doctrine nedeth not now of miracles for it was confirmed by Christ with myracles Math. 24. The Pope commeth 〈◊〉 Christes name with false miracles The preachers of gods word confirmed the same with miracles whyle they were alyue God suffeâ—eth such as haue no loue to hys truth to be deceaued with lying miracles Why the Pope tell In the Popish church all miracles are wrought by dead Saintes S. Thomas of CaÌ„terbury Thomas de Aquino Dunce ☜ Miracles Our fayth may not be grounded onely vpon miracles but vpon the worde of God Math. 1â— Iohn 21. The Apostles of Christe knew no such authoritie as the Pope now vsurpeth What iâ— there had bene no scripture Grekes God to 〈…〉 â—…de heresâ—… caused the scriptures to be written â–ª Noe. What faith â—…th Where true faith is there is repentauÌ„ce and ameÌ„dment of 〈◊〉 ☜ Abraham The elderâ— did erre The elders in y e time of the Iewes did erre The Scribes Phariseis and Elders did erre The scripture was aucthorised by true myracles False bookes set forth by the Papistes Erasmus The true church teacheth nothing but that which the scripture proueth and mainteineth The Pope hideth the scripture The Papistes hide y e scripture The scripture is the cause why men beleue y â— scripture The Papistes docctrine is nâ—â— to be beleued wiihouâ— scripture Why the 〈◊〉 is not to be beleued wtout scripture why he is not the true church The doctrine of the Papistes hath bene 〈◊〉 resisted by y e scripture What thinges 〈◊〉 finde in scripture Rom. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. â— 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 5. Iohn 7. Heb. 8. The Papistes will neither by Gods lawe nor mans refraine froÌ„ their wicked liuyng Iohn 10. The Papistes will lose nothing that belongeth to them Christ deliuered the Iewes out of errour ☜ None haue more care of the scripture then those that beleue it not M. More reasoneth agaynst himselfe ☜ Actes 13. Iohn 8. They that preach not Christ truty are murtherers The end of hipocrites Predestination Balam Wit must first shew a cause and then will is sturted to worke More feeleth Purgatory Popish doe trine concernyng Purgatory The pope how he can both forgeue and receiue sinne Tyndall feeleth Purgatory Iohn 15. Iohn 13. Bodyly payne purgeth the body and not y e soule M. More â—o of an euil opinion Faith in Châ—… 〈◊〉 purchaseth forgâ—… of sinne Ephe. 5. There is no purgatory for hym that dyeth repentâ—unt beleueth Iohn 15. 1. Iohn 〈◊〉 Payne of sinne 〈◊〉 popes 〈◊〉 Purgatory prâ—… to y â— Pope Purgatory to a tormenting Iayle as y â— Pope maketh it Money dispatcheth Purgatory The Pope is Antichrist The fleshly children do naturally consent vnto lyes The fleshly mynded can neuer consent vnto Gods law The fleshly persecute them of the spirite The true church is not w t out a signe of a miracle to proue that it is Gods church The popes life doctrine is more wicked theÌ„ the Turkes all y e heatheÌ„ that euer were Euticus Actes 3. All glory and honour is to be geuen to the name of Iesu Iudges Deut. 17. Purgatory to the foundation of Abbeyes Colledges c. M. More is a commoÌ„â—ester and a scouÌ„er ☞ The Papistes are cruell and vnmercyfull Sweryng The oth of a witnes may be taken but no maÌ„ may be coÌ„pelled to sweare be a witnes A godly lesson M. More is a lyer The Papistes are obstinate will not repent Iudas Prayers of an euill Priest profite not A fond saying To minister SacrameÌ„ts with out signification is to be lead in darkenesse Sacrifice Heb. 10. Christes body in the SacrameÌ„t is not carnall but spirituall Christe was sacrificed on the crosse once for all More Deacons Tyndall Christes Deaâ—…s and the pâ—â—eâ— Deacons differ much More Priestes Tyndall More Tyndall 1. Iohn 4. M. Mores fayth was a common fayth More Tyndall More Tyndall As good no lawe as a law not executed Age is to be preferred before â—outh The chast vnchastirie of the Papistes is abhominable both to God and man S. Hierome The Pope iudgeth no sinne to bee sinne and sinne to be no sinne A Priest by the Popes order may haue a whore but not a wife Rom. 14. Mores doctrine is superstitious 1. Tim. 4. The Pope forbiddeth mariage Apparant godlynesse why the Priest may not haue y â— secoÌ„d wife Christes benefites toward vs are figured by matrimony We were Idolaters when we came to Christ S. Paules doctrine is that priests shuld haue wiues Widowes More is a scoâ—fer The office of the wâ—ddowes in y e primatine church Rom. 13 â–ª Young widowes were forbiddeÌ„ to minister in the commoÌ„ seruice Fishe no better then fleshe nor fleshe no better then fishe in the kingdame of Christ 〈◊〉 ☞ Tyndall More Tyndall Three lyes at â—…ce 〈…〉 Priestes must be endued wyth vertue and honesty Generall counsell Parlâ—…ment The 〈◊〉 vsed both in generall to â–ª â—…es and also 〈◊〉 parliamentes A practise vsed in all counsayles and Parlamentes The spiritualtie make heretickes of them that resist theyr power and will Why Priestes may haue no wyues The chastitie of the â—â—ergy pertâ—â—neth to the tempoâ—…ie as much as to the spiritualtie Vowes No oth is to be kept that is agaynst charitie or necessitie The popes snares 〈◊〉 2. 3. 4. 5. Tyndall doth here playnly proue More an hereticke That is euer best that moueth man to the kepyng of Gods commaundementes ☜ Deuilish doctrine Math. 15. Christes natural body is not in the Sacrament The Sacrament of the body 〈◊〉 bloud of Christ how it must be receiued ☞ S. Michael wayeth 〈◊〉 soules The true seruice of God what it is Whether it were best that priestes were gelded ☜ Leuit. 10. More Tyndall Paphnutius More had two wiues therefore was Bigamus More Tyndall The Pope a cruell tyraâ—nt More Tyndall The spiritualtie would not haue the scripture in Englishe Hunne More Horsey Tyndall If we be not giltie we neede no pardon More woulde excuse the murther of Hunne Hunne ☜ More Tyndall Doetour Lolet Olde translation More was a subtill Poet. The hauyng of the Scripture in English is vtterly agaynst the myndes of the Popish Clergie More Tyndall The scripture was first deliuered to the pâ—opâ—e in their vulgere toung More Tyndall More Tyndall The ordinaâ—… are hangmeÌ„ to such as desire the knowledge of the scripture None can vnderstand the Scripture except he knewe Christ to be his iustification More Tyndall More Tyndall Eare confession and pardons were neuer confirmed by miracle More Tyndall The Popish spiritualitie are tyrâ—unts persecutors More Tyndall Pope forbiddeth matrimony the eatyng of meates The wicked monstrous doynges of the Pope More Tyndall More Tyndall More Tyndall All Sacramentes teach vs what to do or what to beleue More Tyndall Eare confession destroyeth the beneâ—ite of Christes bloud More Tyndall More Tyndall RepeÌ„tauÌ„ce More Tyndall SacrameÌ„t More Fayth Tyndall The Pâ—pistes aâ—â— slaundâ—â—â—s of the Gospell More Woâ—… Tyndall â–ª More Tyndall We can do no
wherewith y ◠hart is purified as fayth hope loue pacience long sufferyng and obedience could neuer be sene without outward experience For if thou were not brought sometime into combraunce whence God onely could deliuer thee thou shouldest neuer see thy fayth yea except thou foughtest sometyme agaynst desperation hell death sinne and powers of this worlde for thy faythe 's sake thou shouldest neuer know true fayth from a dreame Except thy brother now and then offended thee thou couldest not know whether thy loue were Godly For a Turke is not angre till he be hurt and offended but it thou loue him that doth thee euill then is thy loue of God likewise if thy rulers were alway kinde thou shouldest not know whether thyne obedience were pure or no but if thou canst paciently obeye euill rulers in all thyngs that is not to the dishonour of God and when thou hurtest not thy neighbours then art thou sure that Gods spirite worketh in thee and that thy fayth is no dreame nor any false imagination Therfore counceleth Paule Rom. xij recompense to no man euill And on your part haue peace with all men Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but geue rowme vnto the wrath of God For it is written vengeaunce is myne and I will reward sayth the Lord. Therfore if thy enemie hungre feede hym If he thurst geue hym drinke For in so doyng thou shalt heape coales of fire on his heed that is thou shalt kindle loue in him Be not ouercome of euil that is let not an other mans wickednesse make thee wicked also But ouercome euill with good that is with softenes kindnesse and all pacience winne him euen as God with kindnesse wonue thee THe law was geuē in thūder lightenyng fire smoke and the voyce of a trumpet and terrible sight Exod. xx So that the people quaked for feare and stode a farre of saying to Moyses Speake thou to vs and we wil heare let not the Lord speake vnto vs left we dye No eare if it be awaked and vnderstandeth the meanyng is able to abide the voice of the law except the promises of mercy be by That thunder except the rayne of mercy be ioyned with it destroyeth all and buildeth not The law is a witnesse agaynst vs and testifieth that God abhorreth the the sinnes that are in vs and vs for our sinnes sake In like maner when God gaue the people of Israell a kyng it thundred and rained that y ◠people feared so sore that they cryed to Samuell for to pray for them that they should not dye i. Reg. xij As the law is a terrible thing euen so is the kyng For he is ordeined to take vengeaunce and hath a sword in his hād and not pecockes feethers Feare him therfore and looke on hym as thou wouldest looke on a sharpe sword that hanged ouer thy head by an heare Heades and gouerners are ordeined of God and are euen the gifte of God whether they be good or bad And what soeuer is done vnto vs by them y t doth God be it good or bad If they be euill why are they euill verely for our wickednesse sake are they euill Because that whē they were good we would not receaue that goodnesse of the hand of God and be thankefull submitting our selues vnto his lawes and ordinaunces but abused the goodnesse of God vnto our sensuall beastly lustes Therefore doth God make hys scorge of them and turne them vnto wilde beastes cōtrary to the nature of their names and offices euen into Lyons Beares Foxes and vncleane Swine to auenge himselfe of our vnnaturall and blind vnkindnesse and of our rebellious disobedience In the Cvj. Psalme thou readest he destroyed the riuers and dryed vp the springes of water and turned y t fruitfull land into barennesse for the wickednesse of the inhabiters therein Whē the children of Israell had forgotten God in Egipt God moued the hartes of the Egiptians to hate them and to subdue them with craft and wilynes Psal Ciiij and Deuteronomiun iij. Moyses rehearseth saying God was angry wyth me for your sakes so that the wrath of God fell on Moyses for the wickednesse of the people And in the secōd Chap. of the second booke of kynges God was angry with the people and moued Dauid to number them when Ioab and the other Lords wondred why hee would haue them numbred and because they feared lest some euil should folow disswaded the kyng yet it holpe not God so hardened his hart in his purpose to haue an occasion to slay the wicked people Euill rulers then are a signe that God is angry and wroth with vs. Is it not a great wrath and vengeaunce that the father and mother should hate their children euen their flesh and their bloud or that an husband should be vnkinde vnto his wife or a master vnto the seruaunt that wayteth on his profite or the Lordes and Kynges should be tyrauntes vnto their subiectes and tenauntes which pay them tribute tolle custome and rente laboring and toyling to finde them in honour and to mainteine them in their estate is not this a fearefull iudgemēt of God and a cruell wrath that the very Prelates and shepheardes of our soules whiche were wont to feede Christes flocke with Christs doctrine and to walke before them in lyuyng there after and to geue their lyues for them to their ensample and edifiyng and to strengthē their weake faythes are now so sore chaunged that if they smell that one of their flocke as they now cal them and no lenger Christes do but once long or desire for the true knowledge of Christ they will slay hym burnyng him with fire most cruelly What is the cause of this and that they also teach false doctrine confirmyng it with lyes veryly it is the hād of God to auenge the wickednes of them that haue no loue nor lust vnto the truth of God when it is preached but reioyse in vnrighteousnes As thou maist see in the second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians Where he speaketh of the comming of Antichrist Whos 's commyng shal be sayth he by the workyng of Sathan with all miracles signes and wonders which are but lyes and in all deceanable vnrighteousnes among them that perish because they receaued not any loue to the truth to haue bene saued Therefore shall God send them strong delusion to beleue lyes Marke how God to auenge his truth sendeth to the vnthankefull false doctrine and false miracles to confirme them and to harden their harts in the false way that afterward it shall not be possible for them to admitte the truth As thou seest in Exod. vij and viij how God suffered false miracles to be shewed in y t sight of Pharao to harden his hart that he should not beleue the truth in as much as hys sorcerers turned their roddes into Serpēts and turned water into bloud and made frogges by their inchauntment so thought he
fathers fathers of theÌ„ that are past And as we feele our fathers so dyd they that are past feele their fathers neither were there in the world any other fathers then such as we both see and feele this many hundred yeares as their Decrees beare recorde and the stories and Chronicles well testifie If Gods word appeared any where they agreed all agaynst it When they had brought that a sleepe then stroue they one with an other about their owne traditions and one Pope condemned an others Decrees and were sometyme ij yea thre Popes at once And one Bishop went to law with an other and one cursed an other for their owne fantasies such things as they had falsly gotteÌ„ And the greatest Samts are they that most defeÌ„ded the liberties of the church as they call it which they falsly gote with blynding kings neither had the world any rest this many hundred yeares for reformyng of Friers and Monkes and ceasyng of schismes that were among our Clergy And as for the holy Doctours as Augustine Hierome Cyprian Chrisostomus and Bede will they not heare If they wrote any thyng negligently as they were men that drawe they cleane contrary to their meanyng and therof triumphe they Those Doctours knew of none authoritie that one Byshop should haue aboue another neither thought or once dreamed that euer any such should be or of any such whisperyng or of Pardons or scouryng of Purgatory as they haue fayned And when they cry miracles miracles remember that God hath made an euerlasting Testament with vs in Christes bloud against which we may receaue no miracles no neither y â— preachyng of Paule him selfe if he came agayn by his own teaching to the Galathians neither yet the preachyng of the aungels of heauen Wherefore either they are no miracles but they haue fayned theÌ„ as is the miracle that S. Peter halowed Westminster or els if there be miracles that confirme doctrine contrary to Gods word theÌ„ are they done of the deuill as the mayd of Ipswich of Kent to proue vs whether we will cleane last to Gods word and to deceaue them that haue no loue to the truth of Gods word nor lust to walke in his lawes And for as much as they to deceaue with all arme them selues against theÌ„ with argumentes and periÌ„nasions of fleshly wisedome with worldly similitudes with shadowes with false Allegories with false expositions of the Scripture contrary vnto the liuyng practising of Christ and the Apostles with lyes and false miracles with false names domne ceremonies with disguising of hypocrisie with the authorities of the fathers and last of all with the violence of the temporall sworde therfore do thou contrariwise arme thy selfe to defende thee with all as Paule teacheth in the last chapter to y â— Ephesians Gyrde on thee the sworde of the spirite which is Gods word and take to thee the shilde of fayth which is not to beleue a â—ate of Robynhode or Gestus Romanorum or of the Chronicles but to beleue Gods woorde that â—asteth euer And when the Pope with his falshead chalengeth temporall authoritie aboue King and Emperour set before thee y â— xxv chapter of S. Math. Where Christ commanudeth Peter to put vp his sword And set before thee Paul ij Cor. x. Where he sayth the weapons of of our warre are not carnall thynges but myghty in God to bryng all vnderstandyng in captiuitie vnder the obedience of Christ that is the weapoÌ„s are Gods word and doctrine and not swordes of yron and stele set before thee the doctrine of Christ and of hys Apostles and their practise And when the Pope chalengeth anthoritie ouer his fellow Byshops and ouer all the congregation of Christ by successioÌ„ of Peter set before thee y â— first of the Actes where Peter for all hys authoritie put no man in the rowme of Iudas but all the Apostles chose two indifferently and cast lottes desiring God to temper them that the lot might fall on y e most ablest And Actes viij the Apostles sent Peter and in the xi call him to rekening and to geue accomptes of that he hath done And when the Popes law coÌ„maundeth saying though that the Pope liue neuer so wickedly and draw with hym through his euill ensample innumerable thousaÌ„des vnto hell yet see that no man presume to rebuke him for he is head ouer all and no man ouer him set before thee Gallates ij Where Paule rebuketh Peter openly And see how both to the CorinthiaÌ„s and also to the Galathians he will haue no superiour but Gods word hee that could teach better by Gods worde And because when he rehearsed his preachyng and hys doynges vnto the hygh Apostles they could improue nothyng therfore will he be equall with the best And when the Friers say they do more theÌ„ their dutie wheÌ„ they preach and more theÌ„ they are bound to to say our seruice are we bouÌ„d say they and that is our dutie to preach is more then we are bound to Set thou before thee how that Christes bloud shedyng hath bounde vs to loue one an other withall our might and to do the vttermost of our power one to an other And Paul sayth i. Cor. ix Wo be vnto me if I preach not yea wo is vnto him y â— hath wherewith to helpe his neighbour and to make him better and do it not If they thinke it more then their dutie to preache Christ vnto you then they thinke it more then their dutie to pray that ye should come to the knowledge of Christ And therefore it is no maruell though they take so great labour yea and so great wages also to kepe you still in darkenes And when they crye furiously hold the heretikes vnto the wall and if they will not reuoke burne them without any more a do reason not with theÌ„ it is an Article condeÌ„ned by the fathers Set thou before thee the saying of Peter i. Pet. iij. To all that aske you be ready to geue an aunswere of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes The fathers of the Iewes and the Bishops whiche had as great authoritie ouer them as ours haue ouer vs condemned Christ his doctrine If it be inough to say the fathers haue condeÌ„ned it theÌ„ are y â— Iewes to beholdeÌ„ excused yea they are yet in the right way and we in the false But if the Iewes be bound to loke in the Scripture and to see whether their fathers haue done right or wrong then are we likewise bound to looke in the Scripture whether our fathers haue done right or wrong and ought to beleue nothyng without a reason of the Scripture and authoritie of Gods word And of this maner defend thy selfe agaynst all maner wickednes of our spirites armed alway with Gods woorde with a strong and a stedfast fayth thereunto Without Gods word do nothing And to his word adde nothyng neither pull any
ye haue brought in besides the Scripture nor any that dyed for it But ye persecute and â—lea whosâ— euer with Gods woorde doth rebuke it And as for your owne miracles of which ye make your boast ye haue fayned them so grosly throughout al your Legendes of Saintes that ye be now ashamed of them and would fayne bee rid of theÌ„ if ye wist how with honestie and so would ye of a thousand thinges which ye haue fayned And the cause why heretickes fayne no miracles as ye doe is that they walke purely and entend no falsehead And why the deuill doth none for them is that they cleaue fast to Gods word whiche the deuill hateth and can do no miracles to further it But to hinder it as he doth with you Read the stories of your Popes and Cardinals see whether the deuill hath not holpe them vnto their highe dignities And looke whether your holy Byshoppes come any otherwise vnto their promotions then by seruing the deuil in setting all Christendome at variaunce in sheddyng bloud in bringyng the common wealth to tyraÌ„ny and in teaching Christen Princes to â—ule more cruelly then did euer any heathen coÌ„trary vnto the doctrine of Christ And as for the Turkes and Sarasenes that ye speake of I auÌ„swere that they were ChristeÌ„ once at the lest way for the most part And because they had no loue vnto the truth to liue their after as ye haue not God did send them false miracles to cary them out of the right waye as ye be And as for the Iewes why they hyde out is onely because they haue set vp their own righteousnesse as ye haue and therfore can not admit the righteousnesse that is in Christes bloud as ye can not and as ye haue forsworne it And when he sayth in that they haue miracles and the heretickes none it is a sure signe that they be the true Churche and the heretickes not Had ye Gods word with your miracles and the heretickes doctrine were without then it were true But now because ye haue miracles without Gods word to confirme your false imaginatioÌ„s and they whiche ye call heretickes haue Gods word coÌ„firmed with miracles fiue huÌ„dred yeares together it is a sure signe that they be the true church ye not in as much also as Christ saith that y â— deceauers shall come with miracles ye in his name therto as ye do For wheÌ„ christ saith there shal come in my name y t shal say he him selfe is Christ who is that saue your Pope that wil be Christes Vicare and yet maketh men to beleue in him selfe in his Bulles Calues skinnes and in what soeuer he listeth And who be those false annoynted that shall come with miracles to deceaue the elect if it were possible saue your Pope with his gresiamus And when he repeteth his miracles to proue that the olde holy Doctours were good men in the right belefe I aunswere agayne that the Doctours which planted Gods word watered it with miracles while they were alyue And wheÌ„ they were dead God shewed miracles at their graues to confirme the same as of Heliseus And that continued till the Scripture was full receaued and autenticke But ye can not shew nor shal any Doctour which beyng aliue preached your false doctrine confirmyng it with miracles as God doth his Scripture Then sayth hee God had in the olde TestameÌ„t good meÌ„ ful of miracles whose liuing a man might be bold to folow and whose doctrine a man might beleue by reason of theyr miracles and then iuggleth saying if God should not so now in the new TestameÌ„t haue Doctours with miracles to confirme their doctrine and liuynges but contrarywise should bryng to passe or suffer to bee brought to passe with false miracles that his church shuld take hypocrites for Saintes which exposided the Scripture falsly then should hee deceaue his Church and not haue his spirite present in his Church to teach them all truth as he promised them I aunswer God suffereth not his Church to be deceaued But he suffereth the popes Church because they haue no loue vnto the truth to lyue after the lawes of God but consent vnto all iniquitie as he suffered the Churche of Mahomet Moreouer y â— gift of miracles was not all way amoÌ„g the preachers in the old Testament For Iohn Baptist did no miracle at all The miracles were ceased longyer Christ And as for you in the Popes kingdome had neuer maÌ„ that either confirmed Gods doctrine or your owne with miracles All your Saintes be first Saints when they be dead and then do first miracles to confirme tithes and offeringes the Poetrie which ye haue fayned and not true doctrine For to confirme what preachyng doth S. Thomas of Canterbury miracles He preached neuer nor liued any other life then as our Cardinall and for his mischief dyed a mischieuous death And of our Cardinall if we be not diligent they will make a Saint also and make a greater relique of his shew then of the others And of your dead Saintes let vs take onâ— for an example Thomas de Aquino is a Saint full of miracles as Friers tell And his doctrine was that our Lady was borne in original sinne And Dunce doyng no miracle at all because I suppose no man wotteth where he lyeth improueth that with his sophistrie and affirmeth the contrary And of the contrary hath the Pope for the deuotioÌ„ of that the gray Friers gaue him ye may well thinke made an Article of the fayth And finally as for the miracles they are to make a man astonied to wonder and to draw him to heare the word earnestly rather then to write it in his hart For whosoeuer hath no other felyng of the law of God that it is good then because of miracles the saâ—…e shall beleue in Christ as did Symon Magus and Iudas and as they that came out of Egypt with Moyses and fell away at euery temptation shall haue good workes like vnto our Popes bishops and Cardinals And therfore when the Scripture is fully receaued there is no nede of miracles In so much that they which will not beleue Moses and the Prophetes when the Scripture is receaued the same wil be no true beleuers by the reason of miracles though one arose from death to lyfe to preach vnto them by the testimonie of Christ And agayne how doth S. Hierome Augustine Bede and many other old Doctours that were before the Pope was cropt vp into y e consciences of meÌ„ and had sent forth his daÌ„nable sectes to preach him vnder y t name of Christ as Christ prophesied it should be expounde this text thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my Church and this text Peter feede my sheepe and all power is geuen me in heauen and in earth and innumerable such textes cleane contrary vnto all those
contrary The mayde of Kent The mayde of Ipswich 〈◊〉 the mayde of KeÌ„t were both false dissembling haâ—â—â—tes The mayd of Kent Such as were possessed with deuils fled froÌ„ Christ A false delusion to bryng vs to Idolatry S. Bartholomew Our Lady dyd the mayde of Kent small pleasure Orestes Traditâ—… Allegory â–ª A true exposition of the parable of the â—aâ—…tan All that God hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes Byshops should be seruaunted and not Lordes Actes 15. The Pope will not obey princes though God haue commaunded hym so to do TraditioÌ„s Christes burthen is easie and gentle Math. 5. ☞ The salt of our Prelates iâ— vnâ—…ery Fayth loue charitie arâ— iij. sisters We must beleue neither to much nor yet litle We are promised all thinges for our Sauiour Christes sake â–ª not for the Saintes Iohn 21. The virginitie of our Lady Antichrist is knowen Paules traditions were the doctrine of the Gospel Christes Supper not Masse The consecration Water mixed with the wyne 1. Cor. 14. Iustification of workes Saboth The Saboth day holy dayes are made for be not â—…e for theÌ„ Why women Baptise Why the Prelates vnderstand not the Scripture A good tale if it were long enough Ye can not spede well if ye trye the doctrine of our Prelates by the Scripture All beleue in God that haue the lawe written in their hartâ— The Churche must shewe a reason of theyr doctrine Popes may not be beleued without Scripture Corusailes ought to conclude eccordyng to the Scriptures Luke 16. Luke 10. Math. 18. Math. 〈◊〉 The cause why the Apostles wrote the Gospels Iohn 20. 1. Iohn 2. The Pope and hys Cardinals erred in K. Henry the â—ights case M. Mores conclusion â–ª ☜ The furest way to oppresse true doctrine is to say the preachers fall The Pope is 〈◊〉 â—…st 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Rom. 3. A swarme of sectes set vp by the Pope The Pope by setting vp of false workes denieth the truth of gods word The Pope selleth sinne and paine all that 〈◊〉 be solde Math. 24 â–ª The popish church are 〈◊〉 but no sufferes 1. Cor. 10. The church of Chriâ—… euer persecuted 2. Thess 〈◊〉 The church of Antichrist is the false church â–ª and euer y e greater number The Pope is a deuelishe blasphemer of God The Pope is aboue kyng and Emperor The Pope persecuteth the word of God S. Paule describeth the Pope his in their coâ—ters Gods worde is y t power and pith of all goodnes Confession Loue is of theÌ„selues Couetous Hye mynded Proude Raylers Disobedient Vnthankefull Vngodly â–ª Churlishe Promise breaketh Accusâ—rs Headyâ— Leuyng lustes Appearaunce of godlynesse The Pope and his are mighty iugglers ☞ In the Churche shall there be for euer both good and euill This word Church is taken ij maner wayes The spirituall Churche of God are called LutheraÌ„s and heretickes The fleshly Churche serue God with workes of their owne Friers ☜ The blasing of hypocrites Calil is a sacrifice that no mâ— may haue any parte therof The small flocke of Christ commeth to the word and promises of God Actes 9. Actes 2. Christ onely is the perfect coÌ„forteâ— of the Christian ☞ The Christian maÌ„ in all thinges seketh â—he honour of Christ The Christian selâ—eth his saluatioÌ„ onely in Christ A pretye 〈◊〉 nâ—â—thesis betwen the Popes Churche Christes litle flocke ☜ The Popish church auÌ„swereth The litle flocke The Popes church The maner oâ— y t Popes cleargie Little flock gâ—â—th euer to wracke The Pope 〈…〉 be â—â—â—d by scripture by scripture must be iudged 〈◊〉 ☞ Iohn 5. None can minister the Sacramentes superâ—…ly but the Popes generation 1. Cor. 2. The naturall carnall man sauoreth not the thinge that be of God Rom. 5. God is fatherly to his elect members Rom. 7. Iâ— we sinne of frailtie God is mercifull ready to forgeue The new life doth tame the fleshe and serue her neighbour â–ª God seketh vs and we not hym More a lying papist Sir Thomas Hitton The Pope hath no martyrs 1. Iohn 3. There is a church that sinneth not The churh is double Gal. 5. The carnall church sinneth Two maner faithes Iohn 15. The â—aith of them that be called â–ª but not elect The Pope hideth the scripture The heretikes be fallen out of the mist Why many â—all Councels ☜ Saintes Luke 1â—… Luke 7. Christ dyâ— such seruice as all the Saintes could not do 1. Cor. 3. We may not trust to Saintes Prayer to Saintes is a great superstition Before Christ we vsed not to pray to Saintes M. More destroyeth the resurrection Math. 2â— 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thes 4. The more trust we haue in Saintes the lesse we haue in Christ Phisitions We must first call vppon God then sende for the phisition The fleshly mynded caÌ„not iudge the thinges that be of God 1. Cor. 3. More driueth from God Heb. 4. Iohn 1â— Ephes 2. We may be bolde to â—â—sort to god for he â—…leth vs so to do M. More is against the Popes profite Purgatory â–ª 〈◊〉 purgatory visible and a purgatory inâ—â—sible Canonisâ—… How you may know who be Saintes in heauen King Henry of Windsore A straunge doctrine to pray to him for helpe that is dead damned The Israelites were â—o in number theÌ„ the Iewes The Iewes committed Idolatry God euer reserueth a litle flocke More feareth not to worship an vncoÌ„secrated hosâ—e 1. Cor. 1. We must first know the true way then agree in the same Christ rebuked the false trust the Iewes had in their wil works The myracles done by the prophetes and Apostles was to coÌ„firme their doctrine Christ made the woman whole and not hys coate Miracles were done for the confirmation of doctrine A filthy chapter Latriâ— Moses Moses â–ª bones The brasen Serpent God is a spirite and wil be worshipped spiritually The Idolatrouâ— persoÌ„ worshippeth the Image for y t Saint Processionâ— though they be abused may not be put downe Wilde Irishe Welch meÌ„ Many thinges are altered for the abuses sake Ezechâ—as The true preaching of Gods worde remoueth theft and an other wickednes ☞ A good maÌ„ may erre yet not be dampned Thâ— myracles of Saintes confirme mans imaginations There were no doctours neither Apostles that did myracles to establishe the worshipping of â—amages Witches where true doctrine is set forth â–ª there needeth no myracle ☜ Let y â— Papistes for lacke of scriptures come torch and do miracles Gods worâ— to y â— touchstone to triâ— myracles The â—ectes in y â— popists church are almost innumerable Mahomets doctrine hath preuailed these viij hundred yeares The cause of false miracles Where the Scripture is there nedeth no miracles The preachers of the worde of God nede no miracles False docctrine was neuer persecuted The Papistes are ashamed of their LegeÌ„d of lyes The deuill hath holpeÌ„ Popes to their dignities The cause why the Turkes Iewes caâ— not come to to the truth Popish doctrine nedeth miracles but Christes
