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
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
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
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
ye haue brought in besides the Scripture nor any that dyed for it But ye persecute and â—lea whosâ— euer with Gods woorde doth rebuke it And as for your owne miracles of which ye make your boast ye haue fayned them so grosly throughout al your Legendes of Saintes that ye be now ashamed of them and would fayne bee rid of theÌ„ if ye wist how with honestie and so would ye of a thousand thinges which ye haue fayned And the cause why heretickes fayne no miracles as ye doe is that they walke purely and entend no falsehead And why the deuill doth none for them is that they cleaue fast to Gods word whiche the deuill hateth and can do no miracles to further it But to hinder it as he doth with you Read the stories of your Popes and Cardinals see whether the deuill hath not holpe them vnto their highe dignities And looke whether your holy Byshoppes come any otherwise vnto their promotions then by seruing the deuil in setting all Christendome at variaunce in sheddyng bloud in bringyng the common wealth to tyraÌ„ny and in teaching Christen Princes to â—ule more cruelly then did euer any heathen coÌ„trary vnto the doctrine of Christ And as for the Turkes and Sarasenes that ye speake of I auÌ„swere that they were ChristeÌ„ once at the lest way for the most part And because they had no loue vnto the truth to liue their after as ye haue not God did send them false miracles to cary them out of the right waye as ye be And as for the Iewes why they hyde out is onely because they haue set vp their own righteousnesse as ye haue and therfore can not admit the righteousnesse that is in Christes bloud as ye can not and as ye haue forsworne it And when he sayth in that they haue miracles and the heretickes none it is a sure signe that they be the true Churche and the heretickes not Had ye Gods word with your miracles and the heretickes doctrine were without then it were true But now because ye haue miracles without Gods word to confirme your false imaginatioÌ„s and they whiche ye call heretickes haue Gods word coÌ„firmed with miracles fiue huÌ„dred yeares together it is a sure signe that they be the true church ye not in as much also as Christ saith that y â— deceauers shall come with miracles ye in his name therto as ye do For wheÌ„ christ saith there shal come in my name y t shal say he him selfe is Christ who is that saue your Pope that wil be Christes Vicare and yet maketh men to beleue in him selfe in his Bulles Calues skinnes and in what soeuer he listeth And who be those false annoynted that shall come with miracles to deceaue the elect if it were possible saue your Pope with his gresiamus And when he repeteth his miracles to proue that the olde holy Doctours were good men in the right belefe I aunswere agayne that the Doctours which planted Gods word watered it with miracles while they were alyue And wheÌ„ they were dead God shewed miracles at their graues to confirme the same as of Heliseus And that continued till the Scripture was full receaued and autenticke But ye can not shew nor shal any Doctour which beyng aliue preached your false doctrine confirmyng it with miracles as God doth his Scripture Then sayth hee God had in the olde TestameÌ„t good meÌ„ ful of miracles whose liuing a man might be bold to folow and whose doctrine a man might beleue by reason of theyr miracles and then iuggleth saying if God should not so now in the new TestameÌ„t haue Doctours with miracles to confirme their doctrine and liuynges but contrarywise should bryng to passe or suffer to bee brought to passe with false miracles that his church shuld take hypocrites for Saintes which exposided the Scripture falsly then should hee deceaue his Church and not haue his spirite present in his Church to teach them all truth as he promised them I aunswer God suffereth not his Church to be deceaued But he suffereth the popes Church because they haue no loue vnto the truth to lyue after the lawes of God but consent vnto all iniquitie as he suffered the Churche of Mahomet Moreouer y â— gift of miracles was not all way amoÌ„g the preachers in the old Testament For Iohn Baptist did no miracle at all The miracles were ceased longyer Christ And as for you in the Popes kingdome had neuer maÌ„ that either confirmed Gods doctrine or your owne with miracles All your Saintes be first Saints when they be dead and then do first miracles to confirme tithes and offeringes the Poetrie which ye haue fayned and not true doctrine For to confirme what preachyng doth S. Thomas of Canterbury miracles He preached neuer nor liued any other life then as our Cardinall and for his mischief dyed a mischieuous death And of our Cardinall if we be not diligent they will make a Saint also and make a greater relique of his shew then of the others And of your dead Saintes let vs take onâ— for an example Thomas de Aquino is a Saint full of miracles as Friers tell And his doctrine was that our Lady was borne in original sinne And Dunce doyng no miracle at all because I suppose no man wotteth where he lyeth improueth that with his sophistrie and affirmeth the contrary And of the contrary hath the Pope for the deuotioÌ„ of that the gray Friers gaue him ye may well thinke made an Article of the fayth And finally as for the miracles they are to make a man astonied to wonder and to draw him to heare the word earnestly rather then to write it in his hart For whosoeuer hath no other felyng of the law of God that it is good then because of miracles the saâ—…e shall beleue in Christ as did Symon Magus and Iudas and as they that came out of Egypt with Moyses and fell away at euery temptation shall haue good workes like vnto our Popes bishops and Cardinals And therfore when the Scripture is fully receaued there is no nede of miracles In so much that they which will not beleue Moses and the Prophetes when the Scripture is receaued the same wil be no true beleuers by the reason of miracles though one arose from death to lyfe to preach vnto them by the testimonie of Christ And agayne how doth S. Hierome Augustine Bede and many other old Doctours that were before the Pope was cropt vp into y e consciences of meÌ„ and had sent forth his daÌ„nable sectes to preach him vnder y t name of Christ as Christ prophesied it should be expounde this text thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my Church and this text Peter feede my sheepe and all power is geuen me in heauen and in earth and innumerable such textes cleane contrary vnto all those
ensamples that are gone before And finally I haue better reasons for my feeling that the Pope is Antichrist then M. More hath for his endeuoring himselfe and captiuing his wits that h◠is the true Church For the church that was the true messenger of God hath euer shewed a signe and a badge therof eyther a present myracle or autentickescripture in so much that Moses when he was sent asked how shall they beleue me God gaue him a signe as euer before and since Neither was there any other cause of the writing of the new last euerlasting testamēt then that when miracles ceased we might haue wherwith to detende our selues against false doctrine and heresies Which we coulde not do if we were bound to beleue that were no where written And agayne if the Pope coulde not erre in his doctrine he coulde not sinne of purpose and profession abhominably and opēly aboue the Turkes and all the heathen that euer were and defend it so maliciously as he hath viij hundred yeares long and will not be reformed and maketh them his Saintes and his defenders y ◠sinne as he doth He persecuteth as the carnall church euer did Whē the scripture is away he proueth his doctrine with the scripture and assoone as the scripture commeth to light he runneth away vnto his sophistrie and vnto his sworde We see also by stories how your confession penaunce pardons are come vppe and whence your purgatory is sprong And your falshead in the sacraments we see by opē scripture And all your workes we rebuke with the scripture and therwith proue that the false beleife that ye couple to them may not stand with the true faith that is in our Sauiour Iesus The second chapter IN the end of y e secōd chapter he bringeth in Euticus that fell out at a window Act. 20. whō saith he S. Paules merites did recouer Verely Paule durst not say so but that Christes merites did it Peter sayth Act. 3. Ye men of Israell why gase ye and stare vppon vs as though we by our power and godlines had made this man go Nay the name of Iesus and faith that is in him hath geuen him strength made him sounde And euen here it was the name of Iesus thorow Paules fayth that did that miracle and not Paules merits though he were neuer so holy The third Chap. IN the iij. chapter he sayth that Bilneyes iudges which he yet nameth not for feare of sclaundering thē were indifferent Nay they that take rewardes be not indifferent For rewardes and giftes blinde the eyes of the seeing and peruert the woordes of the righteous Deut. 17. Now al they that be shoren take great rewardes to defende Pilgrimages Purgatory and praying vnto Saintes euen the third part I trow of all Christendome For all they haue they haue receaued in the name of purgatory and of Saintes on that foundation be all their bishopprickes Abbeyes colledges and Cathedrall churches built If they be indifferent Iudges they must be made seruaunts and do seruice as their dutie is And whē they haue done a quarters seruice then geue them wages as right is vnto euery mā that laboureth in Christes haruest a sufficient liuyng and no more and that in the name of his labour and not of Saintes and so forth And then they shall be more indifferent Iudges when there cōmeth no vauntage to iudge more on one side then an other The fourth Chap. IN the ende of the fourth he saith the man tooke an othe secretly and was dismissed with secret penaunce O ypocrites why dare ye not do it openly The fift Chapter IN the fift the messenger asketh hym whether he were present And hee denyeth and sayth euer hee heard saye Alas Sir why take you bribes to defende that you know not why suffer you not them that were present and to whom the matter perteineth to lye for themselues Then he iesteth out the matter with Wilken and Simken as he doth Hunne and euery thing because men shoulde not consider their falshead earnestly Wherein behold his suttle cōueiaunce He asketh What if Simken would haue sworne that he saw men make those printes Whereunto M. More aunswereth vnder the name of quod he that he would sware that besides the losse of the wager he had lost his honesty and hys soule thereto Beholde this mans grauitie how coulde you that do whē the case is possible You should haue put him to his proues and bid him bring recorde Then sayth he the church receaueth no mā conuict of heresie vnto mercy but of mercy receaueth him to open shame Of such mercy God geue them plenty that are so mercyfull Then he sheweth how mercyful they were to receaue the man to penaūce that abode still in periury and deadly sinne O shamelesse hypocrites how can ye receaue into the congregation of Christ an open obstinate sinner that repētet◠not when ye are commaūded of Christ to cast all such out And agayn O Scribes and Phariseis by what example of Christ and of his doctrine can ye put a man that repenteth vnto opē shame and to that thyng whereby euer after he is had in derision among his brethren of whom he ought to be loued not mocked Ye might enioyne honest thynges to tame his flesh as prayer and fasting and not that which should be to him shame euer after and such as ye your selues would not do The vij Chapter IN the vij chapter he maketh much to do about swearyng and that for a suttle purpose Notwithstandyng the truth is that no iudge ought to make a man sweare agaynst hys will for many inconuenients If a man receaue an office he that putteth hym in the rowme ought to charge him to do it truly and may and happly ought to take an oth of him If a man offer him selfe to beare witnesse the iudge may of some haply ought to take an othe of them but to compell a man to beare witnesse ought he not And Moreouer if a iudge put a man to an othe that he shall aunswere vnto all that he shal be demaūded of he ought to refuse How beit if he haue sworne and thē the wicked iudge aske him of thinges hurtfull vnto his neighbour agaynst the loue that is in Christ then he must repent that he hath sworne but not sinne agayne to fulfill his othe For it is agaynst Gods commaundement that a man should hurt his neighbour that hath not deserued it The viij Chapter VNto Church priest charity grace confession and penaūce is aunswered him in the beginning of the booke And when he sayth Tyndall was confederate with Luther that is not truth The ix Chapter THē his ix chapter is there nothing more foolish For if he would haue any wise man to beleue that my translation would destroy the Masse any otherwise then the Latine or Greeke text he should
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
lyfe and godly conuersation that both his teaching lyuing going togither as the one may edifie by doctrine so the other may profit by example First touching the birth and parentage of this blessed Martyre in Christ hée was borne in the edge of Wales and brought vp from a childe in the vniuersitie of Oxforde where hée by long continuance grew and encreased aswell in the knowledge of tongues and other liberall artes as especially in the knowlege of Scriptures whereunto his mind was singularly addicted Insomuch that hée liyng in Magdalene hall read priuelye to certaine studentes and felowes of Magdalene College some percell of Diuinitie instructing them in the knowlege and trueth of the Scriptures Whose maners also and conuersation being correspondent to the same were such that all they which knewe him reputed and estéemed him to bée a man of most verteous disposition and of a life vnspotted Thus hée in the vniuersitie of Oxford encreasyng more and more in learning and procéeding in degrées of the schooles spiyng his tyme remoued from thence to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge where after hée had likewise made his abode a certayne space and béeing now farther rypened in the knowledge of Gods worde leauing that vniuersitie also hée resorted to one M. Welshe a knyght of Glocester sheare and was there schoole master to his children and in very good fauour with his master This gentleman as hée kept a very good ordinary commonly at his table there resorted vnto him many tymes sondry Abbottes Deanes Archdeacons with other diuers Doctours and great beneficed men Who there togither with M. Tyndall sittyng at the same table did vse many tymes to enter communication and talke of learned men as of Luther and Erasmus and of diuerse controuersies and questions vpon the scripture At which time M. Tyndall as he was learned wel practised in Gods matters so he spared not to shew to them simply and playnely his iudgement in matters as he thought And when as they at that tyme did varie from Tyndall in opinions and iudgment he would shewe them the booke and lay playnely before them the open and manifest places of the scriptures to confute their errours and to confirme his sayinges And thus continued they for a season reasoning and contending togither diuers and sondry tymes till at the length they waxed wery of him and bare a secret grudge in their hartes against hym Not long after this it happened that certaine of these great Doctours had inuited M. Welshe and his wife to a banket where they had talke at will and pleasure vttering their blindnes and ignoraunce without any resistaunce or gayne saying Then M. Welshe and his wife comming home and calling for M. Tyndall beganne to reason with him about those matters wherof the Priestes had talked before at their banket M. Tyndall aunswering by Scriptures mainteyned the trueth reproued their false opinions Then sayd the Lady Welshe a stoute and wise woman as Tyndall him selfe reporteth well sayd she there was such a Doctour which may dispend a C. l. an other CC. l. and an other CCC poūdes And what were it reason thinke you that we should beléeue you before them M. Tyndall gaue her no aunswere at that tyme nor also after that because he saw it would not auayle he talked but litle in those matters At that tyme he was about the translation of a booke called Enchiridon militis Christiani Which being translated he delyuered to his Master and lady Who after they bad read and well perused the same the doctourly Prelates were no more so often called to the house nether had they the Chere nor countenaunce when they came as before they had which thing they well marking and perceiuing and supposing no lesse but it came by the meanes of Tyndall refrayned thē selues and at the last vtterly withdrewe them selues and came no more there As this grewe on the Priestes of the countrey clustering togither beganne to grudge and storme against Tyndall rayling at him in houses and other méeting places Of whom Tyndall him selfe in his first Prologue before the first booke of Moses testifieth in his owne wordes and reporteth that hée suffered much in that countrey by a sort of vnlearned Priestes being full rude and ignoraunt sayth hée God knoweth which haue séene no more Latyn then that onely which they reade in their Porteasses and Missalles which yet many of them can skarsely reade except it bée Albertus de Secretis mulierum in which yet though they bée neuer so sorely learned they pore daye and night and make notes therein and all to teach the mydwifes as they say and also an other booke called Lynwood a Booke of Constitutions to gather tythes mortuaryes Offeringes Customes and other pillage which they call not theirs but Gods part the duetie of holy Church to discharge their consciences with all For they are bound that they shall not deminishe but encrease all thinges to the vttermost of their powers which perteineth to holy Church Thus these blinde and rude Priestes flocking togither to the Alehouse for that was their preaching place raged and rayled against him affirming that his sayengs were heresy addyng moreouer vnto his sayenges of their owne heades more then euer hée spake and so accused him secretly to y t Chauncelour and other of the Bishops officers It folowed not long after this that there was a sitting of the Byshops Chaūcelour appointed and warning was geuen to the Priestes to apere amōgest whom M. Tyndall was warned to bée there And whether hée had any misdoubt by their threatenings or knowledge geuen him that they would lay some thinges to his charge it is vncerteyne But certaine this is as hée him selfe declareth that hée doubted their preuy accusations so that hée by the way in going thitherwardes cryed in his mynde hartely vnto God to geue him strength to stand fast in the trueth of his worde When the tyme came of his apperaunce before the Chaūcelour hée threatened him greuously reuiling and rating him as though hée had béene a dogg and layed to his charge many thinges whereof no accuser could yet bée brought forth as commonly their maner is not to bring forth the accuser notwithstanding that the Priestes of the countrye the same time were there present And thus M. Tyndall after those examinations escaping out of their handes departed home and returned to his Master againe There dwelt not farre of a certaine Doctour that had béene an olde Chauncelor before to a Bishop who had béene of olde famyliar acquaintaunce with M. Tyndall and also fauoured him well Vnto whom M. Tyndall went and opened his mynde vpon diuers questions of the Scripture For to him hée durst bée bolde to disclose his harte Vnto whom the Doctour sayd Doe you not knowe that the Pope is very Antechrist whom the Scripture speaketh of But béeware what you say for if you shall bée perceaued to bée of that opinion it will cost you your
