one God yet is nature of herself with out the spirit and grace so corrupt and so poysoned that men neither can thanke him neither worship him neither geue him his due honor but blind thē selues and faule without ceasyng into worse case euen vntill they come vnto worshipping of Images workyng of shamefull sinnes whiche are abhominable and agaynst nature and moreuer suffer the shame vnrebuked in other hauing delectation and pleasure therein In the second Chapter he procedeth further and rebuketh all those holy people also whiche without lust and loue to the law liue wel outwardly in the face of the world and condemne other gladly as the nature of all hypocrites is to thinke them selues pure in respect of open sinners and yet hate the law inwardly and are full of couetousnes and enuy and of all vnclēnes Math. xxiij These are they whiche despise the goodnes of GOD and accordyng to the hardenes of their hartes heape together for thē selues the wrath of God Furthermore S. Paule as a true expounder of the law suffreth no man to be without sinne but declareth that all they are vnder sinne whiche of freewill and of nature will liue well suffreth them not to be better thē the open sinners yea he calleth them hard harted and such as can not repent In the thyrd Chapter he mingleth both together both the Iewes and the Gentiles and sayth that the one is as the other both sinners no difference betwene them saue in this onely that the Iewes had the word of God committed vnto them And though many of them beleued not thereon yet is Gods truth and promise thereby neither hurt nor minished And he taketh in his way and allegeth the saying of the 50. Psalme that God might abyde true in his wordes ouercome when he is iudged After that he returneth to his purpose agayn and proueth by the Scripture that all men without difference or exceptiō are sinners and that by the workes of the law no mā is iustified but that the law was geuen to vtter and to declare sinne onely Thē hee begynneth and sheweth the right way vnto righteousnes by what meanes mē must be made righteous and safe and sayth They are all sinners without prayse before God and must without their own deseruyng be made righteous throughe fayth in Christe which hath deserued such righteousnes for vs and is become vnto vs Gods mercystole for the remission of sinnes that are past thereby prouyng that christes righteousnes which commeth on vs through fayth helpeth vs onely whiche righteousnes sayth he is now declared through the Gospell was testified of before by the lawe of the Prophetes Furthermore sayth he the law is holpē and furthered thorough fayth thoughe that the workes therof with all their boast are brought to nought In the iiij Chapter after that now by the 3. first Chapters the sinnes are opened and the way of faith vnto rightuousnes layd he begynneth to aunswere vnto certain obiections and cauillations And first putteth forth those blinde reasons whiche commonly they that wil be iustified by their owne workes are wont to make when they heare that faith onely without workes iustifieth saying shall men do no good workes yea and if fayth onely iustifieth what nedeth a man to studie for to do good workes He putteth forth therfore Abraham for an ensample saying what did Abraham with his workes was all in vayne came his workes to no profite And so concludeth that Abraham without and before al workes was iustified and made righteous In so much that before the worke of Circumcisiō he was praysed of the Scripture and called righteous by his fayth onely Gene. xv So that he did not the worke of Circumcision for to bee holpen there by vnto righteousnesse whiche yet God commaunded hym to do was a good worke of obedience So in likewise no doubt none other workes helpe any thyng at all vnto a mās iustifiyng but as Abrahams Circumcisiō was an outward signe wherby he declared his righteousnes which he had by fayth and his obedience and readynes vnto the will of God euen so are all other good workes outward signes and outward frutes of fayth of the spirite which iustifie not a man but that a man is iustified already before god inwardly in the hart through faith and through the spirite purchased by Christes bloud Herewith now stablisheth S. Paul his doctrine of faith afore rehearsed in the thyrd Chapter and bringeth also testimony of Dauid in the xij Psalme whiche calleth a man blessed not of workes in that his sinne is not rekened and in that fayth is imputed for righteousnes though he abide not afterward without good workes when he is once iustified For we are iustified receiue the spirite for to do good workes neither were it otherwise possible to do good workes except we had first the spirite For howe is it possible to doe any thyng well in the sight of God while we are yet in captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuill and the deuill possesseth vs all together and holdeth our hartes so that we can not once consent vnto the will of God No man therfore can preuent the spirite in doyng good the spirite must first come and wake him out of his sleepe with the thunder of the law and feare him and shew him his miserable estate wretchednes and make him abhorre hate him selfe and to desire helpe and then comfort him agayne with the pleasaūt rayne of the Gospell that is to say with the sweete promises of God in Christ and stirre vp faith in him to beleue the promises then when he beleueth the promises as God was mercyfull to promise so is he true to fulfill them and wil geue him the spirite and strength both to loue the will of God to worke there after So see we that God onely whiche accordyng to the Scripture worketh
How many are there of the same sort which thou cāst not make beleue that a thousand thinges are sin which God damneth for sinne all the scripture throughout As to bye as good cheepe as he can and to sell as deare as he can to rayse the market of corne and victuale for his owne vauntage without respect of his neighbor or of the poore of the common wealth and such like Moreouer how many hundred thousandes are there which when they haue sinned knowledge their sinnes yet trust in a balde ceremony or in a lowsy Fryers coate and merites or in the prayers of them that deuoure widowes houses and eateth the poore out of house and harbour in a thyng of hys owne imagination in a foolishe dreame and a false vision not in Christes bloud and in the truth that God hath sworne All these are faythlesse for they follow their owne righteousnes and are disobediēt vnto all maner righteousnes of God both vnto the righteousnes of Gods lawe wherewith he damneth all our deedes for though some of them see their sins for feare of payne yet had they rather that such deedes were no sinne and also vnto the righteousnes of the truth of God in his promises whereby he saueth all that repent and beleue them For though they beleue that Christ dyed yet beleue they not that he dyed for their sinnes and that hys death is a sufficient satisfaction for their sinnes and that God for hys sake will be a father vnto them and geue them power to resist sinne Paule sayth to the Romaynes in the x. chap. if thou confesse wyth thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleue wyth thine hart that God raysed hym vp from death thou shalt be safe That is if thou beleue he raysed hym vp againe for thy saluation Many beleue that God is riche and almighty but not vnto themselues and that he he will be good vnto them and defend them and be their God Pharao for payne of the plague was compelled to confesse hys sinnes but had yet no power to submit hymselfe vnto y t will of God and to let the children of Israell goe and to loose so great profit for Gods pleasure As our Prelates confesse their sinnes saying though we be neuer so euill yet haue we the power And agayne the Scribes and the Pharises say they sate in Moyses seate do as they teach but not as they do thus confesse they that they are abhominable But to the second I aunswere if they sate on Christes sear they would preach Christes doctrine now preach they their owne traditions and therefore not to be heard If they preached Christ we ought to heare them though they were neuer so abhominable as they of themselues confesse and haue yet no power to amende neither to let loose Christes flocke to serue God in the spirit which they holde captiue compelling them to serue their false lyes The deuils felt the power of Christ and were cōpelled against their willes to confesse that he was the sonne of God but had no power to be contēt therewith neither to consent vnto the ordinaunce eternall councell of the euerlasting God as our Prelates feele the power of God agaynst them but yet haue no grace to geue roome vnto Christ because that they as the deuils nature is will themselues sitte in hys holy temple that is to witte the consciences of men ¶ Simon Magus beleued Acts. 8. with such a fayth as the deuils confessed Christ but had no right fayth as thou seest in the sayd chapter For he repented not consenting vnto the lawe of God Neither beleued the promises or longed for them but wondred onely at y ◠myracles which Philip wrought and because tha◠he himselfe in Philips presence had no power to vse his witchcrafte sorcery and arte magike wherewith he mocked deluded the wittes of y t people He would haue bought the gifte of God to haue solde it much dearer as his successours now do and not the successours of Simon Peter For were they Simon Peters successours they would preach Christ as he did but they are Simon Magus his successours of which Simō Peter well proued in y t secōd chapter of hys second epistle saying there were false Prophetes among the people meaning of the Iewes euen as there shal be false teachers or doctours among you which priuely shall bring in sectes damnable sectes is part taking as one holdeth of Fraunces another of Dominyck which thyng also Paule rebuketh 1. Corin. 1. and 3. euē denying the Lord that bought them for they will not be saued by Christ neyther suffer any man to preach hym to other And many shall follow their damnable wayes thou wilt say shall God suffer so many to goe out of the right wayes so long I aunswere many must folow their damnable wayes or els must Peter be a false Prophet by which the way of truth shal be euill spoken of as it is now at this present tyme for it is heresy to preach the truth and through couetousnes shall they wyth fayned wordes make merchaundise of you of their merchaundise and couetousnes it needeth not to make rehearsall for they that be blinde see it euidently Thus seest thou that Iames when he sayth faith without deedes is dead and as the body without the spirite is dead so is fayth without deedes and the deuils beleue that he meaneth not of the fayth trust that we haue in the truthe of Gods promises and his holy Testament made vnto vs in Christes bloud whiche fayth foloweth repentaunce and the consent of the hart vn-the lawe of God and maketh a man safe and setteth him at peace with god But speaketh of that false opinion and imagination wherewith some say I beleue that Christ was borne of a virgine and that he dyed and so forth That beleue they veryly and so strōgly that they are ready to slay who soeuer would say the contrary But they beleue not that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that his death hath peased the wrath of God and hath obtained for them all that God hath promised in the Scripture For how can they beleue that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that he is their onely and sufficiēt Sauiour seyng that they seeke other Sauiours of their owne imagination seyng that they feele not their sinnes neither repent except that some repent as I aboue sayd for feare of payne but for no loue nor consent vnto the law of god nor lōging that they haue for those good promises which he hath made them in Christes bloud If they repented and loued the lawe of God and longed for that helpe whiche God hath promised to giue to all that call on hym for Christes sake then veryly must Gods truth giue them power strength to do good workes when so euer occasion were giuen either must God be a false God But let God be true and euery
raigne ouer all and will obey no man If the father geue you ought of curtesie ye will cōpell the sonne to geue it violently whether he will or not by crafte of your owne lawes These deedes are against Christ When a whole parish of vs hyre a scholemaister to teach our children what reason is it that we shoulde be compelled to pay thys scholemaister his wages and he should haue licence to goe where he wil and to dwell in an other contrey and to leaue our children vntaught Doth not the pope so Haue we not geuen vp our tithes of curtesie vnto one for to teach vs Gods worde and commeth not the pope and compelleth vs to pay it violently to them that neuer teach Maketh he not one Parson which neuer commeth at vs yea one shall haue v. or vj. or as many as he can get and wotteth oftentimes where neuer one of them standeth Another is made Vicare to whom he geueth a dispensation to goe where he will and to set in a parishe priest which can but minister a sort of dumme ceremonies And he because he hath most labour and least profite polleth on hys part and fetteth here a masse peuy there a trentall yonder dirige money and for his beadroule with a confession peny and such like And thus are we neuer taught and are yet neuertheles compelled ye compelde to hyre many costly scholemasters These deedes are verely agaynst Christ Shall we therefore iudge you by your dedes as Christ commaundeth So are ye false Prophetes and the Disciples of Antechrist or agaynst Christ The Sermons which thou readest in the Actes of the Apostles and all that the Apostles preached were no doubt preached in the mother tongue Why then might they not be written in the mother tounge As if one of vs preach a good sermon why may it not be written Saint Hierome also translated the Bible into his mother tounge Why may not we also They will say it can not be translated into our tounge it is so rude It is not so rude as they are false lyers For the Greeke tounge agreeth more with the English then wyth the Latin And the properties of the Hebrue tounge agreeth a thousand tymes more wyth the Englishe then wyth the Latyn The maner of speaking is both one so that in a thousand places thou needest not but to trāslate it into the English worde for worde when thou must seeke a compasse in the Latin and yet shalt haue much worke to translate it welfauouredly so that it haue the same grace swetenesse sence pure vnderstanding with it in the Latin as it hath in the Hebrue A thousand partes better maye it be translated into the English thē into the Latin Yea and except my memory fayle me and that I haue forgotten what I red whē I was a childe thou shalt finde in the Englishe cronicle how that kyng Adelstone caused the holy Scripture to be translated into the tounge that then was in Englande and how the Prelates exhorted him thereunto Moreouer seyng that one of you euer preacheth contrary to an other and when two of you meete the one disputeth brauleth wyth the other as it were two scoldes And forasmuch as one holdeth this Doctor and an other that One foloweth Duns an other Saint Thomas an other Bonauenture Alexāder de hales Raymond Lyre Brygot Dorbell Holcot Gorram Trumbett Hugo de sancto victore De monte regio De noua uilla De media villa and such lyke out of nūber So that if thou haddest but of euery authour one booke thou couldest not pyle them vp in any ware house in London and euery authour is one contrary vnto an other In so great diuersitie of spirites how shall I know who lyeth and who sayeth truth Whereby shall I trye thē and iudge them Verely by Gods worde which onely is true But how shall I that do when thou wilt not let me see scripture Nay say they the scriptures is so harde that thou couldest neuer vnderstand it but by the Doctours That is I must measure the mete yarde by the cloth Here be twenty clothes of diuers lengthes of diuers bredthes How shall I be sure of the length of the mete yarde by them I suppose rather I must be first sure of the length of the mete yarde and thereby measure and iudge the clothes If I must first beleue the Doctour then is the Doctour first true and the truth of the scripture dependeth of hys truth so the truth of God springeth of the truth of man Thus Antechrist turneth the rotes of the trees vpwarde What is the cause that we damne some of Origenes workes and alowe some How know we that some is heresy and some not By the scripture I trow How know we that Saint Augustine which is the best or one of the best that euer wrote vpon the Scripture wrote many thynges amisse at the beginning as many other Doctours doe Verely by the Scriptures as he hymselfe well perceaued afterward when he looked more diligently vpon them and reuoked many thynges agayne He wrote of many thinges which he vnderstode not when he was newly conuerted yer he had throughly seene the Scriptures and folowed the opinions of Plato and the common perswasions of mans wisedom that were then famous They wyll say yet more shamefully that no man can vnderstād the Scriptures without Philautia that is to say Philosophy A man muste first bee well seene in Aristotle yer he cā vnderstand the Scripture say they Aristotles doctrine is that the worlde was wythout beginning and shall be wythout ende and that the first man neuer was and the last shall neuer be And that God doth all of necessitie neither careth what we doe neither wyll aske any accomptes of that we do Wythout thys doctrine how coulde we vnderstande the Scripture that sayth God created the world of nought and God worketh all thyng of hys free wyll and for a secret purpose that we shall all ryse agayne and that God will haue accomptes of all that we haue done in thys lyfe Aristotle sayth Geue a man a lawe and he hath power of hymselfe to doe or fulfill the lawe and becōmeth righteous wyth workyng righteously But Paule and all the scripture sayth that the lawe doth but vtter sinne onely and helpeth not Neyther hath any man power to doe the lawe tyll the spirite of God be geuen hym through fayth in Christ Is it not a madnes then to say that we coulde not vnderstand the Scripture wythout Aristotle Aristotles righteousnes and all hys vertues spring of mans free wyll And a Turke and euery Infidell and Idolater may be righteous and vertuous wyth that righteousnes those vertues Moreouer Aristotles felicitie and blessednes standeth in auoyding of all tribulatiōs and in riches health honour worship frendes and authoritie which felicitie pleaseth our spiritualty well
