euery man in his callynge to geue no occasion of fallinge vnto eny man to mortifye their erthly membres et cet acording to the wholsome doctrine of the Apostle Call ye this a preaching of a fleshly and carnall libertye Is this a doctrine that maketh men renne at ryote and to do what they list I wondre verely that ye shame not thus to belye the trueth so oft As pertayninge to youre blasphemye whiche saie that it is a damnable iustificacioÌ„ where faith is preached onely to iustifye it is damnably spoken of you yee though an aungell of heauen shuld speake it yf holy S. Paul be true which saieth he ought to be holden accursed that preacheth any other gospell then that he himselfe and the other Apostles had preached Yf ye of a cancred hatred to the trueth haue not wilfully and maliciously taken parte agaynst the holy goost so that ye are but led ignorauntly by a blind multitude to affirme the saide inconuenience I praie god lende you a clearer fight in the Kyngdone of Christ But yf ye be mynded as were the Pharises and maliciously ascribe damnacion to it wherby onely we receaue saluacion as they ascribed vnto the deuell it that was the onely workynge of the holy goost then am I sore afrayed for you and for as many as are of that mynde For yf it be damnable to teach or preach wittingly agaynst the expresse worde of god then verely is this a damnable heresye to affirme that faith onely doth not iustifye seynge that holy scripture so teacheth As Gene. xv Esa liij Abac. ij Mar. xvj Luc. j. viij.xxiiij Iohn v. xvij Acto xiij xvj· Rom. iij. iiij.v.x Gal. ij iij.iiij.v Philip. iij.j. Pet. j. ij Heb. iiij xj Of this faith that scripture speaketh of so plentifully haue I made sufficient mencion in the prologe of that litle boke which I lately put forth in Englische concernynge the true olde faith of Christ Now like as the scriptures afore alledged do testifye for us that we meane no false ner vayne faith euen so is the same article of iustificacion defended and maynteyned by the doctous in many and sondrye places specially by S. Augustine in the ccclij chapter de vera innocentia De verbis Domini sermone .xl. De verbis Apostoli ser xxvij In the boke of the fiftye sermons the xvij sermon In the first boke of the retractes the xxiij chapter In the cv Epistle vnto Sixtus the bisshoppe In the xxv treatise vpon Iohn the sixte chapter In his manualle the xxij and xxiij chapter In the exposicion of the lxvij and of the lxx Psalme In the liij sermon de tempore In the v boke of his homelis the xvij homelye In the boke of the lxxxiij questions the lxvj chapter And in the prologe of the xxxj Psalme I might alledge Cyrillus Ambrose Origen Hilarius Bernarde Athanasius with other moo but what helpeth it Yet shall all the world know that youre heresye is not onely condemned by the open and manifest scripture but also by many of the doctours As for naturall reason it fighteth clerely agaynst you also yf ye pondre well the parable of the mariage in the xxij of Matthew and in the xiiij of luke the parable of the vnthriftie sonne in the xv of Luke the parable also of the detter in the xviij oâ— Matthew and in the seuenth of Luke Where as it was laied to D. Barnes charge how that he shulde teach that god is the authour of synne verely he protested openly at S. Mary spitle the tewesdaye in easter weke that he was neuer of that mynde howbeit he confessed as the trueth is that where as in his boke he had wrytten of predestinacion and fre will ther was occasion taken of him by his writynge that he shulde so meane But verely yf he had in that matter bene as circuÌ„specte as the children of this worlde are wyse in their generacion he might the better haue auoided the capciousnesse of men afore hand Neuertheles it appeareth planely that he mistrusted no such thing and therfore dyd to moch simplicite disceaue him in that behalfe as it doth many moo which are not so wyse as serpentes Nether fynde ye in all his boke these wordes God is the authoure of synne but ye maie fynde these wordes The gouerner of al thinges is most wise moost rightous and most merciful and so wyse that nothinge that he doth can be amended so righteous that there can be no suspicion in him of vnrighteousnesse et cet â–ª Item All thing that he doth is well done Whâ—â—fore yf they that laied that heresye to D. Barnes charge had remembred their owne distinction of malum pene and malum culpe at the reading of his wordes aswell as they can note it in other places they might easely haue perceaued his meanynge and not haue mistaken him Ye saye also D. Barnes dyd preach that workes do not profit Yf ye meane workes inuented by mens owne braynes not grounded on gods worde then verely might he well saye that such workes do not profit to saluacion For what soeuer is not of faith is sinne But yf ye meane such good workes as are coÌ„prehended in the coÌ„maundementes of god and within the precyncte of his word then truly ye fayle so to reporte of him for though saluacion be gods worke onely yet D. Barnes in his boke doth not onely condemne the fleshly and damnable reason of them which saye Yf faith onely iustifieth what nede we to do anye good workes et cet But also he affirmeth planely that we must nedes do them and that they which will not do theÌ„ because they be iustified alonely by faith are not the children of god ner childrne of iustificacion et ce For yf they were the very true children of god they wolde be the gladder to do good workes et cet Therfore saieth he shulde they also be moued frely to worke yf it were for none other purpose ner profit but onely to do the will of their merciful god that hath sâ—â—â—ely iustified them and also to profit their neghboure whoÌ„ they are bounde to serue of very true charite Are these wordes now asmuch to saye as workes do not profit Lorde god what meane ye thus vntruly to reporte of the deed Where as ye make this blynde obiection and saye of workes profit not so that faith onely iustifieth and Christes death be sufficient then penÌ„aunce is voyde and superfluous I answere A goodly consequent gathered nether of wittye sophistry wyse logyek ner of good Philosophy excepte it be of Philosophy vnnatural no ner of right diuynite Workes profit not to saluation ergo they profit nothing at all Is this a praty consequent Youre consequent is naught saieth S. Peter for by good workes must ye make your vocacion certayne and sure Alike argumeÌ„t might ye make after this maner and saye Yron is not profitable to chew or
why bring ye in this or any other place of the olde Testament to proue that the merites of sayntes in heauen do profit us seyng ye saye your selfe that afore Christes ascension ther were none in heauen and seing also that those vertues of Abraham and Dauid were thinges practised here and not in heauen God is my recorde I wonder greatly what ye meane thus to daly with his worde Touchinge merites I haue answered you allreadie but. S. Paul answereth you better and saieth that god geuing us his deare sonne hath geuen us all thinges with him and that in him dwelleth al fulnesse so that we are cōplete in him Sure I am also that no true seruaunt of god wil be otherwise minded then was holy Iohn baptist which saide that out of Christes fulnesse all we receaue grace et cet and that grace and trueth cōmeth by Iesus Christ Yf the merites then that ye speake of be anye parte of grace and trueth then must ye nedes graunt that we receaue them onely of him But surely ye haue some vngracious and false matter in hand Standish He speaketh nothinge of oure workes after our iustificacion but onely of workes before faith which in dede are not meritorius et cetera Couerdale Afore to proue by Cornelius workes that our iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion Ye saye that his good workes before he was iustified somthing deserued that he shuld be called in to the congregacion of our sauioure and so through gods mercy his workes dyd deserue much of allmightie god These are your awne wordes And now cleane contrary to the same ye graunte that workes before faith are not meritorious Thus by youre awne wordes condemne ye youre awne doctryne But though euery good worke done in true faith after gods commaundement shalbe rewarded and hath his promes annexed vnto it as yf I be mercifull vnto my neghboure god hath promised to haue mercy on me agayne shall that rewarde be geuen for my workes sake and not rather because of his owne promes and blessing in Iesu Christ Is not all oure sufficiency of god Can we thinke a good thought of our selues Is it not god which worketh in us both the will and the dede Whan god rewardeth any good worke doth he not crowne his owne giftes in us Stoppe your mouth then and knowlege your selfe to be in gods daunger and in his dett Why boast ye of your merites agaynst the doctryne of gods worde Why graunt ye not with S. Luke whom ye alledge your selfe that whan ye haue done all such thinges as are commaunded you ye are an vnprofitable seruaunt And with S. Paul that the paynes taken in this life are not worthy of the glory for to come Do ye not saye your selfe also these wordes We must think and surely beleue that all cōmeth of Christes liberalite which frely did cal us and loue us before we loued him What practise then of anye wordly prynce can proue this trueth to be false Your owne wordes and sentences destroye your doctryne of merites Folowe S. Augustines counsaill thē and boast not of mens merites but let the grace of god which raigneth thorow Iesus Christ haue all the preemynence And yf ye haue any workes folowinge the fre and liberall vocation of god thē graunt with Chrisostome that they are his rewarde and youre dewtie and that the giftes of god are his owne benignite grace and greatnesse of his owne liberalite Barnes WEl haue ye yet any thing more to saye then called he M. Shyreffe and sayd haue you any articles against me for the which I am condemned And the sheriffe answered no. Then said he Is there here any man els that knoweth wherfore I die or that by my preaching hath taken any erroure let them now speake and I will make them answere And no man answered Then sayd he well I am condemned by the lawe to die and as I vnderstōd by an acte of perliamēt but wherfore I cā not tel but belike for heresy for we are like to be burnt Standish Articles agaynst the What articles dyddest thou reuoke at the spyttle et cet Couerdale A very spittle fashion is it no doubte to aske questions of the deed And I suppose verely that excepte it be a cōiurer a iugler or a worker with spretes there is none that vseth it Touchinge articles at the spittle I am certaine D. Barnes dyd not affirme there that faith doth not iustifie or that Christes death was not the sufficient satisfaction for our synnes Now where as he was enioyned to affirme that though Christ be oure onely mediatour sauyour iustifier and onely satisfaction vnto god for the sinnes of them that beleue in him Yet yf we loose this grace thorow sinne then must we rise agayne by true pennaunce et cet Yf for this article I saye ye will gather that he shulde reuoke then do ye interprete his wordes contrary to his owne declaracion that he made of them in the same sermon In so much that the sondaye after at Pauls crosse as I vnderstond D. Wilson could laye no greater thing to his charge then that he had expounded pennaunce after his wont maner by the office of the law and the gospell Now like as afore in your wordes ye compare this his confession to the cōfession of the deuel so by this and such other your tawntes ye wold make the world beleue that he reuoked al trueth at the spittle felde and that he had all his life tyme taught an vngodly and carnall libertye the contrary wherof is euident not onely by this present protestaciō but also by his wryting and preaching afore Namely that to the true beleue and consent of the hert are necessarilie required good Christen frutes in euery man and womans conuersacion acording to the same Wherfore this his confessiō so long as he mainteined no damnable errour contrary vnto it which in all your babling boke ye haue not proued nether shalbe able to do was a sufficient euidence at his latter ende that he dyed a true Christen man Nether can ye iustly condemne him that maketh no worse confession on his death bedde Agayne S. Iohn saieth Euery sprete which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of god Wherfore ye are to rashe in iudgment to affirme that he was iustly condemned for heresie seinge that he nether helde any doctryne ner manteined by euell conuersacion eny thing out of which ye can truly deduce that euer he denied the true faith of god or any one of the benefites or offices of Iesus Christ As for the articles that were laied against him in Cambrige aboue xij yeares agoo verely like as in repetinge of thē ye accuse your church to pretende an outward forgyuenesse and yet to kepe hatred stil many yeares So appeare ye to fauour them that accused him of the saide articles in som
