the gospell menglynge alwayes ther w t y e lawes of moyses and wyll not leaue in ony wyse the false superstition of the iewes And it is no meruaile to haue suche men fouÌ„d in Crete that fede their belies with brabelyng and naughty waies sythen mani yeares agone Epimenides the poete whiche was hym selfe a maÌ„ of Crete did speke of them which wordes were these Men of Creete be alwayes lyars yll beestes slothfull belyes which wytnes is so true y t it maye seme well ynoughe to be spokeÌ„ of goddes own mouthe Be not they natural lyers which fere not to darken the mooste clere lyght of the truth of the gospell with theyr fables Be not they noyfull beastes whiche in euery place blow theyr venom on symple persones that be not ware of them Be not they slouthfull belyes whiche had leuer by false doctrine to lyue in Idelnes and rankly then for y e defence of the gospel to lyue in hungre be shrewdly handled many tymes as we be werfore rebuke suche naughty packes ernestly y t they may amend and leuyng the truste that they haue in the ceremonyes of y e olde lawe they maigeue theim selfe holy to the truth of y e gospell And that they geue not theyr eeres to such vnthrifty tales of the Iewes thrughe the whiche the preceptes of Chryste are let go and constytutions of men are brought in of the obseruations of new mones of the kepynges of the sabbot of cyrcumcisyon of wasshynges of choyse of meates of clothing of certeine thyÌ„ges that may not be touched of the house seuen dayes vnclene other lyke to these whiche god for a tyme coÌ„maunded to be kept of y e Iewes partly that that nacyon beyng rebell and vnweyldy to be ordered myght be holden kepte vnder by the multytude of preceptes or coÌ„maundementes partely that these thynges shold be as shadowes of true thynges that were to come But they are now vtterly of none effect so moche y t yf ony man wyll contynew styll to obserue these thiges after the maner of y e Iewes nothyng can turne them more from the verite of the gospell For there is no nation y t more stubbernely doeth rebel agaist y e gospel thaÌ„ y e Iues doo which can in no wyse leaue these folyshe tryfles This meate say they is vncleane eate it not This body is vncleene touche it not hens awai with these dyuer sytees amonge Christen men to whom as they be cleane all thynges are clane nor they sholde abhorre nothynge y t god hath made for y e vse of man And as to them y t be pure christeÌ„ men nothing is impure or vnclene so to y e Iewes whose mindes are filthy and vnclene nothig is clene not so moch as they that y e olde law suffereth and doth permyt as clene for seynge they mystrust hym whiche after the openyng of the gospell wold haue all these thynges not obserued after y e fleshly litterall sence but to be referred to the busynesse of the soule what thynge can be pure to them whose mind are spotted infecte w t mistrust their liuyng defyled with inordinate wast ambytion couetise and other vyces They vpholde the lawe with to the nayle and yet they wote not what the lawe meaneth They haue their pÌ„puce circuÌ„cysed but y e mynd w tin is vncircuÌ„cised They go i to y e teÌ„ple w t hoÌ„des fete wasshed but y e soule coÌ„scieÌ„ce is vnwasshed They kepe their sabbot holy from bodely workes but in the meane tyme they haue theyr breste vnquyeted with hate anger simony other troubles of the soule They fere to be contamynate yf they taste porke or pygge but they thynke them selfes clene when they with gredy eeres here foule comunycacion bakbityng of other They thynke them selfes fyled yf they touche ony caren but yet thei abhorre not to touche a quene or stolen geare They thynke it a foule synne yf they vse onye garmeÌ„t of lynen and wollen mengled togyther but they stoÌ„de not amysse in theyr owne conceyte when they haue theyr brest ouercouerd with so many foule vices It is a great shame therfore to theym to boste them selfe that they alone knowe god seyng that they deny hym in theyr dedes more then ony other Do they not deny him wheÌ„ they are so spotted with y e fylthyes of the soule that they are to moste meÌ„ abhomynable and when they be so weake yea deed in beleue y t no man can handle theym And fynally when in all dedes of true faythe and seruyce towarde god by which we sholde make