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
but pure sinne and of Christ grace onely which are out of measure contrary But the similitude or likenes standeth in the originall byrth and not in the vertue vice of the byrth So that as Adam is father of all sinne so is Christ father of all righteousnes And as all sinners spryng of Adam EueÌ„ so all righteous men and women spryng of Christ After the same maner is here the vnrighteous stuard an ensample vnto vs in his wisedome and diligence onely in that he prouided so wisely for him self that we with righteousnes should be as diligeÌ„t to prouide for our soules as he with vnrighteousnes prouided for hys body Likewise mayst thou soyle all other textes which sound as though it were betwene vs and GOD as it is in the world where the reward is more looked vpon then the labour yea where men hate the labour and worke falssy with the body and not with the hart and no longer then they are loked vppon that the labour may appeare outward onely WHen Christ sayth Math. v. Blessed are ye wheÌ„ they rayle on you and persecute you and say all maner euill sayinges agaynst you and yet lye and that for my sake reioyse be glad for your reward is great in heauen Thou mayest not imagine that our deedes deserue the ioy and glorie that shal be geuen vnto vs. For then Paul saith Rom. xi fauour were not fauor I caÌ„ not receaue it of fauour of the bounteous of God freely and by deseruyng of deedes also But beleue as the Gospell glad tydynges promises of God say vnto thee that for Christes bloudes sake onely through fayth God is at one with thee and thou receaued to mercy and art become the sonne of God and heire annexed with with Christ of al the goodnes of God the earnest wherof is the spirite of god poured into our hartes Of whiche thynges the deedes are witnesses and certifie our consciences that our fayth is vnfayned and that the right spirite of God is in vs. For if I patieÌ„tly suffer aduersitie and tribulation for conscience of God onely that is to say because I know GOD and testifie the truth then am I sure that God hath chosen me in Christ and for Christes sake and hath put in me his spirite as an earnest of his promises whose workyng I feele in myne hart the deedes bearyng witnes vnto the same Now is it Christes bloud only that deserued all the promises of God that which I suffer and do is partely the curyng healyng and mortifiyng of my members and killing of that originall poyson wherwith I was conceiued and borne that I might be altogether like Christ and partly the doyng of my dutie to my neighbour whose debter I am of all that I haue receiued of God to draw him to Christ with al suffring with all patience and euen with sheading my bloud for him not as an offering or merite for hys sinnes but as an ensample to prouoke hym Christes bloud onely putteth away all the sinne that euer was is or shal be from them that are elect and repent beleuyng the Gospell that is to say gods promises in Christ AGayn in the same 5. chapter loue your ennemies blesse them that curse you doe well to them that hate you and persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your father whiche is in heaueÌ„ For he maketh his sunne shine vpon euill on good and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust Not that our woorkes make vs the sonnes of God but testifie onely and certifie our consciences that we are the sonnes of God and that God hath chosen vs washed vs in christes bloud and hath put his spirite in vs. And it foloweth if ye loue them that loue you what reward haue ye do not the Publicanes euen the same and if ye shall haue fauour to your frendes onely what singuler thing do ye doe not the Publicanes euen the same ye shal be perfect therefore as your father whiche is in heauen is perfect That is to say if that ye do nothing but that the world doth and they which haue the spirite of the world wherby shall ye know that ye are the sonnes of God and beloued of God more then the world But and if ye counterfet and follow God in well doyng then no doubt it is a signe that the spirite of God is in you and also the fauour of God which is not in the world and that ye are inheritoures of all the promises of God and elect vnto the fellowship of the bloud of Christ ALso Math 6. Take heede to your almes that ye do iâ— not in the sight of men to the eutenâ— that ye would be sâ—ne of them or els haue ye no reward with your father which is in heauen Neither cause a truÌ„pet to be blowen afore thee wheÌ„ thou doost thine almes as the hipocrites do in the sinagoges and in the streetes to be glorified of the worlde but when thou doost thine almes â—et not thy lefte hande knowe what thy right hand doth y â— thy almes may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly This putteth vs in remembraunce of our duetie and sheweth what followeth good workes not that works deserue it but that the reward is layd vp for vs in store and we thereunto elect through Christes bloud which the workes testify For if we be worldlye minded and do our works as y â— world doth how shall we know that GOD hath chosen vs out of the world But if we worke freely without all maner worldly respect to shew mercy and to do our duetie to our neighbour and to be vnto him as God is to vs then are we sure y t the fauour mercy of God is vpon vs that we shal enioy all the good promises of god through Christ which hath made vs heyres thereof ALso in the same chapter it followeth When thou prayest be not as the hipocrites which loue to stand and pray in the sinagoges and in the corners of the streetes for to bee sene of men But when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and shut thy dore to praye to thy father which is in secrete and thy father whiche seeth in secrete shal reward thee openly And likewise when we fast teacheth Christe in the same place that we should behaue our selues that it appeare not vnto men how that we fast but vnto our father which is in secret our father which seeth in secret shall reward vs openly These two textes do but declare what followeth good woorkes for eternall lyfe commeth not by the deseruyng of workes but is sayth Paul in y â— 6. to y â— Rom. the gift of God through Iesus Christ Neither do our workes iustify vs. For except we were iustified by fayth which is our righteousnes had the sprite of God in vs to teach vs we could
his nature by little a and little with prayer fasting and watching with vertuous meditation and holy workes vntill we be altogether spirite The kingdome of heauen sayth Christ Math. 13. is like leuen which a woman taketh hideth in three peckes of meale till all be leuened The leuen is the spirite and we the meale which must be seasoned with y ◠spirite by a little a little till we be throughout spirituall Which shall rewarde euery man according to his deede Rom. 2. that is according as the deedes are so shall euery mans rewarde be the deedes declare what we are as the fruite the tree according to the fruite shall the tree be praysed The reward is geuen of the mercy and truth of God and by the deseruyng and merites of Christ Whosoeuer repenteth beleueth the Gospell putteth his trust in Christes merites the same is heyre with Christe of eternall lyfe for assurance whereof the spirite of God is poured into his hart as an earnest which looseth him from the bondes of Sathan and geueth him lust and strength euery day more and more according as he is diligent to aske of God for Christes sake And eternall life followeth good liuing I suppose sayth S. Paule in the same epistle the viij chapter that the afflictions of this worlde are not worthy of the glory which shal be shewed on vs that is to say that which we here suffer can neuer deserue that reward which there shal be geuen vs. Moreouer if the reward should depēd and hang of the workes no man shoulde be saued For as much as our best deedes compared to the lawe are damnable sinne By the deedes of the lawe is no fleshe iustified as it is written in the thirde chapter to the Rom. The lawe iustifieth not but vttereth the sinne onely compelleth and driueth the penitent or repentyng sinner to flee vnto the sanctuary of mercy in the bloud of Christ Also repent we neuer so much be we neuer so well willyng vnto the law of God yet are we so weake and the snares and occasiōs so innumerable that we fall dayly and hourely So that we coulde not but dispeire if the rewarde hanged of the worke Whosoeuer ascribeth eternall life vnto the deseruing and merite of workes must faule in one of two incōueniences either must he be a blinde Pharisey not seing that the lawe is spirituall and he carnall and looke and reioyce in the outward shining of his deedes despising the weake and in respect of them iustifie himselfe Or els if he see how that the lawe is spirituall and he neuer able to ascend vnto y t which y t law requireth he must nedes despaire Let euery Christen mā therfore reioyce in Christ our hope trust and righteousnes in whom we are loued chosē and accept vnto y t enheritaunce of eternall lyfe neyther presuming in our perfectnes neither despayring in our weakenes The perfecter a man is the clearer is his sight and seeth a thousand thinges which displease him and also perfectnes that can not be obtayned in this life And therefore desireth to be with Christ where is no more sinne Let hym that is weake can not doe that he would fayne doe not despayre but turne to him that is strong and hath promised to geue strength to all that aske of him in Christes name and complayne to GOD and desire hym to fulfill his promises and to God committe hym selfe And he shall of his mercy truth strength