a sundry countrey whether soeuer the spirite caried them and went with theÌ„ him self And as he wrought with Peter where he went so wrought he with the other where they went as Paul boasteth of him selfe vnto the Galathians Seyng now that we haue Christes doctrine and Christes holy promises and seyng that Christ is euer present with vs his owne selfe how commeth it that Christ may not raigne immediatly ouer vs as well as the Pope which commeth neuer at vs Seyng also that the office of an Apostle is to preach onely how can the Pope chalenge with right any authoritie where he preacheth not How commeth it also that Rochester will not let vs be called one congregation be the reason of one God one Christ one spirite one Gospell one fayth one hope and one Baptisme as well as because of one Pope If any naturall beast with hys worldly wisedome striue that one is greater then an other because that in congregations one is sent of an other as we see in the Actes I auÌ„swere that Peter sent no man but was sent him selfe and Iohn was sent and Paul Sylas and Barnabas were sent Howbeit such maner sendynges are not worldly as Princes send Ambassadours no nor as Friers send their limiters to gather their brethrenhedes which must obey whether they will or will not Here all thyng is free and willyngly And the holy ghost bringeth theÌ„ together whiche maketh their willes free and ready to bestow them selues vpon their neighbours profit And they that come offer theÌ„ selues and all that they haue or caÌ„ do to serue the Lord their brethreÌ„ And euery maÌ„ as he is found apt and meete to serue his neighbour so is he sent or put in office And of the holy Ghost are they sent with the consent of their brethren and with their owne conseÌ„t also And Gods word ruleth in that congregation vnto which word euery man confirmeth his will And Christ which is alway present is the head But as our Bishops heare not Christes voyce so see they him not present and therfore make them a God on the earth of the kinde I suppose of Aarons calfe For he bringeth forth no other frute but Bulles For as much also as Christ is as great as Peter why is not his seate as great as Peters Had the head of the Empire ben at Ierusalem there had ben no mention made of Peter It is verely as Paul sayth in the xj Chap. of the ij Epistle to the Corinthians The false Apostles are disceatful workers and fashion them selues like vnto the Apostles of Christ That is the shauen nation preached Christ falsly yea vnder the name of Christ preached them selues and raigne in Christes stede haue also taken away the keye of knowledge and haue wrapped y â— people in ignoraunce and haue taught theÌ„ to beleue in them selues in their traditions and false ceremonies so that Christ is but a vayne name and after they had put Christ out of his rowme they gate them selues to the Emperour and kyngs and so long ministred their busines till they haue also put theÌ„ out of their rowmes haue got their authorities from them and raigne also in their stede so that y â— Emperour and kynges are but vayne names and shadowes as Christ is hauyng nothyng to do in the world Thus raygne they in the stede of God and man and haue all power vnder them and do what they list Let vs see an other poynt of our great clarke A litle after the beginning of hys Sermon entendyng to proue that which is clearer then the sonne serueth no more for his purpose then Ite missa est serueth to proue that our Lady was borne without originall sinne he alledgeth a saying that Martin Luther sayth which is this if we affirme that any one Epistle of Paul or any one place of his Epistles perteineith not vnto the vniuersall Church that is to all the congregation of them that beleue in Christ we take away all S. Paules authoritie WherupoÌ„ sayth Rochester If it be thus of the woordes of S. Paule much rather it is true of the Gospels of Christ and of euery place of them O malicious blyndnes First note his blindnes He vnderstaÌ„deth by this worde Gospell no more but the foure Euangelistes Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn and thinketh not that the Actes of Apostles and the Epistles of Peter of Paul of Iohn and of other like are also the Gospell Paul calleth his preachyng the Gospell Rom. ij and. i. Cor. iiij and Gal. i. and. i. Timoth. i. The Gospel is euery where one though it be preached of diuers and signifieth glad tidynges that is to witte an open preachyng of Christ and the holy Testament gracious promises that God hath made in Christes bloud to all that repent and beleue Now is there more Gospell in one Epistle of Paule that is to say Christ is more clearely preached and moe promises rehearsed in one Epistle of Paul then in the. iij. first Euangelistes Mathew Marke Luke Consider also his maliciousnes how wickedly and how craftely he taketh away y e authoritie of Paule It is much rather true of the Gospelles and of euery place in them then of Paule If that which y e foure Euangelistes wrote be truer then that which Paule wrote then is it not one Gospell that they preached neither one spirit that taught them If it be one Gospell and one spirite how is one truer then the other Paule proueth his authoritie to y e Galathians and to the Corinthians because that he receaued his Gospell by reuelation of Christ and not of man because that when he comâ—â—ed wyth Peter and y e hye Apostles of hys Gospell preaching they coulde improue nothyng neither teach hym any thing and because also that as many were coÌ„uerted and as great miracles shewed by his preaching as at the preaching of the hie Apostles and therefore will be of no lesse authoritie theÌ„ Peter and other hie Apostles Nor haue his Gospell of lesse reputation then theirs Fynally that thou mayst know Rochester for euer and all the remnaunt by him what they are within y e skinne marke how he playeth bo pepe with y e Scripture He allegeth the beginning of the tenth chapter to the Hebrues Vmbram habens lex futurorum bonorum the lawe hath but a shadow of thynges to come And immediatly expoundeth the figure cleane contrary vnto the chapter folowing and to all the whole epistle making Aaron a figure of y t Pope whom the Epistle maketh a figure of Christ He allegeth halfe a texte of Paule i. Timoth. iiij In the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith geuing hede vnto spirites of error and deuilish doctrine but it foloweth in the text geuing attendaunce or hede vnto the deuilishe doctrine of them which speake false thorow hypocrisy and haue their consciences marked with a hote yron forbidding
groweth dayly in the operations workes therof ¶ Of Confession COnfession is diuers One foloweth true fayth insparably And is the confessing and knowledging with the mouth wherein we put our trust and confideÌ„ce As when we say our Credo confessing that we trust in God the father almighty and in his truth promises in his sonne Iesus our Lord and in his merites and deseruinges in the holy Ghost and in his power assistance and guiding This confession is necessary vnto all men that wyll be saued For Christ saith Mathew x. he that denyeth me before men hym will I deny before my father that is in heauen And of this confession sayth the holy Apostle Paule in the x. chapter The beliefe of the hart iustifieth and to knowledge wyth the mouth maketh a man safe This is a wonderfull text for our Philosophers or rather sophisters our worldly wyse enemies to the wisdome of God our deepe profounde welles wythout water our cloudes wythout moysture of rayne that is to say naturall soules without the sprite of God and feeling of godly thynges To iustifie and to make safe are both one thing And to confesse with the mouth is a good worke and the frute of a true fayth as all other workes are If thou repent and beleue the promises then Gods truth iustifieth thee that is forgeueth thee thy sinnes and sealeth thee with hys holy spirite and maketh thee heyre of euerlastyng lyfe through Christes deseruinges Now if thou haue true fayth so seest thou the exceeding and infinite loue and mercy which God hath shewed thee freely in Christ then must thou needes loue agayne and loue can not but compell thee to worke and boldly to confesse knowledge thy Lord Christ and the trust which thou hast in his word And this knowledge maketh thee safe that is declareth that thou art safe already certifieth thine hart and maketh thee feele that thy fayth is right and that Gods spirite is in thee as all other good workes doe For if when it commeth vnto the point thou hast no lust to worke nor power to confesse how couldest thou presume to thinke that Gods sprite were in thee An other confession is there which goeth before saith and accompanieth repentaunce For who so euer repenteth doth knowledge his sinnes in his hart And who soeuer doth knowledge his sinnes receaueth forgenenes as â—ayth Iohn in the first of his first Epistle If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeue vs out sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes that is because he hath promised he must for his truthes sake doe it This confession is necessary all our liues long as is repentaunce And as thou vnderstandest of repentaunce so vnderstand of this confession for it is likewise included in the sacrament of Baptime For we alwayes repent and alwayes knowledge or coÌ„fesse our sinnes vnto God and yet dispayre not but remember that we are washed in in Christes bloud which thing our baptime doth represeÌ„t and signifie vnto vs. Shrift in the eare is verely a worke of Sathan and that the â—alsest that euer was wrought and that most hath deuoured the fayth It began among the Greekes and was not as it is now to reckeÌ„ all a maÌ„s sinnes in the priestes eare but to aske couÌ„cell of such doubtes as men had as thou mayst see in S. Hierome and in other authors Neither went they to Priestes onely which were very fewe at that tyme no moe then preached the worde of God for this so great vantage in so many masses saying was not yet founde but went indifferently where they saw a good and a learned man And for because of a litle knauery which a DeacoÌ„ at Constantinople plaide thorough coÌ„fession with one of the chiefe wiues of the citie it was layde downe agayne But we Antichristes possession the more knauery we see growe thereby dayly the more we stablishe it A christen man is a spirituall thing and hath Gods word in his hart and gods spirite to certifie him of all thing He is not bound to come to any eare And as for the reasons which they make are but persuasions of mans wisedome First as perteining vnto the keyes maner of bynding and loosing is eough aboue rehearsed in other places Thou maist also see how the Apostles vsed them in the Actes and in Paules Epistles how at the preaching of fayth the spirite came and certified their harts that they were iustified thorough beleuing the promises When a man feeleth that his hart consenteth vnto the law of God and feeleth hymselfe meeke pacient curteous and mercifull to hys neighbour altered and fashioned like vnto Christ why shoulde he doubt but that God hath forgeuen him and chosen him and put his spirite in hym though he neuer cromme hys sinne into the priestes eare One blynde reason haue they saying How shall the Priest vnbynde loose and forgeue the sinne which he knoweth not How did the Apostles The Scripture forsake they and runne vnto their blinde reasons and draw the Scripture vnto a carnall purpose When I haue tolde thee in thyne eare all that I haue done my life long in order and with all circumstances after the shamefullest maner what caÌ„st thou doe more then preach me the promises saying if thou repent beleue Gods truth shall saue thee for Christes sake Thou seest not myne hart thou knowest not whether I repent or no neyther whether I consent to the law that it is holy righteous and good Moreouer whether I beleue the promises or no is also vnknowen to thee If thou preach the law and the promises as the Apostles did so should they that God hath chosen repent and beleue and be saued euen now as well as then How be it Antichrist must know all secretes to stablish his kingdom to worke his misteries withall They bryng also for them the storie of the x. lepers whiche is written in the. xvij Chapter of Luke Here marke their falsehoode and learne to knowe them for euer The fourtene Sonday after the feast of the Trinitie the begynnyng of the vij leâ—…n is the sayd Gospell and the viij the ix lessons with the rest of the seuenth is the exposition of Bede vpon the sayd Gospell Where saith Bede of all that Christ healed of what so euer disease it were he sent none vnto the Priestes but the lepers And by the lepers enterpreteth the folowers of false doctrine onely which the spirituall officers and the learned men of the congregation ought to examine and rebuke their learning with Gods word and to warne the congregation to beware of them Which if they were afterward healed by the grace of Christ ought to come before the coÌ„gregation and there openly confesse theyr true fayth But all other vices saith he doth God heale within in the conscience Though they this wise reade at mattens yet at hie masse if they haue any
the sygh of the hart is his sinne put away in Christes bloud For Christes bloud purgeth euer and blesseth euer For Iohn sayth in the second of his first epistle This I write vnto you that ye sinne not And though any man sinne meaning of frailtie and so repent yet haue we an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ which is righteous and he it is that obteineth grace for our sinnes and Heb. vij it is written But this man meaning Christ because he lasteth or abideth euer hath an euerlasting priesthod Therefore is he able also euer to saue thē that come to God through hym seing he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. The Byshops therefore ought to blesse vs in preaching Christ and not to deceaue vs and to bring the curse of God vpon vs wyth wagging their handes ouer vs. To preache is their dutie onely and not to offer their feete to bee kissed or testicles or stones to be groped We feele also by experience that after the Popes Byshoppes or Cardinals blessing we are no otherwise disposed in our soules then before Let this be sufficient as concerning the sacramentes and ceremonies with this protestation that if any cā say better or improue this with Gods word no man shall be better content therewith then I. For I seeke nothing but the truth and to walke in the light I submit therefore this worke and all other that I haue made or shall make if God will that I shall more make vnto the iudgements not of them that furiously burne all truth but of them which are ready with Gods worde to correct if any thing be sayde amisse to further Gods worde I will talke a worde or two after the worldly wisdome with them and make an ende of this matter If the sacramentes iustifie as they say I vnderstand by iustifiyng forgeuenes of sinnes Then do they wrong vnto the sacraments in as much as they robbe the most part of them through confession of their effect of the cause wherfore they were ordeined For no man may receaue the body of Christ no mā may marry no man may be oyled or aneiled as they call it no man may receaue orders except he be fyrst shriuen Now when the sinnes be forgeuen by shrift afore hand there is nought left for the sacramentes to doe They will aunswere that at the least way they encrease grace and not the sacramētes onely but also hearing of masse matens and euensong and receauing of holy water holy bread and of the Bishops blessing and so forth by all ceremonies By grace I vnderstand the fauour of God and also the giftes and working of his spirite in vs as loue kyndnes patience obedience mercifulnes despising of worldly thynges peace concorde and such like If after thou hast heard so many masses matens and euensonges and after thou hast receaued holy bread holy water and the Byshops blessing or a Cardinals or the Popes if thou wilt be more kinde to thy neighbour and loue him better then before if thou be more obediēt vnto thy superiors more mercifull more ready to forgeue wrong done vnto thee more despisest the world and more a thyrst after spirituall thynges if after that a Priest hath taken orders he be lesse couetous then before if a wife after so many and oft pilgrimages be more chast more obedient vnto her husband more kynde to her maydes and other seruauntes if Gentlemen knightes Lordes and kinges and Emperours after they haue sayd so often dayly seruice wyth their Chappellaynes know more of Christ then before and can better skill to rule their tenauntes subiectes and realmes christenly then before and be content with their duties then do such thinges encrease grace if not it is a lie Whether it be so or no I report me to experience If they haue any other enterpretations of iustifiyng or grace I pray them to teach it me For I would gladly learne it Now let vs goe to our purpose agayne ¶ Of miracles and worshipping of Saintes ANtichrist shal not only come with lying signes and disguised wyth falshod but also wyth lying miracles and wonders saith Paule in the said place ij Thess ij All the true miracles which are of God are shewed as I aboue rehearsed to moue vs to heare Gods word and to stablishe our fayth therin and to confirme the truth of Gods promises that we might without all doubting beleue thē For Gods worde thorough fayth bringeth the spirite into our hartes and also life as Christ sayth Iohn vi The wordes which I speake are spirite and lyfe The worde also purgeth vs and clenseth vs as Christ sayth Iohn xv ye are cleane by the meanes of the word Paul sayth i. Timo. ij One God one Mediatour that is to say aduocate intercessor or an atonemaker betwene God man the man Christ Iesus which gaue him selfe a raunson for all men Peter sayth of Christ Actes iiij Neither is their health in any other neither yet also any other name geuen vnto men wherin we must be saued So now Christ is our peace our redemption or raunsom for our sinnes our righteousnes satisfactiō and all the promises of God are yea Amen in him ij Cor. i. And we for y t great and infinite loue whiche God hath to vs in Christ loue him agayn loue also his lawes loue one an other And the deedes whiche we hence forth doe do we not to make satisfaction or to obteine heauen but to succour our neighbour to tame y t flesh that we may waxe perfect and strong men in Christ and to be thankefull to God againe for his mercy and to glorifie his name COntrarywise the miracles of Antichrist are done to pull thee from the worde of God and from beleuyng his promises and from Christ and to put thy trust in a man or a ceremonie wherin Gods word is not As soone as Gods woorde is beleued the fayth spread abroad then sease the miracles of god But the miracles of Antichrist because they are wrought by the deuil to quench the fayth grow dayly more and more neither shall cease vntill the worldes end among them that beloue not Gods worde and promises Seest thou not how God loosed sent forth all the deuils in the old world among the Heathen or Gētiles And how the deuils wrought miracles spake to them in euery image Euen so shal the deuill woorke falshode by one craft or an other vntill the worldes end amōg them that beleue not Gods word For the iudgement and damnation of hym that hath no lust to heare the truth is to heare lyes and to be stablished and grounded therein through false miracles and he that will not see is worthy to be blind and he that biddeth the spirite of God go from him is worthy to be without him Paul Peter and all true Apostles preached Christ onely And the miracles did but confirme and stablish their preachyng and those