god to be mercyfull to vs they be farre wors then other men be The second chapyter BUt let theÌ„ go with theyr fables let y e naughtines of these men moue the nothynge at all but for all them remembre thyne offyce and duty and speke tho thynges that be indede mete for the lernynge of the gospell y t is to saye whiche may make vs coÌ„mendable to god for our clene myndes and clene maners declare that we be the dyscyples of Chryst. But here peraduenture y u wylt aske me what thiges they be Thou shalt warne the elders and senyours of the people y t they be sobre wachfull dylygent to all workes of vertue and that they ouercome the dulnes of theyr age w t the quikenes of faythe warne them also y â— they kepe grauyte and that they play not the foles lyke yong men vncomely in theyr olde age And that they be of good and sad maners y t the youth may haue them in reuerence and awe temê‘ate them selfe that they be not waywarde and soone an angred as y e coÌ„mune sorte of olde men is and wel commended of other with out blame not onely for the integryte of theyr feythe but also in doynge dedes of charyte and in suffrynge of incoÌ„modityes trybulations namely for the gospell of christ On y e same maner thou shalt warne olde wemeÌ„ that they go apparelled after suche maner as becometh theym that wyll be named chrysten folke they must not blame the lyuynge of other whiche faulte is peculyer to this sex and age They muste not be geuen to ouermoche drynckynge of wyne how be it y â— vse of wyne must be permytted to age so it be moderate They must teche maydens yong women honest thinges no nycenesse or other yll maners and so brynge them vp that they loue theyr owne husbondes and theyr children and that they be sobre and chaste and busy at home and for to se theyr houses well ordered and playe the good housewyues For this surely is y e chefest praise y t women can haue to be knowen subiect obedyent to their husbondes that by theyr lewde maners the name of god whose relygeon they professe be not sclaundred For sythen we se y e wyues of myscreauntes or hethen men to behaue theym selfe ryght womanly in these pointes belongyng to womanhod
The Paraphrase of Erasmê° Roterdame vpon y e Epistle of saiÌ„t Paule vnto his discyple Titus lately traÌ„slated in to englysshe and fyrste a goodly â–ª prologue ¶ Cum priuilegio Regali Iohan Byddell uered his olde bryghtnes shyneth so abrode now y t euen they whose inwarde eyes be blynded with false perswasyons of man and couetyse vayneglorye perceyue a twynkeling of this light For they can not deny but y t they haue erred in many thynges and were fer wyde fro y e square how lothe so euer they be to heare it of laye men or of suche as beynge good preestes wolde fayne call theym agayne to his doctryne who alone is the waye y e trouth lyfe And what can be a more euydent token of y e hye indygnacyon of the godhed agaynste the chyrche of Rome then that this Pharao and all his egyptiens be so hardened in theyr hertes that they wyll in no wyse receyue the truthe doctryne of hym whose folowers they professe themselfe to be Of whome may full well be affyrmed the wordes of y e prophete Dauid Eyes they haue shall not se. Eeres they haue and shall not heare wherfore no meruayle for they are so drowned in the desyres of worldly worshyp y t where as they shold saye with y e apostles to Chryst Marci x. lo we haue left all haue folowed y e they can not saye yf they shall not lye but the clene contrary y t they forsake nothyng but catche all to them selfe and forsake him wherfore the same prophet Dauid fearyng this displeasure and greate angre of god fallen vpon the papystes and desyrynge the grace shewed now to vs prayeth on this wyse Lord make thy waies knoweÌ„ to me teache me thy pathes And why prayeth he so â–ª For as he writeth in an other place Cursed be they good lorde that swarue from thy commauÌ„dementes Now who swarueth more from the coÌ„maundementes of god theÌ„ he which taketh vpoÌ„ hym to be an herdes man and a feder of Crystes shepe dryueth them away from theyr mete nor playeth the good iust husbond of goddes house so wynge spirytual thynges repynge therfore carnall but he repeth carnall thiges for y e sowyng of y e vnthrifty cockle of most foule and abomynable errors