shall teache you any other thynge than that whiche ye haue receyued ar lerned of holde it accursed Beholde nowe the Iugement of god vpon the doctrynes of the Pope other men that is that shulde be accursed But thynke thou not that this curse is lyke to the papystê thretenynges of excoÌ„munycacions and curses / but that it is eternall / whiche also separateth a man from god chryste helth / and all goodnes byndeth hym to Sathanas O the fearefull Iugement of god By this therfore it aperyth whether the pope preestes and monkes can teache any other thynge or any thynge more than that that chryste his apostles haue taught For it is spokeÌ„ afore that chryst taught after this maner What soeuer entryth through the mouthe defyleth not the man whiche thynge the pope preestes and monkes openlye Improue sayeng / Chryste thou lyest For the Charthusians ar polluted and dampned for eatynge of flesshe Lykewyse thynke they that ar lyke to this secte But is not this euyn to stryke chryste in the face and to detecte hym of a lye to speke yll of hym and to teache an other thynge than euer he taughte Moreouer this Iugement of perpetuall cursynge is brought euyn as it shulde be vpon the blasphemers of the glorye of god that is that they shulde perysshe and be condempned in theyr royall holynesse ¶ The .7 place is / of Paule in the fyrste chapytre THe seuenth place is / of Paule in the fyrste chapytre to Thymothe Teache them sayth he that they gyue no hede to vntrewe Fables and meÌ„nes tradycyons whiche thynges withdrawe from the trueth Here agayne thou mayst perceyue how the apostle playnly coÌ„mauÌ„ded that we shulde not attende to meÌ„nes Doctrynes and Decrees semyth not this vnto the as a very hell or at lest way an occasyon to dryue the to hell whan Paule sayth that the preceptes and tradycyons of men ar fer from the trueth yea and they leade a man so fer from the trueth that he can not be able to knowe the trewe thynge from the false but call good yll and yll good the day nyght and the nyght daye For maÌ„nes herte as we afore haue showed can not haue truste both in chrystes doctryne and also in the doctrynes workes of men For as soone as the herte begynneth to applye to meÌ„nes tradycyons it wexeth straunge to the trueth and nothynge regardyth it Of the other parte after that that the herte begynneth to put hole truste in chryste / it can not chuse but set at nought all meÌ„nes tradycyons By this thou mayst ê‘ceyue whether the curse of chryst or of the pope is more to be feared The Pope and his complyces curse the with theyr cruell excoÌ„munycacions euyn to the pyt of helle Yf thou applye not to theyr coÌ„maundementes But chryste thretenyth and forbedyth the on payne of his euerlastyng curse that thou gyue no hede to theyr tradycyons curses Now auyse the to whiche of the both thou shuldest obaye ¶ The eyght Place is / of saynt Peter in the .ii. chapytre THe eyght Place is / of saynt Peter in the seconde chapytre of his laste pystle There shal be sayth he false teachers amonge you whiche pryuely shall brynge in dampnable sectes shall denye the Lorde whiche bought them bryngynge on theyr owne hedes swyfte dampnacyon And many shall folowe theyr poysonable wayes by whom the way of treweth shall be yll spoken of throughe couytousnes shall they with fayned wordes make marchaundyse of you Here is it playnly openyd why the dyuerse sortes of monkes chanons and freres / be called dampnable sectes veryly for that that they denye chryste and falsely lye on the way of treweth By what meane surely in the that chryste ordayned no iustyfyeng to be in meate and drynke clothes placê and humane workes / but they styfly affyrme by theyr doctryne and lyuynge that iusty fyeng and not iustyfyeng restyth in those thynges Moreouer chryste is by these wretches inuaded rebuked of a lye yea and all the doctryne of chryste and fayth is reputed as vyle and vtterly denayed Yet for all that by theyr glosynge paynted wordes vnder coloure of obedyence and of the deuyne mynysters they haue kepte preuye theyr insacyable hunger of couytousnes and so ferforth for the mayntenaunce of theyr abhomynable lustes wanton pleasures haue they made marchaundyse of vs that they haue almoste shauen the laye people of all theyr goodes and landes euyn with this subtyltie for they booste make men byleue that who soeuer haue done any benefyte to them or gyue them any parte of theyr