the Clerke must go escape fre Sēt not the Pope also vnto the kyng of Fraunce remission of his sinnes to go and conquere kyng Iohns Realme So now remission of sinnes commeth not by fayth in the Testament that God hath made in Christes bloud but by fightyng murtheryng for the Popes pleasure Last of all was not kyng Iohn fayne to deliuer his crowne vnto the Legate and to yeld vp his Realme vnto the Pope wherfore we pay Peter pēce They might be called the pollyng pence of false Prophetes well inough They care not by what mischief they come by their purpose War and cōquering of landes is their haruest The wickeder the people are the more they haue the hypocrites in reuerence the more they feare them and the more they beleue in them And they that cōquere other mens landes whē they dye make them their heyres to be prayed for for euer Let there come one cōquest more in the Realme and thou shalt see them get yet as much more as they haue if they can keepe downe Gods word that their iugglyng come not to light yea thou shalt see them take y ◠Realme whole into their hādes and crowne one of them selues kyng therof And veryly I see no other likelyhode but that the land shal be shortly conquered The starres of the Scripture promise vs none other fortune in as much as we denye Christ with the wicked Iewes and will not haue him reigne ouer vs but wil be still children of darknes vnder Antichrist and Antichristes possession burnyng the Gospell of Christ and defendyng a fayth that may not stand with hys holy Testament If any mā shed bloud in the church it shal be interoited til he haue payd for the halowing If he be not able the parish must paye or els shall it stand alwayes interdited They wil be auenged on them that neuer offended Full well prophesied of them Paule in the ij Epistle to Timo. iij. Some man wil say wouldest thou that men should fight in the Church vnpunished Nay but let the kyng ordeine a punishment for them as he doth for them that fight in his palace and let not all the Parish be troubled for on s faule And as for their halowing it is y t iuggling of Antichrist A Christen mā is the temple of God and of the holy ghost halowed in Christes bloud A Christē mā is holy in him selfe by reason of the spirite y t dwelleth in him and the place wherin he is is holy be reasō of him whether he be in the field or towne A Christen husband sanctifieth an vnchristē wife and a Christen wife an vnchristen husband as concernyng the vse of matrimony sayth Paul to the Corinthians If now while we seeke to be halowed in Christ we are found vnholy must be halowed by the grounde or place or walles thē died Christ in vayne How beit Antichrist must haue wherwith to sit in mens consciences and to make them feare where is no feare and to robbe them of their faith and to make them trust in that can not helpe them and to seeke holynes of that which is not holy in it selfe After that the old kyng of Fraunce was brought down out of Italy mark what pageaūtes haue ben playes and what are yet a playeng to separate vs frō the Emperour lest by the helpe or ayde of vs he should be able to recouer his right of the Pope to couple vs to the Frēchmē whose might the pope euer abuseth to keepe the Emperour frō Italy What preuayleth it for any kyng to mary his daughter or his sōne or to make any peace or good ordinaunce for the wealth of his realme For it shal no longer last thē it is profitable to them Their treason is so secret that the world cā not perceaue it They dissimule those thynges whiche they are onely cause of simul discorde among them selues whē they are most agreed One shall hold this and another shall dispute the contrary But the conclusiō shal be that most maynteineth their falshead though Gods word be neuer so contrary What haue they wrought in our days yea and what worke they yet to the perpetuall dishonour of the Kyng and rebuke of the Realme and shame of all the nation in what soeuer Realmes they go I vttered vnto you partly the malicious blindnes of the Byshop of Rochester his iuggling his cōneying his foxi wilenes his bopepe his wresting rentyng and shamefull abusyng of the Scripture his Oratory aliegyng of heretikes and how he would make the Apostles authors of blind ceremonies without signification contrary to their owne doctrine and haue set him for an ensample to iudge all other by What soeuer thou art that readest this I exhorte thee in Christ to cōpare his sermon and that which I haue written and the scripture together and iudge There shalt thou finde of our holy fathers authoritie and what it is to be great and how to know the greatest Then foloweth the cause why laye mē can not rule tēporall offices which is the falshead of the Bishops There shalt thou finde of miracles ceremonies without signification of false annoynting lyeng signes false names and how the spiritualtie are disguised in falshead how they rowle the people in darkenes and do all thing in the Latin toung and of their pety pyllage Their polling is like a soking consūption wherin a man cōplaineth of feblenes and of fayntynes and wotteth not whence his disease commeth it is lyke a pocke that freateth inward and consumeth the very marow of the bones There seest thou the cause why it is impossible for kynges to come to the knowledge of the truth For the sprites lay awaite for them serue their appetites at all poyntes and through cōfession buy and sel and betray both them and all their true frendes lay beytes for them and neuer leaue them till they haue blinded them with their sophistry haue brought them into their nettes And thē whē the kyng is captiue they compell all the rest with violēce of his sword For if any man will not obey them be it right or wrōg they cite him suspēde hym and curse or excommunicate him If he then obey not they deliuer him to Pylate that is to say vnto the temporall officers to destroy him Last of all there findest thou the very cause of all persecution whiche is the preachyng agaynst hypocrisie Then come we to the Sacramētes where thou seest that the worke of the Sacrament saueth not but the fayth in the promise which the Sacramēt signifieth iustifieth vs onely There hast y u that a Priest is but a seruaunt to teach onely and what soeuer he taketh vpon him more then to preach to minister the Sacramentes of Christ whiche is also preaching is falshead Then cōmeth how they iuggle thorough dōme ceremonies how they make marchaūdise with fained words penaunce a poena a culpa satisfactiō
necessitie For out of the inwarde beleue of the hart sloweth â–ª the outward conuersation of the members He that beleueth that hee ought to loue hys enemy shall neuer cease fightyng agaynst his owne selfe till he haue weeded aâ—… raÌ„cour and malice out of his hart But he that beleueth it not shall put a visor of hypocrisie on his face till he got oportunitie to aduenge him selfe And here he beginneth to teach them to be that light and that salt of whiche he spake and sayth Though the Scribes and Phariseis beare the people in hand that all I do is of the deuill and accuse me of breakyng the law and the Prophetes as they afterward rayled on the Apostles that they draue y â— people from good workes through preaching the iustifying and righteousnesse of fayth yet see that ye my Disciples â–ª be not of that belefe For heauen and earth shall sooner perish then one â—oâ—â— or tâ—…e of the law should be put out I come not to destroy the law but to repayre it onely to make it go vpright where it halteth and eueÌ„ to make croked strayght rough smoth as Iohn the Baptist doth in the wildernes and to teach the true vnderstandyng of the law Without me the law caÌ„not be fulfilled nor euer could For though the law were geuen by Moses yet grace and veritie that is to say the true vnderstandyng and power to loue it and of loue to fulfill it commeth and euer came through fayth in me I do but onely wype away the filthie and roten Gloses wherewith the Scribes and the Phariseis haue smered the law and the Prophetes rebuke their daÌ„nable liuyng which they haue fashioned not after the law of God but after their owne sophisticall gloses fayned to mocke out the law of God and to beguile the whole world and to leade them in blyndnesse And that the Scribes and Phariseis falsly belye me how that I go about to destroy the law and to set the people at a fleshly libertie and to make them first disobedient and to despise their spirituall Prelates and then to rise agaynst the teÌ„porall rulers and to make all coÌ„mon to giue liceÌ„ce to sinne vnpunished coÌ„meth only of pure malice hate enuie and furious impaciencie that their visures are plucked froÌ„ their faces and their hypocrisie discouered Howbeit what I teach and what my learnyng is concernyng the law ye shall shortly heare and that in few wordes Who soeuer breaketh one of these least commaundements and teach men so shal be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But he that doth them and teacheth theÌ„ the same shal be great in the kyngdome of heauen Whosoeuer studieth to destroy one of the commaundementes folowing which are yet the least and but childish thynges in respect of the perfect doctrine that shall hereafter be shewed of the misteries yet hid in Christ and teach other men euen so in woorde or ensample whether openly or vnder a colour and thorow false gloses of hypocrisie that same doctour shall all they of the kyngdome of heauen abhorre and dispise and cast hym out of their company as a sething pot doth cast vp her fome and scome and purge her selfe So fast shal they of the kingdome of heauen cleaue vnto the pure law of God without all mens gloses But whosoeuer shall first fulfill theÌ„ himselfe and then teach other and set all his studie to the furtheraunce and mayntaining of them that doctour shall all they of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ haue in price and folow hym and seke hym out as doth an Egle her pray cleaue to hym as burres For these commaundementes are but the very lawe of Moses the draffe of the Phareseis gloses clensed out interpreted according to the pure word of God and as the open text compelleth to vnderstand them if ye looke diligently thereon The kyngdome of heauen take for the congregation or church of Christ And to be of the kyngdome of heauen is to know God for our father and Christ for our Lord and sauiour from all sinne And to enter into this kingdome it is impossible except the hart of men be to kepe the commaundements of God purely as it is written Iohn vij if any man will obay his will that is to say the will of the father that sent me sayth Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of myne owne head For if thyne hart be to do the will of God whiche is his commaundementes he will geue thee a pure eye both to discerne the true doctrine from the false the true Doctour froÌ„ the howlyng hypocrite And therfore he sayth For I say vnto you except your righteousnesse excede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen The righteousnes of the Scribes Phariseis can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen The kyngdome of heauen is the true knowledge of God Christ Ergo the righteousnesse of the Scribes Phariseis neither knoweth God nor Christ He that is willyng to obey the will of God vnderstandeth the doctrine of Christ as it is proued aboue the Scribes and the Phariseis vnderstand not the doctrine of Christ Ergo they haue no wil nor lust to obey the will of God To obey the will of God is to seeke the glory of God for the glory of a master is the meeke obedience of his seruauntes the glory of a Prince is the humble obedience of his subiectes the glory of an husbaÌ„d is the chast obedience of his wife the glory of a father is the louyng obedience of his children the Scribes and the Phariseis haue no lust to obey y â— wil of God Ergo they seeke not the glory of God Furthermore the Scribes the Phariseis seke their owne glory they that seeke their owne glory preache their owne doctrine Ergo the Scribes and the Phariseis preach their owne doctrine The maior thou hast Math. xxiij the Scribes and Phariseis do all their workes to be sene of men they loue to sit vppermost at feastes and to haue y e chief seates in the Synagoges and salutations in the open markets and to be called Rabbi And y e minor foloweth the text aboue rehearsed Iohn vij he that speaketh of himselfe or of his own head seketh his owne glory that is to say he that preacheth hys owne doctrine is euer knowen by seekyng hys awne glory so that it is a generall rule to know that a maÌ„ preacheth his own doctrine if he seke his owne glory Some maÌ„ will haply say the Scribes and Phariseis had no other law then Moses the Prophetes nor any other Scripture and grounded their sayinges theron That is truth how theÌ„ preached they their owne doctrine verely it foloweth in the sayd seuenth of Iohn He that seeketh the glory of him that sent him the same is true and there is
the merites of their fasting as though they had done more then inough for themselues and of that marchaundise haue gotten all they haue and haue brought the knowledge of Christes bloude cleane into darcknesse And last of all what shall I say of the open idolatry of innumerable fastes of saint Brandons fast Saint Patrickes fast of 4. holy Fridayes of Saint Antonies betwene Saint Maries dayes of our Lady fast either vij yeare the same day that her day falleth on in March and then beginne or one yeare with bread and water and all for what purposes ye know well inough and of such like I trowe ten thousand in the worlde And who hath rebuked them See that ye gather not treasure vppon the earth where rust and mothes corrupt and where theues breake vp and steale But gather you treasure in heauen where neither rust nor mothes corrupt and where theeues neither breake vp not steale For where your treasure is there will be your hartes also Note the goodly order of Christes preaching First he restored the true vnderstanding of the lawe then y e true intent of the workes And here consequently he rebuketh the mortall foe sworne enemy both of true doctrine and true liuing which is couetousnes the roote of all euill sayth Paule 1. Tim. 6. Couetousnes is Image seruice Col. 3. It maketh men to erre frō the faith 1. Tim. 6. It hath no part in the kingdome of Christ God Ephe. 5. Couetousnes hardened the hart of Pharad that the fayth of the miracles of God could not sinke into it Couetousnes did make Balam which knew all y e truth of God to hate it to geue the most pestilent and poysonfull coūcell against it that hart could imagine euen for to destroy it if it had bene possible Couetousnes taught the false prophetes in the olde testament to interpret the law of God falsely and to peruert the meaning and entent of all the sacrifices and ceremonies and to slea y e true preachers that rebuked thē And with their false perswasions they did leade all the kinges of Israell out of the right way and the most part of the kynges of Iuda also And Peter in the second chapter of his second Epistle prophesieth that there should be false teachers among vs that shoulde follow the way of Balā that is to say for couetousnes persecute the truth thorow couetousnes with fained wordes to make marchaundise of the people and to bring in dampnable sectes to And here ye haue an infallible rule that where couetousnes is there is no truth no though they call themselues the church and say thereto that they cānot erre Couetousnes kept Iudas stil in vnbeliefe though he saw and did also many miracles in the name of Christ and compelled him to sell hym to the Scribes and Phariseis for couetousnes is a thyng merciles Couetousnes made the Phariseis to lye on Christ to persecute hym and falsely to accuse hym And it made Pilat though he founde hym an innocent yet to slay him It caused Herode to persecute Christ yet in his cradell Couetousnes maketh hipocrites to persecute y e truth against their owne consciences and to lye to Princes that the true preachers moue sedition and make their subiects to rise against them and the sayd couetousnes maketh the Princes to beleue their wicked perswasions and to lēde their swordes to shed innocent bloud Finally couetousnes maketh many whom the truth pleaseth at the beginning to cast it vp againe and to be afterward the most cruell enemies therof after the ensample of Symon Magus Act. 8. Yea and after the ensample of Sir Thomas More K. which knew the truth and for couetousnes forsooke it agayne and conspired first with the Cardinall to deceaue y e kyng and to leade hym in darcknes And afterwarde when the light was sprong vpon them and had driuen thē cleane out of the scripture and had deliuered it out of their tyranny and had expelled the darcke stinking miste of their deuelish gloses and had wiped away the cobwebbes which those poysoned spiders had spread vpon the face of the cleare text so that the spiritualtie as they call themselues were ashamed of their part as shamelesse as they be yet for all that couetousnes blynded the eyes of that glering Foxe more more and hardened his hart agaynst y e truth with the confidence of his painted Poetry babbling eloquence and iuggeling arguments of subtill sophistry grounded on his vnwritten verities as true and as autentike as hys story of Vtopia Paule therefore biddeth Timothy to charge the rich to beleue in the liuing god and not in their vncertaine riches for it is impossible for a couetous Idolater or Image seruer that trusteth in the dead God of his riches to put hys trust in the lyuing God One misery is that they which here gather lay vp cannot tell for whom An other is rust canker mothes and a thousād misfortunes beside theues extortioners oppressors mighty tirants to y e which y e rich be euer a pray And though they prosper to y e end outwardly yet feare euer guaweth their hartes inwardly And at the houre of death they know feele that they haue gathered naught then sorrow they and are like one that dreameth of riches and in the morning when he findeth nought is heauy and sory for the remēbraunce of the pleasaunt dreame And finally when they be most loth to die and hope to liue long thē they perishe sodainly after the ensample of y e rich man which entended to make him larger barnes and store houses Happy therfore is he that layeth vp treasure in heauen and is rich in faith and good workes for the rewarde thereto promised shall God kepe sure for him no man can take it away Here is not forbidden to haue riches But to loue it to trust in it and to be carefull for it For God hath promised to care for vs and to geue vs inough to keepe that which is gotten if we will care to keepe his commaundementes Whatsoeuer office or degree thou art in in this world do the dutie of thine office diligently and trust in God let hym care If thou be an husband man eare and sow and husband thy ground and let God alone for the rest he will care to make it grow plenteously and to send seasonable weather to haue it in and will prouide thee a good market to sell ▪ c. In like maner if thou be a kyng do the office of a king and receaue the duties of the kyng and let God care to keepe thee in thy kingdome His sauour shall do more for thee thē a thousand millions of golde and so of all other He that hath but a little and is sure that God shall keepe both him it is richer then he which hath thousandes and hath none other hope thē that he and it must be kept wyth hys owne care and