can stoppe the trueth no farther ye wold beare us in hand that it is the wryters iudgment onely which ascrybeth vnto him that he paciently toke his death as though there were none els that herd him and sawe him dye but the wryter alone Couerdale Allbe it I will iudge onely of the outwarde behaueour Couerdale Iudge not after the outward appearaūce saieth our sauyour but geue a righteous iudgment Yet do ye not as ye saye for in many places of your treatise ye iudge the mans mynde and intent yee contrary to his wordes Standishe Takyng occasion by his erroneous wordes to iudge he dyed an obstinate heretike Couerdale Ye can not denye but that after the open confession of his faith and his humble requestes vnto the Kynges grace he than reconcyled himselfe to all men and at the last whan he had desyred thē to praye for him toke his death paciently and yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightye god For all this ye do not onely call his wordes erroneous but also geue sentence that he dyed an obstinate heretike Standish And as for the inward secretes whether he be condēned or saued whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no et cet I remitte that to the secrete counsaill of the blessed trenite Couerdale A wonderfull thing is it that ye are so vnstable in your wordes Do ye not take vpon you afore to iudge that he dyed an obstinate heretike And now ye can not tell whether he be saued or condemned whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no. But can an obstinate heretike yelde vp his soule whan he is deed all ready Can an obstinate heretike be saued Beholde now to what worshippe ye bring your doctryne at the last Standish Vnto whom be laude honour and glory for euermore Amen Couerdale Amen Euen to that same blessed trenyte father sonne and holy goost be honour and glory now and euermore Amen The Apostle describing the office and dewtie of a ministre or preacher of gods word wylleth him among all other qualities to shew himself such a laudable workman as nede not be ashamed handling the word of trueth iustly Wherfore seyng ye haue so vnreuerently handled gods holy word peruerted it wrested it and belyed it so oft and many tymes in your treatise Maruaill not at this myne inuectyue agaynst your false doctryne As for symple ignoraunce and such frayll weaknesse as accompanyeth the nature of man whether he will or no it may be suffred and borne But wilful spurnyng at gods holy word froward and false belieng therof must nedes be rebuked and improued Your zele for all your holy pretēce is to suppresse gods trueth to mainteine that doctrine which the catholike or vniuersal church of christ neuer receaued and to defend the church malignaūt in hir wickednesse This is manifest by your present practise But god allmightie which soweth the sede of his holy word and dayly increaceth it in the hartes of his faithfull shall though no man els will maynteyne and defende it himselfe We also whom god will not to be ydle shall do our best and be carieng stones to the makyng vp of the wal which ye haue broken downe To the intent that Christ our sauyour maye haue his owne glorye which ye haue robbed him of our prince his honoure and oure neghboure his dewtie To all true Christen readers Faynt not thou in faith deare reader nether waxe colde in loue and charite though the enemies of gods worde be gathered together and growne in to such swarmes Be thou strong in the lorde and in the power of his might And let it not discorage the that the sayd worde is so litle in the estimacion of the world so greatly despised so sore persecuted so wickedly peruerted wrested and belyed so vnthankfully receaued so shamefully denied and so slouthfully folowed Arme thy selfe therfore with the confortable ensamples of the scripture And as touchinge those ioly Nimrottes that persecute gods worde hunting it out of euery corner whetting ther swerdes and bendyng their bowes agaynst it Be thou sure that the god of oure fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall do with thē as he euer was wont to do with tirauntes in times past Thou seist thorow out the stories of the holy byble how that like as he turneth some of their hartes from crueltie to mekenesse Euē so with death with fyre with water and with such other his plages destroyeth he them that will nedes despise his warninge Yee breaketh their bowes in peces and killeth thē with ther own swerdes As for Iamnes and Iambres those wicked sorcerers and couetous chaplens that teach cōtrary to gods worde and dissuade the greate mē of the world frō it Their owne wrestinge and belyeng of it must nedes cōfound thē For though ther be many that resist the truth yet whan it is uttered and commeth to light their madnesse as S. Paul saieth shall be manifest vnto all men And as Moses rodd deuoured their roddes in the Kynges presence So likewise the same places of scripture that they alledge for their wicked purpose shall destroye their false doctryne in the face of the world Yee euen as litle honestie as the papistry hath gotten by wresting of Tu es Petrus et cet so small profit are they like to haue for belyeng of other textes Nether is it to be feared but god will do for one parte of his worde asmuch as for another whan he seith his tyme. Concernyng those bely beastes that for no cōmaundement ner promes of god for no example warnyng ner exhortacion will be counsayled but still blaspheme his holy worde thorow their vngodly conuersacion let not that withdrawe the from the waye of righteousnesse Loue not thou Christ the worse though Iudas be a traytoure Sett not thou the lesse by his wholsome doctrine though dogges turne to their vomite and though swine walow in their stinking mire agayne I knowe gentle reader that to all true Christē hartes it is a great tentaciō to se gods holy worde either persecuted belyed or vnthankfully receaued But first remembre thy selfe well by the practyse of all stories whan was it without persecucion Whan was there not one tyraunt or other that exercised all his power strength witte and counsaill against it Whan were the childrē of Israel without some bloudy Edomites Egiptians Assirians Babilonians Philistines or other Secōdly Whan was not gods worde belied peruerted or euell spoken of by one false Prophet or other Were there not heretikes and flatringe chaplens in all ages that withdrue men from the trueth and misreported the straight waies of the lord Thirdly whan were there not some multitudes that pretēding a loue toward Christes word did but folow him for their own belies sake whan was the sede of Christes word sowē but some parte of it fell vpō the stony ground where it withred and among the thornes
A confutacion of that treatise which one John Standish made agaynst the protestacion of D. Barnes in the yeare M. D. XL. Wherin the holy scriptures peruerted and wrested in his sayd treatise are restored to their owne true vnderstonding agayne by Myles Couerdale Iacobi iij. Nolite gloriari mendaces esse aduersus ueritatem To the Reader To all them that either reade or heare gods holy worde and geue ouer them selues to lyue vnfannedly acording to the same do I hartely wysshe the grace peace and mercy of god the father in and thorow oure lorde and onely Sauioure Iesus Christ THe seuenth daye of Decembre was delyuered vnto me a certayne treatyse composed by one Iohn Standish Felow of Whittington college in londoÌ„ so is the tytle of it and prynted by Robert Redeman Anno M. D. XL. iij. Nonas Octobris At the reading wherof I mourned sore within my selfe for certayne occasions offred vnto me in the sande treatyse First that vnder the Kynges priuilege any thing shuld be set forth which is either agaynst the worde and trueth of allmightye god or agaynst the Kynges honoure Secondlye that good wholsome and Christen wordes shulde be calumpniated and reuyled Thirdly that the sayde Iohn Standish pronouncyng Doctoure Barnes to haue taught heresye so longe is not ashamed all this whyle to haue hold his penne but now first to wryte agaynst him whan he is deed et ce As touching the first whether I haue cause to mourne or no I reporte me to all true Christen hertes for as I am credibly enfourmed and as I partly haue sene there is now a wonderful diuersite in writing bokes and balates in England one enueyenge agaynst another one reuylinge and reprouyng another one reioysinge at anothers fall and aduersite And not onely this but also at the ende of euery balate or boke in maner whether it be the better partye or worse is set the Kynges priuilege Which as it is agaynst the glorye of god that one shulde reuyle another Is it not euen so agaynst the Kynges honoure Yee the shame is it of all Englande that vnder his priuilege anye erroneous contentious or slaunderous boke or papyre shulde be prynted Men wonder in other contrees that ther is so greate negligence of this matter in a realme where so wyse and prudent a counsail is â–ª And they that are moued with godly compassioÌ„ do lament Englande sory that ther is so great discencion in it sory that blasphemous ieasting and raylinge balates or bokes agaynst the manifest worde of god shulde either be suffred or priuilegied sory that gods trueth shulde thus spitefully be intreated of so greate a nombre Now the reformacion of this and all other defaultes lyeth onely in the hande of god To whom I referre it and to the rightfull admynistracion of his holy ordinauÌ„ce and auctorite in the kynges hyghnesse who whan he knoweth of the saide inconuenience how tryflinge and raylinge bokes and rymes are prynted vnder his priuilege wyll no doubte set a redresse herein Concernyng the seconde occasion aboue rehearced Is it not cause ynough forme and all other Christen to be right sory to mourne and lamente that the wordes which are good wholsome and acordinge to the holy scripture and Chrisies faith shulde be either blasphemed or taken to the worst Yf the Kynges grace shulde put forthe an wholsome proclamacion iniunction or commaundement as he doth many what true subiecte louynge gods holy ordinaunce and auctorite in his prynce wold not be greue to se anye man either spytt at those his soueraignes wordes or to defye them Yf we now which are Christen haue so iust occsion and are bownde to be thus wise mynded in this outward regiment wherein god hath appoynted us to be obedient to the hyer powers how much more cause haue we to water our eyes with sory hertes whan the proclamacion iniunction coÌ„maundement and worde of him which is kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes is thus reuyled and euell spoken of That the wordes of D. Barnes spoken at tbe houre of his death and here vnder written are good wholsome acording to gods holy scripture and not worthy to be euell taken It shalbe euidently sene whan we haue layed theÌ„ to the twych stone and tryed them by gods worde To the open text wherof yf ye take good hede ye shal se the peruerse doctryne and wycked opynions of Standish clerely confuted And no doubte god wyll so haue it because that vnder the pretence of bearing a zeale toward gods worde he taketh apon him to be iudge and geuer of sentence agaynst gods worde and to condemne it that gods worde aloweth And this as I sayde is another cause of the sorynesse of my hert that he which darre auowe another man to be an opeÌ„ heretike is not ashamed thus longe nether to haue written ner openly preached agaynst him by name but now to starte vp whan he is deed Is it not a greate worshippe for him to wrestle with a shadow and to â—â—ll a deed man Is he not a worthy souldyer that all the battayll tyme thrusteth his hand in his bosome and whan meÌ„ are deed then draweth out his swerde and fighteth with them that are slayne allreadye Iudge ye gentle readers yf Standish playeth not such a parte with D. Barnes To whom also he imputeth treason and yet proueth neuer a poynte therof agaynst him Yet were it as charitable a dede to confute all treason and to geue us warnynge of it by name as either to establishe false doctryne or to enueye agaynst good sayenges Yee a Christen and charitable acte were it in reprouyng anye traytoure to tell the Kynges subiectes in what thing he committed the treason that they maye beware of the same But thus doth not Standishe here in this his treatise which because it is buylded on sande and on a false foundacioÌ„ I doubte not but with gods worde which is the swerde of the sprete and a weapen mighty to ouerthrow euery ymaginacion that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knowlege of god To geue it a fall and with holy scripture to shewe euydently that Standishe hath farre ouershott himselfe in condemnynge the sayenges which gods word doth not disalowe He that wolde wryte agaynst anye man shulde leuell his ordinaunce agaynst his euell wordes yf he had spoken or written anye and not agaynst his good wordes ffor god is the authoure of all good which as his holy scripture aloweth so will he himselfe defende the same He that is therfore an enemye to the thinge which is good or resisteth it is gods aduersary and withstondeth him Wherfore let Standish froÌ„ hensforth and all other beware that they take no parte agaynst gods worde ner defende any false matter lest god be the auenger ffor yf the lyon begynne to roare he will make all his enemies afrayed And yf D. Barnes dyed a true Christen man be ye sure his death shalbe a greater
stroke to ypocrisye then euer his life coulde haue bene Yf he was falsly accused to the Kynges highnesse and so put to death woo shall come to those accusers yf they repent not by tymes And yf D. Barnes in his hert mouth and dede committed no worse thinge towarde the Kynges highnesse then he committed agaynst god in these his wordes at his death he is like at the later daye to be a iudge ouer them that were cause of his death yf they do not amende Now indifferent reader to the intent that thou mayest the more clearly discerne light frō darknesse and knowe gods true worde from false docrine I shall whan I haue sayde somwhat to Standish preface rehearce vnto the. D. Barnes wordes Secondly though I rehearce not vnto the all Standish wordes lest I shuld make to greate a boke I shall poynte the to the begynning of his sentence requyring the yf thou wilt to reade out the rest thy selfe in his treatise Thirdly though he hath desserued to be roughly handled yet do I purpose by gods onely grace to deale more gently with him beynge alyue then he doth with the deed This interpryse now as I take in hand agaynst Standishe in this behalfe so am I ready to do the same agaynst the greate graundsire and captaine of false teachers I meane greate Goliath of Rome and his weapen-bearer That is agaynst all such as are enemies to Kynge Dauid oure lorde Iesus Christ for whose moost confortable sprete gentle reader I beseche the to praie with me vnto our moost deare father in heauen whose name be praysid whose kyngdome come whose onely wyll be fulfilled now and euer Amen Here Foloweth the Preface of Iohn Standish to the reader Standish TO se the most victoryous and noble Prynce oure soueraigne lorde the kyng labourynge and watchinge contynually wyth all diligent studye to expulse and dryue out I maye saye to pourge and clense this his catholike regyon etce Couerdale Though ye abuse youre termes in reporting that the Kyng goeth about to expell and dryue out his catholike region I will impute those youre wordes to the weaknesse of youre brayne and to the seacenesse of honest eloquence therin But yf the Kynges laboure watching and diligent studye in pourging and clensyng his realme from all heresies and scismes be occasion sufficient as it is in dede to compell euery true subiecte to helpe vnto the same why haue ye then bene so slack therin all this while Youre owne wordes bring yo in to a shrewd suspicion For ye knowe and haue sene with your eyes that the kyng hath these many yeares bene labouring and busie in abolishing out of his realme the vsurped power of the. B. of Rome his manifolde sectes of false religions his worshipping of ymages his disceatfull pardons his ydolatrye and pilgremages etc. Were not all these great heresies and scismes Or can ye excuse your selfe of ignoraunce that ye haue not sene how the Kyng hath laboured in putting downe the same Yf ye then be a writer against heresies and scismes why haue ye written agaynst none of these all this while Thus euery man which readeth your wordes maye se that