vsed of Christ Iohn 6. The olde passeouer compared with the Supper of our Lord. Baptisme compared with Circumcision 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 12. Rom. 6. Ephes 4. Eucharistia thaÌ„kes giuyng 1. Cor. 10. and 11. 1. Tim. 1. Baptisme was figured by Circumcision and the Lordes Supper by the paschall lambe Luke 12. 1. Cor. 5. Exod. 12. Luke 22. The Paschall lambe eaten and the Sacrament instituted Twoo thynges to be considered in the Sacramentes The matter and substaunce of of the SacrameÌ„t and the signes of the 〈◊〉 â–ª The signe is called the thyng Gene. 17. Exod. 12. The scripture calleth the signe by the name of the thing that it signifieth The bread in the SacrameÌ„t called the body of Christ the wyne called the bloud of Christ â—st is takeÌ„ for significat Gene. 40. The figuratiue speches vsed in the scripture 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Ezech. 5. The maner of speakyng in the scripturo Iohn 3. The naturall body of Christ is not in the SacrameÌ„t â–ª The Sacrament is to be receaued with thankes geuyng The vse of the supper Luke 22. Note here the whole circumstaunce of the maner and institution of the SacrameÌ„t of Christes body Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Iohn 6. Abacuk 2. Christ declared to his disciples that he would leaue this world 〈◊〉 go to his father in heauen Scriptures are many that shewe Christ as touchyng his natural body is gone and is not here Actes 2. Christ asceÌ„ded into heauen Iohn 14. and. 16. Christ â—â—playne wordes declareth his bodely departure out of this world Christ playnlye shewed vnto the disciples that he must depart from this world to his father in heauen Christes â—…rified body is in heauen Christes 〈◊〉 scention was witnessed by many The here 〈◊〉 of Marcâ—… what it was 1. Timo. 6. 2. Timo. 2. 1. Timo. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 11. The Supper of the Lord is the commemâ—ration and memoriall of Christes death S. Paule calleth the SacrameÌ„t bread after the consecration By one loafe of bread we are fignified to bee one body in Christ The cup of the Lord 〈◊〉 the cup of the deuill how they differte Who they are that eate of the bread and drinke of the cup vnworthely Euery 〈◊〉 did eate his own supper and not the Supper of the â—â—rd We must firste examine out stlues and theÌ„ come to the table of the Lord. Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader If we come not thankfully and charitably vnto y t Lordes borde we eate and drinke our damnation S. Paule calleth the poore the Church of God This place the Papistes alledge to proue vnwritten be ritie More belyeth Decolampâ—dius and Zuingitus Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader Tertulian The worâ—es of Tertulian AusteÌ„ cap. xij against â—dimâ—nt Gene. 6. Leui. 7. Deut. 12. Austen calleth Sacrament the signe of his body Homâ— 83. operitiâ— imperfectâ— Chrisostome calleth the sacrameÌ„t the signe of Christes body The confutatioÌ„ of the Papistes gloses The Papistes are wreâ—ters peruerters of the scriptures The Papistes say that the traÌ„ substantion is done by miracles All true miracles are done to let forth the glory of God Christ dyd miracles to declare hâ—m selfe to be both God and man 〈…〉 〈…〉 1. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 scriptures The conteÌ„tious and wicked doctrine of y â— Papistes hath prouoked the lyght of gods truth to be set forth to the vnderstandyng of the people How the 〈…〉 Aâ—…â—2 The Sacrament is not vsed in these dayes as it was in the tyme of the Apostles A good doctrine for al such ministers as haue cure of soules to vse to his flocke Thankes geuyng The bread and wyne are not prophane but Sacramentes to holy vse 1. Cor. 1. A wholesome and good lesson namely for all ministers Rom. 5. At the ministration of the Sacrament let the minister exhorte all men to haue faith and lone to pray for grace I good and necessary exhortatioÌ„ to be mate to y â— people of the tâ—… they receaue the communioÌ„ None may come to the commuâ—… without y â— weddyng germent 〈◊〉 â—ayth Iohn 13. Thankesgeuyng to God Those wordes of his are in his booke that he made for y t pore soules in Purgatory Marke 42. Not who speaketh but that whiche is spoken is to be weyed most 1. Tim. 4. The holy ghost inspireth where when and on whom he pleaseth Actes 2. 1. Cor. 12. The talent of our learnyng is to be employed to the edifiyng of Christes congregation Wilfully to resist Gods worde is sinne agaynst the holy ghost Ezech. 33. Obiection Aunswere 1. Thess Our imperfection forgeuen thorough faith in Christes bloud The Byshop of Rochesters owne opinion concernyng the vnderstandyng of the scriptures in his time and long a forâ— that Actes 17. The cause of our blindnes and grosse errours 2. Thess 2. Rom. 15. Voluntary ignorauÌ„ce not to bee excused The cause of Iohn Frithes writyng against Purgatory Mans reason must be obedient to the Scriptures Aulus Gelius The rebuke of an open enemy better then the sclender prayse of a frend M. More my Lord of Rochester can not agree The Purgatoryes that God hath ordeyned Iohn 15. The Purgatory of the hart The Purgatory of the hart is fayth The Purgatory of the members Heb. 12. The Purgatory of the meÌ„bers is the crosse of Christ Psal 89. God nayleth vs to the crosse to heale our infirmities So euill was the life of the Papistes that they imagined a Purgatory for them selues The wisedome of the world foolishnes afore God Symon Fishe the maker of the booke of the Supplication of Beggers Our riches is to be bestowed on the poore Either there is no Purgatory els the Pope is mercylesse Whereat M. More first began to fume agaynst such as denye Purgatory Rastell foloweth M. More The names of the disputers in the matter of Purgatory The soÌ„me and contentes of Rastels iij. Dialogues An aunswere to Rastels Dialogue Rastels booke is either true or false If naturall reason conclude agaynst the Scripture then is naturall reasoÌ„ false Roma 5. Iohn 11. 2. Rastels boke clearely quickly confouÌ„ded Rastel beaten to the wall The first chief reason made for Purgatory Rastell Aunswere to the first argument Psal 81. 1. Thess 4. Question Math. 24. The confutatioÌ„ of Rastels first chief argument 1. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thess 4. Ephes 1. and. 5. Rastell ouerthroweÌ„ in his owne turne 3. Hebr. 1. Christ is the onely Purgatory and purger of our sins 4. Ephe. 5. A frutefull and excelleÌ„t argument 5. Ephe. 1. Christ by his election doth purge and clense vs. 6. 1. Iohn 1. Ephe. 1. Gallat 5. Roma 7. Roma 8. Roma 5. Roma 4. Psal 31. Iustification freely doth exclude Purgatory Roma 3. Obiection In aunswere to the first obiection Obiection 1. In aunswere to the second obiection 2. The Pope â—elleth Christes merites for money 3. We may not robbe God of his honour 4. Blasphemy to say Christes bloud is not full
onely in number exceedyng but in knowledge also excellyng both by preaching and Printing doe so garnishe the Church in euery respecte that it may seeme and so peraduenture wil be thought this time of ours to stand now in little neede of such bookes and momumentes as these of former antiquitie yet notwithstandyng I am not of that mynde so to thinke For albeit increasing of learning of tonges and sciences wyth quicknes of wit in youth and other doth maruailously shut vp as is to be seene to the sufficient furnishyng of Christes Church yet so it happeneth I can not tell how the farther I looke backe into those former tymes of Tyndall Frith and others lyke more simplicitie wyth true zeale and humble modestie I see wyth lesse corruption of affections in them and yet wyth these dayes of ours I finde no fault As by reading and conferring their workes togither may eftsoones appeare In opening the Scriptures what trueth what soundnes can a man require more or what more is to be sayd then is to be founde in Tyndall In his Prologues vppon the fiue bookes of Moses vppon Ionas vppon the Gospelles and Epistles of S. Paule namely to the Romaines how perfectly doth he hit the right sence and true meaning in euery thing In his obedience how fruitfully teacheth he euery person his dutie In his expositions and vppon the parable of the wicked Mammon how pithely doth he perswade how grauely doth he exhort how louingly doth he comforte simply without ostentation vehement without contention Which two faultes as they cōmonly are wont to folow the most part of writers so how farre the same were from him and he from them his replies and aunsweres to Syr Thomas More doe well declare in doctrine sound in hart humble in life vnrebukeable in disputation modest in rebuking charitable in trueth feruent and yet no lesse prudent in dispensing with the same and bearyng with time and with weakenes of men as much as he might sauing onely where mere necessitie constrayned hym otherwise to doe for defence of trueth against wilfull blyndnes and subtile hypocrisie as in the Practise of Prelates is notorious to be seene Briefly such was his modestie zeale charitie and painefull trauaile that he neuer sought for any thing lesse then for hymselfe for nothyng more then for Christes glory and edification of other for whose cause not onely he bestowed his labours but hys life and bloud also Wherfore not vnrightly he might be then as he is yet cauled the Apostle of England as Paule cauleth Epaphroditus the Apostle of the Philippians for his singular care and affection toward them For as the Apostles in the primatiue age first planted the Church in trueth of the Gospell so the same trueth beyng agayne defaced and decayed by enemies in thys our latter tyme there was none that trauayled more earnestly in restoring of the same in this Realme of England then dyd William Tyndall With which William Tyndall no lesse may be adioyned also Iohn Frith and D. Barnes both for that they togither with him in one cause and about one tyme sustayned the first brunt in this our latter age and gaue the first onset agaynst the enemies as also for the speciall giftes of fruitfull erudition and plentifull knowledge wrought in them by God and so by them left vnto vs in their writinges Wherfore accordyng to our promise in the booke of Actes and Monumentes wee thought good herein to spend a litle diligence in collecting and setting abroad their bookes togither so many as could be founde to remaine as perpetuall Lāpes shyning in the Church of Christ to geeue lyght to all posteritie And although the Printer herein taking great paynes coulde not paraduenture come by all howbeit I trust there lacke not many yet the Lord be thanked for those which he hath gotte and here published vnto vs. And woulde God the like diligence had beene vsed of our auncient forelders in the tyme of Wickliffe Puruey Clerke Brute Thorpe Husse Hierome and such other in searching and collecting their workes and writings No doubt but many thinges had remayned in lyght which now be lefte in obliuion But by reason the Arte of Printing was not yet inuented their worthy bookes were the sooner abolyshed Such was then the wickednes of those dayes and the practise of those Prelates then so craftie that no good booke coulde appeare though it were the Scripture it selfe in Englyshe but it was restrayned and so consumed Whereby ignoraunce and blyndnes so preuayled amonge the people tyll at the last it so pleased the goodnes of our God to prouide a remedy for that mischiefe by multiplying good bookes by the Printers penne in such sort as no earthly power was able after that though they did their best to stoppe the course thereof were he neuer so myghtie and all for the fartheraunce of Christes Church Wherefore receaue gracious Reader the Bookes here collected and offered to thy hand and thanke God thou hast them and reade them whilest thou mayst while time life and memory serueth thee In reading wherof the Lord graunt thou mayst receaue no lesse fruit by them then the harty desire of the setter forth is to wishe well vnto thee And the same Lord also graunt I beseech him that this my exhortation wishe so may worke in all that not onely the good but the enemies also which be not yet wonne to the worde of trueth setting aside all partialitie and preiudice of opinion woulde with indifferent iudgementes bestow some reading and hearyng likewise of these to taste what they doe teach to vewe their reasons and to trye their spirite to marke the expositions of Tyndall the argumentes of Frith the Articles and allegations of Barnes Which if they shall finde agreable to the tyme and antiquitie of the Apostles doctrine and touchstone of Gods worde to vse them to their instruction If not then to myslike them as they finde cause after they haue first tryed them and not before And thus not to deteine thee with longer processe from the reading of better matter I referre and commende thee and thy studies gentle reader with my harty wishe and prayer to the grace of Christ Iesu and direction of hys holy spirite desiryng thee lykewyse to doe the same for mee Iohn Foxe The Martyrdome and burning of William Tyndall in Brabant by Filford Castell Lord opē the K. of Englāds eyes Here foloweth the historie and discourse of the lyfe of William Tyndall out of the booke of Actes and Monumentes Briefly extracted FOr somuch as the lyfe of W. Tyndall author of this treatise immediately folowing is sufficiently at large discoursed in the booke of Actes and Monumentes by reason whereof we shall not néede greatly to intermedle with any new repetition therof yet notwithstanding because as we haue takē in hand to collect and set forth his whole workes togither so we thought it not vnconuenient to collecte likewise some briefe notes concerning the order of his
his daughter is rauished his wife is defiled and that of his owne sonne Rahell dyeth Ioseph is taken away yea as he supposed rent of wild beastes And yet how glorious was his ende Note the weakenesse of his children yea and the sinne of them and how God thorow their owne wickednes saued them These examples teache vs that a man is not at once perfect the first day he begynneth to liue well They that be strong therefore must suffer with the weake helpe thē in vnity and peace one with an other vntill they be stronger Note what the brethren sayd when they were tached in Egypt we haue verely sinned sayd they agaynst our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when hee besought vs and would not heare him and therfore is this tribulation come vppon vs. By which example thou seest how that cōscience of euill doynges findeth men out at last But namely in tribulation and aduersitie there temptatiō and also desperatiō yea and the very paynes of hell finde vs out there there y t soule feeleth the fierce wrath of GOD and wisheth moūtaines to fall on her and to hyde her if it were possible from the angry face of God Marke also how great euils folow of howe litle an occasion Dina goeth but forth alone to see the daughters of the countrey and how great mischief and trouble foloweth Iacob loued but one sonne more then an other and howe greuous murther folowed in their hartes These are examples for our learnyng to teache vs to walke warely and circumspectly in y t world of weake people that we geue no man occasions of euill Finally see what GOD promised Ioseph in his dreames These promises accompanyed him alwayes and went downe with hym euen into the depe dongeon And brought hym vp agayne And neuer forsoke hym till all y t was promised was fulfilled These are examples writtē for our learnyng as Paule saith to teach vs to trust in God in the strōg fire of tribulation purgatory of our fleshe And that they whiche submitte them selues to folow GOD should note and marke such thynges for learnyng and comfort is the frute of the scripture cause why it was written And with such a purpose to read it is the way to euerlasting life and to those ioysul blessings that are promised vnto all nations in the seede of Abraham whiche seede is Iesus Christ our Lord to whom be honour and prayse for euer and vnto God our father thorow him Amen A Table expoundyng certayne wordes in the first booke of Moses called Genesis ABrech tender father or as some will how the knee Arke a shyppe made flat as it were a chest or cofer Bisse fine white whether it be silke or lynen Blesse Gods blessings are his gifts as in the first Chapter he blessed them saying grow and multiply and haue dominion c. And in the ix Chapter he blessed Noe and his sonnes and gaue them dominion ouer all beastes and authoritie to eat them And God blessed Abraham with cattell and other riches And Iacob desired Esau to receaue the blessing whiche he brought hym that is the present and gift God blessed y t vij day that is gaue it a preheminēce that men should rest therin from bodily labour and learne to know the wil of God his lawes and how to worke their workes godly all the weeke after God also blesseth all nations in Abrahams sede that is he turneth hys loue fauour vnto them and geueth them his spirite and knowledge of the true way and lust and power to walke therin and all for Christes sake Abrahams sonne Cain so is it writtē in Hebrue Notwithstandyng whether we call hym Cain or Caim it maketh no matter so we vnderstand the meanyng Euery land hath his maner that we cal Iohn the Welshmen call Euan the Dutch Haunce Such difference is betwene y t Ebrue Greke and Latine and that maketh them that translate out of the Ebrue varie in names from them that translate out of Latine or Greke Curse Gods curse is the takyng away of his benefites as God cursed y t earth and made it barren So now hunger dearth warre pestilence and such like are yet right curses signes of the wrath of God vnto the vnbeleuers but vnto thē that know Christ they are very blessings and that wholsome crosse and true purgatory of our flesh through which all must goe that will liue godly and be saued as thou readest Math. 5. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake c And Hebr. 11. The lord chastiseth whom he loueth and scourgeth all the children that he receaueth Eden pleasure Firmament the sky Fayth is the beleuyng of Gods promises and a sure trust in the goodnes and truth of God which fayth iustified Abrah Gen. 15. and was the mother of all his good workes whiche he afterafterward did for faith is the goodnes of all works in the sight of god Good workes are things of gods commaundement wrought in fayth And to sow a shoe at the commaundemēt of God to doe thy neighboure seruice withall with fayth to be saued by Christe as God promiseth vs is much better thē to build an abbey of thine owne imagination trusting to bee saued by the fained workes of hipocrites Iacob robbed Laban hys vncle Moses robbed the Egiptians And Abraham is aboute to slay and burne his own sonne and all are holye workes because they are wrought in fayth at Gods commaundement To steale robbe and murder are no holye workes before worldly people but vnto them that haue their trust in God they are holy when God commaundeth them What God commaundeth not getteth no rewarde with god Holy workes of mens imaginations receaue their rewarde here as Christ testisieth Math. 6. Howbeit of fayth and workes I haue spoken aboundantly in Mammon Let him that desireth more seeke there Grace fauour as Noe founde grace that is to say found fauour and loue Ham and Cam all one Iehouah is gods name neither is any creature so called and it is as much to say as one that is of himselfe and dependeth of nothing Moreouer as ofte as thou seest LORDE in greate letters except there be any error in the printing it is in Hebrue Iehouah thou that art or he that is Marshall in Hebrue he is called Sartabaim as thou wouldest say Lorde of the slaughter men And thoughe that Tabaim be taken for cookes in manye places for the cookes did slaye the beastes themselues in those days yet it may be taken for them that put men to execution also and that I thought it should here best signify in as muche as he had the ouersight of the kynges prison and the kyngs prisoners were they neuer so greate men were vnder his custodie therfore I cal him chief Marshal an officer as it were y t Lieuetenaunt of the tower or maister of the Marshalsey Slyme was their morter chap. 11. and slyme
haue vowed that sauyng commeth of the Lord. For verely to confesse out of the hart that all benefites come of GOD euen out of the goodnesse of his mercie and not deseruing of our dedes is the onely sacrifice that pleaseth God And to beleue that all the Iewes vowed in their Circumcision as we in our Baptisme Whiche vowe Ionas now beyng taught with experience promiseth to pay For those outward sacrifices of beastes vnto which Ionas had happely ascribed to much before were but feble and childish thinges and not ordeined that the workes of them selues should be a seruice vnto the people but to put them in remembraunce of this inward sacrifice of thankes and of faith to trust and beleue in GOD the onely Sauiour whiche signification when it was away they were abhominable and deuilishe Idolatrie and Image seruice as our ceremonies and Sacramentes are become now to all that trust and beleue in the worke of them and are not taught the significations to edify their soules with knowledge and the doctrine of God When Ionas was cast vpon lande agayn then his will was free and had power to go whether God sent hym and to do what GOD bade his owne Imaginations layd a part For he had bene at a new schole yea and in a fornace where hee was purged of much refuse and drosse of fleshely wisedome whiche resisted the wisedome of God and led Ionasses will contrary vnto the will of God For as farre as we be blinde in Adam we can not but seke and will our owne profite pleasure glory And as farre as we be taught in the spirite we can not but seke and wil the pleasure and glory of God onely And as the iij. dayes iorney of Niniue whether it were in length or to go round about it or thorough all the stretes I commit vnto y t discretion of other men But I thinke that it was then the greatest Citie of the world And that Ionas went a dayes iourney in the Citie I suppose hee did it not in one day but went faire and easyly preachyng here a Sermon and there another and rebuked the sinne of the people for which they must perish And when thou art come vnto the repentauÌ„ce of the Niniuites there hast thou sure earnest that how soeuer angry God be yet he remembreth mercy vnto all that truly repent and beleue in mercy Whiche ensample our Sauiour Christe also casteth in the teeth of the indurate Iewes saying The Niniuites shall rise in iudgemeÌ„t with this nation and condemne them for they repented at the preachyng of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas here meanyng of him selfe At whose preachyng yet thoughe it were neuer so mightie to pearce the hart and for all his miracles thereto the hard harted Iewes could not repent when the heathen Niniuites repeÌ„ted at the bare preachyng of Ionas rebukyng their sinnes without any miracle at all Why For the Iewes had leuened the spirituall law of God with their gloses had made it altogether earthly and fleshly and so had set a vaile or coueryng on Moses face to shadow and darken the glorious brightnes of hys countenaunce It was sinne to steale but to robbe widowes houses vnder a colour of long praying and to polle in the name of offerynges and to snare y t people with intollerable constitutions agaynst all loue to catche theyr money out of theyr purses was no synne at all To smite father and mother was sinne But to withdraw helpe from them at theyr nede for blynde zeale of offring vnto the profite of y e holy pharises was then as meritorious as it is now to let all thy kinne chuse whether they wil sincke or swimme while thou buildest and makest goodly foundations for holy people whiche thou hast chosen to be thy Christ for to supple thy soule with y t oyle of their swete blessinges and to be thy Iesus for to saue thy soule from the purgatory of the bloud that onely purgeth sinne with their watching fasting wolward goyng rising at midnight c. wherwith yet they purge not themselues from their couetousnes pride lechery or any vice that thou seest among the lay people It was great sinne for Christ to heale the people on the sabaoth day vnto the glory of God hys father but none at all for them to helpe their cattell vnto their owne profite It was sinne to eate with vnwashed handes or on an vnwashed table or out of an vnwashed dishe but to eate out of that purified dishe that whiche came of bribery thefte and extortion was no sinne at all It was exceeding meritorious to make many disciples but to teach theÌ„ to feare God in hys ordinaunces had they no care at all The hye Prelates so defended the right of holy church and so feared the people with the curse of God and terrible paynes of hell that no man durst leaue the vilest herbe in his garden vntithed And the offeringes and thinges dedicate vnto GOD for the profite of his holy vicars were in such estimatioÌ„ and reuerence that it was a much greteâ— sinne to sweare truly by them then to forsweare thy selfe by God What vengeaunce then of God and how terrible and cruell damnation thynke ye preached they to fall on them that had stolen so the holy thinges And yet sayth Christ that righteousnes fayth in kepyng promise mercy and indifferent iudgement were vtterly troden vnder foote and clean despised of those blessed fathers whiche so mightelye maintained Aarons patrimony and had made it so prosperous and enuironed it and walled it about on euery side with the feare of God that no maÌ„ durst touche it It was great holines to garnish the Sepulchers of the prophetes and to condemne their owne fathers for slaying of them and yet were they themselues for blynde zeale of their owne constitutions as redy as their fathers to slea whosoeuer testified vnto them the same truth which the prophets testified vnto their fathers So y t Christ compareth al the righteousnes of those holy patriarckes vnto the outwarde beauy of a painted Sepulcher full of stenche and all vncleannes within And finally to beguile a maÌ„s neighbors in subtle bargaining to wrap and compasse hym in with cautels of the law was then as it is now in the kyngdome of the Pope By the reason wherof they excluded the law of loue out of their hartes and consequently all true repentaunce for how coulde they repent of that they could not see to be sinne And on the other side they had set vp a righteousnes of holy workes to cleÌ„se their soules with all as the Pope sanctifieth vs with holy oyle holy bread holy salte holy candels holy dome ceremonies and holy dome blessinges with whatsoeuer holines thou wilt â—aue with the holines of Gods worde which onely speaketh vnto the harte and sheweth the soule hys filthinesse and vncleannes of synne and leadeth her
them with euerlasting reward of their fayth and patience in sufferyng for the Gospell and with the punishment of their persecutours in euerlastyng payne In the second he sheweth that y t last day shoulde not come till there were first a departing as some men thinke froÌ„ vnder y e obedience of y t Emperour of Rome and that Antichrist shoulde set vp himselfe in y e same place as god and deceyue the vnthankefull worlde with false doctrine and with false and lying myracles wrought by the workyng of Sathan vntill Christ shoulde come and slay hym with his glorious commyng and spirituall preachyng of the worde of God In the third he geueth them exhortation and warneth them to rebuke y t idle that would not labour with their handes and auoyde their company if they would not amende A Prologue vpon the first Epistle of S. Paule to Tymothe by W. Tyndall THis epistle writeth S. Paul to be an ensample to all Bishoppes what they shoulde teache and how they should teache and how they should gouerne the congregation of Christe in all degrees that it should be no nede to gouerne christes flocke with the doctrine of their owne good meanynges In the first Chapiter he commaundeth that the bishop shall maynetayne y t right fayth and loue and resist false preachers which make the lawe and woorkes equall with Christ and hys Gospell And he maketh a shorte conclusion of all Christes learning wherto the law serueth and what the ende therof is also what the Gospell is and setteth himselfe for a comfortable ensample vnto all sinners and troubled consciences In the second he commaundeth to pray for all degrees and chargeth that women shall not preache nor weare costly apparell but to be obedient vnto the men In the thyrd he describeth what maner persons the Byshop or Priest and their wyues should be also the Deacons and their wiues and commeÌ„deth it if any man desire to be a Byshop after that maner In the fourth hee prophesieth and sheweth before of the false Byshops spirituall officers that should aryse among the Christen people and be do and preach cleane contrary to the fore described ensample and should depart from the fayth in Christ and forbyd to marye and to eate certain meates teachyng to put trust therin both of iustifiyng and forgiuenesse of sinnes also of deseruyng of eternall life In the fift he teacheth howe a Byshop should vse him self toward yong and old concernyng widowes what is to be done which should be found of the common cost and teacheth also how men should honour the vertuous Bishops and Priestes and how to rebuke the euill In the sixt he exhorteth y t Byshops to cleaue to the Gospell of Christ and true doctrine to auoyde vayne questions and superfluous disputynges which geÌ„dre strife quench the truth and by which also the false Prophetes get them authoritie and seke to satisfie their insatiable couetousnesse The Prologue vpon the second Epistle of Saint Paule vnto Timothe W. Tyndall IN this Epistle Paul exhorteth Timothe to go forward as he had begoÌ„ to preach y t Gospel with all diligence as it neede was seyng many were fallen away and many false spirites and teachers were sprong vp already Wherfore a Byshops part is euer to watche and to labour in the Gospell In the third and fourth he sheweth before and that notablie of the ieoperdous tyme toward the end of y t world in which a false spiritual liuing should disceine y e whole world with outward hypocriâ—ie and apparance of holinesse vnder which all abhominatioÌ„s should haue their free passage and course as we alas haue sene this prophesie of S. Paule fulfilled in our spiritualtie vnto the vttermost iote The Prologue vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to Titus THis is a short Epistle wherin yet is conteyned all that is needefull for a Christen to know In the first Chapter he sheweth what maner a man a Byshop or Curate ought to be that is to witte vertuous and learned to preach and defende the Gospell to confounde the doctrine of trustyng in woorkes and mens traditions whiche euer fight agaynst the faith and cary away the coÌ„science captiue from the fredome that is in Christ into the bondage of their owne imaginations and inuentions as though the thynges should make a man good in the light of God whiche are to no profite at all In the secoÌ„d he teacheth all degrees old young men womeÌ„ maisters and seruauntes how to behaue theÌ„ selues as they which Christ bought with his bloud to be his proper or peculiar people to glorifie god with good workes In the thyrd he teacheth to honour temporall rulers and to obey theÌ„ and yet bryngeth to Christ agayne and to the grace that hee hath purchased for vs that no man should thinke that the obedience of Princes lawes or any other woorke should iustifie vs before God And last of all he chargeth to auoyde the company of the stubburne and of the heretickes A Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule vnto Philemon by W. Tyndall IN this Epistle S. Paule sheweth a godly ensample of Christen loue Here in we see how Paule taketh poore Onesimos vnto him and maketh intercessioÌ„ for him vnto his master and helpeth him with all that he may and behaueth him selfe none otherwise then as though he him selfe were the sayd Onesimos whiche thyng yet he doth not with power and authoritie as hee well might haue done but putteth of all authoritie and whatsoeuer he might of right do that Philemon might do likewise toward Onesimos and with great mekenesse and wisedome teacheth Philemon to see his dutie in Christ Iesu The Prologue vpon the first Epistle of Saint Peter by William Tyndall THis Epistle dyd S. Peter write to the heathen that were conuerted and exhorteth them to staÌ„d fast in the faith to grow therein and waxe perfect through all maner of sufferyng and also good workes In the first he declareth the iustifiyng of fayth through Christes bloud and comforteth them with the hope of the lyfe to come and sheweth that we haue not deserued it but that the prophetes prophesied it shoulde be geuen vs as Christ which redemed vs out of synne and all vncleannesse is holy so he exhorteth to lead an holy conuersation because we be richly bought and made heyres of a riche inheritaÌ„ce to take hede that we lose it not agayn through our owne negligence In the 2. Chapter he sheweth that Christ is the foundation and hed corner stone wheron al are built through fayth whether it be Iew or Gentile how that in Christ they are made priestes to offer themselues to GOD as Christ dyd hymselfe and to slea the lustes of the fleshe that fyght againste the soule And first he teacheth them in generall to obey the worldly rulers than in special he teacheth y t seruantes to obey their maisters