That fayth haue they in theyr owne workes onely But the true hearers vnderstand the lawe as Christ interpreteth it here and feele thereby theyr righteous damnation and runne to Christ for succour and for remission of all their sinnes that are past and for all the sinne which chaunce thorough infirmities shall compel theÌ„ to do for remission of that the law is to stronge for their weake nature And upon that they consent to the lawe loue it and professe it to fulfill it to the vttermost of their power and then go to and worke Faith or confidence in Christes bloud without helpe and before the workes of the law bringeth all maner of remission of sinnes satisfaction Faith is mother of loue fayth accompanieth loue in all her workes to fulfill as much as there lacketh in our doing the lawe of that perfect loue which Christ had to his father and vs in his fulfilling of the law for vs. Now when we be reconciled then is loue fayth together our righteousnesse our keeping the lawe our continuing our proceeding forwarde in the grace which we stand in our bringing to the euerlasting sauing and euerlasting life And the woorkes be esteemed of God according to the loue of the hart If the woorkes be great loue little and colde then the woorkes be regarded thereafter of God If the workes be small and loue much and feruent the workes be taken for great of God And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctrine for he taught them as one hauing power and not as the Scribes The Scribes and Phariseyes had thrust vp the sworde of the woorde of God into a scabbarde or shethe of gloses and therein had knit it fast that it coulde neither sticke nor cut teaching dead workes without fayth and loue which are the life and the whole goodnes of all workes and the onely thing why they please God And therefore their audience abode euer carnall and fleshly mynded without faith to God and loue to their neighbours Christes wordes were spirit life Ioh. vi That is to say they ministred spirite and life and entred into the hart and grated on the conscience and thorow preaching the lawe made the hearers perceaue their duties euen what loue they ought to God what to man and the right dampnation of all them that had not the loue of God and man written in their hartes and thorow preaching of fayth made all that consented to the lawe of God fele the mercy of God in Christ and certified them of their saluation For the worde of God is a two edged sworde that pearceth and deuideth the spirite and soule of man a sonder Heb. 〈◊〉 A man before the preaching of Godes woorde is but one man all fleshe the soule consenting vnto the lustes of the fleshe to follow them But the sworde of the worde of God where it taketh effect diuideth a man in two and serteth him at variaunce against his own selfe The fleshe haling one way and the spirite drawing another the fleshe raging to follow lustes and the spirite calling backe agayne to follow the lawe and will of God A man all the while â—e consenteth to the flesh before he be borne again in Christ is called soule or carnall But whe he is renued in Christ through y t word of lyâ—e and hath the loue of God and of hys neighbor and the fayth of Christ written in his hart he is called spirite or spirituall The Lord of all mercy send vs preachers with power that is to say 〈◊〉 expounders of the worde of God and speakers to the hart of man and deliuer vs from Scribes Phariseyes hypocrites and all false Prophetes Amen An aunswere vnto Syr Thomas Mores Dialogue made by William Tyndall 1530. ☞ First he declareth what the Church is and geueth a reason of certaine wordes which Master More rebuketh in the translation of the new Testament ¶ After that he aunswereth particularly vnto euery Chapter which semeth to haue any appearaunce of truth thorough all his foure bookes ¶ Awake thou that slepest and stand vp from death and Christ shall geue the light Ephesians 5. THe grace of our Lord the light of his spirite to see to iudge true repeÌ„taunce towardeâ— Gods lâ—we a fast fayth in the mercyfull prâ—…es y â— are in our sauiour Christ serueÌ„t loue toward thy neighbour after the exaÌ„ple of Christ his Saints be with thee O Reader with all that loue the truth loÌ„g for the redemption of Gods elect Amen Our Sauiour I esus in the 16. of Iohn at his last Supper when he tooke his leaue of his Disciples warned them saying the holy Ghost shall come and rebuke the world of iudgemeÌ„t That is he shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement and discretion to iudge and shall proue that the tast of theyr mouthes is corrupt so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete the eyes to be blynd so that they thinke that to be the verâ— seruice of God which is but a blynd superstition for zeale of which yet they persecute the true seruice of God and that they iudge to be the lawe of God whiche is but a false imagination of a corrupt iudgement for blynd affection of whiche yet they persecute the true law of God and them that kepe it And this same it is that Paul sayth 1. Corinth ij how that the naturall man that is not borne agayne and created a new with the spirite of God be he neuer so great a Philosopher neuer so well sene in the law neuer so sore studied in the Scripture as we haue examples in the Phariseis yet hee cannot vnderstaÌ„d the thynges of the spirite of God but sayth he the spirituall iudgeth all thyngs and hys spirâ—e searcheth the deepe secretes of God so that what soeuer God commauÌ„deth hym to do he neuer leaueth searchyng till he come at the bottome the pith the quicke the lyâ—e the sâ—… the mâ—â—ow very cause why and iudgeth all thyng Take an example in the great commaundement loue God with all thyne hart y t spirituall searcheth the cause and looketh on the benefites of God and so conceaueth loue in his hart And when he is commaunded to obey the powers and rulers of the world hee looketh on the benefites which God sheweth the world through them and therefore doth it gladly And when hee â–ª is commauÌ„ded to loue his neighbour as hym selfe he searcheth that his neighbour is created of God and bought with Christes bloud and so forth and therefore he loueth hym out of his hart and if he be euill forheareth hym and with all loue and pacience draweth hym to good as elder brethren wayte on the youÌ„ger and serue them and suffer them when they will not come they speake fayre flatter and geue some gaye thyng and
maliciously resisted the open truth agaynst hys owne conscience sence the world began that euer I read For it is sinne agaynst y â— holy ghost which Christ saith shall neither be forgeueÌ„ here nor in the world to come whiche text may this wise be vnderstand that as that sinne shal be punished with euerlastyng daÌ„nation in the lyfe to come euen so shall it not escape vengeauÌ„ce here As thou â—eest in Iudas in Pharao in Balam and in all other tyrauntes whiche agaynst their consciences resisted the open truth of God So now the cause why our Prelates thus rage that moueth them to call M. More to helpe is not that they finde iust causes in the translation but because they haue lost their iugglyng and fayned termes wherewith Peter prophesied they should make marchaundise of the people ¶ Whether the Church were before the Gospell or the Gospell before the Church AN other doubt there is whether the Church or congregatioÌ„ be before the Gospell or the Gospell before the Church Which question is as hard to solue as whether the father be elder then the sonne or the sonne elder then his father For the whole Scripture and all beleuing hartes testifie that we are begotten through the word Wherfore if the word beget the congregatioÌ„ he that begetteth is before hym that is begotten then is the Gospell before the Church Paul also Rom. ix sayth how shall they call on him whom they beleue not And how shall they beleue without a preacher That is Christ must first be preached yer men can beleue in him And then it foloweth that the word of the preacher must be before the fayth of the beleuer And therfore in as much as the word is before the faith and faith maketh the congregation therfore is the word or Gospell before the congregation And agayne as the ayre is darke of it selfe receaueth all her light of the sonne euen so are all mens hartes of theÌ„selues darke with lyes and receaue all their truth of Gods word in that they consent therto And moreouer as the darke ayre geueth the sonne no light but contrarywise the light of the sonne in respect of the ayre is of it selfe and lighteneth the ayre purgeth it from darkenesse eueÌ„ so the lying hart of man can geue the word of God no truth but contrary wise the truth of Gods word is of her self and lighteneth the harts of the beleuers and maketh them true and clenseth them from lyes as thou readest Iohn xv ye be cleane by reason of the word Which is to be vnderstand in that the word had purged their harces from lyes from false opinions from thinking euill good and therfore from consentyng to sinne And Iohn xvij sanctifie them O father thorough thy truth And thy woorde is truth And thus thou seest that Gods truth dependeth not of man It is not true because man so sayth or admitteth it for true But man is true because he beleueth it testifieth and geueth witnesse in hys hart that it is true And Christ also sayth him selfe Iohn v. I receaue no witnesse of maÌ„ For if the multitude of maÌ„s witnesse might make ought true then were the doctrine of Mahomete truer then Christes ¶ Whether the Apostles left ought vnwritten that is of necessitie to be beleued BUt did not y â— Apostles teach ought by mouth that they wrot not I aunswere because that many taught one thyng and euery man the same in diuers places and vnto diuers people and confirmed euery sermoÌ„ wyth a sundry miracle therfore Christ his Apostles preached an â—…red thousaÌ„d sermons and did as many miracles which had bene superfluous to haue bene all written But the pith and substaunce in generall of euery thing necessary vnto our soules health both of what we ought to beleue and what we ought to do was written and of the miracles done to confirme it as many as were nedeful So that whatsoeuer we ought to beleue or do that same is written expresely or drawen out of that which is written For if I were bound to do or beleue vnder payne of the losse of my soule any thing that were written nor depeÌ„ded of that which is writteÌ„ what holpe me the scripture that is written And thereto in as much as Christ and all his Apostles warned vs that false prophetes shoulde come with false miracles euen to deceaue the elect if it were possible wherewith shoulde the true preacher confound the false except he brought true miracles to confound the false or els autenticke scripture of full authoritie already among the people Some man woulde aske how dyd God continue his congregation from Adam to Noe and froÌ„ Noe to Abraham and so to Moses without writing but with teaching from mouth to mouth I aunswere first that there was no scripture all the whyle they shall proue wheÌ„ our Lady hath a new sonne God taught Adam greater thynges then to write And that there was writing in the world long yer Abraham yea yer Noe do stories testifie Notwithstanding though there had bene no writing the preachers were euer prophetes glorious in doing of miracles wherwith they cofirmed their preaching And beyond that god wrote his testameÌ„t vnto them aâ—way both what to do and to beleue eueÌ„ in y e sacramentes For the sacrifices which God gaue Adams sonnes were no dumme popetrie or superstitious Mahometrie but signes of the testament of God And in them they red y e worde of God as we do in bookes and as we should do in our sacraments if the wicked Pope had not taken the significations away from vs as he hath robbed vs of the true sence of all the scripture The testament which God made with Noe that he woulde no more drowne the worlde with water he wrote in the sacrament of the rainebow And the appointment made betwene him and Abraham he wrote in the sacrament of circumcision And therefore sayd Steuen Act. vij he gaue them y â— testameÌ„t of circumcision Not that the outwarde circumcision was the whole testament but the sacrameÌ„t or signe there For circumcision preached Gods worde vnto theÌ„ as I haue in other places declared But in the tyme of Moyses when the congregation was encreased that they must haue many preachers also rulers temporall then all was receaued in scripture in so much that Christ and his Apostles might not haue bene beleued without scripture for all their miracles Wherefore in as much as Christes congregation is spred abroad into all the worlde much broader then Moses and in as much as we haue not the olde testament onely but also the new wherein all thinges are opened so richly and all fulfilled that before was promised in as much as there is no promise behinde of ought to be shewed more saue the resurrection yea and seyng that Christ and all the Apostles with all the Angels of
him in their dedes as fast as they can runne The Turkes being in number fiue tymes moe then we are knowledge one God and beleue many thinges of God moued onely by the authoritie of their elders and presume that God will not let so great a multitude erre so long tyme. And yet they haue erred and bene faithlesse these eight hundred yeares And the Iewes beleue this day as much as the carnall sort of them euer beleued moued also by the authoritie of their elders onely and thinke that it is impossible for them to erre being Abrahams seede and the childrē of them to whom the promises of all that we beleue were made And yet they haue erred and bene faythlesse this xv hundred yeares And we of like blindnesse beleue onely by the authoritie of our elders and of like pride thinke that we can not erre beyng such a multitude And yet we see how God in the old Testament did let the great multitude erre reseruyng alway a litle flocke to call the other backe againe and to testifie vnto them the right way ¶ How this word Church hath a double interpretation THis is therfore a sure cōclusion as Paule sayth Rom. ix that not all they that are of Israell are Israelites neither because they be Abrahās sede are they all Abrahams childrē but they onely that folow the faith of Abraham Euen so now none of them that beleue with their mouthes moued with the authority of their elders onely that is none of thē that beleue with M. Mores fayth the Popes fayth and the deuils fayth which may stand as M. More cōfesseth with all maner abhominatiōs haue the right fayth of Christ or are of his Church But they onely that repēt feele that the law is good And haue the law of God written in their harts and the fayth of our Sauiour Iesus euen with the spirite of God There is a carnali Israell a spirituall There is Isaac and Ismaell Iacob Esau And Ismaell persecuted Isaac Esau Iacob the fleshly the spiritual Wher of Paul complayned in his tyme persecuted of his carnall brethrē as we do in our tyme and as the elect euer dyd shall do till the worldes end What a multitude came out of Egypt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testifyeth that they beleued moued by y ◠miracles of Moses as Symon magus beleued by the reason of Philippes miracles Actes viij Neuerthelesse the Scripture testifieth that vj. hundred thousād of those beleuers perished thorough vnbelief and left their carcasses in the wildernesse and neuer entred into the land that was promised them And euen so shal the children of M. Mores faythlesse faith made by the persuation of mā leap short of the test which our Sauiour Iesus is risē vnto And therfore let them embrace this present world as they do whose children they are though they hate so to be called And hereby ye see that it is a playne an euident conclusiō as bright as the sunne shynyng that the truth of Gods word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation And therfore when thou art asked why thou beleuest that thou shalt be saued thorough Christ and of such like principles of our fayth aunswere thou wottest and felest that it is true And when he asketh how thou knowest that it is true aunswere because it is written in thyne hart And if he aske who wrote it aūswere the spirite of God And if he aske how thou came first by it tell him whether by readyng in bookes or hearyng it preached as by an outward instrumēt but that inwardly thou wast taught by y ◠spirite of God And if he aske whether thou beleuest it not because it is written in bookes or because the Priestes so preach aunswere no not now but onely because it is writtē in thyne hart and because the spirite of God so preacheth and so testifieth vnto thy soule And say though at the beginning thou wast moued by readyng or preachyng as the Samaritans were by y ◠wordes of the woman yet now thou beleuest it not therfore any lēger but onely because thou hast heard it of the spirite of God and read it written in thine hart And concernyng outward teachyng we alledge for vs Scripture elder thē any Church that was this xiiij hundred yeares and old antenticke stories which they had brought a slepe where with we confounde their lyes Remēber ye not how in our owne tyme of all that taught Grammer in England not one vnderstode the Latin toung how came we thē by the Latin toung agayne not by them though we learned certaine rules principles of them by which we were moued had an occasion to seke further but out of the old authours Euen so we seke vp old antiquities out of whiche we learne and not of our Church though we receaued many principles of our Church at the begynnyng but more falsehead then truth It hath pleased God of his exceding loue wherewith he loued vs in Christ as Paul sayth before the worlde was made and whē we were dead in sinne and his enemies in that we did cōsent to sinne and to liue euill to write with his spirite ij conclusions in our harts by which we vnderstād all thyng that is to were the fayth of Christ and the loue of our neighbours For whosoeuer feleth the iust damnation of sinne and the forgeuenes and mercy that is in Christes bloud for all that repent forsake it and come and beleue in that mercy the same onely knoweth how God is to be honoured and worshipped and can iudge betwene true seruing of God in the spirite and false Image seruing of God with workes ▪ And y e same knoweth that sacramētes signes ceremonies and bodely things can be no seruice to God in his person but memorials vnto men and a remēbraunce of the testament wherewyth God is serued in the spirite And he that feeleth not that is blynde in hys soule and of our holy fathers generation and maketh God an Image a creature worshippeth him with bodely seruice And on the other side he that loueth his neighbour as himselfe vnderstandeth all lawes and cā iudge betwene good and euil right wrong godly and vngodly in all conuersation deedes lawes bargaines couenaunces ordinaunces and decrees of men and knoweth the office of euery degree and the due honour of euery person And he that hath not that writen in his hart is popishe and of y ◠spiritualtie which vnderstādeth nothing saue his own honour his own profite what is good for himself onely and when he is as he would be thinketh y ◠all the world is as it should be ¶ Of worshipping and what is to be vnderstand by the worde COncerning worshipping or honouring which two termes are both one M. More bringeth forth a difference a distinction or diuision of Greke wordes