ye haue bewraied your selfe to be a fauourer of such thinges Standish Wherfore maruayll not gentle reader etc. Couerdale Contrary now to your request wil euery man maruail at you not onely because ye declare your selfe to haue borne all this whyle no ryght loue toward gods word to the saluacion of mens soules ner to the dewtye that ye owe to your prynce but also because that now thorow the occasion of a poore mans deeth ye first starte vp to wryte as though the Kyng had put downe no heresies afore D. Barnes dyed Is this the zele that ye bear toward gods word and towarde his people Such a zele had they of whom the Apostle speaketh to the Galathians sayenge They haue no good zele vnto you but wolde thrust you out namely from the trueth that ye might be feruent to them ward Where as ye write the daye and yeare of D. Barnes death it increaseth your owne confusion and shall be a cleare testimonye agaynst youre selfe for resistinge those good wordes of his protestacion yf ye forsake not youre heresye in tyme. Yee euen by youre owne penne haue ye brought it to pas that it shall not be forgotten till the worldes ende what a Christen testament and last will D. Barnes made at his death and how paciently he forsoke this life Standish FOr in his protestacion is both conteyned heresye and treason Couerdale For saie ye in his protestaciō et cet Is that the cause why ye do enterpryse and take in hande to wryte agaynst it Then verely declare ye youre selfe not onely to be parcial but also a fauourer of heresye and treason knowinge so many to haue bene attaynted therof within these seuen yeares Standish ALlbeit do not thynke that I wryte this thorow anye malyce toward him that is burned etc. Couerdale He that compareth youre wordes to your dede shall soone perceaue that ye haue cast milk in youre owne face and that for all youre holy pretence some spice of Cainish stomake hath made you now do more then all the Kynges noble actes in abolishinge the saide abuses coulde make you do many yeares afore though the same yf ye were a true subiecte were by youre owne confession sufficient cause for you so to do Howbeit it is not I that go aboute to laye malice to youre charge youre awne acte is not your best frende I praye god your conscience accuse you not therof But why take ye god to recorde in a false matter Do ye not confesse yourselfe that the Kynges graces laboure watchinge and diligent studie is the thinge that causeth and compelleth you to write against D. Barnes protestacion and that thorow the loue and feruent zele ye beare towarde gods word and the saluacion of mens soules et cete And now take ye god to recorde that ye do it for feare lest the people schulde be infecte 〈◊〉 the multitude of copies of the saide protestacion Against the which feare I knowe none other comforte for you as longe as ye will not harken vnto gods worde but that wisdome it selfe geueth you in Salomons Prouerbes Namely that the thing which ye feare shal come vpon you and euen it that ye are afrayed of shall fall in sodenly amonge you This am I certified of not onely by the same place of scripture but euen by this youre present acte in putting forth youre treatise to be printed with and against the saide protestaciō For yf ye feare the great infection of the people thorow the multitude of copies therof why caused ye it to be printed or any man els for you Is the printing of the saide protestacion the nexte waie to kepe copies therof from the people Ye maie well haue witte but sure ye lacke policie Such a like wise waie was takē in England within these
few yeares by certaine abbottes which thinkyng therby to vpholde their false religions wrought moued or els consented to insurrection within diuerse parties of the realme And yet was the same their wisdome a cause that haisted their owne destructiō And euen so now by youre printinge of the saide protestaciō ye haue brought it so to pas that the thinge whiche ye feared is come to light Thus can god pull downe his enemies houses with their owne hondes Certainlie like as I neuer heard that ther was any copie therof till I sawe it in youre boke so am I credibly enfourmed that it was neuer in printe afore Where as ye saie that it is an erroneous and traiterous protestaciō it is sooner saide then proued nether maketh it greately for youre honestie to knowe many secrete embracers of heresie and treason and not to utter them But ye maie twise saie it afore ye be ones beleued onely they that are of god wil whan thei haue tried and examined al thinges kepe that which is good and eschuethe contrary Standish BVt I trust in allmightie god yf it please you to rede this litle treatise with a louyng zele toward oure mother the holy church et cetera Couerdale Here do ye manifestly declare what zele moued you to write against D. Barnes protestacion Namely not any iust zele or loue toward gods worde or his people but euen because ye feare lest your mother shulde come to shame yf the trueth were knowne therfore to shew youre mother a pleasure ye thoughte to do youre best in defending her Nether helpeth it your pretēce anie thinge at all though ye call hir holy for euery such secte as ye be of hath a sundrie holinesse which commeth not of the sprete that sanctifieth Now like as your owne acte came of that zele which ye beare toward the church of the wicked so wolde ye haue youre treatise red with the same zele to the intent that the readers might smell heresie and treason where none is and be poysoned with such a corrupte iudgment as ye be of youre selfe Agayne how are ye or all men lyuinge able to proue that this protestacion of D. Barnes doth smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason Is it heresie and treason to teach no erroneous doctrine to teach onely those thinges that scripture leadeth vnto to manteyne no erroure to moue no insurrection to be falsly slaundred to confute the false opinion of the Anabaptistes to deteste and abhorre all such sectes to set forth the glory of god obedience to the hyer powers and the true religion of Christ Doth it smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason to beleue in the holy and blessed trenite to beleue the incarnacion passiō death and resurrection of oure lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ Is it heresye and treason for a synner to desire god to forgeue him to trust onely in the death of Christ to set forth good workes to beleue that ther is a holy church to beleue a life after this to speake reuerently of saintes to call oure lady a virgin immaculate and vndefiled to knowlege a Christen beleue concerning the body and bloude of oure lorde to ascribe vnto saintes the honoure that scripture willeth them to haue to praie for the Kyng and his counsaill et cete Do such thinges smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason Wo vnto thē that call good euell and euell good darknesse light and light darknesse swete sower and sower swete Though ye do also esteme them to be heretikes and traitours that take parte with D. Barnes protestacion yet doth not youre estimacion or iudgment discorage me in this behalfe Nether is it my minde or will to medle with his offence yf he cōmitted anie against the Kyng nether to defende this his protestaciō with anie hand or weapen of man but by the scriptures to beare recorde vnto the trueth and to reproue youre peruerse and straunge doctrine which ye do teach against the same Standish FOr surely such as do improue them et cete Couerdale This youre saienge proueth not the cōtrary but that seinge ye resist the trueth I maie tell you your faute and enfourme you better acording to the Apostles doctrine yf god at any tyme will graunt you repentaunce for to know the trueth and to turne from the snare of the deuell et cete If I can vnderstonde that thorow this enfourmacion ye will geue place to the open and manifest trueth godschall haue the praise and I shall thincke my laboure well bestowed Yf the trueth can haue no place in you by faire meanes but he wil stil resiste it obstinately and belye it as ye do here in this youre treatise then verely ye maie be sure to be afterward so handled as the lymites and boundes of gods holy scripture wil suffre I beseche god acordinge to his good pleasure that ye maie haue eies to se eares to heare and an hert to vnderstonde his holy worde to consente vnto the same and in all pointes to liue therafter Amen Here foloweth the protestacion of S. Robert Barnes Barnes I Am come hither to be burned as an heretike and you shall heare my belefe wherby ye shal perceaue what erroneous opynions I holde Standishe I am sory to se the obstinate blindnesse and finall induracion in this his protestacion which wolde clere iustifie and excuse himself by colour and disceate Couerdale Christ oure sauioure makyng mencion of his owne death afore he was hanged apon the crosse saide these wordes Beholde we go vp to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shalbe betraied condemned mocked scourged crucified et cetera Whan a true man commeth to be hanged on the galowes Is it obstinate blindnesse and finall induracion for him so to saie Peraduenture ye will saie vnto me Take ye D. Barnes then for a true man I answere Verely these his wordes proue him no false man for he saide that he came to be brent And sure I am that he came not to the fire to be made a bisshoppe Morouer D. Barnes tolde the people that they shulde heare his beleue et cet And ye laie to his charge for his so doinge that he wolde cleare iustifie and excuse himselfe with coloure and disceate As though he iustified himself with colour and disceate which acordinge to S. Peters doctrine is ready allwaie to geue answere vnto euery man that asketh him a reason of the hope which is in him Was not D. Barnes instantly required to shew his faith and to open his minde in sondrie thinges Againe though he or anie man els wolde clere himfelse from such thinges as are wrongfully laied to his charge did he euell therin Yf it be so then did holy S. Paul leaue us a shrewd ensample in the Actes Standishe Which ought to haue accused condemned and utterly forsaken all that he had offended in si nos ipsos iudicaremus non utique diiudicaremur a domino
Couerdale I answere By youre owne wordes then it foloweth not that he was bounde to accuse and cōdemne himselfe of the thinges that he had not offended in But by youre leue where as ye bring in this text of S. Paul Si nos ipsos et cetera ye peruerte it not alledginge it as it standeth but thus Si nos ipsos iudicaremus non vtique diiudicaremur a Domino That is to saie Yf we iudged oure selues we shulde not be iudged of the lorde But. S Pauls wordes are these Quod si nos ipsos diiudicaremus non vtique iudicaremur Dum iudicamur autem a Domino corripimur ne cum hoc mundo damnemur That is to saie Yf we wolde iudge or reproue oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whan we are iudged we are chastened of the lorde lest we shulde be damned with this worlde Wherfore the peruerting of this texte now at the first bront causeth me the more to suspecte you and to trust you the worse because the deuell himselfe is scolemaster to such chopping vp of the texte As we maie se in the gospell of Mathew and Luke Now go to Yf I finde anie moo such iugling castes with you ye are like to heare of it afore I come to the ende of your boke For weaknesse and ignoraunce can I well awaie withall so longe as it is not wilfull but the peruerting or choppinge vp of a text of holy scripture is not to be borne vnrebuked Standishe Marke here how he vseth Ironia et cetera Couerdale Ye confesse that D. Barnes in his forsaide wordes doth vse ironia and yet contrary to the significacion of the worde ye are not ashamed to affirme that he confessed herewithall both heresie and erroneous opinions Now is ironia asmuch to saie as a mockage derision or meaning of another thinge then is expressed in the wordes Which maner of speakynge is much vsed not onely thorow out the Prophetes in holy scripture but also among the Heithen Poetes And the same phrase of speche haue we in Englische As whan a man saieth to ashrewde boie Come hither good sir ye are a vertuous childe in dede et cete meaninge nothinge lesse For asmuch then as ye your selfe cōfesse that D. Barnes doth here vse ironia it is euidēt that whan he saide these wordes You shall perceaue what erroneous opynions I holde his meaninge was how that the people shulde know that he helde no erroneous opinions As it appeareth by these his wordes folowinge Barnes GOd I take to recorde I neuer to my knowlege taught any erroneous doctrine but onely those thinges which scripture led me vnto Standishe Iustly pondre by the Prophet Psal cxl how greuous offence is partinax excusatio in peccatis et cet Couerdale Like as ye can not iustly laie anie partinacite to D. Barnes for those his wordes so proue ye the greuousnesse therof full slenderly out of the cxl Psalme yf the true readinge of the text be wel and iustly pondred Where as he taketh god to recorde in the trueth of so waightye a matter the scripture is full of holy ensamples that beare him therin What partinacite is there then in that acte He durst avowe also that to his knowlege he neuer taught anie erroneous doctrine and yet are ye not ashamed to ascrybe partinacite vnto him and to call him an obstinate heretike where as S. Hierome in his fourth boke the xxiiij chapter vpon Mathew writeth thus He is an heretike that vnder Christes name teacheth the thinges which are agaynst Christ Yf. D. Barnes therfore had wittingly and willingy taught anye thing against Christ ye might haue laied great partinacite to his charge Trueth it is that he beinge in ignoraunce and disceaued somtime by a multitude as you be did both erre and teach erroneous doctrine for the preferrement of the. B. of Romes vsurped auctorite and other abuses acording as many other lerned men moo in the realme haue done which haue sens both repēted toward god and also receaued the Kynges gracious pardon many yeares agoo Againe yf ye will laie partinacite to his charge because he was somtime in such grosse ignoraunce by the same argument might ye condemne Christes disciples of whose ignoraunce mencion is made in many places of the new Testament I saie not this to excuse ignoraunce but to reprehende the rashnesse of youre iudgment which presume to condemne them whō god hath called to repentaunce But peraduenture the pertinacite that ye laye to his charge is because he saieth he taught onely those thinges which scripture led him vnto For that is no small corsie to youre sore Ye wolde not haue scripture taught onely without other doctrines Neuertheles they that loue gods commaundement will teach nothinge but his worde onely for so hath he himselfe geuen cōmission Of his promises is mencion made both in Hieremie and in the gospell of Matthew As for ensamples we haue sufficiēt both of the Prophetes and Apostles which to die for it wold teach nothinge but scripture Reade the thirtēth chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fiftenth to the Romaines and the moost godly protestacion that S. Peter maketh in his seconde Epistle Let us geue place and cōsente to the holy scripture saieih S. Augustine for it can nether disceaue ner be disceaued The bisshoppes also and clergie of England in the Epistle of their boke to the Kynges grace do affirme that holy scripture alone sheweth men the right path to come to god to se him to knowe him to loue him to serue him and so to serue him as he moost desireth Wherfore they are rather obstinate agaynst god which in steade of his onely worde preach and teach other doctrines But let us heare what D. Barnes saieth more Barnes And that in my sermons I neuer mayntayned any erroure nether moued ner gaue occasion of anye insurrection Standish What blyndnesse wolde he leade us in to Who hath not heard him preach agaynst all the ordinaunce of Christes church et cete Couerdale As for blindnesse ye nede no leader to bring you in to it oure lorde whan his will is bringe you out of it This man toke god to recorde that he neuer mainteined anye erroure Wherby like as he denied not but that he might erre as he did erre grosly whan he lyued in the Papistry euen so lefte he us an ensample to forsake all errours and to maynteyne none Call ye this a leadinge in to blyndnesse Then farewell all good ensamples of humilite and repentaunce To the other parte of youre cauillacion I answere It wolde be to longe a registre for you to rehearce the names of all those which neuer heard D Barnes preach agaynst the ordinaunce of Christes church I also am one of them which haue heard him as oft as euer dyd ye and yet as I hope to haue my parte of gods mercy in Christes bloude I neuer heard
