Verely nothing but make a starke hypocrits for no man can compel the hart to beleue a thing except it sée euidence and sufficiente profe I haue herd tell of a boy which was present at hys fathers burning for hys beléefe and assone as the officers had espyed the boy they sayd ech to other Let vs take hym and examine him also peraduenture we shal finde him as great an heretike as hys father When the boy saw that hys father was dead and that the catchpoles began to snatch at him he was sore dismayed and thought that he should dye to And when one of them apposed him asking him how he beleeued he aunswered Master I beleue euen as it pleaseth you Euen so by tormentes and crafty handling a man may be compelled to say that he beleueth the thing which he neyther thinketh nor yet can beleue for a mās fayth is not in his own power But how doth God accepte thys thing to say that I beleue that which indéede I beleue not Verely he vtterly condemneth it whether the opinion be true or false For if the opinion be true as by example that the fayth in Christes bloud iustifieth me before God and I confesse it before all the byshops in England with my mouth and beleue it not wyth mine hart then am I nothing the better for I should haue no part of Christes bloud but I am much the worse For first God condemneth me which iudgeth me after myne hart and also mine owne hart condemneth me because I haue openly graunted that mine hart denyeth And contrariwyse if I should beleue thys fully in mine hart and yet for feare of persecution should deny it when I were examined openly of my fayth then shall I be condemned of God except A repent and also myne owne hart shall be a witnes to condemne me And so it is very noisome vngodly to be compelled vnto any thing for God euer searcheth the hart which can not be compelled BVt my Lord obiecteth writing vppon the xviij article saying If a man take away Purgatorye for what entent shall we need any pardons As long sayth he as no man regarded purgatory there was no man that sought any pardon for all the estimation of pardons hangeth thereof so that we shall haue no neede of them if there be no purgatorye Verely I care not though I graūt him that to And I thinke that mouy was the mother of them both For out of the scripture shall he be able to proue neyther nother But Mammon is a great god euē of power enough to innent such knackes yea and to make them articles of the fayth and to burne those that can not beleue them And it was a preaty practise to make such pointes articles of the fayth For after that our holy fathers had geuen vp preaching and would take no more paynes neyther serue theyr brethren any more then sette they vp such articles of the fayth as shoulde bring in money to vpholde theyr estate withall And he that would not beleue them rid him out of the way for feare of disclosing theyr iugling for he that doubteth of pardons and purgatory he plucketh our holye father by the bearde NOtwithstanding my lord confirmeth both pardons and purgatory by the text that Christ spake vnto Peter Math. 16. To the will I geue the kayes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou bindest vpon the earth it shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou losest on the earth it shall be losed in heauen But these woordes sayth my lord had bene spoken in vayne if he could not geue pardons and lose men out of purgatory c. As touching the kayes albeit they haue oftentimes bene declared and in maner in euery treatise that hath bene put forth in the english tongue yet will I somewhat shew my minde in them There is but one kaye of heauen which Christ calleth the kaye of knowledge Luc. 11. And this kay is the worde of God Christ rebuked the law geuers for taking away thys kay from the people for they wyth theyr traditions and false expositions had fully excluded the kaye of knowledge which is the word of God and had cleane shut vp the Scripture as ours haue done nowe a dayes It is also called the kaye of Dauid whych shutteth and no man openeth openeth and no man shutteth Apoc. 3. And because of these two effectes which it worketh for it both shutteth and openeth hath it the nomination of kayes and yet as I sayd indéede it is but one which is the worde of God Thys kay or kayes now call it as you wyll sith you know what it meaneth Christ deliuered vnto Peter and vnto hys other Apostles a like which you shall easely perceaue if you marke where and when they were geuen For Mat. 16. they were onely promised and not yet geuen for Christ sayd I will geue thée the kayes and not I geue thée But after he was risen from death then performed he hys promise and gaue the kayes to all indifferentlye as thou mayst sée Ioh. 20. And Luke cap. 24 expoundeth it that he opened theyr wittes to vnderstand the Scripture that repentaunce and forgeuenesse might be preached c. Therfore it is the woord that bindeth and loseth thorough the preaching of it For when thou tellest them theyr vices and iniquities condemning thē by the law then bindest thou them by the woorde of God And when thou preachest mercy in Christ vnto all that repent then doost thou loose them by the word of God Therfore he that preacheth not the woorde of God can neyther binde nor lose no though he call him selfe pope And contrarywise he that preacheth his worde he bindeth and looseth as well as Peter and Paule although he be called but Sir Iohn of the countrey And consequently to say that the pope cā deliuer any soule out of purgatory if there were one is but a vaine lie except he can proue that he goeth downe vnto them and preacheth vnto them the woorde of God which is the salt that must season them and kay that must let them out for other loosing there is none And likewise to say that the Pope can geue any pardon to redéeme sinnes except he preach me that Christes bloud hath pardoned me is euen like vanitie Me thinketh also that he wadeth to déepe to descende to purgatorye by thys text For the text saith that what soeuer he bindeth on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer he looseth on earth c. But now they graunt themselues that purgatory is not on earth but the thirde place in hell And therfore it passeth his bondes to stretch his hand to purgatory and so this text can not serue him NOtwithstanding my lorde is not content to geue him thys power onely but he hath so farre waded in the popes power that he hath graunted him full auctoritie to
bée dons without any errour and that no man should doubt in it hée gaue them the holye ghost saying these wordes whose sinnes you doe forgeue shall bee forgeuen whose sinnes you doe retaine shall bée retained To these wordes addeth S. Luke Thē opened hée their wytte that they might vnder stand the Scriptures so that where S. Iohn sayth hée gaue them the holy ghost Luke sayeth hée opened their wytte to vnderstand Scripture It foloweth in Luke thus thus is it written that Christe must suffer death and rise agayne the thyrd day that repentaūce remission of sinnes shoulde bée preached in hys name among all nations Now where Saint Iohn sayth whose sins you doe loose shall bée loosed c. That sayth Luke in these wordes remissiō of sinnes must bée preached in hys name So that whose sinnes you doe loose shal bée loosed is nothyng els but that you must preach remission of sins in my name and as many as receiue this word you shall loose them by this word as many as doe not receiue it you shall bynde them by that same word That this is the sentence of these two places it is opē by that that they speake all of one story of that thyng that was done all in one day This doth also S. Paule prooue wel where hée reciteth the wordes of Luke saying Christ must néedes suffer ryse agayne from death and this Iesus is Christ Here is it plaine that s Paule losed men from their sinnes by preaching remissiō through Christ so that you haue openly here the practise of the holy Apostles how they did bynde loose by preaching the word of God They did bynde with the word when it was not beléeued They dyd loose by the worde when it was beléeued Thus dyd they by one word preache both saluation and damnatiō but vnto diuers men This vertue of the worde doth S. Paule declare in these wordes we are vnto God the swéete sauour of Christe both among them that are saued and also among them which perish To the one part are we the sauour of death vnto death vnto the other parte are we the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe What is this sauour nothyng els but the Gospell which is vnto one sauour of lyfe that is nothyng els but loosing and remission of sinnes And vnto the other it is the sauour of death vnto death that is occasion of bynding and reteinyng in sinne This doth Paule also declare in an other place The preachyng of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnes But vnto vs whiche are saued it is the power of God What is y e power of God nothyng els but remission and losing from our sinnes What is foolishenes nothyng els but they despise the Gospell recken it of no value and of no power Wherfore they remayne bound in their sinne Thus is it declared that one word of God worketh in diuers mē diuers operatiōs In y e one it worketh lyfe y e is remission of sinnes in the other worketh it death is taken for foolishnes that is it declareth them bounde and retained in their dānable sinnes and yet in him selfe hée is of one goodnes and of our nature but the diuersitie commeth of them that bée the receiuers This may bée proued by a naturall example The dew of heauē cōmeth downe indifferently vppon all grounde but in the one it bryngeth forth good corne swéete frutes and in the other it bryngeth forth nettles brombilles that bée nothyng worth but to the fier This exāple haue you in the epistle to the Hebrues for this same purpose Likewise by one word doe the holy Apostles Christes ministers loose and bynde but this doe they not by charmyng coungeryng iugglyng and whyslyng absolutions as you doe But by preachyng the holy word of God which when it is beléeued doth quiet and loose our conscience from all sinne and offereth it vs through Christ onely But when it is not beléeued then doth it bynde vs and retaine vs in sinne So that this holy worde is the very true keye of heauen for by it heauen is opened and shut This doth Chrisostome wel prooue in these wordes The key is the word and the knowledge of Scriptures whereby the gate of veritie is opened vnto men c. S. Augustine doth also witnes the same saying These keyes hath bée geuen to the Churche that what shée byndeth in earth shall bée bound in heauē and what shée looseth in earth shall bée loosed in heauen that is to say who soeuer doth not beléeue that his sinnes bée forgeuē hym in the Churche they bée not forgeuen hym But hée that doth beléeue and auerte him selfe from his sinnes beyng with in the Church by that same fayth and amendement is hée made whole c. Here haue you openly that by bée leeuing the worde of God our sinnes bée loosed by vnbeléefe bée we boūde in our sins But now must we search to whom these keyes bée geuen They may not all onely bée geuen to Peter for then Paule and the two sonnes of thunder had them not Nor they may not bee geuen to one more then to the other For Christ was indifferent and they were all his Apostles their confession was all one Wherfore no doubt but these keyes weare geuen vnto all Christes Apostles vnto the whole Church as S. Augustine doth declare openly vpon Iohn This may bée also proued by the wordes of your owne lawe which bée these if Peter haue power all onelye to binde and to loose then doth it not the Church But if this bée donne in the Church then did Peter when hée receaued y e keyes sygnifie holy chucrh c. Heare haue you openly that Peter had not onely the keyes but hée receiued them in the name of the Church Wherefore they béelong to all Christen men This doth Origene well prooue in these wordes Tu es Petrus c. These wordes were spoken vnto Peter vnto all Apostles vnto all maner of perfect faythfull men for all they are Petrus in all them is builded the church of Christ and agaynst none of them can the gates of hell preuayle Doost thou recken that y t keyes of heauen were all onely geuen to Peter and that no other Christen man did receaue them c. Here is it clearely that all Christen men bée Peter and all they haue receyued the keyes of heauen and hell can not preuayle agaynst them S. Augustine doth also testifie the same in these wordes Wherefore the church which is founded and grounded in Christ of hym hath receyued in Peter the keyes of heauen that is to say power to bynde and loose c. Thus is it playne that those keyes are geuē to y e whole church of Christ for her fayth and they bée the cōmon treasure of the Church and béelonge no more to one man then to
scattered far and long in her trew head Christ Iesus taught hath learned not to feare the contâ—…elyes of the Crosse nor yet of death but more and more is shee strengthned not in resistyng but in sufferyng c. 250. col 2 The Popes law sayth Therfore is the Church holy because shee beleueth righteously in God c. 246. col 2 The Popes law sayth The whole Church can not erre Also in an other place of the congregation of faythfull men must needes bee which also caÌ„ not erre c. 247. col 2 ¶ That the keyes of the Churche bee the Woorde of God and not mans power HIerome sayth vppon these wordes I shall geue thee the keyes of heaueÌ„ This place the Byshops the Priests not vnderstanding haue vsurped vnto them somewhat of the Phariseis pride so that they thinke that they may condemne innocentes and loose them that bee giltie wheÌ„ beefore God not the sentence of the Priest but the lyfe of the giltie is regarded c. 257. col 2 Augustine sayth That must bee called a key where by the hardnes of our hartes are opened vnto fayth where by y t secretnes of myndes are made manifest A key it is sayth hee the whiche doth both open the conscience to the knowledge of sinne and also includeth grace vnto the wholsomnes of euerlastyng mistery c. 258. col 1 This doth Chrisostome well proue in these wordes Thâ— key is the word the knowledge of Scriptures wherby the gate of veritie is opened vnto men c. 261. col 1 Augustine doth also witnes the same saying These keyes hath hee geuen to the Church that what shee byndeth in in earth shall bee bounde in heaueÌ„ and what shee looseth in earth shal bee loosed in heaueÌ„ that is to say who soeuer doth not beleeue that his sinnes bee forgeuen hym in the Church they bee not forgeuen hym But hee that doth beleeue and auerte hym selfe from hys sinnes beyng within the Churche by that same fayth and amendement is he made whole c. 261. col 1 Origene vpon these wordes Tu es Petrus c. The wordes were spoken vnto Peter vnto all Apostles vnto all maner of perfect faythfull men for all they are Petrus and in all them is builded the Church of Christ and agaynst none of them can the gates of hell preâ—ayle Doost thou reckeÌ„ that the keyes of heauen were alonely geuen to Peter and that no other Christen maÌ„ dyd receaue them c. 261. col 2 Augustine doth also testifie the same in these wordes Wherfore the Church whiche is founded and grounded in Christ of hym hath receiued in Peter the keyes of heaueÌ„ that is to say power to bynde and loose c. 261. col 2 Chrisostome sayth The key bearers are Priestes vnto whom is committed the word to teach and to interprete Scripture c. 262. col 2 Ambrose sayth Sinnes bee forgeueÌ„ by the word of God whose interpreter is the Deacon c. 262. col 2 Chrisostome sayth Behold I see meÌ„ that haue no trew sence of holy Scripture yea they vnderstand nothyng at all therof to passe ouer many things for I am ashamed to call them madde men triflers and wranglers they bee such as know not what they say nor of what thyng they speake but alonely bee they mightye and bolde to make lawes and to curse and coÌ„demne those thynges of the whiche they know nothyng at all c. 265. col 2 The Popes â–ª law sayth If Peter haue power alonely to bynde and to loose then doth it not the Church But if this bee done in the Church then did Peter wheÌ„ hee receaued the keyes signifie holy Church c. 261. col 2 ¶ That free will of man after the fall of Adam of his naturall streÌ„gth can doe nothyng but sinne beefore God AVgustine sayth Lest any maÌ„ should suppose that the braunche of hym selfe could bryng forth at y t lest wayes a litle srute therfore saith hee nor with out me can you doe a litle but without we caÌ„ you doe nothyng Therefore whether it bee litle or much without him can it not bee done without whoÌ„ is nothyng done One of two thinges must the braunche needes doe either abyde in the vyne or els burne in the fire if it bee not in the vyne then is it in the fire c. 267. col 1 Barnarde sayth What shall we say is this alonely all the merite of freewill that hee doth alonely coÌ„sent yea doubtles Not that the same consent in the which is all his merite is not of God when that we can neither thinke the which is lesse then to coÌ„sent any thing of our selues as though we were sufficient of our selues These wordes bee not myne but the Apostles the whiche geueth vnto God and not to his free-will all maner of thinges that can bee good that is to say to thinke to will or to performe c. 267. col 2 Augustine sayth What goodnes can hee doe that is lost except that hee bee deliuered from his miserie Can hee doe good by his freewill God forbyd for man euill vsyng hys freewill dyd both loose him selfe and also his freewil and as man beeyng alyue doth kil him selfe and when he hath killed him selfe hee can not make hym selfe alyue agayne So likewise when we doe sinne by freewil and sinne hath the victory then is freewill cleane lost for of whom a man is ouercome vnto hym must hee bee seruaunt Doubtles this sentence is of Peter the Apostle the which seeing that it is true I pray you what maner of freedome caÌ„ a bonde seruaunt haue except it bee when it pleaseth him to sinne c. 268. col 1 Augustine sayth O cursed freewill without God we haue experieÌ„ce what freewil can doe without God therfore are we miserable because we haue experience what freewill is able to doe without God Behold maÌ„ was made good by his freewill was hee made an euill man When shall an euill man by his freewill forsaking God make a man good hee beeyng good could not keepe him selfe good and now that he is euill shall hee make him selfe good when that hee was good hee kept not hym selfe good and now that hee is euill shall hee say I make my selfe good c. 268. col 2 Augustine sayth Hee that feedeth without mee feedeth agaynst mee c. 269. col 2 Augustine sayth Thou wilt say that can my will doe that can my freewill doe What will what manner of free-will except that hee guide thee thou fallest except hee lift thee vp thou lyest stil How canst thou then doe it by thy spirite seeing that the Apostle saith As many as bee led by the spirite of God bee the children of God Wilt thou doe of thy selfe Wilt thou bee led of thyne owne selfe to mortifie the deedes of the flesh what will it profite thee
here also a woorde or twayne We had neede to take hede euery where that wee bee not begyled with false allegories whether they be draweÌ„ out of the new Testament or the old either out of any other story or of the creatures of the world but namely in this booke Here a man had neede to put on all his spectacles and to arme him selfe agaynst inuisibles spirites First allegories proue nothyng and by allegories vnderstand examples or similitudes borowed of straunge matters and of an other thyng then that thou entreatest of And though circuÌ„sion be a figure of Baptisme yet thou canst not proue Baptisme by Circumcision For this argument were very feble the Israelites were Circumcised therfore we must be Baptised And in like maner though y e offering of Isaac were a figure or example of the resurrâ—ction yet is this argument nought Abraham would haue offered Isaac but GOD deliuered him from death therefore we shall rise agayne and so forth in all other But the very vse of allegories is to declare and open a text that it may bee the better perceaued and vnderstand As when I haue a cleare text of Christ and of the Apostles that I must be baptised then I may borow an example of CircumcisioÌ„ to expresse the nature power and frute or effect of baptisme For as Circumcision was vnto them a common badge signifiyng that they were all souldiers of god to warre his warre and separating them from al other nations disobedient vnto God euen so baptisme is our coÌ„mon badge and sure earnest and perpetual memoriall that we pertaine vnto Christ and are separated frome all that are not Christes And as Circumcision was a token certifyeng them that they were receaued vnto the fauour of God and their sinnes forgeueÌ„ them euen so Baptisme certifieth vs that we are washed in the bloud of Christ and receaued to fauour for his sake and as CircumcisioÌ„ signified vnto them the cuttyng awaye of their owne lustes and sleayng of their free will as they call it to folow the will of GOD euen so Baptisme signifieth vnto vs repentaunce and the mortifying of our vnruly members and bodyes of sinne to walke in a new life and so forth And likewise thoughe that the sauing of Noe of them that were with him in the shyp thorough water is a figure that is to say an example and likenesse of Baptisme as Peter maketh it 1. Peter 3. yet I can not proue Baptisme therewith saue describe it onely for as the shyp saued them in the water thorough fayth in that they beleued God and as y â— other that would not beleue Noe perished euen so Baptisme saueth vs through the worde of fayth whiche it preacheth when all the world of the vnbeleuyng perish And Paule 1. Corin. 10. maketh the sea and the cloude a figure of Baptisme by which and a thousaÌ„d mo I might declare it but not proue it Paule also in the sayd place maketh the rock out of which Moses brought water vnto the children of Israell a figure or example of Christ not to proue Christe for that were impossible but to describe Christ onely euen as Christ him selfe Iohn 3 boroweth a similitude or figure of the braien serpeÌ„t to lead Nichodemus froÌ„ his earthy imagination into the spiritual vnderstaÌ„dyng of Christes saying As Moses lifted vp a Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that none that beleue in hym perish but haue euerlasting lyfe By which similitude the vertue of Christes death is better described then thou couldest declare it with a thousaÌ„d wordes For as those murmurers agaynst God as soone as they repented were healed of their deadly woundes thorough lookynge on the brasen Serpent onely without medicine or any other helpe yea and without any other reason but that God hath sayd it should be so and not to murmure agayne but to leaue their murmuryng euen so all that repent and beleue in Christ are saued froÌ„ euerlastyng death of pure grace without and before their good works and not to synne agayne but to fight agaynst sinne and henceforth to synne no more Euen so with the ceremonies of this booke thou canst proue nothyng saue describe and declare onelye the putting away of oure sinnes thorowe the deathe of Christe For Christe is Aaron and Aarons sonnes and all that offer the sacrifice to purge sinne And Christ is all maner offering that is offered he is the oxe the shepe the gote the kyd and lambe he is the oxe that is burnt without the host and y t scape-gote that caried all the sinne of the people away into the wildernesse for as they purged the people from their worldly vncleanesses thorow bloud of y e sacrifices euen so doth Christ purge vs froÌ„ the vncleannesses of euerlasting death with hys owne bloude and as their worldly sinnes coulde no otherwise be purged then by bloud of sacrifice euen so can our sinnes bee no otherwise forgeuen then thorowe the bloud of Christ All the deedes in the worlde saue the bloude of Christ can purchase no forgeuenesse of sinnes for our dedes do but help our neighbour and mortify the flesh and help that we sinne no more but and if we haue sinned it must be freely forgeuen thorow the bloud of Christ or remayne euer And in lyke manner of the Leapers thou canst proue nothing thou canst neuer coniure out confession thence howbeit thou hast an handsome example there to open the binding losyng of our priests with the key of Gods worde for as they made no man a Leper euen so oures haue no power to commaund any man to be in sinne or to go to purgatory or hell And therefore in as much as binding and loosing is one power as those Priestes healed no man euen so oures can not of their innisible and domme power driue any mans sinnes away or deliuer hym from hel or fayned purgatory how be it if they preached Gods worde purely which is the authoritie that Christ gaue them then they shold binde and lose kill and make alyue agayne make vncleane and cleane agayne and send to hel and fetch thence agayne so mighty is gods worde For if they preached the lawe of God they shold bynd the consciences of sinners with the bondes of the paynes of hell and bring them vnto repentance And then if they preached vnto theÌ„ y e mercy that is in Christ they shold loose them and quiete their ragyng consciences certifie them of the fauour of God and that their sinnes be forgeuen Finally beware of allegories for there is not a more handsome or apte thyng to beguile withall then an allegory nor a more subtle and pestilente thyng in the world to perswade a false matter then an allegory And contrariwise there is not a better vehementer or mightier thyng to make a man vnderstand with all theÌ„ an allegory For allegories make a man
sermon at all they lie cleane contrary vnto this open truth Neither are they ashamed at all For why they walke altogether in darcknes ¶ Of Contrition COntrition and repētaunce are both one and nothyng els but a sorowful a mournyng hart And because that God hath promised mercy vnto a contrite hart that is to a sorowfull and repentyng hart they to beguile Gods word and to stablish their wicked tradition haue fayned that new word attrition saying thou canst not know whether thy sorrowe or repentaunce be contrition or attrition except thou be shreuen When thou art shreuen thē it is true contritiō Oh foxy Pharisay that is thy leuen of which Christ so diligētly bad vs beware Math. vj. And the very prophesie of Peter thorough couetousnes with fayned wordes shall they make marchaūdise of you ij Pet. ij with such gloses corrupt they Gods word to sit in the consciences of y ◠people to lead them captiue and to make a praye of thē byeng and sellyng their sinnes to satisfy their vnsatiable couetousnes Neuerthelesse the truth is when any man hath trespassed agaynst God If he repēt and knowledge his trespasse God promiseth him forgeuenesse without eare shrift If he that hath offended his neighbour repente and knowledge his fault askyng forgeuenes if his neighbour forgeue him God forgeueth him also by his holy promise Mat. xviij Likewise if he that sinneth openly when he is openly rebuked repent and turne then if the congregation forgeue hym God forgeueth him And so forth who soeuer repenteth and when he is rebuked knowledgeth his fault is forgeuē He also that doubteth or hath hys consciences tangled ought to open his minde vnto some faythfull brother that is learned and he shall geue hym faythful councell to helpe him withall To whom a man trespasseth vnto him he ought to confesse But to confesse my selfe vnto thee O Antichrist whom I haue not offended am I not bounde They of the old law had no confession in the eare Neither the Apostles nor they that folowed many hundred yeares after knew of any such whisperyng Wherby then was their attritiō turned vnto contrition yea why are we whiche Christ came to loose more bound thē the Iewes Yea and why are we more bounde without Scripture For Christ came not to make vs more bounde but to loose vs and to make a thousand thynges no sinne which before were sinne and are now become sinne agayne He left none other law with vs but the law of loue He loosed vs not frō Moyses to bynde vs vnto Antichristes eare God had not tyed Christ vnto Antichristes eare neither hath poured all his mercy in thether for it hath no recorde in the old Testament that Antichristes eare should be Propiciatorium that is to witte Gods mercy stole and that God should crepe into so narow a hole so that hee could no where els be founde Neither dyd God write his lawes neither yet hys holy promises in Antichristes eare but hath graued them with his holy spirite in the hartes of them that beleue that they might haue them alwayes ready at hand to be saued therby ¶ Satisfaction AS pertainyng vnto satisfactiō this wise vnderstād that he that loueth God hath a commaundement as S. Iohn sayth in the fourth Chap. of his first Epistle to loue his neighbour also whom if thou haue offended thou must make him amendes or satisfactiō or at the lest way if thou be not able aske him forgeuenes if he will haue mercy of God he is bound to forgeue thee If he will not yet God forgeueth thee if thou thus submit thy selfe But vnto Godward Christ is a perpetuall and an euerlastyng satisfaction for euermore As oft as thou fallest through frailtie repent come agayne and thou art safe welcome as y u mayst see by y e similitude of the riotous sonne Luke xv If thou be lopen out of sanctuary come in agayne If thou be fallen from the way of truth come thereto agayne and thou art safe if thou be gone astray come to y e folde againe the shepheard Christ shall saue thee yea and the aungels of heauen shal reioyce at thy commyng so farre it is of that any mā shal beate thee or chide thee If any Pharisey enuye thee grudge at thee or rayle vpon thee thy father shall make aunswere for thee as thou seist in the fore rehearsed likenes or parable Who soeuer therfore is gone out of the way by whatsoeuer chaūce it be let him come to his Baptisme agayne and vnto the profession therof and he shal be safe For though that the washyng of Baptisme be past yet the power therof that is to say y t word of God which Baptisme preacheth lasteth euer and saueth for euer As Paul is past and gone neuerthelesse y e word that Paul preached lasteth euer and saueth euer as many as come therto with a repentyng hart and a stedfast faith Hereby seest thou that when they make penaunce of repentaunce and cal it a Sacrament and deuide it into contrition confession and satisfaction they speake of their owne heades and lye falsely ¶ Absolution THeir absolution also iustifieth no man from sinne For with the hart do men beleue to be iustified with all sayth Paul Roma 10. that is through fayth and beleuyng the promises are we iustified as I haue sufficiently proued in other places with y ◠Scripture Fayth sayth Paul in the same place commeth by hearyng that is to say by hearyng the preacher that is sent from God and preacheth Gods promises Now when thou absoluest in Latine the vnlearned heareth not For how saith Paul i. Cor. xiiij when thou blessest in an vnknowen toung shall the vnlearned say Amen vnto thy thankes geuing for he wotteth not y u sayst So likewise the lay wotteth not whether thou loose or bynde or whether thou blesse or curse In like maner is it if the lay vnderstād Latine or though the Priest absolue in English For in hys absolution he rehearseth no promise of God but speaketh his owne wordes saying I by the authoritie of Peter and Paul absolue or loose thee from all thy sinnes Thou sayst so which art but a lying man and neuer more then now verely Thou sayst I forgeue thee thy sinnes and the Scripture Iohn the first that Christ onely forgeueth taketh away y e sinnes of the world And Paul and Peter and all the Apostles preache that all is forgeuen in Christ and for Christs sake Gods word onely looseth and thou in preachyng that mightest loose also and els not ¶ Who soeuer hath eares let him heare and let him that hath eyes see If any man loue to be blinde his blindnes on his owne head and not on mine THey alledge for thē selues the saying of Christ to Peter Math. xvj Whatsoeuer thou byndest on earth it shal be boūde what soeuer thou looseth and so forth Lo say they what soeuer we bynde what