coÌ„myng of Christ as it is to see in the Gospell contrary vnto M. Mores deceitfull Poetry And agayn God reserued hym a litle flocke euer in Israell and had euer Prophets there some time openly and some time in persecution that euery man must hide hym selfe and keepe hys fayth secret and euen in the houses of the euill kynges both of Iewry and also of Israell he had good people and that among the hyghe officers but secretly as Nicodemus among the Phariseis So that the very Churche was euery where ofttymes in captiuitie and persecution vnder their brethren as we bee vnder ours in the kyngdome of the Pope Then he putteth no ieopardy to worshpp an vnconsecrated hoste But with what worshyp men should woorshyp the consecrated doth he not teach neither the vse of that Sacrament or any other nor how ought may be worshipped but teacheth onely that all thynges may be worshypped and sheweth not the right worshyp from the false Then he noteth Paul 1. Cor. 1. how he exhorteth vs to agree onely but not on the truth or on the good but onely to agree a great multitude together O this deepe blindnesse Dyd not Paule first teach them the true way And did hee not instruct them a new in the true way and in the said Epistle rebuke the false confidence that they had in men the cause of all their dissention and all errours that were among them Then he sayth the Iewes had Saintes in honour as the Patriarkes and Prophetes We teach to dishonour none But the Iewes prayed to none More Christ rebuked not the Phariseis for garnishyng the sepulchres of the Prophetes but for that they folowed the coÌ„ditions of theÌ„ that slew them Tyndale Yes and for their false trust in suche woorkes as we do you And ye Syr thinke that ye deserue heauen in worshyppyng the Saintes bones and be as ready to slea them that beleue teach and lyue as the Saintes dyd as your fathers were to slea theÌ„ besides that ye worshyp Saintes that folowed Christ after the example of your holy Cardinall of whom I doubt not but that ye will make a God in processe of tyme also Then repeateth he for forgettyng how Eliseus bones raised vp a dead body That was to confirme his preachyng onely For the Israelites as wicked as they were neither prayed to hym neither kissed his bones nor offered nor sticked vppe candels before hym Whiche thyng if they had done in the kyngdoÌ„e of y â— Iewes I doubt not but that some good kyng wold haue burnt his bones to ashes as wel as the brasen Serpent that was as great a relique as dead bones And Christ shewed miracles at the findyng of the crosse That was to stablish the faith of Christes death and that it should be a memory of his death not that we shuld trust in the wood as we do For which false abuse y t whole land where Christ dyd his miracles is destroyed Then he alledgeth the woman that was healed through touching of Christes coate because we should worshyppe it When Christ sayd her fayth hath made her whole not in the coate but in Christ And the miracle was shewed to prouoke to the worshyppyng of the preachyng and not of the coate Though to kepe the coate reuerently in the memoriall of the deede to prouoke vnto the fayth of Christ were not euill of it selfe And Paule by your doctrine sent hys napkin to heale y t sicke that meÌ„ should shrine his sneueled napkin and not to beleue his preachyng The x. Chapter THe x. chapter of Saint Walary is meete for the auctor and his worshipfull doctrine The xi Chapter IN the xi he iuggleth wyth thys misticall terme Latria I answere God is no vayne name but signifieth one that is almighty all mercifull all true and good which he that beleueth will goe to God to hys promises and Testament and not follow his owne imaginations as M. Mores doctrine teacheth He sayth that bodely seruice is not Latria No but bodely seruice done referred vnto hym â–ª which is a spirite is Idololatria He trusteth that men know the Image from the Saint I aske M. More why God did hide Moses body diuers other The Iewes would haue knowen y t Moses had not bene God and that Moses bones had not bene Moses And they knew that the braseÌ„ serpent was not God and that y t golden calues were not God that wod and stone were not God But Syr there is euer a false imagination by The world because they can not worship God in the spirite to repent of euill and to loue the lawe and to beleue that he wyll helpe at al neede therfore runne they vnto their owne imaginations and thinke that God for such seruice as they do to Images will fulfill their worldly desires for godly caÌ„ they nought desire Now God is a spirite and wil be worshipped in hys woorde onely which is spirituall and wil haue no bodely seruice And the ceremonies of the olde law he set vp to signifie his word onely and to keepe the people in mynde of hys testament So that he which obserueth any ceremony of any other purpose is an Idolater that is an Image seruer And when he sayth if men aske women whether it were our Lady of Walsingam or Ipswich that was saluted of Gabriel or that stoode by Christ when he hung on the crosse they wyll say neyther nother Then I aske hym what meaneth it that they say our Lady of Walsingam pray for me our Lady of Ipswich pray for me our Lady of WilsdoÌ„ pray for me in so much y â— some which recken theÌ„selues no small fooles make them roules of halfe an houre long to pray after that maner And they that so pray thou mayst â—e sure meane our Lady that stoode by the crosse and her that was saluted therto Then he rehearseth many abuses and how that womeÌ„ sing songes of ribaudry in processions in cathedral churches vnto which abhominatioÌ„s yet our holy church that caÌ„not erre coÌ„sent wyth full delectatioÌ„ For on the one side they will not amende the abuse And on the other side they haue hyred M. More to proue with his sophistry that y e things ought not to be put downe Then he bringeth in how the wilde Irish and the Welch pray when they go to steale And asketh whether because they abuse prayer we should put all praying downe Nay M. More it is not like Prayer is Gods commaundement where fayth is there must prayer needes be cannot be away How be it thynges that are but mens traditions and all indifferent thynges which we may be as well without as wyth may well be put downe for their dishonouring of God thorow y â— abuse We haue turned kissing in the Church into the Pax. We haue put downe watching all night in the church on saintes eues for
sticke vp a candle to flatter him and to make him fauourable vnto vs and regarde not the testament of Christ nor the lawes of God because we haue no power to beleue nor to loue the truth And euen so to referre virginitie vnto the person of God to please hym therwith is false sacrifice and heathenishe Idolatrie For the onely seruice of god is to beleue in Christ and to loue the lawe Wherfore thou must referre thy wedlocke thy virginitie and all thy other deedes vnto the keepyng of the lawe and seruing thy neighbour only And then wheÌ„ thou lookest wyth a louing hart on the law that saith breake not wedlocke keepe no whore and so forth and findest thy body weake and thyne office such that thou must haue conuersation with meÌ„s wiues daughters and seruauntes then it is better to haue a wife theÌ„ to be without And againe if thou see seruice to be done y t thou canst not so well do with a wyfe as without then if thou haue power to be without it is best so to be and in such like And els the one is as good as the other and no difference And to to take a wife for pleasure is as good as to absteine for displeasure And when M. More seeth no other cause why it is not best that our spiritualitie were all gelded then for losse of merite in resistyng besides that that imagination is playne Idolatrie I hold M. More beguiled if all we read of gelded men be true and the experience we see in other beastes For then the gelded lust in their flesh as much as the vngelded Which if it be true then the gelded in that he taketh such great payne in geldyng not to minishe his lustes but if lustes ouercome him yet that he haue not wherewith to hurt his neighbour deserueth more then the vngelded And then it were best that we did eate and drinke make our flesh stroÌ„g that we burned to deserue in resisting as some of your holy Saintes haue layd virgins in their beddes to kindle their courage that they might after quench their heate in cold water to deserue the merite of holy Martyrs And wheÌ„ he sayth the Priestes of the old law absteined from their wiues when they serued in the teÌ„ple Many thynges were forbidden them to kepe them in bonde and seruile feare for other purposes And yet I trow hâ— findeth it not in the text that they were forbidden their wiues And when he imagineth so because Zacharias when his course was out gat him home to his house I thinke it was better for him to go to his house then to send for his house to him he was also old and his wife to But and if they were forbidden it was but for a tyme to geue them to prayer as we might do right well and as wel as they But I read that they were for bidden to drinke wine strong drinke when they ministred of whiche ours powre in without measure M. More Christ liued chast and exhorteth vnto chastitie Tyndall We be not all of Christes complection neither exhorteth he to other chastitie then wedlocke saue at a tyme to serue our neighbours Now y t Popes chastitie is not to serue a maÌ„s neighbour but to runne to riotte and to carie away with him the liuyng of the poore and of the true preacher euen the tythes of v. or vj. Parishes and to go either dwell by a stewes or to cary a stewes with him or to corrupt other mens wiues Paphnutius a man that neuer proued Mariage is praysed in the stories for resistyng such doctrine with Gods word in a generall Councell before the Pope was a God And now M. More a man that hath proued it twise is magnified for defendyng it with sophistrie And agayn me semeth that it is a great ouer sight of M. More to thinke that Christ though he were neuer maryed would not more accept the seruice of a maried maÌ„ that would more say truth for hym then they that abhorre wedlocke in as much as the spiritualtie accept his humble seruice reward his merites with so high honour because he can better fayne for them then any of their vnchast I would say owne chast people though he be Bigamus past the grace of his necke verse And finally if M. More loke so much on y e pleasure that is in Mariage why setteth he not his eyes on the thankes geuyng for that pleasure on the pacience of other displeasures The xiiij Chapter MOre Wicleffe was the occasion of the vtter subuersion of the Realme of Boheme both in faith and good liuing and of the losse of many a thousand liues Tyndall The rule of their fayth are Christes promises and the rule of their liuyng Gods law â–ª And as for losse of liues it is truth that the Pope sâ—â—e I thinke an hundred thousand of them because of their fayth that they wold no lâ—nger serue him As he sâ—â—e in England many a thousand sâ—â—e the true â—yng and see vp a false vnto the eâ—fusion of all the noble bloud and murthe ryng vp of the comminaltie because he should be his desender M. The constitution of the Byshops is not that the Scripture shall not be in English but that no man may translate it by his owne authoritie or read it vntill they had approued it Tyndall If no translatioÌ„ shal be had vntill they geue licence or till they approue it it shal neuer be had And so it is all one in effect to say there shal be none at all in English and to say till we admitte it seyng they be so malicious that they will none admitte but fayne all the cauillations they can to proue it were not expedient So that if it be not had spite of their harts it shall neuer be had And thereto they haue done their best to haue had it enacted by Parlament that it should not be in English The xv Chapter HE iesteth out Hunnes death with his Poetrie were with he built Vtopia Many great Lordes came to Baynardes Castell but all namelesse to examine the cause as y â— credible Prelares so well learned so holy and so indifferent whiche examined Bilney and Arture be also all namelesse M. Horsey tooke his pardon because it is not good to refuse Gods pardon and the kynges Tyndall Gods pardon can no man haue except he knowledge himselfe a sinner And euen so he y t receaueth the kynges yeldeth him selfe giltie And moreouer it is not possible y t he which putteth his trust in God should for feare of the xij men or of his iudges receaue pardon for that hee neuer was faultie vnto the dishonoring of our sauiour Iesus but would haue denyed it rather vnto the death And therto if the matter were so cleare as ye iest it out then I am sure the kynges
violence euen so once our hartes sinned as naturally with full lust and consent vnto the fleshe the deuill possessing our hartes and keeping out the light of grace What good towardnesse and endeuour can we haue to hate sinne as long as we loue it What good towardnes can we haue vnto the will of God while we hate it and be ignoraunt therof Can the will desire that the witte seeth not Can the will long for and sigh for that the witte knoweth not of Can a maÌ„ take thought for that losse that he wotteth not of what good endeuour can the Turkes children the Iewes children and the Popes infantes haue when they be taught all falshead onely with like perswasions of worldly reason to be all iustified with workes It is not therefore as Paule saith of the running or willing but of the mercy of God that a man is called and chosen to grace The first grace the first fayth and the first iustifiyng is geuen vs freely sayth M. More which I would faine wete how it will stand with his other doctrine whether he meane any other thyng by chosyng them to haue Gods spirite geuen me and fayth to see the mercy that is layd vp for me to haue my sinnes forgeuen without all deseruyng preparyng of my self God did not see onely that the these that was saued at Christes death should come thether but God chose him to shew his mercy vnto vs that should after beleue and prouided actually wrought for the bringyng of him thether that day to make him see and to receaue the mercy that was layd vp for him in store before the world was made The xij Chaptâ—… IN y t xij in chaffyng himself to heape lye vpon lye he vttereth his feleable blindnesse For he axeth this question wherfore serueth exhortatioÌ„s vnto faith if the hearers haue not libertie of their frewill by whiche together with Gods grace a man may labour to submitte the rebellion of reason vnto the obedieÌ„ce of faith and credence of the worde of God Wherof ye see that besides his graunt that reason rebelleth agaynst fayth coÌ„trary to the doctrine of his first booke he will that the will shall compell the witte to beleue Whiche is as much to say as the carte must draw the horses and the sonne beget the father and the authoritie of the Church is greater theÌ„ Gods word For the wil can not teach the wit nor lead her but foloweth naturally so that what soeuer the witte iudgeth good or euill that the will loueth or hateth If the witte see and leade straight the will foloweth If the witte be blynde and leade amisse the will foloweth cleane out of y t way I can not loue Gods worde before I beleue it nor hate it before I iudge it false and vanitie He might haue wiselier spoken on this maner wherfore serueth the preachyng of fayth if the wit haue no power to draw the will to loue that whiche the wit iudgeth true and good If the will be nought teach the wit better the will shall alter and turne to good immediatly Blindnesse is the cause of ali euil and light the cause of all good so that where the fayth is right there the hart can not consent vnto euill to folow the lustes of the flesh as the popes fayth doth And this conclusion hath he halfe a doseÌ„ tymes in his boke that the will may compell the witte and captiuate it to beleue what a maÌ„ lusteth Verely it is like that his wittes be in captiuitie and for vauntage tangled with out holy fathers sophistrie His doctrine is after his owne feelyng and as the profession of his hart is For the Popish haue yelded theÌ„ selues to folow the lustes of their flesh compel their witte to absteine froÌ„ looking on y e truth lest she should vnquiet them and draw them out of the podell of their filthy voluptuousnesse As a carte that is ouerladen goyng vp an hill draweth the horses backe and in a tough mire maketh them stand still And then the carter the deuill whiche driueth theÌ„ is euer by and whistelleth vnto them and biddeth them captiuate their vnderstaÌ„dyng vnto profitable doctrine for which they shal haue no persecution but shal reigne and be kynges and enioy the pleasures of the world at their owne will The xiij Chapter IN the xiij hee sayth that the Clergie burneth no man As though the pope had not first fouÌ„d the law as though all his preachers babled not that in euery Sermon burne these heretickes burne them for we haue no other argument to conuince them and as though they compelled not both Kyng Emperour to sweare that they shall so do yer they crowne them Then hee bringeth in prouisions of Kyng Henry the v. Of whom I aske M. More whether he were right heyre vnto England or held hee the land with the sworde as an heathen tyraunt agaynst all right Whom the Prelates lest he should haue had leysure to hearken vnto the truth sent into Fraunce to occupie his mynde in warre and led hym at their will And I aske whether his father slew not his leige kyng and true inheritour vnto the crowne and was therefore set vp of the Byshops a false kyng to mainteine theyr falshead And I aske whether after that wicked deede folowed not the destruction of the comminaltie and quenchyng of all noble bloud The xiiij Chapter IN the xiiij he affirmeth that Martine Luther sayth it is not lawfull to resiste the Turke I wonder that hee shameth not so to lye seyng that Martine hath written a singular treatise for the contrary Besides that in many other workes he proueth it lawfull if he inuade vs. The xvi Chapter IN the xvi he alledgeth Councels I aske whether Councels haue authoritie to make Articles of the faith with out Gods worde yea and of thynges improued by Gods word He alledgeth Augustine Hierome Cypriane Let him put their workes in English and S. Prosperus with them Why damned they the vnion of Doctours but because the Doctours are agaynst them And when he alledgeth Martyrs let him shew one and take the calfe for his labour And in the end he biddeth beware of theÌ„ that liue well in any wise As though they whiche lyue euill can not teach amisse And if that be true then they be of the surest side M. When Tyndall was apposed of his doctrine yer hee went ouer see he sayde and sweare he ment no harme Tyndall He sware not neither was there any man that required an othe of him but he now sweareth by him whoÌ„ â—e trusteth to be saued by that hee neuer ment or yet meaneth any other harme then to suffer all that God hath prepared to be leyd on his backe for to bryng his brethreÌ„ vnto the light of our Sauiour Iesus which the Pope thorough falshead and corruptyng such Poetes as ye are ready vnto
