the worlde by the prechynge of his doctrine to turne them out of their wretched trade and misery and to wake them out of their dreame for drowned mankynde was with worldly affection and fynally to put them in remembraunce of the benefytes of god and of their dignitie and that so by his doctrine they at the last inspired and styrred vppe myght attayne to their felicite This was the chief authorite power to thapostels by our master gyuen to the puttyng in vse wherof he institute certayn mistical sacrameÌ„tes wherby man shuld be styrred to receyue grace fauour of almyghty god and so com oft to the memory of the great benefytes of the goodnes of him which he by his grace hathe aboue all other to vs of his flocke specially opened and communed To this tende all the sacramentes of Christe institute to brynge vs I say to the remembrance of suche benefyte as he to all theym whiche by sure saythe hang vpon him hath surely promysed as I shal more playnly herafter declare So that dere frendes in fewe wordes to conclude this high power and greattest that euer to mankinde was gyuen in erth to the apostels of Christ gyuen was this Fyrst of al myserie of â—ynne man to release not as of them selfe but as of the ministers of god so to all other to be deriued who so euer in Christ wold put sure confidence truste as in the fountain of al saluation and then so this doctrine to preche to al mankynd indifferently as to the creatures of god only to his image formed made by the hering wherof they at the last considering their owne dignite myght be brought out of all misery and so thirdly by the coÌ„munynge of the misticall sacramentes therof myght therby inspired with grace the heuenly spirite be styrred to the memorye of his infinite benefyte and goodnes which to vs not deseruyng he hath communed by the reason wherof consequently we deliuered out of this misery wretchidnes might attayne vndoubtedly to suche felycitie and quietnes as he of his mere goodnes hathe to vs by his worde and promise appointed and determyned This is the authoritie power in these fewe wordes described whiche Christe in his gospelle to his apostels hath communed and so coÌ„munid that indifferentely to all without inequalitie he stablyshed it in them ye and in all other whiche with like faith and confidence in him beleue and succede in their place leauynge al worldly vanities aside tredyng them vnder fote hang only vpon him as he that hath aboue al other y e true superioritie and is of all churches the very true heed And that this is a certayne and sure truth of the gospell in many places we haue most manyfest testimony where as Christ instructing his apostelles to the preachynge of his worde sayth vnto them all without exception of any what so euer ye loose in erthe the same in heuen shall be losed and also what so euer you do there bynde the same in heuen shall be bounden also that is to saye who so euer he be to whom you preache my worde of what countreye or nation secte or religion if he by your preachynge tourne to the confession of my name trustynge therby faythfully to haue saluation to him you shal haue power to declare that he is therby delyuered from bondage of all synne and loosed frome it by my vertue and power to him communed and declared openly by you whome I make the ambassadours of my wyll And lyke wise whom so euer you see to denye me in erthe despisynge my doctrine by you preached and refuse the confession of my name all suche by this same power you shall vtterly condempne here in erthe and to the same my wyll in heuen shall be agreable and the same shall confyrme After this maner our maister spake to his disciples gyuynge them power to the prechinge of his worde To the which sentence also in an other place his wordes do agree whiche he spake after his resurrection whan he sent forth his apostels to preache to al the world inspirynge them with his holy spirite after this maner saying Howe at your going forth vpon this heuenly embassage you shall receyue the heuenly spirite by whose grace you shal haue with al this power that whose so euer synnes ye lose the same shall by and by be released to them and whose so euer you bynde and iudge not to be relesed they shal with the bonde remayne as moch to saye as what synne so euer it be or what sorte or condition be the synner of so that he with sorowfull hart confesse the same trustynge by the goodnesse of me onely to be delyuered frome his myserie of synne if you by the spirite whyche I haue nowe gyuen vnto you iudge hym to be released in erthe your iugement shalbe confyrmed in heuen and if by the same spirit which I haue to you gyuen you iuge him contrary to be worthy of condempnation to that my wyll in heuen shall agree and with this power nowe I sende you forthe These wordes declare moste christen people manyfestly that this hygh authoritie by Christe was vndoutedly gyuen to his heuenlye messangers apostels whan he sent them forth to preache his heuenly doctrine by the benefyte wherof man shulde be quyte delyuered frome al kynde