passion Peter was angry and rebuked Christ and thought earnestly that he had raued and not wist what he sayde as at another time when Christ was so feruently busied in healyng the people that he had no leisure to eat they went out to hold him supposing that he had bene beside hymselfe And one that cast out diuels in Christes name they forbade because he wayted not on them so glorious were they yet And though Christ taught alway to forgeue yet Peter after long goyng to schole asked whether men should forgeue seuen tymes thinkyng that viij tymes had bene to much And at the last supper Peter would haue dyed with christ but yet within few houres after he denyed him both cowardly and shamefully And after the same maner though he had so long heard that no man might auenge him self but rather turne the other cheeke to then to smite agayne yet when Christ was in takyng Peter asked whether it were lawful to smite with the sword and taried none aunswere but layed on rashly So that though when we come first vnto knowledge of the truth and the peace is made betwene God and vs and we loue his lawes and beleue and trust in him as in our father and haue good hartes vnto him and be borne a new in the spirite yet we are but childrē and young scholers weake and feble and must haue leysure to grow in the spirite in knowledge loue and in the ded◅ therof as young children must haue tyme to grow in their bodies And God our father and scholemaster feedeth vs and teacheth vs accorcordyng vnto the capacitie of our stomackes and maketh vs to grow and waxe perfect and fineth and trieth vs as gold in the fire of temptations and tribulations As Moyses witnesseth Deutero viij saying Remember all the way by whiche the Lord thy God caried thee this xl yeares in the wildernesse to humble thee and to tempte or prouoke thee y t it might be knowen what were in thine hart He brought thee into aduersitie and made thee an hungred then fed thee with Manna which neither thou nor yet thy fathers euer knew of to teach that man lyueth not by bread onely but by all that procedeth out of the mouth of GOD. For the promises of God are lyfe vnto all that cleaue vnto them muche more then breade and bodyly sustenaunce as the iourney of the children of Israell out of Egipt into the land promised them ministreth thee notable ensamples and that aboundantly as doth all the rest of the Bible also Howbeit it is impossible for flesh to beleue and to trust in the truth of Gods promises vntil he haue learned it in much tribulation after that God hath deliuered him out therof agayne God therefore to teach Ionas and to shew him his owne hart to make him perfect and to instruct vs also by his ensample sent him out of the lande of Israell where he was a Prophet to go among the heathen people and to the greatest and mightiest Citie of the world then called Niniue to preache that within xl dayes they should all perish for their sinnes and that the Citie should be ouerthrowen Whiche message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest harted womā in the world ▪ hath power if◅ were commaunde◅ to leape int◅e of lyuyng snakes and adders as happely if God had cōmaunded Sara to haue sacrificed her sonne Isaa◅ as he did Abraham she would haue disputed with him yer shee had done it or though she were strong enough yet many an holy Saint could not haue founde in their hartes but would haue runne away from the presence of the commaundement of God with Ionas if they had bene so strongly tempted For Ionas thought of this maner loe I am here a Prophet vnto Gods people the Israelites Whiche though they haue Gods worde testified vnto them dayly yet despise it and worshyp God vnder the likenesse of calues and after all maner fashions saue after hys owne word and therfore are of all nations the worst and most worthy of punishment And yet God for loue of fewe that are among them and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them How then should GOD take so cruel vengeaunce on so great a multitude of them to whō hys name was neuer preached to and therfore are not the tenth part so euill as these If I shall therfore go preach so shal I laye and shame my selfe and God thereto make them the more to dispise God and set the lesse by him and to bee the more cruell vnto his people And vpon that imagination he fled from the face or presence of God that is out of the coūtrey where God was worshipped in and from the prosecutyng of Gods commaundement and thought I will get me an other way among the heathen people and be no more a prophet but liue at rest and out of all combraunce Neuerthelesse the God of all mercy which careth fo◠his elect children turneth all vnto good to them and smiteth them to heale thē againe and killeth them to make them aliue agayne and playeth with them as a father doth some tyme with his young ignoraunt children and tempteth them and proueth them to make them see their owne hartes prouided for Ionas how all thinges should be When Ionas entred into the shyp he layd him down to slepe and to take his rest that is his conscience was tossed betwene the commaundement of God which sent him to Ninine and his fleshly wisedome that dissnaded counselled him the contrary and at the last preuailed against the commaundement and caryed him an other way as a shyp caught betwene two streames as Poetes faine the mother of Meliager to be betwen diuers affections while to aduenge her brothers death shee sought to slea her owne sonne Whereupon for very paine and tediousnes he lay down to slepe for to put the commaundement which so gnewe and fret his conscience out of mynde as the nature of all wicked is when they haue sinned a good to seke all meanes with riot reuell and pastime to driue the remembraūce of sinne out of their thoughtes or as Adam did to couer their nakednes with apornes of Pope holy workes But God awoke him out of his dreame set his sinnes before his face For when y t lot had caught Ionas then bee sure that his sinnes came to remembraunce agayne and that his cōscience raged no lesse then the waues of the Sea And then he thought that he onely was a sinner and the heathen that were in the shyp none in respect of him and thought also as veryly as he was fled from God that as veryly God had cast him away for the sight of the rodde maketh the naturall child not onely to see and to knowledge his faulte but also to forget all his fathers old mercy and kindnesse And then he confessed his sinne openly
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
proued to be the enemyes of God and that we hate him For how can we be at peace with God and loue hym seing we are conceiued and borne vnder the power of the deuill and are his possession and kingdome his captiues and bondmen and ledde at his wyll he holdeth our hartes so that it is impossible for vs to consent to the wil of God much more is it impossible for a man to fulfill the lawe of his owne strength and power seyng that we are by birth and of nature the heires of eternall damnation As sayth Paul Ephe 2. We sayth he are by nature the children of wrath Whiche thyng the lawe doth but vtter onely and helpeth vs not yea requireth impossible thynges of vs. The lawe when it commaūdeth that thou shalt not lust geueth thee not power so to doe but damneth thee because thou caust not so do IF thou wilte therefore bee at peace with God and loue him thou must turne to the promises of God and to y t Gospell which is called of Paul in the place before rehearsed to the Corinthians the ministration of righteousnes and of the spirite For fayth bringeth pardō and forgeuenes freely purchased by Christes bloud and bringeth also the sprite the sprite looseth the bondes of the deuill and setteth vs at libertie For where the sprite of the Lord is there is libertie sayth Paule in the same place to the Corinthians that is to say there the harte is free and hath power to loue the will of God there the hart mourneth that he cannot loue inough Now is that consent of y t hart vnto the law of God eternall life yea though there bee no power yet in the members to fulfill it Let euery man therfore accordyng to Paules councell in the 6. chapter to the Eph. arme himselfe with y t armour of god that is to vnderstand with gods promises aboue all thing sayeth he take vnto you the shield of fayth wherewyth ye may be able to quenche all the fierye dartes of the wicked that ye may be able to resist in the euill day of temptation and namely at the houre of death See therfore thou haue Gods promises in thyne hart and that thou beleue them without waueryng when temptation ariseth and the deuill layeth the law thy dedes agaynst thee aunswere him with the promises and turne to God and confesse thy selfe to hym and say it is euenso or els howe could he be mercifull but remember that he is the God of mercy of truth and cannot but fulfil his promises Also remember that hys sonnes bloud is stronger then all the synnes and wickednes of the whole world and therewith quiet thy self and therunto commit thy selfe and blesse thy selfe in all temptation namely at the houre of death with that holy cādle Or els perishest thou though thou hast a thou sand holy candels about thee a C. ton of holy water a shipfull of pardones a clothe sacke full of Friers coates and all the ceremonies in the world and al the good workes deseruings and merites of all the men in the worlde bee they or were they neuer so holy Gods worde onely lasteth for euer and that which he hath sworne doth abide whē all other thynges perish So long as thou findest any consent in thyne hart vnto the law of God that it is righteous and good and also displesure that thou canst not fulfill it dispayre not neither doubt but that Gods spirit is in thee and that thou art chosen for Christes sake to the inheritaunce of eternall lyfe And agayne Rom. 3. We suppose that a man is iustified through fayth without the deedes of the lawe And likewyse Rom. 4. We say y t sayth was reckoned to Abraham for righteousnes Also Romaynes v. seyng that we are iustified through fayth we are at peace with God Also Roma 10. With the hart doth a man beleue to be made righteous Also Gal 3. Receiued ye the spirite by the deeds of the law or by hearyng of the fayth Doth he which ministreth the sprite vnto you worketh miracles among you do it of the deedes of the law or by hearyng of faith Euen as Abraham beleued god it was reckoned to hym for righteousnes Vnderstand therfore saith he that the children of fayth are the children of Abraham For the Scripture saw before that God would iustify the heathen or Gentiles by fayth shewed before glad tidings vnto Abraham in thy sede shall all nations be blessed Wherfore they which are of fayth are blessed that is to witte made righteous with righteous Abraham For as many as are of the deedes of the law are vnder curse For it is written saith he Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to fulfill them Item Gala. ij where he resisted Peter in the face he sayth We whiche are Iewes by nation and not sinners of the Gentiles know that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the law but by the fayth of Iesus Christ and haue therfore beleued on Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the fayth of Christ and not by the deedes of the law for by the deedes of the law shall no flesh be iustified Item in the same place he sayth touchyng y t I now liue I lyue in y e fayth of the sonne of God which loued me and gaue him selfe for me I despise not the grace of GOD. For if righteousnes come by y e law thē is Christ dead in vayne And of such like ensamples are all the Epistles of Paul full Marke how Paule laboreth with him selfe to expresse the excedyng misteryes of fayth in the epistle to the Ephesians and in the Epistle to the Collossians Of these and many such like textes are we sure that the forgiuenes of sinnes and iustifying is appropriate vnto faith onely without the addyng to of workes Take for the also the similitude that Christ maketh Math. vij A good tree bringeth forth good frute And a bad tree bringeth forth bad frute There seest thou that the frute maketh not the tree good but the tree the frute that the tree must afore hand be good or be made good yer it can bryng forth good frute As he also sayth Math. xij either make the tre good and his frute good also either make the tree bad and hys frute bad also How can ye speake wel while ye your selues are euil So likewise is this true and nothyng more true that a mā before all good workes must first be good and that it is impossible that workes should make hym good if he were not good before yet he did good workes For this is Christes principle as we say a generall rule How can ye speake well while ye are euill so likewise how can ye do good while ye are euill This is therfore a playne and a sure
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
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
for vs y â— remissioÌ„ of our sinnes but also the forgeuenesse of that grosse and fleshly imagined Purgatory saue thou must bye it out of the Pope And with such traditions they tooke away the keye of knowledge and stopped vp the kyngdome of heauen that no man could enter in And as I sayd they taught the people to beleue in the dedes of the ceremonies which God ordeined not to iustifie but to be signes of promises by which they that beleued were iustified But the Phariseis put out the significations queÌ„ched the fayth and taught to be iustified by the woorke as ours haue serued vs. For our Sacramentes were once but signes partly of what we should beleue to styrre vs vp vnto fayth and partly what we should do to styrre vs vp to do the law of God and were not workes to iustifie Now make this reason vnto Iohn and vnto many Prophetes that went before him and did as he dyd yea and vnto Christ him self and his Apostles thou shalt finde them all heretickes and the Scribes and Phariseis good men if that reason be good Therfore this wise thou mayst aunswere No thankes vnto the heades of y â— Church that the Scripture was kept but vnto the mercy of God For as they had destroyed the right sense of it for their lucre sake euen so would they haue destroyed it also if they coulde rather then the people should haue come vnto the right vnderstaÌ„dyng of it as they slew the true interpretours and preachers of it And euen so no thankes vn to our hypocrites that the Scripture is kept but vnto the bottomlesse mercy of God For as they haue destroyed the right sense of it with their leueÌ„ and as they destroy dayly the true preachers of it and as they kepe it from the lay people that they should not see how they iuggle with it euen so would they destroy it also could they bryng it about rather theÌ„ we should come by the true vnderstandyng of it were it not that God prouided otherwise for vs. For they haue put the stories that should in many thynges helpe vs cleane out of the way as nye as they could They haue corrupt the Legend and lyues almost of all Saintes They haue fayned false bookes and put them forth some in the name of S. Hierome some in y â— name of S. Augustine in the name of S. CypriaÌ„ S. Dionise and other holy men which are proued none of theirs partly by the stile and Latine partly by autenticke stories And as the Iewes haue set vp a booke of traditions called Talmud to destroy the seÌ„se of y â— Scripture Vnto which they geue fayth and vnto the Scripture none at all be it neuer so playne but say it can not be vnderstand saue by the Talmud euen so haue ours set vp their Dunce their Thomas and a thousand like draffe to stablish their lyes thorough falsifying the Scripture say that it can not be vnderstand without them be it neuer so playne And if a man alledge an holy Doctour agaynst them they glose him out as they do the Scripture or will not heare or say the Church hath otherwise determined Now therfore when they aske vs how we know that it is the Scripture of God aske them how Iohn Baptist knew other Prophetes which God styrred vp in all such times as the scripture was in like captiuitie vnder hypocrites Did Iohn beleue that the Scribes Phariseis and hygh Priests were the true Church of God and had hys spirite and could not erre who taught the