but one chauntry For if they shoulde do all that they haue promised from y â— first founder vnto this day v. hundred Monkes were not inough in many cloysters Thinkest thou that men were euer so mad to make the fashions that are now amoÌ„g them to geue the Selâ—rar such a summe and the Priour or suppriour and the other officers so much for their partes as they haue yearely and to exempt the Abbot from his brethren and to send him out of the Abbay into such parkes places of pleasures and geue him a thousand fiftene hundred two thousand or three thousand pounde yearely to sport himselfe with all Nay but when thorow hypocrisie they had gotten land inough theÌ„ they turned vnto the Pope and tooke dispeÌ„sations both for their rules which were to hard for such aboundaunce for the willes of their founders and serued a great sort of founders vnder one per dominum and deuided among few that which was inough for a great multitude It was the Pope that deuised all these fashions to corrupt the Prelates wyth aboundaunce of worldly pleasures of which he wist that the worste would be most greedy and for which he wist also that he should finde Iudasses inow that would forsake Christ and betray y e truth and be sworne false vnto him and his Godhed He maketh of many chauntryes one of an Abbay a Cathedrall church and out of the Abbayes plucked he the Byshopprikes And as Byshops pay for their bulles euen so do an infinite number of Abbottes in Christendome in all landes some which Abbottes be Byshoppes within theÌ„selues immediatly vnder the Pope And other Abbots and Priours send after the same example dayly vnto Rome to purchase liceÌ„ce to weare a nutre and a crosse gay ornaments to be as glorious as the best c. And where before God no man is a Priest but he that is appointed to preach christes Gospell vnto the people and the people ought not to geue ought vnto the spiritualtie but for the maintenauÌ„ce of the preaching of Gods worde the Pope taketh vi or vij yea ten xx and as many benefices as he listeth geueth them vnto one that preacheth not at all as he doth all other dignityes of the spiritualtie He that will purchase and pay and be sworne shall haue what he will How they proue all their generall counselles WHen the Byshops and Abbottes and other great Prelates had forsaken Christ and hys lyuing and were fallen downe before the beast the vicar of Sathan to receaue their kyngdome of hym then the Pope called together diuerse counseles of such holy Apostles and there concluded and made of euery opinion that semed profitable an article of the fayth If thou aske where the scripture is to proue it They answere we be the church and can not erre and therefore say they what we conclude though there be no scripture to proue it it is as true as the Scripture and of equall authoritie with the Scripture must be beleued as wel as the scripture vnder payne of daÌ„nation For say they our truth dependeth not of the truth of the scripture that is we be not true in our doing because the scripture testifieth vnto vs that we do truely but contrary the truth of the scripture say they dependeth of vs that is the scripture is true because that we admitte it and tell thee that it is true For how couldest thou know that it were the scripture except we tolde thee so and therefore we neede no witnesse of the scripture for that we do it is inough that we so say of our owne head for we can not erre Which reason is like as though young MoÌ„kes newly professed should come by the rules of their order ordinaunces of their olde founders and would go about to kepe them and the old cankerd Monkes should cal them backe vnto the corrupt and false maner that now is vsed saying ye erre Do onely as we teach you for your profession is to obey your elders Accordyng vnto the rules of our order and ordinaunces of our founder shall they say We can teach you no other shall the old Monkes say nor can lye vnto you ye ought therfore to beleue vs and to do as we bid you The youÌ„g Monkes shall aunswere we see that ye lye cleane contrary vnto all that is written in our rules and ordinaunces The old Monkes shall say ye can not vnderstand them except we expounde them vnto you neither yet know that they be your rules except that ye beleue that we caÌ„ not lye vnto you For how can ye know that these be your rules and ordinaunces but as we your elders tell you so Now when we tell you that these be your rules and ordinaunces how can ye be sure vndoubtedly that it is so except ye beleue vndoubtedly that we can not lye Wherfore if ye will be sure that they be your rules and ordinaunces then ye must first beleue that we can not lye Leaue such imaginations and disputations therfore and laye your rules and ordinaunces out of your handes and looke no more on them for they make you erre And come and do as we tell you and captiuate your wittes and beleue that we can not lye vnto you and that ye can not vnderstand your rules aâ—d ordinaunces Euen so if thou say it is contrary vnto the Scripture they aunswere that thou vnderstandest it not that thou must captiue thy witte and beleue that though it seme neuer so coÌ„trary yet it is not contrary no if they determine that Christ is not riseÌ„ again and though the Scripture testifie that he is risen agayne yet say they they be not contrary if they be wisely vnderstand Thou must beleue say they that there is some other meanyng in the Scripture and that no man vnderstandeth it but that we say whether with out Scripture or agaynst it that must thou beleue that it is true And thus because that the Scripture would not agree with them they thrust it out of the way first and shut vp the kyngdome of heauen which is Christes Gospell with false expositioÌ„s and with such sophistrie and with false principles of naturall wisedome And the Abbottes toke the Scripture from their Monkes lest some should euer barke agaynst the Abbottes lyning set vp such long seruice and singyng to wery them with all that they should haue no laysure to read in the Scripture but with their lippes and made them good cheare to fill their belyes to stoppe their mouthes And the Byshops in lyke maner to occupy theyr Priestes with all that they should not study y e Scripture for barkyng against them set vp long seruice wondrous intricate so that in a dosen yeares thou couldest scarce learne to turne a right vnto it loÌ„g Matens long EueÌ„songs long Masses long Diriges with vauÌ„tage yet to mitigate the tediousnesse quia leuis est labor
came to destroy the workes of the deuill in vs to giue vs a new byrth a new nature and to sow new seede in vs that we should by the reasoÌ„ of that byrth sinne no more For the seede of that byrth that is to wete the spirite of God and the liuely seede of his word sowen in our hartes kepeth our harts that we can not consent to sinne as the seede of the deuill holdeth the hartes of his that they can not consent to good This is coÌ„trary vnto the Pope in two poyntes in one that he sayth that our good deedes make vs first good and teacheth vs not to beleue in Christes bloud there to be washed made first good And in an other that he sayth God choseth vs first for our good qualites properties and for the enforcement and good endeuour of our frewill What good endeuour is there where the deuill possesseth the whole hart that it can consent to no good And finally there is great difference betwene the sinne of them that beleue in Christ vnfaynedly and the sinne of them that beleue not For they that beleue sinne not of purpose and of coÌ„sent to wickednesse that it is good castyng and compassyng afore hand without grudge of coÌ„science to bryng their purpose about As ye see our hypocrites haue vexed all Christendome this xx yeares to bryng a little lust to effect Their fathers conceiued mischief viij hundreth yeares ago And the sonnes consent vnto the same haue no power to depart therefrom And therfore their sinne is deuilishe and vnder the damnation of the law But if he that beleueth sinne he doth it not of purpose or that he consenteth vnto the life of sinne But of infirmitie chauÌ„ce and some great temptation that hath ouercome him And therefore his sinne is veniall and vnder mercy and grace though it be murther theft or adulterie and not vnder the daÌ„nation of the law So that his father shall scourge hym but not cast hym away or damne hym Marke in the sinne of Saule of Dauid Saule euer excused his sinne and could not but persecute the will of God And Dauid confessed his sinne with great repentauÌ„ce at the first warnyng whensoeuer he forgot him selfe All that worke not righteousnes are not of God Nor hee that loueth not his brother For this is the tydinges which ye heard at the begynnyg that we should loue one an other and not be as Cain which was of the deuill and slew his brother And wherefore slew he him for his deedes were euill and hys brothers righteous Maruell not my brethren thoughe the worlde hate you The law of righteousnes is that we loue one an other as Christ loued vs and he that hath not this law liuyng in his hart and when the tyme is bringeth not forth the frutes therof the same is not of God but of the deuill whose byrth and properties of the same ye see described in Cain how he resisted God and persecuted the childreÌ„ of God for their belefe workes therof And as ye see in Cain and his brother Abell so shall it euer continue betwene the children of God and of the deuill vnto the worldes ende Wonder not therefore thoughe the worlde hate you We know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren He that loueth not his brother abydeth in death All that hate theyr brethren are murtherers and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall lyfe abydyng in hym If thou loue thy brother in Christ and art ready to do to suffer for him as Christ dyd for thee then thou art sure thereby that thou art the sonne of God and heyre of life and deliuered froÌ„ death and damnation So haue Christen men signes to know whether they be in the state of grace or no. And on the other side he that hath no power to loue his brethren may be sure that he is in the state of death and damnation An other is this let euery man looke vpoÌ„ his hart and be sure that he which hateth his brother hath slayne hym before God is a murtherer And murtherers shal not obteine the kingdome of God Gala. 5. But are Caines brethren and the deuils children and are heyres of death and euer vnder damnation Compare the regiment of the spiritualtie which haue had the temperall sword in their handes now aboue viij hundreth yeares vnto this doctrine of Iohn Iudge whether they haue led vs truely after the steppes of Christes doctrine Hereby we are assured of loue because hee left his lyfe for vs and therfore ought we to leaue our lyues for our brethren He then that hath the substaunce of the worlde and seith his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion froÌ„ him how dwelleth the loue of God in hym If we felt the loue of Christes death it would sure set our hart on fire to loue hym agayne and our brethren for his sake and should neuer cease to sâ—ay our resisting members vntill we could not onely be wel content that our brethren were in a more prosperous state then we but also vntill we could blesse them wheâ—â— they curse vs and pray for them when they persecute vs and to suffer death for theÌ„ to testifie the worde of their soules health vnto them and with loue to ouercome them and to wynne them vnto Christ If now euery Christen man ought to haue this rule of his profession before his eyes to learne it that hee should loue his brother as Christ dyd hym to depart with his lyfe for his brothers example how farre are they of from good scholers that can not finde in their hartes to depart with a litle of the aboundaunce superfluitie of their temporall goodes to helpe their neighbours neede My litle children let vs not loue in worde nor with the toung but with the dede and of a truth For thereby we know that we be of the truth and so shall we certifie our hartes in his sight If we haue power to worke then doth the worke certefie our hartes that our fayth in Christ and loue to God and our neighbour for his sake are vnfayned and that we are true children and no hypocrites And then are we bold in our coÌ„science before God And this is it that Peter meaneth 2. Pet. 1. where he biddeth vs minister in our fayth vertue godly liuing and all maner of good workes and therewith to make our vocation and election or our calling add chosing sure For the sight of the worke doth certify vs that God hath called vs and chosen vs vnto grace and mercy But and if when the time of woorking is come I fly and haue no power to worke then will our conscience accuse vs of sinne and transgressioÌ„ within the hart before God and so for feare of the rodde we dare not be bolde but draw backe and stand alooâ—e Let a childe haue neuer so mercifull a father yet if
worke And that Christ hath done this seruice in his flesh deny all the members of Antichrist And hereby thou shalt know them All doctrine that buildeth thee vpon Christ to put thy trust and confidence in his bloud is of God and true doctrine And all doctrine that withdraweth thyne hope and trust froÌ„ Christ is of the deuill and the doctrine of Antichrist Examine y â— Pope by this rule and thou shalt finde that all hee doth is to the destructioÌ„ of this article He wresteth all the Scriptures setteth them cleane agaynst the woll to destroy this article He ministreth the very Sacramentes of Christ vnto the destruction of this article and so doth he all other ceremonies and his absolution penaunce purgatorie dispensations pardoÌ„s vowes with all disguisings The Pope preacheth that Christ is come to do away sinnes yet not in the flesh but in water salt oyle caÌ„dles bowes asshes friers coates and monkes cowles and in the vowes of theÌ„ that forâ—were matrunonie to keepe whores and swere beggerie to possesse all the treasure riches wealth pleasures of the world and haue vowed obedience to disobey with authoritie all the lawes both of God and man For in these hypocritish and false sacrifices teacheth he vs to trust for the forgiuenes of sinnes not in Christes flesh Ye are of God litle childreÌ„ and haue ouercome them For greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world He that dwelleth in you and worketh in you through fayth is greater then he whiche dwelleth and worketh in them through vnbelefe And in hys strength ye abyde by your profession and coÌ„fesse your Lord Iesus how that he is come in the flesh and hath purged the sinne of all that beleue in his flesh And through that fayth ye ouercome them in the very tormentes of death So that neither their iugglinges neither their pleasures neither their thretnynges or their tormentes or the very death wherewith they slay your bodies can preuayle agaynst you They be of the world and therfore they speake of the world and the world atteÌ„deth vnto them We bee of God and hee that knoweth God heareth vs. And he that is not of God heareth vs not And hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirite of errour There be and euer shal be two generations in the world one of the deuill which naturally hearken vnto the false Apostles of the deuill because they speake so agreable vnto their naturall complection And an other of God which hearken vnto the true Apostles of God consent vnto their doctrine And this is a sure rule to indge spirites with all that we indge them to haue the spirite of truth which hearkeÌ„ vnto y t true doctrine of Christes Apostles them to haue the spirite of errour which hearken vnto worldly and deuilish doctrine abhorryng the preathing of the Apostles And looke hether the Popes doctrine bee worldly or no if pride and couetousnes be worldly yea and secherie to For what other is all his doctrine then of benefices promotions dignities byshoprikes cardinallshyps vicarages parsonages prebendes chaunge of bishoprikes and resignyng of benefices of vnions pluralities totquots and that which coÌ„meth once into their handes may not out agayn yea and of whores and concubines and of captiuyng of consciences for couetousnes all that hearken to that doctrine abhorre the doctrine of the Apostles and persecute it and them that preach it Dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue is of God And all that loue are borne of God and knowe God And he that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Iohn singeth his old song agayne and teacheth an infallible and sure token which we may see and feele at our fingers endes and therby be out of all doubt that our fayth is vnfayned and that we knowe God and be borne of God and that we hearkeÌ„ vnto the doctrine of the Apostles purely and godly not of any curiositie to seke glorie and honour therein vnto our selues to make a cloke therof to couer our couetousnes and filthy lustes Whiche token is if we loue one an other For the loue of a mans neighbour vnfaynedly spryngeth out of the vnfayned knowledge of God in Christes bloud By which knowledge we be borne of God loue God and our neighbours for his sake And so he that loueth hys neighbour vnfaynedly is sure of him selfe that he knoweth God and is of God vnfaynedly And contrarywise he that loueth not knoweth not God For God in Christes bloud is such a loue that if a man saw it it were impossible that he should not breake out into the loue of God agayne of his neighbour for his sake Herein appeared the loue of God vnto vs warde because God seÌ„t his onely sonne into the world that we should liue through hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent hys sonne a satisfaction for our synnes If a man had once felt within in his conscience the fierce wrath of God towarde sinners and the terrible most cruell damnation that the law threatneth and then beheld with the eyes of a strong fayth the mercy fauour and grace the takyng away of the damnation of the law and restoryng agayne of life frely offred vs in Christs bloud he should perceaue loue and so much the more that it was shewed vs when we were sinners and enemies to God Roma 5. and that without all deseruyngs without our endeuouryng enforcyng and preparyng our selues and without all good motions qualities properties of our frewill But when our hartes were as dead vnto all good workyng as the meÌ„bers of him whose soule is departed whiche thyng to proue and to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all our aduersaries I will of innumerable textes rehearse one in the beginnyng of the second chapter to the Ephes where Paule sayth thus Ye were dead in trespasse sinne in which ye walked accordyng to the course of the world and after the gouernour that ruleth in the ayre the spirite that worketh in the children of vnbelefe amoÌ„g which we also had our conuersation in tyme past in the lustes of our flesh and fulfilled the lustes of the fleshe and of the mynde so that the fleshe and the mynde were agreed both to sinne and the mynde consented as well as the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath as well as other But God beyng rich in mercy through the great loue wherwith he loued vs euen wheÌ„ we were dead in sinne hath quickened vs with Christ for by grace are ye saued and with hym hath raysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sit in heauenly thynges through Iesus Christ for to shew in tyme to come the exceding riches of his grace in kyndnes to vs ward in Iesus Christ For by grace are ye saued through fayth that not of your selues for