of synne and myserie but that this same was to all them gyuen equally this is not to all men so manifest playn this many men denye affirmyng y â— to Peter it was giuen with a prerogatiue of excelleÌ„cy and so therby to the bishop of Rome in whose place he only dothe by their sentence succede they attribute a superioritie This they say only they say but as for sure grounde of scripture their sentence to confirme playnly there is none For as touchynge this whiche is of al other most chief that to Peter Christ spake particularly gyuynge to hym this power that was vndoutedly bicause he beinge of faith more feruent and as it appereth of greatter stomake ye and as it shulde seeme also by many signes of better vtterance and eloquence For the whiche cause he of the olde interpretours of scripture is euer called the mouthe of the apostels he I saye hauyng these giftes spake before the rest and so to him particularly Christe sayd he wolde gyue the keyes of the kyngedome of heuen but he sayde not that vnto hym alone he wolde gyue them For after whan he gaue theym in dede he spake to all indifferentely And ferther yet this same power whiche he said he wold gyue to Peter was not of any other sorte then that whiche he gaue to al other as it appereth by the wordis but euen all one and runnyng to the same effect as to release and bynd sinne with like authorite and therby to make opeÌ„ the gates of heueÌ„ Therfore to affirme suche prerogatiue onely bycause he spake to Peter particularly semeth a
in mans mynd sensuall drawinge hym to pleasure and vanitie be so obedieÌ„t to reson that betwixt them is no repugnancye nor rebellion but reson euer hath dominion leadynge man to his naturalle dignitie than is he sette in hyghe felicitie than lyueth he in perfyte quietnes and tranquillitie as farre as man may optayne in this mortall lyfe full of frailtie Lyke as contrary whan reason beinge ouer runne affection dothe reule by disobedience then man as he were fallynge downe out of goddis order and prouidence who appoynteth reason to his gouernance slyppeth into infinite misery and wretchydnes and neuer enioyeth tranquillitie and quietnes but dyuersly torne by dyuers desires lacketh all comforte and swetenes of this lyfe So that by this hit is euidente and playne what power obedience hadde with the gentylitie but of vs whiche be lyghted with Christis doctrine obedience of an nother sorte is required For our obedyence is not reuled by suche a sklender reule as mannes reasone is whiche is for the mooste parte soo blynded with corruption that seldome it seeth the clere truthe withoute affection but the lyne of our obedience is reasone it selfe the verye worde and sonne of God by Christe to vs declared the wylle of god in his scriptures opened By this lyne and rule we must square our affection to this al reason and affection of man set apart we muste be obedient to this we must gyue faythe sure truste and also confydence To stable this obedience Christ was made man the whiche bothe by doctrine and dede he moste playnely toughte the whiche to confyrme with many wordes here is no place speciallye consyderynge that all holy scripture is fulle of the same as it is to all men open and playn Wherfore here perauenture you wyl say that obedieÌ„ce to goddis word is required no man douteth no man is ignoraunt therof but whiche is goddis worde and the trewe sense therof vnto the whiche we ougthe for to be obediente here lyeth the double this is not vnto all menne playne for somme menne herein saye one thynge and some saye an nother in so moche that we knowe not to whiche sense to what thyng we shulde gyue our obedience and whether we shulde rather be obediente to generall counsaylle or to our princis authoritie This perauenture you wyll say For the answere wherof thoughe in the exhortation folowynge I haue at large handeled the thinge as the chiefe mattier thereof yet here in this place somewhat I wyll touche bothe howe you shall comme vnto the trewe sense of goddis worde and also what obedience you oughte for to gyue bothe to generall counsayle and princis authoritie And fyrste this you shal vnderstand as a sure grounde to the resolution hereof that suche thynges to the whiche we owe our obedience and are bounden vnto other by goddis worde generall counsaylle or princis authoritie be of .iii. sortes and of .iii. dyuers kyndes for other they be of theyr owne nature good and profytable or contrarye by nature ylle and dampnable or elles indifferente whyche of theym selfe be nother good nor ylle As by an exaumple suche thynges are good not as appereth to mannes corrupte reason but suche as be by goddis owne worde defyned by the whiche rule only we muste examyne what thing is good with ryghte iudgemente as to truste in god and in his onely goodnesse to loue hym aboue all thynges and thy brother as thy selfe these with such other expressed by goddis word are by nature good and Profytable As contrarye suche thinges as by the same worde are prohibyte and forbydde are by nature ylle and