hath all thynges necessary to be byleued wryten in scrypture whyche thynge is as false and reason yt is that yt be false when he concludeth yt vppon false But Tyndale perceyuyng well hym selfe how fals his fundacyon is how feble hys byeldynge is that he setteth theruppon hath therfore to make yt stande the surer vndershoren vnderpropped it wyth certayne other stronge postes made of roten redys One is that all thynges be now bysyde the olde testameÌ„t opened rychely in the new testameÌ„t that byfore were promysed Thys vnderpropper is not very proper for to bere vppe his byldynge for yt is the selfe same thynge that is in questyon For we saye that yf he take the new testament for the boke of that scrypture wryten he muste not onely saye but also proue that euery thynge is opened therein that of necessyte for our soule helth is to be byleued or done this is the thynge selfe that is in debate And therfore whyle he doth but tell vs and proue it not and so vnderproppeth his assercyon wyth yt selfe he sheweth hym self as wyse as one that leste his roten house sholde fall wold go about to take downe the roefe and pull vppe the grouÌ„dsell to vndershore the sydes wyth the same Then setteth he to yt a nother shorer that all thynge is in the new testament fulfylled that was promysed byfore also that there is no promise byhynde of ought to be sheâ—ed more saue the resurreccyon Nowe this shorer ys so surely sette that yt is shortely blowen downe quyte yf a man say no more but what than For bysydes that as there laye mo promyses in the olde testament then euery man well vnderstode so maye there yet peraduenture lye mo promyses vnperceyued yet eyther by Tyndale or me both in the old and in the new But I saye bysydes this and bysyde this also that Tyndale sayth here vntrew for bysyde the resurreccion there are yet vnfulfylled as well dyuerse promyses of tokeÌ„s thynges that shall come byfore the resurreccyon all those thynges perde that are promised to come after as the iudgement yt selfe and blesse or payne euerlastynge to the iudged bodyes but yet I saye bysyde all this what yf all the promyses be fulfylled sauynge the resurreccyon dothe that proue that there coulde be nothynge of necessyte byleued wythoute scrypture Is there nothynge to be byleued but promyses If god tell me a thynge or byd me do a thynge am I not bounde to byleue the tone nor to do the tother bycause they be no promyses If Tyndale speke wysely in thys I muste nedes confesse my foly for in good fayth I can se no wyt therein But fynally he setteth to a myghty stronge poste able to bere downe all when he sayth that Cryste and all hys apostles and all the angellys of heuen coulde preache no more then is preached of necessyte to our soules And therforeâ— and for all the wyse and well framed reasons whyche I haue reproued and proued vnresonable byfore he sayth that to receyue a new artycle of fayth wythout scrypture were as profytable for our soules as smoke for sore yies This is a substauncy all shorer lo and very surely set I assure you For fyrste I myght agre all that he sayeth and his purpose neuer the more proued For where he sayeth yâ— all is all redy preached that is necessary or can be necessarie to the soule yf I wold answere and say that is very trew all suche thynges is all redy preached but all suche preachyng is not wryten where were now Tyndales coÌ„clusyon But I wyll not be so madde to grauÌ„te hym that all is eyther writen or preached eyther that can be of necessyte to mannes soule For who wolde be so madde to thynke that god knoweth not many thynges that we know not and that he can yf yt please hym reuele and shew vs any of those and commaunde vs to byleue them when so euer he lyste And when he so wold do theÌ„ were they of necessyte to our soules saluacyon to be byleued And he maye when yt please hym commaunde vs to do some other thynges that he hath not commaunded yet and then sholde we be bouÌ„de to do them And he maye commaunde to leue vndone some thynges that he hath byfore commaunded to be done and then shâ—ldâ— we be bounden to leue them vndone And this is so playne and euydent to euery man that hath any sparke of reason in his hedde that I wonder where Tyndale hadde lefte his wyt when he wrote thys And this was also a wyse temperaunce of the mater that he sayeth for these wyse causes that yt were as holsome for our soules as smoke for sore yies yf we receyued any newe artycles of fayth wythout scripture If the yien of his soule were not sore blered or starke blynde wyth the smoâ—e oâ— the smoky fyre of hell he wolde sone haue sene wyth hys two yien hys two folyes in these few wordes For he sayth if we receyued a new artycle wythout scrypture wherby he confesseth that yf god wyll geue vs a new artycle in scrypture as he gaue Moyses yt were not vnholesome And what caÌ„ he then saye but yf god gyue yt wythout scrypture he must be byleued but yf Tyndale dare saye that the treâ—th of god do depende vpon his wrytynge and yâ— his worde be nought worth tyll yt be wryten A nother folâ— is thys that he sayth yf we receyue a new article and then all the samplesâ— that he putteth be olde and we shall putte hym some other as old Tyndale What holpe yt me to byleue that our ladyes bodye is in heuen More If thys be a new byleued artycle lette Tyndale tell wheÌ„ thys bylyef beganne he shall fynde that yt hath ben thus byleued euen froÌ„ the tyme of her deceace And now the thyng that almoste .xv. C. yere hath ben byleued he calleth a neâ— artycle But now how lyke is thys bylyef of this newe artycle of .xv. hundâ—ed yere olde vnto hys ensample of smoke sore yies For fyrste yf yt holpe hym not yet at the leste yt huâ—ted hym not as smâ—ke doth sore yies But syth it is trew and taught vnto the chyrche by the spyrytâ—â—f god whyche ledeth the chyrche intâ— euery troâ—th and â—hâ—â—hyrche growâ— into the consent and argument theâ—of by the same spiryte ofâ— concorde and agrement whych maketh all the house of onâ— myâ—de and though the bylefe therof were very new yet yt helpeth hym and doth hym good to byleue yt as yt helpeth hym and doth hym good yf he byleue other trouthes whych god hath reueled and shewed by wrytynge byfore excepte Tyndale trust not god vppon his word but yf he geue hym his wrytynge there vppon and his letters patentes vnder his great seale For ellys why sholde yt not helpe hym as mych to byleue that our ladyes body and soule is in heuen syth god hath taught his chyrche so to byleue as yt helpeth hym to byleue
spyrytuall doctryne teacheth vs a fals fayth many mortall heresyes and wolde with scrypture destroye the scrypture and amyd dys hys ernest holynes falleth in to mokkes and mowes maketh madde apysshe iestynge agaynste the holy cerimonyes and blessyd sacrameÌ„tys ofâ— our sauyour Chryste the thynges sanctyfyed wyth the blessyd blode of oure sauyour Tyndall turneth in to scorne Neuer was there any scoffynge frere Frappe prechyng vpon a stole that durste play the knauyshe foole on suche a fasshyon as ye shall se Tyndall do here For yf any sholde his audyeÌ„ce were they neuer so wanton wold yet at suche wordes yf any sparke of christen â—â—â—e remayned in theyr hartys pull downe the rybawld by thâ—â—â—rte and breke the stole vppon his hed And â—ow where as he saluteth vs wyth the lyght of the spyryte and entendeth to brynge vs in darkenes of the deuyll where he speketh of trewe repentaunce and then wolde put awaye two partes thereof that is to wyt bothe confessyon and satysfacyon and where he speketh of faste fayth and theÌ„ teacheth a false presumptuouse faythe wyâ—h such truste put in fayth alone that he rekeneth all good workes fruteles and vnprofytable and that fayth alone suffyseth to saluacyon how dyuelyshely that any man lyue besyde we may well ê‘ceyue that these thaâ— so teache be wyth theyr holly salutacyons the false ydle prophetes of whome the blessyd apostle Pawle wryteth vnto the Romayns Rom. 16 that by theyr swete blessynges waste oute and emptye the poore wydowes houses For by such holy salutacyon as by swete blessynge praynge for them so good thynges as they seme to do they wynne theyr hartys to assent after to theyr heresyes and so expell and kyll trew fayth in theyr hartes and god so taken from them they make theÌ„ wydows so waste and emptye oute the substancyall vertues of theyr soules But nowe when he speketh of ferueÌ„t loue after the ensample of Cryste and his saintes as ernest as the matter is who can forbere laughynge when he seeth the lecherouse fleshly loue of those freres and theyr nunnes wherof tyll Tyndall can tell vs some lyke ensamples of Chryste and his sayntis that any of them were wonte to breke theyr vowes of chastyte and fall to suche fylthy lechery tyll he can tell vs that we may well tell hym that hys holy prayer of feruent loue here in his prologe goeth quyte agaynste his purpose and shameth all his hole boke after wherfore good Cristen reders who so shall happeÌ„ to rede his pernycyous boke take wysdome wyth you as I dowte not but ye wyll and be not so ledde wyth a few paynted holy wordes as yt were wyth the beholdynge of a pekokkes tayle but that ye regarde therwyth his fowle fete also and loke well whyther he walketh and to what ende he speketh and consyder hym by the hed maysters and archherityques of hys vngracyous secte whych when they haue spoken as relygiousely as he yet haue as ye see well shamefully shewed them selues open incestuouse harlottes and that of the moste abhominable sorte deflowrynge relygyous women And Tyndall hym selfe which thynge is worse then the dede doynge maynteyneth in hys boke theyr dede for well done Tyndall ☞ Oure sauyour Iesus in the .xvj. chapter of IohnÌ„ at his laste souper wheÌ„ he toke his leaue of his disciples warned them sayeng the holy goost sâ—all come and rebuke the worlde of iudgement Tyndale 〈◊〉 now y◠〈◊〉 goste sent â—owne from heuen to â—eâ—uke yâ— iugement of all crystendome thys â—v C. yere passed that is he shall rebuke the worlde for lacke of trew iudgement and dyscrecion to iudge and shall proue that the taste of theyr mouthes is corrupte so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete and theyr yees to be blynde so that they thynke that to be very seruyce of god which is but a blynde superstycyon for zele of whiche yet they persecute the true seruice of god and that they iudge to be the law of god whyche is but a false imaginacyon of a corrupte iudgement for blynde affeccyon of whiche yet they persecute the true law of god and them that kepe yt More How sone myght a pore symple soule be ledde to thynke that all those that beleue not as Tyndall doth were in a wronge way and in a false belyeff when he heryth Tyndall here lay agaynst them the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe spoken vnto his dysciples in his laste soupper But nowe they that be lerned and know the place in the gospell ê‘ceyue very well that Tyndall here synfully doth abuse the holy wordes of Chryste and manyfestly mystorneth the mynde and sentence of our sauyour folowynge thexample of the deuyll that alleged the scrypture vnto Chryste in deserte For as the dyuell there falsely wrested the scrypture of god and leyd yt agaynste god so dothe Tyndall here wreste the worde of our sauyour agaynst hym self and his hole chyrch I say his hole chyrche not the clergye onely but the hole coÌ„gregacyon of all crysten people For yt is well knowen that Chryste spake those wordes agaynst the Iewes and Paynyms that refused him and his true fayth shewynge that the holy goost at his comyng shold reproue theyr false iudgemeÌ„t and theyr vnsauery taste that iudged swete sowre sowre swete and that he shold teache his chyrche and his congregacyon the very truthe and lede them in to all trueth that sholde be necessarye for they re saluacyon And this promyse hathe oure sauiour bothe made in the gospell and also fulfylled in dede For the holy goost hathe not fayled to teache his chyrch all such kinde of truthe from the begynnynge hytherto nor neuer shall ceace so to do as well by his owne holy secrete worde vnwrytten in the scrypture and yet by hym selfe wrytten in chrysten mennys hartys as by his holy scripture eyther wryteÌ„ in tables of stone or in bestes skynnes accordynge to his owne wordes spokeÌ„ as well by the mouth of the prophete Ezechiel Ezech. 11. as of the blessyd apostle saynt Paule These truthes had the apostles the martyrs the confessours the holy doctours of Crystis chyrche and the comen crysten people of euery age from Chrystes dethe hytherto And in this comen knoweÌ„ chyrche of christendome excepte suche as at sondry tymes haue fallen there from as Arrius Pelagius Donatus wyclyff and Husse such other and now Luther and Tyndall and frere Huskyn and theyr felowes hath euer the true iudgement remayned the ryght sauored taste and neuer loste any of those heretyques these necessarye truthes tyll the dyuell hadde thorow pryde enuye and malyce made them set naught by the chyrche And then dyd he caste them forthe wyth in suche a feuer that they clene loste theyr taste and then dyd they as Tyndall dothe nowe iudge swete that all chrystendome iudged sowre And by those truthes and thys fayth alwaye from the begynnynge kept in Chrystes chyrche be we now very