soeuer we loose here is nothing excepted And an other text lay they of Christ in y e last of Mathew All power is geuen to me sayth Christ in heauen and in earth go therfore and preach c. Preachyng leaueth the Pope out and sayth loe all power is geuen me in heauen in earth And thereupon taketh vpon him temporall power aboue kyng and Emperour maketh lawes and byndeth them And like power taketh he ouer gods lawes and dispenseth with them at his lust makyng no sinne of that whiche God maketh sinne maketh sinne where God maketh none yea wypeth out Gods lawes cleane and maketh at his pleasure with him is lawful what he lusteth He bindeth where God looseth looseth where God bindeth He blesseth where GOD curseth and curseth where God blesseth He taketh authoritie also to bynde loose in Purgatory That permit I vnto him for it is a creature of his owne makyng He also byndeth the aungels For we read of Popes that haue commaūded the aungels to fet diuers out of Purgatory Howbeit I am not yet certified whether they obeyed or no. Vnderstand therrfore that to bynde and to loose is to preach the lawe of God and the Gospell or promises as thou mayst see in the third chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians Where Paule calleth the preaching of the law the ministration of death and damnation and the preaching of the promises then ministring of the spirite and of righteousnes For when the law is preached all men are found sinners and therefore damned and when the Gospell glad tydinges are preached then are all that repent and beleue founde righteous in Christ And so expounde it all the olde doctours Saint Hierome sayth vpon this text whatsoeuer thou bindest the Bishops and Priestes sayth he for lacke of vnderstanding take a litle presumption of the Phareseis vpon thē And thinke that they haue authoritie to bynde innocentes and to loose the wicked which thing our Pope and Byshops doe For they say the curse is to be feared be it right or wrōg Though thou haue not deserued yet if y e Pope curse thee thou art in perill of thy soule as they lie yea and though he be neuer fo wrongfully cursed he must be fayne to buy absolution But Saint Hierome sayth as y e Priest of the olde law made the lepers cleane or vncleane so byndeth and vnbyndeth the Priest of the new law The Priest there made no man a leper neither clensed any mā but God and the Priest iudged onely by Moyses law who was cleane who was vncleane whē they were brought vnto hym So here we haue the law of God to iudge what is sinne and what is not and who is bounde and who is not Moreouer if any man haue sinned yet if he repent and beleue the promise we are sure by Gods word that he is loosed forgeuen in Christ Other authoritie then this wise to preach haue the Priests not Christes Apostles had no other thē selues as it appeareth thoroughout all the new testamēt Therfore it is manifest that they haue not Saint Paule sayth i. Corinth xv When we say all thinges are vnder Christ he is to be excepted that put all vnder hym God the father is not vnder Christ but aboue Christ and Christes head i. Corinth vi Christ sayth Iohn xij I haue not spoken of myne owne head but my father which sent me gaue a commaundement what I should say and what I should speake What soeuer I speake therefore euen as my father bad me so I speake If Christ had a law what he should doe how happeneth it that the Pope so runneth at large lawlesse Though that all power were geuen vnto Christ in heauen and in earth Yet had he no power ouer his father nor yet to raigne temporally ouer temporall Princes but a commaundemēt to obey them How hath the Pope thē such temporall authoritie ouer king Emperour How hath he authoritie aboue Gods lawes and to cōmaunde the Angels the saintes and God himselfe Christes authoritie which he gaue to his Disciples was to preach the lawe and to bring sinners to repentaunce and then to preach vnto them the promises which the father had made vnto all men for his sake And the same to preach onely sent he his Apostles As a kyng sendeth forth his Iudges and geueth them his authoritie saying What ye doe that doe I. I geue you my full power Yet meaneth he not by that full power that they should destroy any towne or Citie or oppresse any mā or doe what they list or should raigne ouer the Lordes and Dukes of his Realme and ouer hys owne selfe But geueth them a lawe with them authoritie to bynde and loose as farforth as the law stretcheth and maketh mention that is to punishe the euill that doe wrong and to auenge y e poore that suffer wrong And so farre as the law stretcheth will the king defend his Iudge agaynst all men And as the tēporall iudges binde loose temporally so doe the pristes spiritually and no other wayes How be it by falshod and subtiltie the Pope reigneth vnder Christ as Cardinals and Byshops do vnder kinges lawlesse THe Pope say they absolueth or looseth a poena et culpa that is from the faulte or trespasse and from the payne due vnto the trespasse God if a man repent forgeueth the offence onely and not the paine also say they saue turneth the euerlasting payne vnto a temporall payne And appointeth seuē yeares in purgatory for euery deadly sinne But the Pope for money forgeueth both and hath more power thē God and is more mercifull thē God This doe I saith the Pope of my full power and of y e treasure of the Church of deseruinges of martyrs cōfessours and mērites of Christ First the merites of the Saintes did not saue themselues but were saued by Christes merites onely Secondarily God hath promised Christes merites vnto all that repent so that whosoeuer repenteth is immediatly heire of all Christes merites and beloued of God as Christ is How thē came this foule monster to be Lord ouer Christes merites so that he hath power to sell that which God geueth freely O dreamers yea O deuils and O venimous scorpians what poyson haue ye in your tayles O pestilēt leauen that so turneth the sweete bread of Christes doctrine into the bitternesse of gall The Friers runne in the same spirite and teach saying do good deedes and redeeme the paines y ◠abide you in purgatory yea geue vs somewhat to doe good workes for you And thus is sinne become the profitablest marchaundise in the worlde O the cruell wrath of God vpō vs because we loue not the truth For this is the damnation iudgement of God to send a false Prophet vnto him that wil not heare the truth I know you saith Christ
your rewarde is great in heauē Euē so verely they persecuted the Prophets that were before you Here seest thou the vttermost what a Christen man must looke for It is not inough to suffer for righteousnes But that no bitternesse or poyson be left out of thy cuppe thou shalt be reuiled and rayled vpon and euen whē thou art condempned to death then be excommunicat and deliuered to Sathan depriued of the felowship of holy Church the company of y ◠Angels and of thy part in Christes bloud and shalt be cursed downe to hell defied detested and execrat with all the blasphemous raylinges that the poysonfull hart of hypocrites can thinke or imagine and shalt see before thy face when thou goest to thy death that all the world is perswaded and brought in beliefe that thou hast sayd and done that thou neuer thoughtest and that thou dyest for that thou art as giltlesse of as the childe that is vnborne Well though iniquitie so highly preuayle and the truth for which thou diest be so low kept vnder and be not once knowen before the worlde in so much that it semeth rather to be hindered by thy death then furthered which is of all griefes the greatest yet let not thyne hart fayle thee neither dispaire as though God had forsaken thee or loued thee not But comfort thy selfe with olde ensamples how God hath suffred all his olde frendes to be so entreated and also his onely deare sonne Iesus Whose ensample aboue all other set before thine eyes because thou art sure he was beloued aboue all other that thou doubt not but thou art beloued also and so much the more beloued the more thou art like to the image of his ensample in suffering Did not the hipocrites watch hym in all his sermons to trappe hym in hys owne words was he not subtelly apposed whether it were lawfull to pay tribute to Cesar were not all hys wordes wrong reported were not his miracles ascribed to Belsebud sayd they not he was a Samaritane had a deuill in hym was he not called a breaker of the Saboth a wyne drinker a frende of Publicans and sinners did he ought wherewyth no fault was found and that was not interpreted to be done for an euill purpose was not the pretense of his death the destroying of the temple to bryng him into the hate of all men was he not thereto accused of treason that he forbad to pay tribute to Cesar and that he moued the people to insurrection Rayled they not on hym in the bitterest of all hys passion as he hanged on the crosse saying saue thy selfe thou that sauest other come downe from the crosse and we will beleue in thee fie wretch that destroyest y t temple of God Yet he was beloued of God and so art thou His cause came to lyght also and so shall thyne at the last yea and thy reward is great in heauē with him for thy deepe suffering And on the other side as they be cursed which leaue righteousnesse destitute and will not suffer therewyth so are they most accursed which know the truth and yet not onely flee therefrom because they will not suffer But also for lucre become the most cruell enemies thereof and most subtill persecutors most falssy lye theron also Finally though God when he promiseth to blesse our workes do bynde vs to worke if we will obtayne the blessing or promise yet must we beware of this pharesaicall pestilence to thinke that our works did deserue the promises For whatsoeuer God commaundeth vs to do that is our dutie to do though there were no such promise made to vs at all The promyse therefore commeth not of the deseruing of the worker as though God had neede of ought that we could doo but of the pure mercy of God to make vs the more wylling to do that is our dutie c. For if when we had done all that God commaundeth vs to do he then gaue vs vp into the handes of tyrauntes and kylled vs sent vs to purgatory which mē so greatly feare or to hell and all the Aungels of heauen with vs he did vs no wrong nor were vnrighteous for ought that we or they coulde chalenge of deseruing howsoeuer that God vseth his creatures he euer abydeth righteous till thou cāst proue that after he hath boūd him selfe wyth his owne woorde of mercy he then breake promyse wyth them that keepe couenaunt with him So now if nought were promised nought coulde we chalenge whatsoeuer we did And therefore the promise commeth of the goodnes of the promiser onely and not of the deseruing of those workes of which God hath no neede and which were no lesse our duty to do though there were no such promise Ye be the salt of the earth But if the salt be waxen vnsauery what can be salted therwith It is henceforth nothyng worth But to be cast out and to be troden vnder foote of men The office of an Apostle the preacher is to salt not onely the corrupt maners conuersation of earthly people but also the roten hart within and all that springeth out therof their natural reason their will their vnderstādyng and wisedome yea their fayth and belefe and all that they haue imagined without Gods worde concernyng righteousnes iustifieng satisfaction and seruyng of God And the nature of salt is to byte frete and make smarte And the sicke pacientes of the world are maruelous impaciēt so that though with great payne they cā suffer their grosse sinnes to be rebuked vnder a fashion as in a parable a farre of yet to haue theyr righteousnes theyr holynesse and seruing of God and his Saintes disalowed improued condēned for damnable and deuilish that may they not abyde In so much that y u must leaue thy salting or els be prepared to suffer agayne euen to be called a rayler seditious a maker of discorde and a troubler of the cōmō peace yea a schismatike and an hereticke also and to be lyed vpō that thou hast done and sayd that thou neuer thoughtest thē to be called coram nobis and to syng a new song forsweare salting or els to be sent after thy felowes that are gone before and the way thy master went True preachyng is a salting that stirreth vp persecution and an office that no man is mete for saue he that is seasoned hymselfe before wyth pouertie in spirite softnesse meekenesse patience mercifulnesse purenes of hart and hunger of righteousnes and lookyng for persecution also and hath all hys hope comfort and solace in the blessing onely in no worldly thing Nay will some say a man myght preach long inough without persecution yea get fauour to if he would not medle with the Pope Byshops Prelats and holy ghostly people that lyue in contemplation and solitarines nor wyth great men of the worlde I aunswere true preaching is saltyng and
bynde vpon earth shall be bounde in heauen see frendes these be not our wordes but our master Christes And they shall do myracies in Christes name therto to confirme the false doctrine which they preach in his name O fearefull and terrible iudgement of almighty God and senteÌ„ce of extreme rigorousnes vpon all that loue not the truth when it is preached them that God to aduenge himselfe of their vnkyndnesse shall sende them so strong delusions that doctrine should be preached vnto them in the name of Christ and made seeme to follow out of hys wordes and be confirmed with myracies done in calling vpon the name of Christ to hardeÌ„ their harts in the faith of lyes according to the prophesie of Paule to the Thessalonians in the second Epistle An other of their sheepes coates is that they shall in euery sermon preach mightely agaynst the Scribes Phariseyes against Faustus and Pelagian with such like hereticks which yet neuer preached other doctrine then they themselues do And more of their clothing is they shall preach that Christ preached almost prayer and fasting and professe obedience pouertie and chastitie workes that our Sauiour Christ both preached and did Finally they be holy church and cannot erre But they be within rauening wolnes They preach to other steale not yet they themselues robbe God of hys honour and take from him the prayse and profite of all their doctrine and of all their workes They robbe y t lawe of God of her mighty power wherewith she driueth all men to Christ and make her so weake that the feble free will of man is not able to wrestle with her without calling to Christ for help They haue robbed Christ of all hys merites and clothed themselues therewith They haue robbed the soule of man of the bread of her life the fayth and trust in Christes bloud and haue fedde her with the shales and coddes of the hope in their merites and confidence in their good workes They haue robbed the workes coÌ„maunded by God of the entent purpose that they were ordeined for And with their obedience they haue drawen themselues from vnder the obedience of all Princes and temporall lawes with their pouertie they haue robbed all nations and kyngdomes and so with their wilfull pouertie haue enriched themselues and haue made the commons poore with their chastitie they haue filled all the worlde full of whores and sodomites thinking to please God more highly with keeping of an whore then an honest chast wife If they say it is not truth then all the worlde knoweth they lye for if a priest mary an honest wife they punishe hym immediatly and say he is an hainous hereticke as though matrimony were abhominable But if he keepe a whore then is he a good chast childe of their holy father the Pope whose ensample they follow and I warrant hym sing Masse on the next day after as well as he did before without eyther persecution or excommunication such are the lawes of their vnchast I would say their owne chast father If thou professe obedience why ruÌ„nest thou from father mother maister and ruler which God biddeth thee to obey to be a Fryer If thou obey why obeyest thou not the king and his law by whom God defendeth thee both in lyfe and goodes and all thy great possessions If thou professe pouertie what doest thou with the landes of Gentlemen Squyres Knightes Barons Erles and Dukes What shoulde a Lordes brother be a beggers seruauÌ„t or what should a begger ride with thre or foure score horses wayting on hym Is it meete that a man of noble byrth and y â— right heyre of the landes which thou possessest should be thyne horsekeeper thou being a begger If ye professe chastitie why desire ye aboue all other men the company of women What do ye with whores openly in many countreyes and wyth secrete dispensations to keepe Concubines Why corrupt ye so much other mens wiues and why be there so many sodomites among you Your charitie is mercilesse to the rest of the world to whom ye may geue nought agayne and onely liberall to your selues as is y e charitie of theues thirty or fourty of you together in one denne among which yet are not many that loue three of his neighbours hartely Your fasting maketh you as full and as fat as your hydes can holde beside that ye haue a dispensation of your holy father for your fasting Your prayer is but pattering without all affection your singing is but roaring to stretch out your mawes as do your othee gestures and rising at midnight to make the meate sinke to the bottome of the stomacke that he may haue perfect digestion and be ready to deuour a freshe against the next refection Ye shal know them by their fruites First thornes beare no grapes nor bryers figges Also if thou see goodly blossomes in them and thinkest there to haue figges grapes or any fruit for the sustenaunce or comfort of man goe to theÌ„ in time of neede and thou shalt finde nought at all Thou shalt finde forsouth I haue no goodes nor any thing proper or that is myne owne It is the couentes I were a theefe if I gaue it my father whatsoeuer neede he had It is Saint Edmundes patrimony Saint Albons patrimony S. Edwardes patrimony the goodes of holy church it may not be minished nor occupied vpon laye and prophane vses The king of the realme for all that he defendeth them aboue al other yet getteth he nought what neede so euer he haue saue then onely when he must spend on their causes aâ— that they geue with all that he can get beside of his poore commons If the king will attempt to take ought from them by the aucthoritie of his office for the defence of the realme Or if any man wil entreat them other wise then they lust themselues by what law or right it be they turne to thornes and bryers and waxe atonce rougher then a hedgehogge and will sprinkle them wyth the holy water of their malidictions as thicke as hayle and breath out the lightening of excommunication vpon them and so consume them to pouder Moreouer a corrupt tree can beare no good fruite That is where they haue fruite that semeth to be good goe to and proue it and thou shalt finde it rotten or the karnell eaten out and that it is but as a hollow â—â—tâ— For fayth in Christ that we and all our workes done within the compasse of the lawe of God be accepted to God for his sake is the kernell the sweetenesse and the pleasaunt beutie of al our workes in the sight of God As it is written Ioh. vi this is the worke of God that ye beleue in him whom he hath sent This faith is a worke which God not onely worketh in vs but also hath therein pleasure and delectatioÌ„ and in all other for that faithes sake Faith is
the Church bee and to whom they were geuen TO declare this matter our Schoolemen haue wrapped them selues in suche doubtes that they were neuer able to come out of theÌ„ nor yet to satisfie theÌ„ selues nor any good Christen mans conscience For all y e they write is but dreames of theyr own inuention and as Paule calleth them the doctrines of y e deuill agaynst the holy word of God and wringyng wrestyng the blessed worde of God to their purpose alonely consideryng how they might by right or by wrong stablishe the authoritie of miserable men not coÌ„sideryng the intent of the holy ghost whiche intended nothyng els in all places of Scripture but to opeÌ„ vnto vs Christ the loosing from our sinne by hym alonely The which thyng our dreamers and inuenters of all subtile lyes dyd neuer preserue nor neuer sought for but by despising the holy worde of God and stickyng so fast to their owne corrupted reasons dyd they fall into innumerable heresies dissentions and contentions and brawlynges of wordes and scoldyng lyke harlots so that none of theÌ„ could agrée with an other Wherfore that saying of the holy Prophete may well bée verified of them My people haue not heard my voice and Israell hath taken no héede vnto me and therfore haue I let theÌ„ passe after the desires of their own harts and therefore they shall folow their own inuentioÌ„s This is alwayes the sore vengeaunce of God when we will not beléeue and receiue alonely hys worde then doth hée let vs passe so that we can doe nothyng but erre Notwithstandyng we are so blynded that we thinke darkenes light and errours veritie This is openly proued by all our greate clarkly schoolemen and that it may bée open to all men I will recite what they learne of the keyes Duns all his scholers say that these keyes bée nothyng els but an authoritie geuen to Priestes whereby they geue sentence that heauen must bée opened to this man and shyt vnto the other so that heauen is opened shyt at the sentence of y e priest This is his learnyng Who could haue inuented such a doctrine but y â— deuill him selfe who can speake greater heresie then this is who can speake more openly agaynst Christe and hys holy Scripture If the authoritie of the Priest bée the keyes of heauen and can open open and shyt heauen then néede we no other thyng to our saluation but the authoritie of the Priest then can no man bée saued without the authoritie of the Priest then can there no Priestes bée damned For they haue the keyes of heaueÌ„ I thinke they wil not bée so mad as by their authoritie to shyt them selues with the deuill Briefely what néede haue we of Christ and of hys holy word For the authoritie of the Priest is the keye of heauen but let me bryng their owne words y e the matter may bée playner The keye in this purpose is taken after the similitude of a materiall key whiche is the next instrument to shyt and to open a doore whereby we enter into the house So lykewise the authoritie to geue sentence that heauen must bée opened vnto this man is called the keye c. To vse many wordes in refellyng this damnable opinion it néedeth not But agaynste them all I will set the authoritie of S. Hierome whose words bée these I shal geue thée y e keyes of heaueÌ„ This place the Byshops and the Priestes not vnderstandyng haue vsuâ—ped vnto them somewhat of the Phariseis pryde so y e they thinke that they may condemne innocentes and loose them that bée giltie when afore God not y e sentence of the Priest but the lyfe of the giltie is regarded c. Here you haue playnly that the sentence of the Priest is not looked on nor able to loose a sinner afore God Marke also that S. Hierome sayth you vnderstaÌ„d not this place Moreouer I would know of you all where you caÌ„ bryng me one example in Scripture that the sentence of a Priest hath loosed a sinner or bound a righteous man and if it can not doe this then is there an other thyng aboue the sentence of a Priest Furthermore that your auctoritie should bée the keyes of heauen it is a gaynst reason agaynst your owne learning For Duns and also Lyra of the same text Qnodcunque ligaueris doe playnely declare that your key of auctoritie may erre Now if it may erre then is it not the right key to the locke of heauen for the right key can neuer erre in his owne locke Wherfore at the most you can make it but a picklocke which belongeth to robbers and théeues onely Moreouer if this were the key theÌ„ should we neuer bée in suretye whether heaueÌ„ were opened or not First we haue no promise nor no worde of God made vnto this key And againe we can not know when it openeth heauen and wheÌ„ not for it may erre after your owne doctours And if it chauÌ„ce for to erre then are not heaueÌ„ gates opened So y e by this meanes we shall bée alwayes in doubt whether we bée losed froÌ„ our sinne or not Wherefore we must séeke out an other key that is the very trew key to the locke the which can not erre of the which we shall bée in surety and without all doubt But ere wee declare what this key is we will first shew the nature and the propertye of this key S. Augustine sayth That must be called a key where by the hardnes of our harts are opened vnto fayth and whereby the secretnes of mindes are made manyfest A key it is sayth hée the which doth both open the concieÌ„ce to y t knowledge of synne and also includeth grace vnto the wholesomnes of euerlasting mistery c. This is the diffynition of this key that we speake of after S. Augustine Now compare your power vnto this diffinitioÌ„ and sée how they doe agrée Fyrst what can your power doe which you call your key to remoue away the hardenes of the harte and to bring in fayth Agayne what can your key Iudge of the secreatnes of mans mynde Thirdly what can your power doe to mens consciences to make theÌ„ to knowledge their sinne yea where by doe you know your awne synne by your power then haue all priestes a like knowledge Fynally what grace doth your power include in hym y e may bring vs to euerlasting Ioye Wherefore you sée that this deffinition agréeth as well with your key as Chalke and Chéese Therfore must we séeke an other key y e hath all these properties This is nothing els but the holy worde of God whereby that we receaue fayth into our hartes as S. Paule sayth Fayth is by hearing and hearing is by the wordes of God And for this cause the holy Prophet calleth it a lanterne saying Thy word is a lanterne vnto my féete it is a lyght vnto my pathes
By this word doe we receiue lyfe as the prophet sayth Thy speach shall quicken mée Also the secreates of our hartes be opened by this word S. Paule declareth saying if there come one that doth not beléeue hée is reproued by the word of all men and the secreates of his harte are opened By this worde also is declared vnto vs grace and euerlasting lyfe as S. Paule sayth Christ hath put away death and hath brought lyfe and immortalitie vnto the light through the Gospell This is the thing onely where by that our conscience is losed and made frée from synne Therefore sayth the holy Prophet there is much peace vn to them that loue the lawe of God there is no sclauÌ„der vnto them Much peace is nothyng els but remission of sinnes yea that without any doubt for hée that is loosed by the worde of God that is hée that hath the open word of God for hym that his sinnes bée forgeueÌ„ him hée can not bée sclauÌ„dered that is there is nothyng can make him to doubt but though heauen and hell life and death doe threaten him hée is not offended hée is not sclaundered but hydeth fast knoweth surely that all these thynges must perishe but the word of God bydeth for euer Wherefore this is the very keye that iudgeth the thoughtes and the intentes of the hart as S. Paule sayth By this haue we also the very knowledge of our sinne as S. Paule declareth to the Romaines by this is also declared vnto vs grace also remission of our sinnes if we beléeue it Wherefore this must néedes bée the very true keye as you may sée euidently thoroughout all Scripture and not your boasted and craked power for there is no such thynge nor yet can bée in man that can loose the soule of man from hys sinne Wherefore it is damnable and deuillishe learning and commeth of the presumptuous pride of maÌ„ to learne that man hath a power in hym by the which power mans soule is bounde or loosed from sinne But this is all that man hath hée is a minister and a dispensator of the heauenly worde of God for whose sake our sinnes bée remitted when we beléeue it and our sinnes bée retained when wée doe de spise it Therfore the blessed word of God is the very keye and in that is all the might and power to loouse our sinnes and man is but a minister and a seruaunt vnto this worde This may bée prooued by our Maister Christes wordes where hée sayth Goe your wayes into all the worlde and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures and hée that doth beléeue and is baptised shal be saued but hée that doth not beléeue shall bee damned Here may you playnely sée that the Apostles bée but ministers and seruauntes and haue no power but alonely ministration The keyes that they haue whereby they must loose men and bynde is the very worde of God And therfore sayth our Maister Christ hée that beléeueth shall bée saued and hée that doth not beléeue shal bée damned By this worde did the holy Apostles declare grace thorough Christ and learned meÌ„ to set all their hope of saluation in Christ onely By this worde did they learne men to knowledge their sinne and to séeke for grace fully and wholly to hope for remission forgéeuenes of theyr sinnes in Christ onely Briefely by these keyes is opened all goodnes if they bée receaued And all goodnes is shutte from vs if wée receaue them not Now where this keye is receaued by faith there is all things â—wsed that is all sinnes bée forgéeuen and the consciences bée made frée And where it commeth not in nor is receaued by faith there all thynges bée shutte and bounde Of this maner did the holy Apostles bynde and loose when they preached this holy worde of God vnto y â— people As wée haue an open example of S. Peter that preached this holy worde and at his preaching y e hearers were pricked in their hartes and asked Peter what they myght doe and hée aunswered them repent and bée baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus for remission of your sinnes and you shall receaue the gifte of the holy Ghost wherfore as many as receaued his word were baptised Here you haue playnely the very true maner of loosing from sinnes as y e holy Apostles vsed it that is when the people beléeued the worde that they preached theÌ„ they declared how their sinnes were remitted for Christes sake and not thorow any power that they had for they were but ministers But the very power was in the word of God whereby they were deliuered from their sinnes This is well proued by our maister Christes word where hée sayth vnto them goe and preach saying That the kyngdome of heauen is at hande What is this the kyngdome of heauen not any power that is in man but remission of sinnes shall bée geuen to them that receiue either your power or your persons and therfore followeth it In what house you enter say first peace bée with you and if the house bée worthy your peace shall come vppon the same that is to say if they reciue your word and beléeue it than shall your peace that is the peace of the Gospel which you bring with you geue them quietnes of conscieÌ„ce and lose them from all synne But if the house bée not worthy your peace shall returne to you agayn and whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor will heare your preaching when you depart out of that house shake of the dust from your féete I say vnto you it shal be easyer for Sodom and Gomorra in the day of Iudgment then for that Cytie What is this your peace shall returne agayne nothing els but that they shall not bée pertakers thereof but shall remaine bound in their sinne And why because they receiue not your persons or your power nay trewlye but because they heare not your preaching It is not to bée doubted but that many men by hearing the Apostles preaching the word of God were losed from their synnes and yet neuer spake with the Apostles Wherefore the receauyng of the word not the Apostle loseth vs from our sinnes for that cause the Apostle did declare by their departing froÌ„ theÌ„ that would not beleue the word y e they remained still in their sinnes for as S. Marke sayth your departyng shal bée a testimonie agaynst them that is to say a token of their condemnation We haue also an open practise of S. Paule how hée dyd bynde theÌ„ that did not receiue his preaching to whoÌ„ hée sayth these wordes Your bloud vpon your heades I will departe froÌ„ hence in clennes vnto the Gentiles Now haue you playnely how the holy Apostle dyd bynde and loose and with what keye they did it that is by preachyng of the holy word of God And because this thyng shoulde
eate fishe for in tyme conuenient and when thou art disposed it is good but bycause that they will in this thyng bynde our consciences and make that thynge of necessitie that God had hath left frée Therfore speaketh Paule agaynst them in these wordes In the latter dayes certeine men shal swarue from the fayth applying them selues to the spirites of errours and doctrines of the deuill forbiddyng Mariage and to absteine from meates that God hath created to bée receiued of faythfull mē with thanks for all creatures of God bée good and nothyng to bée refused that is receiued with thākes Marke how Paule sayth nothyng is to bée refused that may bée receiued with thankes this is openly agaynst thē that will forbid either fish or flesh this day or that day as a thynge vnright for a Christē man to eate for as S. Paule sayth meate doth not commende vs vnto God Also in an other place the kyngdome of heauen is neither meate nor drinke Therfore they doe vnright to bynde our conscience in such thynges and to thinke vs vnfaythfull bycause we obserue thē not Now let our holy hypocrites of the Charter house looke on their cōsciēce whiche recken to buy and to sell heauē for a péece of fish or flesh but they recken it no vyce to lyue in hatred rākour and malice neither to serue God nor their neighbour but with such an hypocrites seruice as they haue inuēted of their own hypocrisie not receiued of God They thinke it a great perfection to absteine from béefe and mutton and to eate pike tenche gurnarde and all other costly fishes and that of the dentiest fashion dressed but a péece of grosse béefe may they not touche may they not smell for then they lose heauen and all the merites of Christes bloud Is not here a goodly fayned hypocrisie béefore the world it shynneth bryght but compare it vnto Christes Scripture and there can not bée a greater blasphemy For here in they clearely damned Christ and his ordinaunce make that of necessitie y e Christ left as indifferent Agaynst these holy hypocrites writeth S. Paule saying we ought not to be led with the traditiōs of men that say touche not tast not handle not which thyngs perish with vsing of them and are after the commaundements and doctrine of men whiche thynges haue the similitude of wisedome in superstitious holynes and hūblenes in that they spare not the body and doe the flesh no worshyp vnto his néede Here is clearely condemned all supersticiousnes and fayned holines that men haue inuented in eating or drinking in touching or in handling or in any other such thinges not that we may not doe them but that we doe them as thinges of necessitie and recken our selfe holy whē we doe thē and to synne deadly when we doe thē not This is by the dānable institutions of men The which S. Augustine condemneth in these wordes The Apostle sayth Touche not handell not c. Because that those men by such obseruations were led from the veritie by y ◠which they were made frée whereof it is spoken the veritie shall deliuer you It is a shame sayth hée and vnconuenient and farre from the noblenes of your libertie séeing you bée the body of Christ to bée disceaued with shadowes and to bée iudged as sinners if you dispise to obserue these things Wherfore let no mā ouercom you seing you are the body of Christ that will séeme to be meeke in hart in the holynes of Aungels and bringing in thinges which he hath not séene c. Here haue wée playnely that those thynges which bée of the inuention of man doe not bynde our conscience though they séeme to bée of neuer so great holynes and of humblenes and holynes of Angels as Paule sayth Wherefore let them make what statutes they will and as much holynes as they can deuise Inuent as much Gods seruice as they can thinke and lye that they haue receaued it frō heauen and that it is no lesse holynesse then Angels haue and set thereunto all their mandamus remandamus excōmunicamus sub pena excommunicationis maioris minoris Precipimus Interdicimus sub indignatione dei omnipotentis Apostolorū Petri Pauli ligamus with all other such blasphemies that they haue for doubtles if their bellies were ripped there should bée nothing found but blasphemes of God and of his holy word detractions oppressions Confusyons damnations of their poore brethren Other good haue we none of them let all Christen men aunswere to this of their conscience if it be not trew And yet are we frée in our conscience and all these can neyther bynd nor damne our conscience for we are frée made thorow Christ And in conscience nor bound vnder y e paine of deadly sinne to nothing that mā can order or set except it be conteined in holy scripture But in body we are bound to euery man This doth S. Augustine proue in these wordes Seing that we bée made of soule and of body as long as we doe liue in this temporall lyfe we must vse to the noryshing of this lyfe these tēporall goodes Therefore must we of that part that béelongeth to this lyfe bée subiect vnto powers that is vnto men that doe minister worldly things with some honour but as concerning that part wherby we beléeue in God and bée cauled vnto hys kingdome we ought not to bée subiect vnto any mā that will peruert that same thing in vs that hath pleased God to geue vs to eternall lyfe c. Here is it playne that we in conscience by Christ bée made frée nothyng can bynd vs vnto sinne but his word onely Now is it clearely open that if any power of heauen or earth commaunde any thyng against Gods worde or to the destruction or minishing of the same no mā may obey in any case vnder the payne of damnation for Gods veritie is not indifferent to bée lefte or not to bée lefte Agayne if man commaunde any thyng to bée done that may bée done in time and place conuenient if hée wll binde vs vnto indifferent thinges as vnto a thing of necessitie then shall wée not doe it not béecause it is euill to doe but that it is damnable to bée done as a thyng of necessitie Neuerthelesse if any of these thynges bée commaunded of the Byshops as burdens and as thinges indifferent then shall wée kéepe them in tyme and place conuenient as where I may by them serue my brother or edifie hym or doe him any good or that it may bée vnto hym any meanes to come to the verity neuerthelesse at an other tyme when I am in place conuenient where I shall not offende my brother nor ingender no sclaunder nor any disquietnes in the common wealth There may I fréely without any charge of conscience and without all maner of sinne breake the Byshops commaūdement For it is but as