damnable as to distrust the mercye of god and doubte of his goodnes to haue thy brother in hate or wrongfully to couete worldly riches Thynges indifferent I calle all suche thynges whiche by goddis worde are nother proâ—bthyted nor commaunded but lefte to worldly polycie wherof they take their ful authoritie by the whiche as tyme and place requireth they are sometymes good and somtymes yll As to eate fleshe the fridaye after the customed maner to kepe the holy day to go a pylgremage and pray vnto saynctis these and other lyke I calle thynges indifferent and nothynge necessarie to mannes saluation though they may be well vsed and after a good fashyon as I shall hereafter more at large open and declare Amonge the which also I nombre this great matter of the popes superioritie whiche so troubleth many weake coÌ„sciences For as I iuge it not so yll and damnable that all our forefathers whiche haue ben obedient therto this .vii. C. yeres therfore be damned so I iuge it not so good that obedieÌ„ce therto shal be necessarie to them whiche shulde be saued as I haue at large declared in the mater folowing and opened therin fully myn opinion But nowe to the purpose this and all other lyke whiche be not in scripture expressed by commaundement I note to be thynges indifferent the nature of whome is of this sorte whiche is highly here to be obserued that thoughe of theym selfe they be nother good nor yll nor to them we owe none obedience yet whan they be set out with authoritie by them which haue hole rule in any kynd of policie whether it be in the state of a prince or populare than the people are to them bounde ye by the vertue of goddis owne worde who commaundeth expressely his disciples to be obedient to commune policie whan so euer therby is coÌ„maunded any thinge whiche is not repugnant to his preceptes and doctrine ye and though hit were contrarye to their owne priuate profytte plesure and quietnes ye or contrary to a worldly right wisenes yet wolde he haue his disciples and the professours of his name euer to be obedient with humilitie and mekenes wherwith as with a peculiar mark he hath marked his flock And so nowe this grounde presupposed I shall make answere to the doubtes before moued and fyrste to them that be vnlerned to whom I haue directed chiefly this instruction this I wyl say that scrupulous and exact knowlege of thinges conteyned in goddis scriptures is nothinge so necessary to iduce them to obedieÌ„ce as is mekenes and humilitie whiche is among many other thinges to them whiche be rude the chiefe way wherby they maye attayne to the trewe sense of goddis worde and doctrine For the which cause as I thynke in the counsayle of Nece the suÌ„me of our feythe conteynynge suche poyntis as be necessary to euery mannes saluation was reduced vnto certayne artycles and so propowned in Symbalo in the common Crede to all chrysten nations as a thynge sufficient to be had in hart and mynde of all men without ferther enserche or inquisition in the reste euer gyuynge obedience to the order and custome in euery countrey receyued with concorde and vnitie So that we maye iudge as hit appereth to me that to the vnlerned people
and bodye of euerye commynaltie withoute ferther knowledge sufficiente hit is euery manne doynge his office and dewtie as he is called and by goddis prouysion therto appoynted here in this worldly polycie stedfastely to hange vppon the commune order leanyng therto constantely euer comforted with the same feythe and expectation of the euer lastynge lyfe hereafter to be hadde in immortalitie not by our owne merites but by the mere benefytte and onely goodnesse of god who to vs soo trustynge in hym hath made suche promys of his benignitie This is the mooste sure knotte as I thynke of all christen cyuilitie this generalle knowledge of thynges necessary ioyned with mekenes I thynke sufficiente to the vâ—lerned people in all other thynges whiche be â—â—â—â—â—fferente euer gyuynge obedyence to commâ—n authoritie and gladdely herynge theym whyche are directed and appoynted for to preache Christis doctryne wherby they may bothe confyrme and increase dayely theyr faythe And where as somme of theym preache â—one cleane contrarye to annother by the reasone whereof somme of you maye be perauenture brought in to somme doubte this you shall vnderstande that theyr controuersies and contrarietie for the moste parte be concernynge thinges indifferent and seldome of suche whiche be necessarye to mannes saluation Wherefore their controuersyes therin oughte to trouble you nothinge atte all For menne the whiche are of lernynge and letters in suche mattiers neuer dydde yet accorde nor agree in vnitie it is ynough that they accorde in the artycles of our feythe and as for the reste lette theym proue theyr wyttes after theyr owne pleasure mynde and lybertie Wherfore their folye therin and controuersies nedeth not to mynyster any occasyon of scrupulositie to the vnlerned people and rude but euer they takynge the generalle poyntes and artycles of Christis