to eate ergo it is nothing worth were not this a wise consequent The smyth will tell you a better tayle Peraduenture ye will excuse youre selfe and saie This consequent is not myne but Barnes wordes I answere Yes verely they be your owne wordes for ye saie planely afterward in your treatise Yf Christ had deliuered us from all payn satisfactory et ce we shuld nether mourne ner be penitent for our offence committed agaynst god nether nede we to mortifye our flesh This your fleshly and damnable reason this your heresye this foule stinckyng opinion this pestilent erroure and spirituall poyson Dyd Barnes utterly abhorre and condemned it by S. Pauls owne wordes in the xlix leafe of his boke So that the more I loke vpon youre wordes the mote I wonder at your shamelesse slaundring of the trueth But as touchinge this I shall haue more occasion to talke with you afterward Now to put you to youre probacion How are ye able iustly to proue that pennaunce is voyde and superfluous where faith is preached onely to iustifie the true faith of Christ is it that we speak of Is it not occupied then and worketh thorow godly loue and charite They then that duely receaue this faith do not receaue it to lyue worse or as euell afterward as they did afore god gaue it them For though we be saued by grace thorow faith and that not of our selues though it be the gift of god I saie not of workes Yet are we his workmanshippe created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes to the which god ordeyned us before that we shulde walke in thē Nether hath oure sauioure geuē us anie libertie to receaue it in vayne but teacheth us to forsake al vngodlynesse and wordly lustes and to lyue discretely iustly and godly in this worlde Therfore who so despiseth to lyue vertuously and to do good workes despiseth not man but god The same faith that onely iustifieth setteth forth this doctrine therfore doth it not destroye good workes and pennaunce Take you hede thē and beware what ye saie another i◠me I might pointe you also to S. Ambrose who treatinge of the calling of the heithen and declaringe the true origenal of oure saluaciō alledgeth the place afore rehearced of the ij to the Ephesians and sheweth that faith goeth as it were with childe beynge replenished with all good thoughtes and dedes and in due season bringeth them forth And. S. Augustine saieth these wordes Yf faith be the foundaciō of pennaunce without the which ther is nothing that can be good then is pennaunce ernestly to be required which as it is euydent is grounded in faith For a good tre can not bring forth euell frutes Matth. xij Pennaūce therfore which proceadeth not of faith is not profitable et ce These are S. Augustines wordes Faith then destroieth nether pennaunce ner good workes but is the wombe that beareth them both and of whom they both proceade Touchinge the article of forgeuenesse where ye saie that it is contrary to the ordre of oure Sauiours prayer that we must be forgeuen of god afore we can forgeue are ye not ashamed thus to proceade forth in blasphemies agaynst the manifest worde of god yee and clearly agaynst your owne wordes Do ye not cōfesse youre selfe that first god of his mercy onely geueth us grace with out which we can do nothinge that is good Is it not a good thing one man to forgeue another Do ye not graūt also that god first loued us yee euen whan he was not loued of us Why then shame ye not to wryte that it is agaynst the ordre of oure lordes prayer to be forgeuen of god afore we can forgeue Is the loue of oure sauioure agaynst the ordre of his prayer Or dyd he not forgeue us whan he loued us first Can he loue and not forgeue Thynke ye god to be of the nature of those which forgeue and loue not or that shew tokens and countenaūce of loue in outward appearaunce and forgeue not in their hertes A shame is it for you to take vpon you the office of a teacher of a reader of a preacher and to handle such a waightie matter as this is so slenderly so frowardly so crokedly so farre out of frame so wyde from the ordre of Christes sincere and true doctrine Red ye neuer the parable of forgeuenesse that oure sauioure telleth in the eightenth of Matthew Which parable like as it setteth forth oure dutye and teacheth us euery one to forgeue oure brethrens trespaces from oure hert rotes proueth it not likewise that the lorde first pitieth us dischargeth us and forgeueth us oure greate dette Is not loue and gentlenesse that one Christen man oweth to another a frute of the holy goost Is it not a worke of faith then and of the holy goost yee a frute of that pennaunce which proceadeth of them both one man to forgeue another Doth not our lorde himselfe saye A new cōmaundement I geue you to loue one another that euē as I haue loued you ye also maie loue one another etc. Be ye curteous saieth S. Paul one to another mercifull and forgeue one another euen as god hath forgeuē you in Christ Item Now therfore as the electe of god holy and beloued put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mynde mekenesse long sufferinge forbearing one another yf any man haue a quarell agaynst another Euen as Christ hath forgeuen you so do ye also Be these scriptures now against the ordre of oure lordes praier The wordes wherof yf we rehearce in ordre as he taught them then afore we aske anie peticion we first confesse that almightie god is oure father and we his children which we can not be excepte he hath graunted us forgeuenesse for Christes sake Agayne ther is no prayer good and acceptable without faith for how shal they call vpon him saieth S. Paul in whō they haue not beleued They therfore that truly saie their Pater noster are faithfull beleuers to whom eternall life is promised by Christes owne mouth and haue their sinnes forgeuē them of god Do ye not considre that they to whō oure lorde taught this praier were his Apostles and true Christen men which like as they them selues first haue forgeuenesse of god they shulde neuer els be Christen men so vse they to forgeue other acording to the doctrine of scripture For the Apostle saieth Be ye the folowers therfore of god as deare childrē and walke in loue euē as Christ loued us et ce And what Christen man beyng in his right witte dyd euer denye but that yf we which haue forgeuenesse of god will not forgeue oure trespacers he shall withdrawe his forgeuenesse from us But you not regardinge the ordre that god hath taken in the saluaciō of his people turne the roote of the tre vpwarde draw the threde thorow afore the nedle set the cart
afore the horse Yee your doctrine will haue us to be the fore goers of god and not the folowers of him as scripture byddeth us Standishe A reuocacion of these was red in octauis pasche et ce Couerdale What reuocacions ye make in mens names they beinge absent I can not tell But like as ye come to the sermon to take Christ in his wordes so are ye not to lerne to turne the cat in the pan This may all the world spie here in you that as ye are craftie and sotell to bring men to reuocacions so are ye malicious in diffaminge of them Standishe Furthermore reade his detestable bokes and you shal se what pestilent sede he hath sowid Couerdale Yf. D. Barnes bokes be detestable and to be abhorred why do ye bid us reade theÌ„ Will ye haue the kynges subiectes to read abhominable bokes As for the sede which he dyd sowe I can not greatly maruail at you that cal it a pestilent sede for in his boke he said these wordes Whan I am deed the soÌ„ne and the mone the starres and the elemeÌ„t water and fire Yee and also the stones shal defende this cause against them meaninge the cause of gods word against the spiritualty sooner then the veryte shulde perishe This is one corne of the sede that D. Barnes dyd sowe And verely so farre as I can perceaue this same litle praiy sede veryte will growe and come vp Yee I maye tel you it wil grow in youre owne gardeÌ„s whan ye are most against it â—or Christ tolde your predecessours planely that yf his disciples wolde not speake the very stones shulde crye acording to the prophecye of Abacue It is no wonder therfore though he cal this a pestileÌ„t sede For pestilent is asmuch to saye as hurtfull or vnwholsome so that yf ye suffre this sede of the verite to growe it will hurt youre false doctrine and the phisicians that haue sene your water saie that it is vnwholsome for your complexion Standish And therbye you shall perceaue how shamefully now he doth lye like as he hath done euer heretofore Couerdale By. D. Barnes bokes maye euery man perceaue that he confesseth the articles of the Christen beleue And yf he lyed euer here tofore as you reporte of him then sayde he neuer trueth Now is it manifest also that in his boke to the Kynges highnesse he confesseth that no man in England is excepte from the subiectioÌ„ of the Kynges power nether bisshoppe ner other He confesseth also that the Kynges prerogatyue is alowed by gods worde He saieth like wise in the nexte leafe that it is not laufull for the spiritualtye to depose a Kynge Is not this trueth Will ye saye then that he hath lyed euer here tofore Let not the Kynge ner his counsaill here these your wordes I will advyse you Now like as D. Barnes spake trueth in these thinges so heard I him saye to a sorte of malicious enemies of gods worde euen the sayenge of Christ to the wilful Iewes Ye are of the father the deuell and after the lustes of youre father wil ye do He was a murthurer from the begynnynge and abode not in the trueth for the trueth is not in him Whan he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and father of the same et ce Ye will graunt these wordes to be true I thinke Standishe Which wolde haue us here to beleue contrary to oure hearinge and seynge that he neuer taught ner preached heresye ner erroneous opynions Couerdale To that doth D. Barnes saie himselfe in his fore rehearced wordes that to his knowlege he neuer taught anye erroneous doctrine Somwhat also haue I sayde vnto you allready concernynge this matter Standishe I praye you what was his owne reuocacion et ce Couerdale Ye make answere to youre owne questioÌ„ your selfe Ye saie that he utterly there forsoke many of his olde damnable heresies Yf as you saye he forsoke there his olde damnable heresyes then dyd he there as he dyd in other his sermons euen shewed himselfe to abhorre the heresies of the papistrie for those were the olde infectioÌ„s that he was tangled withall somtyme Barnes ALlthough I haue bene slaundred to preach that oure lady was but a saffron bagg which I utterly proteste before god that I neuer meant it ner preached it but all my studie and diligence hath bene utterly to confounde and coÌ„fute all men of that doctryne as are the anabaptistes which denie that oure sauioure Christ did take anie flesh of the blessed virgin Mary which sectes I deteste and abhorre Standish Here he cleareth himselfe to be no Anabaptist as though ther were no heresie but that alone Couerdale Ye wolde be lothe youre selfe that other men shuld so vnderstoÌ„d your wordes or gather such a consequeÌ„t of theÌ„ Yf ye were accused to be a preuy these and came before a multitude to cleare youre selfe froÌ„ that vice wold ye meÌ„ shulde iudge you to be therfore of so fond opinioÌ„ as to thinke that ther were no moo vices but theft alone I doubte not but yf ye were strately examyned ye wolde saye that ther were also the vice of lienge the vice of malice of slauÌ„dring of bacbyting of frowardnesse of foolishnesse of wilfulnesse et cet Standish And yet this opinion to saie Christ did passe thrugh the virgins woÌ„be as water thrugh a cundeth was none of the Anabaptistes owne opinion It was one of the Maniches erroure and also Eutices errour whoÌ„ som of the Anabaptistes herin dyd folow Couerdale Whose erroure so euer it was I referre that to you for youre treatise declareth that ye be wel acquainted with heretikes Standishe Therfore M. Barnes hereby doth not pourge himselfe froÌ„ the Anabaptistes heresie concerning the baptime of infauntes Couerdale His disputacioÌ„s had oft times with theÌ„ his coÌ„tinual preaching against theÌ„ his dailie wordes also and conuersacioÌ„ was recorde sufficieÌ„t that he abhorred their erroure also in that behalfe Why wolde ye haue him theÌ„ to pourge himselfe therof Youre phisike is not good to geue a man a purgacion which is not infecte with such euell or grosse humours as require a purgacion Standishe Here he saieth he neuer gaue occasion to insurrecion But how saye you Dyd he not offre himselfe to cast his gloue in defence of his errours at Pauls crosse Couerdale He sayde at the crosse the thirde sondaie in lent Here is my gloue not in defence of anye erroure as ye vntruely reporte nether with materiall swerde buckler or speare to defende anye such thinge but with the swerde of gods worde to proue that god first forgeueth us afore we can forgeue and that they be no breakers of ordre which set forth gods worde and due obedience to their prince but they that mainteine their owne tradicions burne gods worde and regarde not the Kynges iniunctions et cet Standishe Dyd he not openly saye these thinges meanynge his errours must