Egles to spy out their pray euen so the children of God spy out their father and Christes elect spy out theyr Lord and trace out the pathes of hys feete and folow yea though he go vpoÌ„ the playne and liquide water which will receaue no stepe yet there they find out his foote his elect know him but the world knoweth him not Iohn 1. If the world know him not thou call the world pride wrath enuy couetousnesse slouth glottony and lechery then our spiritualtie know hym not Christes shepe heare y â— voyce of Christ Iohn x. where the world of hypocrits as they know hym not euen so the wolues heare not his voyce but compell the Scripture to heare them and to speake what they lust And therfore except the Lord of Sabaoth had lest vs seede we had bene all as Sodome and Gomor sayd Esay 1. And euen so sayd Paul in hys tyme. And euen so say we in our time that the Lord of the hostes hath saued him seede hath gathered hym a flocke to whom he hath geuen cares to heare that the hypocritish Wolâ—es can not heare and eyes to see that the blynd leaders of the blynd can not see and an hart to vnderstaÌ„d that the generation of poysoned Vipers caÌ„ neither vnderstand nor know If they alleage S. Augustine which sayth I had not beleued the Bospell except the authoritie of the church had moued me I answere as they abuse that saying of the holy man euen so they alleage all the Scripture and all that they bring for them euen in a false sence S. Augustine before he was conuerted was an heathen maÌ„ and a Philosopher full of worldly wisdome vnto whom the preaching of Christ is but folishnesse sayth Paule i. Corin. i. And he disputed wyth blynde reasons of worldly wisdome agaynst the Christen Neuerthelesse the earnest liuing of the Christen according vnto theyr doctrine and the constant suffering of persecutioÌ„ and aduersitie for their doctrines sake moued hym stirred hym to beleue that it was no vayne doctrine but that it must nedes be of god in that it had such power with it For it happeneth that they which wyll not heare the worde at the beginning are afterward moued by the holy conuersation of them that beleue As Peter warneth ChristeÌ„ wines that had heathen husbandes that would not heare the truth preached to liue so godly that they might winne their heathen husbandes with holy conuersation And Paule sayth how knowest thou Christen wife whether thou shalt winne thine heathen husband with holy conuersation meÌ„t he For many are woÌ„ne with godly liuing which at the fyrst either will not heare or can not belene And that is the authoritie that S. Augustine meane But if we shal not beleue tyll the liuyng of the spiritualtie conuert vs we be like to bide long inough in vnbeliefe And wheÌ„ they aske whether we receaued the scripture of them I aunswere that they which come after receaue the scripture of them that go before And when they aske whether we beleue not that it is Gods worde by the reason that they tell vs so I aunswere that there are two manuer faythes an historicall fayth and a feelyng fayth The historicall fayth hangeth of the truth and honestie of the teller or of the common fame and
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
and to follow the ensample of the Saint is but an exhorting to serue Images and so are ye Image seruers that is Idolaters And finally the more deuotion men haue vnto such deedes the lesse they haue vnto Gods commaundement in so much that they which be most wont to offer to Images to shew them be so colde in offering to the poore that they wyll scarce geue them the scrappes which must els be geuen dogges or their olde shone if they may haue new bromes for them ¶ Pilgrimages TO speake of pilgrimages I say that a Christian man so that hee leaue nothyng vndone at home that he is bounde to do is free to go whether hee will onely after the doctrine of the Lord whose seruaunt he is and not his owne If he go and visite the poore the sicke and the prisoner it is wel done and a worke that God commaundeth If hee goe to this or that place to heare a Sermon or because hys mynde is not quyet at home or if because hys harte is to muche occupied on his worldly businesses by the reasons of occasions at home he get him into a more quiet and still place where hys minde is more abstract and pulled from worldly thoughtes it is well done And in all these places if whatsoeuer it be whether liuely preaching ceremony relique or Image stirre vp his hart to God and preach the worde of God and the ensample of our Sauiour Iesus more in one place then in an other that he thether go I am content And yet he bideth a Lord and the thinges serue hym and he not them Now whether his entēt be so or no his deedes will testifie as his vertuous gouerning of his house and louing demeanour towarde his neighbours yea and Gods worde wil be alway in his hart and in hys mouth he euery day perfecter thē other For there can nothing edifie mans soule saue that which preacheth hym Gods worde Onely the worde of god worketh the health of the soule And whatsomeuer preacheth hym that can not but make him perfecter But to beleue that God wyll be sought more in one place then in an other or that God will heare thee more in one place then in an other or more where the Image is then where it is not is a false faith and Idolatrie or Image seruice For first God dwelleth not in temples made with hands Act. xvij Item Steuen dyed for the contrary and proued it by the prophetes Act. vij And Salomon in the viij of the third of the kynges when he had built his temple testified the same and that he had not built it for god to dwel in yea and that God dwelleth not in the earth but that he should out of heauen heare the prayers of thē that prayed there And the Prophetes dyd often testifie vnto the people that had such a false fayth that God dwelt in the temple that he dwelt not there Moreouer God in his Testament byndeth hym selfe vnto no place nor yet the But speaketh generally concernyng where and when saying Psalme xlix in the day of the tribulation thou shalt call on me and I will deliuer thee thou shalt glorifie me He setteth neither place nor tyme. But wheresoeuer and when soeuer so that the prayer of Iob vppon the donghill was as good as Paules in the temple And when our Sauiour sayth Iohn xvj What soeuer ye aske my father in my name I will geue it you he sayth not in this or that place or this or that day but wheresoeuer and when soeuer as well in the fieldes as in the towne and on the Mōday as on the Sonday God is a spirit and wil be worshypped in the spirite Iohn iiij That is though he be presēt euery where yet he dwelleth liuely gloriously in y e myndes of aūgels onely hartes of men that loue his lawes and trust in his promises And wheresoeuer God findeth such an hart there he heareth the prayer in all places and tymes indifferently So that the outward place neither helpeth or hindreth except as I sayd that a mans mynde be more quiet and still from the rage of wordly businesses or that some thyng styre vp the word of God and example of our Sauiour more in one place then in an other ¶ Whence Idolatrie or image seruice spryngeth NOw that thou mayst see whence all this Idolatrie or image seruice is sprong marke a litle and then I will aunswere vnto the Arguments whiche these Image seruers make agaynst the open truth All the ceremonies ornamentes and sacrifices of the old Testament were Sacramentes That is to wete signes preaching vnto the people one thing or an other As circumcision preached vnto them that God had chosē them to be his people and that he would be their God defend them and encrease and multiplie them and keepe them in that land and blesse the fruites of the earth all their possessiōs And on the other side it preached how that they had promised God agayne to kepe his commaundemēts ceremonies and ordinaunces Now whē they saw their young children circumcised if they cōsented vnto the appointement made betwene God and them moued by the preachyng of that same then were they iustified therby Howbeit the dede in it selfe the cuttyng of of y t foreskyn of the manchilds priuey member iustified them not nor was a satisfactiō for the childes sinnes but the preachyng onely did iustifie thē that receaued the fayth therof For it was a badge geuē indifferently aswell vnto them that neuer cōsented in theyr hartes vnto Gods law as vnto the elect in whose hartes the law was written And that this was the meanyng of Circumcision may be proued many wayes But namely by Paul Rom. 2. where he sayth circumcision is much worth if thou keepe the lawe whose signe it was and els not And Rom. iij. where he sayth that God did iustifie the circumcised of faith whose signe it was on the other side and els not And the Paschall lambe was a memoriall of their deliueraunce out of Egipt onely and no satisfaction or offering for sinne And the offering of their first fruits preached how they had receaued all such fruites of the hand of God and that it was God that gaue them that land and that kept them in it and that did blesse make their fruites grow In token wherof as vnto a Lord roiall they brought him the first ripe frutes of their haruest Which remēbrance as long as it abode in their harces it moued thē to loue God againe their neighbour for hys sake as he so oft desired them And out of this ceremony was fette the blessing of our new ripe fruits for like purpose though we haue lost the signification And their other offerings as y t sacrices of Dones Turtles Lambes kiddes sheepe Calues Goates and Oxen were no satisfactions for sinne but onely a signe
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
the abuse And Ezechias brake the brasen serpeÌ„t 4. King 18. for the abuse And euen so such processions and the multitude of ceremonies and of holydayes to might as wel be put downe And the ceremonies that be left would haue their significations put to them and the people should be taught them And on the Sondayes Gods woorde woulde be truely preached Which if hys holy church would do neyther the Irishe nor yet the Welshe woulde so pray By which praying and other like blyndnesse M. More may see that buzsing in Latine on the holy dayes helpeth not the hartes of the people And I wonder that M. More can laugh at it and not rather weepe for compassion to see the soules for which Christ shed hys bloud to perish And yet I beleue that your holy Church will not refuse at Easter to receaue y â— tithes of all that such blynde people robbe as well as they dispence wyth all false gotteÌ„ good that is brought them and wyll lay the ensample of Abraham and Melchisedeck for them The xii Chapter IN the xij he alleageth that S. Hierome and Augustine prayed to Saints and concludeth that if any secte be one better then an other they be the best I answere though he coulde proue that they prayed to Saintes yet coulde he not proue hymselfe thereby of the best sect nor that it were good therefore to pray to Saints For first the Apostles Patriarkes and Prophetes were sure to be folowed which prayed to none And agayne a good man might erre in many thynges and not be damned so that hys errour were not directly agayust the promises that are in Christes bloud neyther that he held them maliciously As if I beleued that the soules were in heaueÌ„ immediatly and that they prayed for vs as we do one for an other and did beleue that they heard al that we spake or thought and vppon that prayed to some Saint to pray for me to put hym in remeÌ„brance onely as I pray my neighbour and without other trust or confidence and though all be false yet should I not be damned so loÌ„g as I had no obstinacie therein for the fayth that I haue in Christes bloud should swalow vp that errour till I were better taught but M. More should haue alleaged the places where they prayed vnto saintes And then he alleageth agaynst hym selfe that the miracles were wrought by God to confirme hys doctrine and to testifie that the preacher there was a true messenger But the myracles that confirme praying to Saintes do not confirme Gods doctrine But mans imaginations For there was neuer man yet that came forth and sayd loe the sâ—ulâ—s of the Saintes that be dead be in heauen in ioy with Christ and God wyll that ye pray vnto them In token whereof I do this or that miracle And when he triumpheth a little after as though all were wonne saying if our olde holy doctours were false and their doctrine vntrue and their miracles fayned let them come forth and do miracles themselues and proue ours fayned Syr ye haue no doctours that did myracles to stablishe your worshippyng of Images and so forth Your doctrine is but the opinion of faythlesse people which to coÌ„firme y t deuil hath wrought much subtiltie And as for the myracles done at Saints graues and at the presence of reliques as long as true myracles endured and vntill the scripture was antentickly receaued were done to confirme the preaching y t such Saints had preached while they were aliue And therto the myracles which Witches do we confound not wyth other myracles but wyth scripture we proue them not of God but of the deuill to stablishe a false fayth to leade from God as your doctrine doth And likewise where we can confound your false doctrine with auteÌ„ticke manifest scripture there neede we to do no myracle We bryng Gods testament coÌ„firmed wyth myracles for all that we do ye ought to require no more of vs. And in like maner do ye first geue vs autenticke scripture for your doctrine If ye haue no scripture come forth and preach your doctrine and coÌ„firme it wyth a myracle And then if we bring not autenticke scripture agaynst you or confounde your myracle wyth a greater as Moses dyd the sorcerers of Egipt we wyll beleue you And when he speaketh of tryall of myracles what do ye to trie your myracles whether they be true or fayned And besides that Gods worde which should be the triall ye refuse and do all that ye can to falsifie it And when he speaketh of sectes of heretickes I answere that they which ye call heretickes beleue all in one Christ as the scripture teacheth and ye in all saue Christ And in your false doctrine of your owne fayning wythout scripture ye haue as many sundry sectes as all Monkes and Fryers and students in diuinitie in all your vniuersities For first yer ye come to diuinitie ye be all taught to deny the saluation that is in Christ And none of you teacheth an nother so much as the articles of your fayth But follow almost euery man a sundry doctour in y e scripture hys owue brayne framyng it euer after the false opinions whiche he hath professed yer he come at it And when he sayth that God would soone vtter fayned myracles I answere God hath had at all times one or another to improue yours wyth Gods woorde And I aske whether Mahometes fayned myracles haue not preuayled viij hundred yeares And your abhominable deedes worse then the Turkes testifie that ye loue the truth lesse then they And vnto them that loue not the truth hath God promysed by the mouth of Paule 2. Thess 2. to send them aboundaunce and strength of false myracles to stablishe them in lyes and to deceaue them and lead theÌ„ out of the way so that they cannot but perishe for their vnkindnesse that they loued not the truth to liue therafter to honour God in their members And wheÌ„ he saith the heretickes haue no miracles I answer they nede not so long as they haue autentickescripture And when he sayth God sheweth no myracles for the doctoures of the heretickes No more he nedeth not for all they preach is the scripture confirmed wyth myracles and receaued many hundred yeares agoe And therefore God nedeth not to shew myracles for them whyle they liue to strength their preaching And to shew myracles for them when they be dead to moue the people to pray to them and to put their trust in them as ye do in yours were to make them Idoles not Saintes And when he speaketh of myracles done in their churches in tyme of persecution I answere those were not the miracles of your Churche but of them that beleued the Scripture and suffered for it as y t heretickes do now For ye had neuer persecution for your false doctrine which
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