faythe with mekenes and humylitie muste in the reste gyue theyr obedience vnto suche thynges whiche be decreed made in the common policie ¶ But nowe I wyll speke somwhat of the obedience that you shall gyue vnto the common authorytie and also what to generall counsaylle here brefely I wyll touche And first this is sure that in all kynde of polycies among christen nations the worde of god must be of chiefe authoritie that muste haue therin the firste place and preemineÌ„ce Wherfore if any thynge be decreed contrary to that by any worldly policie it must be vtterly abrogate and boldely disobeyed with al constancy For suche barbarous tyranny may not be suffred in christen ciuilitie But contrary what so euer is decreed in any policie nothynge repugnant to Christis doctrine and to his simplicitie to that euer obedience is required wherin resteth a great grounde of christen ciuilitie to the whiche poynt if any priuate person repugne seditiousely moued by any scrupule of conscieÌ„ce conceyued folishely if he may nother be brought to knowlege by good instruction nor yet to iuste obedience with dewe admonition he is not worthy to lyue in that coÌ„men policie nor to be a meÌ„bre therof as one that abhorreth frome all good order and ciuilitie For to the obedience of princis and of all other commen orders and politike we are bounde after they be ones receyued by goddis owne worde and commaundement And suche thinges as by their own nature be indifferent are made therby to our saluation necessary so that this remayneth a sure truth that to al suche thinges as be decreed by princely authoritie to goddis worde nothynge contrarye we are by goodis worde bound after they be receyued and stablyshed to the whiche we muste gladdely be obedient with humilitie ye though they be contrary to suche thynges as be propowned by generall counsell and assemble For the which this is to be obserued that though counsell generall and vniuersall assemble of all chrysten nations be a thynge not necessary to the conseruation of Christes fayth and doctrine for as moche as it was conserued in his most purytie almoste .v. C. yere withoute any suche congregation yet for bycause it was of wise men and politike brought in to the auoydyng of schisme and heresie and stablynge of christen vnitie I thinke it not to be reiected For as it is gret superstition and playnfoly to iudge it necessarie to mans saluation ye and a great token of infidelitie and of dystruste in the goodnes of god who hath promysed to al men in al places and at al tymes eternal saluation when so euer where so euer with faythful trust they cal for the same so it is a tokeÌ„ of great arrogancye and lacke of christen humilitie hit vtterly to refuse whan so euer hit is taken as a collation and a conferrynge to gether of lerned men for the inuention and trialle of the truthe concernynge suche thinges as pertayne to relygion as hit was at the fyrste institution at the whiche tyme the thinges driuen out by counsell generall were of none authoritie vnto the time that princis in euery nation dyd receyue and stablyshe them in their countreys by the consent of the same as it is euideÌ„t by diuers lawes imperial by the which such thinges as were conceyued in couÌ„sel generall were authorised confyrmed Wherfore to coÌ„pare these authorities to gyther with boute of preemyneÌ„ce of the same it is small reson For as moch as such thiÌ„ges as be propouned by general couÌ„sell asseÌ„ble be of none authoritie among the people in any couÌ„trey tyl they be confirmed by princely power and coÌ„mon couÌ„sell Wherfore this foloweth surely that the same authoritie may suche thynges reiecte whan tyme place and other occasion that doth require with good reason This therfore semeth to me a sure conclusion that rather we ought to gyue obedience to that thynge whiche is decreed by comon authoritie in euery nation then to such as is propowned by generall assemble vniuersall counsell For suche thinges are but counsels in dede and bynde no man tyll they be by common consent receyued the whiche euer by the same maye be also dissolued and specially touchynge suche thynges that are indifferente the whiche at the fyrste counsels were euer omytted and left to the order of worldly policie but after that the see of Rome toke this heed ouer al christen nations by lytle litel in general asseÌ„bles they began to define haÌ„dle thinges ê‘taining to y â— worldly policy for the mainteining of y e pompe arrogancy the which they atteyned to by pÌ„tense of religion Wherfore the couÌ„sels succeding the same heed smellid therof sauorid moch of worldly vanite but if they had coÌ„tinued after y â— firste institution only medlyng with y â— interpretation of scripture thinges ê‘tayning by necessite to maÌ„s saluatioÌ„ I thinke to this day no christeÌ„ prince nor nation wold in any point haue made to theÌ„ any coÌ„trary coÌ„stitution but nowe sith that popes in general couÌ„sels coÌ„trary to the order of y â— same haue med led with maters ê‘taining to worldly policy meruayl