lyuynge Titi. 1 And in his epistle to Titus he toke yt for no synne to alledge the poetes versys but in the disprayse of them of Crete for vsyng of Tyndales fasshyoÌ„ in lyenge and also in geuynge the worlde warnyng to beware of such as Tyndale is whose euyll wordes and sermons do corrupte and marre mennys good maners as his doth where he wolde make menne wene that good maners were nothynge worth And thus yf Tyndale grauÌ„t the tone parte that is to say that of olde tyme they preched both the worde of god wryten and vnwryten then he wynneth nothynge for euen so do they in the new tyme to Now yf he wyll not saye they preched both of olde tyme but that of olde tyme they preched onely the tone that is to wyt the worde of god wryten then must we wytte of Tyndale whych he calleth the olde tyme. For this I wote well so dothe Tyndale to that fyrste of all Cryste our sauyour hym selfe preched more then his worde wryten and promysed also wythoute wrytynge and was byleued then wythout wrytynge that he wolde sende the holy goost that shold teache his chyrch all trewth wythout wrytyng Cryst full trewly fulfylled his promyse without wryting and yet will not Tyndale now byleue hym wythout wrytynge and after Cristes deth dyd his apostles preache mych more of goddes worde theÌ„ was writeÌ„ And therfore yf Tyndale grownd hys argument vppon the olde tyme and say that they preched onely goddes worde wryten I haue dreuen hym onwarde one steppe downe for I haue shewed hym here the oldest tyme and the best tyme of Crystendome in whyche he can neuer wreste out but that he shall confesse that all the crysten prechours that is to wyt all the euangelystes and all the apostles of Cryste and Cryste hym selfe also besyde the scrypture preched goddes word vnwryten as longe as euer they lyued For I truste that Tyndale as madde as he is is not yet so madde as to thynke that after that some of the apostles had wryteÌ„ eyther gospels or pystles that then they alleged theyr owne wrytynges for theyr authoryte or theyr owne felowes eyther as though theyr owne wordes theyr owne wrytynge were not all of one credence But now yf Tyndale be not content to stande to that olde tyme and wyll saye that he spake of olde tyme but not of so â—lde then â—yth he compareth the olde tyme wyth thys tyme that is now we must aske hym whyche tyme is that whych he taketh for the olde tyme in respecte of this newe tyme now we call an olde man ye wote well at fourscore yere and at an hundred yere very olde wyll Tyndale stande to yâ— tyme wyll he stande at two huÌ„dred iii. hundred iiii v vi vii viii Nay surely he wyll none of all those huÌ„dredes For he sayth in hys preface that all thys eyghte hundred yere and aboue the prechours haue ben false and haue falsyfyed the scrypture Now semeth me that eyghte hundred yere is in respect of now a metely old tyme. And syth he sayth that by all this old tyme they haue not preched goddys worde well I wolde knowe whyche is that olde tyme in whyche they preched goddys worde well and the worde onely wryten wythout any prechynge of any worde of god vnwryten and toke for vayne and faâ—se all that euer were called goddys worde but yf they fouÌ„de it wryten Let Tyndale noâ— tell vs that olde tyme. For this must he tell vs or els he takâ—th a fowle fall Now wyll he make many shyâ—â—es and â—â— the last he shall be fayne to fall bothe into hys owne poeâ—â—y and also in to hys grammer agayne and come forth wyth hys .iii. degrees of compacyson olde elder and eldest And syth neyther the oldest 〈◊〉 of Cryst and hys apostels aâ—ayâ— serue hym bycause the 〈…〉 besyde scrypâ—tâ—â—e the â—â—orde of god 〈◊〉 tâ—n nor 〈…〉 tyâ—â— of eyghâ—◠〈◊〉 yâ—res nowe laÌ„ste passed bycause they preched as Tyndale sayth dyuerse sacramentes ceremonyes and promyses as the wordes of god vnwryten in whych he sayth they preched false but he wyll take an elder tyme then thys and not so olde as that that is to wyt the tyme next after the apostels dayes and he wyll say that all the wordes of god were then all redy wryteÌ„ by the euaÌ„gelystes and the apostels so that there was none of goddys wordes lefte vnwryten and therfore after theyr dayes by a certeyne tyme the trewe prechers preched purely the bare worde of god wryten in holy scrypture well nowe be Tindale and I comen at last to some poynt For he sayth a thynge here wyth whiche he answereth me well and with good grammer sauynge for his poetry for that marreth all hys mater For I saye surely that he sayth not trouth but that of goddes wordes they wrote not all but dyuers thynges were by god to them and by them to other taughte by mouth and by tradycyon from hande to hande delyuered and from age to age hytherto contynued in Crystes chyrch And that I saye trewth in thys poynt I haue dyuers good and honest wytnesses to bryng forth when tyme requyreth saynt Austayne saynt Hyerom saynt Cypryan saynt Chrysostem and a greate many mo whyche haue also testefyed for my parte in thys mater more then a thousand yere a go yet haue I a nother auncyent sad father also one that they call Origene And when I desyred hym to take the payne to come and bere wytnesse wyth me in thys mater he semed at the fyrst very well content But when I tolde hym that he sholde mete with Tindale he blessed hym selfe shranke bakke and sayde he had leuer go some other waye many a myle then onys medle wyth hym For I shall tell you syrquod he before thys tyme a ryght honorable man very connyng and yet more vertuouse the good bysshoppe of Rochester in a great audyeÌ„ce brought me in for a wytnes agaynst Luther and Tyndale euyn in thyâ— same mater aboute the tyme of the burnynge of Tyndalys euyll translated testament But Tyndale as sone as he herde of my name without any respecte of honestye fell in a rage wyth me and all to rated me and called me starke heretyke and that the starkeste that euer was Thys tale Orygene tolde me swore by saynt Symkyn that he was neuer so sayed vnto of suche a lewde felowe synnys he was fyrste borne of hys mother and therfore he wolde neuer medle wyth Tyndale more Now in dede to say the treuth yt was not well done of Tyndale to leue resonynge and fall a scoldyng chydynge and brawlynge as yt were a bawdy begger of byllyter lane Fy for shame he sholde haue fauored forborne hym somwhat and yt had bene but for his age For Origene is now .xiii. hundred yere olde or there aboute and this was not mych aboue .vii. yere synnes Now yf this made Tyndale bold to set Origene as short as his olde shone bycause saynt
But Tyndale wold now that we shold for the whyle forget all that he and his mayster wryteth ellys where and hym selfe in many placys after in this same boke and that we sholde onely marke these holy louyng wordes that he wryteth here in his present prologe in whych he sayth that they whych be spirytuall do neuer smyte theyr yonger brothereÌ„ that ys to saye suche as be not in fayth and vertue growen vp as they be nor wyll not wyth them come forwarde therin but be euyll and wyll be no better but the spyritualles as theyr elder brothereÌ„ doth flater them and promyse fayre and gyue them gay thynges and so draweth them forward in grace and fynally yf that wyll not helpe them then the spirytuall elder brother referreth theyr punyshement to the father and the mother that is as he meaneth to all myghty god for yf he ment vnto theyr rulers so yt is all redy for none other hath authoryte to correcte and punysse And hys mynde he hath declared in that byhalfe in sundry placys that non man shold in any wyse pursue and punysh any maÌ„ specyally for any heresye for he that pursueth any man is no spyrytuall man I let passe here that after this waye the worlde all be yt that yt be badde ynough all redye wold yet wax then mich worse and I passe ouer also that as well all wyse men as all good men and holy scripture also yt selfe is open and playne to the contrarye And I wyll for the whyle no more but aske of Tyndale whether he accompte the pope the clergy and the temporall prynces for menne borne agayne and renewed with the spyryte of god and therby spyrytuall or not If he reken them for suche theÌ„ by hys owne rule they can and do very well iudge all thynge and so sholde he then thynke that the thynges that they do be well done for he sayth hym selfe that the spirytualles do serche the botome of goddes commaundementes and fulfyll them gladly Now yf he say that they be not the spyrytualles but such as Luther is and frere Huskyn and hym selfe suche other as so serche the causes that they care not as Tyndale sayth after whyther the preste saye masse in hys gowne or in hys cope and wyll as sone gape for sande as holy salte and had as lyefe be smered with vnhalowed butter as enoynted wyth charmed oyle excepte men can tell them the causes whyche they saye that no man can and therfore they mocke and ieste therat nowe yf thys theyr sorte be as Tyndale sayth the spyrytuall and therby the elder brothern then wyll we say to Tyndale and aske hym why do not you Tyndale and your spyrytuall felowes accordynge to your owne wordes here loue out of your hartes the pope the cardynals the clergye the prynces the people and so forth beynge as your younger brothern not yet borne agayne and why do you not forbere them wyth all loue and pacyence so forth Tyndale taketh greâ—â—â—â—easuâ—e in often bryngynge in theâ—e wordes And so forth and wayte on them and serue them and suffer them and so forth and when they wyll not wyth you come forth why do you not then speke them fayre and flater them and promyse them fayre and so forth and so drawe them forth and so forth And yf that for aâ—l thys they wyll not come forth why do you not then referre the punysshement to the father and mother and smyte them not but contrary to your owne wordes vse at your yoÌ„ger brothern to laughe theÌ„ to skorne to mocke to ieste to checke to chyde to brawle rybaldously to rayle callynge them apyshe peuysshe popysshe iuglers theues murderers bloodsupers tormentours and traytours Pylatys Cayphaas Herodys Annaas Antecrystes Iudaas hypochrytes mokenmongers pryapystes idolatres horemaysters and sodomytes abomynable shameles stark madde and faythlesse bestes hangemen martyr quellers and Cryste kyllers serpentes scorpyons dremers and very dyuels fynally wyth such venemouse wordes and other malyciouse wayes the wurste that the dyuell and you deuyse to gether bysely put forth youre payne to sow debate dyssencion scysmes stryfe and sedycion and cause your spyrytuall people that ys to wyt the elder brothern borne agayne of the spirite to ryse and rebell agaynst your yonger brothern but naturall yet and not borne agayne and the tone parte to smyte kyll the tother by thousandys on a daye as ye haue done in Almayne prouidynge alway that your selfs the chyeff captayns and authours of such sedycion and rebelliouse bloodshed gate vp vppon some hyll in the meane whyle and stonde and loke vppon sure safe a syde halfe out of all gonshotâ— and com not at hand strokes in no wise but serue for trompetours with the blaste of youre wordes and vngracyous wrytynges to kyndâ—e them call vppon and set them all a worke and yf yt walke on youre syde then to gaude and glory and yf yt go agaynste you your parte go to wrake then slynk awaye fro the felde and make as ye cam not there nor neuer enteÌ„ded harme nor meÌ„t any such mater or as your mayster dyd in Almayne to put your selfe out of suspycyon crye to the coÌ„trary parte to kyll them downe hande smothe whom your owne wordes raysed vp and synfully set a worke And lo thus hath Tyndale coÌ„nyngly declared the grete commaundement of loue and by hym selfe and his felowes as ye se so louyngly put in vre that they wolde helpe the tother parte to all the myschyefe they myghte and wolde that on the tother syde what so euer they do them self be it neuer so myscheuouse no man sholde ones chyde them nor gyue fowle wordes but in theyr deuylyshe dedys forbere styll suffer them and take them then â—s younger brothern lytell babys vntaught and gyue them fayre wordes and pretye proper gere ratylles cokbelles and gay goldeÌ„ shone and yf the wantons wyll not lerne yet but byte scratche theyr felowes bete not the babys yet in no wyse but go and tell theyr mother and so forth And when Tyndale hath thus connyngly declared the greate commauÌ„dement of loue and hath so spyrytually set it out to the shew then concludeth he well worshypfully that by thys commaundement of loue in suche a wyse waye vnderstanden his spyrytuall sorte iudgeth all the lawes of god and vnderstande the true vse of them and by the same in lykewyse vnderstande they all the lawes of man which are ryght and whych tyranny For by thys then vnderstande that for the loue that they bere to theyr own wyll euery glose that they gyue them selfe is the ryght meanyng of the worde of god and all that all other holy men haue wryten is but fantasyes and false And in mennis law to let them bete other men for saynge trueth were well ordeyned and ryghte but any man to chyde onys any of theym for a hondred heresyes that were vtter wronge and no lawfull law but