put on sackcloth nether disfigure oure faces to be sene of men though whan we praye vnto god we pricke not our selues with botkens ner make to much babling of wordes Such flinges such morris dauncis such wanton gestures such light myrth we make not for our ioye and gladnesse is inward cōceaued in our brestes whan we fele the inestimable mercy and loue of god therin yee euē whan we are put to trouble and aduersite Another ioye haue we also and the same is likewise a frute of our repentaunce appoynted in scripture as whan we ioye with them that ioye whan we are glad of our neghbours welfare glad and cherfull to do him good glad to geue him lodginge et cet Wherfore to call such frutes of repentaunce any light or wanton myrth ye are to blame and of a wanton iudgment Standishe As these new felowes wold haue pennaunce to be et cet Couerdale To be called new felowes of your mouth we do not greatly force But first where as ye ieast vpon us for casting our sin̄es and care on Christ and for reioysing that he hath taken thē on him ye shew your self not onely ignoraūt in this spirituall cause of Christes faith but also blasphemous both agaynst him and his I praie you who hath so broad a back or so mete to beare the sinnes of penitentes as Christ hath Hath not his heauenly father laied our sinnes vpon him as ye your self haue confessed out of Esaie And doth he not saie vnto us himself Come to me all ye that laboure and are laden and I shall refreshe you Is not he the lambe of god that taketh awaie the sinnes of the world And doth not his bloude clense us from all sinne Secondly where as ye blame us for castinge oure care vpon Christ we do not greatly passe vpon it though we lament your blindnesse for we haue gods worde on oure side yee not onely his cōmaundement and precepte but also his promes that so doinge he will norishe us and not suffre us to lacke Neuertheles in castinge oure care vpon god we robbe not oure body of his dewtie but set the handes to laboure the fete to go the mouth to speake and euery membre to worke in his callinge lest we tempte god contrary to his commaundement Standish This pennaunce Peter dyd not take Couerdale What will ye belie S. Peter Dyd not he caste his sinnes vpon Christ Saieth he not planely that Christ himselfe bare our sinnes on his body vpon the tre to the intent that we might be delyuered from sinne and liue vnto righteousnesse Or dyd not holy S. Peter cast his care vpon Christ Why biddeth he us then to cast all oure care vpon him addyng also that he careth for us Agayne Doth not S. Peter also bid us reioyce in asmoch as we are partakers of Christes passions et cet Or thinke ye that he did not as he taught Was he not one of those disciples which were glad whan they sawe that their lorde was aliue Why are ye not ashamed thē to belie him Fye fye take better hede to your wordes another tyme. Standishe But his pennaunce was mournfull Couerdale Though he mourned and wepte bitterly whan he had denied oure sauioure as euery true penitent doth yet proueth not this the contrary but that in consideracion of the goodnesse of Christ he also reioysed as appeareth by his owne wordes afore Standish Theirs glad and iocunde et cetera Couerdale So glad are not we in our pennaunce but we maie fynd cause ynough of sorinesse though we cōsidred nothinge els saue the blind vnderstonding that is in you Ye saie that we thincke iustificacion to be without worckes of pennaunce But like as ye are to malaperte to entre in to mens thoughtes So am I glad that ye can not reporte that we shulde preach teach talke or wryte that we wolde haue iustificacion to be without workes of pennaunce folowinge For oure bokes oure papyre our pennes our handes oure whole conuersacion though we haue our faultes aswell as other men yee and the mouthes of them that know us can testifie that we are of a contrary opinion Standish Yf you saie remission of sinne is frely forgeuen in baptyme therfore we nede nomore pennaunce et cet Couerdale I wondre in whose name ye make that obiection Yf ye know anie man to affirme teach or write that we nede nomore pennaunce because synne is frely forgeuen in baptyme he ought to haue an open rebuke Howbeit the same is like vnto your owne doctrine where ye saie that yf Christ had taken awaie the paine due vnto your sinne ye shulde not repent but folow your carnall libertye Now to your satisfaction ye saie here that it springeth out of the thirde kynde of pennaunce and afore in the eight leafe of your treatise to proue it strongly ye bring in S. Iohn baptistes wordes which ye ioyne now to the first kynde of pennaunce Is it not now strongly proued Are ye not very sure now of the doctrine that ye teach Agayne To proue that by the second kynde of pennaunce godly men are pourged from such sinnes without which a man can not here lyue ye alledge the first chapter of the first Epistle of Ihon who in the same place saieth these wordes Yf we saie that we haue felashippe with god and yet walke in darknesse we lie and do not the trueth But yf we walke in light euen as he is in lighte then haue we falashippe together and the bloude of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth us from all sinne This scripture now maketh clerely agaynst you and proueth your opinion to be false for Christes bloude clenseth us from all sinne none excepte so long as we walke in his light and not in darknesse Why ascribe ye then the purgacion of mens sinnes to anie kynde of pennaunce seyng Christes bloude hath and must haue the honoure therof Ye alledge here sondry places of scripture the circūstaunces wherof doth utterly disaproue your doctrine as planely apeareth to him that conferreth the same to the open wordes of the text which I hartely require all indifferent readers to do The place of Ezechiel is manifest that god will nomore thinke vpon their synnes that truly repent and turne from them The place of Esaye sheweth that god will haue mercy on such penitentes The place of Hieremy is plaine that yf people conuerte from their wickednesse god will nomore plage them therfore The xj chapter of wisdome declareth euidently that the punismentes which happened to the Egipcians were sent thorow the indignacion of god and that the trouble nourture and correction which the Israelites had came of his fatherly mercy The cxliiij Psalme witnesseth that the lord is gracious and mercifull long suffringe of great goodnesse louing to euery man et cet lifteth vp all them that are cast downe and is nie to all such as faithfully call
owne words Who whan he had said to the yong man yf thou wilt entre in to life kepe the commaundementes and tolde his disciples how hard it is for the couetous to entre in to heauen They asked him and said Who can thē be saued Then answered he them saieng With men it is vnpossible but with god are all thinges possible Downe then goeth the Pelagians heresie and litle thanke are ye like to haue for holdinge with it Yf he aske Why then doth god cōmaunde us to decline from euell and to do good yf it be not in our power To the same obiectiō doth S. Augustine make a sufficiēt answere in the secōde chapter de correptione et gracia and not onely refelleth it by S.P. words saiēg It is god which worketh in you both the wil and the dede but also putteth us in minde that yf we be the children of god we are led by gods sprete to do good that whan we haue done anie good thinge we maie geue thankes to him of whom we are led et cet And in another place Therfore doth he commaunde certaine thinges that we can not do because we might knowe what thinge we ought to aske of him The same doctrine teacheth he also in the lxiij sermō de tempore This is confirmed by holy scripture for by the lawe commeth the knowlege of sinne So that euen they which are renewed in Christ fynd by the lawe that whan they wold faine do good for therin is their delite euell is present with them The wordes of oure Sauioure yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes proue nomore your purpose then your wresting of them proueth you to be a true scolar of his For after those wordes he himself saieth thus I am the waie the trueth and life No man commeth to the father but by me Naie saieth your doctrine we maie come to god by oure selues he commaundeth us nothing vnpossible for us to do Now let me aske you this question Yf Christ whan he saide these wordes Yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes did meane that it is not vnpossible for us so to do why then immediatly after the same wordes doth he promes us the sprete of conforte What nede haue we of him yf we be not comfortles of oure selues or yf nothing that he commaunded us be vnpossible for us to do What nede haue the whole of a phisician And. S. Augustine writing agaynst them that extolle their owne possibilite in the seconde sermon de uerbis Apostoli saieth Let us be glad to be healed whyle we are here in this church Let us not make oure boast of health beinge yet sicke lest by oure pride we do nothing els but make oure selues incurable Standishe Which to the louers of thē be but light Math. xj.j. Ioh. v and Deut. xxx Couerdale Ergo god cōmaunded us nothinge vnpossible for us to do Is that your consequent Full faintly are ye able to proue it by those thre chapters that ye do alledge First in the xj of Matth. doth our Sauioure bid all them that are laden et cet to come to him And yet saieth he in another place that no man can come vnto him excepte his father draw him Where is now oure possibilite That fifth chapter of S. Iohns first Epistle sheweth that they which are borne of god do ouer come the worlde by the victory of faith Now like as we begat not our selues in the Kyndome of god but he himselfe of his owne good will begat us with the worde of life So is it manifest also that true faith is the onely workyng of god and not oures Where is then I saie our possibilite forsoith euen fled into the yle of weaknesse Yf by the thirtieth chapter of Deuteronomiō ye will proue that god hath commaunded us nothing vnpossible for us to do because Moses saieth This precepte that I commaunde the this daie is not aboue the ner farre from the et cete Then must I require you to take the answere of S. Paul who saieth that it is the righteousnesse of faith which speaketh those wordes and that the worde which Moses there spake of is the worde of faith that Paul himself preached Yf ye thinke there to proue your purpose because Moses laieth before the people life and death good and euel blessinge and cursinge and biddeth them chose life et ce Then must I desire you not onely to remembre the office of the lawe wherfore it was geuen and wher to it serueth But also to considre that in the begynnyng of the same thirtieth chapter Moses himself saieth these wordes The lorde thy god shall circumcise thine hert and the hert of thy posterite that thou mayest loue the lorde thy god with all thy hert and in all thy soule et cet Wherby it is euident that excepte god circūcise our hertes we are not able to loue him ner to kepe his cōmaundementes So that these wordes of Moses do proue rather impossibilite in us For the circūcision of the hert saieth the Apostle is the true circumcision which is done in the sprete and not in the lettre whose prayse is not of men but of god All these thre chapters now proue that like as to be saued to kepe gods cōmaundementes to haue circūcised hartes and to ouercome the world with the lustes therof is the onely workyng of god in us Euen so to them that loue god are his cōmaundementes not greuous not thorow anye possibilite of man but partly because Christ hath takē awaie the curse of the lawe and deliuered thē frō the heuy burthens of their soules and partly because they delite in gods cōmaundementes and esteme his word sweter then hony as Dauid did For loue maketh all thinges light Standish Therfore I conclude in all our workynge we do not cōmitte sinne Couerdale Of an euell Maior and Minor foloweth a weake conclusiō Ye haue wrung and wrested the scriptures violently to make them serue for your purpose and now without anie scripture make ye youre conclusion that in all youre workyng ye do not committe sinne To the probacion wherof because ye bring no scripture your selfe I will helpe you with a text where the scripture saieth thus There is no righteous man vpon erth that doth good and sinneth not Yf ye be a man I wil not reason much with you of righteousnesse for I am a sinfull man miselfe then must ye nedes graunt this scripture to be true Yf ye be no man then am I sory that I haue disputed with you so long for angels haue no nede of my wordes and as for deuels they will not be counsailed Standish No ner our dedes and actes which be good can not be called so et cet Couerdale Of. D. Barnes secrete intent and meaning will not I presume to be iudge but what maye be gathered by the circumstaunce of his wordes I