miracles his wonders his mighty hand his stretched out arme and what he hath done for you hetherto He shall destroye them he shall take theyr hartes from them and make them feare and flye before you He shall storme them and stirre vp a tempest among them and scatter them and bring them to naught He hath sworne he is true he will fullfill the promises that he hath made vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob This is written for our learning for verely he is a true God and is our God as well as theyres and his promises are with vs as well as with them and he presente with vs as well as he was with them If we aske we shal obtain if we knocke he will open if we seeke wee shall finde if we thyrst his truth shall fullfill our lust Christ is with vs vntill the worldes ende Math. y ◠last Let this little flock be bold therefore for if God be on our side what matter maketh it who be against vs be they byshops cardinalles popes or what so euer names they will Marke this also if God sende thee to the sea and promise to goe with thee and to bring thee safe to lande he will rayse vp a tempest agaynst thee to proue whether thou wilt abide by his worde and that thou mayst feele thy fayth and perceiue his goodnes For if it were alwayes fayre weather and thou neuer brought into such ieoperdy whēce his mercy onely deliuered thee thy fayth should be but a presumption and thou shouldest be euer vnthanckfull to God and mercilesse vnto thy neighbour If God promise ritches the way therto is pouertie Whom he loueth him he chasteneth whome he exalteth he casteth downe whome he saueth he damneth first he bringeth no man to heauen except he send him to hell first if he promise life he slayeth first when he buildeth he casteth all downe first he is no patcher he can not builde on an other mans foundation he will not woorke vntill all be past remedy and brought vnto such a case y ◠men may see how that his hand his power his mercy his goodnesse and trueth hath wrought all together he will let no man be partaker with him of hys prayse and glorye his workes are wonderful and contrary vnto mans workes Who euer sauing he deliuered his owne sonne his onely sonne hys deare sonne vnto the death and that for his enemies sake to winne his enemye to ouercomme him with loue that he might see loue and loue againe and of loue to do likewise to other men and to ouercome them with well doing Ioseph saw the Sunne and the Moone and xj starres worshipping him Neuerthelesse ere that came to passe God layed hym where he could neither see sunne nor moone neyther any starre of the skye and that many yeares and also vndeserued to norture him to humble to meeke and to teach him Gods wayes and to make him apt and meet for the roome and honor against he came to it that he might perceiue and feele that it came of God and that he might be strong in the spirite to minister it godly He promised the children of Israell a lande with riuers of milke and honny But brought them for the space of fourty yeares into a land where not onely riuers of mylke and honny were not but where so much as a drop of water was not to nourture them and to teach them as a father doth his sonne and to do them good at the latter ende and that they might be strong in their spirite soules to vse his giftes and benefites godly and after hys will He promised Dauid a kingdome and immediatly stirred vp king Saule against him to persecute him to hunt him as men do hares with greyhoundes and to ferret him out of euery hole that for the space of many yeares to tame him to meeke him to kill his lustes to make him feele other mens diseases to make him mercifull to make him vnderstand that he was made king to minister and to serue his brethren and that he shoulde not thincke that his subiectes were made to minister vnto his lustes and that it were lawfull for him to take away from them life goods at his pleasure Oh that our kinges were so nourtured how a dayes which our holy byshops teache of a farre other maner saying Your grace shal take your pleasure yea take what pleasure you list spare nothing we shall dispence with you we haue power we are Gods vicars and let vs alone with the realme we shall take payne for you and see that nothing be well your Grace shall but defende the fayth onely Let vs therefore looke diligently whereunto we are called that we deceaue not our selues We are called not to dispute as the popes disciples do but to dye with Christ that we may liue with him and to suffer with him that we may raigne with him We be called vnto a kingdome that must be wonne w t suffring only as a sicke man winneth health God is he that doth all thing for vs and fighteth for vs we do but suffer onely Christ sayth Iohn xx As my Father sent me so sende I you and Iohn xv If they persecute me then shall they persecute you and Christ sayth Math. x. I send you forth as sheepe among wolues The sheepe fight not but the shepheard fighteth for them and careth for them Be harmeles as Doues therfore saith Christ and wise as serpentes The doues imagine no defence nor seeke to auenge themselues The serpentes wisedome is to keepe his head and those partes wherein his life resteth Christ is our head and Gods word is that wherin our life resteth To cleaue therfore fast vnto Christ and vnto those promises which God hath made vs for his sake is our wisedome Beware of men sayth he for they shall deliuer you vp vnto theyr counsels and shall scourge you and ye shall be brought before rulers and kinges for my sake the brother shall betray or deliuer the brother to death and the father the sonne and the children shall rise against father and mother and put them to death Heare what Christ sayth more The disciple is not greater thē his master neyther the seruaunte greater or better then his Lorde if they haue called the goodman of the house Beelzebub how much rather shall they call his household seruants so And Luke xiiij sayth Christ Which of you disposed to builde a tower sitteth not downe fyrst and counteth the cost whether he haue sufficient to performe it lest when he hath layd the foundation and then not able to performe it al that behold it begin to mocke him saying this man beganne to builde and was not able to make an ende so likewise none of you that forsaketh not all that he hath can be my disciple Whosoeuer therefore casteth not this aforehand I must ieoberd life goods honor worship and al that there
they had blynded y ◠Scripture whose knowledge as it were a keye letteth into God with gloses and traditions Likewise findest thou Math. xxiij As Peter aunswered in the name of al so Christ promised him the keyes in the person of all Math. xvj And in the. xx of Iohn he payed them saying receaue the holy Ghost who soeuers sinnes ye remitte they are remitted or forgeuen who soeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained or holden With preachyng the promises loose they as many as repent and beleue And for that Iohn sayth receaue y t holy ghost Luke in his last Chapter sayth then opened he their wittes that they might vnderstand the Scriptures and sayd vnto them thus it is written And thus it behoued Christ to suffre and to rise agayne the thyrd day And that repentaunce remission of sinnes should be preached in his name amōg all nations At preachyng of the law repent men and at the preachyng of the promises do they beleue are saued Peter in the second of the Actes practised his keyes and by preachyng the law brought the people into y t knowledge of them selues and bound their consciences so that they were pricked in their hartes and sayd vnto Peter and to the other Apostles what shall we doe Then brought they foorth the keye of the swete promises saying repent and be Baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receaue the gift of the holy ghost For the promise was made vnto you and vnto your children and to all that are a farre euen as many as the Lord shal call Of like examples is the Actes full and Peters Epistles and Paules Epistles and all the Scripture neither hath our holy father any other authoritie of Christ or by the reason of his predecessor Peter then to preach Gods word As Christ cōpareth the vnderstandyng of Scripture vnto a keye so compareth he it to a net and vnto leuen and vnto many other thinges for certeine properties I maruell therfore that they boast not them selues of their nette and leuen as well as of their keyes for they are all one thyng But as Christ biddeth vs beware of y ◠leuē of the Phariseis so beware of their counterfeted keyes and of their false nette which are their traditiōs and ceremonies their hipocrisie false doctrine wherewith they katch not soules vnto Christ but authoritie and riches vnto them selues Let christen kynges therefore keepe their fayth and truth and all lawfull promises and bondes not one wyth an other onely but euen wyth the Turke or whatsoeuer infidell it be For so it is right before God as the scriptures and exāples of the Bible testifie Whosoeuer voweth an vnlawful vow promiseth an vnlawfull promise sweareth an vnlawful oth sinneth against God and ought therfore to breake it He nedeth not to sue to Rome for a licence For he hath Gods word not a licēce onely but also a commaundement to breake it They therefore y ◠are sworne to be true vnto Cardinals Byshops that is to say false vnto God the king and the realme may breake their othes lawfully without grudge of conscience by the aucthoritie of Gods worde In makyng them they sinned but in repētyng and breakyng them they please God hyghly and receaue forgeuenes in Christ Let kynges take their dutie of their subiectes and that is necessary vnto y t defence of the realme Let them rule their Realmes them selues wyth the helpe of laye men that are sage wyse learned and expert Is it not a shame aboue all shames a monstrous thing that no man should be founde able to gouerne a worldly kyngdome saue byshops and prelates that haue forsakē the worlde and are taken out of the worlde and appoynted to preach the kyngdome of God Christ sayth y t hys kingdome is not of this world Iohn 18. And Luk. 12. vnto y ◠young mā that desired hym to bid his brother to geue hym part of the inheritaunce he aunswered who made me a iudge or a deuider among you No man that layeth his hand to the Plowe and looketh backe is apt for the kingdome of heauen Luke ix No man can serue two maisters but he must despise the one Math. vj. To preach Gods worde is to much for halfe a man And to minister a temporall kingdome is to much for halfe a man also Either other requireth an whole man One therfore can not well do both He that auengeth himselfe on euery trifle is not mete to preach y t pacience of Christ how that a man ought to forgeue and to suffer all thynges He that is ouerwhelmed with all maner riches and doth but seeke more dayly is not meete to preach pouertie He that will obey no man is not mete to preach how we ought to obey all men Peter saith Act. vj. It is not meete that we should leaue the word of God and serue at the tables Paule sayth in the ix chapter of the first Corinthe Wo is me if I preach not a terible saying verely for Popes Cardinals and Byshoppes If he had sayd wo be vnto me if I fight not moue Princes vnto warre or if I encrease not S. Peters patrimonie as they call it it had bene a more easy saying for them Christ forbiddeth hys disciples and that oft as thou mayst see Math. xviij And also xx Mark ix and also x. Luk. ix and also xxij Euen at his last supper not onely to clime aboue Lordes kynges and Emperours in worldly rule but also to exalt themselues one aboue an other in y e kingdome of God But in vayne for the Pope would not heare it though he had commaunded it tenne thousand tymes Gods worde should rule onely and not Byshoppes decrees or the Popes pleasure That ought they to preach purely and spiritually and to fashion their liues after wyth all ensample of godly liuyng long suffering to draw all to Christ and not to expounde the Scriptures carnally and worldly saying God spake thys to Peter and I am his successour therefore thys aucthoritie is myne onely and then bring in the tyranny of their fleshly wisdome in praesentia maioris cessat potestas minoris that is in the presence of the greater y ◠lesse hath no power There is no brotherhod where such philosophy is taught SVch philosophy and so to abuse the scriptures and to mocke with Gods word is after the maner of the Byshop of Rochesters diuinitie For he in hys Sermō of the condemnation of Martin Luther proueth by a shadow of the olde testament that is by Moyses and Aaron that Sathan and Antichrist our most holy father the Pope is Christes vicare head of Christes cōgregation Moyses sayth he signifieth Christ and Aaron the Pope And yet the epistle vnto the Hebrues proueth that the hye Priest of the olde lawe signifieth Christ and his
a state or a degree ordeined of God and an office wherein the husband serueth the wife and the wife the husband It was ordeined for a remedy and to encrease the worlde and for the man to helpe the woman and the woman the man with all loue and kyndnes and not to signifie any promise that euer I heard or redde of in y ◠scripture Therfore ought it not to be called a Sacrament It hath a promise that we sinne not in that state if a man receaue hys wise as a gift geuen to him of God the wife her husband likewise as all maner meates and drinkes haue a promise that we sinne not if we vse them measurably with thankes geuing If they call matrimony a Sacrament because the scripture vseth the similitude of matrimonie to expresse the mariage or wedlocke that is betwene vs and Christ For as a woman though she be neuer so poore yet when she is maried is as rich as her husband euen so we whē we repent and beleue the promises of God in Christ though we be neuer so poore sinners yet are as rich as Christ all his merits are ours with all that he hath If for that cause they call it a sacrament so will I musterde seede leuen a net keyes bread water and a thousand other things which Christ and the Prophetes and all the scripture vse to expresse the kingdome of heauen and Gods worde wythall They prayse wedlocke wyth their mouth and say it is an holy thyng as it is verely but had leuer be sanctified wyth an whore then to come wythin the sanctuary ¶ Of Order SUbdeacon Deacō Priest Byshop Cardinall Patriarch and Pope be names of offices and seruice or should be and not Sacraments There is no promise coupled therwith If they minister their offices truly it is a signe that Christes spirite is in them if not that the deuill is in them Are these all Sacramentes or which one of them Or what thyng in them is that holy signe or Sacrament The shauyng or the annoynting What also is the promise that is signified thereby But what word printeth in them that charact that spirituall seale O dreamers and naturall beastes without the seale of the spirite of God but sealed with the marke of the beast and with cankred consciences There is a word called in Latine Sacerdos in Greeke Hiercus in Hebrue Cohan that is a Minister an officer a sacrificer or a Priest as Aaron was a Priest and sacrificed for the people and was a mediator betwen God them And in the English should it haue had some other name then Priest But Antichrist hath deceaued vs with vnknowen and straūge termes to bring vs into confusion and superstitious blyndnes Of that maner is Christ a Priest for euer and all we Priests thorough hym and neede no more of any such Priest on earth to be a meane for vs vnto god For Christ hath brought vs all into the inner temple within the vayle or forehanging and vnto the mercy stoole of God And hath coupled vs vnto God where we offer euery man for himselfe y e desires petitions of his hart sacrifice and kil the lustes appetits of his flesh with prayer fasting all maner godly liuing An other worde is there in Greeke called Presbiter in latin Senior in englishe an elder and is nothing but an officer to teach and not to be a mediator betwene God and vs. This nedeth no annointing of man They o◠y t olde testament were annointed with oyle to signifie the annointing of Christ and of vs thorough Christ with the holy ghost This wise is no man Priest but he that is chosen saue as in time of necessitie euery parson Christeneth so may euery man teach his wife housholde and the wife her children So in time of neede if I see my brother sinne I may betwene hym and me rebuke him and damne his deede by the lawe of God And may also comfort them that are in dispayre with the promises of God and saue them if they beleue By a Priest then in the new testament vnderstand nothing but an elder to teach the younger and to bring thē vnto the full knowledge and vnderstanding of Christ and to minister the Sacramentes which Christ ordeyned which is also nothyng but to preach Christes promises And by them that geue all their studie to quench the light of truth and to holde the people in darcknes vnderstand the disciples of Sathan and messengers of Antichrist what soeuer names they haue or what soeuer they call themselues And as concerning that our spiritualtie as they will be called make themselues holyer then the lay people and take so great landes and goodes to pray for them and promise them pardons and forgeuenes of sinnes or absolution without preachyng of Christes promises is falsehode and the woorkyng of Antichrist and as I haue sayd the rauenyng of those wolues which Paul Act. xx prophesied should come after hys departyng not sparyng the flocke Their doctrine is that marchaundise wherof Peter speaketh saying through coueteousnes shall they with fayned wordes make marchaundise of you ij Pet. ij And their reasons wherewith they proue their doctrine are as sayth Paul i. Timo. vj. superfluous disputynges arguynges or braulyngs of mē with corrupt mindes and destitute of truth whiche thinke that lucre is godlynes But Christ sayth Math. vij by their frutes shalt thou know them that is by their filthy couetousnes and shamelesse ambition and dronken desire of honor contrary vnto the example doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles Christ sayd to Peter the last Chapter of Iohn Fede my sheepe and not shere thy flocke And Pet. sayth i. Pet. v. Not being Lordes ouer the Parishes but these shere and are become Lordes Paul saith ij Cor. ij Not that we be Lordes ouer your faith but these will be Lordes compel vs to beleue what soeuer they lust without any witnes of Scripture yea cleane contrary to the Scripture whē the opē text rebuketh it Paul sayth it is better to geue thē to receaue Act. xx But these do nothyng in the world but lay snares to katch and receaue what so euer cōmeth as it were the gapyng mouth of hell And. ij Cor. xij I seeke not yours but you but these seeke not you to Christ but yours to thē selues and therfore lest their dedes should be rebuked will not come at the light Neuerthelesse the truth is that we are all equally beloued in Christ and God hath sworne to all indifferently According therfore as euery man beleueth Gods promises longeth for thē and is diligent to pray vnto GOD to fulfill them so is his prayer heard and as good is the prayer of a cobler as of a Cardinall and of a bocher as of a Byshop the blessing of a baker that knoweth the truth is as good as the blessyng of our most holy father the Pope And
euerlastyng promises eternall Testament that God had made betwene man and hym in Christes bloud and the miracles dyd testifie also that they were true seruauntes of Christ Paul preached not him selfe he taught not any maÌ„ to trust in him or his holynes or in Peter or in any ceremonie but in the promises which God hath sworne onely yea he mightyly resisteth all suche false doctrine both to the Corinthians Galathians EphesiaÌ„s and euery where If this be true as it is true and nothyng more truer that if Paul had preached him self or taught any maÌ„ to beleue in his holynes or prayer or in any thyng saue in the promises that GOD hath made and sworne to geue vs for Christes sake he had bene a false Prophet why am not I also a false Prophet if I teach thee to trust in Paule or in hys holines or prayer or in any thing saue in Gods word as Paul dyd If Paule were here and loued me as he loued them of his tyme of whoÌ„ he was sent and to whoÌ„ he was a seruaunt to preache Christ what good could he doe for me or wishe me but preach Christ and pray to God for me to open myne hart to geue me his spirite to bring me vnto the full knowledge of Christ vnto which porte or hauen when I am once come I am as safe as Paule felow with Paule ioyntheyre with Paul of all the promises of God and gods truth heareth my prayer as well as Paules I also now could not but loue Paul wish him good and pray for him that God would strength him in all his temptations geue him victory as he would do for me Neuerthelesse there are many weake and young consciences alwayes in the congregation which they that haue the office to preach ought to teach and not to disceaue them What prayers pray our Clergy for vs which stoppe vs and exclude vs froÌ„ Christ and seke all the meanes possible to kepe vs from knowledge of Christ They compell vs to hyre Friers Monkes Nunnes Chanons and Priestes to buye their abhominable merites and to hyre the Saintes that are dead to pray for vs for the very Saintes haue they made hyrelynges also because that their offeryngs come to their profite What pray all those that we might come to the knowledge of Christ as the Apostles did Nay verely For it is a plaine case that all they which enforce to kepe vs from Christ pray not that we might come to the knowledge of Christ And as for the Saintes whose prayer was wheÌ„ they were a lyne that we might be grounded stablished and streÌ„gthed in Christ onely if it were of God that we should this wise worshyp them contrary vnto their owne doctrine I dare be bold to affirme that by the meanes of their prayers we should haue bene brought long a go vnto the knowledge of God and Christ agayne though that these beastes had done their worste to set it Let vs therefore set our hartes at rest in Christ and in Gods promises for so I thinke it best and let vs take the Saintes soran example onely and let vs do as they both taught and dyd Let vs set Gods promises before our eyes and desire him for his mercy and for Christes sake to fulfill them And he is as true as euer he was and will do it as well as euer he dyd for to vs are the promises made as well as to them Moreouer the end of Gods miracles is good the ende to these miracles are euill For the offerynges which are the cause of the miracles do but minister and maynteine vice sinne and all abhomination and are geuen to them that haue to much so that for very aboundance they â—ome out their owne shame and corrupt the whole worlde with the styuch of their filthines Therto what soeuer is not of fayth is sinne Roma xiiij Fayth commeth by hearyng Gods woorde Roma x. when now thou fastest or doest any thyng in the worship of any Saint beleuyng to come to the fauour of God or to bee saued thereby if thou haue Gods worde then is it true fayth and shall saue thee If thou haue not Gods woorde then is it a false fayth superstitiousnes and Idolatry and damnable sinne Also in the Collects of the Saintes with whiche we pray God to saue vs through the merites or deseruynges of the Saintes which Saintes yet were not saued by their owne deseruynges them selues we say Per Christ 〈◊〉 DominuÌ„ nostrum that is for Christ our Lordes sake We say saue vs good Lord thorough the saintes merites for Christes sake How can he saue vs through the Saintes merites for Christes sake and for hys deseruyng merites and loue Take an example A Gentleman sayth vnto me I will do the vttemost of my power for thee for the loue whiche I owe vnto thy father Though thou hast neuer done me pleasure yet I loue thy father well thy father is my frend and hath deserued that I doe all that I can for thee c. Here is a Testament and a promise made vnto me in the loue of my father onely If I come to the sayd Gentleman in the name of one of his seruauntes whiche I neuer saw neuer spake with neither haue any acquaintaunce at all with and say Syr I pray you be good master vnto me in such a cause I haue not deserued that he should so do Neuerthelesse I pray you doe it for such a seruauntes sake yea I pray you for the loue that you owe to my father doe that for me for such a seruauntes sake If I this wise made my petition would not meÌ„ thinke that I come late out of S. Patrikes Purgatory had left my wittes behinde me This do we For the TestameÌ„t and promises are all made vnto vs in Christ And we desire God to fulfill hys promises for the Saintes sake yea that he will for Christes sake do it for the Saintes sake They haue also martyrs which neuer preached Gods worde neither dyed therefore but for priuileges and liberties which they falsely purchased contrary vnto Gods ordinaunces Yea such Saintes though they be deade yet robbe now as fast as euer they did neither are lesse couetous now then when they were aliue I doubt not but that they will make a Saint of my Lord Cardinall after the death of vs that be aliue and know his iuggling and crafty conueiaunce and will shrine him gloriously for his mightily defending of the right of holy Church except we be diligent to leaue a commemoration of that Nimroth behind vs. The reasons wherewith they proue their doctrine are but fleshly and as Paule calleth them entising wordes of mans wisdome that is to witte sophistry and brauling argumentes of men with corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth whose God is their bellye vnto which idole whosoeuer offereth not the same is an heretike and worthy to be brunt The
God For Christe onely hath purchased the reward and our payne takyng to keepe the commaundemētes doth but purge the sinne that remayneth in the fleshe and certifie vs that we are chosen and sealed with Gods spirite vnto the reward y t Christ hath purchased for vs. I was once at the creatyng of Doctours of diuinitie where the opponēt brought the same reason to proue that the widow had more merite then the virgine because she had greater payne for as much as she had once proued the pleasures of Matrimony Ego nego Domine Doctor said the respōdent For though the virgine haue not proued yet she imagineth that the pleasure is greater then it is in deede and therfore is more moued hath greater temptation and greater paine Are not these disputers they that Paule speaketh of in the sixt chapter of the first Epistle to Timot. That they are not content with the wholesome woordes of our Lord Iesus Christ doctrine of godlinesse And therefore know nothyng but wast their braynes about questiōs strift of wordes whereof spryng enuy strife and rayling of men with corrupt mindes destitute of the truth As pertainyng to our Ladyes body where it is or where the body of Elyas of Iohn the Enangelist and of many other be perteineth not to vs to know One thing are we sure of that they are where God hath layd them If they be in heauē we haue neuer the more in Christ If they be not there we haue neuer the lesse Our dutie is to prepare our selues vnto the commaundemētes and to be thankefull for that which is opened vnto vs and not to search the vnsearchable secretes of God Of Gods secretes can we know no more then he openeth vnto vs. If God shut who shall open How then can natural reason come by the knowledge of that which God hath hyd vnto him selfe Yet let vs see one of their reasons wherewith they proue it The chief reason is this euery mā doth more for his mother say they then for other in like maner must Christ do for his mother therefore hath she this preheminence that her body is in heauen And yet Christ in the xij chapter of Math. knoweth her not for his mother but as farrefoorth as she kept his fathers commaundementes And Paule in the ij Epistle to the Corinthians v. chap. knoweth not Christ himselfe fleshly or after a worldly purpose Last of all God is free no further bounde then he bindeth him selfe if hee haue made her any promise he is bounde if not then is he not Finally if thou set this aboue rehearsed chapter of Math. before thee where Christe woulde not know his mother and the ij of Iohn where he rebuked her and the ij of Luke where she lost him and how negligent she was to leaue him behinde her at Ierusalem vnwars and to go a dayes iorney ere she sought for hym y ◠mightest resolue many of their reasons which they make of this matter and that she was without originall sinne read also Erasmus annotations in the sayd places And as for me I cōmit all such matters vnto those idle belyes which haue nought els to doe then to moue such questions and geue them free libertie to holde what they lyst as long as it hurteth not the faith whether it bee so or no exhortyng yet with Paule all that will please God and obtayne that saluation that is in Christe that they geue no hede vnto vnnecessary and braulyng disputations that they labour for the knowledge of those thinges without which they can not be saued And remember that the sunne was geuen vs to guide vs in our way and woorkes bodyly Now if thou leaue the naturall vse of the sunne and will looke directly on hym to see howe bright he is and such like curiositie then wil the sunne blind thee So was the Scripture geuen vs to guide vs in our way and woorkes ghostly The way is Christ the promises in hym are our saluation if we long for them Now if we shall leaue that right vse and turne our selues vnto vayne questions and to searche the vnsearchable secretes of God then no dout shall the Scripture blinde vs as it hath done our schole men and our suttle disputers ANd as they are false Prophetes which proue with allegories similitudes and worldly reasōs that which is no where made mention of in the Scripture Euen so counte them for false Prophetes whiche expounde the scriptures drawing thē vnto a worldly purpose cleane contrary vnto the example lyuyng and practisyng of Christ and of hys Apostles and of all the holy Prophetes For sayth Peter ij Pet. i. no prophesie in the Scripture hath any priuate interpretation For the Scripture ▪ came not by the will of man but the holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost No place of the Scripture may haue a priuate exposition that is it may not be expounde after the will of man or after the wil of the flesh or drawen vnto a worldly purpose cōtrary vnto the open textes and the generall articles of the faith and the whole course of the Scripture and contrary to the liuyng and practising of Christ and the Apostles and holy Prophetes For as they came not by the will of mā so may they not bee drawen or expounde after the will of man but as they came by the holy ghost so must they expoūd vnderstād by the holy ghost The Scripture is that wherewith God draweth vs vnto hym and not wherewith we should be leade from him The Scriptures spring out of God and flow vnto Christ and were geuen to leade vs to Christ Thou must therfore go alōg by the Scripture as by a lyne vntill thou come at Christ which is y e wayes end and restyng place If any mā therfore vse the Scripture to draw thee frō Christ and to nosell thee in any thyng saue in Christ the same is a false Prophet And that thou mayst perceaue what Peter meaneth it foloweth in y ◠text There were false Prophetes among the people whose prophesies were bely wisedome as there shal be false teachers among you which shall priuely bryng in damnable sectes as thou seest howe we are diuided into monstrous sectes or orders of Religion euen denying the Lord that hath bought them For euery one of them taketh on hym to sell thee for money that whiche God in Christ promiseth thee freely and many shall folow their damnable wayes by whom the waye of trouth shal be euill spokē of as thou seest how the way of trouth is become heresie seditious or cause of insurrectiō breaking of y e kyngs peace treason vnto his hyghnes And through conetousnes with fayned wordes shal they make marchaundise of you Couetousnes is the conclusion for couetousnes and ambitiō that is to say lucre and desire of honor is the finall end of all false Prophetes and of all false