them but my merite is the fayth of Iesus Christ onely by whiche fayth such workes are good accordyng to the wordes of our Lord Mat. xxv I was hongry and thou gauest me to eate and it foloweth that ye haue done to the least of my brethrē ye haue done to me c. and euer we should cōsider the true sentēce that a good worke maketh not a good man but a good man maketh a good woorke for fayth maketh the man both good and righteous for a righteous man lyueth by fayth Rom. i. and what soeuer spryngeth not out of fayth is sinne Rom. xiiij And all my tēporall goodes that I haue not geuen or deliuered or not geuen by writing of mine own hand bearing the date of this present writyng I do leaue and geue to Margarete my wife and to Richard my sonne which I make mine executours witnes this myne owne hand the x. day of October in the xxij yeare of the raigne of kyng Henry the eight Tyndall NOw let vs examine the partes of this Testament sentence by sentēce First to commit our selues to God aboue all is the first of all preceptes the first stone in the foundatiō of our faith that we beleue put our trust in one God one all true one almighty all good all mercifull cleauing fast to his truth might mercy and goodnes surely certified fully persuaded that he is our God yea ours to vs all true without all falshead guile can not fayle in his promises And to vs almighty that his will can not be let to fulfill all y e truth that he hath promised vs. And to vs all good and all mercyfull what soeuer we haue done and how soeuer greuously we haue trespassed so that we come to hym the way that he hath appointed which way is Iesus Christ onely as we shal see folowingly This first clause then is the first commaūdement or at the least the first sentēce in the first commaundement and the first Article of our Crede And that this trust and confidēce in the mercy of God is thorough Iesus Christ is the secōd article of our Crede confirmed and testified throughout all scripture That Christ bringeth vs into this grace Paule proueth Rom. v. saying Iustified by fayth we are at peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom we haue an entryng in vnto this grace in which we stand And Ephes iij. By whom sayth Paule we haue a bold entring in thorough the fayth that is in him and in the second of the sayd Epistle By him we haue an entring in vnto the father and a litle before in the same Chapter he is our peace And Iohn in the first Chapter Behold the Lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinne of the world which sinne was the bush that stopped the entryng in and kept vs out the sword wherewith was kept the entryng vnto the tree of lyfe from Adam and all his ofspryng And in the second of the first of Peter which bare our sinnes in his body and by whose stripes we are made whole By whom we haue redemptiō through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of our sinnes Collos i. Ephes i. And Rom. iiij He was deliuered for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustifyeng And concernyng the resurrection it is an article of our fayth and proued there sufficiently and that it shal be by the power of Christ is also the open Scripture Iohn vj. This is the will of my father which sent me that I lose nothing of all that he hath geuen me but that I rayse it vp agayne in the last day and agayn I am the resurrectiō Iohn xi That this liuely faith is sufficient to iustification without addyng to of any more helpe is this wise proued The promiser is God of whom Paul sayth Rom. viij If God be on our side what matter maketh it who be agaynst vs he is thereto all good all mercyfull all true and all mighty wherfore sufficiēt to be beleued by his othe more ouer Christ in whom the promise is made hath receaued all power in heauen and in earth Math. the last He hath also a perpetuall Priesthode and therfore able perpetually to saue Heb. vij And that there is but one mediatour Christ as Paul i. Tim. ij And by that word vnderstand an attonemaker a peace maker and brynger into grace and fauour hauyng full power so to do And that Christ is so is proued at the full It is written Iohn iij. The father loueth the sonne and hath geuē all into his hand And he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe and he that beleueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God bydeth vpon hym All things are geuē me of my father Luke x. And all who soeuer call on the name of the Lord shal be saued Actes ij Of his fulnes haue we al receaued Ioh. i. There is no other name geuen to mā in which we must be saued Actes iiij And agayne vnto his name beare all the Prophets record that by his name shall all that beleue in him receaue remission Actes x. In hym dwelleth all the fulnes of God bodely Collos ij All what soeuer my father hath are myne Iohn xvj What soeuer ye aske in my name that will I do for you Iohn xiiij One Lord one fayth one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all through all and in you all Ephes iiij There is but one whose seruaunt I am to do his will But one that shall pay me my wages there is but one to whom I am boūde Ergo but one that hath power ouer me to dāne or saue me I will adde to this Paules Argument Balat iij. GOD sware vnto Abraham cccc yeare before the law was geuen that we should be saued by Christ Ergo the law geuen cccc yeares after can not disanull that couenaunt So dispute I Christ whē he had suffered his passiō and was risen agayne and entred into his glory was sufficient for his Apostles without any other meane or helpe Ergo the holynes of no Saint since hath diminished ought of that his power but that he is as full sufficient now for the promise is as deepely made to vs as to them Moreouer the treasure of his mercy was layde vp in Christ for all that should beleue yer the world was made Ergo nothyng that hath happened sence hath chaunged the purpose of the inunuariable God Moreuer to exclude the blynd imagination falsely called fayth of them that geue them selues to vice without resistence affirmyng that they haue no power to do otherwise but that God hath so made them and therfore must saue them they not entendyng or purposing to mende their liuyng but sinning with whole consent and full lust he declareth what fayth he meaneth ij maner of wayes First by that he saith who soeuer beleueth and is Baptised shal be
was and how such ceremonies came vp and whence they had their begynnyng and what the frute thereof is and what is therin to be sought And though this were inough so that I might here wel cease yet because the vnquiet scrupulous and superstitious nature of man wholy giuen to Idolatrie hath styrred vp such traditions about this one Sacrament most specially I cannot but speake therof somewhat more and declare what my conscience thinketh in this matter Ye shall vnderstand therfore that there is great dissention and three opinions about the woordes of Christ where he sayth in pronouncyng the testament ouer the bread This is my body And in pronouncyng it ouer the wyne This is my bloud One part say that these woordes This is my body This is my bloud compell vs to beleue vnder payne of damnation that the bread and wyne are chaunged into the very body and bloud of Christ really As the water at Cana Galilee was turned into very wyne The second part sayth we be not bound to beleue that bread and wyne are chaunged but onely that his body and bloud are there presently The thyrd say we be bound by these woordes onely to beleue that Christes body was broken and hys bloudshed for the remissiō of our sinnes and that there is no other satisfaction for sinne then the death and passion of Christ The first say these woordes This is my body This is my bloud compell vs to beleue that thynges there shewed are the very body and bloud of Christ really But bread and wyne say they cannot be Christes naturall body ther fore the bread and wyne are chaunged turned altered and transubstantiated into the very body bloud of Christ And they of this opinion haue busied them selues in seekyng subtilties and similitudes to proue how the very body and bloud might be there vnder the similitude of bread and wine onely the very bread and wyne beyng thus trāsubstantiated And these men haue ben so occupyed in slaying all that wil not captiue their wits to beleue them that they neuer taught nor vnderstode that the Sacrament is an absolution to all that therby beleue in the body bloud of Christ The second part graunt with the first that the wordes compel vs to beleue that the things shewed in the Sacrament are the very body and bloud of Christ But where the first say bread and wine cannot be the very body and bloud of Christ There they vary and dissent from them affirming that bread and wine may and also is Christes body really and very bloud of Christ and say that it is as true to say that bread is Christes body and that wyne is hys bloud as it is true to say Christ beyng a very mā is also very God And they say as the Godhead and manhode in Christ are in such maner coupled togegether that mā is very God and God very man Euen so the very body and the bread are so coupled that it is as true to say that bread is the body of Christ and the bloud so annexed there with the wyne that it is euen as true to say that the wyne is Christes bloud The first though they haue slayne so many in and for the defence of their opinion yet they are ready to receiue the second sort to fellowshyp not greatly striuyng with them or abhorryng the presence of bread and wyne with the very body and bloud so that they yee by that meanes may keepe hym there still and hope to sell hym as deare as before and also some to bye hym and not to minish the price The thyrd sort affirme that the wordes meane no more but onely that we beleue by the thyngs that are there shewed that Christes body was brokē and his bloud shed for our sinnes if we will forsake our sinnes turne to God to kepe his law And they say that these sayinges This is my body and This is my bloud shewyng bread wyne are true as Christ meant them and as the people of that countrey to whō Christ spake were accustomed to vnderstand such wordes and as the Scripture vseth in a thousand places to speake As when one of vs sayth I haue dronke a cup of good wyne that saying is true as the mā meant that he dranke wyne onely and not the cup whiche wordes happely in some other nations eares would sound that he dranke the cuppe And as when we say of a child This is such a mans very face the wordes are true as the maner of our land is to vnderstand them that the face of the one is very like the other And as whē we say he gaue me his fayth and hys truth in my hand the wordes are true as we vnderstand them that he stroke handes with me or gaue earnest in signe or token that he would byde by his promise For the fayth of a mā doth alway rest in his soule and cannot be giuen out though we giues signes and tokens of them Euen so say they we haue a thousād examples in the Scripture where signes are named with names of thynges signified by them As Iacob called the place where hee saw the Lord face to face Phenyell that is Gods face when he saw the Lord face to face Now it is true to say of that field that it is Gods face though it be not his very face The same field was so called to signifie that Iacob there saw God face to face The chief hold and principall ancre that the two first haue is these words This is my body This is my bloud Vnto these the third aunswereth as is aboue sayd other textes they alledge for them selues whiche not onely do not strength their cause but rather make it worse As in y e sixt of Iohn which they draw and wrest to the carnall and flesh ly eating of Christes body in y e mouth when it onely meaneth of this eatyng by fayth For when Christ sayd except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of mā and drinke hys bloud ye haue no lyfe in you This cannot be vnderstanded of the Sacrament For Abraham had life and all the old holy fathers Christes mother Elizabeth Zacharias Iohn Baptist Symeon Anna and all the Apostles had lyfe already by fayth in Christ Of which not one had eatē hys flesh and dronke his bloud with theyr bodily mouthes But truth it is that the righteous liueth by his fayth Ergo to beleue and trust in Christes bloud is the eatyng that there was meant as the texte well proueth if they say we graunt that life commeth by faith but we all that beleue must be Baptised to keepe the law and to keepe the couenaunt in mynde Euen so all that lyueth by fayth must receiue the Sacrament I aunswere The Sacrament is a confirmation to weake consciences and in no wise to be despised howbeit many haue lyued by fayth in the wildernes whiche in 20. 30.
sinnes 95. b Phocas an Emperour 347. b. hys priuiledge to the see of Rome ibid. Phrases of speach expounded 77. b Pilgrimages 282. a. how lawfull 20 a. not needefull to a ChristiaÌ„ for his saluation 155 a Pilgrimages true what they be 272 a Pitie 282. b Pipinus 348. a Places of Scripture shewing Christes departure hence as touchyng his naturall body 470. b Places hauing prerogatiue for prayer 283. a Plerophoria how knowen 414. a Pluralitie of benefices 373. b Poetry Scripture to Popish schole men 168. a Pollaxes borne before high Legates what they signifie 142. b Pope with his Prelates set foorth 53. b. a God on earth 349. a. Antichrist 262. a 289. a. 308. a. the deuilles vicare 359. a. persecuteth Gods word 25. b. 290. a. a deniâ—…h blasphemer ibid. hath no Martyrs 294. a. a peacebreaker 365. b. a tyrauÌ„t 318. a. a breaker of bondes of Matrimony 350. a commaundeth murder 106. a. cause of great periury 115. a Popes haue ben bloudsheders aboue this 700. yeares 351. a Pope a mercyles tyraunt 362. b. curseth his enemyes 395. b. wilnot be rebuked 364. b. onely forbyddeth mariage 127. b. halfe a God 461. b aloft ouer all Byshops and Kings 353. a. aduaunceth his in worldlynes 353. b. hath moe kyngdomes then God 135. b. a maker of lawes 356. a. selleth Gods free gift 151. a. chalengeth authoritie ouer God and man 159. a. commauÌ„deth God to curse 151. b. may doe all at his pleasure 364. b. wilnot obey Princes 286. a. made a God for his dispensations 230. a. coÌ„meth in Christes name with miracles 301. b. sayth he cannot erre 264. a. distributeth his fathers kyngdome 354. a thrusteth downe Christ 292. a. lycenseth all thynges to bee read sauyng the truth 21. a. forbiddeth that God commaundeth 21. a Pope how hee remitteth and retayneth sinnes 306. b. maketh heretikes of true preachers 134. b selleth all thynges 289. b. receiueth hys possessions of the deuill 354. a. howe he raigneth vnder Christ 151. a. expoundeth Scripture contrary to Christ and his Apostles 173. b. byndeth that Christ louseth 102. a Pope not to be beleued why 304. b. lonseth all honesty 123. a. more mercyfull for money then God for Christes death 151. a. deuideth poore people and how 354. b chosen without consent of the Emperour 360. b. purposed to be Emperour 349. made two Empyres of one 349. b Pope Pipine put downe the right French kyng 348. a Pope and Cardinals their opinions concernyng kyng Henry the eight 288 b Pope Iuly 369. a Pope his fast 229. b. his traditions are wicked and breake Gods commaundements 108. a. his authoritie improued 12. 4. b. his clergy subtill 1. a. his doctrine corrupt 24. a. his doctrine doth persecute 97. a. his sect not of Christes church 261 b. his doctrine bloudy 106. b. his saying of the scripture 306. b. his authoritie is onely to preach Gods word 123. b. his false authority defended by kynges 114. b. his false workes 289. a. his iugglyng 114. b. his widowes 354. b. his priests ibideÌ„ his law 355. a. his fayth 410 b. his Church 292. b. his practise with all Princes 365. a. his Deacons 354. b. his Prelates taught of Caiphas 122. b Popish tyranny 475. b. ceremonyes more obstinate mo in nuÌ„ber then the Iewes 101. b. forgiuenes 395 a. Purgatory not feared of a true ChristiaÌ„ 434. b. Prelates would be highest 341. a. superstition 425 b. doctrine 447. a. hath caused the truth to be set forth more playnely 476. a. woorkes 396. a. oyle more feared then Gods commaundementes 131. a. confirmation 277. a Pope holy woorkes a cloke for the wicked 27. a Possessed with deuines fled from Christ 285. a Poore meÌ„ 408. a. in spirite who 189 a. must be cared for next our owne houshold 84. a. called of Paule Gods Churche 473. b. pouertie 242. b Pouertie wilfull 16. b. her vow 19. a Power good and euill whence 321. b Poyson of our byrth resisteth the spirite 165. a A prayer 228. a Prayer 22. b. 242. b. 219. b. defined 81. b. of how many sortes 220. a. a commaundement 238. b. heard in all places of God 282. b. the fruite of fayth 93. a. heard of God at all tymes 20. b. winneth the victory 238. b. of fayth doth miracles 152. b vayne without hart and toungue 221. a. of shauelynges breaketh Gods commaundement 139. b. of Monkes robbeth 201. a. not sold in old tyme. 139. b. to Saintes superilitious 296. a. without fayth nothyng 274. b. to Saintes not before Christes tyme. 296. a Practises 371. a. of Parliamentes 315. a. of Prelates 363. a. of Popish Prelates in these dayes 340. b. with poore Priestes 367. b. of fleshly spiritualitie 249. a Prayers and our deedes accepted accordyng to our fayth 154. b Prayers of all good women accepted aswell as our Ladyes 326. a. to Saintes damnable 433 b. all in Latin 151. b. commaunded to the ignoraunt 135. a Prayse sought of hypocrites 373. b Prayse of Paule Epistle to the Romanes 39. a Preacher his office 206. a. may not preache vnlesse he be sent of God 156. why accused of heresie treason 202. 〈◊〉 Preachers who are sent and who not how to knowe 156. a. of Gods word their miracles 302. a. neede no miracles 301. a. must preach repentaunce 86. b. why not beleued wheÌ„ they preach truth 101. b. must haue a competent lyuyng allowed them 133. b. must not be violent 214. b. who ought to be 198. b Preachyng is byndyng and lousing 359. a. of Christ 391. the authoritie of Peter his successour 173. b. the chief authoritie that Christ gaue his Apostles 126. a. extinct with ceremonies 278. a Predestination 306. a. in Gods haÌ„d 48. b. not rashly to be disputed vppon 48. b. how farre to be proceded in ibidem Presbyter 144. b Priestes 310. b. must be vertuous 314. b Priestes how truly annoynted 133. a ought not to bee annoynted with oyle 144. b. tell the confessions of the rich to the Officials and Commissaries and why 136. b. may haue whores but no wiues 311. b. must haue wiues for two causes 133. b Prieste disguiseth hym selfe with Christes passion 132. a Priestes vnderstand no Latin 103. a Prelates why so wicked 118. b. Courtiers 347. a. vnderstand not Scriptures and why 287. b. why clothed in red 142. b Pride 405. b. of the Pope 363. a. of the Cardinals 372. b Princes why ordained 117. a. not to be resisted though they be infidels 111. a. whether they may be resisted or no. 213. a Principles of Scriptures 386. b Processions abused 299. b Profession of our Baptisme 388. b. first to be learned 387. a Profession of newe lyfe procureth Christes mercy 219. b Promise how we may chaleÌ„ge 218. b Promise of God fulfilled for Christes and not for Saintes merites 160. a. left out in all thynges by the Pope 154. a Promises of the Gospell comfortable to a sinner 378. a Promise commeth of the promisers goodnes 196. a Promises of
