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
do no good worke freely without respect of some profit either in this world or in the world to come neither coulde we haue spirituall ioye in oure hartes in time of affliction and mortifiyng of the flesh Good workes are called the fruites of the spirite Gal. 5. for the sprite worketh them in vs and sometyme fruites of righteousnes as in the second Epistle to the Cor. and 9. chapter before all workes therfore we must haue a righteousnes within the hart the mother of all workes frō whēce they spring The righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises of them that haue y ◠spirite of this world is y t glorious shew outward shining of workes But Christ sayth to vs Mar. 5. except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the scribes Pharises ye cānot enter into the kingdome of heauen It is righteousnes in y t world if a mā kyl not But a Christen perceiueth righteousnesse if he loue his enemy euen when he suffreth persecution and torment of him and the paines of death and mourneth more for his aduersaries blindnesse then for his owne payne and prayeth God to open his eyes and to forgeue hym his sinnes as dyd Steuen in the Actes of the Apostles the vij Chapter and Christ Luke xxiij A Christen considereth him selfe in the law of GOD and there putteth of him all maner righteousnes For the law suffereth no merites no deseruynges no righteousnes neither any mā to be iustified in the sight of God The law is spirituall and requireth y t hart and commaundements to be fulfilled with such loue and obedience as was in Christ If any fulfill all that is the will of God with such loue and obedience the same may be bold to sell pardons of his merites and els not A Christen therfore when he beholdeth hym selfe in the law putteth of all maner righteousnes deseruinges and merites and mekely and vnfaynedly knowledgeth his sinne miserie his captiuitie and bondage in the flesh his trespasse and gilte and is thereby blessed with the poure in spirite Math. v. Chap. Then he morneth in his hart because he is in such bondage that he can not do the will of God and is an hungred and a thyrst after righteousnes For righteousnesse I meane which springeth out of christes bloud for strength to do the wil of God And turneth him selfe to the promises of God desireth him for his great mercy and truth and for the bloud of hys sonne Christ to fulfill his promises to geue him strēgth And thus his spirit euer prayeth within him He fasteth also not one day for a weke or a Lent for an whole yeare but professeth in his hart a perpetuall sobernes to tame the flesh and to subdue the body to the spirite vntil he waxe strong in the spirite and grow ripe into a full righteousnes after the fulnes of Christ And because this fulnes happeneth not till the body be slayne by death a Christen is euer a sinner in the law and therfore fasteth and prayeth to God in the spirite the world seyng it not Yet in y ◠promises he is euer righteous thorough fayth in Christ and is sure that he is heire of all Gods promises the spirite which he hath receaued in earnest bearyng him witnes his hart also and his dedes testifying the same Marke this then To see inwardly that y t law of God is so spirituall that no flesh can fulfill it And then for to morne and sorrow and to desire yea to hunger and thyrst after strength to do the wil of God from the ground of the hart and notwithstandyng all the sutlety of the deuil weakenes and feblenes of the flesh and wondryng of the world to cleaue yet to y t promises of God and to beleue that for Christes bloud sake thou art receaued to the inheritaūce of eternall lyfe is a wonderfull thyng and a thyng that the world knoweth not of but who soeuer feleth that though he fall a thousand tymes in a day doth yet rise agayne a thousand tymes and is sure that the mercy of God is vpon hym IF ye forgeue othermen their trespasses your heauēly father shal forgeue you yours Mat. in the vj. Chap. if I forgeue God shall forgeue me not for my dedes sake but for his promises sake for his mercy truth and for the bloud of hys son Christ our Lord. And my forgeuing certifieth my spirite that God shal forgeue me yea y t he hath forgeuē me already For if I consent to y t will of God in my hart though thorough infirmitie and weakenes I can not do the will of GOD at all tymes moreouer though I can not do the wil of God so purely as the law requireth it of me yet if I see my faulte mekely knowledge my sinne wepyng in myne hart because I cā not do the will of God and thyrst after strēgth I am sure that y t sprite of God is in me his fauour vpon me For the world lusteth not to do the will of God neither soroweth because he can not though he sorrow some tyme for feare of y ◠paine that he beleueth shall folow He that hath the spirite of this world can not forgeue without amendes makyng or a greater vauntage If I forgeue now how cōmeth it veryly because I feele the mercy of God in me For as a man feeleth God to him selfe so is he to his neighbour I know by mine owne experience that all flesh is in bondage vnder sinne and cā not but sinne therfore am I mercyfull and desire God to loose the bondes of sinne euen in mine enemy GAther not treasure together in earth c. Math. vj. But gather you treasure in heauen c. Let not you◠hartes be glued to worldly thynges studie not to heape treasure vpon treasure and riches vpon riches but study to bestow well that whiche is gotten already and let your abundaunce succour the lacke and neede of the power which haue not Haue an eye to good workes to which if ye haue lust and also power to do them then are ye sure that the spirite of God is in you and ye in Christ elect to the reward of eternal life which foloweth good workes But looke that thine eye be single and robbe not Christ of his honour ascribe not that to y t deseruyng of thy workes which is geuen the freely by the merites of his bloud In Christ we are sonnes In Christ we are heires In Christ god chose vs and elected vs before the begynning of the world created vs a new by the word of the Gospell and put his spirite in vs for because we should do good workes A Christē man worketh because it is the will of his father onely If we do no good worke nor be mercyfull how is our lust therin If we haue no lust to do good workes how is Gods spirite in vs If the spirite of God