glorifye our father which is in heauen Hath not our Sauioure chosen and ordeyned us to go and bringe forth frute et cet Were we not made heyres of eternall saluacion and baptised to the intent that we shulde now malke in a new life Are we not deed from the curse of the lawe and maried vnto Christ to the intent that we shulde now bringe forth frute vnto god Hath not god ordeined us to walke in good workes Are we not chosen of god to shew now his wonderful workes which hath called us out of darknesse in to his maruelous light Must we not lead an honest conuersacion in the world that they which bacbyte us as euell doers maye se our good workes and prayse god Now to do good dedes to bring forth good frutes to walke in a new life to shew gods wonderfull workes to lead an honest conuersacion in the world what is it els but to shew and set forth our profession the life that we haue promised and taken us to at the font stone euen the holy couenaunt and appoyntment that we haue made with the eternall god Do ye not considre also that the scripture appoynting maried women their estate and dewtye willeth them to be of so honest conuersacion that euen they which as yet will not beleue gods worde maye without the worde be won by theyr godly liuinge And not onely this but so to araye them selues in comly apparel with shamefastnesse and discrete bahaueour without excesse as it becommeth wemen that professe godlynesse thorow good workes What can be more planely spokeÌ„ then this How ernest is the scripture likewise in mouinge and commaunding us specially that take in hande to instructe and teach other aboue all thinges to shew example of good workes in the doctrine of god et cet that such as resiste his trueth maie be ashamed of their parte hauinge nothinge in us to reporte amysse And immediatly after in the same chapter how diligeÌ„t is the Apostle in requiring Titus to exhorte seruauntes to the doing of their dewtie to their masters and to shewe all faithfulnesse But for what intent to merite or deserue immortalâ—â—â— â–ª Naye to the intent that in all thinges they maie do worshippe to the doctrine of god oure Sauioure that the name of god and his doctrine be not euell spokeÌ„ of Thus wolde he haue Timothy also to teach and exhorte and then saieth he these wordes Yf any man teach otherwise and agreeth not vnto the wholsome wordes of oure lord Iesus Christ and to the doctryne of godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothinge et cet Reade ye the text forth and remembre your selfe well considre in what case ye are and how wyde your doctryne disagreeth from the wholsome word of god Yf I shuld saye ye were puft vp ignoraunt a waist brayne et cete of a corrupte mynde or robbed of the trueth ye wolde happlie be angrie Yet be coÌ„tent to let Paul speake to you for though he rayle not yet shall ye not find him a flatrer Standish Which thing beynge true as the church confesseth et cete Couerdale The church of the wicked graunteth many moo thinges then it shall euer be able to proue excepte it be with violence and shedding oâ—â—nnoceÌ„t bloud which is in very dede a fearce sore and strong waye of probacion Nether be they heretikes that denye this your doctryne for I haue proued vnto you by open scriptures that your doctryne is false Standish Be not oure owne good workes meritorious to ourselues Couerdale Yes parde for the prophet saieth All our righteousnesses are as the cloth of a menstruous woman Standish Whether shall we rather beleue S. Hierome et cete Couerdale Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of god is greater for this is the witnesse of god which he hath testified of his sonne et cete Euen that god hath geuen us euerlasting life and this life is in his sonne S. Augustine saieth also All my hope is in the death of my lord his death is my meryte my refuge my saluacion my life and my resurrection Standishe Which for their detestable opynions deserued iustly to be burnte as heretikes Couerdale Yf they were not burnte heretikes in dede no force And yf they were iust deseruers it is a tokeÌ„ that they medled the more with righteousnesse for no man can iustly erre ner iustly coÌ„mitte treason Standishe What a detestable heresie is it to saie the cause that we be commaunded to do good workes is to set forth oure profession Couerdale Is not oure profession the promes and couenaunt that we haue made with god to seke his glory and oure neghbours profet euen to loue him with all oure herte with all our soules and with all oure strength and oure neghbour as oure selues In the which two pointes hangeth all the lawe and the Prophetes Are not we bound then by gods commaundement to set forth the glory of god oure neghbours profit and loue to them both Remembre what places of scripture I haue pointed you to afore concernyng this matter Standish Before whom shulde we set it forth before god he knowoth oure profession before Couerdale What then Studye allwaye to haue a cleare conscience toward god and men after the Apostles ensample Standish Before man So we maie haue good workes as the pharises had et cet Couerdale Though Pharises do their workes to be sene of men will you therfore beyng a preacher not geue good ensample to other ner let your light so shyne before men that they seinge your good workes maie geue the glory vnto god What are ye so farre from the knowlege of this geer and yet a preacher a reader and a post of the church Who wolde thinke that you which are so well aquaynted with him that can compare the deare bloud of Christ to the stinckynge bloud of a swyne shuld be so farre from the vnderstondinge of such thinges O wicked hogges whom Sathan hath possessed of that sort Is the worthy prynce of oure redempcion come to that worshippe amonge you No maruaill that ye are so blinded in your vnderstondinge for ther was neuer enemie of Christes bloud that had yet anye cleare iudgment in his worde till he ernestly repented and gaue him selfe wholy to the studye and life that it teacheth Barnes I Beleue that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do professe Christ Standish Allbe it that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue et cet Couerdale Ye saye that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue and yet ye call the same belefe erroneous and damnable Is the Christen beleue erroneous and damnable Or is it erroneous and damnable to beleue as euery Christen man ought to beleue Thus are ye not onely contrary to youre selfe but iudge Christen men also to be heretikes Standishe For you iudge as appeareth by your preaching et cet
laie to D. Barnes charge I haue talked with you afore Touchinge martirs Like as we haue cause sufficient to prayse god dailie for his worde mynistred vnto us by those martyrs that ye here haue named and for all such as be true folowers of thē So haue we no litle occasion to lamente and be sory that anie man betaking himselfe to godlines and makyng a couenaunt with god to lyue vnfaynedly after his worde shulde not professe the same in true fidelite and good workes Our lorde be praised yet which thorow the fall of other men hath warned us to beware of vnthankfulnesse For whan they that pretende to be setters vp of godlynesse are either ypocrites to god vntrue in the effaires of their prince maynteynours of pryde of ydillnesse of swearyng of excesse and of aduoutrye in them selues or in their housholde seruauntes Gods good worde must weere the papyre and be iack out of seruyce from other men Now god shew the right Barnes ANd that allwayes I haue spoken reuerently of sayntes and praised them as much as scripture wylled me to do Standishe Here he planely sheweth himselfe to be an heretike et cet Couerdale I am sure that Christes church hath made no such ordinaunce nether geuen any sentēce or iudgment that men shall not speake reuerently of saintes nether that men shall prayse them otherwyse then scripture teacheth How sheweth he himselfe thē to be an heretike in this behalfe that foloweth the example of Christes church and not of your vnholy synagoge What maketh youre diffiniciō of heresie to proue that he is an heretike which not onely speaketh reuerently of sayntes but also prayseth them acordinge to the rule of scripture Verely your diffinicion commeth out at an importunite Ye might also haue diffyned it thus and haue sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. volo decerno That is to saie I will so haue it I am at a full poynt For truly I se litle in youre writinge but wilfulnesse and obstinate resisting of the manifest trueth Well god is able to brydle you Standish Also in this his saienge that he wil do nothinge but that scripture byddeth him he planely goeth agaynst scripture et cet Couerdale Is he not a worthy Apostle legate or messaūger that hauinge commission of his prince what to saie in his message will speake thinges of his owne heade or more then his master commaundeth him Forsoith he declare manifestly whose Apostle ye be But now let us se how the scriptute will mainteine this spirituall treason euen treason verely and no better agaynst the Kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes Christ oure Sauyoure saieth vnto his Apostles these wordes As my liuinge father sent me so send I you How did his father send him My doctrine saieth he is not myne owne but my fathers that hath sent me Therfore saieth he go ye youre waye and teach all nacions and baptise them et cet and teach thē to kepe all thinges what so euer I haue commaunded you Ought not stewardes to be faithfull mynistres of their masters goodes to paye euery man good money as they be cōmaunded and not to geue false coyne in stead of syluer and golde Must we not contynue in the doctrine of Christ and speake that thing which is agreable to gods worde Your doctrine wold haue us to renne at ryote and not to kepe us with in the boundes that god hath appoynted us Standish So that here he proueth himselfe to haue another propertye of an heretike which is to go about with the worde of god to destroye the worde of god et cete Couerdale Like as ye proue not here with what text of scripture D. Barnes shulde go aboute to destroie the scripture so declare ye manifestly by this your opyniō and wrestinge of the texte to be one yourselfe that with the worde of god goeth aboute to destroye the worde of god Now to your thre places that ye bringe out of gods worde Where fynde ye in the fiftenth chapter of the actes that we must obeye more then holy scriptuture byddeth us First S. Peter confesseth there in that coūsail that it is a tēpting of god to laie anie yock of the ceremonies of Moses lawe vpon the neckes of Christes disciples or to trouble the weake consciences of those which lately we returned and conuerted to the faith And afore in the same place he confesseth that god appoynted and ordeyned him to preach the worde of the gospell and maketh mencion of none other doctrine Againe like as by the comē consente of the Apostles in the same coūsail ye se that they wolde not be brought in to subiection ner geue place to those false brethern that wolde haue brought in ceremonies of the law to binde mens cōsciences withal So wolde they not that the brethren which were turned to Christ shulde abuse their libertie in him but absteyne from certayne meates for offendinge of the weake which thinge also S. Paul requyreth ernestly in his Epistles In the xvj chapter of the Actes Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and whan Paul sawe that to circumcise Timothye was a thing which might be done for the time and was not requyred of the Iewes as a thing necessary he was content Wherby it is manifest that like as in thinges indifferent they had allwaye respecte to the tyme in forbearinge weake conscientes for a whyle so preached they none other doctryne but gods onely worde In the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians S. Paul whan he hath told them of the great departing from the faith doth geue thankes to god for calling thē to his trueth of the gospel in the which he requireth thē to stand stedfast and to kepe such ordinaunces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or by epistle Now let me demaunde of you this question In the xv of the Actes whan Peter preacheth the worde of the gospell and forbyddeth the binding of weake consciences with supersticious thinges and consenteth with the other Apostles to haue such a charitable respecte to the tyme Is that as much as to will that men shal obeie more then is grounded in scripture In the xvj of the Actes whan Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and deale gently with the consciences of the weake acordinge to the tyme will they that men shall obeie more then holy scripture teacheth them ij Tessa ij Whan S. Paul requyreth them to stande stedfast in the trueth of the gospell and to kepe such ordinaūces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or in their Epistles willeth he them to obeye more then is conteyned in holy scripture Thus is it euydent where about ye go namely euen by your false alledginge of such places of gods worde to destroye the worde of god This is
verely as ye saie your selfe the propertye of an heretike and this propertye lerne ye of the father of all heresye euen father Satan Who by angelis suis mandauit et cete wolde proue that a man maye tempte his lord god But like as Satan wrestyng that place of scripture which made moost against him was cōmaunded by oure Sauioure to auoyde so be ye sure that your false doctryne can not stand Dawlbe your wall and spare not for Ezechiel telleth you planely that god wyll sende such a shower of rayne among all lyeng prophetes as shall ouerthrowe it Your laboure is but lost so long as ye dawlbe your wall with vntempred morter Standish Also where he saieth that he hath euer spoken reuerently of sayntes et cet Couerdale Ye graūted afore his wordes to be true whan he sayde that all such as for confessyng Christes name and for his sake do suffre death are sayntes in heauen This reuerent talkynge and praysinge of sayntes dyd ye alowe afore And now contrary to your awne wordes ye saye that ye wote not whether he euer spake reuerently of them or no Yet confesse ye that ye haue heard him fortye tymes Who will now trust you that are so double in your wordes Barnes ANd that oure lady I saye she was a virgyn immaculate and vndefyled and that she is the moost purest virgyn that euer god created and a vessell electe of god of whom Iesus Christe shulde be borne Standish Here yet ignorauntly et cete he goeth forther then the scripture speaketh et cet Couerdale Be these his wordes out of the boundes of scripture or not acording to the scripture Reade them ouer agayne Standishe He wolde neuer willingly graunt anye thynge but that is in scripture Couerdale Then like as ye proue him to haue bene a true messaunger of god in grauntinge to the holy scripture which by your owne cōfession is gods very worde so declare ye that yf he reuoked anie thing that is in it or graunted ought cōtrary vnto it It was done agaynst his will Haue ye not now a great cause to make such tryumphinge of reuocacions in your sermons Standish Albeit here with the church he doth professe that oure lady did continue a virgin still et cete Couerdale Doth not the scripture affirme this doctryne that the mother of oure Sauyoure is the purest virgin that euer god created Will not the Prophecies of Christes birth the perfourmaūce of the same and the practises of the holy goost in Christes blessed mother alowe this doctrine Haue ye noted the worke of god in her no better Yf she had anye nede of you ye shew her but a faynte frendshippe in reportynge that her most pure virginite hath none other grounde but the auctorite of your church Verely such your doting doctrine wil make both you and your church be lesse set by Standish Deus n tantam eam fecit inquit quidam et ce Couerdale Is not your doctryne now well sealed with butter Whan ye haue presumed to cōtroll gods word and to call the blessed mother of Christ with other names then the holy