bynde hym hand and foote and to cast hym into vtter darkenes and to geue the talent vnto hym that had ten saying to all that haue more shall be geuen but from hym that hath not that he hath shal be taken from hym That is to say he that hath a good harte toward the word of god and to garnish it with godly liuyng and to testify it to other y e same shall increase daily more and more in the grace of Christ But he that loueth it not to lyue therafter and to edify other the same shall loose the grace of true knowledge be blinded agayne and euery day wax worse and worse and blynder and blynder tyll he be an vtter enemy of the worde of God and hys hart so hardened that it shall be impossible to conuert hym And Luke xij The seruaunte that knoweth hys maisters wyll and prepareth not hymselfe shall be beaten wyth many stripes That is shall haue greater damnation And Mat. 7. All that heare the worde of God and do not therafter build on sande that is as the foundation laid on sand can not resist violence of water but is vndermyned and ouerthrowne euen so the fayth of them that haue no lust nor loue to the law of God builded vpon y t sand of their owne imaginatiōs and not on the rocke of Gods word accordyng to hys couenauntes turneth to desperation in tyme of tribulatiō and when God commeth to iudge And the vineyard Mat. 21. planted and hyred out to the husbandmen that would not render to the Lorde of the fruit in due tyme and therfore was takē from them and hyred out to other doth confirme the same For Christe sayth to the Iewes the kingdome of heauē shal be taken from you and geuen to a nation that wyll bring forthe y t frutes therof as it is come to passe For the Iewes haue lost the spirituall knowledge of God of his cōmaundementes and also of all the scripture so that they can vnderstand nothyng godly And the dore is so locked vppe that all their knockyng is in vayne though many of them take great payn for gods sake And Luke 13. The figge tree that beareth no fruite is cōmaunded to be plucked vp And finally hereto pertayneth with infinyte other the terrible parable of the vncleane spirite Luke 11. which after hee is cast out when hee commeth and findeth hys house swept and garnished taketh to hym 7. worse then hymselfe and commeth entreth in and dwelleth there and so is y t ende of the man worse then the beginnyng The Iewes they had cleansed themselues with gods word from all outward idolatry and worshipping of idols But their hartes remayned styll faythlesse to godward and toward his mercy and truth and therfore without loue also lust to his law to their neighbours for hys sake and through false trust in their owne woorkes to which heresy the chylde of perdition the wicked bishop of Rome with hys lawyers hath broughte vs christen were more abhominable idolaters thē before and become ten tymes worse in the end then at the beginning For the first idolatry was soone spyed and easie to be rebuked of the Prophets by the Scripture But the latter is more subtill to beguile withall and an hundreth tymes of more difficultie to bee weeded out of mens hartes This also is a conclusion nothyng more certayne or more proued by the testimony and ensamples of the scripture that if any that fauoureth the worde of God be so weake that he can not chaste hys flesh hym wyll the lord chastice and scourge euery day sharper and sharper with tribulation and misfortune that nothyng shall prosper with him but all shall go against him what soeuer he taketh in hand will visite him with pouertie with sickenesses and diseases and shall plague him with plague vpon plague eche more lothsome terrible and fearefull then other till he be at vtter desiaunce with his flesh Let vs therefore that haue now at this tyme our eyes opened agayne through the tender mercy of GOD kepe a meane Let vs so put our trust in the mercy of GOD through Christ that we know it our duetie to kepe the law of GOD and to loue our neighbours for their fathers sake whiche created them and for their Lords sake which redemed them and bought thē so dearely with his bloud Lette vs walke in y t feare of God and haue our eyes open vnto both partes of Gods couenaunts beyng certified that none shal be partaker of the mercy saue hee that will fight against the flesh to kepe the lawe And let vs arme our selues with this remembraunce y t as Christs workes iustifie from sinne and set vs in the fauour of GOD so our owne dedes through workyng of the spirite of God helpe vs to continue in the fauour and the grace into which Christ hath brought vs and that we can no longer continue in fauour and grace then our hartes are to kepe the law Furthermore concernyng the lawe of God this is a generall conclusion that the whole lawe whether they be ceremonies sacrifices yea or Sacramentes either or preceptes of equitie betwene man and man throughout al degrees of the world all were geuē for our profite and necessitie onely not for any nede that God hath of our keping thē or y t his ioy is encreased therby or that the dede for the dede it selfe doth please him That is all that God requireth of vs whē we be at one with him and doe put our trust in him and loue him is that we loue euery man his neighbour to pity hym to haue compassion on him in all his needes and to be mercyfull vnto him This to be euen so Christ testifieth in the. vij of Math This is the lawe and the Prophetes That is to do as thou wouldst be done to accordyng I meane to the doctrine of the Scripture and not to do that thou wouldest not haue done to thee is all that the law requireth the Prophets And Paul to the Rom. xiij affirmeth also y t loue is that fulfillyng of the law and that he which loueth doth of his owne accorde all that the law requireth And. i. Tim. i. Paul sayth that the loue of a pure hart and good conscience and faith vnfayned is the end and fulfillyng of the law For faith vnfained in Christes bloud causeth y e to loue for Christes sake which loue is the pure loue onely the onely cause of a good conscience For then is the conscience pure whē the eye looketh to Christ in all her deedes to doe them for his sake and not for her owne singular aduaūtage or any other wicked purpose And Iohn both in hys Gospel and also Epistles speaketh neuer of any other law then to loue one an other purely affirmyng that we haue God him selfe dwellyng in vs all that GOD desireth if we loue one the other Seyng then that
it is chewed the pleasanter it is and the more groundly it is searched the precioser thynges are found in it so great treasure of spirituall thinges lyeth hid therin I will therfore bestow my labour diligence thorow this little preface or prologue to prepare a way in therunto so farreforth as God shall geue me grace that it may be the better vnderstand of euery man for it hath ben hitherto euill darkened with gloses and wonderful dreames of sophisters that no man could spy out the intent and meanyng of it which neuerthelesse of it selfe is a bright lyght and sufficient to geue light vnto all the scripture First we must marke diligently the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and aboue all thing know what Paul meaneth by these wordes the Law sinne grace fayth righteousnes flesh sprite and such lyke or els read thou it neuer so ofte thou shalt but loose thy labor This word Lawe may not be vnderstand here after the common manner and to vse Pauls terme after the maner of men or after mans wayes that thou wouldest say the law here in this place were nothyng but learnyng which techeth what ought to be done and what ought not to be done as it goeth with mans law where the law is fulfilled with outward workes only though the harte be neuer so far of but God iudgeth after the grounde of the harte ye and the thoughtes and the secret mouinges of the mynde therfore hys law requireth the grounde of the hart and loue from the bottome therof and is not content with the outward worke onely but rebuketh those workes most of all which spryng not of loue from the ground and low bottome of the hart though they appeare outward neuer so honest and good as Christ in the gospell rebuketh the pharises aboue all other that were open sinners and calleth them hipocrites that is to say Simulars and paynted Sepulchers which Pharises yet liued no men so pure as pertayning to the outward dedes and workes of y t law ye and Paul in the third chapter of his epistle vnto the Philippiās confesseth of himselfe that as touching the lawe he was such a one as no man coulde complayne on and notwithstandyng was yet a murderer of the christen per secuted them and tormented them so sore that he compelled them to blaspheme Christ was altogether mercilesse as many which now fayne outward good workes are For this cause the 115. psalme calleth all men lyers because that no man kepeth the law from the ground of the harte neither can kepe it For all men are naturally inclyned vnto euill and hate the law we fynde in our selues vnlust and tediousnes to do good but lust and delectation to do euill Now where no free lust is to do good there the bottom of the hart fulfilleth not the law and there no doute is also sinne and wrathe deserued before GOD though there be neuer so great outwarde shew and apparance of honest liuing For this cause concludeth S. Paule in the second chapter that the Iewes all are sinners and transgressors of the law thoughe they make men beleue thorow hipocrisie of outward works how that they fulfill the law sayth that he onely whiche doth the law is righteous before God meanyng therby that no mā with outward workes fulfilleth the law Thou saith he to the Iewe teachest a mā should not breake wedlocke and yet breakest wedlocke thy selfe Wherin thou iudgest an other man therein condemnest thou thy selfe for thou thy selfe doest euen the very same thynges whiche thou iudgest As thoughe hee would say thou liuest outwardly well in the workes of the law and iudgest them that liue not so thou teachest other men and seest a mote in an other mās eie but art not ware of the beame that is in thyne owne eye For though thou keepe the lawe outwardly with works for feare of rebuke shame and punishment either for loue of reward vantage vayne glory yet doest thou all without lust and loue toward the law and haddest leuer a great deale otherwise do if thou diddest not feare the lawe ye inwardly in thine harte thou wouldest that there were no law no nor yet God the author and venger of the lawe if it were possible so paynefull it is vnto thee to haue thyne appetites refrayned and to bee kepte downe Wherfore then it is a playne conclusion that thou from the grounde and bottome of thyne hart art an enemy to the law What preuayleth it now that thou teachest an other man not to steale when thou thyne owne selfe art a thefe in thyne hart and outwardly wouldest fayne steale if thou durst though that the outward dedes abyde not alway behind with such hypocrites and dissimulers but breake forth among euen as an euill scabbe or a pocke can not alwayes be kept in with violence of medicine Thou teachest an other man but teachest not thy selfe ye thou w◅est not what thou teachest for thou vnderstadest not the law a right how that it can not be fulfilled and satisfied but with inward loue and affection much lesse can it be fulfilled with outward deedes and workes onely Moreouer the law encreaseth sinne as he sayth in the fift Chapter because that mā is an enemie to the law for as much as it requireth so many thinges cleane contrarie to his nature wherof he is not able to fulfill one pointe or title as the law requireth it And therfore are we more prouoked and haue greater lust to breake it For whiche causes sake he sayth in the seuenth Chapter that the lawe is spirituall as though he would say if the law wer fleshly and but mans doctrine it might be fulfilled satisfied and stilled with outward deedes But now is the law ghostly and no man fulfilleth it except that all that he doth spryng of loue from the bottome of the hart Such a new hart and lusty courage vnto the law ward canst thou neuer come by of thyne owne strength enforcement but by the operation and workyng of the spirite For the spirite of God onely maketh a man spirituall like vnto the law so that now hence forth hee doth nothyng of feare or for lucre or vantages sake or of vaine glory but of a free hart and of inward lust The law is spirituall and wil be both loued and fulfilled of a spirituall hart and therefore of necessitie requireth it the spirit that maketh a mans hart free and geueth him lust and courage vnto the law ward Where such a spirite is not there remaineth sinne grudging and hatred against the law which law neuerthelesse is good righteous and holy Acquaint thy selfe therfore with the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and let this now sticke fast in thyne hart that it is not both one to do the dedes and workes of the law and to fulfill the law The worke of y t law is what soeuer a man doth or
conclusion not to bee doubted of that there must be first in the hart of a man before he do any good worke a greater and a preciouser thyng then all the good workes in the world to reconcile him to God to bryng the loue and fauour of God to him to make him loue God agayne to make him righteous and good in the sight of God to do a way his sinne to deliuer him and lose him out of that captiuitie where in he was conceaued and borne in whiche he could neither loue God neither the will of God Or els how can he worke any good woorke that should please God if there were not some supernaturall goodnes in him giuen of GOD freely where of the good worke must spryng euen as a sicke man must first be healed or made whole yer he can do the dedes of an whole man and as the blind man must first haue sight geuen him yer he can see and he that hath his feete in fetters giues or stockes must first be loosed or he can go walke or runne and euen as they whiche thou readest of in the Gospel that they were possessed of the deuils could not laude God till the deuils were cast out That precious thing which must be in the hart yer a man can worke any good worke is y ◠word of God which in the Gospell preacheth profereth bryngeth vnto all that repent and beleue the fauour of God in Christ Who soeuer heareth the word and beleueth it the same is thereby righteous and thereby is geuen hym the spirite of God which leadeth him vnto all that is the will of God and is loosed from the captiuitie and bondage of the deuill and his hart is free to loue God and hath lust to do the will of GOD. Therfore it is called the word of lyfe the word of grace the word of health the word of redemption the word of forgiuenes and the word of peace he that heareth it not or beleueth it not cā by no meanes be made righteous before God This confirmeth Peter in the xv of the Actes seyng that GOD through fayth doth purifie the hartes For of what nature so euer the word of God is of the same nature must the hartes be whiche beleue thereon and cleaue thereunto Now is the word liuyng pure righteous and true euen so maketh it the hartes of them that beleue theron IF it be sayd that Paul when he saith in the iij. to the Romaines no fleshe shal be or can be iustified by the deedes of the law meaneth it of the ceremonies or sacrifices it is an vntrue saying For it foloweth immediatly by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Now are they not the ceremonies that vtter sinne but the law of cōmaundementes In the iiij he sayth the law causeth wrath whiche can not bee vnderstand of the ceremonies for they were geuen to reconcile the people to God agayne after they had sinned If as they say the ceremonies which were geuen to purge sinne and to reconcile iustifie not neither blesse but temporally onely much more the law of commaundementes iustifieth not For that whiche proueth a man sick health him not neither doth the cause of wrath bring to fauour neither can that whiche damneth saue a man When the mother commaundeth her childe but euen to rocke the cradle it grudgeth the commaundement doth but vtter the poyson that lay hid and setteth him at bate with hys mother and maketh hym beleue shee loueth him not These commaundements also thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not lust desire or wishe after thy neighbours wife seruaunt mayde oxe or asse or what soeuer pertaineth vnto thy neyghbour geue me not power so to doe but vtter the poyson that is in me and damne me because I can not so do and proue that God is wrath with me seing that his wil and mine are so contrary Therefore sayth Paul Gal. iij. If there had ben geuen such a law that could haue geuen lyfe then no doubt righteousnes had come by the law but the Scripture concluded all vnder sinne sayth he that the promise might bee geuen vnto them that beleue through the fayth that is in Iesus Christ The promises when they are beleued are they that iustifie for they bring the spirite whiche looseth the hart giueth lust to the law and certifieth vs of y t good will of God vnto vs ward If we submit our selues vnto God desire him to heale vs he wil do it and will in the meane tyme because of the consent of y ◠hart vnto y ◠law count vs for full whole wil no more hate vs but pitie vs cherish vs be tender harted to vs loue vs as he doth Christ him selfe Christ is our redemer Sauiour peace attonement and satisfactiō and hath made amendes or satisfaction to Godward for all the sinne whiche they that repēt consentyng to the law and beleuyng the promises do haue done or shal do So that if through fragilitie we fall a thousand tymes in a day yet if we do repent agayne we haue alway mercy layd vp for vs in store in Iesus Christ our Lord. WHat shall we say then to those Scriptures whiche go so sore vpō good workes As we read Math. xxv I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. And such like Whiche all sound as though we should be iustified and accepted vnto the fauour of God in Christ through good workes To this I aunswere Many there are which whē they heare or read of fayth at once they cōsent therunto and haue a certaine imagination or opinion of fayth as when a man telleth a story or a thyng done in a straunge lande that pertayneth not to thē at all Which yet they heleue and tell as a true thyng And this imagination or opinion they call faith They thinke no further then that fayth is a thyng which standeth in their own power to haue as do other naturall workes whiche men worke but they feele no maner workyng of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the fearefull iudgements of God the horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder Sathan Therefore as soone as they haue this opinion or imaginatiō in there hartes that sayth verely this doctrine semeth true I beleue it is euē so Then they thinke that the right fayth is there But afterward when they feele in them selues and also see in other that there is none alteration and that the workes folow not but that they are altogether euē as before and abide in their old estate then thinke they y t faith is not sufficient but that it must be some greater thing then fayth that should iustifie a man So faule they away from fayth agayne and crye saying fayth onely iustifieth not a man and maketh him acceptable to GOD. If thou aske them wherfore They aūswere see how many there are that beleue and yet do no more
Christ which fulfilled the lawe for vs may euery parson that repenteth beleueth loue-eth the law and mourneth for streÌ„gth to fulfill it reioyce be he neuer so weake a sinner The two pence therefore and the credence that he left behynde him to bestowe more if neede were signifieth that he was euery where mercifull both present and absent without fayning cloking complayning or excusing and forsoke not his neighbour as long as he had nede Which example I pray God men may followe and let opera supererogationis alone MAry hath choseÌ„ a good part which shall not be taken from her Luk. x. She was first chosen of God and called by grace both to know her sin and also to heare the worde of fayth health and glad tidinges of mercy in Christ and fayth was geuen her to beleue the spirite of God loosed her hart from the bondage of sinne Then consented she to the will of God againe and aboue all thinges had delectation to heare the worde wherein she had obtayned euerlasting health and namely of his owne mouth which had purchased so great mercy for her God chuseth vs first and loueth vs first and openeth our eyes to see his exceeding aboundaunt loue to vs in Christ and then loue we agayne and accept his will aboue all thinges and serue him in that office whereunto he hath chosen vs. Sell that ye haue and geue almes And make you bagges which waxe not olde and treasure which faileth not in heauen Luke xij This such like are not spoken that we shoulde worke as hyrelinges in respect of rewarde and as though we shoulde obtayne heauen with merite For he saith a little afore feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome The kingdome commeth then of the good will of almighty God thorough Christ And such thinges are spoken partly to put vs in remembraunce of our dutie to be kynde agayne As is that saying let your light so shine before men that they seyng your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heaueÌ„ As who shoulde say if God hath geuen you so great giftes see ye be not vnthankefull but bestow them vnto his praise Some things are spoken to moue vs to put our trust in God as are these Beholde the Lyllies of the fielde Beholde the byrdes of the ayre If your children aske you bread will ye proffer them a stone and many such lyke Some are spoken to put vs in remeÌ„braunce to be sober to watch pray and to prepare our selues agaynst teÌ„ptations and that we should vnderstand and know how that temptations and occasion of euill come then most when they are least looked for least we should be carelesse and sure of our selues negligent and vnprepared Some thinges are spoken that we should feare the wonderfull and incoÌ„prehensible iudgementes of God lest we should presume Some to comfort vs that we dispayre not And for lyke causes are all the ensamples of the old TestameÌ„t In conclusion the scripture speaketh many thynges as the world speaketh But they may not be worldly vnderstand but ghostly and spiritually yea the spirite of God onely vnderstandeth them and where he is not there is not the vnderstandyng of the Scripture But vnfrutefull disputyng and braulyng about wordes The scripture sayth God seeth God heareth God smelleth God walketh God is with them God is not with them God is angry God is pleased God sendeth his spirite God taketh his spirite away and a thousande such like And yet is none of them true after the worldlye manner and as the wordes sound Read the second chapter of Paule to the Corinthians The naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God but the spirite of God onely and we sayth he haue receaued the spirite whiche is of God to vnderstand the thynges which are geuen vs of God For without the spirite it is impossible to vnderstand them Read also the viij to the Romaines They that are led with the spirite of God are the sonnes of GOD. Now the sonne knoweth his fathers will and the seruauÌ„t that hath not the spirite of Christ sayth Paule is none of his Likewise he that hath not the spirite of GOD is none of gods for it is both one spirite as thou mayst see in the same place Now he that is of God heareth the word of God Iohn viij and who is of God but he that hath the spirite of God Furthermore sayth he ye heare it not because ye are not of God that is ye haue no lust in the word of God for ye vnderstand it not that because his spirite is not in you For as much then as the Scripture is no thyng els but that which the spirite of GOD hath spoken by the Prophetes and Apostles can not be vnderstand but of the same spirite Let euery man pray to God to send him his spirite to loose him from his naturall blindnes and ignoraunce and to geue him vnderstandyng and feelyng of the thynges of God of the speakyng of the spirite of GOD. And marke this processe First we are damned of nature so coÌ„ceaued and borne as a Serpent is a SerpeÌ„t and a tode a tode a snake a snake by nature And as thou â—eest a youÌ„g child which hath pleasure in many thynges wherein is present death as in fire water and so foorth would slea hym selfe with a thousand deathes if he were not wayted vpon and kept therfro Euen so we if we should liue these thousaÌ„d yeares could in al that tyme delite in no other thing nor yet seeke any other thyng but that wherein is death of the soule Secondarily of the whole multitude of the nature of man whom God hath elect and chosen and to whom he hath appointed mercy and grace in Christ to them sendeth he his spirite whiche openeth their eyes sheweth them their miserie and bryngeth them vnto the knowledge of them selues so that they hate and abhorre them selues are astonyed and amased and at their wittes endes neither wot what to do or wher to seeke health Then lest they should flee from God by desperation he comforteth theÌ„ agayne with his swete promises in Christ certifieth their harts that for Christes sake they are receaued to mercy and their sinnes forgeueÌ„ and they elect and made the sonnes of GOD and heyres with Christ of eternall lyfe thus through fayth are they set at peace with God Now may not we axe why GOD chuseth one and not an other eyther think that God is vniust to damne vs afore we do any actual dede seyng that god hath power ouer all hys creatures of right to do with theÌ„ what he lyst or to make of euery one of them as he listeth Our darknes can not perceaue his light God wil be feared and not haue his secret iudgementes knowen Moreouer we by the light of fayth see a thousand thynges which are impossible to
instance THat thou mayst perceyue how that y â— scripture ought to be in the mother tounge and that the reasons which our sprites make for the contrary are but sophistry and false wiles to feare thee from the light that thou mightest follow them blindfolde and be theyr captiue to honor theyr ceremonies and to offer to theyr belly First God gaue the children of Israell a law by the hande of Moses in their mother tounge and all the prophetes wrote in theyr mother tounge and all the Psalmes were in the mother tongue And there was Christ but figured and described in ceremonies in riddles in parables and in darck prophecies What is the cause that we may not haue the olde Testament with the new also which is the light of the olde and wherin is openly declared before the eyes that there was darckly prophesied I can imagine no cause verely except it be that we should not see the woorke of Antechrist iugglyng of hipocrites what shoulde be the cause that we which walke in the broad day should not see as well as they that walked in the night or that wee shoulde not see as well at noone as they did in y â— twylight Came Christ to make the world more blinde By this meanes Christ is the darknes of the world and noâ— the light as he saith him selfe Iohn 8. Moreouer Moses saith Deut. 6. Heare Israell let these wordes which I coÌ„maunde thee thys day sticke fast in thine hart whet theÌ„ on thy children talke of theÌ„ as thou sittest in thine house as thou walkest by the way when thou lyest downe when thou risest vp binde them for a token to thyne hand let them be a remembraunce betwene thine eyes write theÌ„ on the posâ—es gates of thine house This was commauÌ„ded generally vnto all men How cometh it that gods word pertaineth lesse vnto vs theÌ„ vnto the Yea howe commeth it that our Moysesses forbid vs and commaund vs the contrary threaten vs if we do will not that we once speake of Gods worde How can we whette Gods word that is to put it in practise vse exercise vpoÌ„ our children houshold wheÌ„ we are violently kepte from it and knowe it not How can we as Peter commaundeth geue a reason of our hope when we wot not what it is that God hath promised or what to hope Moyses also commaundeth in the sayd chapter If the sonne aske what the testimonies lawes and obseruaunces of the Lorde meane that the father teach him If our childreÌ„ aske what our cerimonies which are moe then the Iewes were meane no father can tell his sonne And in the xj chapter he repeteth all againe for feare of forgetting They will say happely the scripture requireth a pure minde and a quiet minde And therefore the lay man because he is altogether combred with worldly busines can not vnderstand them If that be the cause then it is a plaine case that our prelates vnderstand not the Scriptures them selues for no lay man is so tangled with worldly busines as they are The great thinges of the worlde are ministred by them neyther do the lay people any great thing but at their assignement If the Scripture were in the mother tongue they will say then would the lay people vnderstande it euery man after his owne wayes Wherfore serueth the Curate but to teach him the right way Wherfore were the holy dayes made but that the people shoulde come and learne Are yee not abhominable scholemaisters in that ye take so great wages if ye will not teach If ye would teach how could ye do it so well and with so great profite as when the lay people haue the scripture before them in theyr mother tongue for then should they see by the order of the text whether thou iugledest or not and then woulde they beleue it because it is y â— scripture of god thoughe thy liuyng be neuer so abhominable Where now because your liuing your preaching are so contrary and because they grope out in euery sermon your open and manifest lyes and smell your vnsatiable couetousnes they beleue you not when you preach truth But alas the Curates them selues for the most part wot no more what the new or olde Testament meaneth then do the Turkes neither know they of any more then that they read at masse mattens and euensong which yet they vnderstande not neyther care they but euen to mumble vp so much euery day as the Pye and Poymgay speake they wot not what to sill vp theyr bellies withall If they will not let the lay man haue the woorde of God in hys mother tounge yet let the priests haue it which for a great part of them do vnderstand no latine at all but sing and say and patter all day with the lips onely that which the hart vnderstandeth not Christ commaundeth to search the scriptures Iohn 5. Though that miracles bare recorde vnto hys doctrine yet desired he no fayth to be geuen eyther vnto hys doctrine or vnto hys miracles without recorde of the scripture When Paule preached Act. 17. the other searched the scriptures dayly whether they were as he alleaged them Why shal not I likewise see whether it be the scripture y â— thou alleagest yea why shall I not see the scripture and the circumstaunces and what goeth before and after that I may knowe whether thine interpretation be y â— right sence or whether thou iuglest and drawest the scripture violently vnto thy carnall and fleshlye purpose or whether thou be about to teache me or to disccaue me Christ sayth that there shall come false prophets in his name and say that they themselues are Christ that is they shall so preache christ that meÌ„ must beleue in theÌ„ in their holines and thinges of their imagination wtout gods word yea that agaynst Christ or Antechrist that shall come is nothyng but suche false prophetes that shall iuggle with the scripture and beguile the people with false interpretatioÌ„s as all the false prophetes scribes pharisies did in y t old TestameÌ„t How shall I know whether ye are agaynst Christ or fals prophetes or no seing ye will not let me see how ye alleage the scriptures Christ sayth By theyr deedes ye shall know them Now when we looke on your deeds we see that ye are all sworne together and haue seperated yourselues from the lay people and haue a seuerall kingdome amoÌ„g your selues and seuerall lawes of your owne making wherewith ye violently binde the lay people that neuer consented vnto the making of them A thousand thinges forbidde ye which Christ made free and dispence with them agayne for money neyther is there any exception at all but lacke of money Ye haue a secret counsell by your selues All other mens secretes counsels know ye and no man yours ye seek but honour riches promotion authoritie and to