Christ and their brethren for his sake and do all thyng for their sakes onely not once thinking of heauen when they worke but on their brethrens neede When they suffer themselues aboue might then they comfort their soule with the remeÌ„braunce of heauen that this wretchednes shall haue an ende and we shall haue a thousand folde pleasures and rewardes in heauen not for the merites of our deseruings but geuen vs freely for Christes And he that hath y t loue hath the right faith and he that hath y t faith hath the right loue For I caÌ„ not loue my neighbour for Christes sake except I first beleue that I haue receaued such mercy of Christ Nor can I beleue that I haue receaued such mercy of Christ but that I must loue my neighbour for his sake seing that he so instantly desireth me And when he alleageth S. Iames it is aunswered him in the Mammon and S. Augustine answereth hym And S. Iames expoundeth himselfe For he saith in the first chapter God which begatte vs of his owne will wyth the worde of truth which worde of truth is his promises of mercy and forgeuenesse in our Sauiour Iesus by which he begat vs gaue vs life and made vs a new creature thorow a fast faith And Iames goeth and rebuketh the opinion and false fayth of them that thinke it inough to be saued by if they beleue that there is but one god that Christ was borne of a virgine and a thousand things which a man may beleue and yet not beleue in Christ to be saued from sinne thorow him And that Iames speaketh of another faith then at the beginning appeareth by his ensample The deuils haue faith saith he yea but the deuilles haue no faith that can repent of euil or to beleue in Christ to be saued thorow him or that caÌ„ loue God and worke his wil of loue Now Paule speaketh of a fayth that is in Christes bloude to be saued thereby which worketh immediatly thorough loue of the benefite receaued And Iames at the beginning speaketh of a fayth that bydeth trying saying the trying of your faith worketh or caâ—seth pacience But the faith of the deuilles will bide no trying for they will not woorke Gods will because they loue him not And in like maner is it of the fayth of them that repent not or that thinke themselues without sinne For except a maÌ„ feele out of what daunger Christ hath deliuered hym he can not loue the worke And therfore Iames sayth right that no such fayth that will not woorke can iustifie a man And when Paule saith faith onely iustifieth And Iames that a man is iustified by woorkes and not by fayth onely there is great differeÌ„ce betwene Paules onely and Iames onely For Paules onely is to be vnderstand that faith iustifieth in the harte and before God without helpe of workes yea yer I can worke For I must receaue life thorow faith to worke wiâ—h yer I can worke But Iames onely is thys wise to be vnderstand that faith doth not so iustifie that nothyng iustifieth saue fayth For deedes do iustifie also But faith iustifieth in the hart and before God and the deedes before the worlde onely and maketh the other seene as ye may see by the scripture For Paul sayth Rom iiij it AbrahaÌ„ haue woorkes he hath whereof to reioyce but not before god For if AbrahaÌ„ had receaued those promises of deseruing then had it ben AbrahaÌ„s prayse not gods as thou mayst see in the text neither had God shewed AbrahaÌ„ mercy and grace but had onely geuen hym his dutie and deseruyng But in that Abraham receaued all the mercy that was shewed hym frely through fayth out of the deseruynges of the seed that was promised him as thou mayst see by Genesis by the Gospell of Iohn where Christ testifieth that Abraham saw his day and reioyced and of that ioy no doubt wrought it is gods prayse and the glory of his mercy And the same mayst thou see by Iames when he sayth Abraham offered his sonne so was the Scripture fulfilled that Abraham beleued it was rekened him for righteousnesse and he was thereby made Gods frend How was it fulfilled before God Nay it was fulfilled before God many yeares before and he was Gods frend many yeares before euen from the first appointement that was made betwene God and hym Abraham receaued promises of all mercy beleued and trusted God and went wrought out of that fayth But it was fulfilled before vs which can not see the hart as Iames saith I wil shew thee my faith out of my workes and as the aungell said to AbrahaÌ„ now I know that thou dreadest God Not but that he knew it before but for vs spake he that whiche can see nought in Abraham more then in other men saue by his workes And what workes ment Iames verely the workes of mercy As if a brother or a sister lacke rayment or sustenaunce and ye be not moued to compassion nor feele their diseases what fayth haue ye then No fayth be sure that feeleth the mercy that is in Christ For they that feele that be mercyfull agayne thankefull But looke on the workes of our spiritualitie which will not onely be iustified with workes before the worlde but also before God They haue had all ChristeÌ„dome to rule this viij hundred yeares and as they onely be annointed in the head so haue they onely bene Kyng and Emperour and haue had all power in their hands and haue bene the doers onely and the leders of those shadowes that haue had the name of Princes and haue led them whether they would haue brethed into their braynes what they lysted And they haue wrought the world out of peace and vnitie and euery man out of his wellfare and are become alone well at ease onely free onely at libertie onely haue all thyng onely do nought therefore onely laye on other meÌ„s backes beare nought theÌ„ selues And the good woorkes of them that wrought out of fayth and gaue theyr goods landes to finde the poore theÌ„ deuoure they also alone And what workes preach they Onely that are to them profitable wherbey they raigne in mens coÌ„sciences as God to offer to geue to be prayed for to be deliuered out of Purgatory and to redeme your sinne of them and to worshyp ceremonies and to be shryuen and so forth And when M. More is come to him selfe and sayth the first fayth and the first iustifying is geuen vs without our deseruyng God be thanked and I would fayne that he would describe me what he meaneth by the second iustifying I know no more to do then wheÌ„ I haue receaued all mercy and all forgeuenesse of Christ frely to go and powre out the same vpon my neighbour M. Dauid lost not his fayth when hee committed adultery Tyndall No and therfore he could not
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
to light that it can no lōger be hid get thē vnto the elders of the people the Lordes gentlemen and temporall officers and to all that loue this worlde as they do and vnto whosoeuer is great wyth the kyng and vnto the kyngs grace himselfe and after the same ensample and wyth the same perswasions cast them into like feare of losing of their worldly dominions and rore vnto them saying ye be negligent and care nothing ot all but haue a good sport that the heretickes rayle on vs. But geue thē space a while till they be growen vnto a multitude and then ye shall see them preach as fast against you and moue the people agaynst you and do their beste to thruste you downe also and shall cry hauocke and make all common O generation of serpentes how well declare ye that ye be the right sonnes of the father of all lyes For they which ye call heretickes preach nothing saue that which our Sauiour Iesus Christ preached and his Apostles adding nought therto nor plucking ought therfro as the Scripture commaundeth and teach all men repentaunce to God and his holy lawe and fayth vnto our Sauiour Iesus Christ and the promises of mercy made in hym and obedience vnto all that God commaundeth to obey Neyther teach we so much as to resiste your most cruell tyranny with bodely violence saue wyth Gods worde onely entending nothing but to driue you out of the temple of Christ the harts consciences and soules of mē wherein with your falshead ye sit and to restore agayne Iesus our Sauiour vnto his possession and inheritaunce bought with his bloude whence ye haue driuen him out with your manifolde wyles and subtiltie Take heede therefore wicked Prelates blynde leaders of the blynde indurat and obstinate hypocrites take heede For if the Phariseis for their resisting the holy Ghost that is to say persecuting the open and manifest truth and sleying the preachers therof escaped not the wrath vengeaunce of god how shall ye scape which are farre worse thē the Phariseis For though the Phariseis had shut vp the Scripture and set vp theyr owne professions yet they kept theyr owne professions for the most part But ye will be the chiefest in Christes flocke and yet wyll not keepe one iot of the right way of his doctrine Ye haue therto set vp wonderfull professions to be more holy therby thē ye thinke that Christes doctrine is able to make you and yet keepe as little thereof except it be with dispensations in so much that if a man aske you what your maruelous fashioned playing coates and your other popatrye meane and what your disfigured heades all your Apishplay meane ye know not and yet are they but signes of thinges which ye haue professed Thyrdly ye will be Papistes and holde of the Pope and yet looke in the Popes lawe and ye keepe thereof almost nought at all but whatsoeuer soundeth to make for your bellyes and to maintaine your honour whether in the Scripture or in your owne traditions or in the Popes lawe that ye compell the laye people to obserue violently threatening them with your excommunications and cursses that they shal be damned both body and soule if they keepe them not And if that helpe you not then ye murther them mercilesly with the sworde of the temporall powers whom ye haue made so blinde that they be ready to sley whom ye cōmaūde and will not yet heare his cause examined nor geue him roome to aunswere for himselse And ye elders of the people feare ye God also For as the elders of the Iewes which were partakers with the Scribes and Phariseis in resisting the holy Ghost and in persecuting the open truth and sleying the witnesses therof and in prouoking the wrath of God had their parte with them also in the day of wrath and sharpe vengeaunce which shortly after fell vppon them as the nature of the sinne against the holy Ghost is haue her damnation not onely in the worlde to come but also in this life according vnto all the ensamples of the Bible and autenticke stories since the worlde beganne euen likewise ye if ye will wincke in so open cleare light and let your selues be led blyndfold and haue your part with the hypocrites in lyke sinne and mischief be sure ye shall haue your part with them in lyke wrath and vengeance that is like shortly to fall vpon them And concernyng that the hypocrites put you in feare of the rising of your commons agaynst you I aunswere if ye feare your cōmōs so testifie ye agaynst your selues that ye are tyrauntes For if your consciences accused you not of euill doyng what neede ye to feare your commons What commons was euer so euil that they rose against their heads for well doyng Moreouer ye witnesse agaynst your selues also that ye haue no trust in God For he hath promised the temporall officers assistence if they minister their offices truly and to care for the keepyng of thē as much as they care for to kepe his lawes The hypocrites happly byd you take an example of the Vplanoish people of Almany which they lye that Martin Luther styrred vp For first what one sentence in all the writyng of Martin Luther finde they that teacheth a mā to resist his superiour Moreouer if Martin Luther and the preachers had styrred vp the common people of Germany how happened it that Martin Luther other like preachers had not perished likewise with them whiche are yet all alyue at this houre Ye will aske me who styrred thē vp them I aske you Who styrred vp the commōs of the Iewes to resiste the Emperour after that the Scribes and Phariseis with the Elders of the people had slayne Christ his Apostles Verely the wrath of God And euen so here the wrath of God styrred them vp partly to destroy the enemyes and persecutours of the truth and partly to take vengeaunce on those carnall beastes whiche abused the Gospell of Christ to make a cloke of it to defend their fleshly libertie and not to obey it and to saue their soules therby If Kynges Lordes and great men therfore feare the losse of this worlde Let them feare God also For in fearyng God shall they prolong their dayes vpon the earth and not with sightyng agaynst God The earth is Gods onely his fauour and mercy doth prolong the dayes of kynges in their estate not their owne power and might And let all men be they neuer so great hearkē vnto this and let this be an aunswere vnto them Wicked kyng Achab sayd vnto the Prophet Elias Art thou he that troublest Israell And Elias aūswered it is not I that trouble Israell but thou and thy fathers houshold in that ye haue forsaken the commaundementes of the Lord and folow Idoles Euen so the preachers of the truth which rebuke sinne are not the troublers of
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.
thē a mote in the sonne and that as lōg as great thicke as he stode before them If hee wereso mighty why is he not as mighty to make his bloud to bee alone and his body alone hys bloud body and soule were ech alone at his death and while the body lay in the sepulchre Finally Christ said this is my bloud that shal be shed Ergo it is true now this is my bloud that was shed Now the bloud of Hayles and the bloud that is in many other places men say is the bloud that was shed Ergo that bloud is in the Sacrament if any be but I am not bound to beleue or ought to affirme that the bloud that is at Hayles is anymate with the soule of Christ or that his body is there present Wherfore to auoid this endles braulyng whiche the deuils no doubt hath stirred vp to turne y t eyes of our soules frō the euerlastyng couenaūt made vs in Christes bloud body to nossell vs in Idolatry which is trust confidēce in false worshippyng of God to quēch first the faith to Christward and thē the loue due to our neighbour therfore me thinketh that the party y t hath professed y e faith of Christ the loue of his neighbour ought of denty to beare ech other as lōg as the other opiniō is not plaine wicked through false Idolatrie nor cōtrary to the saluation that is in Christ nor agaynst the opē manifest doctrine of Christ and his Apostles nor contrary to the generall articles of the fayth of the generall Churche of Christ which are confirmed with open Scripture In whiche articles neuer a true Church in any land dissenteth There be many textes of the Scripture therefore diuersly expounded of holy doctours takē in cōtrary sēces whē no text hath cōtrary sēces in dede or more thē one single sence yet that hurteth not neither are y e holy doctors therfore heretikes as the expositiō destroyeth not the faith in Christes blud nor is cōtrary to the opē scripture or general articles No more doth it hurt to say that the body bloud are not in the Sacramēt Neither doth it helpe to say they be there but hurt excedingly if ye inferre y t the soule is there to and that God must be there prayed to when as our kingdome is not on the earth euē so we ought not to direct our prayers to any God in earth but vp where our kyngdome is And whether our redemer sauiour is gone there sitteth on the right hand of his father to pray for vs to offer out prayers vnto his father to make thē for his sake acceptable neither ought he y t is bound vnder paine of dānatiō to loue his brother as Christ loued him to hate to persecute to slay his brother for blind zeale to any opiniō that neither letteth nor hindereth to saluatiō that is in Christ As they which pray to God in the Sacramēt not onely do but also through that opinion as they haue lost loue to their neighbours euen so haue they lost the true fayth in y t couenaūt made in Christes bloud and body Which couenaunt onely is y t which saueth And to testifis this was the sacramēt institute onely ¶ FINIS A Letter sent from William Tyndall vnto Iohn Frith being prisoner in the Tower of London THe grace and peace of God our father and of Iesus Christ our Lord be with you Amen Dearely beloued brother Iohn I haue heard say how that hypocrites nowe that they haue ouercome that great busines which letted thē at the least way haue brought it at a stay they returne to their old nature agayne The will of God be fulfilled and that which he hath ordeyned to be ere the world was made that come and his glory reigne ouer all Dearely beloued how euer the matter be commit your selfe wholy and onely vnto your most louing father most kinde Lorde and feare not men that threat nor trust men that speake fayre but trust him that is true of promise and able to make his worde good Your cause is Christes Gospell a light that must be fedde with the bloud of fayth The lampe must be dressed and snuffed dayly and that oyle poured in euery euening and morning that the light goe not out Though we be sinners yet is the cause right If when we be busteted for well doing we suffer paciently and endure that is acceptable to God for to that ende we are called For Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps who did no sinne Hereby haue we perceaned loue that he layed downe his lyfe for vs Therefore we ought also to laye downe our liues for the brethern Reioice and be glad for great is your reward in heauen For we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Who shall chaunge our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working wherby he is able euen to subiect all thinges vnto hym Dearely beloued be of good courage and comfort your soule with the hope of this high reward and beare the Image of Christ in your mortall body that it may at his comming be made like to his immortall and folow the example of all your other dear brethren which chose to suffer in hope of a better resurrection Kéepe your conscience pure and vndefiled and say against that nothing Sticke at necessarie thinges and remēber the blasphemies of the enemies of Christ saying they finde none but that will abiure rather then suffer the extremitie Moreouer the death of thē that come againe after they haue once denyed thouh it be accepted with God and all that beléeue yet is it not glorious for the hipocrites say he must néedes dye denying helpeth not But might it haue holpen they would haue denyed fyue hundred tymes but seing it would not helpe them therefore of pure pride and mere malice togither they speake with their mouthes that their conscience knoweth false If you geue your selfe cast your selfe yelde your selfe commit your selfe wholy and onely to your louyng father then shall his power be in you and make you strong and that so strong that you shall féele no payne which should be to an other present death and his spirit shall speake in you and teach you what to aunswere according to his promise He shall set out his trueth by you wonderfully and worke for you aboue all that your hart can imagine Yea you are not yet dead though the hipocrites all with all they can make haue sworne your death Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem To looke for no mans helpe bringeth the helpe of God to them that seeme to be ouercome in the eyes of the hipocrites Yea it shall make God to cary you through thicke and thinne for his truethes sake in
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