there can not hyndre theyr cristeÌ„dome And as for the chyld if neyther they nor the preste nother well vnderstande theyr dewtye nor well byleued in baptysme neyther ye though they were turkes Iewes or saracens or that worse were then all thre very starke heretyques yet so that in the baptysynge they purpose to make the chyld crysten therin do as the chyrch doth all theyr lakke can not make the baptysme lese his frute And yf that Tyndale knowe not this he is very porely lerned and yf he know this and then saye as he sayth that for lakke of such teachynge at the founte the baptysme there is frutelese what is he then say you But now is yt good to se somwhat of Tyndales mynde concernynge these twoo thynges that is to wyt the fayth set on sensyble tokens in the sacrament and the prechynge of the promyses Fyrst for the visyble sygnes there be twoo thynges to be consydred Thone that Tyndale beryth vs in hand that the clergye maketh vs byleue that the visible sygnes alone doth all to gether therin he saythe false a nother that hym self byleueth that they do no good at all and therin he byleueth false For the fyrst poynt these be his wordes Tyndale They make vs beleue that the worke selfe wythoute the promyse saueth vs whych doctryne they lerned of Aristotle More In this poynte he playnely bylyeth the clergye whyche doctryne he lerned of the deuyll who taketh baptysme but for a sacrament ordeyned of god for mannys saluacyon by whych god hath promised that he shal be saued except synne after let hym and wythout whych he shall not be saued excepte ryght specyall cases those be very few neyther able to be playnely proued by scrypture and yet wyll Tyndale agre them agaynste his maysters rule How be yt Tyndale hath here a nother rule and that as false as the tother by whych as I was aboute to saye he rekeneth the outwarde tokens of the sacrament to be of none effecte but onely bare tokens of that grace that is wrought wyth the worde and that the worde of Cristes promyse For he sayth that the sacrameÌ„tis be as yt were a precheour and do onely preache goddes promyses and therfore for to mynystre the sacramentes is he sayth nothynge ellys but to preache goddes promyses And for this he alleggeth yâ— wordes of saynte Paule in the fyfte chapyter of his pystle to the Ephesies Ephe. 5 Criste clensed the coÌ„gregacyon in the founteyne of water thorow the word And also the wordes of saynt Peter where he sayth in the fyrste of his fyrste pystle 1. Petri .1 ye are borne of new not of mortall seed but of immortall seed by the word of god whych lyueth and lasted euer He alleggeth also the worde of saynte Iamys in the fyrste chapyter of his pystle Iacobi .1 where he sayth Of his good wyll bygate god vs wyth the worde of trouthe that is sayth Tyndale wyth the worde of promyse He sayth also Thou seeste that it is not the worke but the promyse that iustyfyeth vs thorow fayth He sayth also that as the preste purgeth by prechynge of the promyse so do the sacramentes and none otherwyse bycause he sayth that the sacramentes be but sygnes and tokens that betoken and preache the promises And so he meaneth that as the preste prechyng the promyses doth geue vs a knowlege of them or putteth vs in mynde of them and yet he doth but shew vs of the promyses of grace doth not gyue vs any effecte of any promyse or grace nor we by that preching do not gete no grace but by goddes worke bysyde so though he minystre yâ— sacraments yet we do not attayne gete any grace neyther by yâ— preste nor by the sacramentes nor by that worke or dede that is done in mynystrynge or receyuynge the sacramentes no more than by the prestes prechynge but onely by the promyse of god thorow fayth to the infoundynge wherof the sacrament doth nothyng worke nor is no cause therof nor cooperant thereto nor meane nor instrumeÌ„t therin but onely a bare sygnyfyer and a shewer thereof And yet worse then thus that lykewyse as yf a preste standyng vp in the pulpet to preche do there stande styll and preche nothyng at all but so come downe agayne and say nothynge doth vnto yâ— people no profyte at all so the sacramentes syth they be but bare sygnes as he sayth and serue of nothyng but to sygnyfye certeyne thynges he sayth therfore that bycause the mynysters of the sacramentes do not open and declare those sygnyfycacyons to the receyuers of the sacrameÌ„t therfore the sacramentes be frutelesse and meÌ„ take no more profyte by the receyuynge of them then by the stondynge of the preste in the pulpet that standeth there and precheth not And it it to be consydered that thys is hys opynyon as well of the blessed sacrament of the auter as of the holy baptisme wherby what mynde he hath of that blessyd sacrameÌ„t he leueth lytell doute to them that haue eyther lernyng or wyt If thys opynyon of Tyndale were trew that the preest doth in mynystrynge the sacramentes no more but preche the promyses and in the mynystrynge he purgeth but as he doth by hys prechynge and when he precheth not the sygnyfycacyons then he purgeth not then were there wyth the baptysme no grace at all geuen vnto chyldren for the preest precheth not then though he dyd we fynde not yet that he sholde suffycyently purge the chylde wyth prechynge And yet yf baptysynge be nothynge ellys but prechynge as Tyndale sayth then after that the preest had well preched all the were to be preched and shewed what the token and the sacrament meaneth he myght as it semeth by Tyndals tale send home the chyld agayne neuer put water vppon hym Tyndale wyll haue vs byleue no thynge but playne euydent scrypture I wolde he sholde therfore proue hys tale here by playne and euydeÌ„t scripture for as for these placys that he layeth proue it no thynge at all Ephe. 5 For the wordes of saynt Paule to the Ephesyes Criste cleÌ„sed the congregacyon in the fountayne of water thorow the word is the thynge that all we say to that is to wyt that by the holy wordes of baptysme comyâ—ge to the water god cleÌ„seth the soule accordynge to the wordes of saynt Austyne accedit verbum ad elementum fit sacramentuÌ„ S. Austinus But Tyndale bycause saynt Paule sayth there in the fountayne of water thorow the worde weâ—eth that he setteth the water but for a sygne as yf the one wolde say a man doth in hys body faste watch gyue almesse and praye thorow the deuocyon of the soule Tyndale wolde then saye that the body were set but for a sygne and in all these thynges doth nothynge at all Hys texte also of saynt Peter is nothynge in thys world for hys purpose For wheÌ„ saint Peter sayth ye are
of holy scrypture in stede of all whyche sacryfyces Cryste hath in his new law instytuted one onely sacryfyce his own blessed bodye and blood to be offered vp to his father for his people by the handes of the preest in forme of brede wyâ—ne of whych holy offerynge in the masse nowe the offerynge of Melchisedech that offred bred and wyne Câ—â—â— 14 was a solemne figure Tyndale telleth vs here that bycause Crist is a preste for euer and that all we be prestes thorow hym man woman ye muste vnderstande we nede therfore he saythe no more of any such preste on erth that sholde be a meane betwene god and the people to offer vp any sacryfyce to god for the people For he sayth farther that Cryste hath 〈◊〉 vs in to the inner teÌ„ple wythin the veyle and vnto the mercy stole of god and 〈◊〉 coupled vs vnto god where we offer euery man for hym selfe the desyres and petycyons of his herte and do sacryfyce and kyll the lustes and appetytes of his fleshe wyth prayour fastynge and all maner of golâ—y lyuynge More wyth these gay glytterynge wordes wolde Tyndale so blere our eyen that he wold make vs to reken our selfe taken in so nere to god and so coupled wyth hym that eueÌ„ vppon god almyghtyes mercy stole we offer euery man so suffycyently for hym selfe the desyres and petycyons of his hart and so suffycyently sacryfyce and kyll the iustes and appetes of his fleshe wyth prayour fastynge and all manner of good lyuynge that we nede now no preste as meane betwene god and vs to offer vp for vs to god the holy hoste and sacryfyce of all sacryfyces the blessed bodye and blood of our holy sauyour Cryste This is the goodnesse that he bryngeth all his holy processe to And where as in other places all is nought among vs and all is but synne yet here leste we sholde nede the sacryfyce of the masse we be all goddes good sonnes kyll and sacrifyce full well the lustes and appetytes of our flesh wyth prayour fastynge and all manner of godly lyuynge How be it when Tyndale sayth that we offer our desires of our harte at god almyghtyes mercy stole that we kyll and sacryfyce the lustes of our fleshe with prayour fastyng and all godly lyuynge he meaneth none of vs peuysshe popysshe popystes but the lyuely lyghtsome Lutheranys For they perde as ye se by Luther hym selfe and hys holy noÌ„ne kylle sacryfyce theyr flesshely lustes with prayour fastynge and mych godly lyuynge euery man and woman woteth how I meruayle yet in what place of scrypture Tyndale fyndeth that men sacryfyce theyr synnes we fynde that men offer sacryfyce for synne and that men kyll synne and then peraduenture offer them selfe clene depured from synne But to offer vppe synne in sacryfyce me semeth it is a very stynkyng sacryfyce and of suche a scryptured man not very scrypturely spoken But therfore Tyndale turneth those .ii. wordes out of theyr ryght frame to iugle and blere our yieÌ„ wythall For he sayth not that we kyll and sacryfyce oure flesshely lustes leste we sholde haue spyed that it were no metely sacryfyce But he sayth that we sacryfyce and kyll them as though that in the olde lawe men had ben wont to sacrifyce the bestes fyrst and burne them vppe hole or ellys burne parte and eate parte and then kyll them after But Tyndale careth not how he set hys wordes so that he maye make vs to byleue that we nede no preest to offer vppe dayly the same sacryfyce that our sauyour offred onys and hath ordayned to be by the prestes perpetually offred in hys chyrche For thys is hys labour to take out of our bylefe and thys is Luthers labour of whom he lerned it in hys booke of Babilonica And for this cause be they wroth wyth the holy canon of the masse bycause the sacrament is in the masse called as it is in dede a sacryfyce an hooste an oâ—Ì„rynge Thys wolde they haue vs leue of for the onely spyghte that they bere to preesthed bycause they se that in thys poynt that holy order of preesthed hath an excellent pryuylege in whyche none angell hath the lyke authoryte And all be it that Tyndale telleth vs many tymes as the man is somwhat shamelesse that we wyll not byleue saynt Hierom saynt Austyne saynt Ambrose saynt Gregory and the other olde holy doctours of Crystes chyrche yet knoweth Tyndale that in thys one poynt amonge many other they be quyte agaynste hym euerychone And bycause it wolde here make a longe worke