him and make him feele with what loue he is beloued for Christes sake though he be neuer so weake THey are not righteous before god which heare the lawe but they which do the lawe shall be iustified Rom. ij This text is playner thā that it needeth to be expounded In the chapter before Paule proueth that the law naturall holpe not the Gentiles as appeareth by the lawes statutes and ordinaunces which they made in their cities yet kept they them not The great keepe the small vnder for their owne profite with the violence of the lawe Euery man prayseth the lawe as farre forth as it is profitable and pleasant vnto himself But when his owne appetites should be refrayned then grudgeth he against the law Moreouer he proueth that no knowledge holpe the Gentiles For though the learned mē as the Philosophers came to the knowledge of God by the creatures of the world yet had they no power to worshippe God In thys secōd chapter proueth he y t the Iewes though they had the lawe written yet it holpe them not they coulde not keepe it but were idolaters and were also murtherers adulterers whatsoeuer the lawe forbad He concludeth therfore that y t Iewe is as well dāned as the Gentill If hearing of the lawe onely might haue iustified thē had the Iewes bene righteous But it required that a mā do the lawe if he will be righteous Which because y ◠Iewe did not he is no lesse dāned thē the Gētill The publishing declaring of y e lawe doth but vtter a mās sin geueth neither strēgth nor help to fulfill the law The law killeth thy cōscience geueth thee no lust to fulfill the law Faith in christ geueth lust power to do y e law Now is it true y t he which doth y e law is righteous but y t doth no mā saue he y t beleueth putteth his trust in Christ IF any mans worke that he hath builte vpon abide he shall receaue a rewarde 1. Cor. 2. The circumstance of the same chapter that is to witt that which goeth before that which foloweth declareth playnely what is ment Paule talketh of learning doctrine or preaching He sayth that he himselfe hath layde the foundation which is Iesus Christ and that no man can laye any other He exhorteth therfore euery man to take hede what he buildeth vpon and boroweth a similitude of y ◠goldsmith which trieth his metalles with fire saying that the fire that is the iudgement of y t scripture shall trie euery mans worke that is euery mās preaching and doctrine If any builde vpon the foundation layde of Paule I meane Iesus Christ golde siluer or precious stone which are all one thyng and signifie true doctrine which when it is examined the scripture aloweth then shall he haue his rewarde that is he shall be sure that his learning is of God that Gods spirite is in hym and that he shall haue the rewarde that Christ hath purchased for hym On the other side if any man build there on timbre heye or stubble which are all one and signifie doctrine of mans imaginatiō traditions and fantasies which stand not with Christ when they are examined and iudged by the Scripture he shall suffer damage but shall be saued hymselfe yet as it were through fire that is it shall be payneful vnto him that he hath lost his labour and to see his buildyng perish
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
man a lier as Scripture sayth For the truth of God lasteth euer to whom onely be all honour and glorie for euer Amen The ende of the Parable of the Wicked Mammon ¶ The obedience of a Christen man and how Christen rulers ought to gouerne Wherein also if thou marke diligently thou shalt finde eyes to perceaue the craftie conueyaunce of all iugglers Set forth by William Tyndall 1528. Octob. 2. William Tyndall otherwyse called Hitchins to the Reader GRace peace and increase of knowledge in our Lord Iesus Christ be with thee reader and with all that call on the name of the Lord vnfaynedly and with a pure conscience Amen Let it not make thee dispayre neither yet discourage thee O Reader that it is forbidden thee in payne of life and goods or that it is made breaking of the Kinges peace or treason vnto his highnesse to read the worde of thy soules health but much rather be bold in the Lorde and comforte thy soule for asmuch as thou art sure and hast an euident token through suche persecution that it is the true worde of God which worde is euer hated of the worlde neyther was euer without persecution as thou seest in all the stories of the Bible both of the newe Testament and also of the olde neyther can be no more then the Sunne can be without his light And forasmuch as contrariwise thou art sure that the popes doctrine is not of God which as thou seest is so agreable vnto the world and is so receiued of the world or which rather so receaueth the world and the pleasures of the worlde and seeketh nothing but the possessions of the worlde and aucthoritie in the world to beare a rule in the world persecuteth the worde of God with all wilinesse driueth the people from it and with false and sophisticall reasons maketh them afeard of it he curseth them and excommunicateth them and bringeth them in beleef that they be damned if they looke on it and that it is but doctrine to deceaue men and moueth the blinde powers of the world to slay with fire water and sworde all that cleaue vnto it For the world loueth that which is his and hateth that which is chosen out of the world to serue God in the spirite as Christ sayth to his Disciples Iohn 15. If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne but I haue chosen you out of the worlde and therefore the world hateth you An other comfort hast thou that as the weake powers of the worlde defende the doctrine of the worlde so the mighty power of God defendeth the doctrine of God Which thing thou shalt euidentlye perceiue if thou call to minde the wonderfull deedes whiche God hath euer wrought for his word in extreame necessitie since the worlde began beyond all mans reason Whiche are written as Paule sayth Roma 15. for our learning and not for our deceauing that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might haue hope The nature of Gods word is to fight agaynst hypocrites It beganne at Abell and hath euer since continued and shall I doubte not vntyll the laste daye And the hypocrites haue alway the world on their sides as thou seest in the time of Christ They had the elders that is to witte the rulers of the Iewes on theyr side They had Pilate and the Emperors power on theyr side They had Herode also on theyr side Moreouer they brought all theyr worldlye wysedome to passe and all that they coulde thinke â–ª or imagine to serue for theyr purpose Fyrst to feare the people withal they excommunicated all that beleeued in him and put them out of the temple as thou seest Iohn 9. Secondly they founde the meanes to haue him condemned by the Emperors power and made it treason to Cesar to beleeue in him Thirdly they obtayned to haue him hanged as a theefe or a murtherer which after theyr belly wisedome was a cause aboue all causes that no man should beleeue in him For the Iewes take it for a sure token of euerlasting damnation if a man be hanged For it is written in theyr lawe Deutero 21. Cursed is whosoeuer hangeth on tree Moyses also in the same place commaundeth if any man be hanged to take him downe the same day and bury him for feare of polluting or defiling the countrey that is least they shoulde bring the wrath and curse of God vpon them And therfore the wicked Iewes themselues which with so venemous hate persecuted the doctrine of Christ and did all the shame that they coulde do vnto him though they would fayne haue had Christ to hang still on the crosse and there to rotte as he shoulde haue done by the Emperors lawe yet for feare of defiling theyr Sabboth and of bringing the wrath and curse of God vpon them begged of Pilate to take him downe Ioh. 19. which was against them selues Finally when they had done all they coulde and that they thought sufficient and when christ was in the hart of the earth so many billes and pollares about him to keepe him down and when it was past mans helpe then holpe God when man coulde not bring him agayne Gods truth fetched him agayne The oth that God had sworne to AbrahaÌ„ to Dauid to other holy fathers Prophetes raysed him vp agayne to blesse and saue all that beleeue in him Thus became the wisedome of the hypocrites foolishnes Loe thys was written for thy learning and comfort How wonderfully were the children of Israell locked in Egipt In what tribulation combraunce and aduersitie were they in The land also that was promised them was farre of and full of great cities walled with high walles vp to the skye inhabited with great giantes yet Gods truth brought them out of Egipt and planted them in the land of the giantes This is also written for our learning For there is no power agaynst Gods neyther any wisedome against Gods wisedomeâ— he is stronger and wiser then all his enemies What holpe it Pharao to drowne the men childreÌ„ So little I feare not shall it at the last helpe the pope and his byshops to burne our men children whiche manfully confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lorde and that there is no other name geuen vnto men to be saued by as Peter testifieth Actes 4. Who dryed vp the red sea Who slew Golias Who did all those wonderfull deedes which thon readest in the Bible Who deliuered the Israelites euermore from thraâ—dom and bondage as soone as they repented and turned to God Fayth verely and Gods truth and the trust in the promises which he had made Read the xj to the Hebrues for thy consolation When the children of Israell were ready to dispayre for the greatnes the multitude of the Giantes Moyses comforted them euer saying RemeÌ„ber what your Lord God hath done for you in Egipt his wonderfull plagues his