in lawe whom he did so valiauntly fight withall and confounde that he connerted Rastall to his part Then he was â—â—ryed to Lambith before the Bishop of Caunterburie and afterward to Croydon where was present StepheÌ„ Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who had béene his tutor in Cambridge as aforesayd and séemed to owe vnto him greate loue and fauour but in the stéede thereof he found in the ende his great malice and tyrannye and last of all he was called before the Bishoppes in a Common assemblye at London where he so costantly defended him selfe that he had preuailed if he might haue bene heard as indéed he was not The order of his iudgment with the maner of his examinatioÌ„ and Articles which were obiected agaynst him are comprised and set forth by himselfe in a letter written to his frendes which letter also is imprinted and set forth in this booke After sentence geuen against him by the Byshop of London he was delyuered to the Maior Shirifes of the sayd Citie Syr Stephen pecocke a simple man being then Maior and forth with he was committed to new gate where he was put into y e Dungeon vnder the sayd Gate and laden with Boltes and Irons as many as he could beare and his necke with a Coler of Iron made fast to a post so that he could neyther stand vpright nor stoupe downe yet was he there continually occupied in writing of diuerse thinges namely with a candell both day and night for there came none other light into that place And in this case he remayned iij. or iiij dayes and then was from thence caried into Smithféelde y e iiij day of Iuly 1533. where with great pacience and constancy he suffered that most hâ—lly and cruell death of burning And when the fyer was set on the faggottes he embraced the same in his Armes and with all pacience commytted his spirite vnto almighty God But this one thing is yet to bee remembred that he being bounde to the stake with an other good Martyr which was a very simple young man named Andrew Hewet there was present one Doctour Cooke that was person of the Church called Allhalowes in hony lane scituate in the myddes of Chepesyde And the sayd Cooke made an open exclamation and admonished the people that they should in no wise pray for them no more then they would doe for a dogg At which wordes Frith smyling desired the Lord to forgeue him But the vngodly and vncharitable wordes of the sayd Doctour did not a litle offende the people And thus for the testimony of the true doctrine of Christ which the sayd Frith sealed with his bloud the day and yeare afore sayd he dyed in the xxiiij yeare of his age as some saye but his parentes reported in the xxx yeare of his age IOHN FRITH VNTO the Christen Reader GRace and peace bee with thee ChristeÌ„ reader I am sure there are many that will much meruell couÌ„t it a great presumptioÌ„ that I beyng so young and of so small learnyng dare attempt to dispute this matter against these thre personages of the which nuÌ„ber two that is to say my Lord of Rochester and Sir Thomas More are auncient men both of great witte and dignitie Notwithstanding I will desire theÌ„ paciently to heare myne aunswere not aduertisyng who speaketh the wordes but rather what is sayd And as coÌ„cernyng myne youth let them remember what Paule monisheth i. Timot. iiij willyng that Timotheus should instruct the coÌ„gregration and that no maÌ„ should despise his youth for as the spirite of God is bound to no place cueÌ„ so is he not addict to any age or person but inspireth when hee will and where he will makyng the young to see visioÌ„s and espye the truth and the elders to dreame dreames and to wander in phantasies Actes 2. Ioel. 2. And as touchyng my learnyng I must nedes acknowledge as the truth is very small neuerthelesse that litle as I am bound haue I determined by Gods grace to bestow to the edifying of Christes congregation which I pray god to encrease in the knowledge of his word I would not that any man should admit my wordes or learnyng except they will stande with the Scripture and be approued therby Lay them to the touchstone and trye them with Gods word If they be found false and counterfaite then damne them and I shall also reuoke them with all myne hart But if the Scripture allow them that you can not deny but it so is then resist not y e doctrine of God but knowledge your ignoraunce and seduction and returne gladly into the right way For if you caÌ„ not improue it by Gods word and yet of an hate and malicious mynde that you beare to the truth labour to resist it condemne it that it should not spread I ensure you your sinne is irremissible and euen agaynst the holy ghost and the bloud of them that perish for fault of instruction shal be required on your handes Peraduenture some of you will say your fathers old progenitours â–ª with many holy men and Doctours haue so beleued that therfore you will abyde by the old I aunswere The wayes iudgementes of God are meruelous who knoweth whether God haue suffred his elect to erre and be seduced for a season to the entent that the vnfaithfull which would not beleue the truth but had pleasure in iniquity might stoÌ„ble at their errour into their vtter confusion and ruine Although a man be neuer so faythfull and holy yet is there much imperfectioÌ„ in him as long as he is included in this mortall body how be it it is not imputed vnto him but through y e fayth in Christes bloud who lye pacified and forgeuen And therfore it is not sure that we folow their exteour workes or other imaginatioÌ„s but let vs euer coÌ„ferre them vnto the pure word of God and as the Scripture testifieth so let vs receaue them My Lord of Rochester doth testifie him selfe writyng vpon the xviij Article that there are many pointes both of the Gospels and other Scriptures which are now discussed more diligeÌ„tly and more clearely vnderstand then they haue bene in tymes past And addeth furthermore that there are diuerse places in Scripture yet some deale darke which he doubteth not but that they shal be more open and light vnto our posteritie for why shal we dispaire of that saith he sith that the Scripture is for that entent left with vs that it may be vnderstaÌ„d of vs exactly and to the vttermost point Of this may you euidently perceaue that the old fathers and holy Doctours haue not sene all the truth But somewhat is also left through the high prouision of God to be discussed of their successours And therfore is it not mete that we straight wayes cleaue vnto their wordes with out any further ensearchyng the scriptures but we must examine all thyngs by the
although they haue not yet the rest but must suffer before in Purgatory that euasion will not this text suffer for the text sayth that they rest and are in peace as Esayas also sayth in the. lvij that the righteous and euery faythfull man is righteous in the sight of God as we haue often proued before when he departeth resteth in peace as in a bed And Sapiē iij. it is sayd that the righteous soules are in peace so is it not possible that there should be such a paynefull Purgatory Thus haue we confuted Rastell both his argumentes and also solutions for all that he writeth is false agaynst Scripture Furthermore we haue brought in to proue that there cā be no such Purgatory l. argumētes all grounded on Scripture And if néede were a mā might make a thousand of which our Clergy should not be able to auoyde one Here I thinke some mē will wonder that I haue the Scripture so full on my side because that there are certaine mē as my Lord of Rochester Syr Thomas More which by Scripture go about to proue Purgatory this is sure that Scripture is not contrary vnto it selfe Therfore it is necessary that we examine the textes which they bring in for their purpose in markyng the processe both what goeth before and what cōmeth after And then shal we easely perceaue the truth how these ij men haue bene piteously deceaued First I will aunswere vnto M. More which hath in a maner nothyng but that he tooke out of my Lord of Rochester although he handle it more suttelly And what soeuer is not aunswered in this parte shal be touched and fully conuinced in the third whiche shall be a seuerall booke agaynst my Lord of Rochester ¶ Thus endeth the first Booke The second booke which is an aunwere vnto Syr Thomas More MAister More begynneth with the sely soules of Purgatory and maketh them to wayle and lamēt that they heare the world waxe so faynte in the fayth of Christ that any mā should neede now to proue Purgatory to Christē mē or that any mā could be found which would in so great a thyng so fully and fastly beleued for an vndoubted article this xv hundred yeare begyn now to staggar and stand in doubt c. Verely me thinketh it a foule faute so sore to stomble euen at the first It were a great blot for him if he should be compelled by good authoritie to cut of iiij hundred of his foresayd nūber Now if we can not onely proue that he must cut of that iiij hundred yeare but also bryng witnesse that it was neither at that time beleued for an article of y t fayth nor yet for an vndoubted truth thē I thinke ye would suppose this man somewhat out of the way And that will I proue by Gods grace S. Austen was foure hundred yere after Christ And yet in his time was it not fully and fastly beleued for an article of the fayth no nor yet fully and fastly beleued to bee true For hee him selfe writeth in his Enchiridion on this maner speakyng of Purgatory After he expounded the place of Paul 1. Cor. 3. and had taken this word fire not for Purgatory but for temptation and tribulation he added these wordes in the. 69. chapter It is not incredible that such a thyng shuld also chaūce after this life whether it be so or not it may be questioned c. Of these woordes may we well perceaue that he counted it not for an article of y t fayth neither yet for an vndoubted truth for if it had bene an article of y e faith or an vndoubted truth then would hee not haue sayd Potest etiā queri that is to say it may be questioned doubted or moued for those holy fathers vsed not to make questions doubtes in articles of the fayth among thē selues neither yet in such things as were vndoubted true they vsed not to dispute whether Christe dyed for our sinnes rose agayne for our iustificatiō but onely beleued it Beside that the occasion why hée wrote the booke entitled Enchiridion was this There was one Laurētius a Christē man which instantly required of S. Austen that he would write him a forme of his belefe whiche hée might continually beare in hand and whereunto he should sticke Vpō this wrote him S. Austen this litle booke where in he commaundeth hym not fully and fastly to beleue these are M. Mores wordes that there was a Purgatory but sayth that it may be questioned doubted or moued whether there be such a place or not Of this haue we playne euidence that it was none article of y t fayth in S. Austens tyme which was foure hūdred yeare after Christ neither yet vndoubted truth And so may all men sée that M. More is sore deceaued and set on the sand euen at the first brunte and in the begynnyng of his viage His second reason that he hath to proue Purgatory is this The very miscreauntes Idolaters Turkes Saracenes and Paynimes haue euer for the most part thought and beleued that after the bodyes are deceased the soules of such as were neither deadly dampned wretches for euer nor on the other side so good but that their offences done in this world haue deserued more punishment then they had suffered and sustained there were purged and punished by payne after the death ere euer they were admitted vnto their wealth and rest And so must there nedes be a Purgatory I aūswere if it were lawfull to require wisedome in a man so wise as M. More is counted here would I wish him a litle more wit for I thinke there is no wiseman that will graunt this to be a good argumēt y t Turkes Saracenes Paynimes Iewes beleue it to be true Ergo we must beleue that it is true for I will shewe you a like argument The Turkes Saracenes Paynimes Iewes beleue that we haue not y t right Christ but that we are all damned which beleue in Christ Is it therfore true shal we turne our fayth because they beleue that we be deceaued I thinke there is no man so foolish as to graūt him this But if M. More will haue his reasō hold he must argue on this maner The miscreauntes and infidels before named beleue that there is a Purgatory their belefe is true therfore we must beleue that there is a Purgatory Now foloweth this argument somewhat more formally Here might I put him to the profe of his Minor which is that their belefe in beleuyng Purgatory is true which thyng he shall neuer be able to proue But I haue such confidence of the truth on my side that I will take vpon me to proue the negatiue Cut̄ that their belefe is not true as cōcernyng Purgatory For these miscreauntes which beleue Purgatory beleue that there is a Purgatory for vs that be
And so must we graunt hym that this fire is very hote Now may you wel perceaue what a slender foūdation their hote purgatory hath For by this confutatiō may you easely sée that it hath no grounde nor authority of Scripture Notwithstandyng it is the foundation of all religions and cloysters yea and of all the goodes that nowe are in these spiritualtie Are not they witty worke men whiche can buylde so much on so slender a foundation Howbeit they haue made it so toppeheuye that it is surely lyke to haue a fall Thus hath Master More a full aunswere both to hys Scriptures whiche were to farre wrested out of theyr places and also to hys owne apparent reasons Howbeit if hys mastershyppe be not fully pacified let hym more groundly open hys mynde and bryng for his purpose all that he thinketh to make for it and I shall by Gods grace shortly make hym an aunswere and quyet his mynde ¶ Thus endeth the second booke ¶ The third booke which aunswereth vnto my Lord of Rochester and declareth the mynde of the old Doctours NOw will I addresse me to the thirde part which shall be an aunswere vnto my lord of Rochester And all his reasons and argumentes both of the Scriptures and doctoures which are not before dissouled in the seconde part wyll I clene confute by Gods grace in this thirde booke Howbeit the chéefest of his scriptures hath M. More perused and hath in a maner nothing but that was before writtē by my lord of Rochester sauing that he maketh the selye soules to pull to helpe his matter withall My lord of Rochester is the first patrone and defender of thys phantasie And euē as M. More tooke his worke out of my lord of Rochesters euen so plucked Rastell hys booke out of M. Mores My lord of Rochester to confirme hys sentence rekoneth vp the doctors by heape M. Iohn M. William M. Thomas omnes But as concerning the doctors that they are not so fully on hys side as he woulde make thē séeme is sone proued And where should I better begin to confute him then of hys owne wordes for he writeth himselfe vpon the xviij article on this maner THere is no man now a daies that doubteth of Purgatorye sayeth he and yet among the olde auncient fathers was there eyther none or els very seldome mention made of it And also among the Grecians euen vnto this day is not purgatory beleued Let him read that will the commentaries of the olde Grecians and as I suppose he shal finde eyther no worde spoken of it or els very few These are my lordes wordes I wonder what obliuiousnes is come vppon hym that he so cleaueth vnto the Doctors whome he affirmed before eyther to make no mention of it or els very seldome Notwythstanding I will declare you somewhat of the Doctors that you may the better know theyr meaning To speake of the Doctors what theyr minde was in thys matter it were necessarye to declare in what time they were and what condition the worlde was in theyr dayes S. Austine Ambrose Hierome were in one time euen about iiij hundred yeares after Christ and yet before theyr time were there arisen infinite heretikes by whole sectes as the Arrians Domitians Eunomians Vigilanttians Pelagians with infinite other which had so swerued from the truth and wrested the Scripture out of frame that it was not possible for one man no nor for one mans age to restore it agayne vnto the true sense Among these there were some which not onely fayned a purgatory but also doted so far that they affirmed that euery man were he neuer so vicious should be saued through that fire and aleaged for them the place of Paul 1. Corinthians 3. These holy doctours perceauing those greate erroures thought it not best by and by to condemne all thinges indifferētly but to suffer and dissemble wyth the lesse that they might wéede out the opinions which were most noysom as the Apostles graunted vnto the Iewes that the Gentiles should kéepe some of Moyses law Actes xv that they might the better com to their purpose to saue the Iewes with the Gentiles For if they had at the first vtterly set of the law then would the Iewes neuer haue geuen any audience vnto the Apostles And euen so S. Austen went wisely to worke First condemning by the Scripture that errour which was most noysome and wrote on thys maner Albeit some might be purged through fire yet not such as the Apostle condemneth when he sayeth that the persons which so do shal not possesse the kingdome of heauen And where they woulde haue stucke vnto Paules text 1. Cor. 3. and affirme that they shoulde be saued thorough fire S. Austen answered that Paules texte was vnderstande of the spirituall fire which is temptation affliction tribulation c. Thys wrote he in the 67. 68. of hys Enchiridion to subuert that grosse errour that all should be saued through y t fire of purgatory Yet in the 69. he goeth a litle neare them and sayth that it may be doubted whether there be any such purgatory or not He durst not yet openly