through yea what thyng maketh both the Turke the Iew abhorre our fayth so much as our imageseruice But the Pope was then glad to finde an occasion to picke a quarell with the Emperour to get the Empire into hys owne handes which thyng he brought to passe with the sword of Fraunce clame so highe that euersence he hath put his own authoritie in stede of Gods word in euery generall Councell and hath concluded what him liste as agaynst all gods word and agaynst all charitie he condemned that blessed dede of that Councell and Emperour M. They blaspheme our Lady and all Saintes Tyndall That is vntrue We honour our blessed Lady and all holye Saintes and folow their fayth and liuing vnto the vttermost of our power and submit our selues to be scholers of the same schole M. They may not abyde Salue regina Tyndall For therin is much blasphe mie vnto our blessed Lady because Christ is our hope and lyse onely and not she And ye in ascribyng vnto her that she is not dishonour God worshyp her not M. They say if a woman beyng alyue beleue in God and loue him as much as our Lady she may helpe with her prayers as much as our Lady Tyndall Tell why not Christ whē it was told him that his mother his brethren sought him aunswered that his mother his sisters and his brethrē were all they that did his fathers will And vnto y e womā that sayd to Christ blessed be the wombe that bare the and pappes that gaue thee sucke Christ answered Nay blessed are they that heare the word of God keepe it As Paule sayth 1. Cor. ix I haue nought to reioyce though I preach for necessitie lyeth vpon me and wo is me if I preach not If I do it vnwillingly an office is committed vnto me but and if I do it with a good will then I haue a reward So now carnall bearyng of Christ and carnall geuyng hym sucke make not our Lady great But our blessed Ladyes greatnesse is her fayth and loue wherein she exceeded other Wherfore if God gaue his mercy that an other woman were in those twoo poyntes equall with her why were she not like great and her prayers as much heard M. Item that men should not worship the holy crosse Tyndall With no false worship and superstitious fayth but as I haue said to haue it in reuerence for the memoriall of him that dyed theron M. Item Luther hateth the festes of the crosse and of Corpus Christi Tyndall Not for enuy of the crosse which sinned not in the death of Christ nor of malice toward the blessed body of Christ but for the idolatrie vsed in those festes M. Item that no man or woman is bound to kepe any vow Tyndall Lawfull vowes are to be kept vntill necessitie breake them But vnlawful vowes are to be broken immediatly M. Martine appealed vnto the next generall Councell that should bee gathered in the holy ghost to seke a long delay Tyndall Of a truth that were a lōg delay For should Martine liue till the Pope would gather a Councell in the holy ghost or for any godly purpose he were like to be for euery heere of hys head a thousand yeares old Then bringeth he in the inconstancie of Martine because he saith in his later booke how that he seeth further then in his first Paraduenture he is kynne to our Doctours whiche when with preachyng agaynste pluralities they haue got them thre or foure benefices alledge the same excuse But yet to say the truth the very Apostles of Christ learned not all truth in one day For long after the Ascention they wist not that the heathē should be receaued vnto the fayth How then could Martin brought vp in the blyndnesse of your sect aboue xl yeares spye out all your falsehead in one day M. Martine offered at Wormes before the Emperour and all the Lordes of Germany to abyde by his booke and to dispute which he might well doe sithens he had his safe conduct that he should haue no bodyly harme Tyndal O mercyful God how come ye out your owne shame ye cā not dispute except ye haue a mā in your owne daunger to do hym bodyly harme to diote him after your fashion to tormēt him and to murther him If ye might haue had him at your pleasure ye wold haue disputed with him first with sophistrie and corrupting the Scripture then with offeryng hym promotions thē with the sword So that ye would haue bene sure to haue ouercome hym with one Argument or other M. He would agree on no Iudges Tyndall What Iudges offered ye hym sane blynd Byshops and Cardinals enemyes of all truth whose promotions and dignities they feare to be plucked from them if the truth came to light or such Iudases as they had corrupt with money to maynteine their sect The Apostles might haue admitted as well the heathen Bishops of Idoles to haue bene their iudges as he them But he offered you autenticke Scripture and the hartes of the whole world Which ij iudges if ye had good consciēces and trust in God ye would not haue refused The iiij Chapter THe fourth Chapter is not the first Poetrie that he hath fayned The v. Chapter IN the end