the sygh of the hart is his sinne put away in Christes bloud For Christes bloud purgeth euer and blesseth euer For Iohn sayth in the second of his first epistle This I write vnto you that ye sinne not And though any man sinne meaning of frailtie and so repent yet haue we an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ which is righteous and he it is that obteineth grace for our sinnes and Heb. vij it is written But this man meaning Christ because he lasteth or abideth euer hath an euerlasting priesthod Therefore is he able also euer to saue thē that come to God through hym seing he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. The Byshops therefore ought to blesse vs in preaching Christ and not to deceaue vs and to bring the curse of God vpon vs wyth wagging their handes ouer vs. To preache is their dutie onely and not to offer their feete to bee kissed or testicles or stones to be groped We feele also by experience that after the Popes Byshoppes or Cardinals blessing we are no otherwise disposed in our soules then before Let this be sufficient as concerning the sacramentes and ceremonies with this protestation that if any cā say better or improue this with Gods word no man shall be better content therewith then I. For I seeke nothing but the truth and to walke in the light I submit therefore this worke and all other that I haue made or shall make if God will that I shall more make vnto the iudgements not of them that furiously burne all truth but of them which are ready with Gods worde to correct if any thing be sayde amisse to further Gods worde I will talke a worde or two after the worldly wisdome with them and make an ende of this matter If the sacramentes iustifie as they say I vnderstand by iustifiyng forgeuenes of sinnes Then do they wrong vnto the sacraments in as much as they robbe the most part of them through confession of their effect of the cause wherfore they were ordeined For no man may receaue the body of Christ no mā may marry no man may be oyled or aneiled as they call it no man may receaue orders except he be fyrst shriuen Now when the sinnes be forgeuen by shrift afore hand there is nought left for the sacramentes to doe They will aunswere that at the least way they encrease grace and not the sacramētes onely but also hearing of masse matens and euensong and receauing of holy water holy bread and of the Bishops blessing and so forth by all ceremonies By grace I vnderstand the fauour of God and also the giftes and working of his spirite in vs as loue kyndnes patience obedience mercifulnes despising of worldly thynges peace concorde and such like If after thou hast heard so many masses matens and euensonges and after thou hast receaued holy bread holy water and the Byshops blessing or a Cardinals or the Popes if thou wilt be more kinde to thy neighbour and loue him better then before if thou be more obediēt vnto thy superiors more mercifull more ready to forgeue wrong done vnto thee more despisest the world and more a thyrst after spirituall thynges if after that a Priest hath taken orders he be lesse couetous then before if a wife after so many and oft pilgrimages be more chast more obedient vnto her husband more kynde to her maydes and other seruauntes if Gentlemen knightes Lordes and kinges and Emperours after they haue sayd so often dayly seruice wyth their Chappellaynes know more of Christ then before and can better skill to rule their tenauntes subiectes and realmes christenly then before and be content with their duties then do such thinges encrease grace if not it is a lie Whether it be so or no I report me to experience If they haue any other enterpretations of iustifiyng or grace I pray them to teach it me For I would gladly learne it Now let vs goe to our purpose agayne ¶ Of miracles and worshipping of Saintes ANtichrist shal not only come with lying signes and disguised wyth falshod but also wyth lying miracles and wonders saith Paule in the said place ij Thess ij All the true miracles which are of God are shewed as I aboue rehearsed to moue vs to heare Gods word and to stablishe our fayth therin and to confirme the truth of Gods promises that we might without all doubting beleue thē For Gods worde thorough fayth bringeth the spirite into our hartes and also life as Christ sayth Iohn vi The wordes which I speake are spirite and lyfe The worde also purgeth vs and clenseth vs as Christ sayth Iohn xv ye are cleane by the meanes of the word Paul sayth i. Timo. ij One God one Mediatour that is to say aduocate intercessor or an atonemaker betwene God man the man Christ Iesus which gaue him selfe a raunson for all men Peter sayth of Christ Actes iiij Neither is their health in any other neither yet also any other name geuen vnto men wherin we must be saued So now Christ is our peace our redemption or raunsom for our sinnes our righteousnes satisfactiō and all the promises of God are yea Amen in him ij Cor. i. And we for y t great and infinite loue whiche God hath to vs in Christ loue him agayn loue also his lawes loue one an other And the deedes whiche we hence forth doe do we not to make satisfaction or to obteine heauen but to succour our neighbour to tame y t flesh that we may waxe perfect and strong men in Christ and to be thankefull to God againe for his mercy and to glorifie his name COntrarywise the miracles of Antichrist are done to pull thee from the worde of God and from beleuyng his promises and from Christ and to put thy trust in a man or a ceremonie wherin Gods word is not As soone as Gods woorde is beleued the fayth spread abroad then sease the miracles of god But the miracles of Antichrist because they are wrought by the deuil to quench the fayth grow dayly more and more neither shall cease vntill the worldes end among them that beloue not Gods worde and promises Seest thou not how God loosed sent forth all the deuils in the old world among the Heathen or Gētiles And how the deuils wrought miracles spake to them in euery image Euen so shal the deuill woorke falshode by one craft or an other vntill the worldes end amōg them that beleue not Gods word For the iudgement and damnation of hym that hath no lust to heare the truth is to heare lyes and to be stablished and grounded therein through false miracles and he that will not see is worthy to be blind and he that biddeth the spirite of God go from him is worthy to be without him Paul Peter and all true Apostles preached Christ onely And the miracles did but confirme and stablish their preachyng and those
lawes as to geue a man licence to put awaye hys wife to whom God hath bound him and to bynde them to chastitie which God commauÌ„deth to mary that is to wite theÌ„ that burne and can not liue chaste It is also a false power to bynde that whiche Gods worde maketh free makyng sinne in the creatures whiche God hath made for mans vse The Pope which so fast lowses and purgeth in Purgatory can not with all the lousinges and purgations that he hath either louse or purge our appe tites and lust and rebellion that is in vs agaynst the law of God And yet the purging of them is the right Purgatory If he can not purge them that are alyue where with purgeth he theÌ„ that are dead The Apostles knew no no other wayes to purge but through preachyng Gods word which worde onely is that that purgeth the hart as thou mayst see Iohn xv Ye are pure sayth Christ through the word Now the pope preacheth not to them whom they fayne to lye in Purgatory no more then he doth to vs that are a liue How theÌ„ purgeth he them The pope is kynne to Robin good fellow which swepeth the house washeth the dishes and purgeth all by night But when day commeth there is nothyng found cleane Some man will say the Pope byndeth them not they binde them selues I aunswere hee that byndeth him selfe to the pope and had leuer haue his life and soule ruled by the Popes will theÌ„ by the will of God and by the Popes word then by the worde of God is a foole And he that had leuer be bonde then free is not wise And he that will not abyde in the freedome wherein Christ hath set vs is also mad And he that maketh deadly sinne where none is and seeketh causes of hatred betwene him and God is not in his right wittes Furthermore no man caÌ„ bynde him selfe further then hee hath power ouer him selfe He that is vnder the power of an other man can not bynde him selfe without licence as sonne daughter wife seruaunt and subiect Neither canst thou geue God that which is not in thy power Chastitie canâ— thou not geue further then God lendeth it thee if thou can not lyue chast thou art bounde to mary or to be damned Last of all for what purpose thou byndest thy selfe must be sene If thou doe it to obtayne thereby that whiche Christ hath purchased for thee freely so art thou an infidell and hast no part with Christ and so forth If thou wilt see more of this matter loke in Deut. and there shalt thou finde it more largely entreated Take an other ensample of there false expounding the Scripture Christ saith Math. xxiij The Scribes and the Phariseis sit on Moyses seate what soeuer they byd you obserue that obserue and do but after their workes do not Lo say our sophisters or hypocrites lyne we neuer so abhominably yet is our authority neuer the lesse Do as we teach therfore say they and not as we do And yet Christ sayth they sit on Moyses seate that is as long as they teache Moyses doe as they teach For the law of Moyses is the lawe of God But for their owne traditions false doctrine Christ rebuked theÌ„ and disobeyed them and taught other to beware of their leuen So if our Phariscis sit on Christes seate and preache him we ought to heare them but wheÌ„ they sitte on their owne seate then ought we to beware as well of their pestilent docrine as of their abhominable lining Likewise where they finde mention maâ—e of asword they turne it vnto the Popes power The disciples sayd vnto Christ Luke xxij Loe here be two swordes And Christ aunswered two is inough Loe say they the Pope hath ij swordes the spirituall sword the teÌ„porall sword And therfore is it lawfull for hym to fight and make warre Christ a litle before he went to hys passion asked hys Disciples saying when I sent you out without all proiusion lacked ye any thyng And they sayd nay And he aunswered but now let hym that hath a walet take it with him he that hath a scrippe likewise and let hym that hath neuer a sword sell his coâ—e and by one As who shuld say it shall go otherwise now then theÌ„ Then ye went foorth in fayth of my word and my fathers promises and it fed you and made prouision for you was your sword and shilde and defender but now it shall go as thou readest Zacharias xiij I will smyte the shephearde and the sheepe of the flocke shal be scattered Now shall my father leaue me in the handes of theswicked and ye also shal be forsaken and destitute of faith and shall trust in your selues and in your own prouisioÌ„ and in your owne defence Christ gaue no coÌ„maundement but prophesied what should happen And they because they vnderstode hym not aunswered here are two swordes And Christ to make an ende of such babblyng aunswered two is inough For if he had commauÌ„ded euery man to by a sword how had two bene inough Also if two were inough pertained to the Pope onely why are they all commaunded to buy euery man a sword By the sword therefore Christ prophesied that they should be left vnto their own defence And two swordes were inough yea neuer a one had bene inough For if euery one of them had had ten swordes they would haue fied ere mydnight In the same chapter of Luke not xij lines from the foresayd text The Disciples euen at the last Supper asked who should be the greatest And Christ rebuked them and sayd it was an heathenish thyng and there should be no such thing among them but that the greatest should be as the smailest and that to be great was to do seruice as Christ did But this text because it is brighter then the sinne that they caÌ„ make no sophistrie of it therfore will they not heare it nor let other know it FOr as much now as thou partly seest the salshed of our prelates how all their study is to disceaue vs and to keepe vs in darknes to sit as Gods in our coÌ„scieÌ„ces haÌ„dle vs at their pleasure and to leade vs whether they lust therfore I read thee get thee to Gods word and therby trye all doctrine and agaynst that receaue nothyng Neither any exposition contrary vnto the open textes neither contrary to the generall articles of the fayth neither contrary to the liuyng practisyng of Christ and of his Apostles And when they cry fathers fathers remeÌ„ber that it were the fathers that blynded robbed the whole world and brought vs into this captiuitie wherein these enforce to keepe vs still Furthermore as they of the old tyme are fathers to vs so shall these foule monsters bee fathers to them that come after vs and the hypocrites that folow vs will cry of these and of their doynges fathers fathers as these cry
fathers fathers of theÌ„ that are past And as we feele our fathers so dyd they that are past feele their fathers neither were there in the world any other fathers then such as we both see and feele this many hundred yeares as their Decrees beare recorde and the stories and Chronicles well testifie If Gods word appeared any where they agreed all agaynst it When they had brought that a sleepe then stroue they one with an other about their owne traditions and one Pope condemned an others Decrees and were sometyme ij yea thre Popes at once And one Bishop went to law with an other and one cursed an other for their owne fantasies such things as they had falsly gotteÌ„ And the greatest Samts are they that most defeÌ„ded the liberties of the church as they call it which they falsly gote with blynding kings neither had the world any rest this many hundred yeares for reformyng of Friers and Monkes and ceasyng of schismes that were among our Clergy And as for the holy Doctours as Augustine Hierome Cyprian Chrisostomus and Bede will they not heare If they wrote any thyng negligently as they were men that drawe they cleane contrary to their meanyng and therof triumphe they Those Doctours knew of none authoritie that one Byshop should haue aboue another neither thought or once dreamed that euer any such should be or of any such whisperyng or of Pardons or scouryng of Purgatory as they haue fayned And when they cry miracles miracles remember that God hath made an euerlasting Testament with vs in Christes bloud against which we may receaue no miracles no neither y â— preachyng of Paule him selfe if he came agayn by his own teaching to the Galathians neither yet the preachyng of the aungels of heauen Wherefore either they are no miracles but they haue fayned theÌ„ as is the miracle that S. Peter halowed Westminster or els if there be miracles that confirme doctrine contrary to Gods word theÌ„ are they done of the deuill as the mayd of Ipswich of Kent to proue vs whether we will cleane last to Gods word and to deceaue them that haue no loue to the truth of Gods word nor lust to walke in his lawes And for as much as they to deceaue with all arme them selues against theÌ„ with argumentes and periÌ„nasions of fleshly wisedome with worldly similitudes with shadowes with false Allegories with false expositions of the Scripture contrary vnto the liuyng practising of Christ and the Apostles with lyes and false miracles with false names domne ceremonies with disguising of hypocrisie with the authorities of the fathers and last of all with the violence of the temporall sworde therfore do thou contrariwise arme thy selfe to defende thee with all as Paule teacheth in the last chapter to y â— Ephesians Gyrde on thee the sworde of the spirite which is Gods word and take to thee the shilde of fayth which is not to beleue a â—ate of Robynhode or Gestus Romanorum or of the Chronicles but to beleue Gods woorde that â—asteth euer And when the Pope with his falshead chalengeth temporall authoritie aboue King and Emperour set before thee y â— xxv chapter of S. Math. Where Christ commanudeth Peter to put vp his sword And set before thee Paul ij Cor. x. Where he sayth the weapons of of our warre are not carnall thynges but myghty in God to bryng all vnderstandyng in captiuitie vnder the obedience of Christ that is the weapoÌ„s are Gods word and doctrine and not swordes of yron and stele set before thee the doctrine of Christ and of hys Apostles and their practise And when the Pope chalengeth anthoritie ouer his fellow Byshops and ouer all the congregation of Christ by successioÌ„ of Peter set before thee y â— first of the Actes where Peter for all hys authoritie put no man in the rowme of Iudas but all the Apostles chose two indifferently and cast lottes desiring God to temper them that the lot might fall on y e most ablest And Actes viij the Apostles sent Peter and in the xi call him to rekening and to geue accomptes of that he hath done And when the Popes law coÌ„maundeth saying though that the Pope liue neuer so wickedly and draw with hym through his euill ensample innumerable thousaÌ„des vnto hell yet see that no man presume to rebuke him for he is head ouer all and no man ouer him set before thee Gallates ij Where Paule rebuketh Peter openly And see how both to the CorinthiaÌ„s and also to the Galathians he will haue no superiour but Gods word hee that could teach better by Gods worde And because when he rehearsed his preachyng and hys doynges vnto the hygh Apostles they could improue nothyng therfore will he be equall with the best And when the Friers say they do more theÌ„ their dutie wheÌ„ they preach and more theÌ„ they are bound to to say our seruice are we bouÌ„d say they and that is our dutie to preach is more then we are bound to Set thou before thee how that Christes bloud shedyng hath bounde vs to loue one an other withall our might and to do the vttermost of our power one to an other And Paul sayth i. Cor. ix Wo be vnto me if I preach not yea wo is vnto him y â— hath wherewith to helpe his neighbour and to make him better and do it not If they thinke it more then their dutie to preache Christ vnto you then they thinke it more then their dutie to pray that ye should come to the knowledge of Christ And therefore it is no maruell though they take so great labour yea and so great wages also to kepe you still in darkenes And when they crye furiously hold the heretikes vnto the wall and if they will not reuoke burne them without any more a do reason not with theÌ„ it is an Article condeÌ„ned by the fathers Set thou before thee the saying of Peter i. Pet. iij. To all that aske you be ready to geue an aunswere of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes The fathers of the Iewes and the Bishops whiche had as great authoritie ouer them as ours haue ouer vs condemned Christ his doctrine If it be inough to say the fathers haue condeÌ„ned it theÌ„ are y â— Iewes to beholdeÌ„ excused yea they are yet in the right way and we in the false But if the Iewes be bound to loke in the Scripture and to see whether their fathers haue done right or wrong then are we likewise bound to looke in the Scripture whether our fathers haue done right or wrong and ought to beleue nothyng without a reason of the Scripture and authoritie of Gods word And of this maner defend thy selfe agaynst all maner wickednes of our spirites armed alway with Gods woorde with a strong and a stedfast fayth thereunto Without Gods word do nothing And to his word adde nothyng neither pull any
to minister to him Christes Gospel Wherfore if they say it is here or there in Saint Fraunces coate or Dominickes and such like that if thou wilt put on that coat thou shalt finde it there it is falfe For if it were there thou shouldest see it shyne abroad though thou creptst not into a sell or a monkes coule as thou seest y â— lightning without crepyng into the cloudes yea their light would so shine that men should not onely see y â— lyght of the Gospell but also their good workes which would as fast come out as they now runne in In so much that y â— shouldest see theÌ„ make theÌ„sel es pore to helpe other as they now make other poore to make theÌ„selues rich This lyght and salt pertayned not then to the Apostles and now to our Bishops and spiritualtie onely No it pertayneth to the temporall men also For all kynges and all rulers are bound to be salt and light not onely in example of liuing but also in teaching of doctrine vnto their subiects as wel as they be bounde to punishe euill doers Doth not the scripture testifie that kyng Dauid was chosen to be a shepeheard and to feede his people wyth Gods worde It is an euill scholemaster that cannot but beate onely But it is a good scholemaster that so teacheth that few neede to be beateÌ„ This salt and light therefore partayne to the temporaltie also and that to euery meÌ„ber of Christes Church so that euery man ought to be salt light to other Euery man then may be a common preacher thou wilt say and preach euery where by his owne auctoritie Nay verely No man may yet be a commoÌ„ preacher saue he that is called and chosen thereto by the commoÌ„ ordinaunce of the congregation as long as the preacher teacheth the true worde of God But euery priuate man ought to be in vertuous lyuing both light and salt to hys neighbour in so much that the poorest ought to striue to ouerrun the Byshop and to preach to hym in ensample of liuing Moreouer euery man ought to preach in worde deede vnto his houshould and to them that are vnder his gouernaunce c. And though no maÌ„ may preach openly saue he that hath the office committed vnto hym yet ought euery maÌ„ to endeuour himselfe to be as well learned as the preacher as nie as it is possible And euery man may priuatly enforme hys neighbour yea and the preacher and Byshop to if nede be For if the preacher preach wrong then may any man whatsoeuer he be rebuke him first priuately and then if that helpe not to complayne further And when all is proued according to the order of charitie and yet none amendment had theÌ„ ought euery man that caÌ„ to resist him and to stand by Christes doctrine to ieoparde lyfe all for it Looke on the olde ensamples they shal teach thee The Gospel hath an other fredome with her then the temporall regiment Though euery mans body and goods be vnder y â— kyng do he right or wroÌ„g yet is the auctoritie of Gods woorde free and aboue the kyng so that the worst in the realme may tell y e kyng if he do hym wrong that he doth nought and otherwise theÌ„ God hath coÌ„maunded hym and so warne hym to auoide the wrath of God which is the pacient aduenger of all vnrighteousnes May I then and ought also to resist father and mother and all temporall power wyth Gods worde when they wroÌ„gfully do or commaunde that hurteth or killeth the body and haue I no power to resiste the Byshop or preacher that wyth false doctrine slayeth the soules for which my maister and Lord Christ hath shed his bloud Be we otherwise vnder our Byshops then Christ and hys Apostles and all the other Prophetes were vnder the Byshops of the olde law Nay verely and therefore may we and also ought to do as they dyd and to aunswere as the Apostles dyd Act. v. Oportet magis obedire deo quà m hominibus We must rather obey God then men In the Gospell euery man is Christes Disciple and a person for himself to defend Christes doctrine in his owne person The fayth of the Byshop will not helpe me nor the byshoppes keeping the lawe is sufficient for me But I must beleue in Christ for the remission of all sinne for myne owne selfe and in myne owne person No more is the Bishops or preachers defending Gods woorde inough for me But I must defende it in mine owne person and ieopard lyfe and all thereon when I see neede occasion I am bouÌ„d to get worldly substauÌ„ce for my selfe for myne houshold with my iust labour and somewhat more for theÌ„ that cannot to saue my neighbours body And am I not more bouÌ„d to labour for Gods word to haue therof in store to saue my neighbours soule And when is it so much tyme to resiste with Gods word and to helpe as wheÌ„ they which are beleued to minister the true word do slea the soules with false doctrine for couetousnes sake He that is not ready to giue hys lyue for the maintenaunce of Christes doctrine agaynst hypocrites with what soeuer name or title they be disguised y â— same is not worthy of Christe nor can bee Christes Disciple by the very wordes and testimony of Christ Neuerthelesse we must vse wisedome pacieÌ„ce mekenes and a discrete processe after the due order of charitie in our defendyng the word of God least while we go about to amende our Prelates we make theÌ„ worse But when we haue proued all that charitie bindeth vs yet in vaine then we must come forth opeÌ„ly and rebuke their wickednes in the face oâ— the world and ieoparde life all theron Ye shall not thinke that I am come to destroy the law or the propheres no I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them For truly I say vnto you till heaueÌ„ and earth perish there shal not one iote or one title of the law scape till all be fulfilled A litle before Christ calleth his Disciples the light of the world the salt of the earth that because of their doctrine wherewith they should lighten the blynd vnderstandyng of man and with true knowledge driue out y â— false opinions and sophisticall persuasions of natural reason deliuer the Scripture out of y â— captiuitie of false gloses which the hypocritishe Phariseis had pâ—â—ched therto and â—o out of the light of trueknowledge to styrre vp a new liuyng and to salt season the corrupt maners of the old blind conuersation For where false doctrine corrupt opinions and sophistical gloses raigne in the witte and vnderstandyng there is the liuing deuilish in the sight of God how soeuer it appeare in the sight of the blind world And on the other side where the doctrine is true and perfect there foloweth godly liuing of
to be perfect But no precept to bynde vnder payne of sinne And so by that meanes not onely they that spake true but also they that lyed to deceaue were compelled to sweare and to confirme their wordes with othes if they would be beleued But Christ bringeth light and salt to the texte which the Phariâ—eis had darckened and corrupt with the stynkyng myst of their sophistrie and forbiddeth to sweare at all either by God or any creature of Gods for thou canst sweare by none othe at all except the dishonour shall redound vnto y e name of God If thou sweare by God it is so or by God I wil do this or that the meanyng is that thou makest God iudge to aduenge it of thee if it be not as thou sayest or if thou shalt not do as thou promisest Now if truth be not in thy woordes thou shamest thyne heauenly father and testifiest that thou beleuest that he is no righteous iudge nor wil aduenge vnrighteousnesse but that he is wicked as thou art and conseÌ„teth and laugheth at thee while thou deceauest thy brother as well created after the likenesse of God and as deare bought with the precious bloude of Christ as thou And thus through thee a wicked sonne is the name of thy father dishonoured and his law not feared nor hys promises beleued And when thou swearest by the Gospell booke or Bible the meanyng is that God if thon lye shall not fulfill vnto thee the promises of mercy there in written But contrarywise to bryng vpoÌ„ thee all the cursses plagues veÌ„geance therin threatned vnto y e disobedient euill doers And euen so when thou swearest by any creature as by bread or salt the meanyng is that thou desirest that the creatour therof shall aduenge it of thee if thou lye c. Wher fore our dealyng ought to be so substaÌ„tiall that our wordes might be beleued without an othe Our wordes are the signes of the truth of our hartes in which ought to be pure and single loue toward thy brother for what soeuer proceedeth not of loue is damnable Now falsehead to deceaue him pure loue can not stand together It can not therfore be but damnable sinne to deceaue thy brother with lying though y u adde no othe to thy woordes Much more damnable is it then to deceaue to adde an othe therto c. Howbeit all maner of swearyng is not here forbydden no more then all maner of killyng wheÌ„ the coÌ„maundement saith kill not for iudges and rulers must kill EueÌ„ so ought they wheÌ„ they put any man in office to take an othe of him that he shal be true faithfull and diligent therein And of their subiectes it is lawfull to take othes of all that offer theÌ„ selues to beare witnesse But if the superiour would compel the inferiour to sweare that should be to the dishonour of God or hurting of an innocent the inferiour ought rather to dye then to sweare Neither ought a iudge to coÌ„pell a man to swere agaynst him self that he make him not sinne forsweare Wherof it is inough spoken in an other place But here is forbidden swearyng betwene neighbour neighbour and in all our priuate busynesse and dayly communicatioÌ„ For customable swearyng though we lyed not doth robbe the name of God of his due reuerence feare And in our dayly coÌ„munication businesse one with an other is so much vanitie of wordes that we can not but in many thyngs lye which to confirme with an othe though we beguile not is to take the name of God in vayne vnreuerently agaynst the second precept Now to lye for the entent to beguile is damnable of it self how much more then to abuse the holy name of God thereto and to call to God for vengeaunce vpon thyne owne selfe Many cases yet there chaunce dayly betwene man and man in which charitie compelleth to sweare as if I know that my neighbour is falsely sclaundered I am bound to report the truth and may lawfully sweare yea am bounde if it neede and that though not before a iudge And vnto y â— weake where ye and nay haue lost their credence thorow the multitude of lyers a man may lawfully sweare to put them out of doubt Which yet commeth of y â— euill of them that abuse their language to deceaue withall Finally to sweare to do euill is dampnable and to performe that is double damnation Herodes oth made him not innocent and giltlesse of the death of Iohn the Baptist though the hipocrite had not knowen what his wiues daughter would haue asked And wheÌ„ men say a kings worde must stand that is trouth if his oth or promise be lawfull expedient In all our promises it is to be added if God will if there be no lawfull â—et And though it be not added it is to be interprete as added As if I borow thy sworde and by the houre I promise to bring it thee agayne thou be beside thy selfe If I promise to pay by a certaine day and be in the meane tyme robbed or decayed by chaunce that I cannot performe it I am not forsworne if myne hart ment truely when I promised And many like cases there be of which are touched in other places To lye also and to dissemble is not alway sinne Dauid 1. Reg. 27. tolde kyng Achis the Philistine that he had robbed hys owne people the Iewes when he had bene a rouing among the Amalekites and had flayne man woman and childe for telling tales And yet was that lye no more sinne then it was to destroy the Amalekytes those deadly enemies of the fayth of one almighty God Neither sinned Cusai Dauids trusty frend 2. Reg. 17. in fayning and beguilyng Absolon but pleased God highly To beare a sicke man in hand that wholesome bitter medicine is swete to make hym drinke it it is the dutie of charitie and no sinne To perswade hym that pursueth hys neighbour to hurt hym or slay hym that hys neighbour is gone an other contrary way is the duty of euery Christen man by the law of charitie and no sinne no though I confirmed it with an othe But to lye for to deceaue and hurt that is dampnable onely c. Ye haue heard how it is sayde an eye for an eye a toth for a toth But I say vnto you that ye withstand not wrong But if a maÌ„ geue thee a blow on the right cheeke turne to him the other also And if any man will goe to lawe with thee and take away thy coate let hym haue thy clocke thereto And if any maÌ„ compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine Geue to him that asketh and from hym that would borow turne not away Christ here enteÌ„deth not to disanull the temporall regiment and to forbid rulers to punishe euill doers no more then he ment to destroy matrimony when he forbad to lust and to couet
no King Lord Master or what ruler it be hath absolute power in this world is the very thyng whiche he is called For then they ceased to bee brethren still neither could they sinne what soeuer they commaunded But now their authoritie is but a limered power Which when they transgresse they sinne agaynst their brethren and ought to reconcile them selues to their brethren to aske forgeuenesse they are bounde to forgeue Finally let kynges rulers and officers remember that God is the very kyng and referre the honour that is geuen to them for their offices sake to him and humble them selues to him knowledge and confesse in their harts that they be but brethren and euen no better before God then the worst of their subiectes Amen For if ye forgeue men theyr fautes your heauenly father shall forgeue you also But and if ye do not forgeue men their fautes no more shall your father forgeue your fautes This is Gods couenaunt with vs and a confirmation of the petition aboue rehearsed in the Pater noster forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue our trespassers If thou wilt enter into the couenaūt of thy Lord God and forgeue thy brother then what soeuer thou hast committed agaynst God if thou repēt and aske him forgeuenesse thou art sure that thou art so absolued by these wordes that none in heauen nor earth can bynde thee No though our most holy father curse thee as blacke as coales seuen foote vnder the earth and seuen foote aboue and cast all his lightenyng vpon thee to burne thee to powder Keepe the couenaunt of y t Lord thy God therfore and feare no bugges But and if thon wilt not come within the couenaunt of God or if whē thou hast professed it and receaued the signe therof thou cast the yoke of the Lord from of thy necke be thou sure thou art bound by these wordes so fast that none in heauen or in earth can lowse thee No though our earthyshe God whisper all his absolutions ouer thee claw thee stroke thyne head with all his swete blessynges Furthermore though forgeuenesse of thy sinnes be annexed to thy worke and forgeuyng thy brother yet do not as I said thy workes iustifie thee before God But the fayth in Christes bloud in the promises made to vs for his sake doth bryng righteousnesse in to the hart And the righteousnesse of the hart by fayth is felt and knowen by the worke As Peter in the first of his second Epistle commaūdeth to do good workes for to make our vocatiō and election sure that we might feele our fayth be certified that it is right For except a man be proued and tryed it cannot be knowen neither to hym selfe or other men that he is righteous and in the true faith Take an example least thou be beguiled with sophistrie Christ sayth Math. xiij the kyngdome of heauen is like leuen which a womā taketh hideth in thre peckes of meale till all be leuenned or sour◠Leuen is sometyme takē in an euill sence for the doctrine of the Phariseis which corrupted the swetenesse of the word of God with the leuē of their gloses and sometime in a good sence for the kingdome of heauen that is to say the Gospell and glad tydinges of Christ For as leuen altereth the nature of dowe and maketh it through sowre euen so the Gospell turneth a man into a new life and altereth him a litle and a litle first the hart and then the members Faith in Christ first certifieth the cōsciēce of the forgeuenesse of sinnes and deliuereth vs from the feare of euerlastyng damnation and then bryngeth the loue of God of his law into the hart which loue is the righteousnesse of y ◠hart Loue bringeth good workes into the mēbers which workes are y ◠outward righteousnesse and the righteousnesse of the mēbers To hate the will of God is the vnrighteousnesse of the hart causeth euill workes which are the vnrighteousnesse of the members As whē I hated my brother my toung spake euill my handes smote so forth To loue is the righteousnesse of the hart and causeth good workes which are the righteousnesse of the mēbers As if I loue my brother and he haue nede of me be in pouertie loue will make me put myne hand into my purse or almory and to geue him some what to refresh him c. That the loue of God and of his commaundementes is the righteousnesse of the hart doth no man doubt saue he that is hartlesse And that loue spryngeth of fayth thou mayst euidētly see i. Ioh. ij he y ◠loueth his brother dwelleth in y t light But he that hate h his brother is in darkenes walketh in darckenesse and wotteth not whether he goeth for darckenesse hath blynded his eyes Why is he that hateth in darcknesse verely because he seeth not the loue of God in Christ For if he saw that he coulde not but loue his brother for so kynde a fathers sake If any man hate his brother be thou sure that the same mā is in darcknesse and hath not y e light of true faith nor seeth what Christ hath done If a man so loue that he cā forgeue his brother assure thy selfe that he is in the light of the true faith and seeth what mercy is shewed him in Christ This is then the summe of altogetheri workes are the outward righteousnes before y ◠world may be called the righteousnes of y e mēbers spring of inward loue Loue is the righteousnes of the hart and springeth of faith Faith is the trust in Christes bloud is the gift of God Ephes ij whereunto a man is drawen of the goodnesse of God and driuen thorow true knowledge of the lawe and of beholding his decdes in the lust and desire of the members vnto the request of the lawe and with seing his owne dampnation in the glasse of the lawe For if a man sawe his owne dampnation in y t law he should immediatly hate God hys workes and vtterly dispayre except God offered him Christ and forgaue all that were past and made hym hys sonne and tooke the dampnatiō of the lawe away and promised that if he would submit himself to learne and to do his best that he should be accept as well as an Angell in heauē and therto if he fell of frailtie and not of malice and stubbornnesse it should be forgeuen vpon amendment and that God would euer take him for his sonne and onely chastice him at home whē he dyd amisse after the most fatherlyest maner and as easely as his disease would suffer but neuer bring him forth to be iudged after the rigorousnes of y t law And as thou couldest not see Leauen though thou brakest vp a loafe except thou smelledst or tastedst the sourenes euē so couldest thou neuer see true faith or loue except thou