to reherse many of theyr wordes therfore that Tyndale shall not denye but that I therin saye trewth I shall alledge hym Luther hys owne mayster whyche in hys booke of Babilonica playnly confesseth the same and answereth it wyth saynge that the gospell of god is playne agaynste them all as thoughe that amonge them all eyther neuer none had redde the gospell of god or ellys neuer none had vnderstaÌ„den it but hym self And then agaynst them all he construeth that gospell so folysshely that afore god a man wolde wene almoste that a goslynge had as mych wyt as he And yet now wolde hys wyse dyscyple Tindale haue vs for his pleasure in hatered of the order of preesthed byleue that the preest doth at the masse make none offryng of yâ— holy sacryfyce for our synne wyth whyche heresye he clene taketh awaye the very frute of the masse in whiche that blessed sacrament is both moost honored of the people and is also most profytable to the people But yet shall ye se ferther that as fayre as he couereth hym selfe in hys spekynge of thys holy sacrament in some other places yet in some he sheweth his affeccyon full well for these are hys wordes Tyndale The sacrament of Crystes body after this wyse preche they ye maye 〈◊〉 peâ—â—ceyue 〈◊〉 thâ—◠〈…〉 Tynâ—â—â—â— Thou muste byleue that it is no more brede but the very body of Cryste flesshe blood and bone euen as he went here on erthe saue his cote For that is here yet I wote not in how many places More Is not here a fayre mokkynge maner in rehersynge of that holy sacrament But yet to couer his infydelyte he maketh here a colour as though he were angry that they teche no more But he is angry in dede that they teche so mych or ellis coude he neuer fynd in his herte to speke so mokkeshly of such a mater as he doth For euery man well knoweth that where he maketh after as though they whiche teche the people thys dyd not teche them also the profyte of the receyuyng nor the promyse of god he doth vntrewly belye them For who is there so symply taught but that he well vnderstandeth that the receyuyng of the holy body of our lord in suche wyse as men are taughe to receyue it is holsome to the soule and that by goddys ordynaunce And therfore is in Tyndale but
haue ecclesia thorow out the new testament translated by thys word câ—â—â—che yâ— then Tyndale in all hys gay tale telleth vs nothyâ—â—e to purpose But that argument is now lyke as yf he wolde haue argued thus If mayster More wyll graunâ—â— me that euery horse is a goose then must he nedys grâ—â—nte me that euery mare must haue a gander to get her 〈◊〉 â—ole For I nede not to graunte hym the thyâ—â—â— that he â—â—pposeth Now tell I Tyndale that in no wyse I â—yll not haue it so and that I neuer tolde hym that 〈…〉 haue so â—uâ— I saye playnely that yf he shâ—lâ—e thoâ—â—â—oâ—t 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 stament translate thys worde eâ—clesia by thys worde 〈◊〉 I saye that he sholde translate it very naught And for bycause that Tyndale eyther euyll perceyueth my wordes or elles euyll remeÌ„bred them or fynally which is moste lykely wolde wyllyngly make the reader to take them wronge I wyll desyre the reader to loke vppon the place hym selfe which is yâ— .viii. chapyter of the thyrd boke and there shall he fynde that I fynde the faute not in that he translateth this worde ecclesia sometyme in to this worde congregacyon but that he chaungeth this worde chyrch in to this worde congregacyon that is to say that he translateth this worde ecclesia in to this worde coÌ„gregacyon in such places as he shold haue traÌ„slated yt in to this word chyrch that is where so euer he hath put this worde congregacyon for the companye of crysten people for that companye is in englyshe sygnyfyed and of olde hath ben by this holy word chyrche and neuer by this worde congregacyon This is the faute that I fynde and tell Tyndale in that chapyter good and playne causes wherfore whyche Tyndale here letteth slyppe But I wolde in no wyse that as Tyndale taketh me ecclesia sholde alwaye be translated by this worde chyrche for that were also wrong For trewth it is that ecclesia sygnifyeth in the greke tonge a congregacyon wythout respecte of eyther good or bad crysten or vncrysten For Tyndale sayth therin trewth that the worde ecclesia was vsed a thousande yere before crystendome byganne as the bokes proue But yt wyll be hard to proue warraunt that this word chyrch was vsed for any congregacyon byfore criâ—tendome began or yâ— euer it sygnifyed any cogregacioÌ„ other then crysteÌ„ And therfore his reason grouÌ„ded vppoÌ„ this worde ecclesia is lytle worth syth it procedeth not in lykewyse in this word chyrch And yet touÌ„chynge this worde ecclesia as connynge as Tyndale wold seme therin wyth his greke all he semeth buâ— porely to perceyue yt For ye shall vnderstand that this worde ecclesia in the greke tonge dyd not sygnyfye euery man â—â—â—â—â—â—upany or congregacyon nor sygnyfyed not all the cytesayâ—â— of aâ—y cytye wyth that respecte that they were cyteâ—â—â—â—â—s of â—hatâ—yty or that they were gathered for playeng or 〈…〉 any such other caâ—se but onely these congrâ—gaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—ere gatherâ—d to gâ—ther to coÌ„men vppon 〈…〉 eyther aboute the comen 〈…〉 peace or waâ—re or some other commodyte or for pryuate folkes besynes in such places as all the comen people were iudges as mych was vsed in Grece and sometyme in Rome to and was as ye wolde saye the assemblye of the court or the comen counsayle Now for as myche as crysten people dyd resort to gether amonge them selfe to prayour and preachyng and makyng of good ordynaunces delyuered them by the apostles thys name of ecclesia was applyed vnto yâ— coÌ„gregacyon of the crysten company And though yt beganne of such assembles together yet afterwarde yt obtayned also bothe amonge the Grekes and Latines crystened to sygnyfye the crysten folk whyther they were at chyrch or at home and to sygnyfye also the vnyuersall nomber of all crysten people thorow oute all the world where as it sygnifyed no such maner of thyng among the paynyms byfore but onely theyr seuerall assembles such as I byfore descrybed you and whych was in laten called concio And yet toke the laten chirch the greke word ecclesia of the greke chyrch that beganne byfore them and neuer vsed this worde concio whych sygnyfyed amonge the latine paynyms both the congregacyon or assembly and the oracyon also that any man pronounced among them in the same assembly Now may ye perceyue that Tyndale wyth all his greke tolde you but a lame tale For he telleth you not what manner of congregacyon ecclesia dyd sygnyfye in the greke but mysse taketh yt to sygnyfye euery manner of congregacyon at auenture And by this ye maye also perceyue how lytle yt maketh for his purpose that saynte Luke wherof Tyndale so bosteth calleth ecclesia thryes in one chapyter of the actes the coÌ„gregacyon that was gathered in Ephese agaynste saynte Paule For that was suche a congregacyon as I tell you that ecclesia properly sygnifyed amonge yâ— paynyms sauyng that they gathered to gether vppon a rumour and not after theyr customable callynge Now though the chyrch was then newly bygonne to be called by the same name of ecclesia and that after thexample of the tother assembly and the name not taken from the tother assemblye nor theyâ— assembly for suche maters called by none other how wolde Tyndale haue had saynte Luke tell the tale but by suche wordes as then represented the mater But that maketh nothynge for his purpose but 〈◊〉 agaynste yt For syth that this worde ecclesia dyd there sygnyfy that congregacyon of the Ephesyans whyche were paynyms and therfore in that place ought not to be translated by this word chyrch whych sygnifyeth onely a cristen coÌ„gregacyon and not a coÌ„gregacyon of paynyms so shuld ecclesia in lyke wyse whereso euer yt sygnyfyeth a crysten congregacyon be translated by this worde chyrch whyche is euer hath ben the worde that synnes crystendome fyrste beganne amonge englyshe men hath alway serued therfore not be translated by this worde coÌ„gregacyon whych word of congregacyon is a worde of latine and sygnyfyeth a sort gathered to gether in to one floke as they speke in gregem oui uin gregem gruum gregem anserum And so wheÌ„ Tyndale hath all sayed and all done this worde congregacion excepte some specyall places where they haue by custome appoynted it to sygnyfye some sorte of men as in some vnyuersyties yt sygnifyeth theyr assembles ellys where no such custome hath appropred yt to any specyall manner of congregacyon the terme congregacyon absolutely sette sygnifyeth no more a companye of crysten men then a fayre flokke of vncrysten geese But yet the chaunge of the worde yf Tyndale had done it eyther of chaunce or of purpose for hys pleasure and for none euyll purpose I wolde neuer haue spoken worde agaynst it But for as mych as I perceyue yâ— he hath ben with Luther and was to at the same tyme when he so translated it and that I knewe well the malycyouse heresyes that Luther began to brynge forth therfore muste I
god and hys holy sacramentes and all good crysteÌ„ people whom he laboreth to enfecte with the fury that they sholde not knowe the very chyrche of god whereof them selfe be membres but wolde make them so madde as to byleue that the chyrche of god were some one sorte of an hundred sectes of heretykes no marke among them all why more the tone then the tother where as they muste and do in thys poynte all agree that they be all false saue one and the trouth is in dede that they be false euerychone Now to knowe that the nerer Tyndale cometh to the mater the forther he fleeth from that trouth and hydeth hym selfe in the derkenesse of the deuyll walkynge with a sconse of a dymme lyghte to make men wâ—â—e he wolde shewe them the way and ledeth them clene awry ye shall here how boldely he begynneth and after shall I so shew you the mater that euery chylde shall perceyue hys bolde wyly foly to come of no good truste in hys cause but lakke of wytte and shame Tyndale Whyther the chyrche were before the gospell or the gospell before the chyrche An other dowte there is whether the chyrche or congregacyon be before the gospell or the gospell before the chyrche whyche questyon is as harde to solue as whether the father be elder then the sonne or the sonne elder then his father For the hole scrypture and all byleuynge hertes testyfye that we are begotteÌ„ thorow the worde Wherfore yf the worde begette the congregacyon and he that begetteth is before hym that is begotten then is the gospell before the chyrche Pause also Romano ix sayth how shall they call on whom they beleue not And how shall they byleue without a precher That is Cryste must fyrste be preached ere men can byleue in hym And then it foloweth that the worde of the preacher muste be before the fayth of the byleuer And therfore in as mych as the word is before the fayth and fayth maketh the congregacyon therfore is the worde or gospell before the congregacyon More Lo he that redeth this and hereth not thanswere excepte hym selfe be well ryped in the mater maye wene that Tyndale in these wordes had quyt hym selfe lyke a man borne me ouer quyte he solueth the obieccyon so playnely playeth therwith so pleasauntely But now when ye shall vnderstande that neuer man was so madde to make thys obieccyon to Tindale but hym selfe then shall ye laughe to se that he wresteleth all alone gyueth hym selfe a fall and in hys mery solucyon mokketh also no man but hym selfe I sayed in my dyaloge that the chyrche was before the gospell was wryteÌ„ and that the fayth was taught and men were baptysed and masses sayd and the other sacramentes mynystred amonge crysten people before any parte of the newe testament was put in wrytynge and that this was done by the word of god vnwryten And I sayed also there and yet say here agayne â—hat the ryght fayth whiche Adam had and suche as in the same fayth succeded hym longe ere wrytynge beganne was taught by the worde of god vnwryten and so went from man to man fro the father to the sonne by mouth And I sayed that thys worde of god vnwryten is of as greate authoryte as is the worde of god wryten I shewed also that the chyrche of Cryste hath ben is and â—uer shall be taught and instructed by god and hys holy spâ—ryt wyth hys holy worde of eyther kynde that is to wyt bothe wyth hys worde