and seducynge the people of god after his moste detestable lustes which word good redar I wold not y t thou sholdest thynke to be spoken generally of all spyrytuall men For there are among theÌ„ thanked be god hyely therfore men endued with great coÌ„nynge wysedom vertuous liuing whose workes according to the coÌ„maundement of the gospell do shyne afore all men to the glorye of the father of heuyn Againe thou must not so interprete my sayenges as I sholde thynke it vnlauful for the clergy to haue ony possessyons at al. Luc. x. euery workeman saythe Chryste is worthy to haue his wages And the apostle wrytyng to y e Corinthyens sayth who is he that serueth in warre at his owne coste who planteth a vyne and eateth not of y e frut therof who feadeth a flocke and eateh not of y e mylke of the flocke But I meaned of suche as haue possessyons domynyons more lyke to kynges emê‘ours then spyritual fathers not noryshynge with them preachers of goddes worde and theyr nedy bretherne but for preachers of Crystes lawes thei fede suche as pÌ„ache theyr decrees And theÌ„ y e lyke Annas Cayphas IoeÌ„s and Alexandre of whome mentyon is made in the actes of the apostles forbyd men to speake or teache iÌ„ y e name of Iesu for they will not haue his gospell taught nor spoken of which Christ wold haue preached vpon houses To rede y e new testament with them is heresy which is no thyng elles saue Chrystes wordes his dyscyples And for norysshynge of poore folke they mayÌ„taine other litle or nothyng regarding them that they shold regarde but euen passe them by as our lorde mencyoneth in the gospell of y e preest leuyte that were moued with no pytye to socour the man that laye in y e way robbed wounded Agaynste suche preestes and all suche as by fayned holynes and hypocrycy seduce goddes people from his teachyng y e instructyons of his apostles to theyr fayned dremes Agaynst theÌ„ cryeth scrypture in many places Harke what Hieremie writeh in y e. xxiii chapitre wo be to sheê‘des which dysperple all to teare the flocke of my pasture therfore these wordes sayth the lord god of Israell to sheperdes that fede my people You haue scatered myne herde throwne them out and not visyted them Lo I shall visite vpon you the malyce of your studyes saythe our lorde And Ezechyell in the .xxxiiii. chapytre wo be to the sheperdes of Israell whiche dyd fede them selfe Be not herdes fed of theyr herdesmen you dyd eate the mylke and with the wolles you were couered what so euer was fatte you kylled it But my flocke you dyd not feade you dyd not consolidate y t which was weake you healed not that whiche was syk you bound not to gyther y t whiche was broken you brought not againe y t which was abiecte and you sought not that which was lost but you ruled them with austerite power And my shepe were skatered abrode because there was no shepherd and they were deuoured of all the beastes of the feelde dysperpled My herdes haue erred in all mountaynes and in euery hy hyll vpon all the face of the erthe my herd hath ben all to skatered none there was y e wolde seke them Therfore shepherdes here you the wordes of our lord I lyue saith y s lord god Bycause that my flockes haue bene made in to rapyne and my shepe to the deuouryng of beastes of y e felde bycause there was no shepeherd nor the shepeherdes dyd not seke my flocke but the shepherdes did feade them selues they dyd not feade my herdes therfore shepeherdes heare you the wordes of our lord This sayth y e lord god Lo I shall requyre of the shepeherdes myne herde oute of theyr honde and I shall make them to cease that they feade no more my flocke nor that y e shepherdes can no more feade theym selues And I will deliuer my flocke froÌ„ theyr mouth it shall be no more eateÌ„ vp of them c. Se here most geÌ„tle reader the angre of god enydently fallen vpon the bysshop of Romes tyrannye and his adherentes whose proude power daylye decreaseth according to y e sayenges of this prophete for theyr deuourynge of Chrystes flocke And se also on the other syde the greate goodnes of god towarde our Englysshe nacyon whiche hathe delyuered vs oute of his rauenyng mouth and gyuen vs our hed herdes man our moste redoubted souerayne whome he hath made the veray defender of the fayth and an hed shepherd to set suche herdes men vnder hym which shall fede vs not deuour vs. Is not this a