goodê shall deserue to haue heuen by theyr prayers cerymonyes Wherfore al theyr ordynaunces and doctrynes ar euyn trewely called of Peter sectes of dampnacyon and blasphemyes of god ¶ The nynthe Place is / of Mathewe in the .xxiiii. chapytre THe nynth place is / of Mathewe in the .xxiiii. chapytre Whan saythe he they shall say to you Lo this is Chryste byleue them not For there shall aryse false chrystes and false prophetes whiche shall showe great sygnes wonders in so moche yf it were possyble they shuld deceyue the very electe Lo I show all these thynges to you And whan they shall saye to you Lo chryste is in wyldernes go ye not forth also yf they shall say to you chryst is in the secrete placê byleue them not ¶ Nowe showe me I pray you what monke or frete shall be saued For euery one rekenyth his helth and saluacyon to be accepted in that place whiche he byndeth and auoweth hym selfe to And sayth here is my chryste for onles I taryed here I shulde perysshe be dampned But chryste answeryth and sayth I am not there who than shall make these two sayenges acorde Verylye as I thynke no man Wherfore it aperyth by this sayeng of chryste that all doctrynes whiche bynde and dedycate the coÌ„scyence to any place ar clene contrary to chryst Now yf chryste wyll not that the conscyence be bounde to any place surely than of ryght the conscyence oughte to be free fro meates drynkes clothes tradycyons and other outwarde thynges Moreouer for as moche as we se the Pope and his spyritualyte do this it is not to be doubted but this sayeng of Mathewe makyth extremely agayne them Ferthermore Chryste hym selfe by this sayenge ryddeth and assoyleth all prestes and monkes from theyr promysed vowes for that that he coÌ„dempnyth all suche orders and monasteryes whan he sayth byleue them not Go ye not thyther Euen for the same purpose Luke in his .xvii. chapytre sayth The kyngdom of god shall not come with the obseruyng of outwarde rytes and tradycyons of men neyther shall it be sayd Lo here lo there For the kyngdom of god is within you / Is not this sayeng also clere and effectuall ynoughe to confounde meÌ„nes tradycyons ¶ The doctrynes of men can teache or ordayne no other thyng but outward thynges Seynge nowe that the kyngdom of god restyth not in
speke these wordes by the manychees Yet shall they not so escape For Paule in this place spekyth of them whiche forbede to eate meates whiche thynge the pope his doynge Nowe whether thou call the pope a tatyan or a manyche I force not Veryly the apostle spekyth here agayne that worke whiche the pope is gylty in Ferthermore this place very well appertayneth to theym For yf a man wolde forbede the eatynge of those meates to morowe or .ii. dayes folowynge shulde not this place serue hym well al though he were not named a manyche For shuld a man lawfully by that meanes do this thynge whiche Paule here forbedyth and saye that these wordes were not ment by hym but by the olde manychees God forbede but whether the pope and his monkê and preestes be manychees or not that refer I to other mens iugementes Howbeit I wyll this fer not feare to say that he so moche contraryeth Paules doctryne that I can scarsely know whether any manyche haue more contraryed it or not ¶ Nynethly they are vnthankefull For god hath created meates for that entent as Paule sayth that they shuld be receyued with gyuynge thankes Nowe they for this purpose gyue in commaundement to absteyne fro them that god shuld not be lawded for the receyuyng of them The well and orygynall of al whiche thynges is Infydelyte and lacke of the trewth of god For the apostle saythe that those meates were created for theym that trewely byleue knowe the trewth that they shuld receyue them with gyuynge thankes And nowe for as moche as they be false byleuers ignoraunt of the treweth as thapostle in this place callyth them vndoutedly they are also hethens fer fro chrysten men blynde and without trewe knowlege So this is the Elogye of the pope prestes and monkes whiche is gyuen to them by Paule ¶ Tenthly They are myscheuous and peryllous mynysters whiche in the same place of Paule is proued where he sayth that Thymothe is a trew mynyster and norysshed vp in the wordes of fayth and good doctryne Yf he shall shewe these thynges to the brethrene Nowe of the other parte they without doute are false mynysters and broughte vp in wordes of false byleue