necessitie For out of the inwarde beleue of the hart sloweth â–ª the outward conuersation of the members He that beleueth that hee ought to loue hys enemy shall neuer cease fightyng agaynst his owne selfe till he haue weeded aâ—… raÌ„cour and malice out of his hart But he that beleueth it not shall put a visor of hypocrisie on his face till he got oportunitie to aduenge him selfe And here he beginneth to teach them to be that light and that salt of whiche he spake and sayth Though the Scribes and Phariseis beare the people in hand that all I do is of the deuill and accuse me of breakyng the law and the Prophetes as they afterward rayled on the Apostles that they draue y â— people from good workes through preaching the iustifying and righteousnesse of fayth yet see that ye my Disciples â–ª be not of that belefe For heauen and earth shall sooner perish then one â—oâ—â— or tâ—…e of the law should be put out I come not to destroy the law but to repayre it onely to make it go vpright where it halteth and eueÌ„ to make croked strayght rough smoth as Iohn the Baptist doth in the wildernes and to teach the true vnderstandyng of the law Without me the law caÌ„not be fulfilled nor euer could For though the law were geuen by Moses yet grace and veritie that is to say the true vnderstandyng and power to loue it and of loue to fulfill it commeth and euer came through fayth in me I do but onely wype away the filthie and roten Gloses wherewith the Scribes and the Phariseis haue smered the law and the Prophetes rebuke their daÌ„nable liuyng which they haue fashioned not after the law of God but after their owne sophisticall gloses fayned to mocke out the law of God and to beguile the whole world and to leade them in blyndnesse And that the Scribes and Phariseis falsly belye me how that I go about to destroy the law and to set the people at a fleshly libertie and to make them first disobedient and to despise their spirituall Prelates and then to rise agaynst the teÌ„porall rulers and to make all coÌ„mon to giue liceÌ„ce to sinne vnpunished coÌ„meth only of pure malice hate enuie and furious impaciencie that their visures are plucked froÌ„ their faces and their hypocrisie discouered Howbeit what I teach and what my learnyng is concernyng the law ye shall shortly heare and that in few wordes Who soeuer breaketh one of these least commaundements and teach men so shal be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But he that doth them and teacheth theÌ„ the same shal be great in the kyngdome of heauen Whosoeuer studieth to destroy one of the commaundementes folowing which are yet the least and but childish thynges in respect of the perfect doctrine that shall hereafter be shewed of the misteries yet hid in Christ and teach other men euen so in woorde or ensample whether openly or vnder a colour and thorow false gloses of hypocrisie that same doctour shall all they of the kyngdome of heauen abhorre and dispise and cast hym out of their company as a sething pot doth cast vp her fome and scome and purge her selfe So fast shal they of the kingdome of heauen cleaue vnto the pure law of God without all mens gloses But whosoeuer shall first fulfill theÌ„ himselfe and then teach other and set all his studie to the furtheraunce and mayntaining of them that doctour shall all they of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ haue in price and folow hym and seke hym out as doth an Egle her pray cleaue to hym as burres For these commaundementes are but the very lawe of Moses the draffe of the Phareseis gloses clensed out interpreted according to the pure word of God and as the open text compelleth to vnderstand them if ye looke diligently thereon The kyngdome of heauen take for the congregation or church of Christ And to be of the kyngdome of heauen is to know God for our father and Christ for our Lord and sauiour from all sinne And to enter into this kingdome it is impossible except the hart of men be to kepe the commaundements of God purely as it is written Iohn vij if any man will obay his will that is to say the will of the father that sent me sayth Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of myne owne head For if thyne hart be to do the will of God whiche is his commaundementes he will geue thee a pure eye both to discerne the true doctrine from the false the true Doctour froÌ„ the howlyng hypocrite And therfore he sayth For I say vnto you except your righteousnesse excede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen The righteousnes of the Scribes Phariseis can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen The kyngdome of heauen is the true knowledge of God Christ Ergo the righteousnesse of the Scribes Phariseis neither knoweth God nor Christ He that is willyng to obey the will of God vnderstandeth the doctrine of Christ as it is proued aboue the Scribes and the Phariseis vnderstand not the doctrine of Christ Ergo they haue no wil nor lust to obey the will of God To obey the will of God is to seeke the glory of God for the glory of a master is the meeke obedience of his seruauntes the glory of a Prince is the humble obedience of his subiectes the glory of an husbaÌ„d is the chast obedience of his wife the glory of a father is the louyng obedience of his children the Scribes and the Phariseis haue no lust to obey y â— wil of God Ergo they seeke not the glory of God Furthermore the Scribes the Phariseis seke their owne glory they that seeke their owne glory preache their owne doctrine Ergo the Scribes and the Phariseis preach their owne doctrine The maior thou hast Math. xxiij the Scribes and Phariseis do all their workes to be sene of men they loue to sit vppermost at feastes and to haue y e chief seates in the Synagoges and salutations in the open markets and to be called Rabbi And y e minor foloweth the text aboue rehearsed Iohn vij he that speaketh of himselfe or of his own head seketh his owne glory that is to say he that preacheth hys owne doctrine is euer knowen by seekyng hys awne glory so that it is a generall rule to know that a maÌ„ preacheth his own doctrine if he seke his owne glory Some maÌ„ will haply say the Scribes and Phariseis had no other law then Moses the Prophetes nor any other Scripture and grounded their sayinges theron That is truth how theÌ„ preached they their owne doctrine verely it foloweth in the sayd seuenth of Iohn He that seeketh the glory of him that sent him the same is true and there is
workes aright and for the entent that God ordayned them And then thou shalt see whether thy brother haue a mote in his eye or not and if he haue how to plucke it out and els not For he that knoweth the entent of the lawe and of workes though he obserue a thousand ceremonies for hys owne exercise he shall neuer condeÌ„pne his brother or breake vnitie with him in those thinges which Christ neuer commaunded but left indifferent Or if he see a moâ—e in his brothers eye that he obserueth not with his brethren some certaine ordinaunce made for a good purpose because he knoweth not the entent he will plucke it out fayre and softly and instruct him louingly and make him well content Which thing if our spiritualty would do men would not so abhorre to obey their tyranny But they be hipocrites and do and commaunde all their workes for a false purpose and therefore iudge slea and shedde their brethrens bloude mercilesly God is y â— father of all mercy and therefore gaue not hipocrites such absolute power to compell theyr brethren to obey what they liste or to slay them without pitie shewing eyther no cause of their coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes at all but so will we haue it or els assigning an entent dampnable and contrary to all scripture Paule Rom. 14. sayth to them that obserued ceremonies that they should not iudge them that did not for he that obserueth and knoweth not the enteÌ„t iudgeth at once and to theÌ„ that obserued not that they should not despise them that obserued he that obserueth not ought not to despise the weakenes or ignoraunce of his brother till he perceaue that he is obstinate and will not learne Moreouer such measure as thou geuest thou shalt receaue againe that is if thou iudge thy neighbour God shal iudge thee for if thou iudge thy neighbour in such thinges thou knowest not the lawe of God nor the entent of workes and art therefore condempned of God c. Giue not that holy thyng vnto dogges neither cast your pearls be fore the swyne lest they treade theÌ„ vnder their feete and the other turne agayne and all to teare you The dogges are those obstinate and indurate which for the blynd zeale of their leuen wherwith they haue sowred both y â— doctrine also the workes maliciously resiste the truth and persecute the ministers therof and are those wolues among which Christ sendeth his shepe warnyng them not onely to be single pure in their doctrine but also wise and circumspect to beware of meÌ„ For they should bryng them before iudges and kynges and slay them thinkyng to do God seruice therein that is as Paul to the Romains testifieth of the Iewes for blynd zeale to their own false fayned righteousnes persecute the righteousnesse of God The swyne are they whiche for all they haue receaued the pure Gospell of Christ will yet continue still in sinne and rowle them selues in the podell myer of their old filthy conuersation both before the ignoraunt and also the weake vse the vttermost of their libertie interpretyng it after the largest fashion and most fauour of the flesh as it were the Popes pardon and therewith make y t truth euill spoken of that thousandes which els might haue ben easely wonne will now not once here therof and styrre vp cruel persecution which els would be much easyer yea and sometime none at all And yet will those swyne when it commeth to the poynt abyde no persecution at all But offer them selues wyllyng euen at the first chope for to deny ere they be scarsly apposed of their doctrine Therfore lay first the law of God before them call them to repentaunce And if thou see no hope of mendyng in them sease there and go no further for they be swyne But alas it euer was and shall be y â— the greater noÌ„ber receaue the wordes for a newnesse and curiositie as they say and to seme to be somewhat and that they haue not gone to schole in vayne they will forthwith yer they haue felt any chauÌ„ge of liuyng in them selues be scholemasters and begyn at libertie and practise opeÌ„ly before their Disciples And when the Phariseis see their traditions broken they rage and persecute immediatly And then our new scholemasters be neither grounded in the doctrine to defend their doinges nor rooted in the profession of a new life to suffer with Christ c. Aske and it shal be geuen you seke and ye shall finde Knocke and it shal be opened vnto you For all that aske receaue and he that seeketh findeth And to him that knocketh it shal be opened For what man is it among you if his sonne asked hym bread that would proferre him a stone Or if he asked him fishe would he offer him a Serpent If ye then whiche are euill know to geue good giftes to your children howe much more shall your father whiche is in heauen geue good thynges to them that aske hym First note of these wordes that to pray is Gods commaundement as it is to beleue in God to loue God or to loue thy neighbour and so are almose fastyng also Neither is it possible to beleue in God to loue him or to loue thy neighbour But that prayer will spryng out there heÌ„ce immediatly For to beleue in God is to be sure that all thou hast is of him and all thou nedest must come of him Whiche if thou do thou canst not but continually thanke him for his benefites which thou continually without ceasyng â–ª receauest of his hand and therto euer cry for helpe for thou art euer in nede and canst no whence els be holpen And thy neighbour is in such necessitie also Wherfore if thou loue him it will coÌ„pell thee to pitie him and to cry to God for him continually and to thanke as well for him as thy selfe Secondarely this heapyng of so many wordes together aske seke and knocke signify that the prayer must be continuall and so doth the parable of the widowe that sued to the wicked iudge and y â— cause is that we are euer in continuall necessitie as I say and all our lyfe but euen a warre fare and a perpetual battaile In which we preuaile as long as we pray and be ouercome assoone as we ceasse praying as Israell ouercame the Amalechites Exod. xvij as long as Moses held vp his hands in prayer and assoone as he had let downe his handes for werynesse the Amalechites preuayled and had the better Christ warned his Disciples at his last supper to haue peace in him affirming that they should haue none in y â— world The false Prophetes shal euer impugne the faith in Christes bloud and inforce to quenche the true vnderstaÌ„ding of the law and the right meanyng and intent of all the workes commaunded by God which fight is a fight aboue all fightes First they shal be in such noÌ„ber that
bynde vpon earth shall be bounde in heauen see frendes these be not our wordes but our master Christes And they shall do myracies in Christes name therto to confirme the false doctrine which they preach in his name O fearefull and terrible iudgement of almighty God and senteÌ„ce of extreme rigorousnes vpon all that loue not the truth when it is preached them that God to aduenge himselfe of their vnkyndnesse shall sende them so strong delusions that doctrine should be preached vnto them in the name of Christ and made seeme to follow out of hys wordes and be confirmed with myracies done in calling vpon the name of Christ to hardeÌ„ their harts in the faith of lyes according to the prophesie of Paule to the Thessalonians in the second Epistle An other of their sheepes coates is that they shall in euery sermon preach mightely agaynst the Scribes Phariseyes against Faustus and Pelagian with such like hereticks which yet neuer preached other doctrine then they themselues do And more of their clothing is they shall preach that Christ preached almost prayer and fasting and professe obedience pouertie and chastitie workes that our Sauiour Christ both preached and did Finally they be holy church and cannot erre But they be within rauening wolnes They preach to other steale not yet they themselues robbe God of hys honour and take from him the prayse and profite of all their doctrine and of all their workes They robbe y t lawe of God of her mighty power wherewith she driueth all men to Christ and make her so weake that the feble free will of man is not able to wrestle with her without calling to Christ for help They haue robbed Christ of all hys merites and clothed themselues therewith They haue robbed the soule of man of the bread of her life the fayth and trust in Christes bloud and haue fedde her with the shales and coddes of the hope in their merites and confidence in their good workes They haue robbed the workes coÌ„maunded by God of the entent purpose that they were ordeined for And with their obedience they haue drawen themselues from vnder the obedience of all Princes and temporall lawes with their pouertie they haue robbed all nations and kyngdomes and so with their wilfull pouertie haue enriched themselues and haue made the commons poore with their chastitie they haue filled all the worlde full of whores and sodomites thinking to please God more highly with keeping of an whore then an honest chast wife If they say it is not truth then all the worlde knoweth they lye for if a priest mary an honest wife they punishe hym immediatly and say he is an hainous hereticke as though matrimony were abhominable But if he keepe a whore then is he a good chast childe of their holy father the Pope whose ensample they follow and I warrant hym sing Masse on the next day after as well as he did before without eyther persecution or excommunication such are the lawes of their vnchast I would say their owne chast father If thou professe obedience why ruÌ„nest thou from father mother maister and ruler which God biddeth thee to obey to be a Fryer If thou obey why obeyest thou not the king and his law by whom God defendeth thee both in lyfe and goodes and all thy great possessions If thou professe pouertie what doest thou with the landes of Gentlemen Squyres Knightes Barons Erles and Dukes What shoulde a Lordes brother be a beggers seruauÌ„t or what should a begger ride with thre or foure score horses wayting on hym Is it meete that a man of noble byrth and y â— right heyre of the landes which thou possessest should be thyne horsekeeper thou being a begger If ye professe chastitie why desire ye aboue all other men the company of women What do ye with whores openly in many countreyes and wyth secrete dispensations to keepe Concubines Why corrupt ye so much other mens wiues and why be there so many sodomites among you Your charitie is mercilesse to the rest of the world to whom ye may geue nought agayne and onely liberall to your selues as is y e charitie of theues thirty or fourty of you together in one denne among which yet are not many that loue three of his neighbours hartely Your fasting maketh you as full and as fat as your hydes can holde beside that ye haue a dispensation of your holy father for your fasting Your prayer is but pattering without all affection your singing is but roaring to stretch out your mawes as do your othee gestures and rising at midnight to make the meate sinke to the bottome of the stomacke that he may haue perfect digestion and be ready to deuour a freshe against the next refection Ye shal know them by their fruites First thornes beare no grapes nor bryers figges Also if thou see goodly blossomes in them and thinkest there to haue figges grapes or any fruit for the sustenaunce or comfort of man goe to theÌ„ in time of neede and thou shalt finde nought at all Thou shalt finde forsouth I haue no goodes nor any thing proper or that is myne owne It is the couentes I were a theefe if I gaue it my father whatsoeuer neede he had It is Saint Edmundes patrimony Saint Albons patrimony S. Edwardes patrimony the goodes of holy church it may not be minished nor occupied vpon laye and prophane vses The king of the realme for all that he defendeth them aboue al other yet getteth he nought what neede so euer he haue saue then onely when he must spend on their causes aâ— that they geue with all that he can get beside of his poore commons If the king will attempt to take ought from them by the aucthoritie of his office for the defence of the realme Or if any man wil entreat them other wise then they lust themselues by what law or right it be they turne to thornes and bryers and waxe atonce rougher then a hedgehogge and will sprinkle them wyth the holy water of their malidictions as thicke as hayle and breath out the lightening of excommunication vpon them and so consume them to pouder Moreouer a corrupt tree can beare no good fruite That is where they haue fruite that semeth to be good goe to and proue it and thou shalt finde it rotten or the karnell eaten out and that it is but as a hollow â—â—tâ— For fayth in Christ that we and all our workes done within the compasse of the lawe of God be accepted to God for his sake is the kernell the sweetenesse and the pleasaunt beutie of al our workes in the sight of God As it is written Ioh. vi this is the worke of God that ye beleue in him whom he hath sent This faith is a worke which God not onely worketh in vs but also hath therein pleasure and delectatioÌ„ and in all other for that faithes sake Faith is
had as great loue to Christ as to other thinges to happen dayly vnto the shame of Christes doctrine among Priestes Fryers and Monkes partly with open whores partly with their sodometrie whereof they cast ech other in the teeth dayly in euery Abbey for the least displeasure that one doth to an other M. More might see what occasions of vnchasâ—itie be geuen vnto the Curates euery where by the reason of their office and dayly conuersation with the maryed And when he sayth neuer maÌ„ could finde that exposition till now there he sayth vntrue For S. Hierome hymselfe saith that he knew them that so expoâ—ded the text and rebuked them of Rome because they would not admit into the clergie them that had had two wiues the one before baptim and the other after saying if a man had killed xx men before his Baptime they would not haue forbidden him and why then should that which is no sinne at all be a let vnto him But the God of Rome would not heare him For Sathan beganne then to worke his misteries of wickednes And when he saith he that hath ten wiues hath one wife I say that one is taken by the vse of speaking for one onely As when I say I am content to geue thee one meaning one onely And vnto him that hath no helpe is there one helpe to looke for no helpe where one helpe is taken for one onely and many places els And when M. More sayth he that hath had two wiues one after an nother may not be Priest and that if a Priestes wife die he may not haue another or that if he were made Priest hauing no wife he might not after mary if he burnt I desire a reason of him If he say it hath bene so the vse then say I an whore is better then a wife for that hath bene y e vse of our holy father many hundred yeares But I affirme vnto M. More the contrary And I say first wyth Paule that the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke and by the same reason neither husband or wife but y t keeping of the commaundements and to loue euery man his neighbour as himselfe And therefore as meate and drinke were ordeined for mans necessitie and as a man may care drinke at all needes in all degrees so farre as it letteth him not to keepe the commaundementes and to loue his neighbour as himselfe euen so was the wife created for the mans necessitie and therefore may a man vse her at all hys neede in all degrees as farre as she letteth hym not to keepe Gods lawe which is nothing els by Paules learning then that a man loue hys neyghbour as himselfe Now I desire a reason of M. Mores doctrine what doth my second wife or my third hinder me to loue my neighbour as my selfe and to do him seruice against I come to be priest What let is your second wife to you to serue our holy father the Pope more then your first would haue bene And in like maner if my first wife die when I am a Priest why may I not loue my neighbour do hym as good seruice with the second as with y e first And againe if I be made priest hauing no wife and after burne and therfore mary why may I not loue my neighbour and serue hym wyth that wyfe as well as he that brought a wife with hym It was not for nought that Paule prophesied that some should departe from the faith attend vnto disceaueable spirites and deuelishe doctrine forbidding to mary and to eate meates which god hath created to be receaued with thankes of them that know the truth to buy dispeÌ„sations to vse lawfull meat and vnlawfull wiues And I aske M. More why he y t hath the second wife or hath had two wiues may not be a Priest or why if a Priestes first wife die he may not mary the second He will aunswere because the Priest must represent the misteries or secrete properties and vnion of Christ the onely husbande of his onely wyfe the church or congregation that beleueth in him onely That is as I haue in other places sayd the scripture describeth vs in matrimonye the mysteries and secrete benefites which God the father hath hid in Christ for all theÌ„ that be chosen and ordeyned to beleue and put their trust in him to be saued As when a man taketh a wife he geueth her himselfe his honour hys riches and all that he hath and maketh her of equall degree vnto himselfe if he be king and she before a beggers daughter yet she is not y e lesse Quene and in honour aboue al other If he be Emperour she is Empresse and honoured of men as the Emperour and partaker of all Euen so if a man repeÌ„t and come and beleue in Christ to be saued from the dampnation of the sinne of which he repenteth Christ is hys owue good immediately Christes death paine prayer passion fastyng and all his merites are for that mans sinnes a full satisfaction and a sacrifice of might and power to absolue hym 〈◊〉 pena et a culp 〈◊〉 Christes enheritaunce his loue and fauour that he hath wyth God his father are that mans by and by and the man by that mariage is pure as Christ and cleane wythout sinne and honourable glorious weibeloued and in fauour thorow y t grace of that mariage And because that the Priest must represent vs this signification is the cause why a Priest may not haue the second wyfe say they which popishe reason hath deceaued many wise as who can be but deceaued in some thing if he receaue all his doctrine by the auctoritie of his elders except he haue an occasion as we haue to runne to Moses and the Prophetes there heare see with our owne eyes and beleue no longer by the reason of oure forefathers when we see them so shamefully beguild themselues and to beguile vs in a thousand things which the Turkes see Now to our purpose if this doctrine be true then must euery Priest haue a wife or haue had a wife For he that neuer had wife can not represent vs this And againe he that hath an whore or an other mans wife hath lost this property and therfore ought to be put downe And againe the second mariage theÌ„ of no man is or can be a SacrameÌ„t by that doctrine And yet I will describe you the mariage of Christ as well by his mariage that hath had ix wyues and hath now the tenth as by his that hath now the first O will they say his wyfe was no virgine or he when they were maried Sir the signification standeth not in y t virginitie but in the actuall wedlocke We were no virgines when we came to Christ but coÌ„mon whores beleuing in a thousand Idoles And in the second mariage or tenth and ye will the man hath but one wife and
all his are hers and his other wiues be in a land where is no husbande or wife I say therfore with Paul that this is a deuilishe doctrine and hath a similitude of godlines with it but the power is away The myste of it blyndeth the eyes of the simple and beguileth them that they can not see a thousand abhominations wrought vnder that cloke And therfore I say still that the Apostles meaning was that he shoulde haue a wiâ—e if haply his age were not the greater and that by one wiâ—e he excludeth them that had two and them that were defamed with other saue their owne wiues and woulde haue theÌ„ to be such as were knowen of vertuous liuing for to do reuerence honour vnto the doctrine of Christ As it appeareth by the widowes which he excludeth before lx yeares for feare of vnchastitie and admitteth yet none of that age except she were well knowen of chast honest and godly behauiour and that to honour Gods word withall than which the Pope hath nothing more vile And wheÌ„ M. More to mock bringeth forth the text of the wydowe that she must be the wife of one man I answere for all his iesting that Paule excludeth not her that had x. husbands one after an other but her that had ij husbandes attonce And when More laugheth at it as though it had neuer bene the guise I would to god for his mercy that it were not the guise at this day and then I am sure hys wrath would not be so great as it is Paule meaneth onely that he would haue no diffamed woman chosen wydowe for dishonouring the worde of God and the congregation of Christ and therefore excludeth common women and such as were diffamed besides their husbandes and haply y t deuorced therto And that I proue by the same doctrine of Paule that the kingdome of God is no such busines but the keping of Gods commaundementes onely to loue one an other Now looke on y t thing and on the office of the widowe It was but to waite on the sicke and poore people and to washe strauÌ„gers feete Now the widowes of ten husbandes must haue be founde of the cost of the congregation if they were desticute of frends as all other poore were though in tyme passed they haue bene diffamed persons But vnder lx would Paule let none minister for feare of occasions of vnchastity and therto none but such as were well knowen of honest liuing and of good report Now in as much as the widow of ten husbands must be fouÌ„de of the common cost at her neede what vncleanes is in her by the reason of her secoÌ„d husband that she is not good inough to be a seruaunt vnto the poore people to dresse their meate washtheir clothes to make their beddes and so forth and to wash strauÌ„gers feete that came out of one congregation vnto an other about businesse â–ª and to do all maner seruice of loue vnto her poore brethren and sisters To haue had the second husband is no shame among the heathen it is no shame amoÌ„g the Christen for when the husband is dead the wife is free to mary to whom she will in the Lord and by as good reason the husband and of right who more free then the Priest And therfore they shame not our doctrine nor our coÌ„gregation nor dishonour God amoÌ„g the heathen or weake Christen Now wheÌ„ we haue a playne rule that he whiche loueth his neighbour as him selfe kepeth all the lawes of God let hym tell me for what cause of loue toward hys neighbour a widow of two lawfull husbands may not do seruice vnto the poore people Why may not a widow of fifty do seruice vnto the poore Paule whiche knytteth no snares nor leadeth vs blind nor teacheth vs without a reason geuing of his doctrine aunswereth for feare of occasions of euill lest she be tempted or tempt other And then if she be taken in misdoyng the doctrine of Christ be euill spoken of therto and the weake offended And when M. More mocketh with my reason that I would haue euerye Priest to haue a wife because few men caÌ„ liue chaste I aunswere that if he loued the honor of Christ and his neighbour as he doth his owne couetousnesse he should finde that a good Argument Paul maketh the same and much more sclenderly then I after your sophistrie For hee disputeth thus some youÌ„g widowes do dishonest y e congregation of Christ and his doctrine therfore shall no young widow at all minister in the common seruice therof But shal all be maried beare children and serue their husbaÌ„des And it is a farre lesse rebuke to the doctrine of Christ and his coÌ„gregation that a womaÌ„ should do amisse then the Bishop or Priest I am not so mad to thinke y t there could no Priest at all line chaste Neither am I so foolish to thinke that there be not as many womeÌ„ that could liue chast at fifty as Priestes as xxiiij And yet though of a thousand widowes of fifty yeare old ix hundred xc ix could liue chast Paul because he knoweth not that one wil let none at all minister in the common seruice amoÌ„g occasions of vnchastitie Christes Apostles considered all infirmities and all that might hynder the doctrine of Christ and therfore dyd their best to preueÌ„t all occasioÌ„s Wherfore as fish is no better then flesh nor flesh better then fish in the kyngdome of Christ euen so virginitie wedlocke and widowed are none better then other to be saued by in their own nature or to please God with all but with what soeuer I may best serue my brethren that is euer best accordyng vnto the tyme and fashion of the world In persecution it is good for euery man to liue chast if he can and namely for the preacher In peace when a man may liue quietly and abyde in one place a wise is a sure thyng to cut of occasioÌ„s Then he would make it seme that Priestes wiues were the occasions of heresies in Almany Nay they fell first to heresies and then tooke wiues as ye sell first to the Popes holy doctrine then tooke whores More The Church byndeth no man to chastitie Tyndall of a truth for it geueth licence to who soeuer wil to kepe whores and permitteth to abuse mens wiues and suffereth sodomitrie and doth but onely forbid matrimonie And when he sayth chastitie was all most receaued by generall custome before the lawe was made one lye And good fathers dyd but geue theyr aduise therto an other lye And it was ratified and receaued with the coÌ„sent of all Christendome the third lye They did well to chose a Poete to be their defender First it was attempted in generall CouÌ„cell and resisted by holy fathers which yet theÌ„selues were neuer maried saying that men might not knit a â—…ate for their weake brethreÌ„ agaynst the doctrine of Christ