greate token gentle redar that almyghty god is well content with this gracyous veray fortunate maryage whiche hath sente vs the light of his lawes sens that tyme hath brought vs out of the thraldome of yll bysshops And as he made kynge Dauid keper of his herd of Israell as it is expressed of the prophet in the forsayd chapytre euen so he hath by the voice of his people chosen our most noble vertuous kynge Henry to be hed of his Englishe flocke as well in spirituall gouernauÌ„ce as in erthly domynyon Let here no man murmour as some do yet y t his grace is electe to be hedde of the chyrche in his realme no forther then goddes lawes do permyt as who saith there is in y t pointe an obstacle For why sholde not by goddes lawe our kynge and souerayne lord be our hed herdes man as well as Dauid beynge a lay prynce was hed shepehered to his flocke of Israell Now wher can ony of them fynde one iote in scripture that proueth theyr most holy father to be aboue kynges or temporall rulers peraduenture they wyll brynge forth for them that Peter sayde to our lorde lo lorde here be ii swerdes therof inferre that he his successours had giuen to them hy power both ouer spyrytuall also temporall In good soth this is a ioyly smal reason and worthy to come oute of a profouÌ„de sophysters mouth euen as who wold say Yf when the kynges grace rydeth in to the forest on huÌ„tyng one shewe him an hart or two ergo by and by he is chefe foster of y e hole londe Ad populuÌ„ phaleras as ê‘sius saith Let them blere good sely pore syÌ„ple folkes eyes with these gewgawes for other men seith their lygyer de mayne well ynoughe what saith Peter him selfe doeth he ascrybe ony such power to him or ony other of his teachyng Be you obedyente saythe he to euery humayne creature for our lordes sake eyther to the kynge as most excellente marke you he calleth kinges most excellent vsurpeth no suche tytle to hym selfe or to other guydes as sente of hym Saint Paule sayth that all temporall power is of god he byddeth in diuers places to be obedient to temporall prynces Some hystoryes also make mencyon y t y e bysshop of Rome toke not vpon hym to be hed of the chyrche tyll y e yeare of our lord C. xâ—v Ergo then yf this hystorye be true it is a false tale to saye y t this double power was giueÌ„ to Peter of god seyng that neyther he nor a dosen mo of his successours graunted y t he was pope toke it not vpon theym tyll one vyctor waxed so stoute yet he vsurped no teÌ„porall power how that came in I report me to them Saint Paule neuer sayde of the apostles that they bare ony swerde but of temporall prynces he sayd that they here not a swerde without cause It is meate for vs then to gyue to god that is his to our kyng y t is his who as thou seest hathe the rule ouer vs vnder god not y e bysshop of Rome And hyghly we are bounde to thanke the blessed Trinite that y e eyes of faithfull people be vncouered to se the truthe wherfore I confesse that I was my selfe a greate whyle blynded went asyde in the couÌ„sell of wycked men psal j. stode a longe season in the way of synners yea sate fast in the chayre of pestilence But I thanke our blessed sauyour whiche dyuerslye calleth whome he lyft to hym he hath vncouered myn eyes which were blyndfelde with two foule cloutes of ygnoraunce and false perswasion he hathe made me haue an occasyon to loke better on his doctryne and to perceyue the errour that I was deceyued in as Horace saythe specie recti and thynkynge there to be ryght where none was there wrong where the ryght was wherfore sens as I truste I haue escaped the foule storme of false beleue For what shall I call els y e trust in papystycall power I haue to y e entent to help other set forth in englisshe thept'e of saint Paule to his discyple Tyte which techeth howe moche and howe straytly we be bounde to obey next God our kyng souerayne lorde For as he writeth in the. xii chapitre to the Romaynes who resisteth agaynste them resysteth agaynst the ordinaunce of god And who resyste agaynst gods ordynauÌ„ce they purchase theyr owne dampnacyon Agayne yf chrysten men be bounde to obey theyr prynces though thei be miscreauÌ„tes how moche more be