his sonnes their fathers must geue them as mynt doth me Go now ye Popish bond seruauntes and receaue your reward for your false workes and robbe your brethren and raigne ouer them with violence and cruell tyranny and make thē worship your pillars polaxes images and hattes And we will receaue of the mercyfull kyndnesse of our father and will serue our brethren freely of very loue and wil be their seruauntes suffer for their sakes And there to our good deedes whiche we do vnto our neighbours neede spryng out of our righteousnesse or iustifying which is y ◠forgeuenesse of our sinnes in Christes bloud of other righteousnesse know we not before God And contrarywise your righteousnes or iustifying which standeth as your fayth doth with all wickednesse springeth out of your holy workes which ye do to no man srely saue vnto paynted postes And when he alledgeth the sacrifices of the old law I say they were Sacramentes and preached vnto the people as no doubt our candels once were and were no holy workes to be referred vnto Gods person to obtaine hys fauour and to iustifie the people and that the people should do them for the workes selues And when the people had lost the significations and looked on the holynesse of the dedes to be iustified thereby they were image seruice and hateful to God and rebuked of the Prophetes as it is to see throughout all the old Testament Then he iuggleth with a text of S. Paule Rom. xiiij let euery man for his part abounde one in this Idolatrie an other in that when the sense of the text is let euery mā be sure of his own conscience that he do nothyng except he know well and his conscience serue him that it may be lawfully doue But what care they to abuse Gods word to wrest it vnto the contrary And in the last end to vtter his excel lent blindnesse he sayth the wiseman Luther thinketh that if the gold were takē from the reliques it would be geuen vnto the poore immediatly when he seeth the contrary that they which haue their purses full wil geue y ◠poore if they geue ought either an halfe peny or in his countrey the iiij part of a farthyng Now I aske M. Mores conscience seyng they haue no deuotion vnto the poore which are as Christes own person and for whom Christ hath suffered his passion that we should be kynd to them and whom to visite with our almes is Gods commaundement with what minde do they offer so great treasure to the garnishyng of shrines images reliques It is manifest that they which loue not Gods cōmaundement can do nothing godly Wherfore such offrynges come of a false fayth so that they thinke thē better thē workes commauaded by God and beleue to be iustified therby And therfore are they but image seruice And when he sayth we might as well rebuke the powryng of the annoyntment on Christes head Nay Christ was thē mortall as well as we and vsed such thynges as we do and it refreshed his body But and if thou woldest now poure such on his image to do him pleasure I would rebuke it The third Chapter IN the third Chapter he bryngeth in miracles done at S. Steues tombe I aunswere that the miracles done at Saintes tombes were done for the same purpose that the miracles which they dyd when they were aliue were done euen to prouoke vnto the faith of their doctrine and not to trust in the place or in bones or in the Saint As Paul sent his napkē to heale the sicke not that mē should put trust in his nap kin but beieue his preachyng And in the old Testament Eliseus healed Naaman the heathen mā in the water of Iordayne not to put trust in the water or to pray in that place but to wonder at the power of God to come beleue as he also did And that his bones when he was dead raysed vp a dead man was not done that mē shuld pray to him for y ◠was not lawfull the by their own doctrme neither to put theyr trust in hys bones For God to anoyde all such Idolatrie had poluted all dead bones so that whosoeuer touched a dead bone was vncleane and all that came in his company vntil he had washed him selfe in so much that if a place were abused with offering vnto Idoles there was no better remedie then to scatter dead bones there to driue the people thēce for beyng defiled and poluted But his boues did that miracle to testifie that he was a true Prophet to moue men vnto the fayth of his doctrine And euen so miracles done at the holy crosse were done to moue men vnto fayth of him that dyed thereon not that we shuld beleue in the wood He saith that pilgrimes put not trust in the place as Nicromancers do in their circles and sayth he wotteth not what to mocke out the text of our Sauiour of praying in the spirite And in the end he confoundeth him selfe saying we reken our prayers more pleasaunt in one place thē in an other And that must be by the reason of the place for God is as good in one place as in an other and also the man Moreouer where a mā pleaseth God best thether is he most bound to go And so that imagination byndeth a mā to the place with a false fayth as Nicromancers trust in their circles And agayne if God had sayd that he would more heare in one place then in an other he had bound him selfe to the place Now as God is like good euery where generally so hath hee made his Testament generally wheresoeuer myne hart moueth me am quyet to pray vnto hym there to heare me like graciously And if a man lay to our charge that God boūd them vnto the tabernacle after to the Temple in the old Testament I say that he dyd it not for y e places sake but for the monumentes and testimonies that their preached the word of god vnto them so that though the priests had bene negligēt to preach yet should such things that there were haue kept the people in the remembraunce of the Testamēt made betwen God and them Which cause and such like onely should moue vs to come to Church and vnto one place more then an other And as lōg as I come more to one place then an other because of y e quietnesse or that some thing preacheth gods word more liuely vnto me there then in an other the place is my seruaunt and I not bound to it whiche cause and such like taken away I can not but put trust in the place as Nicromancers do in their circles and am an image seruer walke after myne own imagination not after Gods word And when he sayth we might as well mocke the obseruaūce of the Paschall Lambe I aunswere Christ our
Paschall Lambe is offered for vs and hath deliuered vs as Paule sayth 1. Cor. v. whose signe and memoriall is the Sacrament of his body and bloud Moreouer we were not deliuered one of Egypt And therefore in as much as we be ouerladen with our owne I see no cause why we should become Iewes to obserue their ceremonies to And when he sayth holy straunge gestures I aunswere for the holynesse I will not sweare but the straungenesse I dare well auow For euery Priest maketh them of a sundry maner many more madly then the gestures of Iack anapes And when he sayth that they were left from hand to hand sence the Apostles time it is vntrue For the Apostles vsed the Sacramēt as Christ dyd as thou mayst see 1. Cor. xj More ouer the Apostles left vs in the light taught vs all the counsell of God as Paule witnesseth Actes xx and hid nothyng in straunge holy gestures and apes play the significations wherof no man might vnderstand And a Christen man is more moued to pitie sayth he at the sight of y e crosse then without it If he take pitie as Englishmen do for compassiō I say that a Christen man is moued to pitie whē hee seeth his brother beare the crosse And at the sight of the Crosse he that is learned in God wepeth not with ignoraūt womē as a mā doth for hys father when he is dead but mourneth for hys sinnes and at the sight of the crosse comforteth his soule with the cōsolation of him that dyed theron But there is no sight whether of the crosse or ought els that can moue you to leue your wickednesse for the Testament of God is not written in your hartes And when he speaketh of praying at Churche who denyeth hym that men might not pray at Church or that the church shuld not be a place of prayer But that a man could not pray saue at Church and that my prayers were not heard as well els where If I prayed with like feruentnesse strong sayth is a false lye And whē he speaketh of the presence of God in the temple I aunswere that the Prophetes testified how that hee dwelt not there so doth Paule Actes xvij so doth Steuē Actes vij Salomon iij. Of the kynges viij And no doubt as the madde Iewes ment he dwelt not there nor as we more mad suppose also But he dwelled there onely in his signes Sacramentes and testimonies which preached his woorde vnto the people And finally for theyr false confidence in the temple God destroyed it And no doubt for our false fayth in visityng the monumentes of Christ therefore hath God also destroyed them and geuen the place vnder the infidels And when he speaketh of the piller of fire and cloude I answere that god was no otherwise present there then in all fire and in all cloudes saue that he shewed his power there specially by the reason of the miracle as he doth in the eyes of the blinde whom he maketh see and yet is no other wise present in those eyes then in other nor more there to be prayed to then in other And in like maner he is no more to be prayed to where he doth a miracle then where he doth none Neither though we cā not but be in some place ought we to seeke God in any place saue onely in our hartes and that in veritie in fayth hope and loue or charitie accordyng to the woorde of hys doctrine And our sacramentes signes ceremonies Images reliques and monumentes ought to be had in reuerence so farforth as they put vs in mynde of Gods worde and of the ensample of them that liued thereafter and no further And the place is to be sought and one to be preferred before an other for quietnesse to pray and for liuely preaching and for y e preaching of such monumentes and so forth And so long as the people so vsed thē in the olde testament they were acceptable pleasaūt to God and God was sayd to dwell in the temple But when the significations being lost the people worshipped such thinges for the things selues as we now do they were abhominable to God and God was sayde to be no longer in the temple The fourth chapter ANd in the fourth he sayth that god setteth more by one place then an other Which doctrine besides that it should binde vs vnto the place and God thereto and can not but make vs haue confidence in the place is yet false For first God vnto whose worde we may adde nought hath geuen no such commaundement nor made any such couenaunt Neither is Christ here or there saith the scripture but in our hartes is the place where God dwelleth by his owne testimony if his word be there And when he proueth it because God doth a miracle more in one place then in an other I aunswere if God will do a miracle it requireth a place to be done in Howbeit he doth it not for the place but for the peoples sakes whom he would call vnto the knowledge of his name and not to worshippe hym more in one place then in an other As the miracles done in Egipt in the red sea in mount Sinay so forth were not done that men should goe in pilgrimage vnto the places to pray there but to prouoke them vnto the true knowledge of god that afterward they might euer pray in y e sprite whersoeuer they were Christ also dyd not his miracles that men should pray in the places where he did them but to stirre vp the people to come and heare the worde of their soules health And when he bringeth the miracle of Silo I answere that the sayd miracle and that Christ sent the blynde thether to receaue his sight were not done that men should pray in the poole but the second miracle was so done to declare the obedient fayth of the blinde and to make the miracle more knowen and the first for the worde of God that was preached in the temple to moue the countrey about to come thether and learne to know God and to become a liuely temple out of which they might euer pray and in all places Neyther was the miracle of Lazarus done that men shoulde more pray in that place then in an other but to shew Christes power to moue the people thorow wondering at the miracle to harkē vnto Gods word and beleue it as it is to see playnely Moreouer God so loueth no church but that the parishe haue libertie to take it downe and to builde it in an other place yea and if it be tymber to make it of stone and to alter it at their pleasure For the places yea and the Images must serue vs and not God which is a spirite and careth for none more thē other nor is otherwise presēt in one place thē in an other And
Ierusalem The Duke elector of Saxon came from the warre of those vplandishe people and other Dukes with him into Wittenberge where Martin is with xv hundred men of armes so that Martin if he had bene giltie coulde not haue gonne quite And therto all the Dukes and Lordes that cleaue vnto the word of God this day were no lesse cumbred with theyr common people then other men Then after the loudest maner he setteth out the cruelnes of the Emperors souldiours which they vsed at Rome but he maketh no mention of the treason which holy church wrought secretly wherwith the men of warre were so set on fire The viij Chapter M. What good deede will he do that beleueth Martin how that we haue no frewill to do any good with the helpe of grace Tyndall O Poete without shame More What harme shall he care to forbeare that beleueth Luther how god alone without our will worketh all the mischiefe that they do Tyndall O naturall sonne of the father of all lies More What shall he care how long he liue in sinne that beleueth Luther that he shall after this life feele neyther good nor euill in bodye nor soule vntyll the day of dome Tyndall Christ and hys Apostles taught no other but warned to looke for Christes comming agayne euery houre Which comming agayne because ye beleue will neuer be therfore haue ye fayned that other marchaundise M. Martins bookes be open if ye will not beleue vs. Tyndall Nay ye haue shut them vp and therefore be bolde to say what ye luste M. They liue as they teach and teach as they liue Tyndall But neither teach nor lyue as other lye on them The ix Chapter M. Though the Turke offer pleasures vnto the receauers and death vnto the refusers of his secte as the Pope doth yet he suffereth none to breake their promises of chastitie dedicate to God though haply they vse no such vowes and as the Pope wil not except it be for money but Luther teacheth to breake holy vowes Tyndall Luther teacheth that vnlaw full vowes grounded on a false fayth vnto the dishonouring of God are to be broken and no other And agayne constrayned seruice pleaseth not God And thirdly your Pope geueth licēce and his blessing to breake all lawfull vowes but with the most vnlawfull of all will ye not dispence Then he bringeth forth the ensample of the heathen to confirme the Popes chastitie And no wrong for the same false imagination that the heathē had in theirs hath the Pope in hys Vnderstand therfore if thou vow any indifferent thing to please God in his owne person he receaueth not thyne Idolatrie for hys pleasure honour is that thou shouldest be as he hath made thee and shouldest receaue all such thinges of his hand and vse them so farforth as they were needfull and geue him thankes and be bounde to hym and not that thou shouldest be as thou haddest made thy selfe that he should receaue such thinges of thee to be bounde to thee to thanke thee rewarde thee And agayne thou must geue me a reason of thy vow out of the worde of God Moreouer when thou vowest lawfully thou maist not do it precisely but alway except if thyne owne or thy neighbours necessitie required the contrary As if thou haddest vowed neuer to eate fleshe or drinke wine or stronge drinke to tame thy fleshe and thou afterwarde fellest in disease so that thy body in that behalfe were to tame or that there coulde no other sustinaunce be gotten Thā thou must interprete suche cases excepte though thou madest no mention of them at the making of thy vow Some man woulde say other shifte might be made What then If other drinke as hoate as wine and of the same operation and other meate of the same power and vertue as fleshe is must be had why shouldest thou forsweare wine or fleshe seing it is now no longer for the taming of thy body And so forth of all other as I haue aboue declared And when he bringeth in the Apostles martyrs confessours and xv hundred yeares it is cleane contrary For they had no such false imagination of chastity or of any other worke but they vsed it to serue their neighbour and to auoyde trouble in time of persecution and to be eased of that burthen that was to heauy for their weake shoulders and not to cōpell God to thāke them for that libertie for which they be bound to thanke hym The tenth Chapter IN the tenth he inueyeth and rayleth against that which neither he nor any fleshly mynded Papiste can vnderstand as they haue no power to cōsent vnto the lawes of God which herein appeareth that they compell their brethren which be as good as they to do and beleue what they lust not what God commaundeth He affirmeth that Martin sayth how that we do no sinne our selues with our owne will but that God sinneth in vs and vseth vs as a dead instrument and forceth vs therunto and dāneth vs not for our owne deedes but for his and for his owne pleasure as he compelleth vnto sinne for his pleasure or rather he for hys pleasure sinneth in vs. I say that a man sinneth voluntarily but the power of the will and of the deede is of God and euery will and deede are good in the nature of the deede and the euilnesse is a lacke that there is as the eye though it be blinde is good in nature in that it is such a member created for such a good vse but it is called euill for lacke of sight And so are our deedes euill because we lacke knowledge and loue to referre them vnto the glory of God Which lacke commeth of the deuill that blyndeth vs with lustes and occasions that we can not see the goodnesse and righteousnes of the law of God the meanes how to fulfill it For could we see it and the way to do it we should loue it naturally as a childe doth a fayre apple For a childe whē as a mā sheweth him a fayre apple and will not geue it hym weepeth so should we naturally mourne when the members woulde not come forwarde to fulfill the lawe according to the desire of our hartes For Paule sayth ij Cor. iiij If our Gospell be hid it is hid vnto thē that perishe among which the God of this world hath blynded the wittes of the vnbeleuers that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ should not shine to them And Christ sayth that the birdes eate vp the seede sowen vppon the way and interpreteth by the seede the worde and by the foules the deuill So that the deuill blindeth vs wyth falshead and lyes which is our worldly wisdome and therewith stoppeth out the true light of Gods wisdome which blindenes is the euilnesse of all our deedes And on the other side that an other man
righteousnes our iustifying our redemption our attonement that hath appeased God and clenseth vs froÌ„ our sinnes and all in his bloud so that his bloud is the satisfaction onely And that thou mayst the better perceaue the falshead of our holy fathers fleshly imagination call to minde how that the Scripture sayth Iohn the iiij God is a spirite and must be worshypped in the spirite That is repentauÌ„ce fayth hope and loue toward his law and our neighbour for his sake is hys worshyp in the spirite And therefore whosoeuer woorshyppeth God with workes and referreth his woorkes to God to be a sacrifice vnto hym to appease hym as though hee delited in the worke for the woorkes sake the same maketh of God an image or idoll and is an image seruer and as wicked an Idolater as euer was any blynd heathen and serueth God after the imagination of his owne hart and is abhominable vnto god as thou seest in how many places God defieth the sacrifice of the children of Israell for the sayd imagination So that whosoeuer supposeth that his candle stickyng before an Image his puttyng a peny in the boxe his goyng a pilgrimage his fastyng his wolward goyng barefoote goyng his crowchyng knelyng and paine taking be sacrifice vnto God as though he delited in them as we in the gestures of Iack Napes is as blind as hee that gropeth for his way at none Gods worshyp is to loue hym for hys mercy of loue to bestow al our works vpon our neighbour for his sake and vpon the tamyng of our flesh that we sinne not agayne which should be the chiefest care of a Christen man whyle Christ careth for that that is once past and coÌ„mitted already whether before our profession or after For the conditions of the peace that is made betwen God vs in Christes bloud are these The law is set before vs vnto whiche if we consent and submit our selues to be scholers thereof then are not onely all our foresinnes forgiuen both Poena culpa with our holy fathers licence euer but also all our infirmities weaknes pronesse readynes and motions vnto sinne are pardoned and taken aworth and we translated froÌ„ vnder the damnation of the law which damneth as well those infirmities as the sinne that springeth of them and putteth vs vnder grace Rom. 7. So that we shall not henceforth as long as we forsake not our professioÌ„ be iudged by the rigorousnes of the law But chastised if we do amise as children that are vnder no law Now then if God in Christ pardon our infirmities by reasoÌ„ of which we cannot escape but that we shal now and theÌ„ sinne it foloweth that he must likewise pardon the actuall sinne whiche we do compelled of those infirmities in spite of our hartes and agaynst the will of the spirite For if thou pardon the sicknesse of the sicke then must thou pardoÌ„ the deeds which he doth or â—eueth vndone by the reason of his sicknesse If the madnes of a mad man be pardoned and vnder no law then if he murther in his madnesse he may not be slayne agayne If children within a certaine age are not vnder the law that flayeth theues then can ye not of right hang them though they steale What popishe pardoning were that Thys doth Paule Rom. 7. so confirme that all the world cannot quitch against it saying I consent vnto the law of God that it is good and fayne would I do it and yet haue I not alwayes power so to do but find an other thing in my flesh rehelling agaynst the will of my minde and leading me captine into sinne so that I cannot do that I wold doe but am compelled to doe that I would not If sayth he I do that I woulde not then I do it not but the sinne that dwelleth in me doth it And then sayth he Who shall deliuer me from this body of deathe in which I am bound prisoner agaynst my will Thankes be to God saith he through Iesus Christ our Lorde which hath conquered and ouercome sinne death and hell and hath put the damnation of the law out of the way vnto all that professe the law and beleue in him We be vnder the lawe to learne it and to fasshion our deedes as like as we can but not vnder the damnation of the lawe that we shoulde be damned though our deedes were not perfect as the law requireth or though of frailty we at a time breake it As children are vnder the law that they steale not but not vnder the damnation though they steale So that all they that are graffed into Christ to follow hys doctrine are vnder the law to learne it onely but are deliuered from feare of euerlasting death and hell and all the threatenings of the law and from conscience of sinne which feared vs from God And we are come into God thorough the confidence that we haue in Iesus Christ are as familiar bold with him as yong innocent children which haue no conscience of sinne are with their fathers and mothers or theÌ„ that nourishe them Which were vnpossible if God now as the pope painteth him did shake a rod at vs of vij yeares punishment as sharpe as the paynes of hel for euery trespace we do which trespace for the number of them were like to make our purgatory almost as long as hell seing we haue no Gods word that we shall be deliuered thence vntil we haue payd the last farthing And therefore could our conscience neuer be at rest nor be bolde and familier with God If ye say the Pope can deliuer my conscience from feare of purgatory as his poetry onely putteth me in feare and that by this text Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth c. If thou this way vnderstand the text whatsoeuer thou being in earth losest any where then might he lose in hell and binde in heauen But why may not I take the text of Christ Ioh. 16. Whatsoeuer ye aske my Father in my name he will geue it you and desire forgeuenesse of all together in Christes name both a poena culpa and theÌ„ remayneth no such purgatory at all Howbeit the text of binding losing is but borowed speach how that after the similitude of worldly binding and losing locking and vnlocking the word of God truely preached doth binde and lose the conscience God sayth to Hieremias cap. 1. Behold I geue thee power ouer nations and kingdomes to plucke vp by the rootes and to shiuer in peeces to destroy and cast downe and to build and plante How did he destroy nations kingdomes and how did he build theÌ„ verily by preaching and prophecying What nation kingdome or citie he prophecyed to be ouerthrowne was so And what Citie he prophecyed to be built againe was so And what nation after they were brought into captiuity he prophecyed to be restored agayne were so And whome he prophecyed to perish perished
And whome he prophecyed to be saued was saued Euen so whomesoeuer a true preacher of Gods word saith shall be damned for his sinne because he will not repent and beleue in Christ the same is damned And whomesoeuer a true preacher of Gods worde sayth shall be saued because he repenteth and beleeueth in Christes bloud the same is saued And this is the binding and losing that Christment Notwithstanding ye must vnderstand that when we haue sinned though our hartes were not to sinne and though we repeÌ„t ere the deed be done yet the body in sinning hath ouercome the spirite and hath got the maistrye So that the spirite is now weaker and feebler to vertue and to folow the law of God and doctrine of Christ and the flesh stronger to folow vice and sinne Wherfore as when an olde sore is broken forth againe we begin as it were a new cure with greater diligence and more care then before euen so here we must renue our old battayl against the flesh and more strongly goe to worke to subdue it and to quench the lustes therof which are waxen so ranke that they bnd out openly according to the profession of our baptisme which is y â— very sacrament or signe of repentance or if they wil so haue it called penance by the interpretation of Paul Rom. 6. For the plunging into the water as it betokeneth on the one part that Christ hath wasshed our soules w t his bloud euen so on the other parte it signifyeth that we haue promised to quentch and â—lay the lustes of the flesh with prayer fasting and holy meditation after the doctrine of Christ and with all godlye exercise that tame the fleshe and kyll not the man Wherupon the Bisshops that succeded the Apostles when men had done any open sinnes enioyned them penaunce as they call it by the authoritie of the congregation and gouernoures therof and aduise of the most wise and discrete and with the willing cousent of the trespassers to tame the flesh as to go woolward to weare shurtes of heire to goe barefoote and bare head to pray to fast bread and water some once in the weeke some twise or al the weeke an whole yeare ij yeares iij. yeares vij yeares xx yeares some all their liues long And to goe in pilgrimage to visite y â— memoriall of saintes to strength them the better to follow the ensample and such like and all to slay the worldly minde of the flesh Which maner when it was once receiued of y t people by custome it became a law And the bishops by little little gat it whole into their own handes When the Bishops sawe that how they had got the simple people vnder them in such humble obedience they beganne to set vp their crestes and to raigne ouer them as princes and to enioyne sore penaunce for small trifles namely if ought were done agaynste their pleasure and beate some sore and spared other and solde their penaunce to the ritch and ouerladed the poore vntill the tyranny was waxed so grenous that the people woulde beare it no longer For by this time what w t the multitude of ceremonies and heap of mens constitutions whose right vse was thereto cleane forgotten partly because our shepheardes were busyed to seeke themselues and their hye authority exalted euery maÌ„ his throne and were become wolues vnto y t flock the cause why the people were disobedient vnto holesome counsel the word of God was sore darckened and no where purely preached And therefore the Prelates loth to lose their hye authoritie and to let the people goe free of their yoke began to turne their tale and sing a new song how that this penaunce was enioyned to make satisfaction to God for the sinne that was committed robbing our soules of the fruite of Christes bloud and making vs imageseruauntes referring oure deedes vnto the persoÌ„ of God worshipping him as an image of our own imagination with bodely worke saying moreouer if we would not do such penaunce here at their iniunctions we must do it in an other worlde and so fayned purgatory where we must suffer vij yeares for euery sinne And when the kingdome of Antichrist was so enlarged that it must haue an head they set vp our holy father of Rome or rather vsurped that Rome with violence and to him was geuen this prerogatiue to sell whome he would from purgatorye And the sacrament of penaunce they thus describe Contrition Confession and Satisfaction Contrition sorow for thy sinnes Confession not to God and them whome thou hast offended but tell thy sinnes in the priestes eare Satisfaction to do certaine deedes enioyned of them to buy out thy sinnes And in theyr description they haue cleane excluded the fayth in the satisfaction of Christes bloud which onely bringeth life and the spirite of life and righteousnes and without the which it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. In whose stead they haue put in the presumption of our owne works And for lacke of trust in Christes bloud our contrition is but a fruitlesse sorrow in y t respect of hell which maketh vs hate the law still consequently God that made it where true contrition annexed with fayth is sorrow in respect of the law vnto which we consent that it is good loue it and therfore mourne partly because we haue offended it and partly because we lacke power to fulfill it as we would These thynges to be true our Prelates know by open hystories as well as wheÌ„ it is Noone the Sunne is flat South but it deliteth them to resist the holy ghost and to persecute the preachers of the thynges whiche if they as well loued as they knowe to be true they would preache the same them selues and lyue therafter Hereof ye may see our woorkes are but to tame the flesh onely and can be no satisfactioÌ„ to God except we make him an image our selues image seruaunts And hereof ye may see how out of this open penaunce came the eare coÌ„fession satisfaction of workes Purgatorie and pardons For when they had put the satisfaction of Christes bloud out of y t way then as they compelled to coÌ„fesse open sinnes and to take open penaunce eueÌ„ so they compelled to confesse secrete sinnes and to take secret penauÌ„ce And as they made marchauÌ„dise of open penauÌ„ce so did they of secret And for theÌ„ that would not receaue such pardon fayned they Purgatory and for them that receaued them fayned they pardoÌ„ turnyng bindyng and losing with preaching Gods word vnto byeng and sellyng sinne for money And since that tyme hetherto the worse the people were the better were the Prelates coÌ„tent euer resistyng that they should be made better through their blessed couetousnes proude desire of honour And out of this false presumption of workes spranke the wicked vowes of Religion which they vow to make satisfaction for sinne and to