graces both curtesie and wisedome wold haue charged the iudges to haue examined the euideÌ„ce layd agaynst him diligeÌ„tly so to haue quit hym with more honesty then to geue him pardon of that he neuer trespassed in and to haue rid the spiritualitie out of hate and all suspition Then sayth he Hunne was sore suspect of heresie and conuict And after he sayth Hunne was an hereticke in deede and in perill so to be proued And then how was he conuict I heard say that he was first conuict wheÌ„ he was dead and then they did wroÌ„g to burne him till they had spoken with him to were whether he would abiure or no. M. The Byshop of London was wise vertuous and cunnyng Tyndall For all those three yet he would haue made the old Deane Colet of Paules an hereticke for translatyng the Pater nâ—ster in English had not the Byshop of Canterbury holpe the Deane The xvj Chapter THe messenger asketh hym if there be an old lawfull translatioÌ„ before Wicleffes how happeneth it that it is in so few mens handes seyng so many desire it He aunswereth the Printer dare not Print it and then hang on a doubtâ—ul triall whether it were translated sence or before for if it were traÌ„slated sence it must be first approued What may not M. More say by authoritie of his Poetrie there is a lawfull traÌ„slation y t no maÌ„ knoweth which is as much as no lawfull traÌ„slatioÌ„ Why might not y e bishops shew which were that lawfull traÌ„slation let it be Printed Nay if that might haue bene obteined of theÌ„ with large money it had be Printed ye may be sure loÌ„g yer this But Sir aunswere me here vnto how happeneth that ye defenders translate not one your selues to cease the murmour of the people put to your own gloses to preuent heretikes ye would no doubt haue done it long sence if ye could haue made your gloses agree w t the text in euery place And what can you say to this how that besides they haue done their best to disanull all traÌ„slating by Parlament they haue disputed before the kynges grace that is it perilous and not mete and so concluded that it shall not be vnder a preteÌ„ce of deferring it of certein yeares where M. More was their speciall Orator to fayne lyes for their purpose M. Nothyng discourageth the Clergie so much as that they of the worste sorte most calleth after it Tyndall It might well be Phariseis full of holynesse long not after it but Publicans that hunger after mercy might sore desire it Howbeit it is in very deede a suspect thyng a great signe of an heretike to require it Then he iuggleth with allegories Syr Moses deliuered them all that he had receaued of God that in the mother toung in which all that had the hart therto studied and not the Priests onely as thou mayst see in the Scripture And the Apostles kept nothyng behind as Paul testified Actes xx how he had shewed them all the counsell of God had kept nought backe Shuld the lay people lesse hearken vnto the expositions of the Prelates in doubtfull places if the text were in their handes when they preached M. The Iewes geue great reuerence vnto the Bible and we sit on it Tyndall The Pope putteth it vnder his feete and treadeth on it in tokeÌ„ that he is Lord ouer it that it should serue him and he not it M. God hath ordeined the ordinaries for chief Phisitions Tyndall They be Lawyers ordeined of the Pope and can no more skill of the Scripture then they that neuer saw it ye and haue professed a contrary doctrine They be right hangmen to murther who soeuer desireth for that doctrine that God hath geueÌ„ to be the ordinary of our fayth and liuyng And when he maketh so great difficultie and hardnesse in Paules Epistles I say it is impossible to vnderstand eyther Peter or Paul or ought at all in y e scripture for him that denieth y t iustifiyng of faith in Christes bloud And agayn it is impossible to vnderstaÌ„d in y e scripture more then a Turke for whosoeuer hath not the lawe of God written in his hart to fulfill it Of which pointe and of true faith to I feare me that you are voyde and empty with all your spiritualtie whose defender ye haue taken vppon you to bee for to mocke out the truth for lucre and vauÌ„tage An aunswere to M. Mores fourth booke CHristes church hath the true doctrine already and the selfe same that S. Paule woulde not geue an Angell audience vnto the contrary Tyndall But the Popes Church will not heare that doctrine More Confirmed with such a multitude of miracles and so much bloud of martyrs and commoÌ„ consent of all Christendome Tyndall Who shewed a miracle to confirme his preaching of eare confession and Pardons with like pedlery or who shed his bloud for them I can shew you many thousandes that ye haue slayne for preaching the contrary And agayne Grecia the one halfe of Christendome coÌ„senteth not vnto theÌ„ which Greekes if such thinges had come from the Apostles should haue had them er ye M. The spiritualtie be not so tender eared but that they may heare their sinnes rebuked Tyndall They consent not vnto the way of truth but sinne of malice and of professioÌ„ And therfore as they haue no power to repent euen so can they not but persecute both him that rebuketh them and his doctrine to after the ensamples of the Phariseis and all tyrauntes that begunne before namely if the preacher touch any ground wher by they should be reformed or by what meanes they maintaine their mischief The second Chapter MOre A Fryers liuing that hath maryed a Nunne maketh it easie to know that his doctrine is not good Tyndall The profession of either other is plaine Idolatry and deceauing of a maÌ„s soule and robbing him of his good and taken vpon them ignorauÌ„tly therto Wherfore when they be come vnto the knowledge of the truth they ought no longer therein to abyde but the Popes forbyddyng Matrimony and to eate of meates created of God for mans vse which is deuillishe doctrine by Paules prophesie hys geuing licence to hold whores his continuall occupiyng of Princes in shedding of Christen bloud his robbing of y e poore thoroughout Christendome of all that was geuen to maintaine them his setting vp in Rome a stues not of womeÌ„ onely but of the male kynde also agaynst nature and a thousand abhominations to grosse for a Turke are tokens good inough that he is y e right Antichrist and his doctrine sprong of the deuill More In penaunce Martin saith there needeth no contricion nor satisfaction Tyndall Call it repentaunce and theÌ„ it is contricion of it selfe And as for mendes making with worldly
violence euen so once our hartes sinned as naturally with full lust and consent vnto the fleshe the deuill possessing our hartes and keeping out the light of grace What good towardnesse and endeuour can we haue to hate sinne as long as we loue it What good towardnes can we haue vnto the will of God while we hate it and be ignoraunt therof Can the will desire that the witte seeth not Can the will long for and sigh for that the witte knoweth not of Can a maÌ„ take thought for that losse that he wotteth not of what good endeuour can the Turkes children the Iewes children and the Popes infantes haue when they be taught all falshead onely with like perswasions of worldly reason to be all iustified with workes It is not therefore as Paule saith of the running or willing but of the mercy of God that a man is called and chosen to grace The first grace the first fayth and the first iustifiyng is geuen vs freely sayth M. More which I would faine wete how it will stand with his other doctrine whether he meane any other thyng by chosyng them to haue Gods spirite geuen me and fayth to see the mercy that is layd vp for me to haue my sinnes forgeuen without all deseruyng preparyng of my self God did not see onely that the these that was saued at Christes death should come thether but God chose him to shew his mercy vnto vs that should after beleue and prouided actually wrought for the bringyng of him thether that day to make him see and to receaue the mercy that was layd vp for him in store before the world was made The xij Chaptâ—… IN y t xij in chaffyng himself to heape lye vpon lye he vttereth his feleable blindnesse For he axeth this question wherfore serueth exhortatioÌ„s vnto faith if the hearers haue not libertie of their frewill by whiche together with Gods grace a man may labour to submitte the rebellion of reason vnto the obedieÌ„ce of faith and credence of the worde of God Wherof ye see that besides his graunt that reason rebelleth agaynst fayth coÌ„trary to the doctrine of his first booke he will that the will shall compell the witte to beleue Whiche is as much to say as the carte must draw the horses and the sonne beget the father and the authoritie of the Church is greater theÌ„ Gods word For the wil can not teach the wit nor lead her but foloweth naturally so that what soeuer the witte iudgeth good or euill that the will loueth or hateth If the witte see and leade straight the will foloweth If the witte be blynde and leade amisse the will foloweth cleane out of y t way I can not loue Gods worde before I beleue it nor hate it before I iudge it false and vanitie He might haue wiselier spoken on this maner wherfore serueth the preachyng of fayth if the wit haue no power to draw the will to loue that whiche the wit iudgeth true and good If the will be nought teach the wit better the will shall alter and turne to good immediatly Blindnesse is the cause of ali euil and light the cause of all good so that where the fayth is right there the hart can not consent vnto euill to folow the lustes of the flesh as the popes fayth doth And this conclusion hath he halfe a doseÌ„ tymes in his boke that the will may compell the witte and captiuate it to beleue what a maÌ„ lusteth Verely it is like that his wittes be in captiuitie and for vauntage tangled with out holy fathers sophistrie His doctrine is after his owne feelyng and as the profession of his hart is For the Popish haue yelded theÌ„ selues to folow the lustes of their flesh compel their witte to absteine froÌ„ looking on y e truth lest she should vnquiet them and draw them out of the podell of their filthy voluptuousnesse As a carte that is ouerladen goyng vp an hill draweth the horses backe and in a tough mire maketh them stand still And then the carter the deuill whiche driueth theÌ„ is euer by and whistelleth vnto them and biddeth them captiuate their vnderstaÌ„dyng vnto profitable doctrine for which they shal haue no persecution but shal reigne and be kynges and enioy the pleasures of the world at their owne will The xiij Chapter IN the xiij hee sayth that the Clergie burneth no man As though the pope had not first fouÌ„d the law as though all his preachers babled not that in euery Sermon burne these heretickes burne them for we haue no other argument to conuince them and as though they compelled not both Kyng Emperour to sweare that they shall so do yer they crowne them Then hee bringeth in prouisions of Kyng Henry the v. Of whom I aske M. More whether he were right heyre vnto England or held hee the land with the sworde as an heathen tyraunt agaynst all right Whom the Prelates lest he should haue had leysure to hearken vnto the truth sent into Fraunce to occupie his mynde in warre and led hym at their will And I aske whether his father slew not his leige kyng and true inheritour vnto the crowne and was therefore set vp of the Byshops a false kyng to mainteine theyr falshead And I aske whether after that wicked deede folowed not the destruction of the comminaltie and quenchyng of all noble bloud The xiiij Chapter IN the xiiij he affirmeth that Martine Luther sayth it is not lawfull to resiste the Turke I wonder that hee shameth not so to lye seyng that Martine hath written a singular treatise for the contrary Besides that in many other workes he proueth it lawfull if he inuade vs. The xvi Chapter IN the xvi he alledgeth Councels I aske whether Councels haue authoritie to make Articles of the faith with out Gods worde yea and of thynges improued by Gods word He alledgeth Augustine Hierome Cypriane Let him put their workes in English and S. Prosperus with them Why damned they the vnion of Doctours but because the Doctours are agaynst them And when he alledgeth Martyrs let him shew one and take the calfe for his labour And in the end he biddeth beware of theÌ„ that liue well in any wise As though they whiche lyue euill can not teach amisse And if that be true then they be of the surest side M. When Tyndall was apposed of his doctrine yer hee went ouer see he sayde and sweare he ment no harme Tyndall He sware not neither was there any man that required an othe of him but he now sweareth by him whoÌ„ â—e trusteth to be saued by that hee neuer ment or yet meaneth any other harme then to suffer all that God hath prepared to be leyd on his backe for to bryng his brethreÌ„ vnto the light of our Sauiour Iesus which the Pope thorough falshead and corruptyng such Poetes as ye are ready vnto
and he will therto consider our mekenes and what soeuer chaunceth neuer taketh away hys mercy till we cast of the yoke of our profession first and runne away with vtter defiaunce that we will neuer come more at schole Then our stubburne and hard hartes mollifie waxe soft and in the confidēce and hope that we haue in Christ and his kindnes we go to God boldly as vnto our father and receaue life that is to say loue vnto God and vnto the law also That whiche we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that ye may haue felowshyppe with vs and that our felowshyppe may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ And these thynges we write vnto you that your ioye may be full To bryng vnto the felowshyp of God and Christ and of them that beleue in Christ is the finall intent of all the Scripture why it was giuen of God vnto man and the onely thyng which all true preachers seke wherby ye shall euer know and discerne the true word of God from all false and counterfayted doctrine of vayne traditions the true preacher from the wylie hypocrite We preache vnto you sayth Iohn y t euerlastyng lyfe which we haue heard and in hearyng receaued through fayth and are sure of it to draw you to vs out of the felowshyp that ye haue with the damned deuils in sinnefull lustes and ignoraunce of God for we seeke you and not yours as sayth Paul ij Cor. xij We loue you as our selues in God therfore wold haue you felowes and equall with vs build you vpon the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes which is Christ ▪ Iesus and make you of the houshold of God for euer that ye and we felowes and brethren and coupled together in one spirit in one fayth and in one hope might haue our felowship thereby with God and become his sonnes heyres with Iesus Christ beyng his brethren and coheyres and to make your ioy ful through that glad tydinges as the aungell sayd vnto the shepheardes Luke ij Behold I shew you great ioye that shal be vnto all the people how that there is a Sauiour borne vnto you this day whiche is Christ the Lord. And these tydinges we bryng you with the worde of God onely which we receaued of his spirit and out of the mouth of his sonne as true messengers We preach not our selues but Christ our Lord and vs your seruauntes for hys sake we do not loue our selues to seke yours vnto vs that after we had with wiles robbed you of all ye haue we should exalte our selues ouer you separate our selues frō you and make our selues a seuerall kyngdome free and frāke raygnyng ouer you as heathen tyrauntes holdyng you in bondage to serue our lucre and lustes tanglyng your conscience with doctrine of man whiche draweth from God and Christ and fearing you with the bugge of excommunication agaynste Gods word Or if that serued not shakyng a sword at you And this is the tydinges whiche we haue heard of hym and declare vnto you that God is lyght and in hym is no darknes at all If we say that we haue felowshyp with hym and yet walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth But and if we walke in light as he is in light then haue we felowshyp together and the bloud of Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne As the deuill is darknes and lyes so is God light and truth onely and there is no darknes of falshead consentyng to wickednes in hym And the brightnes of his light is his word and doctrine as the. C. and. xix Psalme sayth Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete a light to my pathes And Christe is the light that lightneth all men And the Apostles are called the light of the world because of the doctrine And all that knowe truth are light Ye were once darkenes sayth Paule Ephes v. but now light in the Lord walke therfore as the children of lyght And good workes are called the frutes of light And all that lyue in ignoraūce are called darknes as he sayth afterward he that hateth his brother walketh in darknes For if the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe dyd shyne in his hart he could not hate his brother By walking vnderstande consenting doing and working If then we walke in darcknes that is consent and worke wickednes and say we haue felowship with God we ly For to haue felowship with him is to knowe and consent and professe his doctrine in our hartes Now if the commaundementes of GOD bee written in our hartes our members can not but practise thē shew the fruite So whether light or darknes be in the hart it will appeare in y t walking For though our members be neuer so dead vnto vertue yet if our soules knowledge the truth consent vnto righteousnes we haue the sprite of life in vs. And Paule sayth Rom. viij If the spirite of him y t raysed vp Iesus from death be in you thē wil he y t raised vp Iesus frō death quicken your mortall bodies by the reasō of the spirit that dwelleth in you So that it is not possible for him that knoweth the truth consenteth thereto to continue in sinne And then finally if we haue the light in our harts and walke therein then we haue fellowship with God and are his sonnes and heires and are purged from all sinne through Christes bloud If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and trueth is not in vs. If we think there is no sinne in vs we are beguiled and blinde and the light of Gods word is not in vs and eyther folow sinne as beastes without consciēce at all Or if we see the grosse sinnes as murther theft and adultery yet we haue hanged a vayle of false gloses vpon Moses face and see not the brightnes of the law how that it requireth of vs as pure an hart to God and as great loue vnto our neighbours as was in our sauiour Iesus ceaseth not before to condemne vs as sinners If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrigh teousnes If we confesse our sinnes not in the preistes eare though that tradition restored vnto the right vse were not dānable but in our hartes to God with true repentaunce and fast beleife then is he faythfull to forgeue and to purge vs because of his mercifull truth and promise For he promised Abraham that in his seede all the worlde should be blessed from the curse of sinne And hath aboundantly renued his euerlasting mercy vnto vs in the new testament promising that our sinnes shall be forgeuen vs in Christes bloud if we repent and trust thereto If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyer and hys woord is not in vs. For his
own of the which neuer lay man was partaker and with which they turne the end of all appointments vnto their owne honour and profite Couetousnes hath taught theÌ„ to bring in damnable sectes according vnto the prophecy of Peter and to corrupt the Scripture with false gloses to turne euery good ordinaunce that had a vertuous begynnyng vnto vicious ende The promocioÌ„s of the spiritualtie corrupt their mindes while they be yet in the shel and vnhatthed For they come thether but for couetousnes and to auoyd the crosse of Christ in the world except them that be compelled of theyr frendes or be so simple that they mark not their falshode beforehande Who knowing the truth louing it would put his head in the popes halter that so moseleth mens mouthes that they can not open them to defend any truthe at all When the temporall kinges were in their hye authoritie then the generall Counsell repressed the enormities of the spiritualtie But since the Pope cardinals and bishops were exalted the emperour and kings became their seruauntes they would suffer nought to be determined in their counsels that should reforme the worlde of their demilish pride insatiable couetousnes stincking lechery which may stand w t no godly vertue But the world which is not of God shall at the last haue an end with confusion and they onely abide that do y e will of the Father which will is that we beleeue in the Sonne and loue one an other Let them therfore that haue y e worlds good I might say the worldes God vse it but not loue it that they may be ready to bestow it at the pleasure of God And let them which haue it not desire it not for it blindeth the eyes of the seeing Seut 1â— But let them put their trust in God which shal not fayle them nor leaue them destitute of rayment and foode which Paule counselleth to be content with The ritch as Iames sayth persecute the true beleuers The 〈…〉 neuer stand forth openly for the 〈◊〉 of God If of x. thousand there 〈◊〉 Nichodemus it is 〈◊〉 great thing Little children it is now the last houre and as ye haue heard that Antichrist shoulde come euen so now are many Antichristes come already whereby we know that it is the last houre They went out of vs but were none of vs for had they bene of vs they had continued with vs. But that fortuned that it might appeare how they were not all of vs. Houre is here taken for tyme the last houre is as much to say as the last tyme. Though the Apostles might not know when the last day shal be how long the world should endure yet this was shewed them and vs by theÌ„ that Antichrist should first come not onely come but also prenayle and be receaued after a worldly maner and raigne ouer all and set vp a long continuyng kyngdome with damnable sectes and wonderfull kyndes of hypocrisie that is to say falshead cloked vnder a contrary pretence as testifieth Paule and also Peter Whiche Antichrist began with the Apostles and sue his doctrine among the doctrine of the Apostles preachyng many thynges as the Apostles dyd and addyng euer somwhat of his owne that the weeds might euer grow vp together with the corne Of which Iohn gathered a signe that the last day drew nye though he could not be sure how long it were therto Antichrist is one of the first that seeth the light and commeth and preacheth Christ a while and seeketh his glory in Christes Gospell But when hee eâ—pyeth that there will no glory cleane vnto that preachyng theÌ„ he getteth him to the coÌ„trary partie and professeth hym selfe an open enemy if hee can not disguise him selfe and hide the angle of his poysoned heresie vnder a bayte of true doctrine The Apostles were cleare eyed and espied Antichrist at once and put hym to flight and weeded out his doctrine quickly But wheÌ„ charitie waxed cold and the preachers began to seke them selues and to admit glory and honour of riches then Antichrist disguised him selfe after the fashion of a true Apostle and preached Christ wylyly bryngyng in now this tradition and now that to darkeÌ„ the doctrine of Christ and set vp innumerable ceremonies and Sacramentes and imagerie giuyng them significations at the first but at the last the significations layd a part preached the worke as an holy deede to iustifie and to put away sinne and to saue the soule that men should put their trust in woorkes in whatsoeuer was vnto his glory and profite and vnder the name of Christ ministred Christ out of all together and became head of the coÌ„gregation him selfe The Pope made a law of hys owne to rule his church by and put Christes out of the way All the Byshops swere vnto the Pope and all Curates vnto the Byshops but all forswere Christ and his doctrine But seing Iohn tooke a signe of the last day that he saw Antichrist begyn how nye ought we to thinke that it is whiche after viij hundreth yeares raignyng in prosperitie see it decay agayne and his falshead to be disclosed and him to be slayne with the spirite of the mouth of Christ that is with that old doctrine that proceded out of Christes mouth for Paule sayth wheÌ„ Antichrist is vttered theÌ„ commeth the end But ye haue anoyntyng of that holy and knowe all thyng I write not vnto you as though ye knewe not the truth but as vnto them that know it and how that no lye is of truth Christ in the Scripture is called the holy because he onely sanctifieth haloweth vs. And he is called Christ that is to say annoynted because he annoynteth our soules with y e holy ghost and with all the giftes of the same Ye are not annoynted with oyle in your bodyes but with the spirite of Christ in your soules which spirite teacheth you all truth in Christ and maketh you to iudge what is a lye and what truth and to know Christ from Antichrist For except he taught your soules with in the powring in of woordes at your cares were in vayne For they must be all taught of God Iohn vj. And the thyngs of God no man knoweth saue the spirite of God and the carnall man knoweth not the thinges of the spirite of God when contrary the spirituall that is annointed with the spirite iudgeth all thynges i. Cor. ij And therfore we are forbidden to call vs any Master vpon earth Math. xxiij seyng we haue all one Master now in heauen which onely teacheth vs with his spirite though by the administration and office of a faithfull preacher Whiche preacher yet can not make hys preachyng spryng in the hart no more then a sower can make his corne grow nor can say this man shall receaue and this not but soweth the word onely committeth the growyng to God whose spirite bretheth where
worke And that Christ hath done this seruice in his flesh deny all the members of Antichrist And hereby thou shalt know them All doctrine that buildeth thee vpon Christ to put thy trust and confidence in his bloud is of God and true doctrine And all doctrine that withdraweth thyne hope and trust froÌ„ Christ is of the deuill and the doctrine of Antichrist Examine y â— Pope by this rule and thou shalt finde that all hee doth is to the destructioÌ„ of this article He wresteth all the Scriptures setteth them cleane agaynst the woll to destroy this article He ministreth the very Sacramentes of Christ vnto the destruction of this article and so doth he all other ceremonies and his absolution penaunce purgatorie dispensations pardoÌ„s vowes with all disguisings The Pope preacheth that Christ is come to do away sinnes yet not in the flesh but in water salt oyle caÌ„dles bowes asshes friers coates and monkes cowles and in the vowes of theÌ„ that forâ—were matrunonie to keepe whores and swere beggerie to possesse all the treasure riches wealth pleasures of the world and haue vowed obedience to disobey with authoritie all the lawes both of God and man For in these hypocritish and false sacrifices teacheth he vs to trust for the forgiuenes of sinnes not in Christes flesh Ye are of God litle childreÌ„ and haue ouercome them For greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world He that dwelleth in you and worketh in you through fayth is greater then he whiche dwelleth and worketh in them through vnbelefe And in hys strength ye abyde by your profession and coÌ„fesse your Lord Iesus how that he is come in the flesh and hath purged the sinne of all that beleue in his flesh And through that fayth ye ouercome them in the very tormentes of death So that neither their iugglinges neither their pleasures neither their thretnynges or their tormentes or the very death wherewith they slay your bodies can preuayle agaynst you They be of the world and therfore they speake of the world and the world atteÌ„deth vnto them We bee of God and hee that knoweth God heareth vs. And he that is not of God heareth vs not And hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirite of errour There be and euer shal be two generations in the world one of the deuill which naturally hearken vnto the false Apostles of the deuill because they speake so agreable vnto their naturall complection And an other of God which hearken vnto the true Apostles of God consent vnto their doctrine And this is a sure rule to indge spirites with all that we indge them to haue the spirite of truth which hearkeÌ„ vnto y t true doctrine of Christes Apostles them to haue the spirite of errour which hearken vnto worldly and deuilish doctrine abhorryng the preathing of the Apostles And looke hether the Popes doctrine bee worldly or no if pride and couetousnes be worldly yea and secherie to For what other is all his doctrine then of benefices promotions dignities byshoprikes cardinallshyps vicarages parsonages prebendes chaunge of bishoprikes and resignyng of benefices of vnions pluralities totquots and that which coÌ„meth once into their handes may not out agayn yea and of whores and concubines and of captiuyng of consciences for couetousnes all that hearken to that doctrine abhorre the doctrine of the Apostles and persecute it and them that preach it Dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue is of God And all that loue are borne of God and knowe God And he that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Iohn singeth his old song agayne and teacheth an infallible and sure token which we may see and feele at our fingers endes and therby be out of all doubt that our fayth is vnfayned and that we knowe God and be borne of God and that we hearkeÌ„ vnto the doctrine of the Apostles purely and godly not of any curiositie to seke glorie and honour therein vnto our selues to make a cloke therof to couer our couetousnes and filthy lustes Whiche token is if we loue one an other For the loue of a mans neighbour vnfaynedly spryngeth out of the vnfayned knowledge of God in Christes bloud By which knowledge we be borne of God loue God and our neighbours for his sake And so he that loueth hys neighbour vnfaynedly is sure of him selfe that he knoweth God and is of God vnfaynedly And contrarywise he that loueth not knoweth not God For God in Christes bloud is such a loue that if a man saw it it were impossible that he should not breake out into the loue of God agayne of his neighbour for his sake Herein appeared the loue of God vnto vs warde because God seÌ„t his onely sonne into the world that we should liue through hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent hys sonne a satisfaction for our synnes If a man had once felt within in his conscience the fierce wrath of God towarde sinners and the terrible most cruell damnation that the law threatneth and then beheld with the eyes of a strong fayth the mercy fauour and grace the takyng away of the damnation of the law and restoryng agayne of life frely offred vs in Christs bloud he should perceaue loue and so much the more that it was shewed vs when we were sinners and enemies to God Roma 5. and that without all deseruyngs without our endeuouryng enforcyng and preparyng our selues and without all good motions qualities properties of our frewill But when our hartes were as dead vnto all good workyng as the meÌ„bers of him whose soule is departed whiche thyng to proue and to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all our aduersaries I will of innumerable textes rehearse one in the beginnyng of the second chapter to the Ephes where Paule sayth thus Ye were dead in trespasse sinne in which ye walked accordyng to the course of the world and after the gouernour that ruleth in the ayre the spirite that worketh in the children of vnbelefe amoÌ„g which we also had our conuersation in tyme past in the lustes of our flesh and fulfilled the lustes of the fleshe and of the mynde so that the fleshe and the mynde were agreed both to sinne and the mynde consented as well as the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath as well as other But God beyng rich in mercy through the great loue wherwith he loued vs euen wheÌ„ we were dead in sinne hath quickened vs with Christ for by grace are ye saued and with hym hath raysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sit in heauenly thynges through Iesus Christ for to shew in tyme to come the exceding riches of his grace in kyndnes to vs ward in Iesus Christ For by grace are ye saued through fayth that not of your selues for