we bounden to obey our most vertuous christen kyng lord which so dyligently laboreth with all his hole entent to haue vs the veraye shepe of Chrystes folde and to delyuer vs also from y e dauÌ„ger of rauenyng wolues wherfore no doubte but god of his goodnes wyll longe preserue hym defend hym from his enemyes Besyde this epystle sheweth euery man both spirytuall and temporall how he ought to vse him selfe that he may after this lyfe be pertener of that lyfe wherunto we are all bought shall yf we lyue well not fayle to come to not by pardons bought from Rome but by the merytes of Chrystes passion wherfore I with hole hert and mynde besech the good redar yf thou fynde ony frute herein as no doubte but y â— shalte and that largely endeuer thy selfe as nere as god will giue y â— grace to liue according to saint Paules doctryne next to praye the blessed Trinite to graunt me his grace to leue from hens forth the blyndnes of synne and to lyue after y e lawes of god my prince And to thentent y u shalt y e better perceyue what this holy apostle hathe wryten I haue added to y e paraphrase of Erasmus which shall make all thyng playne to the. The grace and peace of God be w t the and me and all good chrysten people Amen The Epistle of Paule vnto Tytus PAule the seruante of God and an Apostle of Ihesu Chryste to preache the faythe of goddes electe and y e knowlege of the truthe whiche truthe is in seruyng god in hope of eternall lyfe whiche lyfe god that cannot lye hathe promysed before y e worlde began but hath at the tyme apointed opened his wordes by preachynge whiche preachyng is coÌ„mytted vnto me by the commaundement god our sauyour to Tytus his naturall sone in the comen faythe Grace mercye and peace from god the father and frome the lorde Iesu Christ our sauyour For this cause left I y â— in Crete that thou sholdest pfourme that which was lackyng and sholdest ordeyne senyours in euery Cytye as I apoynted y e yf ony be suche as no man can complayn on the husbond of one woman hauing faythful chyldren which are not sclaundered of ryot neyther are dysobedyent For a bysshop must be such as no man can complaine on as it becometh the ministre of god not stubborne not angrye
world at this tyme whiche by his euerlastynge wysdome he had afore appoynted to this busynes Nor he wolde not that there sholde be onely shewed to the Iewes a darke shadow of y e fygures of some blynde thyng and harde to be discussed but his wyll is to haue a playne truth to be made open by y e open playne preachynge of the gospell to all men w toute ony dyuersyte eyther of nation or tongue This is the sum and hole effect of y e doctryne of the gospell y e pÌ„chyng wherof I haue not takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ me of myne owne hed but it was coÌ„mytted to me and not by men but by our sauyour god who not onely called me to y e occupieng of an apt'es roume and offyce but also he enioyned it me yea so he charged me therwith y t it was not lauful or free for me to say naye to that whiche he coÌ„maunded me to do which wordes I haue spoken to thentent y t no man sholde thynke myn authorite to be â—yhgt or els theyr authoryte whome I haue put ony where i my stede I therfore y e same Paule beyng in suche authoryte do wryte this letter to Titus my true and naturall son not by bodely generacyon but by the sede of faythe which I haue so shed in to hym and in y e which he so well resembleth me that I seme to be renewed in hym lyke as a father is in his owne naturall son To hym I whissh that there may come grace and peace from hym from whome all very goodnes dothe come that is to saye from god the father and his son Iesu Chryste y e onely author of our helth For in suche ryches as grace peace are my desire is to haue my chyldren made ryche But to speake now to the my son Tytus syth I dyd knowe ryght well the nature of this Ilonde and againe I dyd not doubt but that they had nede of a faythfull and dilygeÌ„t creanser or ouerseer I haue for that cause lefte the in Crete as representyng myn own person bycause that the busynes of the gospell calleth me to other places y t suche thynges as haue there begoÌ„ to be corrected by me thou as my deputye maye make make an ende of theÌ„ And because y t thou alone art