of the fift he vntruly reporteth that Martine sayth no man is bound to kepe any vowe Lawfull promises are to be kept and vnlawfull to he broken The vj. Chapter IN the beginning of the vj. he describeth Martine after the example of his own nature as in other places he describeth God after the complection of Popes Cardinals worldly tyraūts M. Martin will abyde but by the Scripture onely Tyndall And ye will come at no scripture onely And as for the old doctours ye will heare as litle saue where it pleaseth you for all your crying old holy fathers For tell me this why haue ye in England condēned the vnion of Doctours but because ye would not haue your falshead disclosed by the doctrine of them M. They say that a Christen man is discharged of all lawes spirituall and temporall saue the Gospell Tyndall Ye iuggle we say that no Christen man ought to bynde his brother violently vnto any law wherof he could not geue a reason out of Christes doctrine and out of y e law of loue And on the other side we say that a Christen man is called to suffer wrong and tyranny though no man ought to bynde hym vntill God rid vs therof so farre yet as the tyranny is not directly agaynst the law of God and fayth of Christ and no further More Martin was the cause of the destruction of the vplandish people of Germanie Tyndall That is false for then he coulde not haue escaped himselfe Martin was as much the cause of their cōfusion as Christ of the destruction of
empyre of Rome ordeined that the right and power to chose the Pope should be his and that no Byshop should bee consecrate till he had obtained of hym both consent and the ornamentes of a Byshop also whiche they now bye of the Pope vnder payne of cursyng and to be deliuered vnto blacke SathaÌ„ the deuill and losse of goodes Dist lxiij And Leo the third whiche succeded Adrian confirmed the same and crowned Charles Emperour of Rome for like seruice done vnto him And then there was appoyntmeÌ„t made betwene the Emperoures of Constantinople and of Rome and the places assigned how farre the borders of either Empire shuld reach And thus of one Empyre was made twayne And therfore the Empire of CoÌ„stantinople for lacke of helpe was shortly after subdued of the Turkes The sayd Leo also called Charles the most Christen kyng because of hys good seruice which title the kynges of Fraunce vse vnto this day though many of them bee neuer so vnchristened As the last Leo called our kyng the defender of the fayth And as this Pope Clemens calleth the Duke of Buâ—lder the eldest sonne of y t holy sea of Rome for no other vertue nor propertie that any man can know saue that hee hath bene all his â—yte a pickequarâ—ll and a cruell and an vnrighteous bloudshedder as his father that sitteth in that holy sea is So now aboue seuen hundred yeares to be a ChristeÌ„ kyng is to fight for the Pope and most Christen that most fighteth and sleath most men for his pleasure This Charles was a great conquerour that is to say a great tyraunt ouercame many natioÌ„s with the sword and as the Turke compelleth vs vnto his fayth so he coÌ„pelled theÌ„ with violence vnto the faith of Christ say the stories But alas Christes fayth whereunto the holy Ghost onely draweth mens hartes thorough preachyng the worde of truth and holy liuyng accordyng therto he knew not but vnto the Pope hee subdued them and vnto this superstitious Idolatrie whiche we vse cleane contrary vnto the Scripture Moreouer at the request and great desyre of his mother hee maryed the daughter of Desiderius kyng of Lombardy but after one yeare vnto the great displeasure of his mother he put her away agayne but not without the false sutiltie of the Pope thou mayst be sure neither without his dispensation For howe could Charles haue made warre for the Popes pleasure with Desiderius her father and haue thrust hym out of his kingdome and banished his sonne for euer deuiding his kingdome betwene him and the pope as long as she had bene his wife And therfore the Pope with his authoritie of bynding and losyng losed the bondes of that Matrimony as he hath many other sence and dayly doth for lyke purposes to the entent that he would with the sword of the Frenche kyng put the kyngdome of Lombardy that was somewhat to nye him out of the way by the reason of whose kings hys fatherhode could not raygne alone nor assigne or sell the Byshopprikes of Italy to whom he lusted and at his pleasure The sayd Charles also kept iiij concubines and lay with two of his own daughters therto And though he wist howe y t it was not vnknowne yet his lustes being greater theÌ„ great Charles he would not wete nor yet refrayne And beyond all that the saying is y t in his old age a whore had so bewitched him with a ryng and a pearle in it and I wotte not what imagerie grauen therein that he went a saâ—te after her as a dogge after a bitche and the dotehead was beside him selfe whole out of his mynde in so much that wheÌ„ the whore was dead he could not departe from the dead corps but caused it to be enbaâ—…ed to be caryed with him whether soeuer he went so that al the world wondered at him till at the last his Lordes accombred with carying her from place to place and ashamed that so old a man so great an Emperour and such a most Christen kyng on whom whose dedes euery mans eyes were set should dote on a dead whore toke counsell what should be y e cause And it was coÌ„cluded that it must nedes be by enchauntement TheÌ„ they went vnto the Cophyne and opened it and sought and found this ring on her finger which one of the Lordes tooke of and put it on his owne finger WheÌ„ the ring was of he commaunded to burye