wryten and hys worde vnwryten and that they whyche wyll not byleue goddes worde but yf he put it in â—â—â—â—ynge be as playne infydeles as they that wyll not byleue it wryten syth goddes worde taketh hys authoryte of god thâ—â— sâ—eketh it anâ— not of man that wryteth it And there is lyke suertye and lyke certayne knowledge of the worde of god vnwryten as there is of the worde of god wryten syth ye knowe neyther the tone nor the tother to be the worde of god but by the tradycyon of the chyrche which chyrch as all crysten men byleue and the scripture sheweth and saynt Austayne declareth and Luther hym selfe confefseth and the deuyll hym selfe sayeth not nay the blessed spyryte of god hath inwardely taught teacheth and euer shall teache to know iudge and dyscerne the worde of god from the worde of man and shall kepe the chyrche from errour ledynge in to euery trouthe as Cryste sayth hym selfe in the .xvi. chapyter of saynt IohnÌ„s gospell whych he dyd not yf he suffered the chyrche to be dampnably deceyued in takynge the worde of man for the word of god wherby it sholde in stede of seruyce to be done to god fall in vnfaythfulnes and wyth idolatry do seruyce to the deuyll And therfore I shewed in my sayd dyaloge and yet the kynges hyghnes mych more playnely shewed in hys moste erudyte famouse boke agaynst Luther out of which I toke it that the word of god vnwryten is of as grete authoryte as certayne and as sure as is hys worde wryten in the scrypture whyche poynt is so faste and sure pytched vppon the rokke our sauyour Cryste hym selfe that neyther Luther Tyndale nor Huskyn nor all the hell houndes that the deuyll hath in his kenell neuer hytherto coulde nor whyle god lyueth in heuen and the deuyll lyeth in hell neuer herafter shall barke they bawle they neuer so faste be able to wreste yt out And that they be all as I tell you so feble in this poynte whereuppon theffecte of all theyr hole heresies hangeth for but yf they veynquysh this one poynt all theyr heresyes fully be burned vppe and fall as flatte to asshen as yt were all moyse all obstinate heretyques dyd ye maye se a clere â—roue by these wordes of Tyndale whyche he hath sette so gloryously forth in the fore fronte of his batayle as thâ—â—gh they were able to wynne the hole felde For where as I sayed that the gospell and the worde of god vnwryten was byfore thâ— chyrche and by yt was the chyrche begonne gathered and tought and that the chyrche was byfore that the gospell that now is wryten was wryten that is to wyt byfore any parâ—â— of the gospell was wryten for as for all the hole gospell 〈◊〉 is to wyt all the wordes of god that he wold haue 〈◊〉 byleued and kepte was yet neuer wryten this beynge the thynge that I sayd Tyndale wyth all the helpe he hath had of all the heretyques in Almayne this two or thre yere to gether is yet in such dyspayre to be able to matche therewith that he is wyth shame inough fayne to forgete that I sayed the chyrche was byfore the gospell wryten whyche thynge hym selfe can not denye and is fayne to frame the doute make the obieccyon as though I had sayed that the chyrch had bene byfore the gospell and the worde of god vnwriten wherof hym selfe knoweth well that I sayed clene the contrarye And therfore
good readers hauynge this thynge in your remembraunce take now the payne to reade Tyndales wordes agayn and ye shall haue a pleasure to se how fondely he iugleth afore you For now his crafte opened declared vnto you ye shall perceyue that he playeth nothynge clene but fareth lyke a iugler that conuayeth his galies so craftely that all the table spyeth them Tyndale And agayne as the ayer is darke of yt selfe and receyueth all her lyght of the sonne euen so are all mennes hertes of them selfe darke wyth lyes and receyue all theyr trewth of goddes worde in that they consent therto More And this lyketh me very well and so myche the better by cause that the goodnesse of god causeth Tyndale to speke these wordes nothyng touchyng the mater for any reprofe of my boke but onely reprouynge hym self and condeÌ„nyng all his hole secte For I neuer sayed nor no man ellys as I suppose neyther crysten nor hethen that god taketh hys trewth or his lyght of man but man of god And therfore this holy sermone he spendeth but in waste sauynge as I sayde for the condemnynge of hym selfe and his secte For syth yt is trew that by the lyght of god as Tyndale here confesseth mennys hartes be clensed from lyes false opynyons and from thynkyng euyll good and therfore froÌ„ consentynge to synne and we se well that Tyndale and all hys secte be sette all vppon heresyes false blasphemouse lyes and thynke yf they thynke as they saye bothe euyll good good euyll for they call Crystes sacramentes euyll and 〈◊〉 lechery good and so not onely coÌ„sent to synne but also commytte and defende and teache the whole dede stynkynâ—◠〈◊〉 of synne yt foloweth by Tyndales own holy sermon here that his owne herte and the hertes of all hys whole secte be the darke ayer of hell from which the lyght of goddes owne gloryouse sonne that came to geue lyght in to the darke ayre of this erth hath farre wythdraweÌ„ his bemys And this hath Tyndale wyth his owne holy wordes deuysed of none occasyon and farre from the mater but onely to shew the glorye of his hygh spyrituall phrase nothyng done at all but geuyn hym selfe a fall and throwen all hys mater in the myre yet hath he one worde by whyche it appereth that whyle he saw hym selfe fallen he wolde pull downe other men in to the myre to hym For yf ye consyder hys wordes ye shall se that he cowcheth them in suche wyse that he wolde make men wene that where so euer there were a trew bylefe and false opynyons taken awaye that there it muste nedes be that men shall not consent to synne whyche thynge he doeth for the colour and cloke of theyr false opynyon by whyche they teche that fayth alone alwaye suffyseth wherin when they fynde them selfe so shamefully confuted and conuicted they be loth to seme to fle by day and therefore they fle by nyght and retrete them selfe in the darke makyng as though they were mysse taken and ment no thyng but that who so haue a ryght byleue not a false opynyoÌ„ it can not be but that he must nedys do well as Tyndale sayth here that he which doth not byleue euyll to be good he shall neuer consent to synne As it is a greate foly to afferme thys so were it all moste as mych foly to coÌ„fute thys For who is there that thynketh that to kyll a man for hys money is no synne and yet many wretches do it who thynketh that aduowtry is no synne yet many wretches do it who thâ—nketh that to wedde a nonne is no synne I dare saye not euyn these wretches them self that wedde them but they veryly know it for synne and yet the wretches do it And therfore thys tale of Tyndales is but a very folysâ—he heresye Tyndale IohnÌ„ .xvij. Sanctyfye them o father thorow thy trewth And thy worde is trewth And thus thou seyst that goddys trewth dependeth not of man It is not trew bycause man so sayth oâ— admitteth it for trew Moreâ— whereof serueth all this whyle no man sayed the contrary Tyndale But man is trew bycause he byleâ—eth it testyfyeth and gyuâ—th wylâ—â—◠〈◊〉 hyâ— harte that yt is trew More Nay peâ—de thys is not alway trew For saynt Peter hym selfe was not trew when he testyfyed gaue wytnesse wyth hys mayster in his harte and yet forsware hym openly with hys mowth And Iudas byleued in hys harte that goddys worde was trew and yet was hym selfe not trew but a false thefe and a false traytour to And now adayes also be there many false theuys and traytours vnto god false heretykes I meane that by the worde of god byleue and wote well inough that it is abomynable thefte and sacrylege for a frere to wedde a nonne and yet as false harlottes bothe do and teche the contrary to theyr owne bylefe Tyndale And Cryste also sayth hym selfe IohnÌ„ .v. I receyue no wytnesse of man For yf the multytude of mann ys wytnesse myghte make ought trew then were the the doctryne of Machomet trewer then Crystes More Now cometh he sumwhat to hys purpose in dede but he cometh to a full shrewde purpose For by these wordes of Cryste in the fyfth chapyter of IohnÌ„ he wolde make it seme that there sholde no credence be gyuen to the chyrche bycause they be men and therefore can not as Tyndale sayth â—ere â—ytnesse vnto Cryste nor hys worde syth Cryste sayth hym selfe I receyue no wytnesse of man To thys purpose hath he brought forth all hys gaye paynted processe byfore the glyterynge wherof he hopeth sholde so dase our eyen that we shâ—lde not se the falsed of hys shorte sodayne conclusyoÌ„ in whych he knytteth vp Cryste and Machomet togyther to confounde the credence and authoryte of Crystes chyrch But good crysten readers dyfferrynge for the whyle Machomettâ—s doctryne wyth whom Tyndale maye make a matche I shall shewe you what fraude and deceyt Tynâ—â—le here vseth bothe in the translatyng and in the interpretacyon of these wordes of our sauyour Cryste that he reherâ—â—th wryten in the fyfthe chapyâ—â—r of saynt IohnÌ„ Cryste in 〈◊〉 place neyther meaneth nor sayth that he taketh no wyt 〈…〉 man as Tyndale reherseth but he bothe meaneth 〈…〉 he taketh not hys specyall wytnesse of man but 〈…〉 to the entent that ye maye the better perceyue 〈…〉 heresye seme proued by the gospell he 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 ye shall vnderstande that the latyn tonge 〈…〉 artycle that the greke hath and whiche artycle in parte both oue englysh langage hath and the frenche also and dyueâ—se other tâ—â—ges and yt is in englyshe this worde the. For wherâ— as we haâ—e two artycles in englysh a and the a or an for both is one artycle to tone byfore a consonaunt the tother byfore â— vowell is coÌ„men to euery thyng almost But the sygnifyeth often tymes some specyall thynge and dyuydeth yt from the generall As when I saye a man or
wythout synne But now they haue seen and yet haue hated both me and my father Thus haue I clerely shewed you that where Tyndale wolde haue yt seme that goddes worde alone alwaye clenseth mennys soules from false fayth he teacheth in that a false fayth for the myracles many tymys helpe to the clensynge of mennys soules And lette Tyndale stykke well to thys poynt for I entende shortely to shew by this that the miracles wrought in Crystes chyrche clerely reproue all the false fayth that he his mayster all theyr whole hondred sectes that are theyr ofsprynges preachen But fyrst where Tyndale sayth that goddes worde ys trew layth therfore the .xvii. of saynt IonÌ„ no man sayth nay to yâ— And where he sayth forther yâ— goddê trewth dependeth not of maÌ„nys word we wyll graute hym this mych more to then he loketh for For I say ferther that the trouth of god dependeth not vppon goddes owne worde neyther but is absolutely trew in yt self without any dependauÌ„ce vppon hys word at all And as yt is trew that Tyndale sayth that goddes trewth is not trew bycause man so sayth so is this trew also that goddes trewth is not trew bycause god so sayth But on the totheâ— syde lykewyse as this argument or coÌ„secucyon is trew god sayth that who so byleue not his chyrch is to be takeÌ„ as a paynem ergo that thyng is trew so is thys consecucyon trew Crystes chyrch â—ayth the who so breke hys vow of chastyte synnetâ— dedely who so holdeth yt for lefull holdeth an heresye eâ—go these two thyâ—ges be trew and yet is neyther the â—â—yeâ—â— of the chyrche the cause of the trewth of these two nor the sayeng of Criste the cause of the trewth of the tother But lykewyse as yâ— I 〈◊〉 syt yt must nedes be that he sytteth whyle I se hym syt bâ—â—â—use I could not se hym sytte but yf he â—atte in dede yet he sytteth not bycause I se hym sythe for 〈◊〉 sholde though I saw hym not 〈…〉 vppon the trouth of hys dede For though the worde of god can not be but trew syth yf the thynge were not trew god yâ— is the trewth wolde not saye yt yet is the thynge trew that god speketh not bycause it is trewly spokeÌ„ but bycause it is trewly done For treuth was the thynge in yt selfe treuth yt sholde haue bene all had yt neuer be spoken And thys I saye is trewe touchynge the wordes and proposycyons by whiche god any thynge telleth to his creatures by wrytyng or wythout leste Tyndale make vs here some sophystycacyon as though I spake of the great worde of god wherby all thynge is made the sonne of god hym self one egalâ— god wyth hys father