commeth it that they will pay none at all But to pay tribute is a signe of subiectiō verely the cause why Christ payed was because he had an houshold and for the same cause payed Peter also For he had an house a shippe and nettes as thou readest in the Gospell But let vs go to Paul agayne Wherfore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience That is though thou be so naughty as nowe many yeares our Pope and Prelates euery where are that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall sword for feare of vengeaunce yet must thou obey because of consciēce First because of thine owne conscience For though thou be able to resiste yet shalt thou neuer haue a good cōscience as lōg as Gods word law and ordinaunce are against thee Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or priuilege to be free from all maner dueties yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seeke for any such thing neither yet admit or accept if it were profered lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge rebell in that he seeth thee go emptie and he him selfe more ladē thy part also layd on his shoulders Seest thou not if a man fauour one sonne more then an other or one seruaunt more then an other how all the rest grudge and how loue peace and vnitie is broken What Christenly loue is in the to thy neighbour ward when thou canst finde in thyne hart to go vp and down empty by him all day long and see him ouer charged yea to fal vnder his burthen and yet wilt not once set to thyne hand to helpe him What good conscience cā there be among our spiritualtie to gather so great treasure together and with hypocrisie of their false learnyng to robbe almost euery man of house and landes and yet not therewith content but with all craft and wilenes to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all maner bearyng with their brethren seekyng in Christ nothyng but lucre I passe ouer with silence how they teach Princes in euery lande to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subiectes more and more dayly neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iugglynge and bryng their falshode to light and lay a medecine to thē to make their scabbes breake out Neuerthelesse this I say that they haue robbed all Realmes not of Gods word onely but also of all wealth and prosperitie and haue driuen peace out of all landes withdrawen them selues from all obediēce to Princes and haue separated them selues from the lay men countyng thē viler thē dogges and haue set vp that great Idole the whore of Babylō Antichrist of Rome whom they call pope and haue conspired agaynst all common wealthes haue made them a seuerall kyngdome wherin it is lawfull vnpunished to woorke all abhomination In euery Parish haue they spyes and in euery great mans house and in euery tauerne and alchouse And thorough confessions knowe they all secretes so that no man may open his mouth to rebuke what soeuer they do but that he shal be shortly made an hereticke In all Coūcels is one of them yea the most part and chief rulers of the Councels are of them But of there Councell is no man Euen for this cause pay ye tribute that is to witt for consciences sake to thy neighbour and for the cause that foloweth For they are Gods Ministers seruyng for the same purpose Because God will so haue it we must obey We doe not looke if we haue Christes spirite in vs what is good profitable glorious and honorable for vs neither on our owne will but on Gods will onely Geue to euery man therefore his dutie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whō feare belongeth honour to whom honor perteineth That thou mightest feele the workyng of the spirite of God in thee and lest the bewtie of the deed should deceaue thee and make thee thinke that the law of God whiche is spirituall were contēt and fulfilled with the outward and bodyly dede it foloweth Owe nothyng to any mā but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the law For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaūdement are all comprehended or contained in this saying loue thy neighbour therfore is loue the fulfillyng of the law Here hast thou sufficient agaynst all the sophisters workeholy iustifiers in the world which so magnifie their dedes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart is neuer fulfilled with the dede in the sight of god With y e dede thou fulfillest the law before the world liuest thereby that is y ◠enioyest this presēt life and auoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the death and punishment which the law threatneth to them that breake it But before God thou keepest the law if thou loue onely Now what shal make vs loue Verely that shall fayth do If thou behold how much God loueth thee in Christ and from what vengeaunce he hath deliuered thee for his sake and of what kyngdome he hath made thee heyre then shalt thou see cause inough to loue thy very enemie without respect of reward either in this lyfe or in the lyfe to come but because that God will so haue it and Christ hath deserued it Yet thou shouldest feele in thyne harte that all thy deedes to come are abundantly recompensed all ready in Christ Thou wilt say haply if loue fulfill the lawe then it iustifieth I say that that wherewith a man fulfilleth the law declareth hym iustified but that which geueth him wherewith to fulfill the law iustifieth hym By iustifiyng vnderstande the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the fauour of God Now sayth the text Roma x. the ende of the law or the cause wherfore the law was made is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is the law is geuen to vtter sinne to kill the consciences to damne our deedes to bryng to repentaunce and to driue vnto Christ in whō God hath promised his fauour and forgeuenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and consent to the law that it is good If thou beleue the promises then doth Gods truth iustifie thee that is forgeueth thee and receaueth thee to fauour for Christes sake In a suretie wherof and to certifie thine hart he sealeth thee with the spirite Ephe. i. and. iiij And. ij Cor. v. sayth Paul whiche gaue vs his spirite in earnest How the spirite is geuen vs through Christ read the viij chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines and Gallat iij. and. ij Cor. iij. Neuerthelesse the spirit and his frutes
soeuer we loose here is nothing excepted And an other text lay they of Christ in y e last of Mathew All power is geuen to me sayth Christ in heauen and in earth go therfore and preach c. Preachyng leaueth the Pope out and sayth loe all power is geuen me in heauen in earth And thereupon taketh vpon him temporall power aboue kyng and Emperour maketh lawes and byndeth them And like power taketh he ouer gods lawes and dispenseth with them at his lust makyng no sinne of that whiche God maketh sinne maketh sinne where God maketh none yea wypeth out Gods lawes cleane and maketh at his pleasure with him is lawful what he lusteth He bindeth where God looseth looseth where God bindeth He blesseth where GOD curseth and curseth where God blesseth He taketh authoritie also to bynde loose in Purgatory That permit I vnto him for it is a creature of his owne makyng He also byndeth the aungels For we read of Popes that haue commaūded the aungels to fet diuers out of Purgatory Howbeit I am not yet certified whether they obeyed or no. Vnderstand therrfore that to bynde and to loose is to preach the lawe of God and the Gospell or promises as thou mayst see in the third chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians Where Paule calleth the preaching of the law the ministration of death and damnation and the preaching of the promises then ministring of the spirite and of righteousnes For when the law is preached all men are found sinners and therefore damned and when the Gospell glad tydinges are preached then are all that repent and beleue founde righteous in Christ And so expounde it all the olde doctours Saint Hierome sayth vpon this text whatsoeuer thou bindest the Bishops and Priestes sayth he for lacke of vnderstanding take a litle presumption of the Phareseis vpon thē And thinke that they haue authoritie to bynde innocentes and to loose the wicked which thing our Pope and Byshops doe For they say the curse is to be feared be it right or wrōg Though thou haue not deserued yet if y e Pope curse thee thou art in perill of thy soule as they lie yea and though he be neuer fo wrongfully cursed he must be fayne to buy absolution But Saint Hierome sayth as y e Priest of the olde law made the lepers cleane or vncleane so byndeth and vnbyndeth the Priest of the new law The Priest there made no man a leper neither clensed any mā but God and the Priest iudged onely by Moyses law who was cleane who was vncleane whē they were brought vnto hym So here we haue the law of God to iudge what is sinne and what is not and who is bounde and who is not Moreouer if any man haue sinned yet if he repent and beleue the promise we are sure by Gods word that he is loosed forgeuen in Christ Other authoritie then this wise to preach haue the Priests not Christes Apostles had no other thē selues as it appeareth thoroughout all the new testamēt Therfore it is manifest that they haue not Saint Paule sayth i. Corinth xv When we say all thinges are vnder Christ he is to be excepted that put all vnder hym God the father is not vnder Christ but aboue Christ and Christes head i. Corinth vi Christ sayth Iohn xij I haue not