vs that we be not ouercome of euill c. Now if they which beleue in Christ are bold with God that he heareth them sure that he graunteth their petitions it foloweth that they whiche are not bold that he heareth them nor sure that hee graunteth their petitions do not beleue in Christ They that go to dead Saints with which they neuer speake nor wotte where they be be not bold that God wil heare them nor sure that he will graunt their petitions therfore they beleue not in Christ That they be neither bold nor sure appeareth first by their deedes and secondarely by their owne confession for they say what should God heare them or graūt them ought seing they be vnworthy yea and they confirme it with a similitude of worldly wisedome that they should be put backe for their malapertnes and fare the worse as if a rude felow shuld breake vp into the kyngs priuie chamber and presse vnto his owne person without knockyng or speakyng to any other officer so that they beleue it an augmentyng of sinne to go to God thēselues in the cōfidēce of Christes bloud as he bad them If a man see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shall giue hym life for them that sinne not vnto death There is a sinne vnto death and for it say I not that thou shouldest pray All vnrighteousnes is sinne And there is a sinne not to death Whatsoeuer sinne we see in y t world let vs pray and not dispayre For God is the God of mercy But for the sinne to death whiche is resistyng grace and fightyng against mercy and open blasphemyng of the holy ghost affirmyng that Christs miracles are doue in Beel sabub and his doctrine to be of the deuill I thinke that no Christen man if he perceaue it can otherwise pray then as Paule prayed for Alexander the Copersmith the. ij Timo. the last that God would reward hym accordyng vnto his workes They that go backe agayne after they know the truth and giue them selues willingly to sinne for to folow it and persecute the doctrine of truth by profession to maynteine falshead for their glorie and vaūtage are remedylesse as ye may see Hebr. vj. and. x. Bala◅ so sinned the false Prophetes in the old Testament so sinned the Phariseis so sinned Alexander so sinned now many so sinne folowyng their pride couetousnes We know that all that are borne of God sinne not But he that is borne of God kepeth him self and the wicked touche hym not As thou readest in the third chapter they that are borne of God can not sinne for the sede of God kepeth them They cannot cast of the yocke of Christ and consent to cōtinue in sinne nor defie his doctrine nor persecute it for to quench it or to maynteine any thyng contrary vnto it But in whatsoeuer captiuitie they be in y t flesh their harts yeld not but imagine to breake lowse and to escape and flye away vnto the partie standart of their Lord Christ And as men of warre they euer keepe watche and prepare them selues vnto warre and put on the armure of God the which is Gods word the shield of fayth the helmet of hope and harnesse thē selues with the meditation of those thynges which Christ suffred for vs with the examples of all the Saintes that folowed him and thinke earnestly that it is their part to lyue as purely as the best come after as fast as they can And yet in all their workes they knowledge them selues sinners vnsay nedly as long as one iote of the perfectnes that was in y t deedes of Christ is lackyng in theirs So that the deuill can not touch the hartes of them neither with pride or vayne glorie of pure lyuing neither to make them consentyng vnto the flesh in grosse sinnes if at a tyme they be taken tardy ketche a fall Whatsoeuer chaunce them the deuill can ketch no hold of them to keepe them still in captiuitie but they will breake lose agayne and repent and do penaunce to chast theyr flesh that they come no more vnder y t deuils clawes We know that we be of God and that the whole world is set on mischief They that beleue that is to say put their trust in Christ see both their owne glorious state in God and also the wretched estate of y t world in their wickednes But the worlde as they knowe not God nor the glory of the sonnes of God Euen so they see not their owne miserable estate in wickednes and damnation vnder the law of God but the worse they are the bolder they be and the surer of themselues the further from repentaūce and the more standyng in their owne conceites for the darkenes that is in them And therfore say our Doctours a man can not knowe whether hee be in the state of grace or no nor needeth to care therfore And they be therefore the blynd leaders of the blynd We know that the sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs vnderstandyng to know him that is true and we be in the truth thorough Iesus Christ He is very God and eternall lyfe Christ is all and the fountaine of all and of his fulnesse receaue we all And as hee powreth the giftes of his grace vpon them that beleue in hym so he giueth them vnderstanding to know the very God and that they be in the very God and that they haue obtained that through his purchasing and leaueth not his sheepe in darkenes And the same Iesu Christ is very God and eternall life God and eternall lyfe was he from the begynnyng and became man for the great loue he had to vs for to bryng vs vnto his eternall life And he that hath any other way thether whether his own workes or other mēs or workes of ceremonies or sacraments or merites of Saintes or of ought saue Iesu Christ onely shall neuer come thether The world seith the Pope and seith that they which be in the Pope be Lordes in this world and therfore they care to be in the Pope but whether they be in God or not they say it is not necessarie to know Litle children beware of Images Serue none Image in your harts Idolatrie is Greeke and the English is imageseruice And an Idolater is also Greke and the English an imageseruaunt Be not Idolaters nor committe Idolatrie that is be none imageseruauntes nor do any imageseruice but beware of seruyng all maner images And thinke it not inough to haue put all the Images of false Gods out of the way if ye now set vp the Image of very God and of his true Saints in their rowmes to doe the same seruice vnto thē which ye dyd vnto the other For ye may do as strong imageseruice vnto the Image of GOD and of hys Saintes as vnto the Images of false Gods yea thou maist commit as great
him therof and of the foure hundred yeares that his posteritie should be in thraldome in Egypt of their deliueraunce and as Gedeon was certified by the signe of his Flese of the victory that God had promised him and as many other that beleued in God were certified by the signes that God gaue them of the promises which God made them Verely no maÌ„ For our Prelates which lay for them selues compelle intrare compell not vs to enter into any such feast nor will suffer any such meate to be set before vs for feare of ouerthrowyng the foundation of their false buildyng whereof springeth so great glory and profit vnto them which foundation to builde their lyes vpon they could neuer haue layd except they had first thrust this doctrine of our soules health cleane out of knowledge And as soone as they had blinded y â— light they became leaders in darkenesse and made of the Masse imageseruice so that the strauÌ„ge holy gestures and the straunge holy voyces and straunge holy vestures with all other straunge holy ceremonies must be meritorious workes to deserue loÌ„g life health riches honour fauour dignitie and aboundauÌ„ce of all that we haue sorsakyng our baptisme to arme vs from bearing of the crosse with Christ And they haue made of it a pill of two contrary operations so that the same medicine that preserueth our soules from purgatory doth purge the body of house laÌ„des rentes goods and money that it is made as bare as Iob and as baulde as a Cout And the light that rebuketh them they call seditious that it maketh the subiectes to rise against their Princes Which thing the hypocrites layed sometyme vnto the Prophetes as ye may see in the old TestameÌ„t And at last they layed it vnto Christes charge as ye may see in the Gospell and to the charge of the Apostles as ye may see in the Actes But at all such tymes the hypocrites them selues styrred vp such a sword to mainteine their falsehead that euermore a great part of the world perished through their owne mischeuous incensing and prouokyng Princes to battayle These hypocrites layd to Wickleâ—â—es charge and do yet that his doctrine caused insurrection but they to quench the truth of hys preachyng slew the right kyng and set vp iij. false kynges a row by which mischeuous sedition they caused halfe England to be slayne vp and brought the Realme into such ruine and desolatioÌ„ that M. More could say in his Vtopia that as Englishmen were wont to eate shepe euen so their shepe now eate vp them by whole Parishes at once besides other inconueniencies that he then saw And so the hipocrites say now likewise that gods word causeth insurrection but ye shall see shortly that these hypocrites them selues after their old wont and examples in queÌ„chyng y t truth that vttereth their iugglyng shall cause all realmes Christen to rise one agaynst an other and some agaynst them selues Ye shall see theÌ„ runne out before the yeare come about that whiche they haue bene in bruwyng as I haue marked aboue this dosen yeares c. ¶ This much I haue sayd because of them that deceaue you to geue you an occasion to iudge the spirites The Testament of master William Tracie Esquier expounded by William Tyndall Wherein thou shalt perceiue with what charitie the Chaunceler of Worceter burned when he tooke vp the dead carkasse and made ashes of it after it was buried 1535. ¶ To the Reader THou shalt vnderstaÌ„d most deare Reader that after William Tyndall was so Iudasly betrayed by an Englisheman a Scholer of Louayne whose name is Philippes there were certaine thinges of his doyng found which he had entended to haue put forth to the furtheraunce of Gods word amoÌ„g which was this Testament of M. Tracie expounded by him self whereunto was annexed the expositioÌ„ of the same of Iohn Frithes doyng and owne hand writyng whiche I haue caused to bee put in Printe to the intent that all the world should see how earnestly the Cannonistes and spirituall lawyers whiche be the chief rulers vnder Bishops in euery Dioces in so much that in euery Cathedrall Churche the Deane ChauÌ„celor and Archdeacon are coÌ„monly doctours or Bachelers of law do endeuour them selues iustly to iudge and spiritually to geue senteÌ„ce according to charitie vpon all the actes and dedes done of their Diocessanes after the exaÌ„ple of the Chaunceler of Worceter which after M. Tracie was buried of pure zeale loue hardly tooke vp the dead carkasse and burnt it wherefore he did it it shall euidently appeare to the Reader in this little treatise read it therfore I besech thee iudge the spirites of our spiritualitie and pray that the spirite of him that raised vp Christ may once inhabite them and mollifie their hartes and so illumine theÌ„ that they may both see and shew true light no loÌ„ger to resist God nor his truth AmeÌ„ The Testament it selfe In the name of God AmeÌ„ I William Tracie of Todyngton in the Countie of Gloceter Esquier make my TestameÌ„t and laste will as hereafter followeth ¶ First and before all other thyng I coÌ„mit me vnto God to his mercy trustyng without any doubt or mistrust that by his grace and the merites of Iesus Christ and by the vertue of his passioÌ„ and of his resurrection I haue shall haue remission of my sinnes and resurrectioÌ„ of body and soule accordyng as it is written Iob. xix I beleue that my redemer lyueth and that in the last day I shal rise out of the earth and in my flesh shall see my Sauiour this my hope is layd vp in my bosome And as touching the wealth of my soule the fayth y t I haue taken rehearsed is sufficient as I suppose wtout any other mans woorke or workes My grounde and my belefe is that there is but one God and one medaitour betwene God and man whiche is Iesus Christ So that I doe except none in heauen nor in earth to be my mediatour betwen me God but onely Iesus Christ all other be but petitioners in receiuyng of grace but none able to geue influence of grace And therfore will I bestow no part of my goodes for that intent that any man should say or do to helpe my soule for therein I trust onely to the promise of God he that beleueth is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shal be damned Marke the last Chapter And touchyng the burying of my body it auayleth me not what be done therto wherein S. Augustine De cura agenda promortuis sayth that they are rather the solace of them that liue theÌ„ the wealth or coÌ„fort of theÌ„ that are departed and therfore I remit it onely to the discretion of myne executours And touchyng the distribution of my temporall goodes my purpose is by the grace of God to bestow them to be accepted as fruites of fayth So that I do not suppose that my merite be by good bestowyng of
towardes God 22. b. of ignoraunce 277. a Fulnes of all goodnes Christ 424. a Fulfillyng the law what 240. b. obtayned by fayth 44. b Foundations of man feeble 92. a Foundation of loue 416. a. of the old Testament 9. b. of Abbeyes and Purgatory 309. a Fury of the Popish Clergy 93. a G. GAine ioyned with payne easeth the same 361. a Gainefull Gospell loued of shaue lynges 406. b Geldyng of Priestes 317. b Generation of two sortes 415. b Generation of Serpentes 340. b George Ioy writeth to the kyng for licence to traÌ„slate the Bible 454. b Gildas 28. a. a preacher and a Prophet 101. a Gift what it is 42. a Giftes of grace our brothers aswell as ours 384. b Giltles nede no pardon 318. b Glory 200. b Glorious names of the Popes Clergy their estimation 140. b Gloses 200. a. Pharisaicall 264. b God described 431. a. what he is 104 a spirite 294 b. inuisible 417. a. what he requireth 26. a. onely to be beleued 22. b. geueth all thyngs 24. b. alwayes most gracious 119. b. defendeth his doctrine hym selfe 97. a. teacheth vs if man wil not 103. b. seeketh vs. 294. a. pardoneth vs of his mercy 74. b. draweth vs to Christ 458. a. heareth prayer at all tymes 20. b. receiueth the humble 85. b. worketh by grace in vs before repentauÌ„ce come 321. b. biddeth vs be bold with hym 297. b. rewardeth all obedience 110. a. mercyfull to the ignoraunt 377. a. forgeueth our frailty 293. b. reserueth a litle flocke 298. a. what worke he requireth 457. a. maketh vs blessed in Christ 90. b God is light 392. a. the chief Phisitian 297. a. can not lye 170. b. in whom dwellyng 417. b. how rightly serued 86. a. how truly worshypped 180. a. whoÌ„ he receiueth 101. a God who he will plague 35. b. poureth vengeaunce vpon the vnrepeÌ„taunt 28. a. aduengeth his doctrine 106. b. aduengeth disobedience 107 b. and 110. a. plagueth hys enemies and helpeth his seruauÌ„tes 7. b. will not be tempted 171. a God forbyddeth Images 8. b. lyke him selfe euery where 282. a God who he reiecteth 25. a. taketh away the wicked 111. a. warneth before he strike 105. a. destroyeth one wicked by an other 110. b. punisher of secret sinnes the kyng of open 122. b God worketh backward 98. a. no lyer 462. a God worketh vppon all creatures as he will 80. b. respecteth not persoÌ„s 122. a. a iust iudge ouer kyng all degrees 142. a. onely taketh vengeaunce on the kyng 111. a. how he is at one with vs. 72. b. burdened with his promises 4. b God sometymes weakeneth his elect and why 101. a. scourgeth whom he loueth 8. a and 186. a. trieth hys childrens fayth 98. a. is fatherly to his elect 293. b. kepeth a litle flocke 268. a God first loued vs. 88. b. and 333. b. fighteth for vs. 98. b. receiueth vs for Christes sake 42. a. worketh in vs by faith 415. b. loueth vs not for our works sake 162. b. to vs as we shuld be to our neighbour 73. b. stroÌ„ger theÌ„ all his enemyes 98. a. defeÌ„der of all estates 341. b. pardoÌ„neth all simple for Christes sake 346. a God in the name of Iesus must be called vpon in all aduersities 425. b. reioyceth in an acceptable receiuer asmuch as in a liberall geuer 244. b Gods will is we shoulde doe good workes 75. a Gods childreÌ„ cannot sinne 423. b. his loue howe to be vnderstode in vs. 89. a. his promise reacheth to all Abrahams posterity 437. b. his promises are all comfort 100. a. his fauour at what tyme from vs. 34. b. his two Testamentes 9. b Gods spirite 392. a. where it is 41. a his word may not be altered 23. a. his gentle correctioÌ„ 287. b. his children vnder chastising 100. a. hys forgiuenes 395. a. his goodnes to mankynd 234. a. his glory set forth by true miracles 475. a. his kyndnes moueth vs to loue hym 67. b. his mercy styrreth vp fayth in vs. 45. a. his generall couenaunt with vs. 33. b. his word pith of all goodnes 290 â—a not the cause of euill 105. b. ought to iudge 14. a. how to vnderstand the same 142. a. must season all thynges 121. b. must be heard and done 75. a Gods spirite hath spoken the Scriptures 80. a. his truth worketh woÌ„ders 97. b. fighteth for vs. 98. a Gods grace must be exercised in vs. 68. a. his Sacramentes preach his promises 162. a. his promise saueth vs. 52. a. his mercy saueth vs. 45. a. his mercy toward the penitent 22. a Gods promises iustifie 51. b. his promises in Christ belong onely to the penitent 31. a. his will sought out onely of a true Christian 102. a Gods worde sighteth agaynst hypocrites 97. b. persecuted 97. a. hys Churche called heretickes 291. a. his true church who are 268. a. his true seruice 217. a Gods workes supernatural 21. b. his omnipotency not to curiously to be dealt withall 462. b. his presence in all places alike 287. a. his wonderfull care for his 164. a Goods 212. b Good woorkes where 78. a. where true fayth is 45. b. and 55. b Good woorkes how farre forth they please God 54. a. significations of true fayth 44. b. fruites of fayth 45. b Good men may erre and not be damned 300. a Goodnes must be shewed to euill persons 71. a Gospel 36. b. 387. a. what it signifieth 127. a. comforteth 77. b. promised by the Prophetes 378. a. a true touchstone 3. a. the ministration of of righteousnes 62. a. why writteÌ„ of the Apostles 288. b Gospell and the Popes doctrine differ 475. b. slaundered by Papistes 320. b Gothes 351. b Gouernement of Gods Ministers 344. a Goyng to law 212. b Grace what 157. b. how to be vnderstode 42. a Grace truth come through Christ 199. b. receiued onely by fayth 45. b. continueth by keepyng the law 185. b Grammarians vnderstand not Latin 268. b Grecians 303. a. refuse the Popes tyranny 347. b Gregory 325. b Gregory the fifth ibidem Greuous sinne not rebuked 426. b Grosse worshyppyng of God 424. b H. HAm and the Pope like 170. a Handy craftes commaunded by God 244. a Hatred 204. a. and 404. a Hart must ioyne with prayer 239. a. worshyppeth God 284. a Hart of man Gods true temple 87. b Hart containeth the word of the law and Christes promises 31. b Headynes â—90 b Heathen repent at Ionas preachyng 30. b. moued by miracles to know God 27. a Hearyng the word causeth repeÌ„tance 321. b Hearyng Gods worde prouoked by true miracles 284. a Heauen commeth by Christ 112. b Heires of God by sayth 257. b Helizeus 281. b Helpe commeth al from aboue 433. a Helpe towarde our neighbour must be in a readynes 78. b Hell foloweth euill workes as good workes folow fayth 70. a Henry the second 190. a Henry the fourth set vp 28. b Henry the fifth 28. b. a great conquerour 366. a Henry the vi 28. b. and 366. b Heresie
sinnes 95. b Phocas an Emperour 347. b. hys priuiledge to the see of Rome ibid. Phrases of speach expounded 77. b Pilgrimages 282. a. how lawfull 20 a. not needefull to a ChristiaÌ„ for his saluation 155 a Pilgrimages true what they be 272 a Pitie 282. b Pipinus 348. a Places of Scripture shewing Christes departure hence as touchyng his naturall body 470. b Places hauing prerogatiue for prayer 283. a Plerophoria how knowen 414. a Pluralitie of benefices 373. b Poetry Scripture to Popish schole men 168. a Pollaxes borne before high Legates what they signifie 142. b Pope with his Prelates set foorth 53. b. a God on earth 349. a. Antichrist 262. a 289. a. 308. a. the deuilles vicare 359. a. persecuteth Gods word 25. b. 290. a. a deniâ—…h blasphemer ibid. hath no Martyrs 294. a. a peacebreaker 365. b. a tyrauÌ„t 318. a. a breaker of bondes of Matrimony 350. a commaundeth murder 106. a. cause of great periury 115. a Popes haue ben bloudsheders aboue this 700. yeares 351. a Pope a mercyles tyraunt 362. b. curseth his enemyes 395. b. wilnot be rebuked 364. b. onely forbyddeth mariage 127. b. halfe a God 461. b aloft ouer all Byshops and Kings 353. a. aduaunceth his in worldlynes 353. b. hath moe kyngdomes then God 135. b. a maker of lawes 356. a. selleth Gods free gift 151. a. chalengeth authoritie ouer God and man 159. a. commauÌ„deth God to curse 151. b. may doe all at his pleasure 364. b. wilnot obey Princes 286. a. made a God for his dispensations 230. a. coÌ„meth in Christes name with miracles 301. b. sayth he cannot erre 264. a. distributeth his fathers kyngdome 354. a thrusteth downe Christ 292. a. lycenseth all thynges to bee read sauyng the truth 21. a. forbiddeth that God commaundeth 21. a Pope how hee remitteth and retayneth sinnes 306. b. maketh heretikes of true preachers 134. b selleth all thynges 289. b. receiueth hys possessions of the deuill 354. a. howe he raigneth vnder Christ 151. a. expoundeth Scripture contrary to Christ and his Apostles 173. b. byndeth that Christ louseth 102. a Pope not to be beleued why 304. b. lonseth all honesty 123. a. more mercyfull for money then God for Christes death 151. a. deuideth poore people and how 354. b chosen without consent of the Emperour 360. b. purposed to be Emperour 349. made two Empyres of one 349. b Pope Pipine put downe the right French kyng 348. a Pope and Cardinals their opinions concernyng kyng Henry the eight 288 b Pope Iuly 369. a Pope his fast 229. b. his traditions are wicked and breake Gods commaundements 108. a. his authoritie improued 12. 4. b. his clergy subtill 1. a. his doctrine corrupt 24. a. his doctrine doth persecute 97. a. his sect not of Christes church 261 b. his doctrine bloudy 106. b. his saying of the scripture 306. b. his authoritie is onely to preach Gods word 123. b. his false authority defended by kynges 114. b. his false workes 289. a. his iugglyng 114. b. his widowes 354. b. his priests ibideÌ„ his law 355. a. his fayth 410 b. his Church 292. b. his practise with all Princes 365. a. his Deacons 354. b. his Prelates taught of Caiphas 122. b Popish tyranny 475. b. ceremonyes more obstinate mo in nuÌ„ber then the Iewes 101. b. forgiuenes 395 a. Purgatory not feared of a true ChristiaÌ„ 434. b. Prelates would be highest 341. a. superstition 425 b. doctrine 447. a. hath caused the truth to be set forth more playnely 476. a. woorkes 396. a. oyle more feared then Gods commaundementes 131. a. confirmation 277. a Pope holy woorkes a cloke for the wicked 27. a Possessed with deuines fled from Christ 285. a Poore meÌ„ 408. a. in spirite who 189 a. must be cared for next our owne houshold 84. a. called of Paule Gods Churche 473. b. pouertie 242. b Pouertie wilfull 16. b. her vow 19. a Power good and euill whence 321. b Poyson of our byrth resisteth the spirite 165. a A prayer 228. a Prayer 22. b. 242. b. 219. b. defined 81. b. of how many sortes 220. a. a commaundement 238. b. heard in all places of God 282. b. the fruite of fayth 93. a. heard of God at all tymes 20. b. winneth the victory 238. b. of fayth doth miracles 152. b vayne without hart and toungue 221. a. of shauelynges breaketh Gods commaundement 139. b. of Monkes robbeth 201. a. not sold in old tyme. 139. b. to Saintes superilitious 296. a. without fayth nothyng 274. b. to Saintes not before Christes tyme. 296. a Practises 371. a. of Parliamentes 315. a. of Prelates 363. a. of Popish Prelates in these dayes 340. b. with poore Priestes 367. b. of fleshly spiritualitie 249. a Prayers and our deedes accepted accordyng to our fayth 154. b Prayers of all good women accepted aswell as our Ladyes 326. a. to Saintes damnable 433 b. all in Latin 151. b. commaunded to the ignoraunt 135. a Prayse sought of hypocrites 373. b Prayse of Paule Epistle to the Romanes 39. a Preacher his office 206. a. may not preache vnlesse he be sent of God 156. why accused of heresie treason 202. 〈◊〉 Preachers who are sent and who not how to knowe 156. a. of Gods word their miracles 302. a. neede no miracles 301. a. must preach repentaunce 86. b. why not beleued wheÌ„ they preach truth 101. b. must haue a competent lyuyng allowed them 133. b. must not be violent 214. b. who ought to be 198. b Preachyng is byndyng and lousing 359. a. of Christ 391. the authoritie of Peter his successour 173. b. the chief authoritie that Christ gaue his Apostles 126. a. extinct with ceremonies 278. a Predestination 306. a. in Gods haÌ„d 48. b. not rashly to be disputed vppon 48. b. how farre to be proceded in ibidem Presbyter 144. b Priestes 310. b. must be vertuous 314. b Priestes how truly annoynted 133. a ought not to bee annoynted with oyle 144. b. tell the confessions of the rich to the Officials and Commissaries and why 136. b. may haue whores but no wiues 311. b. must haue wiues for two causes 133. b Prieste disguiseth hym selfe with Christes passion 132. a Priestes vnderstand no Latin 103. a Prelates why so wicked 118. b. Courtiers 347. a. vnderstand not Scriptures and why 287. b. why clothed in red 142. b Pride 405. b. of the Pope 363. a. of the Cardinals 372. b Princes why ordained 117. a. not to be resisted though they be infidels 111. a. whether they may be resisted or no. 213. a Principles of Scriptures 386. b Processions abused 299. b Profession of our Baptisme 388. b. first to be learned 387. a Profession of newe lyfe procureth Christes mercy 219. b Promise how we may chaleÌ„ge 218. b Promise of God fulfilled for Christes and not for Saintes merites 160. a. left out in all thynges by the Pope 154. a Promises of the Gospell comfortable to a sinner 378. a Promise commeth of the promisers goodnes 196. a Promises of
in lawe whom he did so valiauntly fight withall and confounde that he connerted Rastall to his part Then he was â—â—ryed to Lambith before the Bishop of Caunterburie and afterward to Croydon where was present StepheÌ„ Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who had béene his tutor in Cambridge as aforesayd and séemed to owe vnto him greate loue and fauour but in the stéede thereof he found in the ende his great malice and tyrannye and last of all he was called before the Bishoppes in a Common assemblye at London where he so costantly defended him selfe that he had preuailed if he might haue bene heard as indéed he was not The order of his iudgment with the maner of his examinatioÌ„ and Articles which were obiected agaynst him are comprised and set forth by himselfe in a letter written to his frendes which letter also is imprinted and set forth in this booke After sentence geuen against him by the Byshop of London he was delyuered to the Maior Shirifes of the sayd Citie Syr Stephen pecocke a simple man being then Maior and forth with he was committed to new gate where he was put into y e Dungeon vnder the sayd Gate and laden with Boltes and Irons as many as he could beare and his necke with a Coler of Iron made fast to a post so that he could neyther stand vpright nor stoupe downe yet was he there continually occupied in writing of diuerse thinges namely with a candell both day and night for there came none other light into that place And in this case he remayned iij. or iiij dayes and then was from thence caried into Smithféelde y e iiij day of Iuly 1533. where with great pacience and constancy he suffered that most hâ—lly and cruell death of burning And when the fyer was set on the faggottes he embraced the same in his Armes and with all pacience commytted his spirite vnto almighty God But this one thing is yet to bee remembred that he being bounde to the stake with an other good Martyr which was a very simple young man named Andrew Hewet there was present one Doctour Cooke that was person of the Church called Allhalowes in hony lane scituate in the myddes of Chepesyde And the sayd Cooke made an open exclamation and admonished the people that they should in no wise pray for them no more then they would doe for a dogg At which wordes Frith smyling desired the Lord to forgeue him But the vngodly and vncharitable wordes of the sayd Doctour did not a litle offende the people And thus for the testimony of the true doctrine of Christ which the sayd Frith sealed with his bloud the day and yeare afore sayd he dyed in the xxiiij yeare of his age as some saye but his parentes reported in the xxx yeare of his age IOHN FRITH VNTO the Christen Reader GRace and peace bee with thee ChristeÌ„ reader I am sure there are many that will much meruell couÌ„t it a great presumptioÌ„ that I beyng so young and of so small learnyng dare attempt to dispute this matter against these thre personages of the which nuÌ„ber two that is to say my Lord of Rochester and Sir Thomas More are auncient men both of great witte and dignitie Notwithstanding I will desire theÌ„ paciently to heare myne aunswere not aduertisyng who speaketh the wordes but rather what is sayd And as coÌ„cernyng myne youth let them remember what Paule monisheth i. Timot. iiij willyng that Timotheus should instruct the coÌ„gregration and that no maÌ„ should despise his youth for as the spirite of God is bound to no place cueÌ„ so is he not addict to any age or person but inspireth when hee will and where he will makyng the young to see visioÌ„s and espye the truth and the elders to dreame dreames and to wander in phantasies Actes 2. Ioel. 2. And as touchyng my learnyng I must nedes acknowledge as the truth is very small neuerthelesse that litle as I am bound haue I determined by Gods grace to bestow to the edifying of Christes congregation which I pray god to encrease in the knowledge of his word I would not that any man should admit my wordes or learnyng except they will stande with the Scripture and be approued therby Lay them to the touchstone and trye them with Gods word If they be found false and counterfaite then damne them and I shall also reuoke them with all myne hart But if the Scripture allow them that you can not deny but it so is then resist not y e doctrine of God but knowledge your ignoraunce and seduction and returne gladly into the right way For if you caÌ„ not improue it by Gods word and yet of an hate and malicious mynde that you beare to the truth labour to resist it condemne it that it should not spread I ensure you your sinne is irremissible and euen agaynst the holy ghost and the bloud of them that perish for fault of instruction shal be required on your handes Peraduenture some of you will say your fathers old progenitours â–ª with many holy men and Doctours haue so beleued that therfore you will abyde by the old I aunswere The wayes iudgementes of God are meruelous who knoweth whether God haue suffred his elect to erre and be seduced for a season to the entent that the vnfaithfull which would not beleue the truth but had pleasure in iniquity might stoÌ„ble at their errour into their vtter confusion and ruine Although a man be neuer so faythfull and holy yet is there much imperfectioÌ„ in him as long as he is included in this mortall body how be it it is not imputed vnto him but through y e fayth in Christes bloud who lye pacified and forgeuen And therfore it is not sure that we folow their exteour workes or other imaginatioÌ„s but let vs euer coÌ„ferre them vnto the pure word of God and as the Scripture testifieth so let vs receaue them My Lord of Rochester doth testifie him selfe writyng vpon the xviij Article that there are many pointes both of the Gospels and other Scriptures which are now discussed more diligeÌ„tly and more clearely vnderstand then they haue bene in tymes past And addeth furthermore that there are diuerse places in Scripture yet some deale darke which he doubteth not but that they shal be more open and light vnto our posteritie for why shal we dispaire of that saith he sith that the Scripture is for that entent left with vs that it may be vnderstaÌ„d of vs exactly and to the vttermost point Of this may you euidently perceaue that the old fathers and holy Doctours haue not sene all the truth But somewhat is also left through the high prouision of God to be discussed of their successours And therfore is it not mete that we straight wayes cleaue vnto their wordes with out any further ensearchyng the scriptures but we must examine all thyngs by the