her regardyng her no longer Neuerthelesse he cast a phantasie vnto this Lord and began to dote as fast on him so that he might neuer be out of sight But where our Charles was there must that Lord also be and what Charles did that must he be priuey vnto vntill that this Lord perceauyng that it came because of this enchaunted ring for very payne and tediousnesse tooke and cast it into a well at Acon in Douchland And after that the ryng was in the well the Emperour coulde neuer depart from the towne but in the â—ayd place where the ring was cast though it were a foule marresse yet he built a goodly monastery in the worship of our Lady and thether brought reliques from whence he coulde gette them and pardoÌ„s to sanctifie y e place to make it more haunted And there he lyeth is a Saint as right is For he did for Christes Vicar as much as the great Turcke for Mahomete but to saue his holines that he might be canonised for a Saint they fayne in hys life that his abiding there so continually was for the hotte bathes sakes which â—e there AFter Charlemayne Lewes y e mylde was Emperour which was a very patient man another Phocas and another pray for the Pope and so meke and softe that scarcely he coulde be angry at any thing at all When our holy fathers had seene his water and spyed what complexion he was they chose Steuen the 4. of that name Pope without his knowledge and bad him neyther good morrow nor good euen nor once God speede about the matter against their owne graunt vnto his father for his good seruice And his softnes was yet somewhat displeased therwith in as much as the election of the Pope pertayned vnto his right But the Pope sent Embassadours wrote all the excuses that he coulde and came after him selfe to Fraunce to him and peaced him and crowned hym there Emperour and passed the tyme a season with him and they became very familiar together After that they chose Paschalis Pope of the same maner which Paschalis sent immediatly Legates vnto the Emperour softe Lewes excusing hymselfe saying that it was not his faulte but that the clergie and the commoÌ„ people had drawne him thereto with violence against his will Then the Emperour was content for that once bad they should no more do so but that the olde ordinaunce ought to
make aunswere to thus Supper of the Lorde bringyng â—o â—or them their vnwritteÌ„ wordes dedes dreames for we haue compelled More with shame to flitte froÌ„ the Scripture strewed with their vame straunge termes which Paul damneth and geueth Timothe warning of I shall by gods grace so set the almighty word of God against them that all Christen shall see falshead and deceite in this SacrameÌ„t and so disclose theyr deuilish doctrine and fleighty iugglyng that all that can read Englishe shall see the trouth of Gods word openly beare downe their vnwritten lyes For it is verely the thyng that I desire euen to be written agaynst in this matter for I haue the solutions of all theyr obiections ready And know right well that the more they styrre this Sacrament the broder shall theyr lyes be spread the more shal theyr falsehead appeare and the more gloriously shall the trouth triumph as it is to see this day by long contention in this same and other lyke Articles which the Papistes haue so long abused and how More hys lyes vtter the truth euery day more and more For had he not come beggyng for the Clergy from Purgatory with his supplication of soules and Rastel and Rochester had they not so wysely played theyr partes Purgatory peraduenture had serued them yet another yeare neither had it so soone haue bene quenched nor the poore soule and Proctour there bene with his bloudy Byshop ChristeÌ„â—atte so farre coniured into hys owne Vtopia with a sachell about hys necke to gather for the proude Priestes in Synagoga Papistica When Christ was ascended into heauen and had sent his Apostles the spirite of truth to leade them into all truth perteinyng vnto our saluation euen â—nto hym that sayd I am the truth of whiche truth hee instructed them after his resurrection Luke xxiiij and they had preached the same truth nowe at IerusaleÌ„ Actes ij at which preachyng there were that receiued their wordes and were Baptised about iij. M. hys Apostles remembryng how their maistâ—â— Christ at his last Supper did institute and leaue them this holy Sacrament of his body and bloud to be celeâ—â—ated and done in his remembraunce among such as had receiued his Gospell were Baptised had professed hys fayth and would perseuer in his Religion dyd now in this first congregation celebrate the Lordes Supper breakyng the bread and eatyng it as Christ dyd teach them which Supper Luke and Paule called afterward the breakyng of the bread As Actes ij saying That they which gladly had now received Peters acte were baptised were perseuering in the doctrine of the Apostles and in the communioÌ„ and in the breakyng of the bread and in prayer whiche Sacrament was now a token of the perseueraunce in theyr Christen Religion now professed Of this breakyng of bread Luke writyng of Paule commyng vnto Troades sayth also that their vpon a Sabboth day when the Disciples were come together vnto the breakyng of the bread Paule made a Germon duryng to mydnight c. And that this was no common nor prophane vse but an heauenly Sacrament and a reuerent rite and vsage the circumstaunces of the action declare both in Luke and Paule shewyngit to be the very institutioÌ„ that Christ ordeyned at his Supper Paule thus recitynge this breakyng of the breake saying The bread whiche we breade is it not the felowshyp of the body of Christ y t is to say doth it not signifie vs to