spoken of myne owne head but my father which sent me gaue a commaundement what I should say and what I should speake What soeuer I speake therefore euen as my father bad me so I speake If Christ had a law what he should doe how happeneth it that the Pope so runneth at large lawlesse Though that all power were geuen vnto Christ in heauen and in earth Yet had he no power ouer his father nor yet to raigne temporally ouer temporall Princes but a commaundemēt to obey them How hath the Pope thē such temporall authoritie ouer king Emperour How hath he authoritie aboue Gods lawes and to cōmaunde the Angels the saintes and God himselfe Christes authoritie which he gaue to his Disciples was to preach the lawe and to bring sinners to repentaunce and then to preach vnto them the promises which the father had made vnto all men for his sake And the same to preach onely sent he his Apostles As a kyng sendeth forth his Iudges and geueth them his authoritie saying What ye doe that doe I. I geue you my full power Yet meaneth he not by that full power that they should destroy any towne or Citie or oppresse any mā or doe what they list or should raigne ouer the Lordes and Dukes of his Realme and ouer hys owne selfe But geueth them a lawe with them authoritie to bynde and loose as farforth as the law stretcheth and maketh mention that is to punishe the euill that doe wrong and to auenge y e poore that suffer wrong And so farre as the law stretcheth will the king defend his Iudge agaynst all men And as the tēporall iudges binde loose temporally so doe the pristes spiritually and no other wayes How be it by falshod and subtiltie the Pope reigneth vnder Christ as Cardinals and Byshops do vnder kinges lawlesse THe Pope say they absolueth or looseth a poena et culpa that is from the faulte or trespasse and from the payne due vnto the trespasse God if a man repent forgeueth the offence onely and not the paine also say they saue turneth the euerlasting payne vnto a temporall payne And appointeth seuē yeares in purgatory for euery deadly sinne But the Pope for money forgeueth both and hath more power thē God and is more mercifull thē God This doe I saith the Pope of my full power and of y e treasure of the Church of deseruinges of martyrs cōfessours and mērites of Christ First the merites of the Saintes did not saue themselues but were saued by Christes merites onely Secondarily God hath promised Christes merites vnto all that repent so that whosoeuer repenteth is immediatly heire of all Christes merites and beloued of God as Christ is How thē came this foule monster to be Lord ouer Christes merites so that he hath power to sell that which God geueth freely O dreamers yea O deuils and O venimous scorpians what poyson haue ye in your tayles O pestilēt leauen that so turneth the sweete bread of Christes doctrine into the bitternesse of gall The Friers runne in the same spirite and teach saying do good deedes and redeeme the paines y ◠abide you in purgatory yea geue vs somewhat to doe good workes for you And thus is sinne become the profitablest marchaundise in the worlde O the cruell wrath of God vpō vs because we loue not the truth For this is the damnation iudgement of God to send a false Prophet vnto him that wil not heare the truth I know you saith Christ
into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued He that beleueth on him shall not be damned but he that beeleeueth not is damned alreadye Iohn iij. Paule Rom. 5. sayth Because we are iustifyed through fayth we are at peace with God through our lord Iesus Christ that is because that God which can not lye hath promised and sworne to be mercyfull vnto vs and to forgeue vs for Christes sake we beleue and are at peace in our consciences we run not hither and thither for pardon we trust not in thys fryer nor that monke neyther in any thing saue in the woord of God onely As a childe when his father threateneth him for his faâ—t hath neuer rest til he heare the worde of mercy and forgeuenes of his fathers mouth againe but assone as he heareth his father say Goe thy wayes do me no more so I forgeue thee this fault then is his hart at rest then is he at peace then runneth he to no man to make intercession for him Neyther though there come any false marchant saying what wilt thou geue me and I will obtayne pardon of thy father for thee Will he suffer him selfe to be beguiled No he will not buy of a wilie fox that which his father hath geuen him freely It foloweth God setteth out hys loue that he hath to vs. that is he maketh it appeare that men may perceiue loue if they be not more then stocke blinde In asmuch sayth Paule as while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Much more now sayth he seeing we are iustifyed by hys bloud shall we be preserued from wrath thorough him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of hys sonne much more seeing we are reconciled we shall be preserued by hys life As who should say If God loued vs when we knew him not much more loueth he vs now we know him If he were mercifull to vs while we hated his Lawe how much more mercifull will he be now seeing we loue it and desire strength to fulfill it And in the viij he argueth If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shall he not wyth him geue vs all thinges also Christ prayed Iohn xvij not for the Apostles onely but also for as many as should beleue through theyr preaching and was heard whatsoeuer we aske in his name the Father geueth vs Iohn xvi Christ is also as mercifull as the saintes Why go we not straight way vnto him Verely because we feale not the mercy of God neyther beleue his truthe God will at the least way say they heare vs the sooner for the saintes sake Then loueth he the saintes better then Christ and his own truth Heareth he vs for the saintes sake so heareth he vs not for his mercye For merites and mercye can not stand together Finally if thou put any trust in thine owne deedes or in the deedes of any other man of any saint then minishest thou the truth mercy and goodnes of God For if God looke vnto thy workes or vnto the workes of any other man or goodnes of the saint then doth he not all thinges of pure mercy and of his goodnesse and for the truthes sake which he hath sworne in Christ Now sayth Paule Tit. 3. Not of the righteous deedes which we did but of his mercy saued he vs. Our blinde disputers will say If our good deedes iustify vs not if God looke not on our good deedes neither regard them nor loue vs the better for them what need we to do good dedes I aunswer God looketh on our good deedes and loueth them yet loueth vs not for their sakes God loueth vs first in Christ of his goodnes and mercy and poureth his spirit into vs and geueth vs power to do good dedes And because he loueth vs he loueth our good deedes yea because he loueth vs he forgeueth vs our euill dedes which we do of frailtie and not of purpose or for the nonce Our good dedes do but testifie onely that we are iustifyed and beloued For except we were beloued and had Gods spirite we could neyther do nor yet consent vnto any good deed Antichrist turneth the rootes of the trees vpwarde He maketh the goodnes of God the braunches and our goodnes the rootes We must be first good after Antichristes doctrine and moue God and compell him to be good againe for our goodnesses sake so must Gods goodnesse spring out of our goodnes Nay verely Gods goodnesse is the root of al goodnes and our goodnes if we haue any springeth out of his goodnes Prayer OF Prayer and good deedes and of the order of loue or charitie I haue aboundantly written in my booke of the iustifying of fayth Neuer the later that thou maist see what the prayers and good workes of our monkes and friers and of other ghostly people are worth I will speake a woord or two and make an end Paule sayth Gal. 3. All ye are the sonnes of God through fayth in Iesu Christ for all ye that are baptized haue put Christ on you that is ye are become Christ himself There is no Iew sayth he neither Greeke neither bond nor free neither man nor woman but ye are all one thing in Christ Iesu In Christ there is neither french nor english but the frenchman is the englishmans owne selfe and the english the frenchmans owne self In Christ there is neither father nor sonne neyther maister nor seruaunt neyther husband nor wife neither king nor subiect but the father is the sonnes selfe and the sonne the fathers owne selfe and the king is the subiects owne self and the subiect is the kinges own self and so fourth I am thou â—hy selfe and thou art I my selfe and can be no nearer of kyn We are all the sonnes of God all Christes seruauntes bought with hys bloud and euery man to other Christ his owne selfe And Col. 3 Ye haue put on the new man which is tenned in the knowledge of God after the image of him that made him that is to say Christ where is sayth he neyther Greke nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision barbarous or Scithian bond or free but Christ is all in all thinges I loue thée not now because thou art my father and hast done so much for me or my mother and hast borne me and geuen me sucke of thy brestes for so do Iewes and saracens but because of the greate loue that Christ hath shewed me I serue thee not because thou art my maister or my king for hope of rewarde or feare of payne but for the loue of Christ for the children of fayth are vnder no law as thou seest in the Epistles to the Romanes to the Galathians in the first to Timothe but are free The spirit of Christ hath writteÌ„ the liuely law of loue in their hartes whiche driueth theÌ„ to worke of theyr owne