peruerse doctryne whiche teche clene contrary to the doctryne of Paule ¶ EleueÌ„thly the apostle callyth theyr doctrynes vnghostly and tryfelynge fables than whiche I pray you what can be sayd more coÌ„temptely that so many doctours shuld be so occupyed aboute suche tryfles whiche the olde wyues are wonte to sporte them selfes with whan they were gatheryd togyther to theyr butteryd cakes to theyr clensyng bolles or to theyr wassynge stoles And that theyr doctryne are vnghostly lyes and fer from any holynes althoughe they boste that they were wryten by the ayde cause of the holy ghoste What man euer herde the humayne tradycyons so ernestly spoken agayne and rebuked For that that they be bareyne of faythe hethenysshe erronyous deuyllysshe false counterfayted deuourers of coÌ„scyences contrarye to the glorye of god and his creatures pernycyous fables and olde wyues lyes Let hym nowe that can auoyde so fearefull Iugement of god auoyde it ¶ The fyfth place / is of Paule in the seconde chapytre THe fyfte place is of Paule in the seconde chapytre to the Collossyans Let no man sayth he trouble your conscyence for meate and drynke or for a pece of a holy day as the holy daye of the newe moone or of the saboth day whiche ar but shodowes of thynges to come / but the body is of chryste Let no man myscarye you from the trewe pathe whiche after his owne Imagynacyon walketh in the humblenesse and holynes of Angles thynges whiche he neuer sawe vaynely blowen vp with his carnall mynde not holdynge the hede of whom all the bodye by ioyntes and couples takyth norysshement and is knyt togyther and groweth with the encreasynge that coÌ„meth from god Wherfore yf ye be deed with chryste from the doctrynes of the worlde why than as though ye yet lyued in the worlde are ye led with the tradycyons of them that say towche not tast not handle not all whiche perysshe with the abusynge of them after preceptê and doctrynes of men whiche thynges veryly haue the symylytude of wysdom by chosen holynes / and humblenes of the mynde and weykynge of the body not by any worshyp for the mayntenauÌ„ce of the flesshe to his nede Spekyth Paule nowe agayne of the Manychees and Tatyans Or can any man excuse the Papystes of thyse sayeng No for the apostle spekyth here of those that entangle the wretchyd conscyencê with humayne preceptes and doctrynes that they cause them to dyscerne meate fro meate drynke fro drynke cloth fro clothe other outwarde thynges Nowe it is openly knowen that the Pope preestes and monkê do these thynges For it is ordayned by theyr Decrees that certayne dayes men shulde abstayne from flesshe egges butter chese mylke other creatures of god And they haue also for them selfes peculyer garmentes fascyoned fer from other meÌ„nes agayne all whiche thynges Paule boldly fyghteth Fyrste whan he sayth let no man trouble your conscyences for meate drynke cloth or day Whiche thynge what is it other I praye you than to saye Be ye not preestes monkes freers neyther obserue ye the popes Decretals nor byleue ye that to be synne whiche he chalengeth and holdeth for synne Now here a man maye perceyue that god coÌ„maundeth by Paule his electe vessell that we shuld not regarde the Decrees of the pope preestê monkê freers or at lest way we shulde reaken them to be free take them as meane thyngê whiche of them selfe be nor expedyent nor preiudycyall lest happely they myght trouble and stere our coÌ„scyences Yf we take not good hede / whiche thyng is no other to say / but be ye not preestes monkê nor freers And they that all ready haue entred in to the Papystes holy relygyon shuld eyther ryd them selfe from it or this wyse obserue the papystes Decretals that yf at any tyme they lette passe or transgresse in any of them they shuld not reaken it to be synne but couÌ„te them as lawfully to be let slypped as retayned For all though these wordes were spoken by the Iewes whiche obserued them after the lawe of Moyses and Paule here saith that they were but shadowes and fygures of thynges to come but the body is in chryste Yet neuerthelesse they moche more agre with the decrees of the pope preestê monkê For yf that be sessyd whiche god Instytuted and shuld nomore bynde the coÌ„scyence Howe moche more than ought nothynge to be Instytuted coÌ„maunded by men whiche myght bynde the coÌ„scyence Whiche thynge hereafter shal be more playnly shewed ¶ Secondarylye Paule saythe let no man defraude you or malycyously shewe you a wrong marke to lede you fro the trewe prycke begyle you of the rewarde as who wold say Take hede to your selfe that no man mysguyde you from fayth whiche is the