instinctions and loue vnto learning where vnto he was addict He had also a wonderfull promptnes of wit and a redye capacitie to receaue and vnderstand any thing in so much that he semed not to bee sent vnto learning but also borne for the same purpose Neither was there any diligence wanting in him equall to that towardnes or worthy of his disposition Whereby it came to passe that he was not onely a louer of learning but also became an exquisite learned man And at that tyme it happened that Thomas Wolsey Cardinall of Yorke prepared to buyld a College in Oxforde whiche had the name and title of Frideswyd but now named Christes Church And vnto this College the sayd Cardinall gathered togither such men as were founde to excell in any kinde of Learning and knowledge Amonge whom this Iohn Frith the Author of these notable workes was one who then being a studient in Cambridge and Bacheler of arte was called from thence and placed in y e said College And when he had diligently Labored in most godly study certaine yeares not without great profite both of Latyn and Greeke Then being suspected to be a fauorer of Martyn Luthers doctrine He was aprehended and committed to prison from whence afterward being deliuered he resorted to the Citie of London and there came in acquayntaunce with William Tyndall And not long after the sayd William Iohn Frith had many metinges and great conferences and by the sayd William he fyrst receaued into his hart the seede of the Gospell and sencere godlines after with great perill and Daunger they both being inquired sought for fled William Tyndall first placed him selfe in Germany and there did first translate the Gospell of S. Mathewe into Englishe and after the whole new testament c. And not long after the departure of Tyndall Iohn Frith escaped and fled into Flaūders where he remayned almost the space of iij. yeares and there he made his booke against purgatory and dyuerse other Godly and learned workes as in the perface of the sayd booke doth appeare But at the last he being driuē to necessitie and lacke of money was forced secretly to returne ouer into this Realme to be releued of his frendes namely of the Prior of Reading And as it was thought he purposed to haue had the Prior ouer with him And he being at Reading it happened that he was there taken for a vagabond and brought to examination Where the simple man loth to vtter him selfe what he was and vnacquainted with their maner of examinations and they greatly offended with him committed him to y e stockes where when he had sitten a long tyme and was almost pined with hunger would not for all that declare what he was At the last he desired that y e Schoolemaster of the towne might be brought vnto him which at that tyme was one Leonard Coxe a man very well learned Assone as he came vnto him Frith by and by in the Latyn tongue began to bewaile his Captiuitie The schoole master being ouercome with his eloquence did not onely take pitie and compassion vpon him but also began to loue and embrace such an excellent witt and disposition vnlooked for especially in suche state of mysery Afterward they conferring more togither vpon many thinges as touching the Vniuersities Schooles and tonges fell frō the Latyn tongue to the Greeke wherein Frith did so inflame the loue of the sayd schoole master towardes him that he brought him into a merueilous admiration especially when as the schoolemaster hard him so promptly by hart rehearese Homers verses out of his first booke of Iliades Wher vpon the schoolemaster went with all speede vnto y e Magistrates greuously cōplayning of the iniury which they did shewe vnto so excellent and innocent a yong man And so through the helpe of the sayde schoolemaster the said Frith was freely set at libertie All be it his sauetie cātynued not long through the great hatred and deadly persute of Sir Thomas More who at that tyme being Chauncelor of England persecuted him both by land and Sea besettyng all the wayes hauens and portes yea and promysing great rewardes if any man could bring hym any newes or tydinges of hym Thus Frith being on euery part beset with troubles not knowing which way to turne hym sought for some place to hide him in And so flyeng from one place to another often chaunging both his garmentes and place yet could he be in safetie in no place no not long amongest his very frendes so that at the last he comming to a Porte towne in Essex called Milton shore and there purposing to haue taken shipping to haue passed ouer into Flaunders was betrayed and brought bounde backe agayne and layed in the Tower of London And diuerse tymes after was called before Sir Thomas More also before the Byshops with whom he had many conflictes And he continuing long prisoner in the Tower at the last a false brother resorted vnto him whose name was William Holt a Taylour who feyning that he bare great frendship vnto him so slattered him and he himselfe being vtterly voyde of all suspicious nature that he began to communicate vnto him his very Secretes and among other entred into a longe discourse of the sacrament which Frith had penned in a booke in the tyme that he was Prisoner in the Tower And when the sayd Holt had seene the sayd booke he required him most instantly to lend him the same onely to reade ouer the which the sayd Iohn Frith did vnaduisedly graunte which after was the occasion of his greate trouble and finally of his death So sone as this false brother had the booke he departed for now he had the praye that he had long watched for And forth with he caried the sayde book◠vnto Sir Thomas More who reioyced not a litle at the hauing thereof and forthwith whetted his wittes and cauled his spirites togither meaning to refute his opinion by a contrary booke but that was more then he could doe Yet he attempted to doe asmuch as he might and at the last wrote a booke agaynst him the Copie whereof when it came to Frithes handes although he were then prisoner in the Tower and destitute both of bookes and conference yet he aunswered it omitting nothing that any man coulde desire to the perfect and absolute handeling of the matter Beside all these cōmendations of the afore sayde Learned yong man there was also in him a frendly and prudent moderation in vttering of the trueth ioyned with learned godlines which vertue hath alwayes so much preuayled in the Church of Christ that without it all other good giftes of knowledge be they neuer so great can not greatly profite but oftentimes doe very much hurt And in all matters where necessitie did not moue him to contend he was ready to graunt all thinges for quietnes sake After he had sufficiently contended in his writynges with More Rochester and Rastall Mores sonne
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 cōdemne it because he thought that men could not at that time beare it But after in his booke which he entituled De vanitate huius soeculi there doth he fully shew his minde in these wordes Scitote quòd cum anima a corpore auellitur statim aut pro meritis bonis in Paradiso collocatur aut pro merit is malis in inferni tartara praecipitatur i. Wote ye well that when the soule is departed from the body eyther it is by and by put into paradise according to hys good desertes or els it is thrust hedlong into hell for hys sinnes Here he cleane condemneth purgatory for if thys be done by and by assoone as the soule is departed from the body then can there be no purgatory and so maketh S. Austen wholy with vs. Thinke ye that S. Austen dissenteth from his companion S. Hierome or from hys owne Master S. Ambrose Nay verely Howbeit I will alleage theyr owne wordes and then iudge SAint Ambrose dissenteth not from S. Austine but doth stablysh hys sentence as fully as is possible for he writeth in the second chapter of hys booke which is called De bono mortis on this maner bringing in the words of Dauid Psal 39. Aduena ego sum in terra peregrinus sicut omnes patres mei Et ideo tanquam peregrinus ad illā sanctorum communem omnium patriam festinabat Petens pro huius commorationis inquinamento remitti sibi peccata priusquam discederet de vita Qui enim hîc non acceperit remissionem peccatorum illic non erit Non erit autem quia ad vitam aeternam non potuerit peruenire quia vita aeterna remissio peccatorum est Ideoque dicit remitte mihi vt refrigerer priusquam abeam
ye haue as it appeareth vnto you the euident wordes of Christ and therefore consiste in the barke of the letter yet are we compelled by conferring of the scriptures together within the letter to searche out the mynde of our Sauiour which spake the wordes And we say thirdly that we do it not of an obstinate mynde For he that defendeth a cause obstinately whether it be true or false is euer to be reprehended But we do it to satisfie our coÌ„scieÌ„ces which are coÌ„pelled by other places of Scripture reasons and Doctours so to iudge of it And euen so ought you to iudge of your partie and to defende your sentence not of obstinacie but by y e reason of Scriptures which cause you so to take it And so ought nether partie to dispise other for eche séeketh the glory of God and the true vnderstaÌ„ding of the Scripture This was the foundation of my first treatise that he hath left vnshakeÌ„ which is a great argumeÌ„t y â— it is very true For els hys pregnant wit could not haue passed it so cleane ouer but would haue assayled it with some sophisticall cauillation which by hys painted poetrie he might so haue coulered that at the lest he might make y e ignoraunt some appearance of truth as he hath done agaynst the residue of my first treatise which neuerthelesse is true and shall so be proued And first that it is none article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation may thus bee further confirmed The same fayth shall saue vs whiche saued the olde fathers before Christes incarnation But they were not bounde vnder payne of damnation to beleeue this pointe therefore it shall followe that we are not bounde therto vnder the payne of damnation The firste part of myne argument is proued by S. Agustine ad DurdamuÌ„ And I dare boldly say almost in an C. places For I thinke there be no propositioÌ„ which he doth more ofteÌ„ inculcate theÌ„ this y â— the same fayth saued vs which saued our fathers The second part is manifest that it néedeth no probation For how coulde they beleue y e thyng which was neuer saide nor done and without the word they could haue no fayth vppon the truth of these two parties must the conclusion nedes folow Notwithstanding they all dyd eate Christes bodye and dranke hys bloud spiritually although they â—ad hym not present to their téeth And by y e spirituall eating which is the fayth in his body and bloud were saued as well as we are For as soone as our forefather Adam had transgressed Gods precept and was fallen vnder condemnation our most mercyfull father of hys gracious fauour gaue hym the promise of health and comfort whereby as many as beleued it were saued from the thrauldome of their transgression the worde promise was this I shal put enmitie betwene thée and the woman betwene thy séede and her séede that séede shall treade thée on the head and thou shalt treade it on the hele In thys promise they had knowledge that Christe should become the séede or sonne of a woman and that he shoulde destroye the deuill with all his power and deliuer his faythfull from their sinnes And where he sayde that the deuyll should treade it on the hele they vnderstoode right well that the deuyll should finde the meanes by his wyles and wicked ministers to put Christ to death And they knew that God was true and would fulfill hys promise vnto them and hartely longed after this séede and so did both eate his body and drinke his bloud knowledging wyth infinite thankes that Christ should for their sinnes take y â— perfect nature of maÌ„hode vppon him and also suffer the death This promise was geuen to Adam and saued as many as did beleue and were thaÌ„k full to God for hys kyndnes and after it was established vnto our father Abraham by the word of God which sayde In thy séede shall all nacions of the earth be blessed And with hym God made a couenant that he would be his God and do him good And Abraham agayne promised to kéepe his preceptes and walke in his wayes Then God gaue him the sacrament of circumcision and called that his couenaunt which thing notwithstanding was not the very couenaunt in déede although it were so called But was onely a signe token â—acrament or memoryall of the couenaunt that was betwene God and hym which might expounde our matter if men had eyes to sée After that God promised him a sonne wheÌ„ his wife was past childe bearing and he also very olde Neuerthelesse he doubted not of Gods worde But surely beleued that he which promised it was able to performe it And that was recounted vnto hym for righteousnes This Abraham did both eate his body and drinke hys bloud through fayth beleuing verely that Christ should take our nature spring out of his séede as touching his fleshe and also that he shoulde suffer death to redéeme vs. And as Christe testifieth he hartely desired to sée the day of Christ And he sawe it and reioysed he sawe it in fayth and had the day of Christ that is to say all those thinges that shoulde chaunce hym playnely reuelated vnto him albeit he were dead many huÌ„dred yeares before it were actually fulfilled and reuelated vnto y e world And by that fayth was he saued and yet neuer did eate his fleshe with his téeth nor neuer beleued that bread shoulde be his bodye and wyne hys bloud And therfore sith he was also saued without that fayth and y e same fayth shall saue vs which saued hym I thinke that we shall also be saued if we eate him spiritually as he dyd although wee neuer beleue that the bread is his body Furthermore that mercifull Moses whiche brought the children of Israell out of Egypt into the wildernes obtayned of God by prayers both Manna from heaueÌ„ to féede his people and also water out of the stone to refreshe and comfort theÌ„ This Manna and water were euen the same thyng vnto them that the bread and wyne is to vs. For Saint Austen sayeth Quicunque in manna Christum intellexerunt eundem quem nos cibum spiritualem manducauerunt Quicunque autem de maÌ„na solam saturitatemquè sinerunt manducabant mortui sunt Sic etiam eundeÌ„ potuÌ„ petra enim erat christus That is to say as many as in that manna vnderstoode Christ did eate that same spirituall meate that we doe but as many as fought onely to fill their bellies of that manna the fathers of the vnfaythfull did eate and are dead And likewise y â— same drinke for the stone was Christ Here may you gather of S. Austen that the Manna was vnto them as y e bread is to vs and likewise that the water was to them as the wyne is to vs whiche anone shall appeare more playnly S. Austen sayth further
signification and sought their health and righteousnes in the bodely worke and in the sacrifice it selfe then were they abhominable in the sight of God and then he cryed out of them both by the Prophet Dauid and Esay And likewise it is with our Sacramentes let vs therefore séeke vp the significations and go to the very thing which the sacrament is set to present vnto vs. And there shal we finde such fruitfull foode as shall neuer fayle vs but comfort our soules into life euerlastyng Now will I in order answer to M. Mores booke and as I finde occasion geuen me I shall indeuoure my selfe to supply that thyng which lacked in the first treatise and I trust I shall shewe such lyght that all men whose eyes the Prince of this worlde hath not blynded shall perceiue the truth of the scriptures and glory of Christ And where as in my first treatise the truth was set forth with all simplicitie and nothing armed against the assault of sophisters that haue I somewhat redressed in this booke haue brought bones filte for their téeth which if they be to busie may chaunce to choke them ¶ Thus beginneth the Preface of M. Mores booke IN my most harty wyse I recommende me vnto you and send you by this bringer the wryting againe which I receiued from you Whereof I haue bene offered a cople of copies mo in the mean while as late as ye wot well it was Deare brethren consider these wordes and prepare you to the crosse that Christ shall lay vppon you as ye haue oft bene counsaylled For euen as when the Wolfe howleth y e shéepe had nede to gather thēselues to their shepheard to be deliuered from the assault of the bloudy beast likewyse had you nede to slye vnto the shepheard of your soules Christ Iesus to sell your coates and buye his spirituall sworde which is the word of God to defende and deliuer you in this present necessitie for now is the tyme that Christ tolde vs of Math. x. that he was come by his worde to set variaunce betwene the sonne and his father betwene the daughter and her mother betwene the daughter in lawe and her mother in lawe that in a mans owne householde shall be his enemies But be not dismayde nor thinke it no wonder for Christe those twelue and one of them was y e Deuill and betrayed his master And we that are his disciples may loke for no better than he had himself for the scholer is not aboue his mayster Saint Paule protesteth y e he was in perill among false brethren surely I suppose that we are in no lesse ieopardye For if it be so that hys mastership receiued one copye and had a cople of copyes moe offered in the meane while then may ye be sure that there are many false brethren which pretend to haue knowledge in déede are but pykethankes prouiding for their bellye prepare ye therfore clokes for the weather waxeth cloudy and rayne is like to followe I meane not false excuses and forswearing of your selues but that ye loke substantially vpon Gods worde that you may be able to answere their subtle obiections And rather chuse manfully to dye for Christ and hys worde than cowardlye to deny hym for thys vayne and transitory lyfe cōsidering that they haue no further power but ouer this corruptible bodye which if they put it not to death must yet at y e length perish of it selfe But I trust the Lord shall not suffer you to be tēpted aboue that you may beare but according to y e sprite that he shall poure vppon you shall he also sende you the scourge and make hym that hath receiued more of the sprite to suffer more and him that receiueth lesse thereof to suffer according to his Talent I thought it necessary first to admonishe you of this matter and now I will recite more of M. Mores boke Whereby men may see how gredely these newe named brethren writeit out secretly spread it abroade The name is of great antiquitie although you liste to ieste For they were called brethrē ere our Bishops were called Lordes and had y e name geuen them by Christ saying Math. xxiij all ye are brethren And Luke y ◠xxij Confirme they brethren And the name was cōtinued by the Apostles and is a name that nourisheth loue amitie And very glad I am to heare of their gredy affection in writing out and spreading abroade the worde of God for by that I do perceiue the prophesie of Amos to haue place which sayth In the person of God I will send hunger and thyrste into the earth not hunger for meate nor thurst for drinke But for to here the word of God Now begynneth the kyngdome of heauen to suffer violence Now runne the poore Publicanes which knowledge them selues sinners to the word of God puttyng both goodes and body in ieoperdy for the soule health And though our Byshops do call it heresie and all them heretickes that hunges after it yet do we know that it is the Gospell of the lyuyng God for the health and saluation of all that beleue And as for the name doth nothing offēde vs though they call it heresie a thousand tymes For S. Paule testifieth that the Phariseis and Priestes which were counted the very Church in hys tyme dyd so call it and therefore it foreceth not though they ruling in their rowmes vse the same names Which young mā I here say hath lately made diuers other thynges that yet runne in hoker moker so close amōg the brethren that there commeth no copies abroad I aunswere that surely I can not spynne and I thinke no mā more hateth to be idle then I do Wherfore in such thynges as I am able to doe I shal be diligēt as long as God lendeth me my lyfe And if ye thinke I be to busie you may rid me the sooner for euen as the shéepe is in the butchers handes ready bound and looketh but euen for the grace of the butcher whē he shall shed his bloud Euen so am I bounde at the Byshops pleasures euer lookyng for the day of my death In so much that playne worde was sent me that the Chauncelour of Lōdon sayd it should cost me the best bloud in my body whiche I would gladly were shed to morow if so be it might open the kyngs graces eyen And verely I maruell that any thing can runne in hoker moker or be hyd from you For sith you mought haue such store of copyes concernyng the thyng whiche I most desired to haue ben kept secret how should you then lacke a copye of those thynges which I most would haue published And hereof ye may be sure I care not though you and all the Byshops with in England looke on all that euer I wrote but rather would be glad that ye so dyd