that we are holy righteous full of good deedes if y â— law be preached a right our righteousnes and good dedes vanish away as smoke in the winde and we are left damnable sinners onely And as thou seest how that Christ healeth not till Peter had wouÌ„ded and as an healyng plaister helpeth not till y â— corrosie hath troubled the wounde eueÌ„ so the Gospell helpeth not but wheÌ„ the law hath wouÌ„ded y e conscience and brought the sinner into y e knowledge of his sinne This allegory proueth nothyng neither caÌ„ do For it is not the Scripture but an exaÌ„ple or a similitude borowed of the Scripture to declare a text or a conclusion of the Scripture more expresly and to roote it and graue it in the hart For a similitude or an example doth printe a thing much deper in the wittes of a man then doth a plaine speakyng and leaueth behynd him as it were a stinge to pricke him forward and to awake him with all Moreouer if I could not proue with an open text that which the Allegory doth expresse then were the Allegory a thyng to bee gested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hode This allegory as touching his first part is proued by Paul in ye. iij. chap. of his Epistle to the Romanes where he sayth The law causeth wrath And in y e vij chapter to the Romanes When the law or commaundement came sinne reuiued and I become dead And in the ij Epistle to the Cor. in the third chap. the law is called the minister of death and daÌ„nation c. And as concernyng the second part Paul sayth to the Rom. in the v. chap. In that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God And in the ij Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s in the. iij. The Gospell is called the ministratioÌ„ of iustifying and of the spirite And Gala. iiij The spirite coÌ„meth by preaching of the faith c. This doth the litterall sence proue the allegory beare it as the foundatioÌ„ beareth the house And because that allegories proue nothyng therfore are they to be vsed soberly and seldome onely where the text offereth thee an allegory And of this maner as I aboue haue done doth Paul borow a similitude a figure or allegory of Genesis to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and by Agar her sonne declareth the propertie of the law and of her bonde children which wil be iustified by deedes and by Sara and her sonne declareth the propertie of the Gospell and of her free children which are iustified by faith and how the children of the law which beleue in their workes persecute the children of the Gospel which beleue in the mercy and truth of God and in the Testament of his sonne Iesus our Lord. And likewise do we borow likenesses or allegories of the Scripture as of Pharao and Derode and of the Scribes and Phariseis to expresse our miserable captiuitie and persecution vnder Antichrist the Pope The greatest cause of which captiuitie and the decay of the fayth this blindnes wherin we now are sprang first of allegories For Origene and the doctours of his time drew all y e Scripture vnto allegories Whose ensample they that came after folowed so loÌ„g till at the last they forgat y â— order and processe of the text supposing that y e scripture serued but to faine allegories vppoÌ„ In somuch that twenty doctours expounde one text xx wayes as children make descant vpon playne song Then came our sophisters with theâ—â— Anagogicall and Chopologicall sence with an antetheme of halfe an inch out of whiche some of them drawe a threde of ix dayes long Yea thou shalt fynde inough that will preach Christ and proue what soeuer poynte of thee fayth that thou wilt as well out of a fabell of Ouide or any other Poet as out of S. Iohns Gospell or Paules Epistles Yea they are come vnto such blyndnes that they not onely say the litterall sence profiteth not but also that it is hurtful and noysome and killeth the soule Which damnable doctrine they proue by a text of Paule ij Corinth iij. Where he sayth the letter killeth but the spirit geueth life Lo say they the litterall sence killeth and the spirituall sence geueth life We must therfore say they seeke out some choplogicall sence Here learne what sophistrie is and how blind they are that thou mayest abhorre them and spue them out of thy stomake for euer Paule by the letter meaneth Moyses law which the processe of the text folowyng declareth more bright then the sunne But it is not their guise to looke on the order of any text but as they find it in their doctours so alledge they it and so vnderstaÌ„d it Paule maketh a comparisoÌ„ betwene the law and the Gospell calleth the law the letter because it was but letters grauen in two tables of cold stoâ—e For the law doth but kill and damne the consciences as long as there is no lust in the hart to doe that which the law commaundeth Contrary wise he calleth the Gospell the administration of the spirite of righteousnes or iustifying For wheÌ„ Christ is preached and the promises whiche God hath made in Christ are beleued the spirit entereth the hart and looseth the hart and geueth lust to do the law and maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart Now as soone as the hart lusteth to do the law then are we righteous before God our sinnes forgeuen Neuerthelesse the law of the letter graued in stone and not in the hartes was so glorious and Moyses his face shone so bryght that the children of Israell could not behold his face for brightnes It was also geuen in thunder and lightning and terrible signes so that they for feare came to Moses desired him that he would speake to them let God speake no more Lest we dye sayd they If we heare him any more as thou mayst see Exod. xx Wherupon Paule maketh his comparison saying if the ministratioÌ„ of death thorough the letters figured in stones was glorious so that the childreÌ„ of Israell could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenaunce why shal not the administration of the spirite be glorious And agayne if the administration of damnation be glorious much more shall the administration of righteousnes excede in glory That is if the law that killeth sinners helpeth theÌ„ not to be glorious then the Gospel which pardoneth sinners and geueth them power to be the sonnes of God to ouer come sinne is much more glorious And the text that goeth before is as cleare For the holy Apostle Paule sayth ye Corinthians are our Epistle which is vnderstand and read of all men in that ye are knowen how that ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with ynke as Moyses law but with the
once be one of these sort euen an obseruaunt or of some like secte of which among an huÌ„dred thousaÌ„d thou shalt neuer bring one to beleue in Christ Where among open sinners many beleue at y â— houre of death fall flat vpon Christ beleue in him onely without al other righteousnes It were an huÌ„dred thousand tymes better neuer to pray theÌ„ to pray such lippe prayers neuer to fast or do almes then to fast and to do almes with a mynde therby to be made righteous and to make satisfaction for the fore sinnes Ye haue heard how that it was sayde to them of olde tyme kyll not for whosoeuer killeth shal be in daunger of iudgement But I say vnto you whosoeuer is angry with his brother shal be in daunger of iudgement And who soeuer saith vnto his brother Racha shal be in daunger of a councell But who soeuer sayth to hys brother thou foole shal be in daunger of hell fyre Here Christ beginneth not to destroy the lawe as the Phariseys had falsely accused hym but tâ— restore iâ— agayne to the right vnderstanding and to purge it froÌ„ the gloses of the Phariseys He that slayeth shal be giltie or in daunge of iudgemeÌ„t that is to say if a man murther his deede testifieth agaynst hym there is no more to do then to pronounce sentence of death agaynst hym This text did the Phariseys extend no further theÌ„ to kill with the hand and outward members But hate enuie malice churlishnesse and to withdraw helpe at neede to beguile and circumuent with wyles and subtil bargayning was no sinne at all No to bryng hym whom thou haredst to death with craft and falshood so thou diddest not put thyne hand thereto was no sinne at all As when they had brought Christ to death wrongfully compelled Pilate with subtiltis to slay hym they thought themselues pure In so much that they woulde not goe into the hall for defaling themselues beyng partakers wyth Pilate in hys bloud And Act. v. they sayd to the Apostles ye woulde bring this mans bloud vppon vs as who would say we slue hym not And Saul in the first booke of the Kinges in the xviij chap. beyng so wroth wyth Dauid that he would gladly haue had hym slaine determined yet that he would not defile hymself bâ—t to thrust him into y e haÌ„des of the Philistines that they might slay him and he hymselfe abide pure And as our spiritualtie now offer a man mercy once though he haue spoken against holy church onely if he wil but periure and beare a fagot But if he wil not they do but diet hym a season to winne him and make hym tell more and deliuer hym to the laye power saying he hath deserued death by our lawes and ye ought to kyll hym how beit we desire it not But Christ restoreth the law againe and sayth to be angry with thy neighbour is to slea hym to deserue death For the lawe goeth as wel on the hart as on the â—aÌ„d He that hateth his brother is a murtherer i. Ioh iij. If then the blynde hand deserue death how much more those partes which haue y â— sight of reason And he y â— sayth Racha lewde or whatsoeuer signe of wrath it be or that prouoketh to wrath hath not onely deserued that men shoulde immediatly pronouÌ„ce senteÌ„ce of death vpon him but also that when death is pronouÌ„ced