be the body of Christ that is hys congregation and people as doth the wordes folowyng declare Paule addyng the cause saying For we beyng many are all together siguified by the one loafe to be one body for that we be partakers of the same bread Also before he calleth in the same Supper the cup of thankes geuyng the felowshyp of the bloud of Christ that is to say the congregation redemed with Christes bloud The holy Sacrament therefore would God it were restored vnto the pure vse as y e Apostles vsed in it their tyme. Would God the secular princes which should be the very pastours and head rulers of their congregations coÌ„mitted vnto their cure would first coÌ„maunde or suffer the true preachers of Gods woorde to preache the Gospell purely and playnly with discrete libertie and constitute ouer eche particulare Parish such Curates as caÌ„ and would preach the word and that once or twise in the Weeke appoyntyng vnto theyr flocke certeyne dayes after their discretion and zeale to Godward to come together to celebrate the Lordes Supper At the which assemble the Curate would propone and declare them first this texte of Paule i. Corinthians xj So oft as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cuppe see that ye be ioyous prayse and giue thankes preachyng the death of the Lord c. whiche declared and euery one exhorted to prayer he would preach them purely Christ to haue dyed and bene offered vpon the altare of the Crosse for theyr redemption whiche onely oblation to be sufficieÌ„t sacrifice to peace the fathers wrath and to purge all the sinnes of the world Then to excite them with humble diligence euery man vnto the knowledge of hym selfe hys sinnes and to beleue and trust to the forgyuenesse in Christes bloud and for this so incomparable benefite of our redemption whiche were sold bondemen to sinne to geue thankes vnto God the father for so mercyfull a deliueraunce through the death of Iesu Christ euery one some singyng and some saying deuoutly one or other Psalme or prayer of thankes gyuyng in the mother toung Then the bread and wyne set before them in the face of the Churche vpon the table of the Lord purely and honesty layed let hym declare to the people the significations of those sensible signes what the action and deede moueth teacheth and exhorteth them vnto and that the bread and wyne be no prophane common signes but holy Sacramentes reuerently to be considered and receiued with a depe fayth and remembraunce of Christes death and of the shedyng of his bloud for our sinnes those sensible thynges to represente vs the very body and bloude of Christ so that while euery man beholdeth with his corporall eye those sensible Sacraments the inward eye of his fayth may see beleue stedfastly Christ offred and dying vppon the Crosse for his sinnes how his body was broken and his bloud shed for vs and hath giuen hym selfe whole for vs hym selfe to be all ours and what soeuer he dyd to serue vs as to bee made for vs of hys father our righteousnes our wisedome holynesse redemption satisfaction c. Then let this preacher exhort them louyngly to draw neare vnto this table of the Lord and that not onely bodely but also their hartes purged by fayth garnished with loue and innoceney euery man to forgyue eche other vnfaynedly and to expresse or at least wise to endeuour them to folow that loue whiche Christ dyd set before our
although they haue not yet the rest but must suffer before in Purgatory that euasion will not this text suffer for the text sayth that they rest and are in peace as Esayas also sayth in the. lvij that the righteous and euery faythfull man is righteous in the sight of God as we haue often proued before when he departeth resteth in peace as in a bed And Sapiē iij. it is sayd that the righteous soules are in peace so is it not possible that there should be such a paynefull Purgatory Thus haue we confuted Rastell both his argumentes and also solutions for all that he writeth is false agaynst Scripture Furthermore we haue brought in to proue that there cā be no such Purgatory l. argumētes all grounded on Scripture And if néede were a mā might make a thousand of which our Clergy should not be able to auoyde one Here I thinke some mē will wonder that I haue the Scripture so full on my side because that there are certaine mē as my Lord of Rochester Syr Thomas More which by Scripture go about to proue Purgatory this is sure that Scripture is not contrary vnto it selfe Therfore it is necessary that we examine the textes which they bring in for their purpose in markyng the processe both what goeth before and what cōmeth after And then shal we easely perceaue the truth how these ij men haue bene piteously deceaued First I will aunswere vnto M. More which hath in a maner nothyng but that he tooke out of my Lord of Rochester although he handle it more suttelly And what soeuer is not aunswered in this parte shal be touched and fully conuinced in the third whiche shall be a seuerall booke agaynst my Lord of Rochester ¶ Thus endeth the first Booke The second booke which is an aunwere vnto Syr Thomas More MAister More begynneth with the sely soules of Purgatory and maketh them to wayle and lamēt that they heare the world waxe so faynte in the fayth of Christ that any mā should neede now to proue Purgatory to Christē mē or that any mā could be found which would in so great a thyng so fully and fastly beleued for an vndoubted article this xv hundred yeare begyn now to staggar and stand in doubt c. Verely me thinketh it a foule faute so sore to stomble euen at the first It were a great blot for him if he should be compelled by good