Austen sayd before the Apostle sayth not we signifie burning but sayth we are buried And likewise here Christ sayd not this signifieth my body but this is my body calling the sacrament signe token and memoriall of so great a thing euen with y e name of the very thing it selfe thus doth S. Ambrose choke our sophisters Neuerthelesse I will alleage one place more out of S. Ambrose where he saith Dicit sacerdos fac nobis inquit hanc oblationeÌ„ scriptaÌ„ rationabileÌ„ quod est figura corporis Domini nostri Iesu Christi That is y e Priest sayth make vs this oblation acceptable c. For it is a figure of the body of our Lord Iesu Christ Here he cauleth it plainly a figure of Christes body which thing you can not auoyde Therfore geue prayse vnto God let his truth sprede which is so plainely testified by these holy fathers Now let vs see what S. Hierome sayth S. Hierome writyng vpon Ecclesiaste sayth on thys maner Caro Domini verus cibus est sanguis eius verus potus est hoc solum habemus in praesenti saeculo bonuÌ„ si vescamur carne eius cruoreque potemur non solum in mysterio sed â—tiam in scripturarum lectione verus enim cibus potus qui ex verbo dei sumitur scientia scripturarum est That is to say The flesh of the Lord is very meate hys bloud is very drinke This is onely the pleasure or profite that we haue in thys worlde that we may eate hys fleshe and drinke hys bloud not onely in a mysterye but also in the readyng of Scriptures For the very meate and drink which is taken out of Gods worde is the knowledge of Scriptures Here may ye sée Saint Hieromes minde in few wordes For first he sayth that we eate hys fleshe and drinke hys bloud in a mysterye which is the sacrament of hys remembraunce and memoriall of hys passion And after he addeth that we eate hys flesh and drinke hys bloud in the reading and knowledge of Scriptures and calleth that very meate and very drinke And yet I am sure ye are not so grosse as to thinke that the letters which you read are turned into naturall fleshe and bloud And likewise it is not necessary that the bread shoulde be turned into hys body no more then y e letters in scripture are turned into hys fleshe And neuerthelesse through â—ayth we may as well eate hys body in receauing of the sacrament as eate hys fleshe in reading of the letters of the Scripture Besides that S. Hierome calleth the vnderstanding of the Scripture very meate and very drinke which you must néedes vnderstand in a mystery and spirituall sense for it is neither materiall meate nor drinke that is receaued with the mouth and téeth but it is spirituall meate and drinke and is so called for a similitude propertie because that as meate and drink comfort the body and outward man so doth the readyng and knowledge of Scripture comfort the soule and inward man And likewise it is of Christes body which is called very meate and very drinke which you must néedes vnderstand in a mysterye or spirituall sense as S. Hierome called it for hys body is no materiall meate nor drinke that is receaued with the mouth or téeth but it is spirituall meate and drinke and so called for a similitude and propertie because that as meate and drinke comforteth the body so doth the fayth in hys body breaking and bloudsheding refreshe the soule vnto lyfe euerlastyng We vse it customably in our dayly speach to say when a childe setteth all hys mynde and delight on sport playe It is meate and drinke to thys childe to playe And also we say by a maÌ„ that loueth well hawking and hunting it is meate and drinke to this man to hawke hunt Where no man doubteth but it is a figuratiue speach And therefore I wonder that they are so blinde in thys one poynt of Christes body and can not also take the wordes figuratiuely as these olde Doctors dyd Agayne S. Hierome sayth Postq mysticum pascha fuerat impletum agni carnes cum Apostolis comederat assumit panem qui comfortat cor hominis ad verum paschae transgreditur sacramentum vt quomodo in praefiguratione eius Melchisedech summi Dei sacerdos vinum panem offerens fecerat ipse quoquè viritatem corporis sanguinis repraesentaret That is to say After the mystical Easter Lambe fulfilled and that Christ had eaten the Lambes fleshe with the Apostles he tooke bread which comforteth the hart of man and passeth to the true sacrament of the Easter LaÌ„be that as Melchisedech brought forth bread and wyne figuryng hym so might he likewyse represent the truth of hys body and bloud Here doth S. Hierome speake after the maner that Tertullian dyd before that Christ with bread and wyne dyd represent the truth of hys body For except he had had a true body he coulde not leaue a figure of it nor represent it vnto vs. For a vayne thyng or phaÌ„tasie can haue no figure nor can not be represented as by example how should a man make a figure of hys dreame or represent it vnto our memorye But Christ hath left vs a figure and representation of hys bodye in bread and wyne therefore it followeth that he had a true bodye And that this was S. Hieromes mynde it doth manifestly appeare by y e words of Beda which doth more copiously set out thys saying of Hierome For he writeth on thys maner Finitis paschae veteris solennijs quae in commemorationem antique de Aegypto liberationis agebantur transit ad nouum quod in suae redemptionis memoriam Ecclesia frequentare desiderat vt videlicet pro carne agni vel sanguine suae carnis sanguinisque sacramentum in panis ac vini figura substituens ipsum se esse monstraret cui inrauit Dominus non poenitebit eum Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech Frangit auteÌ„ipse panem quem porrigit vt ostendat corporis sui fractionem noÌ„ sine sua sponte futuram c. Et paulò post Similiter calicem postquam coenauit dedit eis Quia ergo panis carnem confirmat vinum vero sanguinem operatur in carne hic ad corpus Christi mystice illud refertur ad sanguinem That is to say After the solemnitie of the olde Easter Lambe was finished which was obserued in the remembraunce of the olde deliueraunce out of Egypt he goeth vnto the new which the Church gladly obserueth in the remembraunce of hys redemption that he in the stead of the fleshe and bloud of the Lambe might institute and ordayne the Sacrament of hys fleshe and bloud in the figure of bread and wyne and so declare hym selfe to be the same vnto whom the Lord sware and will not repent thou art a perpetuall Priest after
euē it that I sayd before that it was not possible to stand with the processe of the Scripture which we haue receaued And now hys mastership hath graunted it hym selfe which you may be sure he would not haue done if hee coulde otherwyse auoyde it And here you may see how sore I haue ouerséene my selfe God forbid that any man should be the more prone ready to beleue this yong man in this greate matter because he sayth in the beginning that he will bring all men to a concord a quietnes of conscience for he bringeth men to the worst kinde of quietnes that may be deuised when he telleth vs as he doth that euery man in this matter may without perell beleue which way he list Euery man may in euery matter without any counsell sone set hym self at rest if he list to take that way and to beleue as he list him selfe care not how But and if that way had bene sure S. Paule would neuer haue shewed that many were in perill of sicknes and death to For lacke of discerning reuerently the body of our Lord in that sacrament when they came to receiue hym When Christ should depart this world and go to his Father he gaue his desciples a commaundement that they should loue ech other saying by this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if you loue ech other as I haue loued you This rule of charitie wolde I not haue broken which notwithstanding is often in Ieopardie among faythfull folke for this sacrament of vnitie This thing considered I thought necessarie to aduertise both parties to saue this rule of charitie and proued in y e first chapter of my treatise that it was no article of the fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnatiō and therfore that they were to blame that would be contencious for the matter For sith it is no article of the fayth that may lawfully dissent without all Ieoperdye néede not to breake the rule of charitye but rather to receiue the other like pore brethren As by example Some thinke that the mariage betwéene our most redoubted prince Quéene Katerine is lawfull may stand with y ◠lawes of God some thinke that it is vnlawfull and ought to be disanulled now if we should for this matter breake the rule of charitie and euery man hate his neighbour that would not thinke as he doth then were we greatly to blame and in Ieoperdie of condemnation This I say I proued in y e first chapter against which More maketh no busines and improueth it not whereby you may soone gather that it is very true For els sith his mastership so laboureth in these other pointes he would not haue left y ◠vntouched you may be sure This is the concorde that I woulde bring them vnto And as touching quietnes of conscience I haue knowne manye that haue sore bene combred with it And among all A certaine master of arte which died in Oxford confessed vpon his death bed that he had wept lying in his bed an hundreth nyghtes within one yeares space because he coulde not beleue it Now if he had knowne it had bene no necessarye article what comfort quietnes should it haue bene vnto hym Furthermore euery man can not so quiet him selfe as M. More Imagineth For there are many that thinke them selues no small fooles which when they haue receiued some foolish superstition eyther by their owne Imagination or by beleuing their gossepes gospel and olde wiues tales by and by thinke the contrary to be deadly sinne and vtterly forbidden by Christes Gospell As by example I know an house of Religion wherein is a person that thinketh it deadly sinne to go ouer a strawe if it lye a crosse And if their be on the pauement any paynted picture or any Image grauen on a dead mans graue he will not tread vpon it although he should goe a forelong about What is this but vayne superstition wherewith the conscience is combred and corrupted May not this be wéeded out with the word of God shewing hym that it is none article of the fayth so to thinke then to tell hym that it is not forbidden by the scripture and that it is no sinne Now albeit his conscience be so cankerd that the rust will not be rubbed out yet with Gods grace some other whom he hath enfecte with the same may come agayne to Gods word and be cured full well which shoulde neuer haue bene able to quiet thēselues And likewise there are some which beleue as your superstitious hartes haue informed them and these can not quiet thēselues because they beleue y e you haue fet your doctrine out of scripture But when it is proued to them and they them selues perceiue that scripture sayth not so then can they not be content to thinke the contrary and iudge it no sinne at all And as touching S. Paule suerely ye take hym wrong for I will shew you what processe he taketh and how he is to be vnderstode but because it is not possible to finishe it in fewe words I shall deferre it vnto y e bokes ende and then I shall declare hym at large And what a facion is this to say that we may beleue if we list that there is the very body of our Lord in dede and then to tell vs for a truth that such a fayth is impossible to be true For God him selfe can neuer bring it about to make his body be there Yf a man take the bare wordes of Christ and of simplicitie be deceiued and thinke that his very body be in y e sacrament present to their téeth that eate it I dare not say that he sinneth therein but will referre the matter vnto Gods iudgement and yet without doubt I dare say he is deceaued As by example If a man deceaued by the literall sense would think that men should preach to fishes as Saint Fraunces did because Christ bad his disciples goe preach to all creatures yet would not I thinke y t he sinned therein but will referre hym vnto Gods Iudgment But yet I wene euery woman that hath any wit will say that he was deceiued I am very sure that the olde holy doctours which beleued Christes body and bloud to be there and so taught other to beleue as by there bookes playnly doth apere if they had thought eyther that it could not be there or that it was not ther in dede they would not for all the good in this world haue written as they haue done For would those holy men wene you haue taught that men be bound to beleue that the very body and bloud of Christ is there if thē selues thought they were not bound there to woulde they make men honoure and worship that thing as the very body bloud of Christ which them selues thought were not it this geare is to childish to
of the bread by eatyng of it if as I say ye remember this thyng for which intent onely the Priest speaketh those wordes then if the Priest leaue out those wordes or part therof he can not hurt you For you haue all ready the effect and final purpose for y e which he should speake them And agayne if he should wholy alter them yet he caÌ„ not deceiue you For then ye be sure that he is a lyer and though you sée the Priest bryng you the wyne consecrated yet neuer sticke at that For as surely shall it certifie your conscience and outward senses though he consecrate it not so thou consecrate it thy selfe that is to say so thou know what is ment therby and geue hym thankes as though hee made a thousand blessynges ouer it And so I say that it is euer coÌ„secrated in hys hart that beleueth though the Priest consecrate it not And contrarywise if they consecrate it neuer so much and thy consecration be not bye it helpeth thée not a rishe For except thou know what is meant therby and beleue geuyng thankes for hys body breakyng bloudshedyng it can not profite thée Now where you say that if we see the thyng disordered by the Priest and Christes institution broken and wyttingly receiue it we make our selues partakers of the cryme I aunswer that if the reformation thereof laye in our handes then sayd you truth but sith it is written to priuate persons which may not reforme this matter and that the reformation therof resteth onely in y e hand of your Prince and Parlament for y e erroure consisteth not in the misordering of the matter by one Priest only but rather of the doctrine of them all sauing such as God hath lightened to these priuate persons I say y â— your doctrine should soner be the occasion of an insurrection which we labour to eshew then any quieting of them by Christes doctrine And therefore sith there is an other waye to wood sauing all vpright we will auoyde that perylous path But when ye sée Christes institution broken and the one kinde left out vnto the laye people why are ye pertaker thereof How beit as for his beleife that taketh it no better but for bare bread wine it maketh him litell matter consecrated or not sauing that the better it is consecrated the more it is euer noyous to him that receiueth it hauing his conscience combred with such an execrable heresie by which well appeareth that he putteth no difference betwene the body of our Lord in the blessed sacrament and the comon bread that he eateth at his dinner But rather he estemeth it lesse for the one yet I thinke or he begyn if he lack a priest he will blesse it him selfe the other hee careth not as he sayth whether it be blessed or no. What I reacon it more theÌ„ bread and wine I will shew you here after in declaring the minde of S. Paule vppon this sacrament that in the conclusion of this boke And in the meane season I will say no more but that he belyeth me And as for their blessinges consecracion profit not me except I consecrate it my selfe with fayth in Christes