they shuld gather a couÌ„cell to decree what horrible death he shuld suffer And he that calleth hys brother foole hath sinned downe to hell Shall then a man not be angry at all nor rebuke or punishe yes if thou be a father or a mother master or maâ—sâ—…sse husband Lord or ruler yet with loue and mercy that the angre rebuke or punishment exceede not the fault or trespasse May a man be angry with loue ye mothers can be so wyth their children It is a louyng anger that hateth onely the vice and studieth to mende the person But here is forbiddeÌ„ not onely wrath against father mother and all that haue gouernauÌ„ce ouer thee which is to be angry and to grudge agaynst God himselfe that the ruler shall not be wrath without a cause agaynst the subiect But also all priuate wrath against thy neighbour ouer whom thou hast no rule nor he ouer thee no though he do thee wroÌ„g For he that doth wrong lacketh witte and discretion and cannot amende till he be enformed and taught louingly Therefore thou must refrayne thy wrath and tell him his fault louingly and with kyndenesse winne him to thy father for he is thy brother as well made and as deare bought as thou as well beloued though he be yet childishe and lacke discretion But some wil say I wil not hate my neighbour nor yet loue him or do hym good yes y â— must loue him for the first coÌ„maundement out of which all other flow is thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thyne hart with all thy soule and with all thy might That is thou must keepe all his commaundemeÌ„tes with loue Loue must kepe thee from killing or hurting thy neighbour and from couetyng in thyne hart what soeuer is his And. 1. Iohn iiij This commaundement haue we of him that he which loueth God loue his brother also And agayne 1. Iohn iij. he that hath the substaunce of this world and seeth his brother haue necessity shutteth vp his compassion from him how is the loue of God in hym he then that helpeth not at neede loueth not God but breaketh the first commaundemeÌ„t Let vs loue therefore sayth S. Iohn not with word and toung but in dede and truth And agayne S. Iohn sayth in the sayd place he that loueth not his brother abydeth yet still in death And of loue hath Moyses textes inough But the Phariseis glosed theÌ„ out saying they were but good councelles if a man desired to be perfect but not preceptes Exod. xxiij if thou mete thyne enemyes Oxe or Asse goyng astraye thou shalt in any wise bryng them to him agayne And if thou see thyne enemyes Asse fall downe vnder hys burthen thou shalt helpe him vp agayne And Leuit. xix thou shalt not hate thy brother in thyne hart but shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour that thou beare no sinne for his sake For if thou study not to ameÌ„d thy neighbour wheÌ„ he sinneth so art thou partaker of his sinnes And therfore wheÌ„ God taketh vengeaunce and sendeth what soeuer plage it be to punish opeÌ„ sinners thou must perish with them For thou dyddest sinne in the light of God as deepe as they because thou dyddest not loue the law of God to mainteine it withall thiue hart soule power and might Is not he that seeth his neighbours house in ieopardie to be set on fire and warneth not nor helpeth in time to auoide the perill worthy if his neighbours house be burnt vp that his be burnt also seing
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
as we haue sinned be in sinne or do sinne or shal sinne so farforth must faith in Christes bloud iustifie vs onely and els nothing To loue is to be righteous so farforth as thou louest but not to make righteous nor to make peace To beleue in Christes bloud with a repēting hart is to make righteous and the onely makyng of peace and satisfaction to Godwarde And thus because termes be darcke to them that be not expert and exercised we alway set out our meaning wyth cleare ensamples reporting our selues vnto the hartes and consciences of all men M. The blasphemous wordes of Luther seme to signifie that both Iohn Baptiste and our Lady were sinners Tyndall Iohn Baptiste sayde to Christ Mat. 3. I had neede to be baptised of thee and commest thou to me Wherof did Iohn confesse that he had nede to be washed purged by Christ of his holynes and good deedes When Iohn saide beholde y e Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of y e worlde he was not of that sorte nor had any sinnes to be taken away at any time nor any part in Christs bloud which dyed for sinners onely Iohn came to restore all thyng sayth Christ That is he came to enterprete the law of God truely and to proue all fleshe sinners to send thē to Christ as Paul doth in the beginning of y e Romanes Which lawe if M. More coulde vnderstand how spirituall it is and what it requireth of vs he woulde not so dispute And if there were no imperfectnesse in our Ladies deedes why dyd Christ rebuke her Iohn 2. when he ought rather to haue honoured his mother and why did he make her secke him three dayes Chrisostomus dare say that our Lady was now and then taken with a little vayne glory She ioked for the promises of him that should come and blesse her from what She beleued to be saued by Christ from what This I graunt that our Lady Iohn Baptiste Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses and many like did neuer consent to sinne to follow it But had the holy ghost from the beginning Neuer the later while they folowed the spirite and wrought their best yet chaunces met them by the way and temptations that made their woorkes come sometimes vnperfectly to passe as a potter that hath his craft neuer so wel meteth a chaunce now and then that maketh him fashion a pot a misse So that I thinke the perfectest of them all as we haue ensamples of some were compelled to say with Paul that good that I would I do not and that euill that I would not that I do I would not sweare on a booke that if our Lady had bene let slip as we other were and as hard apposed with as present death before her eyes that she would not haue denyed somethinges that she knew true ye but she was preserued by grace that she was not No but though she were kept by grace from y e outwarde deede yet if there were such wickednes in her fleshe she had sinne And the grace was that she knew it and was meeke to beleue in Christ to haue it forgeuen her and to be preserued that it should not bud forth Iohn the Euangelist when he was as holy as euer was Iohn the Baptist sayd if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues Then he compareth fayth deedes together and will that fayth shoulde stand in no better seruice of right then deedes Yes for the deedes be examined by the lawe and therfore it is not inough to do them onely or to do thē with loue but I must do them wyth as great loue as Christ did for me and as I receaue a good deede at my nede But faith is vnder no lawe and therfore be she neuer so feeble she shall receaue according to the truth of the promiser M. What thing coulde we aske God of right because we beleue him Tyndall Verely all that he promiseth may we be bolde to aske of right and dutie and by good obligation More Ferman sayd that all workes be good inough in thē that god hath chosē Tyndall I am sure it is vntrue for their best be not good inough though God forgeueth them their euill of hys mercy at y e repentaunce of their harts Then he endeth in his schole doctrine contrary vnto all the scripture that God remitteth not the sinne of hys chosen people because that he hath chosen thē not of his mercy but of a towardnes that is more in one then in an other saying God saw before that Peter should repent and Iudas woulde dispaire and therefore chose Peter If God chose Peter because he did repent why chose he not Iudas to which repented as much as he knowledged his sinne and brought the money agayne O this blindnesse as God had wrought nothing in the repentaunce of Peter Sayde not Christ before that Peter should falle And sayd he not that he had prayed for him that he shoulde be holpe vppe agayne Christ prayed a strong prayer for Peter to helpe hym vp agayne and suffered a strong death thereto And before his death he committed them vnto his father saying I haue kept them in thy name and I depart keepe them now from euill Peter had a good hart to God and loued his lawe and beleued in Christ had the spirite of God in him which neuer left him for all his falle Peter sinned of no malice but of frailtie and sodaine feare of death And the goodnesse of God wrought his repentaunce and all the meanes by which he was brought vp againe at Christes requeste And Iudas was neuer good nor came to Christ for loue of his doctrine but of couetousnesse nor did euer beleue in Christ Iudas was by nature and birth as we all be heyre of the wrath of God in whome the deuill wrought his will and blinded his hart with ignoraunce In which ignorannce and blindnes he grew as he grew in age and fell deeper and deeper therein and thereby wrought all his wickednesse and the deuilles will and perished therin Frō which ignoraunce God purged Peter of his mercy and gaue him light and his spirite to gouerne him and not of any towardnesse that was in Peter of hys owne byrth but for the mercy that we haue in the birth of Christes death And how will M. More proue that God chuseth not of his goodnes but of our towardnes What good towardnes can he haue and endeuour that is altogether blinde and caryed away at the will of the deuill till the deuill be cast out Are we not robbed of all towardnes in Adam and be by nature made the children of sinne so that we sinne naturally and to sinne is our nature So that as now though we would do well the flesh yet sinneth naturally neither ceaseth to sinne but so farforth as it is kept vnder with