saued By which wordes he declareth euidently that he meaneth that faith that is in the promise made vpon the appointmeÌ„t betwene God and vs that we should kepe his law to the vttermost of our power that is he that beleueth in Christ for the remission of sinne and is Baptised to do the will of Christ and to kepe his law of loue to mortify the flesh that man shal be saued and so is the imagination of these swyne that will not leaue wallowyng theÌ„ selues in euery myre and puddell cleane excluded for God neuer made promise but vpon an appointment or couenaunt vnder whiche who soeuer wil not come can be no partaker of the promise True fayth in Christ geueth power to loue the law of God for it is written Iohn the first He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleue in his name Now to be the sonne of God is to loue righteousnes and hate vnrighteousnes and so to be like thy father Hast thou then no power to loue the law so hast thou no fayth in Christes bloud And Rom. iij. We set vp or mainteine the law thorough fayth why so for the preachyng of fayth ministreth the spirit Gala. iij. And ij Cor. iij. And the spirite lowseth the bandes of Sathan geueth power to loue the law and also to do it For sayth Paul Rom. viij if the spirite of him that raysed vp Iesus dwell in you then will he that raysed vp Iesus quickeÌ„ your mortall bodyes by the meanes of his spirite dwelling in you A well wilt thou say if I must professe the law and worke Ergo fayth alone saueth me not Be not deceaued with sophistrie but withdraw thyne eares from wordes and consider the thyng in thyne hart Fayth iustifieth thee that is bringeth remission of all sinnes and setteth thee in the state of grace before all workes and getteth thee power to worke yer thou couldest worke but if thou wilt not go backe agayne but continue in grace and come to that saluation and glorious resurrection of Christ thou must worke and ioyne workes to thy fayth in will and dede to if thou haue tyme and leasure and as oft as thou fallest set thee on thy fayth agayn without helpe of workes And although when thou art reconciled restored to grace woorkes be required yet is not that reconcilyng and grace the benefite of the workes that folow but cleane contrary that forgeuenes of thy sinnes and restoryng to fauour deserue the workes that folow Though wheÌ„ the kyng after that sentence of death is geuen vpoÌ„ a murtherer hath pardoned hym at the request of some of his frendes workes be required of him that he hencefoorth kepe the kynges lawes if he will continue in his graces fauour in which he now standeth yet the benefite of his lyfe procedeth not of the deseruyng of the workes that folow but of the kynges goodnes and fauour of his freÌ„des yea and that benefite and gift of his life deserue the workes that folow Though the father chastise the child yet is the child no lesse bounde to obey and to do the will of the father If when the father pardoneth it the workes that folow deserue that fauour then must the woorkes that folowed the correction haue deserued fauour also and then was the father vnrighteous to chastise it All what soeuer thou art able to do to please God with all is thy duty to do though thou haddest neuer sinned if it be thy dutie how can it then be the deseruyng of the mercy and grace that weÌ„t before Now that mercy was the benefite of God thy father through the deseruing of y t Lord Christ which hath bought thee with y â— price of his bloud And agayne when he sayth that he purposeth to bestow his good to be accepted as fruites of faith it is euident that hee meaneth that lyuyng fayth which professeth the law of God and is the mother of all good workes yea and nurse therto An other caâ—illation whiche they might make in the second part where he admitteth no other mediatour but Christe onely nor will geue of hys goodes to bynde any man to any fayned obseruaunce for the helpe of hys soule wheÌ„ he were whole in the kingdome of Christ cleane deliuered both body and soule from the dominion of Sathan as the Scripture testifieth all that dye in Christ to be is this they will say that he held that none should pray for him saue Christ and that we be not bound to pray one for an other nor ought to desire the prayers of an other man that he excludeth in that he sayth all other be but petitioners By which wordes he plainly coÌ„fesseth that other may and ought for to pray and that we may and ought to desire other to pray for vs but meaneth that we may not put our trust and confidence in their prayer as though they gaue of them selues that which they desire for vs in their petitions and so geue them the thankes ascribe to their merites that which is geuen vs in the name of our master Christ at the deseruynges of his bloud Christ is my Lord hath deserued and also obteined power to geue me all that can be desired for me And al that other desire for me this is desired in Christes name geueÌ„ at the merites of his bloud All the honour then trust confideÌ„ce and thankes perteyne to him also Some will haply say how should I desire an other to pray for me and not trust to his prayer Verely euen as I desire my neighbour to helpe me at my neede and yet trust not to him Christ hath commauÌ„ded vs to loue ech other Now when I go or desire helpe I put my trust in God and complaine to God first and say Loe father I go to my brother to aske helpe in thy name prepare the hart of him agaynst I come that hee may pitie me and helpe me for thy sake c. Now if my brother remember his duty helpe me I receaued it of God and geue God the thankes which moued the hart of my brother gaue my brother a courage to helpe me wherwith to do it and so hath holpe me by my brother And I loue my brother agayne and say Loe father I went to my brother in thy name and he hath holpe me for thy sake wherfore O father be thou as mercyful to him at his nede as he hath ben to me for thy sake at my nede Loe now as my brother dyd his dutie when he holpe me so do I my dutie when I praye for hym agayne and as I might not haue put my trust and coÌ„fidence in my brothers helpe so may he not in my prayers I am sure that God will helpe me by his promise but am not sure that my brother wil helpe me though it be his dutie so am I sure that God will heare me what soeuer I aske
in Christes name by his promise but am not sure that my brother will pray for me or that he hath a good hart to God No. But the Saintes in heauen cānot but pray and be hard no more can the Saintes in earth but pray and he heard neither Moses Samuell Dauid Noye Elias Elizeus Esayas Daniell and all the Prophetes prayed and were heard yet was none of those wicked that would not put their trust in God accordyng to their doctrine and preachyng partaker of their prayers in the end And as damnable as it is for the poore to trust in the riches of the richest vpon earth so damnable is it also to leaue the couenaunt made in Christes bloud and to trust in the saint of heauē They that be in heauē know the elect that trust in Christes bloud professe the law of God and for them onely pray and these wicked Idolaters whiche haue no trust in the couenaunt of God nor serue God in the spirite nor in the Gospell of Christes bloud but after their blind Imagination chosing them eueryman a sondry Saint to be their Mediatour to trust to and to be saued by their merites do the Saintes abhorre and defie And their prayers and offeringes are to the Saintes as acceptable and pleasaunt as was the prayer and the offeryng of Symon Magus to Peter Act. viij Moreouer the Saintes in their most combraunce are most comforted most able to comfort other as Paule testifieth i. Cor. i. In so much that S. Stephen and S. Iames prayed for them that slue them S. Martine preached comforted his desperate brethren euen vnto the last breath likewise as stories make mention dyd innumerable mo Yea and I haue knowen of simple vnlearned persons that of some that were great sinners which at the houre of death haue fallen flat on the bloud of Christ and geuen no rowme to other mens either prayers or preachynges but haue as strongly trusted in Christes bloud as euer dyd Peter or Paul and haue therto preached it to other exhorted other so mightly that an aungell of heauen could not mende them Who then should resiste God that he might not geue the same grace to M. Tracie which was a learned man and better sene in the workes of S. Austē xx yeare before hee dyed then euer I knew Doccour in England but that hee must then faint and shrincke whē most neede is to be strong feare the Popes Purgatory trust to the prayer of Priestes dearely payd for I dare say that he prayed for the Priestes whē he dyed that God would conuert a great many of them and if hee had knowen of any good man amōg them that had neded he would haue geuen and if hee had knowen of any lacke of priestes he would haue geuē to mainteine moe But now sence there be mo then inough haue more then euery man a sufficient liuyng how should he haue geuē them but to hyre their prayers of pure mistrust in Christs bloud If robbyng of widowes houses vnder pretence of long prayers be damnable Math. xxiij Then is it damnable also for widowes to suffer them selues to be robbed by the long pattering of hypocrites through mistrust in Christes bloud yea and is it not damnable to mainteine such abhomination Now when this dāuation is spread ouer all how can we geue thē that haue inough already or how can they that haue inough already take more vnder the name of praying not harden the people more in this dāuable damnation And concernyng the burieng of his body he allegeth S. Austen neither is there any man thinke I so mad to affirme that the outward pompe of the body should helpe the soule Moreouer what greater signe of infidelitie is there then to care at the tyme of death with what pompe the carkasse shal be caried to the graue He denieth not but that a Christen man should be honorablie buried namely for the honour and hope of the resurrection and therefore committed that care to his deare executours his sonne and his wife which he wist would in that part do sufficiēt leaue nothyng of the vse of the countrey vndone but the abuse And that best awyng of a great part of his goodes while be yet lyued vppon the poore to be thankefull for the mercy receiued without bying and sellyng with God that is without byndyng those poore vnto any other appointed prayers then God hath bound vs already one to pray for an other one to helpe an other as he hath helped vs but paciently abidyng for the blessynges that God hath appoynted vnto all maner good workes trustyng faythfully to his promise thanking as ye may see by his wordes the bloud of Christ for the reward promised to hys woorkes and not the goodnes of the workes as though he had done more then his dutie or all that And assigned by writyng vnto whom an other part should be distrubuted and geuyng the rest to hys executours that no strife should be whiche executours were by right the heyres of all that was left to thē These things I say are signes euident not onely of a good Christen mā but also of a perfect Christen man and of such a one as needed not to be agast and desperate for feare of the paynfull paynes of Purgatory whiche who so feareth as they fayne it can not but vtterly abhorre death seyng that Christ is there no longer thy Lord after he hath brought thee thether but art excluded from his satisfaction and must satisfie for thy selfe alone and that with sufferyng payne onely or els taryeng the satisfieng of them that shall neuer satisfie inough for them selues or gapyng for the Popes pardons whiche haue so great doubtes and daungers what in the mynde and intent of the graunter and what in the purchaser yer they can be truly obteyned with all due circumstaūces and much lesse certitude that they haue any authoritie at all Paule thristed to be dissolued to be with Christ Stephen desired Christ to take his spirite the Prophetes also desired God to take their soules from them and all the Saintes went with a lusty courage to death neither fearyng or teachyng vs to feare any such crudelitie Where hath the Churche then gotten authoritie to binde vs from beyng so perfite from hauyng any such fayth in the goodnes of God our Father and Lorde Christ and to make such perfitues and fayth of all heresies the greatest Salomō saith in the xxx of his Prouerbes three things are insaciable and the fourth sayth neuer It is inough But there is a fift called dame anarice with as greedy a gutte as meltyng a maw as wyde a throate as gapyng a mouth and with as rauenyng teeth as the best which the more she eateth the hongryer she is An vnquiet euill neuer at rest a blynd monster and a surmisyng beast fearyng at the fall of euery leafe Quid non mortalia pectora
rayne bow to be a signe of the promises and for to make it the better beleued and to kepe it in mynde for euer he sayd when I bryng cloudes vpon the earth I will put my bow in the cloudes and will looke on it and remember the euerlastyng couenaunt made betwene God and all liuing creatures And Abram whiche signifieth an excellent father he named Abraham the father of a great multitude of people because he had promised to make hym euen so and that his seede should be as the Starres as the sand of the Sea innumerable and that name gaue he him as a seale of the promise to confirme it and to strengthen the fayth of Abrahā and his posteritie and to kepe the promise in minde that they might haue wherewith to binde God and to coniure him as Moyses and the holy Prophetes euer do holdyng hym fast to his owne promise and binding him with his owne wordes and bringyng forth the obligation and seale therof in all tymes of necessitie and temptation After that he made a couenaūt with Abraham to be his God and the God of his posteritie and their shield defender and Abraham promised for him and his seede to be his people and to beleue and trust in him to kepe hys commaundementes which couenaunt God caused to be written in the flesh of Abraham and in the males of all hys posteritie commaundyng the males to be Circumcised the eight day or to be slayne whiche Circumcision was the seale and obligation of the sayd couenaūt to kepe it in minde and to testifie that it was an earnest thyng wherby God chalenged them to be his people and required the kepyng of his lawes of them and fayth to trust in him onely and in no other thyng for helpe and succour and all that can be nedeful and necessarie for man And wherby he cōdemned the disobediēt and rebellious and punished them and whereby also the godly chalenged hym to be theyr God and father and to helpe and succour them at neede and to minister all thyngs vnto them accordyng to all his promises And though the seale of this couenaunt were not written in the flesh of the females yet it serued the womankynd bound them to God to trust in him and to kepe his lawes as well as it dyd the men children the womankynd not Circumcised in the flesh yet through the helpe of the signe written in the males louyng Gods law trustyng wholly in hym were truly Circumcised in the hart and soule before God And as the mayde children beleuyng and louyng God wherunto the outward Circumcision bounde them were truly Circumcised before God Euen so the males hauyng the fleshe Circumcised yet not beleuyng nor louyng God whereunto the outward Circumcision bounde them were vncircumcised before God and God not bounde to them but had good right therby to punish them so that neither Circumcision or to be vncircumcised is ought worth as S. Paule sayth Rom. 2. saue for the keping of the law for if Circumcision helpe not to keepe the law so serueth it for nought but for to condemne And as the womankind vncircumcised were in as good case as the males that were Circumcised euen so the infātes of y t maydēs which dyed vncircumcised were in as good case as the infantes of males whiche dyed Circumcised And in as good case by the same rule were the men children that dyed before the eight day or els let them tell why the couenaūt made betwene God and Abraham saued the manchilde as soone as it was borne yea as soone as it had lyfe in the mothers wombe for the couenaunt that God would be God of Abrahās seede went ouer the frute as soone as it had life and thē there is no reason but that the couenaunt must nedes pertayne to the males as soone as to the females Wherfore the couenaunt must needes saue the males vnto the eight day and then the couenaunt was that the ruler shoulde slay the males onely if their frēdes did not Circumcise them not that the Circumcision saued them but to testify the couenaunt onely And then it foloweth that the infantes that dye vnbaptised of vs Christen that would baptise them at due tyme and teach them to beleue in Christ are in as good case as these that dye Baptised for as the couenaunt made to the faith of Abraham went ouer his seede as sone as it had life before the signe was put on them euen so must needes the couenaunt made to all that beleue in Christes bloud go ouer that sede as soone as it hath lyfe in the mothers wombe before the signe be put on it For it is the couenaunt onely and not the signe that saueth vs though the signe be commaunded to be put on at due tyme to styrre vp fayth of the couenaunt that saueth vs and in stede of Circūcision came our Baptisme wher by we be receaued into the Religiō of Christ and made partaker of his passion and members of his Churche and whereby we are bounde to beleue in Christ and in the father through hym for the remission of sinnes and to kepe the law of Christ to loue eche other as he loued vs whereby if we thus beleue and loue we callyng God to be our father and to do his will shall receaue remission of our sinnes through the merites of Iesu Christ hys sonne as he hath promised So now by baptisme we be bounde to God and God to vs and the bond and seale of the couenaūt is writtē in our flesh by which seale or writting God chalengeth faith and loue vnder payne of iust damnation And we if we beleue and loue chalenge as it is aboue rehearsed all mercy and what soeuer we neede or els God must be an vntrue God And God hath bound vs Christen men to receaue this signe for our infirmities sake to be a witnes betwene hym and vs and also to put this signe vpon our childrē not bindyng vs to any appointed time but as it shal seme to vs most conuenient to bring them to the knowledge of God the father and of Christ and of their dutie to God and his law And as the Circūcised in the flesh and not in the hart hath no part in Gods good promises euen so they that bee baptised in the fleshe and not in hart hath no part in Christes bloud And as the Circumcised in the hart and not in the fleshe had part in Gods good promises Euen so a Turke vnbaptised because he either knoweth not that he ought to haue it or cannot for tyrānie if he beleue in Christ and loue as Christ did and taught then hath he his part in Christes bloud And though the outward Circumcision by the whiche God chalengeth them to do him seruice yea whether they would or not and by the whiche they were taught to beleue in God in the seede of Abraham
was and how such ceremonies came vp and whence they had their begynnyng and what the frute thereof is and what is therin to be sought And though this were inough so that I might here wel cease yet because the vnquiet scrupulous and superstitious nature of man wholy giuen to Idolatrie hath styrred vp such traditions about this one Sacrament most specially I cannot but speake therof somewhat more and declare what my conscience thinketh in this matter Ye shall vnderstand therfore that there is great dissention and three opinions about the woordes of Christ where he sayth in pronouncyng the testament ouer the bread This is my body And in pronouncyng it ouer the wyne This is my bloud One part say that these woordes This is my body This is my bloud compell vs to beleue vnder payne of damnation that the bread and wyne are chaunged into the very body and bloud of Christ really As the water at Cana Galilee was turned into very wyne The second part sayth we be not bound to beleue that bread and wyne are chaunged but onely that his body and bloud are there presently The thyrd say we be bound by these woordes onely to beleue that Christes body was broken and hys bloudshed for the remissiō of our sinnes and that there is no other satisfaction for sinne then the death and passion of Christ The first say these woordes This is my body This is my bloud compell vs to beleue that thynges there shewed are the very body and bloud of Christ really But bread and wyne say they cannot be Christes naturall body ther fore the bread and wyne are chaunged turned altered and transubstantiated into the very body bloud of Christ And they of this opinion haue busied them selues in seekyng subtilties and similitudes to proue how the very body and bloud might be there vnder the similitude of bread and wine onely the very bread and wyne beyng thus trāsubstantiated And these men haue ben so occupyed in slaying all that wil not captiue their wits to beleue them that they neuer taught nor vnderstode that the Sacrament is an absolution to all that therby beleue in the body bloud of Christ The second part graunt with the first that the wordes compel vs to beleue that the things shewed in the Sacrament are the very body and bloud of Christ But where the first say bread and wine cannot be the very body and bloud of Christ There they vary and dissent from them affirming that bread and wine may and also is Christes body really and very bloud of Christ and say that it is as true to say that bread is Christes body and that wyne is hys bloud as it is true to say Christ beyng a very mā is also very God And they say as the Godhead and manhode in Christ are in such maner coupled togegether that mā is very God and God very man Euen so the very body and the bread are so coupled that it is as true to say that bread is the body of Christ and the bloud so annexed there with the wyne that it is euen as true to say that the wyne is Christes bloud The first though they haue slayne so many in and for the defence of their opinion yet they are ready to receiue the second sort to fellowshyp not greatly striuyng with them or abhorryng the presence of bread and wyne with the very body and bloud so that they yee by that meanes may keepe hym there still and hope to sell hym as deare as before and also some to bye hym and not to minish the price The thyrd sort affirme that the wordes meane no more but onely that we beleue by the thyngs that are there shewed that Christes body was brokē and his bloud shed for our sinnes if we will forsake our sinnes turne to God to kepe his law And they say that these sayinges This is my body and This is my bloud shewyng bread wyne are true as Christ meant them and as the people of that countrey to whō Christ spake were accustomed to vnderstand such wordes and as the Scripture vseth in a thousand places to speake As when one of vs sayth I haue dronke a cup of good wyne that saying is true as the mā meant that he dranke wyne onely and not the cup whiche wordes happely in some other nations eares would sound that he dranke the cuppe And as when we say of a child This is such a mans very face the wordes are true as the maner of our land is to vnderstand them that the face of the one is very like the other And as whē we say he gaue me his fayth and hys truth in my hand the wordes are true as we vnderstand them that he stroke handes with me or gaue earnest in signe or token that he would byde by his promise For the fayth of a mā doth alway rest in his soule and cannot be giuen out though we giues signes and tokens of them Euen so say they we haue a thousād examples in the Scripture where signes are named with names of thynges signified by them As Iacob called the place where hee saw the Lord face to face Phenyell that is Gods face when he saw the Lord face to face Now it is true to say of that field that it is Gods face though it be not his very face The same field was so called to signifie that Iacob there saw God face to face The chief hold and principall ancre that the two first haue is these words This is my body This is my bloud Vnto these the third aunswereth as is aboue sayd other textes they alledge for them selues whiche not onely do not strength their cause but rather make it worse As in y e sixt of Iohn which they draw and wrest to the carnall and flesh ly eating of Christes body in y e mouth when it onely meaneth of this eatyng by fayth For when Christ sayd except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of mā and drinke hys bloud ye haue no lyfe in you This cannot be vnderstanded of the Sacrament For Abraham had life and all the old holy fathers Christes mother Elizabeth Zacharias Iohn Baptist Symeon Anna and all the Apostles had lyfe already by fayth in Christ Of which not one had eatē hys flesh and dronke his bloud with theyr bodily mouthes But truth it is that the righteous liueth by his fayth Ergo to beleue and trust in Christes bloud is the eatyng that there was meant as the texte well proueth if they say we graunt that life commeth by faith but we all that beleue must be Baptised to keepe the law and to keepe the couenaunt in mynde Euen so all that lyueth by fayth must receiue the Sacrament I aunswere The Sacrament is a confirmation to weake consciences and in no wise to be despised howbeit many haue lyued by fayth in the wildernes whiche in 20. 30.
but inuisible and still bodely present hee would neuer haue couered hym selfe with the cloude shewyng them and testifying also by those ij men his very bodely AsceÌ„tion out of their sightes We may not make of hys very bodely AscentioÌ„ such an inuisible iugglyng cast as our Papistes fayne Fashionyng and fayning Christ a body now inuisible now in many places at once theÌ„ so great and yet in so litle a place not decerned of any of our senses now glorified now vnglorified now passible and then impassible and I wote neare what they imagine and make of their maker and all without any woorde yea cleane agaynst all the wordes of holy Scripture For surely in this their imagination and so saying they bryng in a fresh the heresie of that great heretike Marcian which said that Christ tooke but a phantasticall body And so was neither verely borne nor suffered nor rose nor ascended verely neither was he very man Which heresie Tertulian confuteth Christ toke verely our nature such a passible and mortall body as we beare about with vs saue that he was without all maner of synne In such a body he suffered verely and rose agayne from death in such a glorified body now immortall c. as euery one of vs shall ryse at the generall iudgement It is appropried onely to hys Godhead to be euery where and not to bee circumscribed nor conteined in no one place And as for our Papistes prophane voyde voyces his body to be in many places at once indifinitiue incircumscriptiue non per modum quaÌ„ti neque localiter c. which includeth in it selfe contradiction of which Paule warned Timothe callyng them the oppositions of a false named science for that theyr Scholasticall Diuinitie must make obiections agaynst euery truth be it neuer so playne with pro contra whiche science many that professe it sayth Paul haue erred from the fayth as for this contention and battayle about wordes profitable for nothyng els but to subuert the hearers I care not for them For I haue the almighty testimony of the euerlastyng word of God ready to soyle all theyr madde and vnreasonable reasons to wype them cleane away and to turne them into their own confession And for bycause they hold them so fast by Paule I shall loose theyr hold expoundyng the Lordes Supper after Paule which addeth immediatly vnto the cup this y t Luke there left foorth Doe ye this into my remembraunce This doth Paule repete so ofte to put vs in minde that these thankes giuing and Supper is the coÌ„memoration and the memoriall of Christes death Wherfore after all hee repeteth it yet agayne the thyrde tyme saying So oft as ye shall eate this bread hee calleth it still bread euen after the Popes consecration and drinke the cuppe he sayth not drinke this bloude see that ye gyue thaÌ„kes be ioyous and preach the death of the Lord for so much signifieth Anâ—â—â—ciate in this place vntill hee come that is to say froÌ„ the tyme of his death and Ascention vntill hee come agayne to iudgement Furthermore sayeth Paule who so eateth this bread he calleth it still bread or drinke of the cuppe of the Lord vnworthely is giltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. The body and bloud of the Lorde Paule calleth here the congregation assembled together to eate the Lordes Supper For they are his body and bloud which are redemed with his body and bloud as he said in the x. chapter before The cup of thankes giuyng whiche we receiue with thaÌ„kes is it not the felowshyp of the bloud of Christ The bread whiche we breake is it not the felowshyp of the body of Christ For we beyng many together are one bread and one body Loe here Paule expoundyng hym selfe vseth the same forme of spech that is vsed in these woordes This is my body takyng is for signifieth We are one bread one body that is to say we are signified by one loafe of bread to be one body he sheweth the cause addyng because we be all partakers of one lofe or peece of bread And in the xij chapter folowing he sayth plainly ye be the body of Christ and his particular members and in the first to the Ephesians God dyd set Christ to be the head ouer all vnto hys congregation whiche is his body c. And bicause the comparison in the x. chapter betwene the Lordes borde and his cup and the deuils borde and his cup do declare this matter I shall recite Paules wordes saying ye may not drinke the cup of the Lord and the cuppe of the deuill both together Ye may not bee partakers of the Lordes borde the deuils borde both at once The deuils borde and hys cuppe was not his body and bloud but the earing and drinkyng before their images and Idols as dyd the heathen in the worshyppe and thankes of theyr Gods Of the which thyng thou mayst gather what Paul meant by the Lordes borde and his cuppe Now let vs returne to Paule in the xâ— chapter They eate this bread and drinke of this cup vnworthely that come not vnto this borde with such faith and loue as they professed at their Baptisme They eate vnworthely that thrust them selues in among this congregation hauyng not the loue that this SacrameÌ„t and signe of vnity teacheth and signifieth Which maner of people Paule in y e same chapter rebuketh and bendeth all his Sermon agaynst them for that they were conteÌ„tious and came together not for the better but for the woorse So that their commyng together which should haue bene a token of fayth and loue was turned into the occasion and matter of disscution and strife bycause euery man dyd eate as Paule sayth hys owne supper and not the Lordes supper wherein the bread and drinke is common as well to the poore as to the riche But here the rich disdayned the poore and would not tarye for them So that some as the rich went theyr way dronken and full and the poore departed hungry and dry whiche was a token of no equall distribution of the bread and drinke and that the rich contemned the poore and so became sclauÌ„derous and giltie of the body bloud of Christ that is to witte of the poore congregation redemed with Christes body and bloud Thus they that came together appearyng to haue had that loue whiche the Supper signified and had it not vttered them selues by this conteÌ„tious and vnlouyng dealyng not to be members of Christes body but rather giltie and hurtfull vnto them As if a souldier of our aduersaries part shoulde come in among vs with our Lordes badge hauyng not that hart fayth and loue to our captaine that we haue we would if we espyed it by any token take him for a spye and betrayer rather then one of vs. Let a man therefore sayth Paule proue him selfe well before whether he hath this fayth to Christ
in lawe whom he did so valiauntly fight withall and confounde that he connerted Rastall to his part Then he was â—â—ryed to Lambith before the Bishop of Caunterburie and afterward to Croydon where was present StepheÌ„ Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who had béene his tutor in Cambridge as aforesayd and séemed to owe vnto him greate loue and fauour but in the stéede thereof he found in the ende his great malice and tyrannye and last of all he was called before the Bishoppes in a Common assemblye at London where he so costantly defended him selfe that he had preuailed if he might haue bene heard as indéed he was not The order of his iudgment with the maner of his examinatioÌ„ and Articles which were obiected agaynst him are comprised and set forth by himselfe in a letter written to his frendes which letter also is imprinted and set forth in this booke After sentence geuen against him by the Byshop of London he was delyuered to the Maior Shirifes of the sayd Citie Syr Stephen pecocke a simple man being then Maior and forth with he was committed to new gate where he was put into y e Dungeon vnder the sayd Gate and laden with Boltes and Irons as many as he could beare and his necke with a Coler of Iron made fast to a post so that he could neyther stand vpright nor stoupe downe yet was he there continually occupied in writing of diuerse thinges namely with a candell both day and night for there came none other light into that place And in this case he remayned iij. or iiij dayes and then was from thence caried into Smithféelde y e iiij day of Iuly 1533. where with great pacience and constancy he suffered that most hâ—lly and cruell death of burning And when the fyer was set on the faggottes he embraced the same in his Armes and with all pacience commytted his spirite vnto almighty God But this one thing is yet to bee remembred that he being bounde to the stake with an other good Martyr which was a very simple young man named Andrew Hewet there was present one Doctour Cooke that was person of the Church called Allhalowes in hony lane scituate in the myddes of Chepesyde And the sayd Cooke made an open exclamation and admonished the people that they should in no wise pray for them no more then they would doe for a dogg At which wordes Frith smyling desired the Lord to forgeue him But the vngodly and vncharitable wordes of the sayd Doctour did not a litle offende the people And thus for the testimony of the true doctrine of Christ which the sayd Frith sealed with his bloud the day and yeare afore sayd he dyed in the xxiiij yeare of his age as some saye but his parentes reported in the xxx yeare of his age IOHN FRITH VNTO the Christen Reader GRace and peace bee with thee ChristeÌ„ reader I am sure there are many that will much meruell couÌ„t it a great presumptioÌ„ that I beyng so young and of so small learnyng dare attempt to dispute this matter against these thre personages of the which nuÌ„ber two that is to say my Lord of Rochester and Sir Thomas More are auncient men both of great witte and dignitie Notwithstanding I will desire theÌ„ paciently to heare myne aunswere not aduertisyng who speaketh the wordes but rather what is sayd And as coÌ„cernyng myne youth let them remember what Paule monisheth i. Timot. iiij willyng that Timotheus should instruct the coÌ„gregration and that no maÌ„ should despise his youth for as the spirite of God is bound to no place cueÌ„ so is he not addict to any age or person but inspireth when hee will and where he will makyng the young to see visioÌ„s and espye the truth and the elders to dreame dreames and to wander in phantasies Actes 2. Ioel. 2. And as touchyng my learnyng I must nedes acknowledge as the truth is very small neuerthelesse that litle as I am bound haue I determined by Gods grace to bestow to the edifying of Christes congregation which I pray god to encrease in the knowledge of his word I would not that any man should admit my wordes or learnyng except they will stande with the Scripture and be approued therby Lay them to the touchstone and trye them with Gods word If they be found false and counterfaite then damne them and I shall also reuoke them with all myne hart But if the Scripture allow them that you can not deny but it so is then resist not y e doctrine of God but knowledge your ignoraunce and seduction and returne gladly into the right way For if you caÌ„ not improue it by Gods word and yet of an hate and malicious mynde that you beare to the truth labour to resist it condemne it that it should not spread I ensure you your sinne is irremissible and euen agaynst the holy ghost and the bloud of them that perish for fault of instruction shal be required on your handes Peraduenture some of you will say your fathers old progenitours â–ª with many holy men and Doctours haue so beleued that therfore you will abyde by the old I aunswere The wayes iudgementes of God are meruelous who knoweth whether God haue suffred his elect to erre and be seduced for a season to the entent that the vnfaithfull which would not beleue the truth but had pleasure in iniquity might stoÌ„ble at their errour into their vtter confusion and ruine Although a man be neuer so faythfull and holy yet is there much imperfectioÌ„ in him as long as he is included in this mortall body how be it it is not imputed vnto him but through y e fayth in Christes bloud who lye pacified and forgeuen And therfore it is not sure that we folow their exteour workes or other imaginatioÌ„s but let vs euer coÌ„ferre them vnto the pure word of God and as the Scripture testifieth so let vs receaue them My Lord of Rochester doth testifie him selfe writyng vpon the xviij Article that there are many pointes both of the Gospels and other Scriptures which are now discussed more diligeÌ„tly and more clearely vnderstand then they haue bene in tymes past And addeth furthermore that there are diuerse places in Scripture yet some deale darke which he doubteth not but that they shal be more open and light vnto our posteritie for why shal we dispaire of that saith he sith that the Scripture is for that entent left with vs that it may be vnderstaÌ„d of vs exactly and to the vttermost point Of this may you euidently perceaue that the old fathers and holy Doctours haue not sene all the truth But somewhat is also left through the high prouision of God to be discussed of their successours And therfore is it not mete that we straight wayes cleaue vnto their wordes with out any further ensearchyng the scriptures but we must examine all thyngs by the