and theyr holy spiryte If Tyndale aske vs now wherof serueth then the treuth of goddes wordes I saye that yt serueth to make knowen or byleued amonge vs the treuth of goddes dede For when god sayth who so byleueth and is baptyzed and lyueth well after or doth penaunce for his synne shall for hys fayth good workes be hyghly rewarded in heuen though thys shall not be trew bycause god sayth yt but bycause he wyll dot yt nor he dothe yt not bycause he wyll saye yt but he sayth yt bycause he wyll do it yet hath he ordeyned that his worde shall be the way by whiche that trouth shal be shewed vs and that myracles ioyned vnto hys worde sholde make vs perceyue that yt is his worde whereby wyth reason we muste nedeâ— be bounden to byleue yt and it beyng byleued we â—e by reason â—â—unden to obey yt And this yâ— therfore the waye that god hath taken from the begyâ—nynge that is to wyt he hath from the begynnyng ioyned hys word with woÌ„derfull workes to make his word perceyued for hys awne Thus 〈◊〉 he in euâ—ry age before the comyng of Cryste Thus dyd he in Cryste hym selfe whose wordes he proued by hys wonderfull workes as hym selfe sayth in the .xv. of saint IohnÌ„ Thus dyd â—e also by his blessed apostles whose doctâ—â—ne he 〈◊〉 by 〈…〉 And thus hath he done 〈…〉 For likewyse as when he sent his owne sonne 〈…〉 hym and hys doctryne decla 〈…〉 selfe suche as he was â— god made hym do myra 〈◊〉 〈…〉 then euer any dyd amonge 〈◊〉 〈…〉 the sent his apostles 〈…〉 that Cryste dyd the countrees to whome they were sent wolde haue went that they had lyed and fayned suche fables them selfe therfore Cryste caused them to do myracles in his name before the people as god caused Moyses to do before Pharao And when the world was turned to hym and that apostles were not sent about then was the chyrch of euery tyme the apostle to suche as were borâ—e and came in to yâ— worlde in theyr tyme of whome suche as lyued and remayned after theyr tyme were in theyr stede lefte for the apostle that sholde teche preche to those other that sholde be borne in to the worlde in theyr tyme and so forth from age to age And for bycause that they whyche from tyme to tyme come in to thys worlde new borne fyrste of theyr flesshely father and mother and after of god and theyr mother holy chyrche by the water and the spyryte sholde be sure that theyr sayde mother the chyrche is Crystes apostle and techeth them the trewe doctryne neyther deceyueth them wyth false scrypture as doth the congregacyon of turkes nor with false tradycyons as do the synagoges of iewes nor wyth false exposycions as do the false chyrches of heretykes he causeth hys chyrche to do myracles styll in euery age and to be dyscerned and knowen by the plentuouse workyng of goddys wonders by hym selfe wrought therin so many and so grete that no man can be ignoraunt theâ—â—f but he that wyll neyther se nor here or is so desperate and so sore set in an obstynate malyce that he wyll to the deuyll wyllyngly by doyng now as the iewes dyd of olde and as Tyndale now doth of new ascrybynge the myracles wrought by the goodnes of god to be done in goddes chyrch by the power of the deuyll And yet when Tyndale is so 〈◊〉 to tell vs thus he toâ—cheth nothyng thys poynte â—hyche I layed agaynst hym in my dyaloge that yf hys lyâ— were 〈◊〉 in then sholdâ—â— folow that of so maâ—â— false chyrcheâ—â—f false heretikes 〈◊〉 shold some suche myracles be wrought as well as 〈◊〉 syth yf that oure chyrche were a false chyrche it 〈…〉 one of the many And yf he wyll saye that 〈…〉 the greatest and the falseste and therfore â—alse 〈◊〉 therin 〈…〉 they stretche from heuyn to hell they haue not yet amonge 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 myracle done greate nor small neyther by god nor deuyll And thys I shew you for the order of the thynge that ye maye perceyiâ—e that the trewth of god is â—ustyfyed in it selfe and dependeth not vppon hys worde nor hys worde is not the cause of hys trewth but by
hys worde he sheweth hys trewth and by his worde we byleue that he doeth it and by hyâ— apâ—â—â—â—es and euangelysâ—es we byleue that he sayed it aâ—â— by the chyrche of euery age folowynge we be taughte and byleue that the euâ—ngelyâ—es aâ—d the apostles preched and taught partely by wrytynge partely by worde wythout wrytynge suche thynges as the catholyke chyrche of Cryste telleth vs to haue bene taughte by them And by the myracles done in the same catholyke chyrche we know that the same chyrche is the â—eâ—y chyrche of god and that the docâ—â—â—ne of the same chyrch is reueled and tought vnto yt by the spyryte of god and that all other congregacyons 〈…〉 And therfore though yt be trew as in dede yt ys that the trew doctryne doth proue the trew myracles and false doctryne proueth the false myracles by which we be sure yâ— the Crysten myracles be trew yâ— paynyms myracles false yet know we whyche ys that trewe doctryne by the reason that the trew doctryne hath bene better proued and dayly ys better proued by mo and greater then euer was the false doctryne or euer shall be to yâ— worldes ende For as our sauyour saith hym selfe If I had not come wrought workes such as no man ellys had done they had bene wythoute synne And he promyseth that his preachers shall do the same and yet greater and so dyd hys apostles and his dyscyples and hys holy doctours euer synnys in euery age And as for false myracles the catholyke chyrch of Criste as yt is taught by the spyryte of god dyscerneth them well inough from the trew and therfore yt dyscerneth and forbe deth the meruayles that appere in crystall stonys and such other superstycyouse coniuracyons and ys not moued any thynge to set by them but condempne them though they be meruelouse hath the spyryte of god accordyng to Crystes promyse assystent wherby yt bothe reâ—ecteth the superstycyouse meruayles and worketh yâ— very faythfull myracles for yâ— profe of the trew faythfull doctryne and yâ— trew marke and knowlege of Crystes very trew chyrche syth none hath miracles but yt Now yf Tyndale wyll saye that the doctours of the catholyque chyrche haue not done miracles for euery poynt of theyr doctryne I say no more dyd the apostles them selfe though Tyndale saye yes whych he shall neuer proue But by theyr myracles they proued thâ—m self trew preachers and goddes trew messengers and that thynge suffysed for the profe of theyr whole doctryne And so god hath done miracles synnys for all hys sayntes in euery age and that suffyseth to proue that theyr fayth was trew and the contrarye false And yf he saye farther that euery man in the catholyque chyrch doth not myracles nor euery doctour neyther to that I answere that of many men teachyng all one fayth yt suffyseth yf any one of them do myracles For when the Iewes were in desert euery man that was of the well beleuyng sort dyd not myracles nor 〈◊〉 also dyd no miracles but Moyses dyd god wrought â—oÌ„ders among them self Nor when diuerse apostles went to gether euery one of them dyd not alwaye a myracle by hym selfe But syth they were all of one fayth it suffysed for the profe of the techyng of them all that any one of them dyd If he wyll saye that sometyme the doctours whyche we call holy sayntes haue not all agreed in one but some one hath sometyme thought in some one thyng otherwyse then other haue done I saye that thys his sayenge is nothynge to purpose For god doth reuele hys trouthes not alwayes in one manner but sometyme he sheweth yt out at onys as he wyll haue yt knowen and men bounden forthwyth to byleue yt as he shewed Moyses what he wolde haue Pharao do Sometyme he sheweth yt leysourly suffryng his flokke to comen dyspute theruppon and in theyr treatynge of the mater suffreth them wyth good mynde scrypture and naturall wisedome with inuocacyon of his spirituall helpe to serche and seke for the treuth and to vary for the whyle in theyr opynyons tyll that he rewarde theyr vertuouse dylygence wyth ledyng them secretely in to the consent and coÌ„corde and bylyef of the trouth by his holy spirite qui facit vnani mes in domo whyche maketh his flokke of one mynde in hys house that is to wyt his chyrche So that in the meane whyle the varyaunce is wythoute synne and maketh nothyng agaynst the credence of the chyrch excepte Tyndale wyll say that he wyll neyther byleue saynt Peter nor saynt Paule in any thynge that they teache bycause that ones they varyed in the manner of theyr doctryne as appereth But he shall neuer fynde that any of the holy doctours helde obstynatly the contrarye of that thynge whyche the hole catholyque chyrch had in his tyme determyned for an artycle of the fayth For I dare surely saye that yf any so had done he had repeÌ„ted and chaunged are god dyd any miracle for hym eyther quykke or dede And therfore as touâ—hynge Tyndale and Luther frere â—usken this obteâ—cyon wyll not excuse theyr obstynate heresyes holden soâ— styffely agaynste all the olde holy sayntes whyle they saye now that freres maye well wedde nonnes but yf they repent and leue theyr heresyes and do penauÌ„s and teache trouth for by such meanes they may yet be fayntes to and so I 〈◊〉 god make them Now yf Tyndale wyll yet forther saye that the chyrche yt selfe haue not 〈◊〉 in euery age vtterly byleued a lyke but that the chyrch in some age hath byleued otherwise then it hath in some other I say that this can also nothyng serue his purpose For what so euer Tyndale sye neuer shall he proue the contrarye but that god is at hys lyberte styll and euer styll shal be to teache hys trouthes more and more as his pleasure shall be to haue theÌ„ known and to gouerne his chyrche to hys pleasure in dyuerse ages after dyuerse maners such as hym self lyste for to dyuyse wherof his chyrch is by theyr hole consent sure For ellys shall the spyryte of god assystent euer with them by goddes promyse ledynge them in to all trouth neuer suffer his hole catholyke chyrch to consente thereto And yf Tyndale saye the contrarye of this he muste also saye that Cryste hath broken hys promyse and he muste also tell vs that we be styll bounden yet vnto thys dayâ— euer shal be bounden styll to the law made by god and hys holy apostles at HierusaleÌ„ whyche they made sent out in wrytynge where they forbode fornycacyon and eatyng yâ— meate offred vp to idoles all meate of bestes suffocate or strangled and the eatyng of any bestes blood whyche ordynauÌ„s yf yt now stande and that we muste now byleue that yt ys not now lawfull to do any of those thynges there forboden as we muste in dede yf god were not for all that at his libertye styll in the gouernaunce and teachynge