authoritie to cut of iiij hundred of his foresayd nūber Now if we can not onely proue that he must cut of that iiij hundred yeare but also bryng witnesse that it was neither at that time beleued for an article of y t fayth nor yet for an vndoubted truth thē I thinke ye would suppose this man somewhat out of the way And that will I proue by Gods grace S. Austen was foure hundred yere after Christ And yet in his time was it not fully and fastly beleued for an article of the fayth no nor yet fully and fastly beleued to bee true For hee him selfe writeth in his Enchiridion on this maner speakyng of Purgatory After he expounded the place of Paul 1. Cor. 3. and had taken this word fire not for Purgatory but for temptation and tribulation he added these wordes in the. 69. chapter It is not incredible that such a thyng shuld also chaūce after this life whether it be so or not it may be questioned c. Of these woordes may we well perceaue that he counted it not for an article of y t fayth neither yet for an vndoubted truth for if it had bene an article of y e faith or an vndoubted truth then would hee not haue sayd Potest etiā queri that is to say it may be questioned doubted or moued for those holy fathers vsed not to make questions doubtes in articles of the fayth among thē selues neither yet in such things as were vndoubted true they vsed not to dispute whether Christe dyed for our sinnes rose agayne for our iustificatiō but onely beleued it Beside that the occasion why hée wrote the booke entitled Enchiridion was this There was one Laurētius a Christē man which instantly required of S. Austen that he would write him a forme of his belefe whiche hée might continually beare in hand and whereunto he should sticke Vpō this wrote him S. Austen this litle booke where in he commaundeth hym not fully and fastly to beleue these are M. Mores wordes that there was a Purgatory but sayth that it may be questioned doubted or moued whether there be such a place or not Of this haue we playne euidence that it was none article of y t fayth in S. Austens tyme which was foure hūdred yeare after Christ neither yet vndoubted truth And so may all men sée that M. More is sore deceaued and set on the sand euen at the first brunte and in the begynnyng of his viage His second reason that he hath to proue Purgatory is this The very miscreauntes Idolaters Turkes Saracenes and Paynimes haue euer for the most part thought and beleued that after the bodyes are deceased the soules of such as were neither deadly dampned wretches for euer nor on the other side so good but that their offences done in this world haue deserued more punishment then they had suffered and sustained there were purged and punished by payne after the death ere euer they were admitted vnto their wealth and rest And so must there nedes be a Purgatory I aūswere if it were lawfull to require wisedome in a man so wise as M. More is counted here would I wish him a litle more wit for I thinke there is no wiseman that will graunt this to be a good argumēt y t Turkes Saracenes Paynimes Iewes beleue it to be true Ergo we must beleue that it is true for I will shewe you a like argument The Turkes Saracenes Paynimes Iewes beleue that we haue not y t right Christ but that we are all damned which beleue in Christ Is it therfore true shal we turne our fayth because they beleue that we be deceaued I thinke there is no man so foolish as to graūt him this But if M. More will haue his reasō hold he must argue on this maner The miscreauntes and infidels before named beleue that there is a Purgatory their belefe is true therfore we must beleue that there is a Purgatory Now foloweth this argument somewhat more formally Here might I put him to the profe of his Minor which is that their belefe in beleuyng Purgatory is true which thyng he shall neuer be able to proue But I haue such confidence of the truth on my side that I will take vpon me to proue the negatiue Cut̄ that their belefe is not true as cōcernyng Purgatory For these miscreauntes which beleue Purgatory beleue that there is a Purgatory for vs that be
of the bread by eatyng of it if as I say ye remember this thyng for which intent onely the Priest speaketh those wordes then if the Priest leaue out those wordes or part therof he can not hurt you For you haue all ready the effect and final purpose for y e which he should speake them And agayne if he should wholy alter them yet he caÌ„ not deceiue you For then ye be sure that he is a lyer and though you sée the Priest bryng you the wyne consecrated yet neuer sticke at that For as surely shall it certifie your conscience and outward senses though he consecrate it not so thou consecrate it thy selfe that is to say so thou know what is ment therby and geue hym thankes as though hee made a thousand blessynges ouer it And so I say that it is euer coÌ„secrated in hys hart that beleueth though the Priest consecrate it not And contrarywise if they consecrate it neuer so much and thy consecration be not bye it helpeth thée not a rishe For except thou know what is meant therby and beleue geuyng thankes for hys body breakyng bloudshedyng it can not profite thée Now where you say that if we see the thyng disordered by the Priest and Christes institution broken and wyttingly receiue it we make our selues partakers of the cryme I aunswer that if the reformation thereof laye in our handes then sayd you truth but sith it is written to priuate persons which may not reforme this matter and that the reformation therof resteth onely in y e hand of your Prince and Parlament for y e erroure consisteth not in the misordering of the