the Lord as it is also written Dani. iij. And Paule sayth Roma 8. All maner of creatures long for our redemption and prayse God for it yea and mourne that the last day is not yet come that the elect children of God might enter into rest for then shall also those creatures be deliuered frō their corruptiō and bondage into the libertie and glory of the children of God Now iudge Christen reader whiche sentence standeth most with the Scripture and glory of God Doth not the blessed Apostle S. Peter as it appeareth Actes ij say of our Sauiour Christe in this wise Quem Deus suscitauit solutis doloribus inferni In these woordes he shewed that paynes of hell were losed but those paynes were not the paynes of damned soules And in limbo patrum there was no payne Ergo it was the payne of Purgatory which he loosed Alas what shall I say I am in a maner compelled to say that this mā wandreth in wilfull blindnesse For els were it not possible that he should erre so far as to bring in this text for hys purpose The woordes of Peter are these Ye men of Israell heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man set foorth of God for you wyth powers wonders and tokens which God hath done by hym among you as you your selues know after he was deliuered by the purposed counsell and foreknowledge of God and you receyued hym of the handes of the wicked ye crucifyed and kylled him whom God hath raysed dissoluing the paynes of death for it was imposible that he should be subdued of it Here in stead of these wordes The paynes of death he setteth the paynes of hell as it is most like euē of a purposed deceit For albeit the mā would not take the payne to read the gréeke yet if he had but once looked vpon the translation of hys olde frende and companion Erasmus it would haue taught him to haue sayd solutis doloribus mortis that is dissoluing the paynes of death according to the Gréeke and very woordes of Luke which wrote these actes in the gréeke tongue And albeit the old translation vseth thys worde Infernus which is diuersly taken in scripture both for death for a graue for hell yet in this place is maister More wythout excuse which calleth it hell in our English tongue For albeit the woord of it self were indifferent in the Latine yet it is not indifferent in the English for there is no English man that taketh thys woord hell eyther for death or for a graue no not maister More himself For first he translateth the text falsely calling it hell and then he descanteth on a false ground and calleth hell not death but purgatory when S. Peter brought in these wordes for no other purpose but to proue y t Christ was risen from death through the power of hys Father meaning that God the Father dyd rayse hys Sonne Christ notwythstanding the sorowfull paynes and panges which he suffred vnto y t death for it was impossible that Christ should be vtterly subdued of death So that thys text proueth no more purgatory then it proueth that maister More was hyred of the spiritualty to defend purgatory Besides that if it should serue for Purgatory which no wise man wil graunt whē he séeeth the processe of the Text it should proue nothing but that Christ should lye in the paynes of purgatory vntill God hys Father had holp him out for the paynes ▪ which he speaketh of were Christes paynes which no man can deny if he read the Text. But what a fond opinion were that to fayne that Christ which was without sinne should be tormented in the paynes of purgatory The blessed Apostle Paule in his first epistle to the Corinthians the third chapter speaking of our sauiour Christ the very and only foundation of all our fayth and saluation sayth If any man builde vpon this foundation gold siluer precious stones wood hay or strawe euery mans worke shall be made open for the day of the Lord shall declare it for in the fire it shal be shewed the fire shall proue what maner of thyng euery mans worke is If any mans worke that he hath builded thereon do abide he shall haue a reward if any mans worke burne he shall suffer harme but he shal be safe but yet as by fire And finally he concludeth that thys woord fyre must néedes signifie the fyre of Purgatorye He that considereth the order or proces of the text shall easely perceiue that thys man erreth for the Text speaketh of the preachers blameth the Corrinthians that they made such sectes and dissentions among them selues for one sayd that he was Paules man and held on hys side an other sayd that he was Peters man the thirde did sticke to Apollo and so foorth euen as our friers do now a dayes one sect holdeth on S. Fraunces an other of S. Dominike the thyrd of S. Austen c. S. Paule rebuketh these sectes called the persons carnall commaunding them to take Christ for theyr head to cleaue onely to him and as for Apollo Peter and Paule he sayth that they are but ministers of the woord ▪ euery mā according to the gyfte geuen hym of God the one more the other lesse Paule planted Apollo watred that is Paule set the Corinthians in the ground of Christes fayth and then came Apollo and preached them further of Christ and comforted them to abide in the way which they walked in howbeit it was onely God that made them prosper in the woord and gaue the encrease Neuertheles euery man shall receaue according to his labour if he preach much the more shall be his reward if he preach litle therafter shall he be rewarded For we are Gods workmē to preach hys worde and you are Gods husbandry whom we must till and dresse in declaring you the woord and perpetuall will of God you are become Gods building thorough the grace of God which he hath geuen me whome we must frame and so couch by the word of God that we may make of you a temple of liuing stones Lyke a wise woorkemaister haue I layd the foundation for I first beganne to preach you Christ Now commeth there an other and buildeth vpon this my foūdation entendyng to instruct you further in the wayes of Christ But let euery mā take hede how he buildeth or preach vnto you for no man cā lay any other foundation then is layed already for all our buildyng and preachyng leneth onely on this pointe and principall stone to declare vnto you what Christ hath done for you If any builde on this foundation gold siluer or precious stones that is if any man preach purely the word of God which is likened to gold siluer and precious stones because that as these are not consumed with matteriall fire but rather made more pure euen so the pure word of God suffreth neither hurt
resisted theyr obdurate ignoraunce If thou make this diuisioÌ„ thou shalt know how to behaue thy selfe towardes all men but now it is méete that we shewe thée whiche are the ceremonies of Baptisme The ceremonies of Baptisme are easly expressed if thou know what the substaunce of it is and how the Apostles ministred it and where may we haue that better expressed then Actes viij where Philip baptised the Eunuch chamberlaine to the Quéene of CaÌ„dace this Eunuch did knowledge that Iesus was the sonne of GOD which is the signe of our fayth and desired Baptisme and Phillip at the next water they came to washed hym in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost There will no man deny but that that Baptisme was as full as good as ours yet was there neither fonte nor holy water candle creame oyle salt godfather or godmothers or any other popatrie Wherfore we may coÌ„clude that all these thinges are but ceremonyes that is to say exterior thynges whiche make Baptisme neither the better nor worse of a myte thus say I not to haue these ceremonies that want iudgemeÌ„t disanulled which are not noysome to our fayth for feare of offending the weake but onely that thou mayest know how to vse them as indifferent and to put no confideÌ„ce in them For then should they hurte and vnquiet our conscience if thorowe negligence or otherwise any thinge were vndone and so shoulde they be an occasion to plucke vs from Christe which were institute for a meane to bring vs vnto him Therfore the Seniours and ministers of the congregations ought to instructe their flockes to take these thinges indifferent which neyther saue nor damne whether they be done or vndone And if they perceyue the people cleaue to sore to them then ought they to séeke out a tyme conuenient and to abrogate or alter those ceremonies or elles they can not escape the wrath of God For they that séeke health in such ceremonies are fallen from grace and treade vnder theyr â—â—te the bloude of Christ vnto their condemnation But theyr bloude shal be required at your haÌ„des which better should haue instructed them And as concerning the abrogation or alteration of ceremonies we haue a godly ensample of the Sabaoth The Sabaoth was instituted and coÌ„mauÌ„ded of God to be kept of the chyldren of Israel Notwithstanding because it was a signe or a ceremony and did signifie vnto them that it was God which sanctified them with his spirit and not themselues wyth theyr holy workes And because also that all ceremonies and shadowes ceased wheÌ„ Christ came So that they might be done or left vndone indiffereÌ„tly Our forefathers which were in the beginning of the church did abrogate thys Sabaoth to the entent that meÌ„ might haue an ensample of ChristeÌ„ libertie and that they might know that neyther the kéepyng of the Saboth nor of any other day is necessary according to Paule Ye obserue dayes tymes and monethes I am afrayde of you that I haue laboured in vayne towardes you Howbeit because it was necessary that a day should be reserued in the which the people might come together to heare the worde of God they ordayned in the stede of y e Sabbaoth which was Saterday the next day folowing which is Sonday And although they myght haue kept the Saterday wyth the Iewes as a thyng indifferent yet did they much better to ouerset the day to be a perpetuall memory that we are frée and not bounde to any day but that we may do all lawful workes to the pleasure of God and profite of our neighbour We are in maner as supersticious in the Soâ—…s they were in the Saterday yeâ—… we are much madder For the Iewes haue y â— word of God for theyr Saterdaye sithe it is the seuenth daye and they were commaunded to kéepe the seueÌ„th day solempne And we haue not the word of God for vs but rather agaynst vs for we kéepe not the seuenth day as y e Iewes do But the first which is not commaunded by Gods lawe but Paule byddeth that no man iudge vs as concernyng holy day meates and such other exteryour thyngs yea and in no wise will he that we obserue them countyng them more holy then other dayes For they were institute that the people should come together to heare Gods worde receyue the sacramentes and geue God thankes That done they may returne vnto their houses and do their businesse aswell as any other day He that thinketh that a man sinneth which worketh on the holy daye if he be weake or ignoraunt ought better to be instruct and so to leaue his holde But if he be obstinate and perseuer in hys sentence he is not of God but of the deuill for he maketh sinne in such as God leaueth frée Accordyng to thys ensample would I that our ceremonies were altered because as I haue sayd the people séeke health in them And what vilany can they do more to Christes bloude And as concerning Godfathers Godmothers they promise for theyr Godchildren that they shall mortifie the roote of sinne which springeth in the bodies and subdue theyr lustes vnder the lawe of God They promise also that they will instructe and bryng vp theyr Godchildren in the fayth of Christ which office pertayneth vnto theyr parentes for they are coÌ„maunded of God to teach their children So that the parentes should be either alone or at the least y e chiefest Godfather But now a dayes the fathers may not be suffered to know any thing themselues How shoulde they theÌ„ instruct their children They kéepe the scripture and word of God from you and beare you in hand that it is heresie Alas how long wyll you lacke vnderstanding perceyue you not yet that they would kéepe you in darcknes because you shoulde not espye theyr priuy practise and sleightly conueyaunce Are you so mad that this blessed worde which made the euill good will make the good euyll thynke you that thys holsome medicine which healeth all infirmities is now chauÌ„ged into such a nature that it will poyson you Are ye so simple and childishe to surmise that this godly doctrine which discloseth all hipocrisie and confoundeth all heresies should make you to erre and fall into heresies I pray God geue you eyes to sée eares to heare and open your hartes that you may perceyue what his pleasure is For surely ignorauncie shall not excuse you as Ezechiell speakyng in the person of God sayth vnto y e curates Thou sonne of maÌ„ I haue made thee an ouersear vnto y e house of Israel thou shalt heare the worde of my mouth and shalt shewe it them from me If I say vnto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou shew hym not nor exhort him to turn froÌ„ his wicked way that he may lyue then he shall dye in his wickednes but I will require his bloude at thy hande Yea
are infinite other thynges wherein hee contrarieth Christ in so much that if it be diligētly examined I thinke there is no word that Christ spake but the other hath taught or made a law agaynst it Howbeit for to auoyde tediousnes we shall leaue them vnto your owne iudgement for they are soone searched out espyed Iudge Christē reader all these things with a simple eye be not parcially addict to the one nor to the other But Iudge them by the Scripture And knowledge that to be the truth which Gods word doth alow auoydyng all other doctrine for it springeth of Sathan be not ashamed to confesse poore Christ and to take him for thy head before these rauenous Wolues for then shall he cōfesse thée agayn before his father the aungelles in heauen Then shalt thou bee inheritour with Iesu Christe And the faythfull sonne of thy father whiche is in heauen to whom be all glory eternally Amen ¶ Here endeth the Antithesis betwene Christe and the Pope A booke made by Iohn Frith prisoner in the Tower of London aunsweryng vnto M. Mores letter which he wrote against the first litle treatise that Iohn Frith made concernyng the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ vnto which booke are added in the ende the articles of hys examination before the Bishops of London Winchester and Lyncolne in Paules Churche at London for which Iohn Frith was condemned and after burned in Smithfield without Newgate the fourth day of Iuly Anno. 1533. ¶ The Preface of this booke GRace and increase of knowledge from God the father through our Lorde Iesus Christ be with the Christen reader and with all them that loue the Lord vnfaynedly Amen I chaunced beyng in these parties to be in company with a Christen brother which for his commēdable conuersation and sober behauiour might better be a Byshop then many that weare miters if the rule of S. Paule were regarded in their election This brother after much communication desired to know my mynde as touchyng the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ Which thing I opened vnto hym accordyng to the gift that God had geuen me First I proued vnto hym that it was no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation Then I declared that Christ had a naturall body euen as myne is sauyng sinne and that it could no more bee in two places at once thē myne cā Thirdly I shewed him that it was not necessarie that the wordes should so be vnderstand as they sound But that it might be a phrase of Scripture as there are innumerable After that I shewed him certaine phrases and maner of speakynges And that it was well vsed in our English toung and finally I recited after what maner they might receiue it according to Christes institutiō not fearyng the froward alteration that the Priests vse contrary to the first forme and institution When I had sufficiently published my mynde hee desired me to entitle the sūme of my wordes and write them for hym because they seemed ouerlong to be well reteined in memorie And albeit I was loth to take the matter in hand yet to fulfill his instant intercession I tooke vpon me to touche this terrible tragedie and wrote a treatise whiche beside my paynfull imprisonmēt is like to purchase me most cruell death which I am ready and glad to receiue with the spirite and inward man although the fleshe be frayle when soeuer it shall please God to lay it vpon me Notwithstādyng to say the truth I wrote it not to the intēt that it should haue ben published For then I would haue touched the matter more earnestly and haue written as well of the spirituall eating drinking which is of necessitie as I dyd of the carnall which is not so necessarie For the treatise that I made was not expedient for all men albeit it were sufficient for them whom I tooke in hand to instruct For they knew the spirituall and necessarie eatyng and drinkyng of his body bloud which is not receiued with the teth and bellye but with the eares and faith and onely neded instructiō in the outward eating whiche thing I therfore onely declared But now it is cōmon abroad and in many mēs mouthes in so much that M. More whiche of late hath busied hym selfe to medle in all such matters of what zeale I will not define hath sore labored to confute it but some mē thinke that he is ashamed of his part and for that cause doth so diligently suppresse the woorke whiche he printed For I my selfe saw the worke in Print in my Lord of Winchesters house vpon S. Stephens day last past But neither I neither all the frēdes I could make might attaine any copie but onely one written copie whiche as it seemed was drawen out in great hast notwithstandyng I can not well iudge what the cause should bee that his boke is kept so secret But this I am right sure of that he neuer touched the foundation that my treatise was builded vpon And therefore sith my foundation standeth so sure and inuincible for els I thinke verely he would sore haue laboured to haue vndermined it I will thereupon builde a litle more and also declare that his ordinaūce is to slender to breake it downe although it were set vppon a woorse foundation ¶ The foundation of that litle treatise was that it is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation that the Sacrament should be the naturall body of Christ which thyng is proued on this maner FIrste we must all acknowledge that it is no article of our fayth which can saue vs nor which we are bound to beleue vnder the paine of eternal damnation For if I should beleue that hys very naturall body both flesh and bloud were naturally in the bread and wine that should not saue me seyng many beleue that and receiue it to their damnation for it is not his presence in the bread that can saue me but his presence in my hart through faith in his bloud which hath washed out my sinnes and pacified y t fathers wrath toward me And agayne if I doe not beleue his bodely presence in the bread and wyne that shall not damne me but the absence out of my hart thorough vnbelefe Now if they would here obiect that though it be truth that the absēce out of the bread could not damne vs yet are we bounde to beleue it because of gods word which who beleueth not as much as in him lyeth maketh God a lyer And therfore of an obstinate mynde not to beleue hys word may be an occasion of damnation To this we may answere that we beleue Gods worde and knowledge that it is true but in this we dissent whether it be true in the sence that we take it in or in the sence that ye take it in And we say agayne that though
signification and sought their health and righteousnes in the bodely worke and in the sacrifice it selfe then were they abhominable in the sight of God and then he cryed out of them both by the Prophet Dauid and Esay And likewise it is with our Sacramentes let vs therefore séeke vp the significations and go to the very thing which the sacrament is set to present vnto vs. And there shal we finde such fruitfull foode as shall neuer fayle vs but comfort our soules into life euerlastyng Now will I in order answer to M. Mores booke and as I finde occasion geuen me I shall indeuoure my selfe to supply that thyng which lacked in the first treatise and I trust I shall shewe such lyght that all men whose eyes the Prince of this worlde hath not blynded shall perceiue the truth of the scriptures and glory of Christ And where as in my first treatise the truth was set forth with all simplicitie and nothing armed against the assault of sophisters that haue I somewhat redressed in this booke haue brought bones filte for their téeth which if they be to busie may chaunce to choke them ¶ Thus beginneth the Preface of M. Mores booke IN my most harty wyse I recommende me vnto you and send you by this bringer the wryting againe which I receiued from you Whereof I haue bene offered a cople of copies mo in the mean while as late as ye wot well it was Deare brethren consider these wordes and prepare you to the crosse that Christ shall lay vppon you as ye haue oft bene counsaylled For euen as when the Wolfe howleth y e shéepe had nede to gather thēselues to their shepheard to be deliuered from the assault of the bloudy beast likewyse had you nede to slye vnto the shepheard of your soules Christ Iesus to sell your coates and buye his spirituall sworde which is the word of God to defende and deliuer you in this present necessitie for now is the tyme that Christ tolde vs of Math. x. that he was come by his worde to set variaunce betwene the sonne and his father betwene the daughter and her mother betwene the daughter in lawe and her mother in lawe that in a mans owne householde shall be his enemies But be not dismayde nor thinke it no wonder for Christe those twelue and one of them was y e Deuill and betrayed his master And we that are his disciples may loke for no better than he had himself for the scholer is not aboue his mayster Saint Paule protesteth y e he was in perill among false brethren surely I suppose that we are in no lesse ieopardye For if it be so that hys mastership receiued one copye and had a cople of copyes moe offered in the meane while then may ye be sure that there are many false brethren which pretend to haue knowledge in déede are but pykethankes prouiding for their bellye prepare ye therfore clokes for the weather waxeth cloudy and rayne is like to followe I meane not false excuses and forswearing of your selues but that ye loke substantially vpon Gods worde that you may be able to answere their subtle obiections And rather chuse manfully to dye for Christ and hys worde than cowardlye to deny hym for thys vayne and transitory lyfe cōsidering that they haue no further power but ouer this corruptible bodye which if they put it not to death must yet at y e length perish of it selfe But I trust the Lord shall not suffer you to be tēpted aboue that you may beare but according to y e sprite that he shall poure vppon you shall he also sende you the scourge and make hym that hath receiued more of the sprite to suffer more and him that receiueth lesse thereof to suffer according to his Talent I thought it necessary first to admonishe you of this matter and now I will recite more of M. Mores boke Whereby men may see how gredely these newe named brethren writeit out secretly spread it abroade The name is of great antiquitie although you liste to ieste For they were called brethrē ere our Bishops were called Lordes and had y e name geuen them by Christ saying Math. xxiij all ye are brethren And Luke y ◠xxij Confirme they brethren And the name was cōtinued by the Apostles and is a name that nourisheth loue amitie And very glad I am to heare of their gredy affection in writing out and spreading abroade the worde of God for by that I do perceiue the prophesie of Amos to haue place which sayth In the person of God I will send hunger and thyrste into the earth not hunger for meate nor thurst for drinke But for to here the word of God Now begynneth the kyngdome of heauen to suffer violence Now runne the poore Publicanes which knowledge them selues sinners to the word of God puttyng both goodes and body in ieoperdy for the soule health And though our Byshops do call it heresie and all them heretickes that hunges after it yet do we know that it is the Gospell of the lyuyng God for the health and saluation of all that beleue And as for the name doth nothing offēde vs though they call it heresie a thousand tymes For S. Paule testifieth that the Phariseis and Priestes which were counted the very Church in hys tyme dyd so call it and therefore it foreceth not though they ruling in their rowmes vse the same names Which young mā I here say hath lately made diuers other thynges that yet runne in hoker moker so close amōg the brethren that there commeth no copies abroad I aunswere that surely I can not spynne and I thinke no mā more hateth to be idle then I do Wherfore in such thynges as I am able to doe I shal be diligēt as long as God lendeth me my lyfe And if ye thinke I be to busie you may rid me the sooner for euen as the shéepe is in the butchers handes ready bound and looketh but euen for the grace of the butcher whē he shall shed his bloud Euen so am I bounde at the Byshops pleasures euer lookyng for the day of my death In so much that playne worde was sent me that the Chauncelour of Lōdon sayd it should cost me the best bloud in my body whiche I would gladly were shed to morow if so be it might open the kyngs graces eyen And verely I maruell that any thing can runne in hoker moker or be hyd from you For sith you mought haue such store of copyes concernyng the thyng whiche I most desired to haue ben kept secret how should you then lacke a copye of those thynges which I most would haue published And hereof ye may be sure I care not though you and all the Byshops with in England looke on all that euer I wrote but rather would be glad that ye so dyd
the very thynges and therefore as after a certaine maner the Sacrament of Christes body is Christes body and the Sacrament of Christes bloud is Christes bloud so the Sacrament of fayth is faith For it is no other thing to beleue then to haue fayth and therfore when a maÌ„ aunswereth that the infant beleueth which hath not the effect of fayth he auÌ„swereth that it hath fayth for the SacrameÌ„t of fayth And that it turneth it selfe to God for the Sacrament of conuertion For the aunswere it selfe perteineth vnto the ministryng of the Sacrament As the Apostle writeth of Baptisme we are buried sayth he with Christ through Baptisme vnto death He sayth not we signifie burying but vtterly sayth we are buryed He called therfore the Sacrament of so great a thyng euen with the name of y t very thing it selfe c. If a man would auoyde coÌ„tention and looke soberly on those woordes of S. Austen hee shall soone perceiue the mystery of this matter For euen as the next good Friday shal be called the day of Christes passion yet he shall not suffer death agayne vpon that day for hee dyed but once and is now immortall euen so is the SacrameÌ„t called Christes body And as that day is not the very day that he dyed on but onely a remembrauÌ„ce thereof so the Sacrament is not his very naturall body but onely a remembraunce of his body breakyng bloud sheddyng And likewise as the next Easter day shal be called the day of his resurrection not that it is the very same day that Christ dyd rise in but a remembraunce of the same euen so the Sacrament is called his body not that it is his body in déede but onely a remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the same And furthermore eueÌ„ as the Priest doth offer hym that is to say crucifie hym at Masse eueÌ„ so is the Sacrament his body But the Masse doth but onely represent hys passion And so doth the Sacrament represent his body And yet though the Masse doth but represent his crucifying we may truly say he is crucified euen so though the SacrameÌ„t do but signifie or represent his body yet may we truly say that it is his body Why so verely sayth he for the Sacramentes haue a certaine similitude of those thinges wherof they are Sacraments And for this similitude for the most part they take the names of the very thynges Blessed be God whiche hath so clearely discussed this matter by this faythfull father Notwithstandyng hée doth yet expresse it more playnly saying after a certaine maner the SacrameÌ„t of Christes body is Christes body Behold deare brethren he sayth after a certaine maner the Sacrament is Christes body And by that you may soone know that he neuer ment that it should be his very naturall body in déede but onely a token and memoriall to kéepe in memorie the death of his body and so to norishe our fayth Besides that his similitude which he after alledgeth of Baptisme doth wholy expound this matter for sayth hée y e Apostle sayth not we signifie burying but he sayth we are buryed and yet in déede the Baptisme doth but signifie it And thereupon S. Austen addeth that hée called the Sacrament of so great a thyng euen with the name of the very thyng it selfe And lykewise it is in our Sacrament Finally to be short I will passe ouer many places which I haue gathered out of his holy father and will touch but this one more S. Austen sayth Non enim Dominus dubitauit dicere Hoc est corpus meum cum daret signum corporis sui Et in eodem capite exponit Sic est enim sanguis anima quomodo petra erat Christus nec tamen petra ait significabat Christum sed ait petra erat Christus That is to say The Lord doubted not to say this is my body when he gaue a signe of his body And after in the same chapiter he expoundeth it For truly so the bloud is soule as Christ was y e stone And yet the Apostle sayth not the stone dyd signifie Christ but he sayth the stone was Christ Here. S. Austen sayth playnely that Christ called the signe of his body his body and in this chapter doth coÌ„pare these thrée textes of scripture this is my body the bloud is the soule and Christ was the stone and declareth them to be one phrase and to be expounded after one fasshion Now is there no man so mad as to say that Christ was a naturall stone except he be a naturall foole whose iudgment we nede not greatly to regard therfore we may well conclude that the sacrament is not his naturall body but is cauled his body for a similitude that it hath wherein it signifieth representeth his body And that the sacrament of so great a thing is called euen with the name of the very thing it selfe as S. Austen sayd immediately before This were proufe inough to conclude that all y e olde fathers did holde the same opinioÌ„ for who would once surmise seing we haue S. Austen so playne for vs which is the chiefest among them all who would once sur mise I say that he dissented in this great mattter from the other faythful fathers or they from him neuerthelesse I dare not let him stand post alone lest ye dispise him And therfore I will shew you y e minde of certaine other also and first of his maister S. Ambrose S. Ambrose wrighting vpon the Epistle of Paule to the Corinthians in the xi chapter sayth Quia enim morte Domini liberati sumus huius rei memoris in edendo potando carnem sanguinem que pro nobis oblata sunt significamus That is to say because we be deliuered by the death of the Lord being mindfull of this thinge meaning of the sacrament we signyfie â—he fleshe and bloud which were offered for vs. Here doth S. Ambrose say inough if meÌ„ were not sophisters but would be content with reason For he sayth that in eating and drinking the sacrament of Christes body we signifie or represent the flesh and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Not withstanding because you are so slippery we shall bynde you a lytle better by this mans wordes S. Ambrose sayth Sed forte dices speciem sanguinis non video Sed habet similitudinis Sicut enim mortis similitudinem sumpsisti ita etiam similitudinem preciosi sanguinis bibis That is to say But peraduenture thou wilt say I sene appearaunce of bloud but it hath a similitude For euen as thou hast taken the similitude of death euen so thou drinkest the similitude of the precious bloud Here may you see by y e conferring of these two sacramentes What. S. Ambrose iudged of it For he sayth euen as thou hast taken a similitude of his death in the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme so doost thou drink a similitude of his precious bloud in the sacrament of the altar And yet as S.