amonge the people More Grete cause haue we to gyue thanke to god whose goodnesse wresteth the tonges of heretyques and maketh them there speke most agaynst theÌ„ selfe where they wene to speke for them selfe the beste as he serueth Tyndale here For these be the wordes that I wolde haue wysshed hym to say For where he meaneth that all must be wryten bycause that ellys there were nothynge that coude confounde false prophetes that sholde come and shewe false myracles excepte the trewe prechers sholde shewe trewe myracles agaynste them I answere to Tyndale two thynges The fyrste is that it is playne false that Tyndale taketh for a playne truth that is to wyt that the trewe prechers coude haue no thynge to confounde the false prophetes that sholde come wyth false myracles but yf all the trouth were wryten in scrypture autentyque amonge the people And that yf it so were then the trewe precheours had inough wythout trew myracles to confounde the false prophetes bryngynge false myracles The seconde thynge that I answere hym wyth is thys that yf it were trewe that he sayeth that wythout myracles nothynge wolde suffycyently serue in suche case excepte that euery necessary thynge were wryten in auten +tyque scrypture yet syth hym selfe confesseth that trewe myracles myghte in suche case suffycyently serue the trewe precheour and confounde the false and saue the fayth vp ryghte and that he can not saye but that god is able to do them when so euer he lyste and wyll neuer leue hys chyrche destytute of helpe and comforte necessary and therfore in suche necessyte wyll not fayle to do them Tyndale must nedes agre be he neuer so lothe to comme to it that god hath no necessyte for auoydynge of suche parell to prouyde that hys chyrche sholde haue euery necessary thynge delyuered vnto them and euer more kepte wyth them in autentyke scrypture whyle hym selfe by hys promyse wolde euer dwelle wyth them and hadde for the profe of theyr fayth agaynste false prophetes and theyr false myracles the myghtye meane of trew myracles and oute of measure greter in his owne hande whyche meane of miracles for the trew profe of his worde among mortall menne is and hath bene and euer shall be the fynall peremptorye stoppe agaynste all contradyccyon This secunde answere is open and playne inough in yt selfe And for as mych as the fyrste appereth not peraduenture so fully playne at the fyrste syght I shall make yt clerer when Tyndale sayth that excepte all were wryten that we be bounden to byleue or to do there were ellys nothyng saue miracles to confouÌ„de false prophetes that sholde come with false miracles ye perceyue well that he prosupposeth that yf euery such thyng be wryten in autentique scripture then wythout myracles the mater is saue inough and the trew preachers able inough to coÌ„founde the false by the scripture alone For but yf he saye so he sayth no more for the alledgyng of scrypture then for the alledgynge of the fayth wythout scrypture Now Tyndale tellynge vs thus we muste fyrst wyt of hym whych false ê“phetes he meaneth Paynyms Turkes or heretikes If he meane Panynyms or Turkes theÌ„ goeth he very farre wyde for the trew preachers can not coÌ„founde them wyth our autentyke scrypture for yt is not autentyke amonge them but they saye that yt is false If he meane heretykes he goth almoste as farre wyde for they wyll also when they lyste denye for holy scrypture any parte of holy scrypture that proueth agaynste theyr purpose as they denye the boke of Machabees bycause yt proueth purgatory and prayours for them that are dede and denye the pystle of saynte Iamys bycause yt reproueth a bare fayth wythout good workes Now yf they admytte the scrypture for scrypture yet are ye neuer the nere for they wyll denye the trew sense therof and obstynately defende a false sâ— that the trew preacher and that false prophete shall be styll as farre a sonder as yf they denyed the very scrypture yt selfe Now when he speketh of confoundynge them we must wyt of hym what he meaneth by coÌ„foundyng them whether he meane that the trewe preacher shall make the false prophete ashamed or that he shall make the people perceyue theyr doctryne for false As for makyng the false prophetes ashamed ye se your selfe they be so shamelesse that yt wyll not be for ye se they wedde nonnes openly And when they be not ashamed to loke folke in the face after that shameful sacrylege and abomynable bychery whereof wyll they be ashamed Now if he meane that the trewe preacher shall by thautenque wrytyng make the people perceyue the false prophete false I saye that shall he not do by scrypture any thyng more largely then he shall do the same by the worde of god vnwryten whyche worde Tyndale wolde haue no man by leue For the perceyuynge wherof suppose me now that the trew preacher and the false prophete came to gether to dyspute the trouth in a great audyence of people vppon some suche artycle as the false prophete wolde teache agaynst the comen fayth of the catholyque chyrche As let me se for ensample whether freres may wedde nonnes Tut nay that can serue for no sample yt is to clere and to farre vndysputable for any false prophete to fynde any reasonynge therin as the thynge whych neuer syth the world was pepled could haue founden any maÌ„ to thynke yt lawfull tyll now nor yet now neythe fyndeth any that so thynketh as many wreches as so sayth and so dothe nor yt were not possyble for the false prophete to fynde any colour therin but such as all the world wolde wonder at excepte suche bestes as luste to seyt so for hatered and despyght of honestye But let vs take therfore for ensample some suche heresye as hath bene holden dysputed of olde And what rather then one of the greattest that is to wyt that heresye that Arrius held and his great coÌ„pany that our sauyour Cryste was not one egall god wyth his father Suppose me therfore I saye that some false prophete were so deuelyshe as to preache that poynt agayne and that he hadde by false preachynge wonne vnto hym as Arrius had in his tyme myche people all redy of euery state and degre and that he sholde then come in an open audieÌ„ce of a mayne multytude to dyspute wyth any trew preacher that wolde offer hym self to defende in that poynte the parte and bylefe of the catholyque chyrche Now when the trew preacher and the false prophete were comen to gether and fallen iu dyspycyons in two pulpettes on hygh that all the people myght here them and that the tone alledged dyuerse textes of scrypture for the trouth the tother as many for the false parte and eche of them glose agaynst glose when the trew preacher wolde laye therto the consente of all the olde douctours of all the catholyque chyrch of Cryste this fyftene hundred yere the false prophete
wolde saye agayne as the false prophete Luther sayeth hym selfe I set not by Hyerome I set not by Austayne I care not for an hunderd Gregories I not for a thousande Cyprianes I laye for me the playne worde of god And for the catholyque chyrche that thou callest the chyrch of Cryste it is but a multytude of mortale men whom yf I sholde byleue for the multitude I must rather by leue the Paynyms or the Machometanys whych be many mo And thy sayntes whom thou layest for the be dede but the worde of god that I laye for me lyueth and shall lyue for euer And the chyrch of Cryste is vnknowen to men but yt is well knowen to god oute of whose hande no man can take them as our sauyour sayth but though they slepe now and reste in hope as the scripture sayth my fleshe shall reste in hope they shall yet in the daye of the lorde awake at the blast of the trumpe euer after lyue wyth the lord in his reigne And of these I doute not was that holy maÌ„ Arrius many a nother holy man of his secte Now yf agaynste all this the trew preacher fall in farther dyspycyons agayne as well about hys fyrste questyon as about the chyrch wyth dyuerse other that incydently fall in debate bytwene them and then for the fynall ende playneste profe conclude and reste vppon the scrypture and saye that he hath proued his parte well thereby and that his textes be clere and the textes of the tother parte are falsely wrested and hys owne answeres effectuall and the tother 's but sophystycall and then the false prophete for hym selfe agayne saye that he ioyeth mych that theyr dysputacyon is come to so good a poynt for he knoweth well that he hath alleged the scryptures ryght and coÌ„strewed them in theyr trew sense and that his aduersary is aduersary of the playne opeÌ„ trouth and preacheth and teacheth agayn his owne conscyence and therby synneth agaynste the holy goost whyche shall neuer be forgeuen in thys worlde nor in the worlde to come for whose irremyssyble synne hym selfe is full sory and exhorte hym to remeÌ„ber the false prophete Balam and beware by tyme leste he come to lyke ende and theÌ„ say that he is yet glad agayn on tother syde hyghly thanketh the lord that hathe by his trew teachyngâ— theâ—e â—pened the yiâ—s of the peple about them that they now cleâ—ely se the lyght of trouth whyche hath now putte awaye the darkenes of theyr ignoraunce wherin the blynde leders the false popysh prechers haue led them wronge all this whyle byfore the errour of whom he douteth not but that god hath by hym made them now so playnely to perceyue that he well dare and so dothe make them all his iudges whether of them both hath defended his parte better and therfore prayth them to speke and shew theyr myndes therin for the apostle sayth while other speke the congregacyon muste iudge and euery man sayth Luther for his owne soule byleueth or byleueth not vppon his owne parell therfore vppon his owne bylyef what he sholde byleue and what not muste nedes be iudge hym self now good readers when they thus haue spoken bothe thynke ye by your trouth that the people vnlerned of theyr audyence shal be metely to dyscerne and iudge whyther of them hath spoken better and whyther parte is bytwene theÌ„ better proued by scrypture Are not the people well lykely wyth suche doutefull dyspycyons to be rather ledde out of the trouth then well confermed in yt namely syth many of them shal be corrupted in corners drawen in to that false fayth byfore as the guyse of heretyques is But now how myche parell were there more yf this false prophete sholde as Tyndale putteth his case come forth with false miracles to and in the ende of his dysputacyon and his holy eâ—hortacyon theruppon saye farther to the people thus Dere brethern in the loue of the lorde the father hys onely begoten sonne our sauyour Cryste that cam into this wreched worlde to shew yt ensample of mekenesse and not to make hym selfe as great a god as his father as the popyshe preachers preache vnto you whych therby make you byleue that our mayâ—â—er Cryste passed in pryde the proud angell Lucifer that for the same pryde was depryued of heuen and throwen in to hell where he reigneth as prynce vppon all the sonnys of pryde I am come as ye se sent by the blessed spyryte of the lorde that hath prayed for you wyth syghes vnspekable that ye myght be delyuered from thys errour that this false preacher here I haue dysputed vppon in your presence where as you se I am sure perceyue full well that I haue wyth the worde of god ouercome hym vtterly though he bable on styll But yet bycause the trouth standeth not in wordes but in vertue and power of dede yt pleaseth god that for the strengthynge of weke coÌ„scyences I shall shew you more profe of the glorye of god For syth this euyll man misse ledde wyth an euyll spyryte wold lede you styll in a wronge waye and make you mysse vnderstande the scrypture sayeng that I take yt wrong teache you false where as I made your selfe iudges of the mater I shall now call god to iudge it hym selfe in your syghte by some shew of his specyall presens and power And then after this spoken sholde call vppe vnto hym some well knowen blynde man and in the syght of all the people sodaynly make hym se. what sayth Tyndale to thys here is hys owne case were the autentyque scripture in thys case lykely to stay the people surely me semeth naye For though the scrypture be trew in yt selfe yet syth yt is not so playne bâ—t that many great dyffycultees aryse thereuppon in whyche though he whyche vppon the studye therof hath bystowed many yeres may perceyue the trew parte from the false yet vnto the vnlerned yt shal be lykely full ofte that in suche dyspycyons the false parte maye seme treweste And then how mych more yf he se in his owne syght myracles set therto But now say I that on the tother syde the worde of god vnwryten may stay all to gâ—ther For I say that the trewth of that artycle taught and byleued as the chyrche wythout any doute or questyon byleueth may be so surely grauen in mannys harte that though he neuer haue redde nor herde neyther any scrypture in that poynte yet presupposynge yt for an vndouted trouth he shall set at nought all the false wrested scrypture of the fâ—lse prophete and all his false myracles to and shall euer conster the scripture by the knowen artycle of the catholyque fayth whych was tought and byleued byfore those textes of scrypture were wryteÌ„ and hath yet the same trouth now that yt hadde then not wythstandynge all the textes that seme to saye the contrary And by this fayth in the worde of god vnwryten in