outwarde thyngê but in the inwarde it can no otherwyse be but that bothe the teachers and lerners of meÌ„nes tradycyons whiche onely teache outwarde thyngê ar blynde and fer wyde from the prycke of treweth They say we gyue hede and folowe the steppes of our holy fathers which Instytuted these ordres of monkes and freres But they shall not escape with playeng of that pageaunt for Chryste pluckyth from them that cloke of false colour whan he sayth The chosen men also yf it coulde be broughte to passe shall be led out of the way that is the electe shal be blynded but shal not contynewe in errour For there shulde no notable errour come as chryste hath foreshowed to come oneles the electe had erryd and erre What soeuer the doctryne and examples of the holy Fathers be the wordes of Chryste be certayne and playne to whom therfore we shulde more obaye than to the holye Fathers bycause theyr doctrynes and workê be of no certaynte bycause also that that whiche was before spoken maketh agayne theyr tradycyons that is The kyngdome of god is within you and not without you neyther here nor there ¶ The tenth Place is / of Salomon the .xxx. chapytre THe tenth Place is / of Salomon in the .xxx. chapytre Of his Prouer bys The wordes of god sayth he are fyred ar a defence for all them that stycke to them and beleue them Adde thou nothynge to the wordes of hym left he ponysshe the and left thou be founde culpable of a lye Suffyce the thou reader for this tyme with that that hathe ben sayd howbeit many other places myghte haue be founde thorowly amonges the prophetes whiche wold very wel serue this purpose namelye in Heremye whiche in his seuenth chapytre sayth Here ye not that whiche semyth ryghtfull and iust to you but that that I coÌ„mauÌ„de you And walke ye in euery waye whiche I haue commauÌ„ded you that it myght be well with you And in the .ix. chapytre he sayth bycause they haue forsaken my lawe which I gaue to them and haue not herde my voyce nor haue walked in it but haue gone from it after the frowardnes of theyr hertes and after Bailym whiche thynge they haue lerned of theyr Fathers Therfore sayth the Lorde god of the congregacyon of Israell these thynges Lo I shall feade this people with worme wode and gyue them water of gall for theyr drynke and shall dyspercle them amonge nacyoÌ„s whiche they nor theyr Fathers neuer knewe And I shall sende my swerde after them vntyll they be dystroyed And Ezechyell in his .xxxiiii. chapytre sayth woo be to the herdes of Israell whiche haue fed them selfes Ar the shepe not fed of the herdes ye haue eaten the mylke and haue coueryd your selfe with the wolle and that that was fatte ye haue slayne but ye haue not fed my flocke And in the seconde chapytre of Malachie it is sayde And nowe this coÌ„mauÌ„dement is to you ye preestes yf ye wyll not here and yf ye wyll not sette it on your hertes to gyue glory to my name sayth the Lorde of the coÌ„gregacyon I wyll send pouerte vpon you and I wyll curse your blyssynges and I wyll curse them bycause ye sette it not in your hertes Then wyll they crye as Mycheas sayth in his thyrde chapyt to the Lorde but he shall not here them and he shall hyde his face from them at the tyme bycause they haue wyckedly led theyr lynes iÌ„ theyr owne Inuencyons And for the myschefe of those Inuencyons as O see in his .ix. chapytre wytnesseth god shall caste them out of his howse and in his .xx. chapytre He saythe god shall rewarde them after theyr wayes and after theyr Inuencyons ✚ ¶ Our lorde ouerthrowe and breke in sondre euery Inuencyon of perdycyon and graunte the contynuaunce of his fayth to vs and restore vs to the lyght of trewth whiche long tyme hath be derkyd with the clowdes of meÌ„nes tradycyons so ferforth that the glorye whiche oughte to be gyuen to the name of god hathe hytherto ben translated to other names thorowe false doctryne and fayned holynes whiche haue almoste dystroyed the trewe Chrysten fayth ¶ Be it refourmed whan Goddes wyll is Amen ¶ Imprynted be me Robert wyer / dwellynge in saynt Martyns parysshe besyde charynge Crosse ¶ Cum priuilegio · MON · · DIEV · ET · · DROYT · · HONY · · SOYT · QVI · MAL · Y · PENSE · ROBERT WYER