not able to ouerloke so many cytyes as this He is replenysshed w t y u shalt ordeyn in euery cytye an hedde preest or bysshop as I wheÌ„ I depted dyd dyd the But beware that thou admyt no man to so hye an offyce without greate dyscressyon for he must be a very proued man to whome thou shalte betake this charge and not all onelye of a knowen and testyfyed honestye but also he must be clere from all supycyon of any maner of faute what so euer it be Suche a bysshop or ouerseer to thent eÌ„t that y u mayst y e better and surelyer those out I wyll set hym forth by certayne sygnes yea and in maner paynt hym to the. Yf thou know ony man to be of suche maners that vpryght lyuyng y t no fautâ— can prouable be layde to hym Yf ony man beyng content with one matrimony geue no token of vnchast lyuyng if he haue chyldren so instructe and brought vp that not onely in the knowlaigyng of Chrystes faythe but also by the innocency of theyr lyuynge they shew them selfe to be chrysteÌ„ meÌ„ that is to saye not yll named for ryot as y e coÌ„mune sort of yonge men be nor dysobedyent to theyr father and mother For he that shall be counted worthye to be a bisshop must be so fer wyde from all vyce besyde that fro y e suspicyon of ony vyce that he muste marke that he not onely kepe his owne honesty but also of all his householde for the fautes of the chyldren are wonte coÌ„munely to be reproched to the fathers mothers Now what soeuer hurteth y e good name of a bysshop it turneth to y e sclauÌ„der of the gospell of Chryste It is necessary therfore y t he whiche in a maner stondeth in goddes stede and to whome y e treasure of the teachyng of y e gospell as to a chosen dispeÌ„ser therof is commytted be in all poyntes without blame and a great way from the vyces of theym whiche coÌ„munely here offycys that they which be vnder hym may be vnder him wyllyngly and with all the hert in theyr body He muste loke vpon nothyng but the soule helth of the flocke that is betaken to hym he must study to amende and not to oppresse to teache not to compell to lede not to draw he muste perswade rather then callynge for dutye he must ouercom more by benefites and sufferaunce then by lordlynesse and hy spyryte He that shall occupye this rome I say must not be stubberne 〈◊〉 angry nor hasty iÌ„ speking 〈◊〉 â—hich thinges men will sooner withdrawe theyr hertes then folow ony doctrine he must also in ony wyse beware of couetyse and gapynge after lucre for that thynge is vyle and pestylent in ony laye offycer moche more to be abhorred in a bisshop or ony spyrytuall man For he that is infecte with the vyce of auaryce doth nothyng vpryghtly and as of equyte it shold be done A bysshop muste besyde these be sober iust in innocency of lyfe vertuoê° and godly in the obseruacyon of Chrystes faythe and relygion of the gospell not subiecte to ony yll affectioÌ„s but ferre aboue all such desyres by whiche the commune sorte of men are led vp downe But chefyly he must be a stedfast holder of the wordes of y e gospell wherin he is bound to 〈◊〉 â—ell instructe that he may teache suche as be ignorant in those thynges that ê‘teyne to theyr soule helthe that he may with holsom doctryne exhorte and call forwarde theym that are slow and repreue them y t speake agaynst the truth I do not warne the of these thinges causeles for there be many waywarde parsons brabelers deceyuers of mennes myndes which not geuyng an eere to the teaching of y e gospel bryÌ„g iÌ„ stede of it vayne vnprofitable fables of y e iewes wherby they may get them a name of lernyng among y e people wynnynge also And by these fables they entise y e mindes of some symple folke begile them crawlyng vnder the colour of the gospell in to the mindes of theyr herars in so moche y â— many tymes they corrupte not one or two but they ouertÌ„ne hole householdes and kynredes teachynge shamefull thynges far square from the verite of y e gospell And yet for al y t they abuse the tytle of the gospell to the lucre whiche vilanously they daily hunt after wherfore se y t you rebuke theym sharply and shyt theyr mouthes There be some of the gentyles y t be combred with this enormyty but specyally y u shalt fynde them of this malitious secte which be iewes coÌ„uerted to Chryst which vntruely teache