auter to whyche yet to saye the trouth neuer tradycyon neded For syth the scrypture ys playne that yt is Crystes owne precyâ—use bodye whyche ys not dede but quykke wyth that blessed soâ—le and wyth them the godhed vnseparably ioyned what frantyque fole coulde doute but yt sholde be wyth dyuyne honour wurshypped though neyther god nor man bysyde that knowledge hadde geuen vs warnynge therof But yet is Tyndale so farre bysyde hym selfe that he byleueth not the scrypture of god nor the word spoken by goddes owne mouth when he sayde that yt is hys owne body and is so blasphemouse agaynst god that he calleth it great synne to do to that blessed bodye of Cryste in the sacrament any honour at all bycause yt ys not commaunded he sayth in scrypture But thus may ye good crysten readers se to what poynt at laste thys heresye bryngeth these folke For when they fyrste fall to that poynt that they regarde not goddes word but yf he geue yt them in wrytyngeâ— wythin a whyle after fall they downe so farre that they neyther regarde hys worde nor his wrytynge nor yet hym selfe neyther But nowe is yt a worlde to se what shyfte these folke be fayne to seke Sometyme they come forth shamlesse and boldely tell on they re tale And yet when they perceyue in the myddes thereof that all that here theym wonder on them then they caste on theyr hodes and keuer theyr faces for shame For somtyme they say they care but for scrypture alone and set nought by all those that euer wrote synnys the apostles dayes Then se they agayn that to abyde by that word were to shamelesse and then they restrayne it vnto this .viii. hundred yeres laste paste in whyche they saye all is corrupted And then they grauÌ„te that before there were good men that taught the trewth and then they saye that we wyll not byleue them as though them selfe wolde And when we aske them then whyche of those olde men before .viii. C. yere last past euer sayed that relygyous men myght runne out and wedde nonnes to that they say nothynge but fare as though they herd it not But when that my lorde of Rochester in the selfe same mater that we haue now in hande to proue that dyuers thynges whyche the chyrch vseth and byleueth and whych were neuer made by any law wryten and yet obserued thorow yâ— catholyke chyrche were of suche antyquyte that euery man myghte well perceyue that they came from yâ— very apostles them selfe hâ— layed forth the greate clerke olde auncyent father Origene wherwyth as I haue shewed you before Tyndale was very angry and all to rated Origen called hym starke heretyke But yet shall not Tyndale so fere me there wythall but that to th entent that he shall not blynde you and make you wene that all the olde fathers were in thys mater of hys mynde but that ye shall well se that the thynges whyche he reproueth and wolde haue you wene were nought worth bycause he sayth they be not in scrypture be not thynges deuysed as Tyndale sayth by popys and popysh wythin thys viii C. yere I shall as I promysed byfore in yâ— second boke reherse you bothe the wordes of Origene and besyde some vndowted holy meÌ„ synnes I shall reherse you dyuers other above .viii. C. yere and aboue .xi. C. yere and aboue a thousande to of whom my lorde of Rochester hath gathered dyuerse togyther and rehersed in the same mater in hys boke agaynst Luther all whyche saue Origene onely Tyndale dyssembleth bycause he may not call them herâ—tykes as he called Origene for whom I haue in that poynt answered Tyndale in my sayd seconde boke before Origene in the fyfte homely vppon the boke of Numeri wryteth in thys wyse In the obseruaunces of the chyrche some thynges there are whyche muste of necessyte be obserued and kept and yeâ— the cause why appereth not to euery man As for ensample that we knele when we pray that of all partes of the heuen we moste specyally tourne vs towarde the este I suppose that no man lyghtely knoweth yâ— cause why Moreouer of the sacrament of th aulter eyther the maner in the receyuyng or the guyse and fashyon of the coÌ„secracyon or of the formale wordes and ceremonyes vsed in baptysme and of the questyons and answeres vsed in the same who may well open and declare the reason And yet all these thynges though they be coueryd and hyd we bere vppon our shoulders what tyme we in such wyse accoÌ„plysh and fulfyll them as we haue receyued them of the great byshoppe Cryste and hys chyldren delyuered and commended vnto vs. Damascene in the fourth boke in the .xiii. chapyter of yâ— prayeng towarde the oryente wryteth thus This tradicyon of the apostles is not wryten for many thynges are delyuered vnto vs wythout wrytynge And farther in the .xvii. chapyter where it is wryten of yâ—â—urshyppynge of the ymages of sayntes he sayeth that many thynges the holy apostles haue delyuered vnto vs wythout wrytynge Saynt Poule the apostle of the gentyles wryteth in this wyse Stande faste and obserue our tradycyons whyche ye be taught be yt by our worde or by wrytynge And vnto the Corynthyes thus I commende ye my brethern by cause in euery thyng ye haue remembred me and kepte the tradycyons as I delyuered ye them Dyonise the fyrste chapyter of Ecclesiasticae hierarchiae of the leders and maysters of the crysten fayth sayth that they delyuered vs many thynges to be kepte partely by wrytynge and partely by theyr instytucyons vnwryten Saynte Cypriane in his sermon of the wasshynge of the fete The hygh preste hym selfe is the ordayner and author of his owne sacrament In all the resydew men were taught by the holy goste And lykewyse as in Criste and in the holy goste is lyke and egall godhed so is there in theyr instytucyons and ordynaunces lyke power and egall authoryte And no lesse is yt ratyfyed of god the thyng that thapostles by the inspyracyon of the holy goste dyd instytute then the thynge that hym selfe hath ordeyned and hath in remembraunce of hym selfe wylled and commaunded to be done Eche of them hath theyr owne proper dygnyte and eche of them hath in theyr owne kynde egall authoryte Nothynge maye there eyther be addyd or wythdrawne nothynge neyther reformed nor chaunged Saynte Hyllary in the syxte boke of the Trynyte when he had made mencyon of the apostles wryteth in this wyse Of these apostles am I taught these thynges yâ— I obserue In them am I so seasoned that the taste can neuer be goten oute Theophilactus vppoÌ„ these wordes of saynt Poule My brethern stande faste and kepe the tradycyons that ye haue lerned be yt by my worde or by my letters of this trewly yt is euydâ—nt that saynt Poule delyuered vnto theÌ„ many thynges to be kepte wythout wrytynge and by worde of mouth onely that ys to saye wyth lyuely voyce not by letters all onely
no scruple to eate a puddyng though he se it prohybyted by all the lawes and by the apostles them selfe by the holy goost to wyth lyke wordes as they forbode fornycacyon And dyscharge as I say seeth he none but the tradycyon of the chyrche whyche when he dare byleâ—e in leuynge a thynge vndone that the scrypture so often coÌ„maundeth why dare he not byleue the tradycyon of the chyrche where it commaundeth a thynge to be done that the scrypture dothe not forbede but onely speketh not of it I wolde in lyke wyse fayne wyt of Tyndale whyther he thynke any parte of crysten people bounden at thys daye of necessyte to the wasshyng of the fete wherof Cryste at hys maunday gaue ensample and commaundement also not without a greate thretenynge vnto saynte Peter of losse of heuen but yf he suffred hym to wasshe his fete I dowte not but Tyndale thynketh hym selfe dyscharged of that bond and yet are the wordes of Crystes commaundement in that obseruaunce as playne as in the commaundement of the sacrament of the auter and longe was it vsed after in suche wyse and saynte Cypryane dyd in hys dayes reken it for a thynge necessary Now let Tyndale tell me wherby he knoweth hym selfe dyscharged of that wasshynge but by the spyryte of god abydyng in his chyrch And let hym then tell me whyche chyrche but hys catholyke chyrche For an vnknowen chyrche can tell hym nothynge and all other knowen chyrches besyde the catholyke be all knowen for heretykes Or ellys let Tyndale tell whyche of all them is the trew chyrch why rather that then any of all the remanaunt If the spyryte of god gouernynge the chyrche and ledynge it in to all trouth put vs not in surety and certaynte of the trouth how coud he be to vs as he is named paracletus that is a comforter yf we were lefte so comforteleâ—â—e that we were vncertayne whyther the hole chyrche were in damnable errour in stede of the ryght fayth Take awaye that spiryte fro the chyrche and howe can Tyndale excuse the apostles of theyr baptysynge in the name of Cryste onely when Cryste hadde hym selfe commaunded them to baptise in the name of the father and the sonne the holy goost How wyll he excuse saynt Poule for takynge awaye the circumcysyon whych god hadde byfore commaunded and sayde that yt sholde be his euerlastynge token and couenaunte and Cryste kepte it hym selfe and saynt Poule circumcyded Timothe hym selfe and yet afterwarde forbode yt how knew he when he shold do the tone and when the tother by bare ymagynacyons of hys owne mynde naye by that spiryte they knew yt whyche as yt ruled them so ruleth yt the chyrch in the necessary poyntes of fayth and euer shall vnto the worldes ende God proued wyll Tyndale saye theyr doctrine wyth myracles So doth he say I the doctryne of hys whole chyrche contynually For therin he wurketh miracles contynually and in all the chyrches of heretyques is there wroughte neuer one weneth Tyndale that our lorde hadde the cure of hys apostles whom he ordeyned for hys chyrche and that he hath no cure of hys chyrche for whome he made hys apostles And yf Tyndale lyste so precyâ—ely to lene to scrypture onely that he wyll not take the comen catholyque fayth for an interpretour he shall fynde it very hard to defende some suche poyntes as be not onely trew but be also suche as yf the chyrche wolde saye contrary yet wolde he say they were trewe For Tyndale setteth not so myche by baptysme but that he wyll agre that fayth iustyfyeth wythoute baptysme And yet take awaye the credence of the catolyque chyrch and he shall neuer be able whyle he lyueth so well to proue by scrypture that a martyr may be saued and broughte to heuen wythout baptysme but that these wordes of oure sauyour shall alwaye stande styll in his lyghte Nisi quis renatuâ— fâ—erit â—â— aqua spiritu sanâ—to noÌ„ potest introire in regnum dei who so be not borne agayne of the water and the spyryte can not enter into the kyngdome of heuen Now where as Tyndale techeth after his mayster Martine Luther that as often as a man onely repent though he be neuer in mynde to do penauÌ„ce nor be coÌ„fessed neyther hys onely fayth shall saue hym and geteth hym forthwyth full remyssyon both of synne and payne yf he wyll geue credence to the chyrche he shall fynde that fayth of hys full false And yf he wyll not geue credence to the chyrche but precysely stande to the scrypture then shall he fynde yet that fayth more false yf he wyll be bounden as precysely to the wordes hym selfe as he wolde bynde other men For he shall neuer be then so well able to proue that any man fallynge to dedely synne after crystendome ones hadde shal be by any repentaunâ—e restored agayne but that there wyll stande styll in his lyghte the wordes of the apostle sayenge when we wylfully synne after the knowledge of the trouthe hadde there is not nowe lefte vs any sacrifyce for synnes but a terryble expeccyon and lokynge for of iudgement and of fyerce and ragyouse fyre whyche shall consume the aduersaryes There wyll also stande in this lyghe these wordes of the apostle Heâ— â— yt is impossyble that they whyche haue ben ones illumyned and haue taâ—â—â— that heuenly gyfte and haue be made partetakers of the holy goost and haue tasted also the good worde of god and the vertues of the world to come and are fallen downe sholde be renewed agayn to penaunce crucyfyeng agayne for theyr owne parte the sonne of god and hauynge hym as in deâ—isyon If Tyndale say that he can so coÌ„stre these textes as they shall not hurte his heresyes I deny not the he so may do I can to so constre themâ— that they shall not hurte the trouth that is to wytte the catholyque fayth But yet this I saye that when he and I haue both done what we can yet who so lyste to holde that heresye agaynste his repentaunce and the chyrches penaunce to shall not lakke wordes wherwith he maye seme to suche as wyll sette the chyrche at naughte to maynteyne hys parte as well as we bothe maynteyne ours And therfore I say takynge awaye the credence from the catholyque knowen chyrche for no chyrche vnknowen can be byleued syth it can not be herd and all other knowen chyrches be false or ellys lette Tyndale as I haue often sayde tell me whyche of theym all is the trewe and why we sholde therin byleue hym the credence therfore as I saye taken from the catholyque knowen chyrche there can be no thynge sure but all thynge vncertayne both tradycyons of thapostles exposycyoÌ„s of scrypture and the very scrypture yt selfe to And vnto the tother syde yf the credence of the knowen catholyke chyrche abyde as it nedys muste abyde yf the scrypture abyde by whyche it is promysed by Cryst that hym self and