bloud with geuing him prayse thankes for his inestimable goodnes which when I was his enemy recoÌ„ciled me vnto his father by his own death This consecration must I set by if I will haue any profit of his death which y e sacrament representeth vnto me And if I my selfe do thus consecrate it then shal I be sure of y e fruite of his death And I say agayne that as y e Priestes doe now vse to consecrate it it helpeth not the poore comens of a rishe For their consecracion should stand in preaching vnto them the death of Christ which hath deliuered theÌ„ out of the Egipt of sinne from y e fiery fornace of Pharao the deuill And as for their wagging of their fingers ouer it and saying vj. or vij wordes in latten helpeth them nothing at all for how can they beleue by y e meanes of his wordes when they know not what he sayth And as touching the common bread that I eate at my dynner whether I haue a Priest or not I blesse it with my hart and not with my fingers and hartly geue God thankes for it For if I haue an hundreth Priestes to blesse it yet am not I excused therby For except I blesse it my selfe it profiteth me no more then if it were vnblessed And if I blesse it my â—elfe then I care not what the Priest prate For as long as I vnderstand him not it profiteth me nothing but in good fayth I wene the bishops and their proctour wote not what a blessing meaneth Therefore deare bretheren hearken to me To blesse God is to geue him prayse and thankes for his benefites To blesse a king or a prince is to thanke him for his kindnes and to pray to God for him that he may long raigne to the laude of God wealth of his comens To blesse a mans neighbour is to pray for him and to do him good To blesse my breade or meate is to geue God thankes for it To blesse my selfe is to geue God thankes for his benefites that I haue receiued of him to pray God that of his infinite goodnes he will increase those giftes that he hath geuen me finishe his worke which he hath begone in me vnto his laud and prayse and as touching this fleshe to fulfill his will in it and not to spare it but scurge cut and burne it onely that it may be to his honour glory This is the forme of blessing and not to wag two fingers ouer them But alacke of this blessing our Byshops be ignorant But as for those that are good and faythfull folke and haue any grace or any sparcle of reason in their heades will I verely thinke neuer to be so farre ouerseene as in this article the truth wherof God hath him selfe testified by as many open miracles as euer he testified any one to beleue thys younge maÌ„ vpoÌ„ his barren reasons against the fayth and reason both of all old holy writers and all good Christen people this xv C. yeares As for the miracles I maruell not at them neither may they make me the sooner to beleue it for Christ told vs before that such delusions shoulde come y â— if it were possible y â— very elect should be deceaued by them And S. Paule exhorteth vs to beware of such signes and wonders And therefore I do as Moses teacheth me when I heare of such a wonder then straight I looke on the doctrine that is annexed with it If it teach me to referre all the honor to God and not to creatures and teach me noghyng but that will stand with Gods worde then will I say that it is of God But if it teach me
of the same Sonday Gaudete in domino semper c. And so postilled the whole Epistle folowing the Scripture and Luthers postill And for that SermoÌ„ he was immediately accused of heresie by ij Felowes of y t Kinges hall Then the godly learned in Christ both of Pembrooke hall S. Iohns Peter house Quéenes colledge y t kings colledge Gunwell hall Benet colledge shewed theÌ„selues and flocked togither in open sight both in y e Schooles at open SermoÌ„s at S. Maries at S. Austens and at other disputations and then they conferred continually togither The house that they resorted most commonly vnto was the white Horse which for despite of them to bring Gods worde into coÌ„tempt was named Germany This house specially was chosen because of them of S. Iohns The Kings colledge and y t Quéenes colledge came in on the backside At this tyme much trouble began to ensue And first the aduersaries of D. Barnes accused him in the Regents house before the Vicechauncelour where as his Articles were presented with hym and receaued hée promising to make aunswere at the next conuocation and so it was done Then Doctour Notoris a ranke enemy to Christ moued D. Barnes to recant but he refused so to doe as appeareth in his booke made to K. Henry the viij And this tragedy continued in Cambridge in preaching one agaynst an other in trying out of Gods trueth vntill within vj. dayes of Shroftyde Then was sent downe a Sergeaunt at Armes called Gibson who sodainely arested Doctour Barnes openly in the conuocation house to make all other afrayde and priuely they had determined to make search for Luthers bookes and all the Germaynes workes sodainely But good Doctour Forman of the Quéenes colledge sent worde incontinently therof to the chambers of those that were suspected which were in number xxx persons But God be praysed they were conueyed by that tyme that the Sergeaunt of Armes the Vichchauncelour and the proctours were at euery mans chamber goyng directly to the place where y t bookes lay whereby it was perceaued that there were some priuy spyes amoÌ„g that small company The next day in the morning the Sergeaunt of Armes caried Barnes with him and brought him to London before Cardinall Wolsey where after long waiting he by the reason of Doctour Gardiner Secretary to y t Cardinal of whose familiar acquaintaunce Doctour Barnes had béene before and M. Foxe maister of the wardes at the last he spake with the Cardinall in his chamber of estate and there before him knéeled on his knées Then sayd the Cardinall vnto them is this Doct. Barnes your man that is accused of heresie They aunswered yea and it please your grace and we trust you shall finde him reformable for he is both wise and well learned Then sayd the Cardinall what maister Doctour had you not a sufficient scope in the Scriptures to teach the people but that my golden shooes my pillers my Polleares my golden cusheons and my crosses did so sore offende you that you must make vs Ridiculum Caput amongest the people Wée were that day iolily laughed to sckorne Verely it was a Sermon more fitter to be preached on a stage then in a pulpit For at the last you sayd I did weare a payre of red gloues I shoulde say bloudy gloues quoth you that I should not be colde in the middest of my Ceremonies Then Barnes aunswered I spake nothing but the trueth out of the scriptures according to my coÌ„science and according to the olde Doctours and then he deliuered him vj. shéetes of paper written to confirme and corroborate his sayinges The Cardinall receaued them smilyng on him and saying wée perceaue that you intend to stand to your Articles and to shew your learning yea sayd Barnes that I doe intende by Gods grace and your Lordships fauour Then sayde the Cardinall vnto Barnes such as you are beare vs little fauour and the Catholique Church I will aske you a question whether doe you thinke it more necessary that I shoulde haue all thys royaltie because I represent the kynges maiesties person in all the high courtes of this Realme to the terrour and kéeping downe of all rebellions treasons traytours and all the wicked and corrupt members of the common wealth or to be as simple as you woulde haue vs and to sell all these aforesayde thinges and to géeue it to the poore which shortly would pisse it against the walles to pull away this maiestie of a princely dignitie which is a terrour to all the wicked and to follow your counsaile in this behalfe Barnes aunswered I thinke it necessary to be solde and géeuen to the poore for this is not comely for your caulyng nor the kinges maiestie is not maintained by your pompe and pollares but by God who sayth perâ—me Reges regnant Kynges and theyr maiesties raigne and stand by mée Then sayd the Cardinall loe maister Doctours here is the learned and wise man that you tolde mée of Then they knéeled downe and sayd we desire your grace to bée good vnto hym for hée will be reformable Then sayd he stand you vp for your sakes and the vniuersitie we will be good vnto hym And then sayd the Cardinall to Barnes how say you M. Doctour doe you not know that I am Legatus de latere and that I am hable to dispeÌ„ce in all matters concerning religion within this Realme as much as the Pope may He sayd I know it to be so Will you then be ruled by vs and we will doe all thinges for your honestie and for the honestie of the vniuersitie He aunswered I thaÌ„ke your grace for your good will I will sticke to y e holy Scripture to Gods booke according to the simple talent that God hath lent me Then sayd the Cardinall aunswere well I woulde aduise thée for thou shalt haue thy learning tried to the vttermost and thou shalt haue the lawe Then D. Barnes requyred hym that he might haue iustice with equitie but foorthwyth he should haue gone to the tower but that Gardiner and Foxe became his suertyes for that night And in the morning he came agayne to Yorke place to Gardiner Foxe and forthwith he was coÌ„mitted to y e Sergeaunt at Armes to bryng him into the Chapter house at Westminster before the Byshoppes and the Abbot of Westminster cauled Islip So soone as the Sergeaunt had presented Barnes the sayd Byshoppes and Abbot â–ª did first sweare him and layd Articles vnto hym who aunswered in like maner as hefore he had aunswered to the Cardinall and he offred vnto them his booke of probations who asked him whether he had an other for him selfe and he sayd yea sheweâ— it vnto them and they tooke them both from him saying that they should haue no laâ—… sure at that present to dispute with hym But demaunded of him whether he wouâ—… subscribe to his Articles or not And he subscribed willingly Then was he committeâ— to the Fléete and the Warden of the
vnto your grace for my name and fame and estemacion all thinges that belong to an honest poore man in this world is takē wrōgfully from mée hereby and haue bene by y e space of 9. or 10. yeres which is no smale tyme compelled to liue in misery and obloquy Wherfore most gracious prince lamentably I cry call vnto your grace for gracious audience indifferent iustice It were to long a processe to troble your grace with to tell all the vncharitable hand lyng that the Cardynall and the byshops apoynted by hym dyd vse with mée But I wil make vnto your grace a short somme of it as neare as I can call now to remembraunce In the yeare of our Lorde 1525. yt. 24. day of December dyd I make a sermon at the request of the parish in S. Edwardes church in Cambrige out of the which sermon dyd myne aduersaries gather these articles which when I knew I offered my selfe to preach agayne the sonday folowing And to declare my selfe and my meanyng clearely But Doctour Rydley and Doctour Preston chaplens and kynsmen to y t byshop of London foūd the meanes y t the Vicechaūcelour did inhibet me to preach But I could neuer know any reasonable cause why but that alonely hée sayde it shoulde bée for my profyt to holde my peace And with this I was so content Tyll at the last that these foresayd doctours with one master Tyrell gathered in in writyng certayne articles and presented them to the vicechauncelour which sent for mée and asked mée what I sayd to those articles I aunswered that they were none of myne But certayne wordes and sentences there were in them that I had spokē but that was left out y t should make for my declaratiō Wherefore I sayd they were none of myne And that I would bée reported by the audience To this hée sayde that I should take hede what I denied for if they brouht wytnes agaynst me thē must I nedes dye I aunswered that the witnes shoulde bée false for I neuer spake them Then sayde hée I could not proue a negatiue I aunswered that I woulde proue y t witnes false what so euer hée were Hée sayd whether they were true or false I must suffer for it if witnes come in agaynst mée for that was the lawe I sayd how y t was a piteous case And by that lawe they might condemne our M. Christ Hée sayd how y t I shoulde remember mée what I did for the matter was so daungerous and so haynous in the lawe that I might haue no counsell Then I aunswered sayd well let god helpe which knoweth all things This was in the vniuersite scholes the doores shut fast no man being w t in on my parte but I alone But of my aduersaries parte was there doctour Rydly doctour watson doctour Preston and a doctour of law whose name I haue forgotten their was also one master Fooke mayster Tyrel which was appoynted amonge them to bée the presenter of these articles Nowe the Vicechauncelour when hée coulde haue no more of mée in cōmunication béetwéene vs bée asked mée what I would doe I answered hée should goe his way and set hym downe and heare their complaint And I would make such an aunswere as God should put in my mynde Hée required mée instantly not to cast my selfe away So hée went and set hym downe and I was called before him As soone as I came then stoode forth M. Tyrell presented a roule in the which were certayne articles as hée sayd gathered out of my sermon of y t which some of them sayde hée were contentious some were sedicious some were sklaunderous and some were hereticall When hée had thus spoken Then sayd I to hym Good M. Tyrell wyll you present any of these articles as heresye At this word spake y t vicechauncelour to mée good mayster doctour let that passe Wyll you bée content to submyt your selfe Then sayd I where so euer I haue spoken against Gods word or against the exposition of holy doctours I will bée content to bée reformed and to submyt my selfe But with this was not doctour Rydlye nor doctour watson content except I should adde vnto it If I had offended the lawes of the church But at that I stopped and sayde it was to large for I knewe not what they ment by the lawes of the church nor I was no doctour of lawe Wherefore I iudged it sufficient for mée to bée reported by Gods worde by the exposicion of holy doctours For that was my facultie Thē the Vicechauncellour rekened that it was sufficiēt for mée But we could not agree in a great space in this thing Wherefore I sayd I woulde agrée to all maner of lawes y t were not gaynst Gods worde nor S. Agustine nor S. Hierome nor yet against none of the foure doctours So did it rest y t day at this poynt and no more was handeled For in this tyme was the whole body of y t vniuersitie gathered togither and knocked at the schoole doores and said they would heare the examination séeing the matter was manifest And these few persōs should not take auctorite on them onely to here and to determine such causes Than the Vicechauncelour sent the bedell to the doore requiring them to bée content but they were the more moued and knocked sorer So rose the Vicechauncelour and went hym selfe to the dore gaue them as good and as faire words as hée coulde But the conclusion was they woulde not departe except they might heare this matter iudged and as they sayd it apertained to learning And they were the body of the vniuersitie So ytVicechauncelour came backe agayne vnto vs all and sayde wée must geue ouer this matter for the vniuersitie is in a rumour so departed wée a sunder Thē within two or thrée dayes after was I cauled into Clare hall to ytVicechauncelours chamber where were also the foresayde doctours gathered agaynst mée There did they entreate mée with good wordes for to bée cōtent to bee ordered after master Vicechauncelours councell I did require that master Vicechauncelour woulde indifferently heare mee and myne aduersaries togither And then if I had sayde any thing agaynst learning I woulde bée ordered at master Vicechaūcelours cōmaūdement Thē sayd they that it was done for my profyt that mayster Vicechaūcelour did not sit in iudgmēt For as they sayd they were all my frends and woulde bée lothe that my matter shoulde bée heard in iudgemēt For if there came any witnes against mée as they were sure there would thē were I but lost I aunswered what witnes soeuer should come to proue those articles as they were layde against mée I would proue them false For I had preached openly and many learned men were at my sermon and I doubted not but they would testify the truth for both partyes But then aunswere was made mée that if thre witnesses came agaynst mée then would thrée and