no place euen so is he not addict to any age or person but enspyreth where he will when he will and bring in for an example that he enspyred yong Timothy prouing thereby that the youth of it selfe is not to be despised but according to the learning which it bringeth and that therfore they may not despise my youth but first read what doctrine I bring and therafter to iudge it No more in this I proue not that I am enspyred and haue the spirite of God as Timothie had but onely proue that God may enspyre youth as he did Tymothe and that therefore ye ought first to read before you condemne for you know not who is enspyred and who not vntill you haue read theyr workes or séene theyr factes Thus you may sée that my wordes define not that all youth is enspired although some may be but I exhort that no man despise prophesies but proue all and approue that is good And to make the matter more playne I shall bring you an example out of Paule to the Hebrues which exhorteth them to hospitalitie for by that some men vnwares haue receaued Angels to harbour be not therefore vnmindfull of it Here Paule exhorteth you to hospitalitie and shewing you that by those meanes some men haue receaued angels into their house he would not haue you thinke y t all the gestes that you shall receaue shall be angels but some shall be leud losels And likewise I in exhorting you to read my booke and not despising my youth because that sometime God enspireth the yong would not haue you thinke that the bookes made of yong men which ye shall receaue shall be holesome doctrine but some men be lewd and vnfruitfull neuerthelesse euen as if they receaued not those gests they should also put away angels if any came So if you despise to read such bookes as be written by young men you may also fortune to despise them which are written by the inspiration of Christes spirit and therefore ye ought to read But be it in case I had indéed praised my selfe as I haue not and that I had sayd that I had the Spirite of God what inconuenience should folow thereof would you therof argue that my doctrine were false If that were a good argument then were Christes Doctrine false then were Paule a false prophet and our fayth nothing for Christ said to the Iewes that he was the light of the worlde And againe he sayd It is my Father that glorified me whome ye call your God Now if it had bene a sufficient argument to condemne hys doctrine because the world calleth it boasting thē should we haue beleued no truth at all Besides that Paul séemeth not a little to boast him selfe if men looke on it with a carnall eye for he sayth that he thincketh not him selfe inferiour vnto y t hyest Apostles and sayth againe that if they glory to be the ministers of Christ though he speake vnwisely he is more copious in labours in stripes aboue measure in prison more often often at the poynt of death c. Should we for these words thinke that his doctrine were not right Nayverely that doth not improue the doctrine but that it may be good holesome for a man may boast him selfe do well so he referre y t prayse to God from whom all goodnes commeth but be it in case that I should say that God of hys mere mercy and for the loue that he oweth me in Christ and hys bloud had geuen me hys spirite that I might be to his laude prayse to whom be thankes for euer Amen would you thinke that this were so greate a boastyng that the doctrine should be impayred therby Ah blinde guides I pray God geue you the light of vnderstandyng I beseche you brother Rastell be not discōtent with me if I aske you one question be ye a Christen man or no I am sure you will aunswere yes then if I brought you the text of Paule which sayth he that hath not y t spirite of God is none of his I pray you how will you auoyde it notwithstādyng if you wold auoyde y t text yet will I lay an other blocke in the way that you shal not be able to remoue and that is the saying of Paule 2. Corin. 13. Know ye not your selues that Christ is in you except ye be reprobate persons now how soeuer you would iudge of your selues I thinke verely that I am no such therfore whereas before I dyd not so write Now I certifie you that I am Christes cōclude what ye wil the day shall come that you shall surely know that so it is albeit in meane season I be reputed a laughyng stoke in this world for I know in whom I trust and he can not deceaue me Then bryngeth he against me that I say we haue bene long secluded frō the Scripture and also that our fore fathers haue not had y t light of Gods word opened vnto them I maruell what Rastell meaneth by bryngyng this for his purpose for I thinke it no boastyng of my selfe but if ye thinke that it be vntrue I thinke he is very blynde For what Scripture hath the poore commons bene admitted vnto euen til this day It hath bene hid and locked vp in a straunge tounge and from them that haue attayned the knowledge of that toung hath it bene locked with a thousand false gloses of Antichristes makyng and innumerable lawes And where I say our forefathers haue not had the light of Gods worde opened vnto them I meane that they haue not the Scripture in their owne mother toung that they might haue conferred these iugglyng mistes with the light of Gods word as the processe of my wordes can testifie which he hath holy left out but I besech the Christē reader once to read the place for my discharge and his confusion ye shall finde it in the secōd leafe of my booke And now he alledgeth agaynst me that I should say this iudge Christen reader what reasons Rastell hath brought and how he hath soluted thē for in my minde both his reasons and solutions are so childish and vnsauery so vnlearned and baren so full of faultes and phantasies that I rather pitie the mans déepe ignoraunce and blyndnes which hath so deceiued him selfe through Philosophie and naturall reason then I feare that he by his vayne probations should allure any man to consent vnto hym I thinke Rastell layeth not this agaynst me because I boast my selfe in these wordes And verely as touchyng the truth of those woordes I will adde thus much more vnto thē that I neuer wyst man y t was coūted wise whiche hath brought so slender reasons except he entended to destroy a thing which ye séeme to haue build And finally where as I exhorte all men to iudge and conferre the Scriptures which Syr Thomas
righteousnesse The Pope and Byshoppes kéepe their owne traditions and lawes but the lawe of God is cleane out of their myndes 37. Christ sayd that men shoulde know his disciples by their charitie because they should loue one another as he hath loued them The Pope causeth his to be knowen by theyr shauen crownes by gathering vp of tithes masse pence and offeringes by the gylden trentalles and salaryes to sing by Peter pence gathering and shriuing for monye by peny wedding and holy water sprinkling and many mo markes hath he geuen them As for charitie they know it not at all 38. Christ bad them that hee healed to go and sinne no more The Pope and Bishops haue fayned penaunce and commaunde men to fast bread water to go barefoote without a shurt to offer to certaine idols money or cattell some Masses must be song for them because theyr confessours should haue some profite Some must go about the church and Churchyard with a taper burnyng in hys hand And euer some be punished by the purse though they offend not 39. Christ sent to preach seueÌ„ty and and two Disciples whiche promised fréely heauen to them that would beleue in the name of Christ The Pope and Byshops sende about foure sectes of beggers to geue pardon vnder their master Antichrist And to sell heauen to whom so euer they liste the Apostles knew no such thynges 40. Christ was buryed in a garden in a poore monument without any funerall pompe The Pope and Byshops are buryed in tombes well gilt with many a torch and great solemnitie with angels gloriously portered that beare their soules to heauen Notwithstandyng it is to be feared that they go to supper with the deuill 41. Christ sayth if thou wilt be perfite go and sell all thy goodes and geue it vnto the poore for then shalt thou haue treasure in heauen The pope saith if thou wilt be perfite geue me thy money I will geue thée a pardon that shall absolue thée cleane a poena culpa I will for thy money geue thée the kaye of heauen gates 42. Christ said vnto his Apostles the Kynges and Princes of the Gentiles haue rule and power ouer them but you shall not so haue The Pope sayth all Emperours Kynges and Lordes be my subiectes This is dayly read in his Buls wher in he commaundeth the nobilitie like as a master doth his seruaunt 43. Christ sayth he that among you wil be greatest let him be all your seruauntes The Pope sayth The Emperour must sweare an oth vnto me as vnto his Lord that he will be my subiect eralte and worshyp me with honour Ca. Tibi Domino Di. 63. 44. Christ sayth that we worshyppe hym in vayne with mens doctrines traditions The Pope sayth my traditions in the spiritual law shall be kept as duely as if God had commaunded it him selfe or S. Peter had preached it hym selfe Ca. Si omnes Dist 19. 45. Christ sayth I am the way and the truth folow me in my learnyng And rule you by y e Scripture for that shall be your iudge The Pope sayth ye shall in all thynges folow the Church of Rome by that meaneth he him self and his Cardinals Dist xi Cap. quis ne sciat And as for the Scripture it standeth in my power authoritie for I may make of it what soeuer I will Dist xix Cap. Si romanorum 46. Christ saith he that beleueth and is baptised he shall be saued but he that beleueth not shal be damned The Pope sayth hee that geueth much money for my pardoÌ„ shal be absoyled a poena a culpa And theÌ„ must he néedes be saued And he that teacheth otherwise is an hereticke this testifieth his bulles and pardons 47. Christ promiseth forgeuenes of sinne And the kyngdome of heauen vnto them that repeÌ„t and will amend their lyues The Pope sayth that no man can be saued except he bee first shreuen of his Priestes Friers for they bryng in money Cap. omnes 48. Christ sayth you shall loue your enemyes and shall do good vnto them that hate you The Pope sayth they that be enemyes to me my Cardinals be cursed with the great excommunication and caÌ„ not be absoyled without much money this is euident inough 49. Christ commaunded his Disciples not to resist euill but if a man strike them on y e one cheke that they should offer him the other also The Pope sayth we may auenge and driue away force with force Dâ— sen excom cap. dilecto 50. Christ sayth God the father is my deare sonne hym shall you heare for hys yoke is swéete and his burden lyght The Pope sayth you shall heare me and my commaundement shall be kept and receaued of euery maÌ„ Dist 93. cap. Si cuiâ—s And if my coÌ„maundement and burthen were so heauy that it caÌ„ not well be sustained and borne yet shall ye obey me Dist 19. cap. In memoriam 51. Christ sayd vnto the. ij brethren who hath set me to be your iudge in temporal goodes As though he should say It pertaineth not to me but vnto worldly iudges The Pope sayth I am iudge in all maner of causes for they bryng money vnto me 9. q. 3. Conquestus 52. Christ saith geue the Emperour such as pertayneth vnto hym as tribute and custome for I haue payde tolle for me and Peter The Pope saith I care not for this But I excommunicate all them that aske any toll or tribute of me and my shauelynges for I haue made them all frée Cap. Nouit de senten excom Et ca. Si quis de cons dist i. 53. Christ sayth Peter put vppe thy sword into the sheath for he that striketh with sword shall perishe with the sword The Pope sayth you Emperours Kynges Princes and Lordes take swordes speares halberdes clubbes and gunnes and helpe me to slea theÌ„ that will not obey my tyranny This must an Emperour do or els he must be periured After this maner hath Iulius the Pope slayne xvi thousand men in one day was not that wel pastored Dyd not he well nourish the shéepe which Christ dyd committe vnto his tuition 54. Christ sayde Drinke you all of this cuppe for this is the bloude of my promise The Pope sayth I will not grauÌ„t this for my priestes alone shal drinke of it because it may crye auengeauÌ„ce on them alone the other shall not drinke of it in the payne of heresy 55. Christ sayth Ye are my frendes if you do all thinges that I my selfe commaunde you The Pope sayth you shall do as I bid you for I haue power and authoritie to make lawes And after them shall you liue 25. q. j. ca. Sunt quidam 56. Christ sayth that chastitie is not geuen vnto euery maÌ„ they that haue it geuen let them take it geuing thaÌ„kes to God And let the other vse the remedy which God hath prepared
not in me and in whom I abyde not let hym not say or thynke that he eateth my body or drinketh my bloud They abyde not in Christ which are not his members And they are not hys mēbers which make them selues the mēbers of an harlot And these are also the very wordes of Bede Here it is playne proued agayne by the authoritie of S. Austen and Bede that the wicked and vnfaythfull which are not the members of Christ doe not eate hys body nor drinke hys bloud and yet they do eate the sacrament as well as the other Wherefore you must néedes graunt that the Sacrament is not y e naturall body of Christ but a figure tokē or memoriall therof Now good Christen people count not thys new learning which is firmed by such olde Doctors and faythfull fathers Now were this inough for a Christen man that loued no contention But because there are so many sophisters in y ◠world which care not what they say so they holde not theyr peace I must néedes set some bulwarke by thys holy Doctor to helpe to defend hym for els they will shortly ouerrunne hym as they do me and make hym an hereticke too Therefore I will alleage hys master S. Ambrose Saint Ambrose sayth Non iste panis est qui vadit in corpus sed ille panis vitae aeternae qui animae nostrae substantiam fulscit That is It is not thys bread that goeth into the bodye but that bread of euerlasting life whiche vpboldeth the substance of our soule Furthermore the great clerke Prosper confirmeth the same saying Qui discordat a Christo nec carnem Christi manducat nec sanguinem bibit etiamsi tamtae rei sacramentum ad iudicium suae praesumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat That is He that discordeth from Christ doth neyther eate hys fleshe nor drinke hys bloud although he receaue indifferētly euery day the sacrament of so great a thing vnto the condemnation of hys presumption And these are also the very wordes of Bede vpon the xj Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Now you may sée that it is not S. Austens minde onely but also the saying of many moe And therefore I trust you will be good vnto hym And if ye condemne not these holy fathers then am I wrongfully punished But if you condemne thē then must poore Frith be content to beare the burthen with them ¶ The mynde and exposition of the old Doctours vppon the wordes of Christes maundey ANd where M. More sayth that if Christe had not ment after the plaine literal sece that both the hearers at that tyme and the expositours since and all Christē people beside this xv c. yeare would not haue taken onely the litterall sence beyng so straunge and maruelous that it might seme impossible decline from the letter for allegories in all such other thynges beyng as hee sayth and as in deede they be so many farre in nomber mo As touchyng y e hearers they were deceiued and vnderstode him not I meane as many as tooke his wordes fleshly as you do And they had their aunswere of Christ when they murmured that his wordes were spirite and lyfe that is as S. Austen sayth spiritually to bee vnderstand and not fleshly as is before declared And as for the expositours I thinke he hath not one of the old fathers for him but certaine new felowes as Dominie S. Thomas Decam and such other whiche haue made the Pope a God And as I haue shewed S. Austen maketh full for vs and so do all the old fathers as Occolāpadius hath well declared in his booke Quid veteres senserint de Sacramēto eucharistiae And some of their sayinges I shall alledge anone And where you say that all Christen people haue so beleued this 1500. yeares that is very false For there is no doubt but that the people thought as holy S. Austen and other faithful fathers taught them Which as I said make with vs. Notwithstādyng in déede sith our Prelates haue bene made Lordes and haue set vp their lawes and decrées contrary to the prerogatiue of all Princes lyke most sutle traytours haue made all mē beleue that they may make lawes and bynde mens consciences to obey them and that their lawes are Gods lawes blindyng y e peoples eyes with two or thrée textes wrongfully wrested to aduaunce their pride where they ought to obey Kyngs and Princes and be subiect to their lawes as Christ and his Apostles were euē vnto y e death Sith that tyme I say they haue made men beleue what they list and made articles of the faith at their pleasure One article must be y e they be the Church and can not erre And this is the grounde of all their doctrine But the truth of this article is nowe sufficiently knowen For if Quéene Katherine be kyng Henries wife then they do erre and if she be not then they haue erred to speake no more cruelly It is now become an article of our fayth y e the Pope of Rome must be y ◠head of y e Church the Vicare of Christ that by Gods law It is an article of our fayth that what soeuer hee byndeth in earth is bounde in heauen in so much that if he curse wrongfully yet ye must be feared and infinite such other which are not in our Crede but blessed bee God that hath geuen some light into our Princes hart For he hath lately put foorth a booke called the glasse of truth whiche proueth many of these articles very foolishe phantasies and that euen by their owne Doctours so I trust you shal be proued in this poynt of the Sacrament for though it be an article of our fayth it is no article of our Crede in y e xij articles wher of are sufficient for our saluatiō And therefore we may thinke that you lye without all ieoperdye of damnation Neuerthelesse seing his mastership saith that all make for him and I say cleane contrarie that all the olde fathers make against him or at the lest wise not with him It were necessary that one of vs should proue his purpose But indeede in this poynt he would loke to haue the vauntage of me For he thinketh that men will soner beleue hym which is a great man then me which am but a poore man and that therfore I had more néede to proue my part true then he to proue his Well I am content and therfore geue eare deare reader and Iudge betwéene vs. First I wil begin with Tertulian because he is of most antiquitie Tertulian speakyng of Christ sayth Nec panem reprobauit quo ipsum corpus suum representat That is to say Christ him selfe did not reproue or discommend bread whereby he doth represent hys very body For the vnderstandyng of thys place you must knowe that there was an hereticke called Marcion which dyd reproue creatures and said
king to kéepe thys contracte But yet you were not so content but afterward you found the meanes that this good kyng was poysoned by a traytorous Monke of Swinested because he should say that hée would make a halfepeny loafe worth xx shillinges if hée liued a yeare For the whiche word your holy Monke was moued and went and confessed hym selfe to the Abbot how that he would poyson the king for thys and the one deuill as good as the other the holy traytor absolued the holy murtherer before the déede was done and for thys holy murtherer is there founded v. masses for euer This is the blessed obedience of your holy Church How would you cry how would you yaulpe if wée had handled a gentlemans dogge on this fashion but you can call vs poore men traytors and in the meane season you bring both king kingdome into seruitude and bondage What is treason if this bée no treason to bring so honourable a kinge and hys lande into such bondage and compell hym to receiue his naturall and frée kingdome of such a vyllayne and lymme of y e deuell What can bée said or thought to defend this matter you haue not all onely done wrong to the kinge but vnto the yongest childe y e lyeth in the cradell y e which by your meanes is bonde And thinke it not sufficient to say that it is not your déede for first you are the children of these fathers and you haue alwayes alowed this acte This hath béene blased blowen preached and cryed out and all your bookes full of this matter and many a true mans bloud hath béene shed for speaking agaynst thys And yet was there neuer none of you y e did euer preach against this damnable facte but with full consent with full agréement both in worde déede and in wrytyng you haue alowed this treason Therfore I take you for the auctors as well as your forefathers I would not speake how dampnable it is to institute masses for a willing traytor and murtherer there was neuer no learninge that could allow this But there is no remedy hée that dyes agaynst his king and for the maintayning of your treason must néedes bée a saynt if masses blessinges and myracles wil helpe for all these bée at your commaundement to geue where you list So that we pore men must bée accused of insurrection and treason and we must bere al the blame we must bée driuen out of y e realme we must bée burned for it and as God knoweth there is no people vnder heauen that more abhorreth and with earnester hart resisteth more diligenly doth preach agaynst disobedience then we doe Yea I dare say boldely let all your bookes bée serched that were written this 500. years all they shall not declare the auctorite of a prince and the true obedience towarde hym as one of our litle bookes shall doe that bee condemned by you for heresy and all this will not helpe vs. But as for you you may preach you may wryte you may doe you maye sweare against your Princes and also assoyle all other men of their obedience towardes their princes You may compell princes to bée sworne to you and yet are you children of obedience and good christen men And if ye dye for this doctrine then is there no remedy but you must bée saintes and rather then fayle ye shall doe myracles To proue this I will tell you of a holy saynt of yours of whom your legend and cronicles maketh mencyon hys name as ye call him is s Germayne So it chaunced y e in the tyme of king Vortiger he came into England into a place where the king lay desired for hym his company lodging The king because hée kept no cōmō Inne would not receiue hym So hée departed very angerly and went to the kinges Neteherdes house and there desired lodginge and meate and drinke for hym and his companye The Neteherde was contēt to lodge him but hée sayd hée had no meate for hym sauyng a yong calfe that stode suckyng of the damme by the crybbe The byshop commaunded the calfe to bée slayne and to bée drest brought afore hym and hée and his company eate it vp and after commaunded the bones of the calfe to bée gathered togither and put in the calues skinne agayne and to bée layde in the cribbe by the damme and by and by y e calfe starte vp aliue agayne The next day the byshop went to king Vortiger reprooued him merueilous straightly because hée would not lodge hym and sayde that hée was vnworthey to bée kyng and therefore deposed hym made his Neteherde kyng in hys stede Of the which Neteherde as y e cronicles maketh mension came afterward many kings This is writen by one called Petrus de netalibus the which writeth the liues of all saintes I thinke no man will binde mée to proue this thing a lye but yet it must bee preached taught in your church it must bée writtē in holy saints liues hée must bée a saynt that did it and why because hée deposed a king and set in a Neteherde These shamefull and abhominable thinges doe you prayse and alowe and in the meane season condemne vs for heretickes and for traytours And if we chaunce moued by the abhomynablenes of your doctrine to geue you but one euyll worde then all the world rekoneth vs vncharitable But as for my parte I take God to recorde afore whome I shall bée saued or damned that though you haue done mée shamefull wronge and intollerable violēce yet with your owne persons am I neuer displeased nor angry but agaynst that horrible deuyll y e dwelleth in you that is the causer auctor and mayntayner of such abhominable doctrine that is against God and his blessed worde agaynst hym I say is my quarell and agaynst hym doe I striue this is the truth let men take my wordes as they will Is it not abhominable thinke you so shamfully to depose princes so to rebuke them so to handle them to compell them to bée sworne to you and to holde their lands of you to bée your ministers to the greate dishonour of the liuyng God and blaspheming of his blessed worde and to the great dispight of all noble potentates Ye remember the facte that is declared in your lawe of the noble Emperour Friderike and that wretch Innocent the fourth the thing was this The Pope by y e reasō of certayne complaintes made by the Emperours enemyes cited the Emperour to appeare at Rome and because the Emperour would not appeare he cursed hym with booke bell and candell and afterwarde deposed hym and commaunded the electours to chose an other This is the cause of your lawe briefely But your text declareth certayne artycles agaynst the Emperour which bée these The first that hée had sworne to kéepe peace with y e church of Rome which oth hée brake sayth y e
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
as this is But yet I pray you one worde Why bée not your haÌ„ds defiled for handeling of whores sleshe Is whores slesh so cleane that Priestes may handle it and the fleshe of an honest and a good woman so vncleane that Priest must bée burned for handeling of it Fye on the deuill Thinkest thou that men hath neyther reuereÌ„ce in their â—artes toward God nor yet reasoÌ„ to iudge of these things What can bée shameles if this thing shall bée thus alowed amongest Christen men Here bée all honest women and that in honestie abhorred despised and whores in comparison of them bée sanctified and blessed But oh thou Lord God I doe yet beléeue that thou wilt once bée reuenged of this dâ—shonour shamefulnes Moreouer why doth not oppression and violence and thefte defyle Priestes handes as well as mariage What hath pure matrymonye offended that it alonely should defyle priests hands and all other maner of vices and vncleanenes doth nothing contaminate them But alas for pitye how blindly doe we iudge of this holy ordinaÌ„ce and institution of God that thus doe blaspheme it What will men say to blessed S. Paule where hée sayth Haue we not power to lead about a syster to wife as well as the bretheren of the Lord and as Cephas I will not dispute whether that Paule had a wife or not But this I am sure that this text doth clearely proue and that after y t mind of great doctours how that Peter other Apostles had wiues Wherefore then should it bée vnlawfull for our priestes to marry Bée our priests holier theÌ„ S. Peter other Apostles Or is mariage now more vnlawfull then it was then But peraduenture here will bée sayd that the Apostles had wiues beefore y t Christ dyd chuse theÌ„ but afterward they forsooke their wyues and folowed Christ To this I aunswere that it is not inough so to say For séeing that they haue graunted how the apostles had wiues wheÌ„ they were cauled it standeth with reasoÌ„ that these men should proue by an open scripture that the Apostles after theyr caulyng dyd forsake theyr wyues Yea I wyll goe farther wyth them and say playnely that is an abhominable lye a great blasphemy agaynst God and his holy Apostles to say that they had forsaken theyr wyues For our M. Christ taught them not to forsake their wyues but in any wyse to kéepe theÌ„ sauing alonely for fornication Now is the election vnto Apostleship neyther fornication nor yet like vnto fornication Wherefore I say boldely that it is a false lye agaynst the holy Apostles to say that they forsooke their wyues Also this same place of S. Paule doth prooue it a false lye For S. Paule speaketh how S. Peter after hys Apostleshyp and also other disciples of Christ caryed theyr wyues about wyth them when they went a preaching Wherefore it is but a lye to say that they had forsaken them Now Christen reader here haue I perfourmed I trust one part of my promise that is to say I haue proued this article of myne by Gods holy worde so playnely that no man I trust can or will deny but that these Scriptures bée sufficient to moue me and al other meÌ„ to bée of this doctrine that I am of The second part of my promise was to proue this also by holy doctours Vnto the which I will now prepare my selfe But afore all thinges I louingly and charitably desyre the reader to set apart all parcialitie and malice and to iudge indifferently of my doctrine as hée will aunswere at y â— dread full day of doome and not to refuse that thyng that is truth for hatred or displeasure of my person For surely myne intent is neyther to hurte or harme nor yet displease as much as lyeth in mée any person And though I haue in tymes past somwhat vehemently written agaynst those thinges that I thought errours yet would I require hartely euery man to weye euery thyng indifferently by hymself and consider how I haue taken vpon mée not to enuey agaynst any persoÌ„ but alonely to fight agaynst that deuillishe doctrine which is dishonour to Christ and hys blessed bloude and perillous and dampnable vnto all Christen mens soules Secondarily I haue béene wrongfully and vncharitably handeled as God and all good men doth knowe the which I will bée bounde to prooue whensoeuer it shall please God and the kyng to assigne indifferent iudges to heare mée and myne aduersaries Now let no maÌ„ require in mée that hée can not finde in hymselfe that is to say that I can so patiently and so easely beare and suffer these intollerable wronges as I ought for to doe yea and paraduenture as I gladly woulde doe Wherefore I confesse that many wordes hath béene sharpely written by mée the which I would gladly had béene more charitablyer written but then God had not geeueÌ„ mée so great patience Wherefore I trust now by Gods grace somethyng more temperately to speake desiring euery good man of hys charitie to helpe mée wyth his deuoute prayer Amen To our purpose Fyrst commeth blessed S. Ciprian of whom was asked a question what should bée done wyth those religious personnes that could not kéepe theyr chastitie as they had vowed These bée hys wordes Thou doest aske what wée doe iudge of vyrgins the which after they haue decréed to lyue chastly are afterward founde in one bedde wyth a man Of the which thou sayst that one of them was a Deacon Wée doe wyth great sorow sée y â— great ruine of many persons which coÌ„meth by y â— reasoÌ„ of such vnlawfull and perillous companying togither Wherefore if they haue dedicate them selues vnto Christ out of fayth to lyue purely and chastly then let them so remayne wyth out any fable and strongly and stedfastly to abyde the rewarde of virginitie But and if they wyll not abyde or els can not abyde then is it better to marry then for to fall into the fier of concupiscence and let them géeue vnto the brethren and sisterne none occasion of sclaunder c. I doe for my parte require no more then blessed Cyprian doth here teach that is to say if Priestes can lyue sole I beséeche our Lord to rewarde them for it géeue them grace to continue But if they can not I woulde haue no snare layd for theyr soules nor yet haue them compelled to a thyng that they can not kéepe But I woulde the thyng shoulde bée indifferent for them that can lyue chaste so to remayne And they that haue not the gifte nor can not so lyue for to vse that lawfull remedy that God hath ordained What hath men to doe or what moueth theÌ„ to compell Priestes not to marry as long as God is conteÌ„ted with priests wedlocke Let no man thynke that such a compulsion is acceptable to God And if men wyll not bée conteÌ„ted with this doctrine that is so good so reasonable and so honest what