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
the sacrament of his body and bloud that that which was once offerd for the price of our redemption might continually be honored through the mistery To consecrate a thing is to aply it vnto an holy vse Here you may see y e he calleth it the sacrament of his body and bloud which body is caried vp in the heauen And also he calleth it a mistery whiche is inough for them that will see Also Druthmarius expoundeth these wordes this is my body on this manner Hoc est corpus meum in misterio That is to say this is my body in a mistery I thinke you know what a mistery meaneth Christ is crucified euery day in a mistery that is to say euery day his death is represeÌ„ted by the sacramentes of remembraunce The Masse is Christes passion in a mistery that is to say the Masse doth represent his passion and kéepeth it in our memory The bred is Christes body in a mistery that is to say it representeth his body that was broken for vs and kéepeth it in our remembraunce You haue heard all ready the mind of the doctours how the sacrament is Christes body And now I shall shew you how the sacrament is our body which doth not a litell helpe to the vnderstanding of these wordes which are in controuersie The sacrament of the aulter is our body as well as it is Christes body And euen as it is our body so is it Christes But there is no man that can say that it is our naturall bodie in déede but onely a figure signe memoriall or representation of our body Wherfore it must also followe that it is but onlye a figure signe memoriall or representation of Christes body The first part of this argumeÌ„t may thus be proued S. Austen wryting in a sermon sayth on this manner Corpus ergo Christi si vultis intelligere apostolum audite diceÌ„tem Vos estis corpus Christi meÌ„bra 1. Cor. 12. Si ergo estis corpus Christi et membra misterium vestrumque in meÌ„sa Dominipositum est misterium Domini accipitis ad id quod estis Amen respondetis respondendo subscribitis That is to say Yf you will vnderstand the body of Christ heare y e apostle which sayth ye are the body of Christ and members 1 cor 12. therfore if ye be the body of Christ members your misterie is put vpon the Lordes table yereceiue the misterie of the Lord vnto y e you are you aunswere Amen And in aunswering subscribe vnto it Here may you sée that the sacrament is also our body and yet is not our naturall body but onely our body in a misterie that is to say a figure signe memorial or representation of our body for as the bread is made of many graines or cornes so we though we be many are one bread one body And for this propertie and similitude it is cauled our body and beareth the name of the very thing which it doth represent and signifie Agayne S. Austen sayth Quia Christus passus est pro nobis commenda uit nobis in isto sacramento corpus et sanguinem suum quod etiam fecit nos ipsos Nam et nos ipsius corpus facti sumus per misericordiam ipsius quod accipimus nos sumus Et postea dicit IaÌ„ in nomine Christi tanquam ad calicem Domi ni venistis ibi vos estis in mensa ibi vos estis in calice That is because Christ hath suffered for vs he hath betaken vnto vs in this sacrament his bodie and bloud which he hath also made euen our selues For we also are made his body and by his mercy we are euen the same thing that we receiue And after he sayth now in y t name of Christ ye are come as a man would say to the chalice of the Lord there are ye vpon the table and there are ye in y t chalice Here you may sée that the sacrament is our body And yet it is not our naturall body but onely in a mistery as it is before sayd Furthermore S. Austen sayth HuÌ„c itaque cibum potum societatem vult intellegi corporis membrorum suorum quod est sancta ecclesia in praedestinatis et vocatis et iustificatis et glorisicatis sanctis fidelibus eius Huius rei sacrameÌ„tum alicubi quotidie alicubi certis inter vallis dieruÌ„ in dominico preparatur de mensa Domini sumitur quibusdaÌ„ ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium Res vero ipsa cuius est omni homini ad vitam nulli ad exitium quicuÌ„que cius particeps fuerit That is to say he will that this meat and drinke should be vnderstaÌ„d to be the felowship of his body meÌ„bers which is the holy Church in the predestinate and called and iustified and glorified his saintes faythfull The sacrament of this thing is prepared in some place dayly in some place at certaine appoynted dayes as on y e Sonday And it is receiued from the table of the Lord to some vnto life and to some vnto destruction but the thing it selfe whose sacrament this is is receiued of all men vnto life and of no man to destruction who so euer is partaker of it Here doth S. Austen first say that thys sacrament is the fellowship of hys bodye and members which are we And yet it is not our naturall bodye as is before sayd And then he sayth that the Sacrament of thys thyng is receaued of some vnto life and saluation and of some vnto death and damnation for both faythfull and vnfaythfull may receiue the sacrament And after he sayth that the thing it selfe whose sacrament it is is receiued of all men vnto lyfe and of no man vnto destruction who so euer is partaker of it And of this saying it must nedes follow that onely the saythfull eate Christes body and the vnfaithfull eate not For he is receiued of no maÌ„ vnto destruction And of this it must also follow that the sacrament is not Christes body in déede but onely in a mysterye for if the sacrament were his naturall bodye then should it follow that y â— vnfaithfull should receiue his bodye which is contrarye to the minde of S. Austen and against all truth Thus haue we sufficiently proued the first parte of our argument that the sacrament is our body as well as it is Christes And now will I proue the second part more plainely although it be inough declared all ready to them that haue eares that euen as it is our bodye so is it Christes Fyrst you shall vnderstand that in the wyne whiche is called Christes bloud is admixed water which doth signifie the people that are redemed with hys bloud so that y e head which is Christ is not without hys bodye which is the faythfull people nor the body without hys head Nowe if the wyne when it â—s consecrated
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
were here with his nette on his necke I thinke you would bid hym walke beggar if you called him not heretik Why doe you not sweare to folowe hys lyuing and to preach and teach his doctrine but that maketh nothing for your purpose Therefore you swerre all onely to S. Peters name But wherein wyll you bée faythfull to S. Peter to mayntane his worldly honours dignities or riches you know well hée sayth that hée hath forsaken all these thinges for Christes sake And for these thinges I thinke hée will require none othe of you Wherfore if you will néedes bée faythfull sworne vnto S. Peter it muste bée in mayntayning and in defending spirituall thynges as preaching of Christes Gospell purely and sincerely mynystring truelye after the institution of our master Christ y e blessed sacramentes of holy church and in vertuous lyuyng geuing example to the holy church of Christe But now if this bée your othe truely you are periured worthy to weare papers for you doe reken your selues to hye and to honorable to goe aboute such simple thinges as these bée And therfore you haue applyed your selues to other greater matters as to christening of belles to halowing of churches to blessing of candels to consecrating of holy oyle to halowing of chalesies vestementes and aulters and to geuing 40. dayes of pardon to them that receiueth your blessings in the streate and to some that visyte holy saintes such like greate matters which partayneth nothing to your othe wherefore I doe recken y e after the true forme of your othe we haue but few byshops but y e bée periured or abiured call it as you will both against God agaynst S. Peter and against their prince It foloweth And to the holy church of Rome what néedeth this what good can you doe to y e holy church of Rome Or what profyte is it to her that you sweare where is any request of her in holy scripture that you shoulde sweare Thinke you that she will compell you by your othe to bée true to her then must shee néedes sue you of periurie if you breake your othe But marke how y e church of Rome is set in your othe as the better person before the Pope wherefore it must néedes followe that y e Pope is vnder y e church and lesse then the church and no hed of the church except you will make hym a third person that neither pertayneth to S. Peter nor yet to holy Churche but is a thyng of him selfe and as your law sayth neither God nor man but middle betwéene them both that is as much to say after my learnyng as the deuill hym selfe But what meaneth it that you sweare onely to the holy Churche of Rome will you bée traytours to the holy Church of Constātinople or els to the holy Churche of England Or doe you thinke other Churches not holy tell vs what you meane for it séemeth a marueilous thyng and also a speciall thyng that you make such an othe all onely to the holy Church of Rome naming none other church Why are you not rather sworne to kéepe and to féede to norish and to bée true to your owne Church of the which you haue taken cure charge As S. Peter commaundeth you Sée that you féede Christes flocke which is among you For of these you haue taken your name lyuyng and dignitie You are called Byshop of Winchester of London and of Lyncolne And of these you are fed but these bée forgotten in your