Lord Cardinall were myne ordinarye iudge or not wyth other lyke captious interogations at the last they came to my first article and inquyred of mée if all dayes were alyke I sayde after the mynde of S. Hierome that all dayes were equall Then asked they mée if wée shoulde kéepe any holy dayes I sayde yes And in this matter wée had a great disputation till at the last my Lord of Rochester came And hée asked mée if this commaundement Sabatum sanctifices were a ceremoniall or a morall precepte I answered that it was a ceremoniall alleaging for mée S. Augustine ThaÌ„ sayd hee that I was not learned But alwayes when they had asked of mée a question and I had assoyled it so that they neyther woulde nor coulde abiecte any thyng agaynst mée than was I commauÌ„ded alwayes to stand a parte And they layde their heades togither till they had inuented an other captious question Than was I called agayne and myne answere geuen I was coÌ„maunded backe agayn Thus they continued with me thrée dayes in the which space their Notary wrote a reuocation of all my articles before the tyme that myne aunswere was heard And on the thyrde day after noone about iij. of y e clocke was there a greate long rolle offered vnto me for to read word by word as it there stode and commaundement was geuen me by y e Byshop of Bath â–ª that I should not speake one word afore the people more or lesse theÌ„ was written in the rolle for if I did hée would handle me well inough So I required first to sée what was writteÌ„ in the rolle or I would grauÌ„t vnto it Aunswere was made that if I would read it as it was written well good if not I should stand to the ieoperdy So I desired them to know if they had condemned any of my articles for heresie They sayd yea I asked theÌ„ which it was They sayd they would not tell me more then was writteÌ„ I aunswered Alas my Lordes y e truth is that to my iudgement I haue spoken nothyng but that standeth with S. Augustine with S. Hierome and with other Doctours of holye Churche Wherfore if it shall chaunce me thus to bée coÌ„deÌ„ned and not to bée taught wherein I can not tell what I should preach in tyme to come The Byshop of Bathe aunswered that I shoulde take no care for that for as for preachyng hée would prouide for me But I should alonly aunswere if I would read this rolle or not I desired that they would first pointe with their finger if they wold not speake it which article they had condemned for heresie and I would bée bounde to proue it true by S. Augustine or els by S. Hierome or I would bée takeÌ„ for an hereticke To this said the Byshop of Bathe that if S. Augustine and S. Hierome were here they should staÌ„d to the determination of the Church Vnto whom I sayd that the Church had so determined of S. Augustine S. Hierome that if any other church determined agaynst them I would suspect it Well sayth hée If you will stand vnto them doe We are conteÌ„t alonely tell vs whether you will read this rolle or not Then sayd I. My Lordes I beséech you in the way of charitie and for Christes sake deale charitablye with me doe me no wrong For S. Paule sayeth that you haue power geuen to edifiyng and not to destruction Very well sayd the Byshop of Bath ye néede not to feare Here bée to many witnesses that we should oppresse you wrongfully But sayd hée tell vs whether you will read this rolle or not This is the thyrd tyme the last Then sayd I. I will not grauÌ„t to it except I may first sée it Doe as it shall please you At this they sat all still wone looking on the other Then the Bishop of Bath commaunded me to departe aside So tooke they their counsell togithers And at the last I was called agayne and this was sayd to me Syr ye shall haue a man that shall read it vnto you afore Well said I. I am content And so one of their Notaries a lay maÌ„ was assigned vnto me and we departed a litle aside there hée began to read The yeare of our Lord such a day of the moneth was one Doct. Barnes conuented before the byshops in Westminster for certeine articles which were gathered out of a Sermonde that hée preached in Cambridge of the whiche some of them bée sclaunderous some bée erronious some bée contentious some bée seditious some bée foolishe and some bée hereticall When that hée came to this worde hereticall I asked hym which of them were hereticall Hée answered mée agayne yée haue heard what my Lordes sayth I can make you no answere Alas sayd I shall I bée thus condeÌ„ned for an hereticke and can not tell what is myne heresie Then sayd hée it belongeth not to me speake vnto them Well said I. Read no more So went I agayne before the Byshops And â—ell downe on my knées and desired them for the better passion of Christ that they would shewe vnto me whiche article they condemned for heresie and then if I would not bée taught they should handle me after the forme of law But to this the Byshop of Bath auÌ„swered sayd I should chose whether I would read y e rolle or els bée burned y e one of both I should doe TheÌ„ sayd I Iesus haue mercy on me I wil surely not read it And so I deliuered it to them againe Then the other Doctours cryed vppon me the one here the other there that I shoulde remember my selfe and not to cast my selfe awaye after this manner For to read the rolle said they was but a small thing and I was neuer the worse maÌ„ And I should sée that my Lord Cardinall should bée good gracious vnto me and they would all speake for me so that I supposed in very déede that they would haue required no more of me but for to haue read the rolle afore y e face of the world that I should not séeme to haue the victory agaynst them all which thing I did not greatly regarde But in very déede and if I had knowen that there had beene so mischieuous poyson tyranny and cruelnes in them as I founde afterward I would neuer haue read it to haue dyed for it But God bryngeth all thinges to passe at his pleasure Now vpon this opinion that I had in them and by the reason of theyr good wordes and pituous that they spake vnto mée I graunted to reade the roolle But than when I woulde haue read it the Byshoppe of Bathe sayd it was to late so was there a great disputation betwéene them vppon the matter Till that Doctour Quarton sayd my Lorde it is not to late for it is all in one session and in the tyme of one iudgement But the Byshop of Bathe our Lord forgéeue him sought all y e meanes y e hée
as this is But yet I pray you one worde Why bée not your haÌ„ds defiled for handeling of whores sleshe Is whores slesh so cleane that Priestes may handle it and the fleshe of an honest and a good woman so vncleane that Priest must bée burned for handeling of it Fye on the deuill Thinkest thou that men hath neyther reuereÌ„ce in their â—artes toward God nor yet reasoÌ„ to iudge of these things What can bée shameles if this thing shall bée thus alowed amongest Christen men Here bée all honest women and that in honestie abhorred despised and whores in comparison of them bée sanctified and blessed But oh thou Lord God I doe yet beléeue that thou wilt once bée reuenged of this dâ—shonour shamefulnes Moreouer why doth not oppression and violence and thefte defyle Priestes handes as well as mariage What hath pure matrymonye offended that it alonely should defyle priests hands and all other maner of vices and vncleanenes doth nothing contaminate them But alas for pitye how blindly doe we iudge of this holy ordinaÌ„ce and institution of God that thus doe blaspheme it What will men say to blessed S. Paule where hée sayth Haue we not power to lead about a syster to wife as well as the bretheren of the Lord and as Cephas I will not dispute whether that Paule had a wife or not But this I am sure that this text doth clearely proue and that after y t mind of great doctours how that Peter other Apostles had wiues Wherefore then should it bée vnlawfull for our priestes to marry Bée our priests holier theÌ„ S. Peter other Apostles Or is mariage now more vnlawfull then it was then But peraduenture here will bée sayd that the Apostles had wiues beefore y t Christ dyd chuse theÌ„ but afterward they forsooke their wyues and folowed Christ To this I aunswere that it is not inough so to say For séeing that they haue graunted how the apostles had wiues wheÌ„ they were cauled it standeth with reasoÌ„ that these men should proue by an open scripture that the Apostles after theyr caulyng dyd forsake theyr wyues Yea I wyll goe farther wyth them and say playnely that is an abhominable lye a great blasphemy agaynst God and his holy Apostles to say that they had forsaken theyr wyues For our M. Christ taught them not to forsake their wyues but in any wyse to kéepe theÌ„ sauing alonely for fornication Now is the election vnto Apostleship neyther fornication nor yet like vnto fornication Wherefore I say boldely that it is a false lye agaynst the holy Apostles to say that they forsooke their wyues Also this same place of S. Paule doth prooue it a false lye For S. Paule speaketh how S. Peter after hys Apostleshyp and also other disciples of Christ caryed theyr wyues about wyth them when they went a preaching Wherefore it is but a lye to say that they had forsaken them Now Christen reader here haue I perfourmed I trust one part of my promise that is to say I haue proued this article of myne by Gods holy worde so playnely that no man I trust can or will deny but that these Scriptures bée sufficient to moue me and al other meÌ„ to bée of this doctrine that I am of The second part of my promise was to proue this also by holy doctours Vnto the which I will now prepare my selfe But afore all thinges I louingly and charitably desyre the reader to set apart all parcialitie and malice and to iudge indifferently of my doctrine as hée will aunswere at y â— dread full day of doome and not to refuse that thyng that is truth for hatred or displeasure of my person For surely myne intent is neyther to hurte or harme nor yet displease as much as lyeth in mée any person And though I haue in tymes past somwhat vehemently written agaynst those thinges that I thought errours yet would I require hartely euery man to weye euery thyng indifferently by hymself and consider how I haue taken vpon mée not to enuey agaynst any persoÌ„ but alonely to fight agaynst that deuillishe doctrine which is dishonour to Christ and hys blessed bloude and perillous and dampnable vnto all Christen mens soules Secondarily I haue béene wrongfully and vncharitably handeled as God and all good men doth knowe the which I will bée bounde to prooue whensoeuer it shall please God and the kyng to assigne indifferent iudges to heare mée and myne aduersaries Now let no maÌ„ require in mée that hée can not finde in hymselfe that is to say that I can so patiently and so easely beare and suffer these intollerable wronges as I ought for to doe yea and paraduenture as I gladly woulde doe Wherefore I confesse that many wordes hath béene sharpely written by mée the which I would gladly had béene more charitablyer written but then God had not geeueÌ„ mée so great patience Wherefore I trust now by Gods grace somethyng more temperately to speake desiring euery good man of hys charitie to helpe mée wyth his deuoute prayer Amen To our purpose Fyrst commeth blessed S. Ciprian of whom was asked a question what should bée done wyth those religious personnes that could not kéepe theyr chastitie as they had vowed These bée hys wordes Thou doest aske what wée doe iudge of vyrgins the which after they haue decréed to lyue chastly are afterward founde in one bedde wyth a man Of the which thou sayst that one of them was a Deacon Wée doe wyth great sorow sée y â— great ruine of many persons which coÌ„meth by y â— reasoÌ„ of such vnlawfull and perillous companying togither Wherefore if they haue dedicate them selues vnto Christ out of fayth to lyue purely and chastly then let them so remayne wyth out any fable and strongly and stedfastly to abyde the rewarde of virginitie But and if they wyll not abyde or els can not abyde then is it better to marry then for to fall into the fier of concupiscence and let them géeue vnto the brethren and sisterne none occasion of sclaunder c. I doe for my parte require no more then blessed Cyprian doth here teach that is to say if Priestes can lyue sole I beséeche our Lord to rewarde them for it géeue them grace to continue But if they can not I woulde haue no snare layd for theyr soules nor yet haue them compelled to a thyng that they can not kéepe But I woulde the thyng shoulde bée indifferent for them that can lyue chaste so to remayne And they that haue not the gifte nor can not so lyue for to vse that lawfull remedy that God hath ordained What hath men to doe or what moueth theÌ„ to compell Priestes not to marry as long as God is conteÌ„ted with priests wedlocke Let no man thynke that such a compulsion is acceptable to God And if men wyll not bée conteÌ„ted with this doctrine that is so good so reasonable and so honest what
do not take their vocation to seke Gods glory and honour but to liue easilie promote themselues to dignitie Libertie God destroyeth one wicked with an other Gods word is not the cause of euill Christes Disciples were long weake and worldly mynded What the Popes doctrine causeth he coÌ„maundeth murther The popes doctrine is bloudy Christes doctrine to peaceable God auengeth hys doctrine him selfe How a maÌ„ ought to behaue him selfe in readyng of doctours and also in the Scripture Our fathers and mothers are to vs in Gods stede What wee doe to our fathers mothers that we do to God The reward of obedience The reward of disobedience God auengeth disobedience hym selfe though the officer will not Mariage couetousnes maketh our spiritualitie that they cannot see that which a Turke is ashamed of Get her with child say they so shall thy cause bee best Gods commaundementes breake they throughe their owne traditions Money maketh marchaundise Iugglers Mariage altereth the degree of nature The husband is 〈◊〉 the wife in gods stede In sufferynge wronges patieÌ„tly â—e folow the steppes of Christ The master is vnto the seruanÌ„t in Gods stede Our spiritualtie retayne mens seruauntes not to honour God but their traditions and ceremonies onely Christes doctrine the Popes differre If thy master please thee not shaue thy selfe a Monke a Frier or a Priest To obey no man is a spirituall thyng Rom. 13. Kyngs are chosen to suppresse the wicked support the good An â—pte similitude Iudges are called Gods Blessyng Curse God rewardeth aâ— obedience though no maÌ„ els do God auengeth all disobedience though no maÌ„ els do VeÌ„geance is Gods Dauid God destroyeth one wicked by an other God prouideth a meanes to take the euil out of the way when they haue fulfilled their wickednes Why Dauid slewe not Saul The kyng 〈◊〉 in the roâ—â—â—e of god in this world The kyng must be reserued vnto the vengeaunce of God It iâ— not lawfull for a Christen subiect to resiste hys Prince though he be an heathen man Kynges must make accompt of their doynges onely to God The kyng hath no power but to his damnation to priuiledge the spiritualtie to sinne vnpunished A king is a great benefite though he be neuer so euill Princes are ordeined to pâ—uill doâ—rs The damnation of Princes Sanctuaries Neckeuerse Three natures What it is to looke Moyses in the face Heauen commeth by Christ A Christen man seketh no more but Gods will Lustes Freâ—ill Worldly witte The will is bond and â—ed Fredome All is sinne that springeth not of the spirite of God and all that is not done in the light of Gods worde So do our spiritualtie in all their workes True miracles are wrought to coÌ„firme the preaching and not the God head of the preacher Our hypocrites are blinde The religious looke vpon the out side onely The sprituall man The naturall man Feate is the last â—emedy Kinges defend y â— false authoritie of the pope their office punishing of sinne loyd apart Bishoppes minister the kinges dutie their owne layde apart yea they persecute their owne office Kynges do but waite on y â— Popes pleasure The iugling of the Pope Bishops of Almany Mylane Byshops of Fraunce A cappe of maintenaunce Most Christen kyng Defendre of the Popes Fayth The eldest sonne of the holy 〈◊〉 Blâ—â—â—ng of armes The English Bysshops The falsehode of the Bishops O a cruell and an abhominable example of tyranny iudge them by theyr dedes saith Christ The whore of BabyloÌ„ Confession Not Peter onely but Christ also was vnder the temporall sword The kings sinne in geuing exeÌ„ptions the Prelates in receauyng them When the spiritualitie payeth tribute Shameles iugglers They make no conscieÌ„ce at any euill doyng They care for theyr neighbours as y â— wolfe doth for the shepe The euill ensample of the spiritualtie causeth the lay to beleue that they are not bound to obey There is no ChristeÌ„ loue in theÌ„ What purpose euen to flatter the princes that they may abuse their authoritie to sleâ— who soeuer beleueth 〈◊〉 Christ and to mainteine the Pope Confessiâ— Prelates know all mens secretes 〈…〉 man theâ—… â—oue fulfilleth the law before God not the outward dede Agaynste workemen The deede fulfilleth the law before the world Faith maketh a man to loue Iustifiyng The office or dutie of the law The beleuyng of Gods promises iustifieth The spirite and the inward vertues are knowen by the outward dede Ouercome thyne enemy with well doing The law The kyng Rulers are Gods gift Why the rulers are euill Euill rulers are a signe that God is angry with vs. Why the Prelates are so wicked The cause of false miracles is that we haue no lust vnto the truth The right way to came of bondage Euill rulers ought not to be resisted God is alwayes one alwayes true alwayes mercifull and excludeth no maÌ„ from his promises A Christâ— man doth but suffer onely Euill rulers are wholesome medicines A Christen man receaueth How profitable aduersitie is The greatest sinner is righteous in Christ and the promises And the perfectest and holyest is a sinner in the lawe the fleshe Rigour in parentes towardes their chilchildren is to be eschued The right bringing vp of children The destruction marring of children The maryage of children without conâ—… of their parenâ—es is vnlawfull In Christ we are all seruaunts and he that hath knowledge is bounde MeÌ„ ought to rule their wiues by Gods worde Why the man is stronger then the woman Teach thy seruaunt to know Christ and after Christes doctrine deale with hym Do all thyng with Gods worde Landlordes should raise no rentes nor bring vp new customes God gaue â—he earth to men Landlordes should withstand the worng of the Tenauntes There is no respect of person afore God Moyses Iudges O tyranny to compell a man to accuse himselfe Our Prelates learned of Cayphas Secret sinnes pertayne vnto God to punishe and open sinnes vnto the kyng ☜ Parcialitie in Iudges is wicked Parcialitie bribe takyng is the pestilence of Iudges ☞ Women pride and coÌ„tempt of subiectes are the pestilence of Princes Vayne names The holy father lonseth peace and vmâ—â—e trace trâ—uth and aâ— honesty What the keyes arâ— why they are so called The keyes are promised The keyes are payde To bynde and loose Repentaunce and forgeuenes come by preachyng Peter practiseth his keyes The popes authoritie is to preach gods word onely Beware of the net and of the leuen and of the counterfet keyes of our holy father Not w t an hereticke sayth the Pope Vnlawfull vowes or othes men are commaunded to breake Byshops Behold the face of the Pope and of the Byshops in this glasse Peters patrimonie The popes authoritie is improued Byshops haue captiued Gods word with theyr owne decrees Rochester They walke in shadowes Aaron is euery true preacher Aaron representeth Christ Aaron addeth nothyng to Moses law The Apostles preached not Peter but Christ Paule is greater thaÌ„ hye