matter by one Priest only but rather of the doctrine of them all sauing such as God hath lightened to these priuate persons I say y â— your doctrine should soner be the occasion of an insurrection which we labour to eshew then any quieting of them by Christes doctrine And therefore sith there is an other waye to wood sauing all vpright we will auoyde that perylous path But when ye sée Christes institution broken and the one kinde left out vnto the laye people why are ye pertaker thereof How beit as for his beleife that taketh it no better but for bare bread wine it maketh him litell matter consecrated or not sauing that the better it is consecrated the more it is euer noyous to him that receiueth it hauing his conscience combred with such an execrable heresie by which well appeareth that he putteth no difference betwene the body of our Lord in the blessed sacrament and the comon bread that he eateth at his dinner But rather he estemeth it lesse for the one yet I thinke or he begyn if he lack a priest he will blesse it him selfe the other hee careth not as he sayth whether it be blessed or no. What I reacon it more theÌ„ bread and wine I will shew you here after in declaring the minde of S. Paule vppon this sacrament that in the conclusion of this boke And in the meane season I will say no more but that he belyeth me And as for their blessinges consecracion profit not me except I consecrate it my selfe with fayth in Christes bloud with geuing him prayse thankes for his inestimable goodnes which when I was his enemy recoÌ„ciled me vnto his father by his own death This consecration must I set by if I will haue any profit of his death which y e sacrament representeth vnto me And if I my selfe do thus consecrate it then shal I be sure of y e fruite of his death And I say agayne that as y e Priestes doe now vse to consecrate it it helpeth not the poore comens of a rishe For their consecracion should stand in preaching vnto them the death of Christ which hath deliuered theÌ„ out of the Egipt of sinne from y e fiery fornace of Pharao the deuill And as for their wagging of their fingers ouer it and saying vj. or vij wordes in latten helpeth them nothing at all for how can they beleue by y e meanes of his wordes when they know not what he sayth And as touching the common bread that I eate at my dynner whether I haue a Priest or not I blesse it with my hart and not with my fingers and hartly geue God thankes for it For if I haue an hundreth Priestes to blesse it yet am not I excused therby For except I blesse it my selfe it profiteth me no more then if it were vnblessed And if I blesse it my â—elfe then I care not what the Priest prate For as long as I vnderstand him not it profiteth me nothing but in good fayth I wene the bishops and their proctour wote not what a blessing meaneth Therefore deare bretheren hearken to me To blesse God is to geue him prayse and thankes for his benefites To blesse a king or a prince is to thanke him for his kindnes and to pray to God for him that he may long raigne to the laude of God wealth of his comens To blesse a mans neighbour is to pray for him and to do him good To blesse my breade or meate is to geue God thankes for it To blesse my selfe is to geue God thankes for his benefites that I haue receiued of him to pray God that of his infinite goodnes he will increase those giftes that he hath geuen me finishe his worke which he hath begone in me vnto his laud and prayse and as touching this fleshe to fulfill his will in it and not to spare it but scurge cut and burne it onely that it may be to his honour glory This is the forme of blessing and not to wag two fingers ouer them But alacke of this blessing our Byshops be ignorant But as for those that are good and faythfull folke and haue any grace or any sparcle of reason in their heades will I verely thinke neuer to be so farre ouerseene as in this article the truth wherof God hath him selfe testified by as many open miracles as euer he testified any one to beleue thys younge maÌ„ vpoÌ„ his barren reasons against the fayth and reason both of all old holy writers and all good Christen people this xv C. yeares As for the miracles I maruell not at them neither may they make me the sooner to beleue it for Christ told vs before that such delusions shoulde come y â— if it were possible y â— very elect should be deceaued by them And S. Paule exhorteth vs to beware of such signes and wonders And therefore I do as Moses teacheth me when I heare of such a wonder then straight I looke on the doctrine that is annexed with it If it teach me to referre all the honor to God and not to creatures and teach me noghyng but that will stand with Gods worde then will I say that it is of God But if it teach me
such thynges as will not stand with hys word then will I determine that it is done by the deuill to delude the people with damnable idolatrye When Paule and Barnabas preached at Listra and had done a miracle among them the people ranne and would haue done sacrifice vnto them But the Apostles ranne among them and tare their clothes crying vnto them syrs what do you we are euen corruptible men as ye are and preach vnto you that you should leaue thys vayne superstition and worship the liuing God which made heauen earth the sea and all that is in them c. Here the Apostles refused such honour worship And therefore I am sure they would not suffer their images to haue it Now when I see a miracle done at any image and perceaue that it bringeth men to the worshipping of it self contrary to the facte and doctrine of the Apostles which would not receaue it them selues I must néedes