goost geueth her Now to ratifye and cōfirme your false matter ye bring in an heretike to helpe you Can not Christes worthy mother kepe still the gracious names that the holy trenite hath geuen her but she must now haue a sorte of hereticall Ruffyans to become new godfathers vnto her Call her as gods worde teacheth you full of grace blessed immaculate virgin et cete Praye to god that ye maye folowe the fote steppes of her constant faith her feruent charite and godly loue her moost meke and humble behaueoure her vnfained trueth et ce And whan ye talke in matters of Christes religion bring forth playne and manifest wordes of his scripture and no Romysh heretike ner a text out of frame to proue youre purpose withall Barnes THen saide M. Sheriffe You haue sayd well of her before And he beynge afrayed that M. Sheriffe had bene or shulde be agreued with any thing that he shulde saye sayd M. Sheriffe Yf I speak any thing that you will me not do nomore but beckē me with your hand and I wil straight waie holde my peace For I will not be dishobedient in anie thing but will obeye Standishe Now as he faineth he wold gyue no slaunder or offence Sed sero sapiunt Phriges Couerdale At this poynt ye are with D. Barnes that though he be out of this life yet what so euer he sayd in this protestacion or dyd at the tyme therof ye iudge him to the worst and slaunder him But your owne prouerbe that ye bring in doth admonishe you that it is to laite for though ye belye him and slaunder him neuer so much it can not hurt him Standishe Now he saieth he is afraied to displease irep◠dauerunt timore vbi non erat timor et cete Couerdale Like as ye referre to him the wordes which are not his owne so reporte ye of him that he was afrayed where no feare was But was there no feare at the fyre syde The manhode of our sauioure Christ feared death and so dyd that holy Kynge Ezechias As for you ye must nedes be of some bolde and stowte kynde that can kyll a deed man But how serueth those wordes of the Psalme to this youre purpose The holy goost speaketh of such wicked workers as eat vp gods people like bred call not vpon god are afraied to se god stande on ryghteous mens syde and mocke poore mē for putting their trust in god How maketh this scripture now to proue that ther is no feare where a man seyth death present before his eyes O wicked mockers with gods holy worde Standish Now se I praye you how obedient he saieth he will be which before tyme was euer dishobedient et cete Couerdale Ye saye much and proue litle touching this man whose present protestacion and his boke written afore declareth planely his obedience toward his prynce whose wholsome commaundement yf he haue at anye tyme disobeyed contrary to this his doctryne and example I am the more sory But yet haue ye not proued it to be so Touchinge bishoppes which are to be estemed acordinge to their estate I wote not what dishobedience ye haue to proue against him Such bishoppes as laboure in the worde of god and in the doctryne therof are to be counted worthye of double honoure therfore in herkenyng vnto such he dyd well and yf he dispysed such he despysed Christ But yf he folowed S. Iohns bydding and dyd not receaue such false Apostles as bring not the doctryne of Christ then can ye not iustly blame him Barnes AFter this ther was one that asked him what he saide of the sacrament of the altare Then sayde he vnto M. Pope which was there present M. Pope ye know and. M. Ryche yf ye be alyue that ther was one accused before my lord
chaunceloure for denyeng of the sacrament and for faulte of a better I was assygned to the examynacion of him in the galery And after longe reasonyng and disputaciō I declared and sayde that the sacrament beyng rightly vsed and accordinge to scripture doth after the word spoken by the prest chaunge the substaunce of the bred and wyne in to the body and bloud of Christ Were not these my wordes sayde he Yee sayde M. pope Thē beare me witnesse said he that I erre not in the sacramēt Standishe Allthoughe you did not denie that sacrament yet haue you et cet Couerdale Ye call it slaunderous raylinge whan a man with gods worde both ernestly rebuke such horryble abuses as Antichrist and his malignaunt church hath brought in among Christen people So lothe are ye to consent vnto gods worde or to vse anie thing according to his holy instituciō What could it then haue helped you yf he had opened his minde farther seing that in his so godly and honest request ye ascribe naughtynesse vnto him He did but shew that he wold haue the sacrament rightly vsed and acording to holy scripture and ye are not content with him Yet well worth the Corinthians for though they were fallen in to abuse aboute this holy misterie and aboute other thinges we read not that they spurned against the holy goost as you do whan they were called to refourmacion Standish Se also I praye you how he saieth et cetera Couerdale Yf you shulde saye that for lack of a better ye dyd write agaynst this protestacion of D. Barnes wolde ye therfore be iudged to thynke that there were not many better lerned men in England to take such a matter in hande then you Barnes THen sayde he haue ye anye thing els to saye There was one then asked him his opynion of prayeng to sayntes Then sayd he Now of saintes you shall heare myne opynion I haue sayd before somwhat I thynke of them how that I beleue they are in heauē and with god and that they are worthy of all the honour that scripture willeth them to haue But I saye through out al scripture we are not commaunded to pray to any sayntes therfore I can not ner will not preach to you that sayntes ought to be praied vnto For then shuld I preach you a doctryne of myne owne head Standish Ther is an olde heresie that saieth sayntes be not yet in heauen et cet Couerdale Is this your next waye to confute him that saieth we are not cōmaunded in scripture to praie to anye saintes Ye brawll with the deed man that saieth nothinge against you in this article of saintes being in heauen Standishe How can it be in scripture thou impudent heretike the prayer vnto saintes Couerdale Be good to the poore man and take not the matter so whote He goeth not aboute to proue that your prayeng to sayntes is grounded in scripture Standish As for in the tyme of the olde lawe et cet Couerdale The doctrine of god is that Christ is the lambe which hath bene slayne sens the begynnyng of the worlde that is euen he whose power and deliueraunce hath clensed and saued all thē that euer put their trust in him Christ Iesus yesterdaie and todaie and the same contynueth for euer Standish Therfore concerning praieng to saintes et cet Couerdale Must we beleue the testimony of men without it be grounded on gods worde Are ye become such an Apostle Because the church and congregacion of Christ must discerne iudge trie and examen all maner of doctryne and so to eschue the euell and kepe the good hath it therfore auctorite to make anye new article or to receaue a doctryne contrary to gods worde Because Christ hath promised his holy sprete of trueth to be allwaye in his faithfull congregacion shall they therfore make ordeyne set vp or beleue ought that is contrary to his owne teachinge Standish Doest thou set nomore by the auctorite of it then so in asmuch as S. Augustyne sayde Non crederem Euangelio nisi crederim Ecclesie et cet Couerdale Euen as ye peruerte the wordes of holy scripture so do ye with S. Augustine As ye choppe and chaunge with it so do ye with him And as ye alledge the scripture for another purpose then the plaine circumstaunce of the text meaneth so do ye here with this holy doctoure For youre purpose is with S. Augustines wordes to proue that youre church by her auctorite may make new articles and that we are bounde to beleue as she beleueth though the same be not grounded in scripture But yf men diligently marke S. Augustynes sayeng the occasion of his wryting and the circumstaunce therof it shall be euydent that ye are as like him in vnderstondinge as the moone is like a grene chese S. Augustyne perceauynge the greate hurte that was growyng thorow the doctryne of wicked Manicheus toke in hande to confute him and his secte his errours were so noisome and deuelish For he had not onely fayned a new gospell of his owne and named himselfe Christes Apostle but also mainteined the heresie which the Anabaptistes lately helde that the sonne of god toke not the nature of man of the blessed virgin and denied rulers to beare office denied mariage denied certayne kyndes of meates to be of god or to be graunted vnto Christen men Taught also that some mens soules dye with the bodyes despysed the exterior worde of god and mynistracion therof and sought other visions without it And many other fond and wicked opynions had he vnknowne to the holy church and flock of Christ Now for the refelling of such pestilent doctryne S. Augustine among other thinges wrote one speciall boke agaynst a certayne Epistle of the Manichees which was called Epistola fundamenti and whan he had shewed the occasions which moued him to abyde still within the vnyte of Christes catholike church then in the fifth chapter he shewed the cause that moued him rather to geue credence vnto Christes gospell then to Manicheus where among other he saieth these wordes Nostis n. me statuisse nihil avobis prolatū temere credere et cet For ye knowe saieth he that I am determined to geue no haistie credence to anye thing that ye speake of your awne heades I demaunde therfore Who is that Manicheus Ye answere An Apostle of Christ I beleue it not Now what canst thou saye or do thou shalt not opteine for thou dyddest promes knowlege of the trueth and now thou wilt compell me to beleue the thinge that I knowe not Peraduenture thou wilt reade me the gospell and therby wilt thou assaie to affirme the parson̄e of Manicheus Yf I shulde fynde anye man then which as yet beleueth not the gospel what shuldest thou do to him that sayeth vnto the I beleue not As for me I shulde not beleue the gospell vnlesse the auctorite of the catholike church dyd moue
wherof he mainteined the prerogatyue of prynces against the tiran̄ie and vsurped power ye wote of whom I saye nomore but yf ye be at that poynt and may so frely write what ye wil I cōmitte my part of the playe to god Who as I doubte not wil defend the king in his right so am I sure that though ye be now in your ruffe he is not yet hard aslepe Where as ye saie that at D. Barnes death there were thre sortes of men and that the first sorte which by your reporte wer moost contrary to him wolde geue him no answere at his honest request Ye declare planely that either they had nothing to saie agaynst him or els litle charite seing that acording to S. P. wordes which ye alledge they found not thē selues greued to se the weake offended yf it were as you saie Nether proueth it thē to leane stedfastly vnto the piler of trueth to loue gods lawe to haue true quyetnesse in their conscience or to be endewed with feruent charite that folow not the same law of loue in the tyme of nede How do those places of scripture then that ye bring in alowe their acte Let all indifferent readers iudge how the cxviij Psalme the third of the first to Timothe or the eight to the Romaynes agreeth with their purpose In describing the secōde sorte of people that were at D. Barnes death ye faile also First in reporting of thē that they euer be and shal be as apte to receaue the euel preaching as the good Secondly that they are cōtent in these matters to go whither they be led Thirdly that they are cōtent to beleue what they be taught Fourthly that they know not whan they be in the right waye ner whan they be forth of it Now saieth our sauyoure in the same text which ye your self do alledge that they beleue in him Then like as they harkē to his voice and not to the voice of straunges so folow they him and are led of his holy sprete And not onely proue all doctrines whether they be of god but also kepe that which is good for they knowe Christes voice and not the voice of straūgers Morouer yf that third sorte of people did fauour no worse opinions and were no fuller of fleshly and carnall sensualite then this present protestacion of D. Barnes teacheth them that text dilexerunt magis tenebras et cet maye rather be verified of you and your sorte then of thē Barnes BVt they that haue bene the occasion of it I praye god forgeue them as I wold be forgeuen my self And. D. Stephin Byschopp of wynchester that now is yf he haue sought or wrought this my death ether by word or dede I pray god forgyue him as hartely as frely as charitably and without fayning as euer Christ forgaue thē that put him to death Standishe Se now whether this be fayned charite or nor et cetera Couerdale It is no poynt of fained charite a man to forgeue them that offend against him and to praie for them that persecute him As it is manifest by our sauiours doctryne and example also at his death Ye take vpon you here the office of a iudge afore ye be called ther to yee euen gods onely office in iudging mens hertes take ye vpon you As who saie he goeth aboute to ouerthrow and cast downe a man that agreeth not with him in his doctryne As touching any contencious maner betwene my lord of winchester and. D. Barnes though you and I both as I suppose be ignoraunt what direction the Kynges highnesse dyd take therin Yet seyng the one was reconciled to the other openly at the Spittle ye shulde now not take the matter so whote But a pyke thanke will ye be still What mynde hath he to be reuenged that first asketh a man forgeuenesse and than praieth god to forgeue him as Christ forgaue his death yf he be giltie Agayne Will the. B. of winchestre iudge him selfe to be either sediciously or disdainfully named or without reuerence whan he is called a bisshoppe I darre saye he will not Why plaie ye Philippe flatrers part thē as though the name of a bisshoppe were not a reuerent name Barnes ANd yf any of the counsaill or any other haue sought or wrought it thorow malice or ignoraunce I praye god forgyue them their ignoraunce and illumynate their eyes that they maye se and aske mercy for it Standish O what ignoraunce et cetera Couerdale This praier is nether malicious against gods word ner preiudicial to any man and yf they that suffred D. Barnes to liue so long were to blame for their so doing then make ye your selfe giltye of the same fault that haue played the coward all that whyle and not helped him to his death Barnes I Besech you all to pray for the kynges grace as I haue done euer sens I was in preson and do now that god maie geue him prosperite and that he maie lōg raigne amōg you ād after him that goodly prynce Edward may so raigne that he maye fynishe those thinges that his father hath begon I haue bene reported a preacher of sedicion and disobediēce to the kynges maiestie but here I saye to you that you all are bound by the cōmaundement of god to obeye youre prince with all humilite and with all your hert yee not so much as in a looke to shew yourselues disobedient vnto him and that not onely for feare of the swerd but also for conscience sake before god Standish Thou hast bene truly reported a sedicious preacher et cetera Couerdale Will ye then winke at sediciō so long and not be an accuser therof where as by your awne confession ye haue heard him preach so oft Ye and knowing his boke to haue bene so long prynted But how vntruly ye belye him it shall be euydent to all the worlde that will reade his boke Ye reporte of him that he shuld saye in his boke prynted ten yeares agoo that yf the Kyng wold by tiranny take the new Testament from his subiectes they shuld not suffre him Now is it manifest that like as he saieth here in this parte of his protestacion so saieth he also in his boke and bringeth in the same xiij chapter to the Romaynes that ye alledge and addeth morouer these wordes In no wise be it right or wrong maiest thou make any resistaunce with swerde or with hand et cet Itē Yf the Kyng forbyd the new Testament et cete men shall first make faithfull praiers to god and humble supplicacion to the Kyng that his grace wold release that commaundement Yf he wil not do it they shall kepe their testament with all other ordinaunce of Christ and let the Kyng exercise his tiranny yf they can not flie and in no wise vnder paine of damnacion shall they resiste him by violence but suffre paciently et ce Nor they shal not go aboute to depose their