othe and these you litle regarde but to mayntayne the holy Churche of Rome that geueth you neuer a peny but robbeth all other Churches you must bée straitly sworne And why Antichrist must haue a cloke for his treason For now if hée bée a traytour hée is to bée excused why for hée is sworne to it But shall I tell you what I doe take out of it The truth is that you sweare to betray to kil and slay all members of all other Churches sauyng those that liueth after the whoredome and mischief that is vsed in Rome For if you should bee bounde to séeke out in Rome Christened men and those that doth liue after the liuyng of holy church I thinke you should finde but few Yea and vnto those you would thinke scorne to bée sworne Ergo it must folow that you are sworne to the worst sort of Rome and that your holy Churche of Rome is taken for such a sorte as liueth agaynst God agaynst his blessed worde agaynst the liuyng of holy Aposties agaynst the cōditiōs of our holy mother y e church I could say in all whoredome in all oppression in all Sodomytrie in all murther in all pōpe pride summa summarum in all maner of mischief what toung cā tell or hart can thinke But I will not say so for men would reken me vncharitable and to vehement Neuerthelesse all the worlde knoweth that you doe recken your selfe by the vertue of your oth boūde to no men but vnto such as in very déede liueth after this vngracious maner and yet will you bée faithfull and true vnto them agaynst all men Yea I dare say if that their conscience had not cōdemned them of such mischief they would neuer haue desired this assistence of you or els haue thought it necessary to haue required an othe of you But the veritie is they bée naught and haue néede of mayntainers in their mischief And also suspect you not to bée true except you made an othe to them yea and scarsly then onles that you in very déede at tyme and place conuenient doe betray your Princes for that is y e cause of your othe and other profite hath not the kyng by it I will bée reported by all practise that euer came out of your othe It foloweth And to my Lord the Pope I would gladly learne where the Pope hath got the dignitie of a Lord. This thyng is litle regarded of my Lordes the Byshops to bryng in such a worldly dignitie yea they will say it is but a trifle and mocke men for speaking agaynst it But the truth is if they durst as much now as in times past they would burne for this litle trifle the best Lord in England For I dare say it hath cost many a mans lyfe or euer they brought the Pope to Lordshyp Blessed S. Peter whose successour the Pope boasteth him selfe to bée knew nothing of this Lordshyp for bée sayth vnto hys felowes they shall not exercise no Lordshyp ouer the congregation And likewise S. Paule durst not take vppon him to commaunde as a Lord collections to bée made for poore men but mekely desires thē without any Lordshyp Also in an other place Let no man iudge vs but as the Ministers of Christ Blessed S. Paule rekeneth him selfe but a minister a seruaunt And yet y e day hath béene that he was so good as my Lord the Pope Our master Christ that
articles that were agaynst the Byshops they did great diligence in a part of them gathered they my very true sentences and myne owne wordes though in those thinges they left out vncharitably those wordes that made for my declaration and also for the probation of my saying the which I haue also here lefte out all onely adding the articles as thye laid them against mée that all men may sée y t worst that they had against mée For all men may thinke that they wil neither lay the best nor yet the truth agaynst mée But this article dyd I thus preach that men should not in their peticiō and prayers put to their good workes nor their good déedes and their merites As O Lord I doe faste I doe pray I am no theife I am in charitie with all the world and for them defire God to bée mercifull vnto them But they shoulde desire the father of heauen to bée mercifull vnto them alonely for Christes merites For they were y e things wherby both wée and our prayers are accepted in the sight of the father And to prooue this I brought certayne Scriptures As this whatsoeuer yée shall aske the father in my name hée shall geue it you And also the figure of y e old law where there was no sacrifice done but with y e fire that was taken from the aulter Now did I say that Christ is our aulter But thys myne aduersaries vnderstoode not But I maruayle what this article doth amonge the other hereticall articles I thinke they doe not recken it heresie HEe did not praye for the thrée estates of holy Churche neyther made hée his prayers in y e beginning of his sermon according to the olde custome but at the last ende and for the true knowledge of all Christen men making no prayer to our Lady nor for the soules in gurgatory nor for grace expedient If the Byshops had had any indifferency in them or any charitie they woulde haue béene ashamed that such articles shoulde haue béene brought afore thē What is this to the purpose of heresie that I did not pray for the thrée estates of holy Church And yet they graunt that I prayde for all true Christē mē and that men might come to the true knowledge Is not all the church contayned in this But they bée vncharitable men without all cōsideration they bée so blinded in their worldly honour That I did not pray to our Ladye nor for the soules in purgatory what is that to heresy for then were the Apostles heretykes for they did not pray in their sermons to our Lady nor yet to y e soules in purgatorye And as for praying for grace expedient that is not the preacher bound to doe openly But mée thinketh by these articles that God gaue mée a greate grace that I durst so boldelye reproue their abhominable liuing not fearing the daunger that should come thereof but this I leue to other mens iudgement And I dare boldelye say y e if I had spoken tentymes asmuch against y e auctorite of our noble prince and agaynst all his noble dukes and Lordes had taken all power both spirituall and temporall from them and geuen it to our idle byshops then had I béene a faythfull christen man for I had defended y e liberties of holy church But god send them his grace and space for to conuert Amen The whole disputation betweene the Byshops and Doctour Barnes NOw most honorable gracious Prince here haue I shewed your grace the articles that myne aduersaries vncharitablie hath layd agaynst me In the whiche though a greate many of my wordes and sayinges were Yet neuerthelesse there was left out all those things that did make for my declaration and for probations of my wordes and also for mollifying and temperatyng of those thinges that séemed to bée somewhat hardly spokē agaynst the Byshops The whiche thinges were to longe to recite vnto your noble grace But as God is my iudge and also my conscience and all my wordes and déedes and all maner of my liuyng and conuersation I did neuer intende to speake agaynst the Byshops or els any other man further then their liuing and conuersation were agaynst the blessed word of God and the holy doctrine of Christes Churche For the truth is there was no great clerke in the Church of God this CCCC yeares that wrote any thyng but hée complained vehemently agaynst the liuing of the spiritualtie Let their bookes bée brought foorth to proue whether my saying be truth or not Alas is it not a pituous case yea and also agaynst all law and conscience that I poore man shalbée thus violently cast away for speaking agaynst these vices that béene damned by almightie God and by all hys holy creatures yea and the Byshops them selues and all the worlde must graunt that they doe liue as euill yea and rather worse then I did speake Oh Lord God where is loue to vertue where is the shamefastnes that Christen men ought to haue where is Iustice That I shalbée thus shamefully cast awaye for speakyng of that thynge that euery Christen man is bounde to speake They doe so lyue and I beyng a preacher of the verity must bée condemned for speakyng agaynst it But most gracious and mightie Prince God hath set your grace in the same honour and dignitie that you by Gods ordinaunce ought to defende those men that are oppressed wrongfully Wherefore humbly and méekely and with all lowlynes reuerence I beséech your grace to minister vnto me gracious iustice let me bée heard indifferently whether that I can iustifie my cause with learnyng or not If I can not iustifie it your grace is a minister of iustice I will refuse no maner of payne that shal bée due for my trāsgressiō Wherfore ones agayne with all méekenes and lowlynes in the way of charitie and in Christes name and for his swéete bloud sake that hée hath shed for your grace yea and also by y e vertue of your auctoritie that the heauēly God hath deliuered you I doe require and desire of your grace audience and iustice I and all my parētes bée your naturall subiectes borne and a great many of vs hath dyed in your graces quarell and yet is there none of vs but are ready to doe your grace that seruice with our bodyes bloud that shall become trewe subiectes to doe to their noble prince Wherfore thyrdely in my name and in all our names for al they are rebuked in me with all méekenes reuerence I béeseche your grace of gracious audience and of fauorable iustice This thing I trust your grace will not denye me Nor yet take any displeasure with me your poore subiect for thus requiring For I haue none other prince nor Lorde to séeke vnto here on earth but vnto your grace onelye Nor can I come to any charitable ende with myne aduersaries Wherefore I am compelled by extreme violence thus to complayne