caÌ„ I say to it I must bée content I can doe no more but say my learnyng and let God alone wyth hys punishment Also blessed S. Augustine writing of thys same matter sayth these wordes Certayne men doe affirme those men to bée aduoulterers that doth marry after they haue vowed â—hastitie but I doe affirme that those men doe greuously sinne the which doth separate them c. Note first that S. Angustine wryteth of them that had vowed chastitie And yet notwithstanding hée woulde that those men shoulde continue in their maryage togither The which thyng hée would neuer haue suffered if it had béene vnlawfull and heresâ—e as men woulde make it now a dayes Secondarily obserue that there were in his dayes as â—ée now many in ours that thought it a greuous sinne for a man to marry after hys vowe And yet this opinion S. Augustine doth condemne Now let men admit this doctrine of S. Augustine and I wil require no more And if they will condemne me then let them also condemne S. Augustine for I haue learned it of hym Also blessed S. Ambrose writeth of virginitie in this maner Chastitie of body ought to bée desired of vs. The which thyng I doe geue for a couÌ„sell and doe not commauÌ„de it imperiously For virginitie is a thyng alonely that ought to bée counsayled but not to bée commaunded it is rather a thyng of voluntary will then of a precept c. Note how S. Ambrose teacheth how that virginitie ought not to bée required as vnder a precept Wherfore it must néedes folow that the Popes doctrine is vnlawfull wheÌ„ hée commaundeth that no man shall bée a Priest except hée vow chastitie For â—ere the Pope compelleth men vnder a colour for to vow chastitie As for an example It chaunceth me to méete by the way a théef the which sayth vnto me Thou shalt not goe ouer y â— bridge except thou wilt deliuer me thy purse Now is it of trueth that I may choose whether I will goe ouer the bridge or not but yet this man doth violence for coÌ„pellyng mee either to goe backe agayne or els to lose my purse if that I will goe ouer And I doubt not but the kynges lawe will both condemne hym for doyng violence and also take him for a théefe So likewise the pope doth wrong when hée sayth I shall not bée a priest except that I first vow chastitie I say that this condition is vnlawfull and it is wrongfully done to bynde me to any thyng vnder any condition that God hath left frée to me Moreouer our M. Christ did not require that condition of hys priests Wherfore it must néedes folow that it is not a thyng that of necessitie belongeth to Priesthode Also S. Hierome approoueth this doctrine of mine saying Let bishops and priestes read this thyng hée speaketh agaynst mispendyng of goodes that is offered to helpe poore men with the which doth teach their children prophane letters and maketh them to read commedies and to sing baudy songes of iesters and these children they finde of the charges of the church c. Obserue this y â— S. Hierom speaketh here of Byshops and priests children the whiche they could not haue if they were vnmaryed For it is not to bée supposed that S. Hieâ—ome speaketh of bastardes or of whores children for then hée would haue vsed other wordes So that good reader it is cleare after the doctrine of holy Doctours that it is lawful for Priestes to haue wiues and specially if they can not lyue sole But now will we goe farther and sée what holy councels hath ordeined in this cause The trueth is that y â— deuill hath of long tyme harped on this stryng to sorbyd Priestes Matrimony Not for any deuotion that hée had to virginitie for hée knew well men could not kéepe it farther then theyr gifts were but alonely that hée might lay a snare for mens soules and also bryng the holy institution and ordinaunce of God into a contempt and a despising But God hath alwayes of hys infinite mercy styrred vp some good man to resiste hym We doe read in authenticall storyes that in the couÌ„cell of Nicene certeine men went about to haue priâ—ated Priestes from their wyues But almighty God dyd lâ—t them The woordes of the storyes bée these The Councell of Nicene willyng to reforme the lyfe of men dyd set certayne lawes the which we call Canones among the whiche certayne men would haue had a lawe to hée brought in that Byshops priests Deacons and Subdeacons should not lye with their wyues which they had maryed before theyr consecratioÌ„ But Paphnutius a confessour dyd withstand them and sayd that theyr mariage was honorable and it was pure chastitie for theÌ„ to lye with theyr wyues So that the CouÌ„cell was persuaded not to make any such law affirmyng it for to bée a greuous occasion both vnto them also vnto their wyues of fornication And this thyng dyd Paphnutius though that hée hym selfe was vnmaryed The Councell dyd alowe this sentence So that nothyng was decréed as coÌ„cernyng this thyng but euery man was left vnto hys freewill and not bounde of any necessitie c. Here is to bée noted that this holy CouÌ„cell dyd not recken it an vnpure â–ª or a filthye thyng for a Byshop or a Priest to coÌ„pany with his wyfe But they doe grauÌ„t that it is a pure and a cleane chastitie for a Priest to company with his wife The which is clearely agaynst y â— Pope For hée sayth that it is fleshly and carnall and that their handes bée defiled and they made vnworthy thereby to handle the blessed Sacramentes But here will bee sayd that these meÌ„ had wyues before theyr consecration the whiche thyng they will also graunt that a maryed man may bée chosen a Byshop also kéepe his wife afterward But hée may not marry after hys coÌ„secration that had no wyfe before To this I aunswere that it is no lawfull solution thus to say For if it bée lawfull for a maÌ„ to kéepe his wyfe after his Priesthode why shall it not bée as lawfull for hym to take a wyfe after hys coÌ„secration What thyng is there in hys matrimony that is made after hys consecration that was not in his matrimony before hys consecration Or for what cause dyd hée take a wyfe before hys consecration If hée dyd it to auoyde fornication then is hée now much more bound to take a wyfe then before for it becommeth hym a great deale worse to lyue in fornication after hys consecratioÌ„ then hée dyd before But these meÌ„ that maketh this lighte solution doe not haÌ„dle this matter truely before God For it is not their meanyng that maryed men should either bée Byshops or Priestes For let them shew me in all their chronicles that euer any maryed man was chosen to bée a byshop â–ª since they had made lawes that Priestes should haue no wyues and then
doe For wee doe not accompt the most part of brute beastes to bee more continent theÌ„ others because they bee nourished w t vilder foode For in all such kynde of thynges which we vse not so much by consideration of their nature as of the cause of vsyng theÌ„ or the maner of desiryng them wee either allow or improoue them ¶ S. Augustine ad Ianuar. Epist 12. WHereas the Friers bee so precise from eatyng of fleshe that they thinke them vncleane which doe cate it is most manifestly agaynst fayth and sound doctrine I am sure that in two preceptes of God all thynges bee contained and that the end of the precept is loue proceedyng from a pure hart a good coÌ„science and an vnfayned fayth What soeuer therfore is ordeined ouer and besides custome that it shall be obserued as though it were a SacrameÌ„t I can not allow it albeit because I would not bee an offence to any holy or weake persons I dare not freely disalow many such thynges It foloweth true Christian religion which the mercy of God would haue free onely with the celebratioÌ„ of a few and manifest Sacramentes they oppresse with seruile burdens so that the state of the Iewes is more tollerable then ours who although they knew not the tyme of libertie were but subiect vnto thâ— bâ—…ens of the law and not to mans presumptions I â–ª Distinct 41. cap. Delitiae ALl kind of delicate meates if they bee taken without any greedy desire bee not hurtfull and vilde meates greedely receaued doe hinder the fruite of abstinencye For Dauid powred out water that was euilly lusted and Helyas dyd eate flesh ¶ In the same place cap. Quod dicit AS concernyng that the Lord sayth in the Euangelist wisedome is iustified of her children he declareth that the sonnes of wisedome vnderstand that righteousnes consisteth neither in abstainyng nor in eatyng but in the pacient sufferyng of scarcitie and in temperauÌ„ce not to corupt them selues by toe much aboundaÌ„ce and in conuenieÌ„t taking or not taking of those thinges whereof the gredy lust is reprehended and not the simple vse For it forceth not at all what nurrishments thou receaust to the necessary sustinaunce of thy body so that it be agreable to those kinde of nurrishmentes by the which thou mayst liue Out of the generall couÌ„cell of Pope Martine Destinct 30. Cap. Si quis IF any man doe abstaine from fleshe not for abstinaunce but for the abhorring of the meate it is willed by y t counsell that hee doe first taste it and then if hee will let him abstaine But if hee so despise it so that he will not taste of the porrage wherein the flesh was sodden this man if he bee not obedieÌ„t and remoue not from him selfe the suspition of heresye let him bee deposed from the order of the clergie ¶ Origine in Leuiti Home 10. THou therfore if thou wilt fast fast according to the precept of the gospell and keepe in thy fast the lawes of the gospell in the which the Lord commaundeth of fasting in this wise When thou doost fast annoynte thy head c. Wouldest thou that I should yet shew thee what kind of fasting thou oughtest to fast Fast from all sinne take no meate of malice make no bankeres of pleasure waxe not to whot with wine of sensualytye fast from euill artes practises abstaine from euill talke stay thee from euill thoughtes Touch not the stolen breade of peruers doctrine and thou shalt not lust after the deceauable foode of philosophy which may seduce thee from the trueth Such fast doth please God But to abstaine from meates which God hath created to bee receaued of the faythfull with thankes geuing and this to doe with them that crucified Christ can not bee acceptable to God The Phareseys on a tyme were offended with our Lord because his disciples did not fast vnto whom hee aunswereth that the children of the bridegrome can not fast as long as the bridegrome is preseÌ„t with them They therefore doe fast who haue lost y e bridegrome We y t haue the bridegrome with vs can not fast Neyther yet not withstanding doe we say this to let lose the bridle of christian abstinencye For we haue the time of Lent coÌ„secrated to fasting and we haue the fourth and the sixth ferye of the weeke in the whiche we doe solemnlye fast But Christians haue libertie to fast at any time not by superstitious obseruances but by the vertue of continencie ¶ De consecra distinc 5. Cap. Ieiunium THe great and generall fast is to abstaine from iniquities and from vnlawfull pleasures of y t worlde which is the perfect fast in this worlde c. ¶ Athana vpon S. Paules Epist to the Hebru Cap. 13. IT is good that the hart be stablished with grace and not with meates c. Hee reprehendeth those which brought in the iudaicall abstinence and obseruance of meates For you sayth hee are to be stablished by fayth and to bee certified that nothing is vncleane and that to the beleuing all thing is pure Therefore this fayth and not the obseruaunce of meates is necessary For they whiche haue sinned through meates y t is which be alwayes busyed in such obseruances of meates it is manyfest that these haue nothing profited c. That the vniust excommunication of the Pope doth not hurt the excommunicated translated into Englishe out of his booke De docto sent ¶ 11 Quest 3. Cap. Illud plane THey sayd not that without good aduisement that if any of the faythfull shall be vniustly excommunicated it shall be rather hurtfull vnto him that doth then to him that suffereth the iniury For the holy ghost dwelling in the saintes by whome euery man is bounde or losed doth punish no man wrongfullye for by him is loue poured into our harts which doth not amisse The peace of y t Church forgeueth sins can hee that is out of the peace of the church detaine his sinnes Not according to the sentence of men but according to the will of God the rock retaineth sinnes and the rocke remytteth theÌ„ The doue retaineth the doue forgeueth In like maner sayth Salomon euen as a bird flying to an vncertayne place and as any sparow flying in the ayer so a curse in vayne cast out commeth on him who sent it ¶ In the same place Verba Augustini cap. qui HEe that is iust and is vniustly cursed to him is it turned for a reward ¶ In the same place Cap. Cuiest illata Gela. ON whome sentence is geuen let him geue ouer his errour and it is voyded but if the iudgment bee vniust for so much hee neede not to care for as much as before God and in his church wrongfull iudgment can â—urt no man Therfore let hym not desyer to be absolued of that whereby hee perswadeth hym selfe to bee nothing bounde ¶ In the same place Cap. Cepisti verba Aug. THou hast vndertaken to accompt thy brother as a
publican or infidel and thou bindest him on earth but see that thou binde hym iustly for iustice will breake vnlawfull bondes ¶ In the same place Cap. Temerarium iudicium Verba Augustini RAshe iudgment for the most part neuer hurteth him which is rashlye iudged but to him that iudgeth rashly his rashnes must needes bee hurtfull ¶ In the same place Cap. Quid. Verb Aug. WHat harme is it to a maÌ„ though humane ignoraÌ„ce doth blot him out of that table if his wicked conscieÌ„ce do not blot him out of the booke of life ¶ In the same place Cap. Et si Verba Aug. ALthough for a time thou bee condemned of a man and the procoâ—sull hath geuen iudgmeÌ„t vpon Ciprian the earthly seate is one thing the heauenly iudgmeÌ„t seate is an other from the inferiour seat he hath receiued iudgment from the superiour he receiueth a crowne ¶ 11 Quest 3. Cap. Custodi verba Augusti KEepe thy innocencye secret vnto thy selfe when no man doth oppresse thy cause false witnesse shall preuayle agaynst thee but that onely with men for shall it bee of any force beefore God where thy cause is to bee hearde When as God shall bee the iudge then shall bee no other witnesse then thy conscience betweene the iust iudge and thy thy conscience therefore feare nothing but thy owne cause ¶ 24 Quest 3. Cap. Si quis verba Hieroâ—imi IF any man bee excoÌ„municated with vnrighteous iudgment of theÌ„ which bee rulers of the Church if hee beefore hath not gone out thereof that is if hee hath not so done that deserued to be excommunicated he is nothing hurt in that hee seemeth to bee expelled of men by vniust iudgment and so commeth it to passe that sometime hee which is cast out is within hee is without which seemeth to bee kept within ¶ 24. Quest. 3. Cap. Non in verba Rabbani WEe are not perpetually damned when as we are vniustly iudged according to the saying of Dauid Neither shall hee damne him when hee is iudged Many of the Priestes doe professe y t they persecuted a faulte of a zeale to God ward but whilest that this is vndiscretly done they incurre the wickednes of sacrilege whilest they ruÌ„ne hedlonge to amend others they them selues doe also much rather fall into a worser mischiefe In the same place Cap. Cum aliquis Verba Orige WHen as any man doth goe out from the trueth from the feare of God from fayth and from charity hee goeth out of the tentes of y t Church although by the sentence of the Byshop hee bee not cast out So contrary wise one is with vmust iudgment cast forth if before hee hath not gone out of him selfe that is if hee haue not by hys doeing deserued to goe forth hee is no thing at all harmed For sometime hee that is east forth is within and hee that is without it semeth that he is within The councell of Meldens 11. Questi Cap. Nemo Episcoporum LEt no Byshop without certaine and manifest cause first knowen forbid any man the ecclesiasticall communion And let no man accurse anye one without the knowledge of y t Arch byshop or Byshops but so farre as the Canon auctoritye doth teache because a curse is eternall damnation of death and it ought to bee enioyned but onely for a deadly sinne and vpon those which could not otherwise bee amended ¶ The ende of the workes of Doct. Barnes A brief and necessary Table of all particular matters and wordes to bee noted in these workes of Maister Doctour Barnes A. ALexander the thyrd condemned a Decree made by king Henry the ij 192 Antechrist a subtile crafty marchaunt 186 Antichrist who hee is 301 Antechrist declareth hym selfe to bee agaynst Christ 303 Antechrist his doctrine ibid em Apostles forsake not their wyues 318 Articles agaynst Fridericke the Emperour 191 Articles set forth by the authoritie of the kyng made heresie by the pope 201 Articles for which Barnes was coÌ„demned 205 Authorities to proue that the Scriptures ought to bee in the mother toung 287 B. BArnes was not greeued with the Clergy but with the deuill that reigned in them 190 Barnes earnest zeale in the trueth 201 Barnes and Cardinall Wolsey reason togither 210 Barnes disputation with the Byshops 217 Barnes arested by a Sergeant of armes 221 Barnes threatened to bee burned 222 Barnes examined at Westminster ibidem Barnes forbydden to preach 223 Barnes cruelly persecuted by the papistes 225 Barnes lyued sole and vnmaryed 330 Baruck the Prophet against Idols and Images 343 Barnes maketh a bold chalenge 356 Bilney a vertuous and godly man 193 Bilney a counsaylour to Barnes 221 Blasphemy agaynst Christ and hys Apostles 317 Blynde reasons of Papistes 308 Byndyng and losing what it is 259 260. 261 Byshoppes Court no man can bee founde innocent 183 Byshops gouerne tyrannously 183 Bishops worse then y t great Turke 284 Byshops Captaines of rebelles agaynst the Prince 188 Byshoppes holy workes what they are 196 Byshops haue lofty myndes 191 Byshops commit periury 198 Byshoppes assoyled of their othe to their Prince but neuer of their oth to the Pope ibidem Byshops sweare to visite the Pope yearely 203 Byshoppes myters come from the Iewes 213 Byshoppes vse vayne ceremonyes 214 Byshops Crosier staffe what it meaneth ibidem Byshops pryde and lewde lyuyng is to bee cryed out vpon 217 Byshops compared to popettes and stage players 266 Bishops burners murtherers of y t lyuely images of God but of their worme eaten Images they burne none 346 C. CArdinall Wolsey and Doctour Barnes reason togither 210 Cardinall Wolsey well pleased with his pillers and pollaxes 215 Charitie may bee deceaued but fayth cannot 250 Charitie is Gods gift 313 Chastitie compelled is agaynst the in stitution of the Gospell 328 Chastitie of Papistes most abhominable 328. 329. 330 Children of God who they are 270 Clement Pope excoÌ„municated kyng Henry the viij 198 ClemeÌ„t the pope the sonne of a Curtisan 199 Clement Pope agaynste Vrbane Pope 193 Clergy may not bee reproued 183. 184 Clergy may not bee hindered by power or potentate ibidem Clergy the enemyes of trueth 189 Christe submitted hym selfe to the higher powers 185 Christ and his Apostles ouerthrowe the Popes doctrine 187 ChristiaÌ„ man may not extremely and vncharitably sue and vexe their brethren 207 ChristieÌ„ man may lawfully demaund their debt by the law ibidem Christ onely hath wrought our redemption 227 Christ is all in all 226. 230 Christ is our example to suffer persecution paciently 296 Christes institution of the Sacrament 303 Christes bloud is to bee receaued aswell of the layetie as of the spiritualtie 304 Christ is the onely mediatour betweene God and man 347. 351 Christ onely bringeth vs into the fauour of almightie God 348 Church why it is called holy 246 Churche of God is the treasures of God without spot or wrinkle 246 Church how it is knowen 249 Church that is true is a sufferer and not a
dedes are acceptable to God that are done in fayth so no deede to allowed good in Gods sight howe glorious to the world soeuer it appeare if it be without fayth Euery maÌ„ to walke truly in his vocatioÌ„ is the right seruice of God We must be mercyfull one to an other Luke 17. Ipocrites are vayne glorious in in all theyr workes True preachers must preach repentaunce Math. 17. Math. 17. Math. 〈◊〉 The maner doctrine of hipocrites Math. 6. Math. 23. Math. 16. Luke 9. Rom. 10. No zeale without knowledge 〈◊〉 good Churches why they were first ordeyned The true Temple of God is the hart of maÌ„ Luke 14. Math. 5. The manet of the speaking of the Scripture The wise of this world doe not vnderstand the speaking of God in his scriptures The Papistes argumentes Aristotles and Papistes doctrine Good workes are the fruites of loue God first loued vs and not 〈◊〉 hym How we vnderstand the loue of God to be in vs. Luke 18. Whosoeuer for Christen sake loseth any thing shâ—l receiue an huÌ„dreth folde If we once possesse Christ by faith then haue we all in all and are content with that we haue Here note what foloweth of good workes Iohn 〈◊〉 By faith in Christ we are made the sonnes of God Iohn 3. Faith doth expell the wrath of God Iohn 7. 1. Cor. 2. The naturall man which is but fleshe sauoureth not those thinges that are of the spirite Iohn 13. Iohn 5. Iohn 14. We are blessed by God onely in Christ our sauiour and not by our workes Iohn 15. We must wrestle with our olde man that we may put oâ— Christ Mat. 13. Roma 1. Roma 8. Our best workes are damnable in the sight of god with out Christ Christ is our hope righteousnes Let no maÌ„ despayre but put his hope in Christ and he shal be safe Roma 2. No man can fulfill y e law but hee that beleueth in Christ 1. Cor. 2. Christ is y e sure foundation Mans fouÌ„dation is feble 2. Cor. 5. Christ rewardeth his owne workes in vs. Ephe. 6. Collos 3. We must obey the magistrates because God will haue it so Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Pet. 1. A good lesson to teach vs to know when we haue the spirite of God â—emit all vengeauÌ„ce to God The fury of the Popish Clergie Actes 10 Prayer is the frute of fayth Liuely â—ayth to not without workes Fayth maketh vs at one with God Fayth prayeth always and in all places The prayer of a faithfull man Iaco â–ª Iames. 3. Fayth is y â— goodnes of all y â— deedes that are done within the law of God Iaco. 3. An example Turkes haue no fayth 〈…〉 know then is a God An example Sinnes that are acâ—empted no sinnes Faithlesse fruites Rom. 10. Pharao confessed his sinnes The deuils confessed Christ to be the sonne of God Simon Magus fayth 2. Pet. 2. 〈◊〉 Cor. 1. 3. An Epitome or briefe recitall of that which is entreated of before The nature of Gods word is to be persecuted The Pope is receaued and receaueth and per secuteth Loue of the world is hatred of God and his holy Gospell God defendeth his doctrine hym selfe Gods word sighteth agaynst hipocrites Nowe our master Christ was entreatedâ— The craft oâ— the hypocrites Gods truth worketh wâ— ders maketh the wisedome of the hypocrites foolishnes The captiuitie of the Israelitâ—â— vnder 〈…〉 If 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 who can be 〈…〉 If God be with vs who can be against vs Pharao sâ—aieth the men children How Moses comforteth the Israelites Gods truth fighteth for vs. God tryeth the fayth of his children God worketh backward Ioseph Israelites Dauid How Bishops instruct kings Wherunto a christian is called Our fighting is to suffer while God fighteth for vs. The wisedome of the Serpent He maketh a mocke of him selfe that casteth not the ende â—re he begin How is the Pope â—ure whiche taketh all for Christes sake but forsaketh nought Tribulation is ouâ— Baptisme Tribulation is a blessing Prosperitie is a curse Tribulation in the gift of God Wherby the are the pope and byshops sure The weakeâ— to the world the stronger to Christ Weakenes of the flesh a the strength of the spirite Flesh In ij things we are put to our choisâ— The differeÌ„ce betwen the children of God of the deuill The deuils wages All Gods children are vnder chasticing Which way go the Byshops to heauen then The tyraÌ„tes haue not power to doe what they would The promises of God are comfortable yea they are all comfort A Christen mans care The despisers persecutors they that fall froÌ„ the word are threatened Nâ—… Loth. Moses and Aaron The Prophetes Christ â—…ildas â—hey be spiâ—…tuall that 〈◊〉 deâ—ilishe â—…r the deâ—…ll is a spiâ—…tâ— We must in no case deny Christ God receaueth them that come agayne Why God letteth hys elect fall That the Scripture ought to bee in the English toung Whette thâ— on thy children that is exercise thy children in them and put them 〈◊〉 â—re No nor syâ— Iohn hys ghostly children Holy dayes Our Schole masters take great wages but teach not Why the preachers are not beloued when they saye trouth The curates wotte not what a Bible meaneth The Priests vnderstand â—o Latin Search the Scriptures Agaynste Christ is knowen by his dedes A seuerall kyngdome Seuerall lawes What christ lowseth â—rely the Pope byndeth to lowse it agayne for money A secret couÌ„sayle Person Vicare Parishe Priest The propâ—…ties of the Hebrue toung agree with the English Kyng Adelston Contrary preachyng Contrary Doctours Antechrist turneth the rootes of the tree vpward The Scripture is the triall of all doctrine the right touch stone Philosophy Aristotle Scripture Aristotle Paul Aristotle 〈◊〉 Philosophy Paul When no man will teach if we desire â–ª God will teach The order of teachyng The disorder or ouer thwarâ— order of our 〈◊〉 men The schole doctrine 〈◊〉 they call 〈◊〉 corrupteth the iudgementes oâ— youth 〈…〉 〈…〉 Yet in this they all agree that no 〈…〉 is saued 〈…〉 â–ª 〈…〉 〈◊〉 thâ—… 〈…〉 â—…er â–ª and that tâ—e Pope 〈…〉 Câ—…st 〈◊〉 me 〈…〉 to who 〈◊〉 will and take them â—â—om whom 〈◊〉 will 〈◊〉 ye 〈…〉 〈◊〉 simi 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Place 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—…s wise 〈◊〉 â—s 〈◊〉 â—olâ—tâ—y â—hat â—…od 〈◊〉 Then thinke the papistes their wicked lyfe will shew it selfe to theyr shame and confusion The Pope licenced the people to read say what they would saue the truth But the one forbiddeth not theyr pompe and beâ—â—y cheate as the other doth Prelates not professors but pâ—…phaners of Gods word The obedieÌ„ce of moÌ„â—… not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tâ—ey 〈◊〉 noâ— of 〈…〉 but 〈…〉 〈◊〉 sayuyng The hyppocrites lay that to Gods worde which they themselues oâ—e cause of God warneth ere he strike WheÌ„ God punisheth â—ooâ—…ry of the hipocrites then say they that new learning is the cause thereof Christ was 〈◊〉 of â—…tion Why trouble foloweth the preaching of the Gospell Christes flocke a little flocke As our Prelates
of righteousnes what it is Carâ— How the spirituality â–ª care for the temporall common wealth As thou 〈…〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 â—o shalt 〈◊〉 ob 〈◊〉 mercy in y â— life to come 6. The filthines of the hart what The purenes of the hart what The ende of the lawe 〈◊〉 to iustiâ—… all that â—…leue Impure harted who are 7. Peacemaking what Princes what they ought to 〈◊〉 yet they make warre WheÌ„ thou maist assure thy selfe to be y â— sonne and heyre of God VengeauÌ„ce pertayneth to God onely 8. In y e fayth of Christ lawe of God â–ª all oâ—r righteousnes is conteyned Peace The peace of Christ is a peace of conscience To suffer with Christ in this worlde is to be glorified wyth him in the worlde to come Payne No 〈◊〉 payne caâ— be a satisfaction to God 〈◊〉 Christes passion 9. What the most cruell persecution is Set the example of Christ before thee Cursed Most accursed who Workes iustifie noâ— Not the worker but y e pure mercy of God is cause of the promise made vnto The office of a true preacher It is a leopardous thyng to salt hypocrisie Salt Who is mete to salt A true preacher of gods word must vse no parcialitie for feare of persecution Monkes why they runne to cloystures By salte is vndersteod the true vâ—deâ—â—tandinâ— of the â—…as of fayth of woâ—kes c â–ª Spiritualtie why 〈◊〉 be dispiâ—â—d Ceremonies must be salted Darcknes all knowledge is darcknes 〈◊〉 the knowledge of Christes bloud shedâ—ing be in the hart Laye The laye ought to haue the Gospell Gospell The propertie of y â— Gospell Gospell The trâ—e Gospell is not hid in dennes If y â— spiritualty were a light as they ought to be they woulde make them â—…ues pore to make other riche but they make other poore and themselues riche Kinges ought to be learned The order how euery man may be a preacher and how not None ought to preach â—…ly but such as are admitted by y â— ordinaunce of the congregation Spirituall and temporal reqâ—… do biffer Euery maÌ„ must defeÌ„de Christes doctrine in 〈◊〉 owne person Whose refuseth tadâ—… for Christes sake caÌ„ not be the disciple of Christ False doctrine causeth â–ª 〈◊〉 workes True doctrine is cause of good workes Grace and truth thorough Iesus Christ Gloses They that destroy the law of God with gloses must be cast out The Church Law Except a man loâ—e Gods law â—e cannot vnderstand the doctrine of Christ The righteousnes of Phariseis Glorie He that seketh hys owne glory teacheth his owne doctrine not his masters Glory â–ª he that sekâ—… came glory altereth his maâ—…s message Worde Gods worde altered is not his worde To loue is to helpe at â—eede Prayer The prayer of MoÌ„kes robbeth helpeth not Loue prayeth Scribes Phâ—… what they were The Phariseyeâ— might better haue proued theÌ„selues the true Church theÌ„ our spiritualâ—â—e way The promises are made vpon the profession of the keepyng of the lawe of God so that the Church that will not keepe Gods lawe hath no promise that they caâ—ot erre The wickednes of y â— Phariseies what it was Preacher Why the true preacher is accused of treason and heresie Ipocrisie Why hipocrisie must be first rebuked though it be ieopardie to preach against it The lawe is restored The Phariseis 〈◊〉 exteÌ„d 〈…〉 doinges or actes to y â— outward shew 〈◊〉 deede and nothing to the hart The lawe 〈…〉 wâ—â—t on the hart as the hand Racha How a maÌ„ may be angry without sinning Loue is y â— keeping of the lawe Sinnerse He that helpeth not to mâ—nde sinners must suffer with them when they be punished In doyng out best to further our neighbour in vertue although we preuaile not we are excused Hate When a man may hate hys neighbour Offeringes or sacrifices what they meant The faste that God requireâ—… Last farthyng How corruptly the Phariseis dyd attribute all euil to the deede onely Loue is the fulfillyng of the law Aduoutrie Some doctoure â—aue doubted in that which Christ hath flatly condemned Filthy A wife How good a thyng The office of a preacher Law What foloweth the kepyng of the law Law What foloweth the breaking of the law The enormities that haue chauÌ„ced since y â— slaughter of King Richard y e secoÌ„d vnto this realme of EnglaÌ„d Tiraunts Why God geueth vs vp and leaueth vs in the handes of titaunts and in all misery An admonition What rulers ought to do touching such as runne Flie from their wiues without â—ust cause Swearing To sweare by God Men ought so 〈◊〉 deale that their wordes may be credited without any othes Swearing in what sort it is lawfull â–ª Charitie moderareth the law Othe To performe an euill othe is doubleâ— sinne He is not forsworne whose hart ment truly when hee promised To lye or dissemble 〈◊〉 some causes not culpable Cheke To turne the other cheke what it is Mekenes Pollyng how to auoyde it Two maner states degrees of regimeÌ„tes Euery maÌ„ is of the spiritualtie and of the temporalitie both 〈…〉 He that loueth not his neighbour â—ath not y e true fayth of Christ The temporall regiment Violence Not to resist violeÌ„ce how it is vnderstode Rulers must punishe â—ut for malice but for defence of the people and maintenaunce of y â— lawes An example how to vnderstand y â— two regimentes What soeuer thou art bound to do do it with loue How to be a warriour Thou 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 〈…〉 Goodes Math. xxv To go◠〈◊〉 lawe To rise agaynst the iudge or magistrate so to resiste God Princes whether they may be resisted or put downe of their subiectes in any case The king hath Gods authoritie An aunswere to the former Argument Goodes The kyng as â—ee is Lord of thy body so 〈◊〉 hee of thy goodes RegimeÌ„ts Euery maÌ„ is vnder both regimentes As the spiritualitie may rebuke kings vices so may kyngs vse temporall correctioÌ„ agaynst the spiritualtie A preacher of â—…eâ—ce Rulers do repene to heare of theyr â—…es In lending we must folow the rule of mercy We must not reuenge our selues vpon our euill detters but referre our cause to God and his officers 〈◊〉 Couetousnes is the roote of all euill Iaco. ij The enemies of God and hiâ— wordâ— are to be huted Leui. 19. Publicans what they were As our heaueÌ„ly father bestoweth his benefites vpon good bad so ought we to loue both frend and soe To be perfect what it meaneth Almose Deedes coÌ„manded by the scripture done to any other ende then they ought are â—o good deedes 〈◊〉 xvi It is the purpose entent of our deedes that make or marrâ— Trumpets To blow trumpetes what Lefte hand Vaine glorie A good remedy against it Workes iustifie not from sinne neither deserue the rewarde promised Our rewarde commeth not of our deserts but thâ—… the loue that God beareth 〈◊〉 thorough faith in Iesus Christ We may not chaleÌ„ge the proâ—… by our merites but by Christes bloud Crosse Workes What