that choked it vp Wherfore seynge thou art compased aboute with so great a nombre of witnesses that is to saye with the ensamples of so many godly and holy meÌ„ which not onely dyd chose rather to suffre aduersite with the people of god then to enioye the pleasures of synne for a season but also eschued false doctryne and brought forth allwaye good workes in their liuinge folowe thou the same trade folowe thou them I saye as thou seist they folowed Christ and no farther And as touchinge anye maner of doctryne beleue no man without gods worde acording as S. Hierome counceleth the. In Epistolam ad Gal. ca. v. For certaine it is that like as many tymes thou shalt spie euen great faultes in the conuersacioÌ„ of gods electe so readest thou of very few teachers sens the Apostles tyme which haue not erred and that grossely in sondry thinges Wherfore whom so euer thou hearest teach preach or wryte or whose bokes so euer thou readest trye them by gods worde whether they be agreable ther to or no. Whan thou knowest them I saye and art certayne and sure by Christes doctryne that they are false sedicious or abhominable then hold them accursed avoyde them utterly eschue them in anye wise and geue ouer thy selfe to the wholsome hearing and readinge of the scripture But so that thou be sober and discrete in the knowlege and vse therof And that in confessing the true faith and beleue of Christ thy hart mouth and dede go together and that thou coÌ„sent to none opinion contrary to the same That god maye haue the prayse and thy neghboure be edified in all thy conuersacion So doyng thou shalt not onely stoppe the mouth of euell speakers but also allure and prouoke other men to be frutefully geueÌ„ to faith and good workes and to helpe with such their vnfained faith and godly liuinge that the tabernacle of god maye be set vp againe The grace of our lorde Iesus Christ be with us all Amen Iacobi iij. Yf ye haue a bytter Zele and there be contencions in youre hartes make no boast nether be lyars agaynst the trueth Diuersyte amonge wryters Tryfles are prynted with the Kynges priuilege vnknowing to him Good wordes are blasphemed Stâ—ndish 〈◊〉 â—yll a deed man Ephe. vj. ij Corin. x. Let no man take parte agaynst the trueth Suspicion Gala. â—iij Standish is afrayed Prouer. j. The enemies 〈…〉 worde 〈◊〉 â—gainst them selues All is not gold that shyneth Standish smelleth here nothinge but heresy and treason Esa v. ij Tim. ij Matth. xx j. Pet. iij. Act. xxiij xxiiij.xxv j. Cor. xj Standish peruerteth the texte Math. iiij Luc. iiij out of the xc Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. xiiij Rom. j.ij. Cor. j.ij. Cor. xj Gal. j. Iudic. xj Who is an heretike Mar. vj.ix. Luc. ij ix.xviij Iohn â–ª xvj Deut. xij Mat. xxviij Gal. j.ij. Iohn j. Hiere xv Matth. v ij Cor. xiij Rom. xv ij Pet. j. De peccatorum meritis et remissione cap. xxij The bisshoppes of England A good ensample in D Barnes Standish wryteth him self to be none of Christes church Esa j. lviij.lxvj Zac. vij Amos. v.viij. Mal. ij Gala. iiij Collo ij Esa lviij Matth. vj. j. Cor. vij Esa j. Matth. vj. xxiij Iaco. .j iiij Godly ordinaunce Esa xxix Matth. xv xxiij Marck vij Col. ij Gal. iiij j Timo. â—iij Iaco. iiij Collo ij j. Pet. ij Rom. viij xiij Rom. xiiij j. Cor. vij x ij Cor. vj Col. iij IustificacioÌ„ Gal. j. Matth. xij Nar. iij. Luc. xj The scriptures the doctours Naturall reason God is not the authour of synne D. Barnes wordes Workes Rom. xiiij Osie xij D. Barnes wordes I fond obiection against the iustificacion of faith lj Pet. j. Gal. v. Ephe. ij ij Cor. vj. Tit. ij j. Tessa iiij lib. j. cap. vâ—â— De vera et falsa peniteÌ„ cap. ij j. Iohn iiij Math. xviij Gal. v. Iohn xiij Ephe. iiij Col. iij. Luc. xj Matth. vj. Rom. x. Iob. iij. vj.xj Mar. xvj â—ob xiij Math. xviij Ephe. v D. Barnes words in the xxxiiij leafe of his boke 〈◊〉 xix 〈◊〉 ij In the iiij leafe In the v leafe Iohn viij A fond consequent Math. x. xvj Acto xv ij Cor. x. Math. x. xvj Mar. viij Luc. xij Rom. j. An heretike agreeth not with himselfe Standish contrary to himselfe Mar â–ª â— â–ª The coÌ„fession of D. Barnes â–ª Math. x. Luc. xij Roma x. Esa xxviij Iohn iij. Apoc. xviij Gen. xij Sach ij Standish is full of his latyn Standishe is contrary to himselfe Psal xciij Psal cxviij Math. iij. xvij ij Pet. j Iohn j. Col. ij The kynges grace knoweth not of all the euell that is done in his realme An ensample of charite A mans last will must stande j. Ioh. j.ij. Diuersite Heresie Roma v. Diuersite Diuersite j. Cor. xj ij Pet. iij. The texte j. Cor. xj The holy supper of oure lorde O wicked opynion Iohn iij. Ose xiij The wordes of Iohn baptist Standish Couerdale Diuersite Col. ij Deute xxv Note well now how the text and Standish agreeth Apoc. xviij Equalite The femynine gendre turned to the masculyne Mete this well Ioh. v.viij. Ephe. iiij j. Cor. vij Ephe. ij The texte Luc. xj The texte Eccl. xxj Obiection ij Cor. j. Sapi. iij. Prouer. iij. Heb. xij j. Cor. x. By sinÌ„e doth Standish vnderstond satisactioÌ„ for synne What a charitable hert Daniel bare toward the poore The storie of Ionas A thinge to be wisshed The text Roma xij The text Rom. vj. Maior Minor Conclusio Roma vj. Ose xiij Heb. ij Maior Minor Conclusio Rom. ij Ephe. ij Rom. v. Col. j. Rom. v.j. Tessa j. Maior Mnior Conclusio Maior Minor Conclusio The place Luc. vij Standish maketh a new texte Standish wold make Christ a liar Somtyme An vnworthy qualite The text Iohel ij The text Esaie liij An heynous heresie Roma iij. Rom. vj. Psal v. Deute xxxij Roma xij Gal. v. Ioel. ij Esa lviij Math. vj. iij Re. xviij Math. vj. Esa j. Eccl. v. Rom. xij ij Cor. ix Rom. xij Esaie liij Math. xj Ioh. j.j. Ioh. j. Psal liiij Matth. vj. Luc. xij Deute vj. j. Pet. ij j. Pet. v. j. Pet. iiij Iohn xx We haue sufficient testimonie of this Note this well The place j. Iohn j. Ezech. xviij Esaie lv Hiere xviij Sap. xj Psal cxliiij Math. xviij Ezech. xviij iij. reg xviij Esa lviij Esaie iij. popule mens Oui te beatuÌ„ dicunt et cet The text Acto x. Esa lvj Eccle. ij Heb. xj Rom. xiiij Diuersite Diuersite iiij Reg. xx iiij Re. xviij Heb. vj. Iacob j. Ionas iij. ij Par. xxxij Ionas iij. iiij Reg. xx Diuersite j. Iohn iiij Roma v Roma iij Iob. xxv Iob. ix Psal cxlij Psal cxxix Esa lxiiij Standish doth mynish the text Luc. xvij Matth. vj. Luc. xj Roma vij iij. Re. vâ—ij ij Par. vj Iob. vij Gal. v. The scripture and. S. Austen mainteine the Germaines doctrine Ther Germaynes clense their church from
abhominable swearers maye be punished and strately loked vpon For surely the vengeaūce of god will come on thē for their mischeuous oothes Thē desired he M. Pope which was present to haue him cōmended to M. Edgar ād to desire him for the deare bloud of Iesu Christ that he wold leaue that abhominable swearing that he vseth For surely excepte he forsake it he will come to some mischeuous ende The fourth that his grace wil set furth Christes true religiō And that seyng he hath begon̄e he go forward and make an end for many thinges haue bene done but yet much more is to do And that it wold please his grace to loke on gods word himselfe For it hath bene obscured with many tradicions inuented of our owne braynes Now sayd he how many peticions haue I spoken of And the people sayd foure Well sayd he euen these foure be sufficient which I desyre you that the kynges grace maye be certified of them And saye that I moost humbly desyre him to loke ernestly vpon them Standish It was high tyme to loke et cet Couerdale The prophet Daniel I trust was no arrogaunt wretche though he desyred his prince to make some prouision for the poore Nomore thē was holy S. Paul which taught Timothy to change the riche mē of this world with the same lesson All they also that were true messaungers of god laboured to haue aduoutry fornicacion whordome and abhominable swearinge expelled from among Christen men as all the whole scripture testifieth Nether dyd D. Barnes in these his wordes requyre anye other thing His wordes are playne ynough and yet as your maner is in your treatise ye ymagen an intent and mynde cleane contrary to the same Ye graunt that he spake ernestly for the poore and for the comons and yet call ye him an arrogaunt wretch and for his good will reporte of him that he desired to haue a great stroke in euery matter of waight et cetera D. Barnes sayd not that he and his felowes dyd refourme those thinges that were amysse for he knew that to be gods office and the Kynges and yet surmyse ye the same vntruly vpon him But he saieth that thorow the preaching of gods word in the mynistracion of him and such other the Kynges grace is now more obeyed then euer he was before And I praye you is it not so Or was it not gods holy word that gat the Kyng his owne agayne Maye he thank anye papisticall doctrine therfore No verely Concerning M. Edgar yf D. Barnes had not had a right good opynion in him no doubte he wold not haue sent him that commendacion with such an honest request But because he toke him as he might right well I trust for a gentle man that wolde suffre a Christen exhortacion as they will that perteyne vnto Christ therfore was he the bolder of him As for that swearing I thinke verely it cōmeth rather of a custome which yet might well be left then of anye set purpose Nether was D. Barnes acte here agaynst the processe requyred in the xviij of Matthew though he had not spoken with him afore seyng he might not now come at him Barnes ANd that his grace take good hede that he be not disceaued with false preachers and teachers and euell counsaill For Christ saieth that such false Prophetes shall come in lammes skynnes Standish O how great thanke be you worthy et cetera Couerdale Ye shuld haue proued these wordes to smell nothing but heresie and treason as ye saye in your preface because they haue the swete odoure of the gospell where our sauyour byddeth us beware of false Prophetes and of the leuen of pharises and telleth us that many such shall aryse and disceaue many yee euen thorow swete preachinges and flatring wordes saieth the Apostle and because the scripture byddeth us beware of such marchauntes as goyng in long garmentes et cete deuoure wedows houses vnder the pretence of long prayers This man called not the Kynges moost honoble councell euell and yet euen like a pyke thank still ye surmyse it vpon him Yf a frend of the Kynges shuld saye vnto him I besech your grace take good hede whom ye receaue in to your preuy chambre Doth he therfore call his chamberlaynes euell Or doth he therfore preferre his owne witte aboue the discrete wisdome of the Kynges noble counsaill Holy S. Peter as long as he was in this body thought it mete to put Christen men in remembraunce of their dewtie yee though they were of ripe knowlege them selues and stablished in the trueth And yet you call it obstinate pryde treason blyndnesse and rash foolishnesse so to do Such is your iudgment Yee euen whan the partye doth most humbly desyre his prynce to whō he speaketh Barnes THen desyred he all men to forgeue him and that yf he had sayd any euell at any tyme vnaduysed wherby he had offended any man or geuen any occasiō of euell that they wold forgeue it him and amend that euell they toke of him Standish Mark how he doth contynue one maner of man et cetera Couerdale Stedfastnesse in the waye of gods trueth is to be commended And an euident token is it that he is of the same doctryne which wittingly teacheth no euell reconcyleth himselfe vnto all men is sory yf he haue offended anye man or geuen any euell occasion and geueth other men at their death an ensample of true repentaunce Barnes ANd that they wold beare him witnesse that he detested and abhorred all euell opynions and doctrines against the word of god and that he dyed in the faith of Iesu Christ and the sacramentes of the church by whō he doubted not to saued Standishe I knowe that no good man et cetera Couerdale Then it appeareth that yf he had not detested and abhorred all euell and erroneous opynions but had loued your straunge doctrines which are agaynst gods word and so dyed out of Christes faith ye wold haue bene a recorde and witnesse to him rather then fayle Barnes ANd with this he desyred them all to praye for him and then he turned him aboute and put of his clothes makyng him ready to the fyre and most paciently toke his death yeldinge his soule into the handes of allmightie god Standish By this it doth appeare that the first wryter of these his wordes was very charitable et cete Couerdale What so euer he was that first wrote these his wordes verely I can not tell nether dyd I euer reade them or heare them till I sawe them in your treatise And though it may be suspected that this is not the trewest copie because it commeth out of your handes Yet truly a right charitable dede was it to wryte his wordes and to certifye us of them for els by your present practise we maye coniecture that ye wold haue discanted of his deeth as of one whom ye had ouercome with your doctryne Now also that ye