conclude that it is but a delusion done by the deuill to deceaue vs and to bryng the wrath of God vppon vs. Euen so I say of the sacrament sith the miracles that are done by it do make mē thinke otherwise then Scripture will and cause men to worship it I doubt not but they are done by the deuill to delude the people Thou wilt peraduenture say that God will not suffer hym to abuse the sacrament of hys body and bloud Yes verely God will suffer it and doth suffer it to see whether we will be faythfull and abide by hys worde or not And maruell not therof for God suffered hym to take vp the very naturall body of hys sonne Christ and set him on a pinnacle of the temple And after he tooke hym vp agayne and lead hym to an exceding mountaine And therfore thinke not but that he hath more power ouer the Sacrament then he had ouer Christes owne body And therfore whē they tell me loe here is Christ loe there is Christ as Christ prophecied loe he is at thys altar loe he is at that I will not beleue them Neuerthelesse if I should graunt that all y e miracles which were done and ascribed vnto the sacramēt were very true miracles and done of God him selfe as I doubt not but some of them be true yet thereupon it doth not followe that the sacrament should be the very naturall body of Christ For we haue euident storyes that certayne persons haue bene deliuered from bodely diseases through the Sacrament of baptisme And yet y ◠water is not the holy Ghost nor the very thyng it selfe whereof it is a sacrament The shadow of Peter hath healed many and yet was not that shadow Peters owne person We read also that napkins and handkerchers were caryed from Paule vnto them that were sicke possessed with vncleane spirites and they receaued theyr health And yet it were neuerthelesse madnesse to thinke y e Paules body had bene actually or naturally in those thynges And therefore thys is but a very weake reason to iudge by the miracles y e presence of Christes body And surely you might be ashamed to make so slender reasons For God may worke miracles through many thinges which are not hys naturall body And as touchyng the olde Doctors whom you fayne to make with you and the truth of your opinion which you say hath bene beleued of all good Christen people this xv C. yeares is sufficiētly declared before and proued to be but a poynt of your olde Poetrie ¶ D. Barnes did graciously escape M. Mores hands ANd also Frier Barnes albeit that as ye wote well he is in many other thinges a brother of this yong mans secte yet in this he sore abhorreth his heresie or els he lyeth him selfe For at his last being here he wrote a letter to me wherin he writeth that I laye that heresie wrōgfully to hys charge And shew eth him selfe so sore greued therewith that he sayth he will in my reproch make a booke against me wherin he will professe and protest his fayth concerning this blessed sacrament But in the meane season it well contenteth me that Frier Barnes being a man of more age of more ripe discretion and a Doctor of diuinitie and in those thinges better learned then this young man is abhorreth this yongmans heresie in this poynt as well as he liketh him in many other The more your mastershyppe prayseth Doctour Barnes the worse men may like your matter For in many poyntes he doth condemne your damnable doctrine as in hys booke appeareth And therfore if such credence must be geuen to hym then much the lesse will be geuen to you But peraduēture you wil say y ◠he is to bée beleued in this point although he erre in other Where vnto I aunswere that if you will consent vnto him I would be well apayd and will promise you to wright no more in that matter For in this we both agrée that it ought not to be worshiped yea and blessed be God all the other whom you call heretickes And so both of vs do auoyde Idolatry which you with so great daunger do daylye commit And therfore if you alowe his learning then am I content that you dissent from me For let it not be worshiped and thinke as you will for then is the perillpast And sith we agrée in this poynt doubt not but we shall sone agrée in the residue and admitte ech other for faythfull brothers And your mastership sayeth that he wrot you a letter protesting that you lay y ◠heresie wrongfully to his charge I thinke it was more wisdom for him twise to haue written to you then once to haue come and tell you of it For it was plainely told hym y e you had conspired his death and that not withstanding his safe conduyte you were minded to haue murthered him and for that cause he was compelled both being here to kéepe him selfe secreatly and also priuely to departe the realme And blessed be God you haue sufficienly published your purpose in your aunswere against W. Tyndall Where you say that you might lawfully haue burnte hym Here mē may sée how perciable you are addict to our prelates And how prone ye were to fulfill their pleasures contrary to our Princes prerogatiue royall And thankes bee to GOD whiche gaue you such grace in the sight of our soueraigne that he shortly withdrewe your power For els it is to be feared that you would further haue proceded agaynst his graces prerogatiue which thyng whether it be treason or not let other men define But this I dare say that it is Printed and published to our Princes great dishonour For what learned man may in tyme to come trust to hys graces safeconduite or come at his graces instaūce or request sith not onely the spiritually whiche of their profession resiste hys prerogatiue but also a laye man promoted to such preheminence by hys graces goodnes
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