similitudes and his argumentes are naught 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Rastall sayth Purgatory is on the earth 18. Rastalles naturall reason deceaueth himselfe and his Turke Gingemyn 18. 20. Rastall cannot tell where purgatory shoulde bee 21. Rastalles ignoraunce 22. Rastall recogniseth his faulte 61 Rastall sheweth two causes why hee staÌ„deth in y t defeÌ„ce of purgatory 62 Rastals blynd argument 70 Rastall falsefieth the Scripture 71 Repentaunce is no satisfaction for sinne 14 Reconciliation to our neighbour is required of God 14 Reprouyng of hypocrites may not bee called raylyng 6â— Repentaunce what it is 74 Rochester the first patron of Purgatory 5â— Rochester and More agree not 5â— Rochester More and Rastall defenders of one heresie 6â— Rochester contrary to More and More contrary to Rochester 6â— S. SAbaoth kept on Saterday 96 Sabaoth kept on Sonday 96 Sabaoth abrogated 96 Sacramentes why they were instituted 111. 112 Sacramentes hath three thinges to be considered 91. 112 Sacrament to be the body of Christ is no Article of our fayth 108. 109 Sacrament to bee Christes naturall body is to grosse an Imagination 111 Sacrament diligently set forth by our Sauiour Christ 112 Sacrifices of the Iewes 113 Sacrament of Christes body and bloud what it signifieth 113 Sacrament is a figure of the breakyng of Christes body and shedyng of his bloud 115. 130 Sacrament may not bee worshypped 151. 155 SacrameÌ„t is the memoriall of Christes death 128 Sacrament what it is 132 Sacrament of Christes body is a thankes geeuyng 135 Sacrament how it is our body 136 ibidem Satisfaction is of two sortes 23. 57 Scripture maketh no meÌ„tioÌ„ of Purgatory 12 Scripture hath many senses 120 Scripture is to bee vnderstanded spiritually 121 Sectes of heretickes 51 Symon Fish made the supplication of Beggers 6 Siluester Pope in whose tyme corruption entred into the Churche 116 Sinne agaynst the holy ghost what it is 341 Sinnes are not remitted after this life 45 Sinne may bee committed and yet it is no sinne 73 Supplication of Beggers 6 T. TVrkes and Iewes beleeue that there is a Purgatory 33 Truth is not to bee sought at the dead 46 Tracyes last will and testament 77 Theeues and murtherers who they are 86. 87. 88 Tyndall a man of most innocent life 118 V. VOluntary or wilfull ignoraunce is not to bee excused 4 W. WIckleâ—â—e burned 118 Wicked and vnfaythfull persons doe not receaue the body of Christ 136. 141 William Tracyes will 77 Wisedome of the world is foolishnes with God 6 Wordes figuratiuely spoken 44 Worshyppyng of the Sacrament is Idolatry 151 Z. ZWinglius slayne 118 Finis Here endeth the Table of M. Frithes booke DIEV ET MON DRIOT THE WORKES of Doctour Barnes His lyfe and Martyrdome 1 A supplication to K. Henry the viij fol. 183 2 His Articles condemned by Popishe Byshops 205. 3. The disputation betweene the Byshoppes and hym 217. 4. Fayth onely iustifieth before God 226. 5. What the Church is and who bee thereof and whereby men may know her 242. 6. An other declaration of the Church wherin hee aunswereth M. More 252. 7. What the keyes of the Church bee and to whom they were geeuen 257. 8. Freewill of man after the fall of Adam of his naturall strength can doe nothyng but sinne afore God 267. 9. That it is lawfull for all maner of men to read the holy Scripture 282. 10. That mens constitutions which are not grounded in Scripture bynde not the coÌ„science of man vnder the payne of deadly synne 292. 11. That all meÌ„ are bouÌ„de to receiue the holy Communion vnder both kyndes vnder the payne of deadly synne 301. 12. That by Gods woorde it is lawfull to Priestes that hath not the gifte of chastistie to marry wiues 309. 13. That it is against the holy Scripture to honor Images to pray to Saintes 339. 14. Of the originall of the Masse 356. 15. A collection of Doctours testimonies 358. ARISE FOR IT IS DAY The death and burning of the most constant Martyrs in Christ D. Rob. Barnes Tho. Garret and W. Hierome in Smithfielde an 1541. ¶ A briefe discourse of the lyfe and doinges of Robert Barnes Doctour in Diuinitie a blessed seruaunt and Martyr of Christ summarely extracted out of the booke of Monumentes THe first bringing vp of the sayd Rob. Barnes from a childe was in the vniuersitie of Cambridge and was made a Nouice in y e house of y e Fryer Augustines there And beyng very apt vnto learning did so profite that by the helpe of his frendes he was remoued from theÌ„ce to the vniuersitie of Louayne in Brabant where he remained certayne yeares and greatly profited in the study of the tongues and there procéeded Doctour of Diuinitie And then from thence returned agayne into England and so to the vniuersitie of CaÌ„bridge where he was made Prior and Maister of the house of Augustines wherein he was first brought vp And at that tyme the knowledge of good letters was scarcely entred into the vniuersitie all thynges being full of rudenes barbarietie sauing in very fewe which were priuye and secrete whereupon Barnes hauing some féeling of better learning and had red better actours begaÌ„ in his house to reade Terence Cicero and Plautus so that what with his industry paynes and labours and with the helpe of Thomas Parnell his scholer whom he brought from Louayne with him reading Copia verborum et rorum he caused the house shortly to florishe with good letters made a great parte of y e house learned which before were drowned in barbarous rudenes as M. Cambridge M. Felde M. Colman M. Burley M. Couerdale with diuers other of the vniuersitie that soiourned there for learnings sake After these foundations layde then did he read openly Paules Epistles and put by Dâ—ns and Dorbell and yet he was a questionary himself and onely because he would haue Christ there taught and his holy word he turned their vnsauery problemes and fruitles disputations to other better matter of the holy Scripture and thereby in short space he made diuers good deuynes The same order of disputation which he kept in his house he obserued likewise in the vniuersitie abroad when he should dispute with any man in the common schooles And the first man that aunswered M. Barnes in the Scriptures was M. Stafford for his forme to be Bacheler of Diuinitie which disputation was merueilous in the sight of the great blynde Doctours and very ioyfull to the godly spirited Thus Barnes what with his reading disputation and preachyng became famous and mightie in the Scriptures preaching euer agaynst Byshops and hipocrites and yet did not sée his inward and outwarde Idolatry which he both taught and maintayned vntill that good Maister Bilney with other conuerted him vnto Christ The first SermoÌ„ that euer he preached of this trueth was y t Sonday before Christmas day at S. Edwardes Church longyng to Trinitie halle in Cambridge by y e Pease market whose theame was the Epistle
bycause hée lyueth in aduoultry or is a lecherous man If you thinke it a lawfull cause why doe you not preach it opēly why doe you not lay it to kynges charge Why suffer you them to bee kynges that lyue in aduoultry Why doe you not put your lawes in executiō You say they bée the lawes of holy church and therby may you depose Princes But if you wil put them in execution then were it much better to bée a Bishop or a Priest thē to be a Kyng or a Duke For you may lyue in whoredome or in any other vngracious lyuyng yea and that to the destruction of many mens soules and yet no mā so hardy to reproue you as your own law doth openly commaunde in these wordes If the Pope doe draw with hym innumerable people on a heape to the deuill of hell there to be punished for euer yet shal no mortall man presume to reproue hys sinnes for hée must iudge all men and may bée iudged of no man c. Lykewise haue you an other law in your Decretals that no lay mā may reproue a Priest c. How thinke you by these lawes if they bée not of the deuill tell me what is of the deuil You wil both reproue yea and also depose Princes but you will neither bée deposed nor yet reproued of any mortall man What thinke you your selues Gods But and ye will depose Kynges for fornication how would you handle kyng Dauid and kyng Salomon would you depose them bycause of aduoutry So doe you more then the Prophet Nathan durst doe Briefly will ye bée content that the kyng shall depose you for fornication then shall we shortly bee rydde of the most part of you But let vs come to Herode that kept his brothers wife would you depose hym therefore Then doe you more then S. Iohn durst doe For hée durst no more doe but reproue hys vice and dare you depose hym But let vs go forth with your law What authoritie had y e Pope you to set Pipinum in that rowme and not rather to let the kyngdome choose thē a king Our master Christ sayd hys kyngdome was not of this world But you will bée aboue kinges in this world not all onely depose them but also set in new at your pleasure Moreouer by what authoritie did the Pope dispence with the Realme of their othe Your law sayth that the holy church of Rome is wont so to doe I pray you of whom hath she learned this same wont who hath geuen her this authoritie Can shée discharge vs of our obedience that we owe to our Princes Is not this of the law of God Standeth it not also with y t law of nature Yea doe not Turkes infidels faythfully obey to their princes Is not the Princes power of God will you depose this power or can you dipēce with this lawe S. Peter learneth you y t you are more bound to obeye God and his lawe then man but you litle regarde S. Peters saying wherfore what say you to your owne lawe whose wordes bée these we must kéepe vnto Princes and powers fayth and reuerence c. My Lordes here you not fidem and oportet how come you with your despensation for our othe and say Non oportet that we are not bound to be obedient to our princes if you despence with vs. How cā you dispence with vs of our othe seing it is against Gods lawe Here may men sée what teachers you haue béene and also bée toward God and his holy Apostles and towarde your noble Princes And y e this thing may bée clearely knowne I shall resyte an other practyse of yours Our Chronicles make mention that in the time of Edward the iij. Pope Vrban dyd depose Perse King of Spaine because hée was a vicious liuer and set in hys stede one Henry a bastarde How thinke you standeth thys facte with Christes doctrine which of vs all that preach the Gospell hath gone about to doe princes such a villanye you doe the déede and laye the blame to vs. Doe you not remember how that in the dayes of Henry the iiij a captayne of your Church called Richard Scroupe Archbishop of Yorke dyd gather an hoste of men waged battell against hys kyng but God the defender of hys ruler gaue the king the victorye which caused y e traytor to bée beheaded And then your forefathers with their deuilishe crafte made the people beléeue by their false Chronicle that at euery stroke that was géeuē at the Bishops necke the kyng receaued an other of God in his neck And where as the king was afterward stricken with a sicknes you made him and all hys subiectes beléeue y e it was Gods punishmēt because hee had killed the Byshop And not thus content but you fayned after hys death that hée dyd miracles Is not thys toe much both to bée traytors to your king and also to faine God to bée displeased with your king for punishing of treason finally to make hym a saint and also that God had done miracles to the defending of hys treason How is it possible to inuent a more pestilent doctrine then thys is Here is Gods ruler despised and hereby is open treason maintained Thinke you that God will shewe miracles to fortifie these thynges But no doubt the prouerbe is true such lippes such lectuse such saintes such miracles Here were many thinges to bée sayd but I will passe it ouer I am sure you doe remember how obediently you droue King Iohn out of his kingdome And the very originall of the strife was because there were iiij Bishops of England at variaunce with the kinges grace and because hée required a dymie of the pyed Mōkes of England for to maintaine hys warre agaynst the Irishe men but they would géeue hym none Wherfore after y e king had sped well in Ireland hée reuenged him of y e Monkes and tooke of euery place a certayne For y t which thing your forefathers maintainers of your deuilishe doctrine wrote vnto their God y t Pope and caused him first to excommunicate the kyng and afterward to interdicte the land gaue it to the French kinges sonne which was maintayned through your fathers and your naturall king compelled to flée into Wales and there to tarye till y e time that hée was content to make agréement with your holy Idoll the Pope The cōditions of y e agréement were that hée should first géeue xl M. marke to the iiij Byshops and make restitution to the pyed Monkes agayne and also should géeue to Pandolphus the Popes Legate a great summe of money Finally hée should bée bound to géeue yearely to the Pope of Rome a certayne great summe of money and hée and all hys successors shoulde receaue the land of the Pope and holde it in sée ferme and vnto thys your fathers set their hādes seales binding them selues to tompell the
lege Lord. Ye I doe beléeue that if the kynges grace at this same day should desire of y e spirituality but halfe of this summe I dare say they wold neuer graūt him with their good will nor there shoulde not bée found one Diuine in England of the holy Popes Churche that could and would proue by good Diuinitie that the kyng might take it and the spiritualitie were bounde to geue it Alas what shall I say beléeue me I doe want wordes to y e settyng out of this matter where is natural affectiō where is naturall loue where is fidelitie where is truth of hart that men ought to haue and to beare toward their naturall Prince toward their natiue countrey toward their fathers and mothers toward their wiues and childrē yea toward their liues God of his infinite goodnesse hath geuen vs a noble Prince to the maintaynyng and defence of all these thynges and toward hym we haue litle or none affection But vnto this idole of Rome are we ready to geue both body and goodes and the more we geue the better we are content Was not this a merueilous poueryshyng to this Realme to sende out so many thousandes and to receiue nothyng agayne but deceitfull Bulles and shéepes skynnes and a litle péece of leade yea and worst of all to make men beléeue that their saluation dyd hange on it I dare say boldly that if we poore men which bée now condēned for heretickes and also for traytours against our kyng had not béen the Realme of England had not stād in so good a condition as it is for men had béene bounde still in their conscience for to obey this wretched idole Who durst haue kept y e innumerable summe of money within the realme y e yearely was sucked out by this adder if our godly learnyng had not instructed their conscience Let all the Liberaries bée sought in Englād and there shall not be one booke writtē in iiij C. yeares and admitted by the Church of Rome and by our spiritualtie founde that doth teach this obedience and fidelitie toward Princes and deliuereth our Realme from the bondage of this wicked Sathan the pope or els that is able to satisfie and to quiete any mans conscience within this Realme and yet I dare say hée is not in Englād that cā reproue our learnyng by the doctrine of our master Christ or els of his holy Apostles Yea mē haue studyed and deuised how they might bryng our mighty Prince and his noble Realme vnder y e féete of this deuill There could bée nothyng handled so secretly within this Realme but if it were either pleasaunt or profitable to the Pope to know then were all the Byshops in England sworne to reuelate that matter to him This may bee wel proued by their shamefull trayterous oth that they contrary to Gods law mans law and order of nature haue made to this false man the Pope The wordes of their othe written in their owne law be these I Byshop N. frō this houre forth shal be faithfull to S. Peter to the holy Church of Rome and to my Lord the Pope to his successours lawfully entryng into the Popedome I shall not consent in counsell nor in déede that hée shoulde lose either lyfe or lymme or that hée should bée taken in any euill trap His councell that shall bée shewed vnto me either by hym selfe or els by his letters or by his Legates I shall open to no man to hys hurt or damage I shall helpe to defend mayntaine the Papacie of the Church of Rome the rules of the holy fathers sauyng myne order agaynst all men liuyng I shall come to the Councell when soeuer I bée called onles I bée lawfully let The Popes Legate I shall honorablye entreate both goyng and commyng in his necessities I shall helpe him I shall visite yearely either by myne owne proper person or els by some sure messenger the sea of Rome onles I bée dispensed with So helpe me God and this holy Euangelist There hath béene wonderous packing vsed and hath cost many a thousand mens liues ere that the spiritualitie brought it to passe that all they should bée sworne to the Pope owe none obedience to any man but to him onely This matter hath béene wonderous craftely conueyed for at the beginnyng the Bishops were not sworne so straitely vnto the Pope as now For I doe read in the tyme of Gregory the thyrd which was in the yeare of our Lord. vij C. lix how their othe was no more but to sweare for to kéepe the fayth of holy Church and to abide in the vnity of the same and not to consent for any mans pleasure to the contrary to promise also to séeke the profites of the Church of Rome And if any Byshops did lyue agaynst the olde statutes of holy fathers with him they should haue no conuersation but rather forbidde it if they coulde or els trewly to shewe the Pope of it This othe cōtinued a great many of yeares tyll that a mortall hatred sprang betwene the Emperour and the Pope for confirming of Byshops than as many Byshops as were confirmed of the Pope did sweare the othe that I haue first written For this othe that Gregory maketh mention of was not sufficient because that by it the Byshops were not bounde to betray their Princes nor to reuelate their counselles to the Pope The which thing y e pope must néedes know or els hee coulde not bring to passe his purpose that is to say he coulde not bée Lord ouer the worlde and cause Emperours and kynges to fetch their confirmation of him and to knéele downe and kisse his féete The which when hée had broght to passe hée procéeded farther adding more thinges in the Byshops othe to the maintayning of his worldly honour and dignitie as it shall afterward appeare But first wée wyll examine this othe how it standeth with Gods worde and with the true obedience to our prince I pray you tell me out of what Scripture or els out of what example of our mayster Christ his holy Apostles you haue takē this doctrine to learne to swere to Saint Peter or els to the Church of Rome or els to the Pope What néede you to sweare to Saint Peter ye cā neither doe hym good by your fidelitie nor yet hurt by your falshode Othes be taken that hée that the othe is made vnto might bée sure of the true helpe and succour of hym that sweareth agaynst all men that could hurte hym Now Saint Peter hath none enymies and though hée had yet is not hée afearde of them neyther can you helpe hym nor deliuer hym if hée had néede But the verytie is that good S. Peter must here stand in the fore frunt to make men afrayde with and to make men beléeue that you are his frendes but God knoweth that you neyther fauour his person lrarnyng nor lyuyng For if S. Peters person
after my coūsell say that you can not come for you bée lawfully let It foloweth I shal honourably entreate the popes Legate both going and comming and in his necessitie I shal helpe him I pray you sée and prouide well that hée goe not a begging as Peter did And sée also that he neither preach nor teach but pyll and poull with all mischiefe and vnshamefastnes And why because you are sworne this to maintayne It foloweth I shall visite yearely my selfe or by some other messenger the pope of Rome vnles I bée dispenced with of them I pray you what pertaineth this to the office of a Byshop yearely to visite Rome Christ and the most of his Apostles were neuer at Rome and yet they were méetely good Christen men But I reade in the traditions of the Turke that certayne of them must yearly visite their Mahomet From whom I thinke you haue taken this custome Your owne law saith that vnto this clause must these bishops all only bée boūde that bée immediatly vnderneth the Pope Now are not you such for you sweare in your othe to the kyng that you will immediatly take your Byshopprick of him and holde it all onely of his grace Wherefore then doe you here sweare against your owne lawe And also against your othe made to your prince Moreouer you know that there was an olde custome in the dayes of kyng Henry the second that no Byshop shoulde goe out of the Realme without the kinges licence Are you not bound to kéepe this custome but answere that the Pope hath dispensed with you and that you are not bounde to kéepe any obedience towarde the actes that your prince maketh Moreouer I meruaile sore that you be all so straitly sworne of so long tyme and neuer one of you that euer went in my dayes to Rome to discharge his othe And why because you are dispensed with But were it not as good to leaue it out of your othe at the first séeing you entende not to kéepe it as afterwarde to dispence with you for it No forsothe for than the Pope coulde not bynde you to come to Rome at hys pleasure and betraye your kyng all his counselles But in your othe that is newly made that you haue sworne laste is added That if the pope bée on this side y e mountaines you shall visite him euery yeare But if hée bée beyond the moūtaines then euery three yeares One that knew not your practise and the circumstaūces of your factes y e hath béene done would litle suspect this additiō But the very truth is there is a mischieuous and abhominable treason in it agaynst Princes For if it chaunced the Emperour or els any temporall Prince neare vnto Rome to fall at variaunce with the Pope then dyd y e Pope straight runne into Fraunce that is to say on this side the mountaines where you must visite hym yearely And why Bicause your god is in distresse and hath conceiued a deadly hatered agaynst a Prince and can not bring it to passe without your helpe and counsell Wherefore you must come yearely And also hée must know through your betraying how your Prince is mynded and whether hée bée addicted to his contrary parte or not If hée bée then must you betraye his counsell and that yearely And why bicause the pope is on this side the mountaines But and if hée bée in Rome and hath all Princes neckes vnder hys gyrdell then is it sufficient that you come euery thyrd yeare For you cā at ones commyng deuise as much treason as Princes shall auoyde in fiue yeares But what belongeth this vnto a Bishop that the Pope is on this side the moūtaines or beyonde If ye bée bounde by Gods law yearely to visite the Pope then must you visite him where soeuer hée bée though hée were either with God or the deuill And if you bée not bounde by Gods law what a presumption is it of him to bynde you Yea what an ouersight is it of you to let your selfe thus to bée bounde And what a wickednes is it of you so straitely to kéepe this othe to the which you are not boūde by Scripture against your obedience made to your Prince whiche is commaunded by Gods word But I pray you what example hath either hée or you of blessed S. Peter to bynde by the vertue of an othe the other Apostles yearely to visite him at Rome All the world may perceiue that this othe is inuented of insaciable couetousnes that the Pope and you haue toward honours and dignities And that is well declared by these wordes that foloweth in your othe The possessions of my Church I shal not sell geue lay to morgage or make any feoffement or by any other meanes alienate the same without the counsell of y e pope But I pray you tell me one thing why doe you not sweare that you shall neither bye nor yet receiue any possessions to your church nor you shall neither pill nor poull nor shaue to encrease the possessions of your Church But the truth is all is fish that commeth to the nette with you And if it come ones within your cloukes it neuer cōmeth out agayne thoughe the Kyng and his Realme should stand in neuer so great néede But to receiue all his lande you are alwayes ready and it is not agaynst your othe I do not say thus bicause I would ye should sell or alienate the possessions of the Churche but bicause I sée that there is nothyng maintained by them but all onely your mischeuous pompe and your pride Your owne law commaundeth that the fourth part of the spiritual goodes should bée distributed among poore men And for that cause they bée called Bona pauperum but how litle their part is all the world can testifie Wherfore doe you sweare not to alienate your goodes without the popes licence The pope gaue them not to you but the kyng his subiectes How commeth hée now to bée so neare of your counsell in alienating them and the king is thrust out the whiche hath deserued best to bée of your counsell But doe you not remember your own law the which doth forbid that the pope in any wise or sor any necessitie should alienate the goodes of the Church except it bée old houses whiche can not bée kept without great charges This is your owne law and agaynst this will you sweare Then must you néedes bée periured for if you alienate your goodes with the Popes licence then is this Decrée agaynst you and curseth you Wherfore then put you this in your othe seyng you can not alienate your goodes with his consent nor yet without it It foloweth in your new othe decrées ordinaunces sentences disposions reseruations prouisions and commaundementes apostolike with all my power I will obserue shall and cause other men to obserue them These things were added when this Idole was brought so highe that no man durste wynche
shepheardes staffe you helpe no man with it you comfort no man you lift vp no man with it but you haue striken downe kynges and kyngdomes with it and knocked in the head Dukes Earles with it Call you this a shepheardes staffe There is a space in the shepheardes staffe for the foote to come out agayne but your staffe turneth and wyndeth alwayes inward and neuer outward signifying that what soeuer hée bée that coÌ„meth within your dauÌ„ger that hée shall neuer come out agayne This exposition your déedes doe declare let theÌ„ bée examined that you haue had to doe with And let vs sée how they haue escaped your shepheardes hooke But these bée the articles for the whiche I must néedes bée an hereticke Neuertheles all the world may sée how shamefully that I haue erred agaynst your holynesses in saying the truth My Lord Cardinal reasoned with me in this article all the other hée passed ouer sauyng this and the sixte article Here did hée aske if I thought it good and reasonable that hée should lay downe his pyllers and pollaxes coyne them Here is the heresie that is so abhominable I made him aunswere that I thought it well done Then sayd hée how thinke you were it better for me being in the honour and dignitie that I am to coyne my pyllers and pollaxes and to geue the money to v. or vj. beggers then for to mayntaine the common wealth by them as I doe Doe you not recken quoth hée the common wealth better then fiue or sixe beggers To this I did aunswere that I reckened it more to the honour of God and to the salnation of his soule and also to the comfort of his poore brethren that they were coyned and giueÌ„ in almes And as for the common wealth dyd not hange of them for as his grace knew the common wealth was afore his grace and must bée wheÌ„ his grace is gone and the pyllers and pollaxes came with him and should also goe away with him Notwithstandyng if the common wealth were in such a condition that it had néede of them then might his grace so loÌ„g vse them or any other thyng in their stede so longe as the common wealth néeded them Notwithstandyng I sayd thus much did I not say in my Sermon agaynst them but all onely I damned in my Sermon the gorgious pompe and pride of all exteriour ornaments Then he sayd well you say very well But as well as it was sayd I am sure that these wordes made me an hereticke for if these wordes had not béene therein myne aduersaryes durst neuer haue shewed their faces against me But now they knew wel that I could neuer bée indifferently heard For if I had got the victory theÌ„ must all the Byshops and my Lord Cardinall haue layd downe all their gorgious ornamentes For the which they had rather burne xx such heretickes as I am as all y e world knoweth But God is mighty and of me hath hée shewed his power for I dare say they neuer intented thing more in their liues theÌ„ they did to destroy me and yet God of his mercy hath saued me agaynst all their violence vnto his godly wisedome is the cause all onely knowen The Byshop of London that was then called Tunstall after my departyng out of prison sayd vnto a substaÌ„ciall man that I was not dead for I dare say his conscience did not recken me such an hereticke that I would haue killed my selfe as the voice weÌ„t but yet would hée haue done it gladly of his charitie but I was sayd hée in Amsterdame where I had neuer béene in my life as God knoweth nor yet in the countrey this x. yeares certaine men did there speake with me sayd hée and hée fained certaine wordes that they should say to me I to them and added thereunto that my Lorde Cardinall would haue me agayne or it should cost him a great summe of money howe much I doe not clearely remember I haue marueile that my Lorde is not ashamed thus shamefully and thus Lordly to lye all though hée might doe it by authoritie And where my Lord Cardinall hée would spende so much money to haue mée againe I haue great maruaile of it What can they make of mée I am a simple poore wreatch and worth no mans money in the worlde sauing theirs not the tenth peny that they will geue for mée And to burne mée or to destroy mée can not so greatly profite them For wheÌ„ I am dead the Sunne the Moone the starres and the element water and fire yea and also stones shall defende this cause agaynst them rather than the veritie should perishe But if they bée so charitable to doe good workes and to spende their money so well they haue prisoners poore men inough in the land let them bestowe their money of them And as for mée I doe promise them here by this present writing and by the faith that I owe to Christ Iesus and by that fidelitie that I owe to my prince that if they will bée bounde to our noble Prince after the maner of hys lawe and after good conscience and right that they shall doe mée no violence nor wronge but discâ—…sse and dispute these articles and all other that I haue written after the holy worde of God and by Christes holy scripture with mée Then will I as soone as I may know it present my self vnto our most noble prince there offring my selfe to his grace that I will either proue these thinges by Gods worde against you all or els I will suffer at his graces pleasure Whom the father of heaueÌ„ preserue in honour Amen And if you refuse this condition then say that you are neyther good nor charitable For I dare say you can desire no more of a Christen man PRiestes doe mumble and rore out their Dyriges and Masses in the Church and churchyardes for theyr founders curious to speake theyr wordes distinctly But I ensure them that their prayers shall doe them no good but onely acceptatio diuina As for this article the Byshops did not make much of for they perceiued that it was gathered without any seÌ„tence For my saying was that men should make their prayers in such a fayth and with such a deuotion that God might accept them and not so idlely and without all deuotion bable and say their dyriges alonely of vondage and of custome and not of deuotion I brought the laying of the Apostle for mée which sayth Let your peticions and prayers appeare before God And also hée that asketh let him aske in faith nothing doubting THere is no prayer acceptable to God except it bée fetched from the fyre of the aulter This article was also gathered without any sentence for my aduersaries did not greatly care what they made of such articles as pertayned to learning and edifiing And therefore they neuer erred so much as they did in them For in those
abide the determination of ytVicechauncelour And the other parte rekened that my oth bound mée not by the reason that it was so vncharitably made the which was not their promyse to doe Yea yeVicechauncelour hym selfe thought it to extreme So y e after many words y e the cōgregation of them was dissolued and I should make an aunswere within eyght dayes what I would do Now in the meane season did master Tyrell ride to London and founde y e meanes by the reason that hée could not obtayne his mynd in the Vniuersitie for I sayd I would appaele from the vicechauncelour to y e whole body of the Vniuersitie that the Cardinal sent downe doctour Capon and a sergeant of armes called Gybsō which did arest mée in the Vniuersitie for to appere before your graces counsell So was I brought Vp to London y e Twesday afore shroue Sondaye and on the wedensday at night after was I brought afore the Cardinall in hys gallery at westmynster which take red all my articles quietly tyl he came to the 6. There hée stopped and asked mée if a byshop might haue any more Cities thē one I aunswered y t a Byshop was instituted to instructe and teach the Cytie therfore hée might haue as much vnderneth him as hée were able to preach and teach to And to that mée thought S. Paule did agrée commaūdyng Timothe to set in euery Cytie a Byshop Wherefore I knew none other order but this Then sayde hée That in Paules dayes a Citie was 6. or 7. myles long beside the subburbes and of that whole Cytye was there but one Byshop So likewise now a byshop had but one Cathedrall sée and all the resedue of the countrey were as subburbes vnto it To this I sayde nothyng for hée woulde heare mée no more but returned and read forth y e articles till that he came to the xxij articles where hée founde his pyllers and his pollaxes And there hée stopped and had a great disputation with mée of them as I haue written afore in my articles So at y e last wée came so farre that I sayde how these articles were vncharitably gathered out of my Sermonde Than hée sayd you are defamed of heresie I answered and sayde I trust there is no good mā that knoweth me which will suspect mée Hée sayde doe not you knowe that there is a rumour how that you bée brought afore vs for heresie I aunswered that rumour is scattered by mine aduersaries of malice and not of any occasion that I haue geuē He sayd I beléeue that to bée true but how will you purge your selfe I answered I wyll bée bounde to brynge vnto your grace xx honest men and well learned of good name and fame that shall depose for mée how that I am not worthy of this infamy Then hée sayde can you bring mée vi or x. doctours of diuinitie that wil sweare for you that you are neyther giltie nor yet worthy to bée suspected I aunswered that it was not possible to bryng so many Doctours for mée séeing there were no more but two at my Sermonde and they belonged both to Byshops Wherefore I supposed they woulde not testifie wyth mée But I woulde brynge as many honest men as shoulde bée required and they shoulde bée as well learned and better then I for to testifie wyth mée But he sayde that woulde not helpe for they must bée my péeres after y e forme of the law I sayd y e was impossible Then sayd hée you must bée burned I answered that I trusted to haue more grace and fauour at hys hand Hée sayde hée was sworne to mayntayne the lawes of y ◠church and therfore hée must follow y e forme of the lawe Wherefore I shoulde take deliberation with my selfe whether I woulde stande to the course of the lawe or els submit my selfe to his grace Now because I had once submitted my selfe to the Vicechauncelour and I was thereby circunuented Therefore I thought I would now not bée so hasty in submitting my self And therefore I aunswered that I woulde submit my selfe to his grace in any thing that coulde be proued agaynst mée that I had spoken contrary to learning He sayd that this was no submission And I woulde graunt no more So after much communication hée concluded wyth mée sayd how that I was but a foole coulde not perceiue how good hée was vnto mée Wherefore séeing that I woulde bée reported by my déedes therefore hée had signed xv or xvi Doctoures sayde hée the which shoulde y e nexte day heare mée And so the nexte day which was on the Thurseday before Festigam Sonday was I brought into the Chapterhouse of Westminster where sate y e Byshop of Bathe as principall iudge and the Byshop of saint Asse the Abbot of Westminster the Abbot of Burye Doctour Quarton Doctour Allen Doctour Stephen then secretary with many moe which I knew not Then sayd the Byshop of Bathe Syr you are defamed of heresie but I denyed the same Hée sayde yée doe sée what a multitude of people here is gathered to heare your examination whiche must rise of some fame I sayde that I knewe no cause of that gathering for I knewe neuer a man there nor brought any man wyth mée sauing a childe of xiij yeares Than sayde hée Dyd you neuer heare of any man that you were accused of heresie Than sayde I Men may say their pleasures I can not let them but it is no matter to mée as long as I am faultles Then sayde hée wée doe beléeue that you are faultles but yet you must purge your selfe and declare your innocency I answered to that I was content and woulde bée reported by all men that euer knew mée or heard mée Well sayde hée that is wel said Now sayde hée bée there certayne articles deliuered vnto vs agaynst you what say you to them My desire was to know myne accusers Nay sayde hée wée procéede after an other forme of the lawe wherefore what say you to these articles I aunswered that they were vncharitably gathered agaynst mée wherefore I did deliuer certayne articles into the court subscribed with mine owne hande As soone as they had them than had they what they woulde for I was nowe come in further daunger then I wist of for now must I néedes purge my selfe after their request or els reuoke all thinges that they had laide against mée as though they had béene myne or els I must néedes dye after theyr lawe The which thyng I than neyther knew nor suspected And thys hath béene the cause that all maner of men whatsoeuer they were that came afore them were they neuer so good nor innocent must néedes bée heretykes if they were not good vnto them the which they were seldome as their déedes hath declared But to come to our purpose they enquired diuers questions of mée nothing perteyning vnto mine articles As whether a man might sweare or not And whether my
could vsed all maner of cruelnes to haue destroyed mée Neuertheles at y e last hée deliuered mée y â— roole for to reade TheÌ„ was all y e people y â— stoode there called to heare me For in y e other iij. dayes was there no man suffered to heare one worde that I spake So after their commaundement that was geuen mée I red it adding nothing to it nor saying one word that might make for myne excuse supposing that I should haue founde the Byshoppes the better After this I was commaunded to subscribe to it to make a crosse on it Then was I commaunded to goe knéele downe before the Byshop of Bathe and to require absolution of hym but hée woulde not assoyle mée except I woulde first sweare that I woulde fulfill the penaunce that hée shoulde enioyne to mée So did I sweare not yet suspectinge but theâ—e men had had some cromme of charitie within them But when I had sworne then enioyned hée mée that I should returne that nyght agayne to pryson And the nexte day which was Fastingam Sonday I should doe open penaunce at Paules And that the worlde shoulde thynke that I was a marueylous haynous heretyke the Cardinall came the next day with all y e pompe and pride that hée could make to Paules church and all to bring mée poore soule out of consayte And moreouer were there commaunded to come all y e byshops that were at London and all the abbots dwelling in London that dyd weare miters in so much that the prior of S. Mary spittell and an other moncke which I thinke was of Tower hill were there also in their myters And to set the matter more forth that the world should perfectly know perceiue that the spirituall fathers had determined my matter substancially The byshop of Rochester must preach there the same day and all his sermon was agaynst Lutherians as though they had coÌ„uicted me for one The which of truth and afore God was as farre from those thinges as any man could bée sauing that I was no tyraÌ„t nor no persecutour of Gods worde And all this gorgyous fasing with myters and crostaues abbotts and priors were done but to blinde the people and to outface mée God amend all thinges that is amysse I had béene well content to haue suffered all these thinges so I might haue come to a charitable end But I must returne agayne after this to prison there remayne tyll my Lord Cardinals farther pleasure The which pleasure I did abide fyrst and last â–ª 2. yeares and thrée quarters yet could neuer bée at any poynt with theÌ„ For I sent vnto y â— byshop of London that was then certayne worshipfull men of the Cyty of LoÌ„don whose names bée these Mayster Lambert which hath béene Maior M. Raynold which hath béene shreue M. Palmer M. Petyt M. Iones and M. Pernell And desyred these men in the way of charitie to goe to the Byshop of London and to desire him to bée good and gracious vnto mée And if I had offended I would bée glad to make amends asmuch as hée should reasonably require of mée Desiring hym to shew theÌ„ what hée would of his charitie require me to doe they for to bée bound vnto hym y e I would kéepe it This they dyd But what aunswer y e they had of hym they bée men aliue for the most part they can tell And amongst all other maister Petit sayd vnto the byshop Alas my Lorde it is a petuous case If a man come in the daunger of your lawe there is no remedy to helpe hym out Yes saydâ— the byshop What is that sayd maister Petyt This is a yong man hath good frendes which would bée right lothe to haue him cast away wherefore if there bée any remedy deuise you it and we wil bée bound for him At this the byshop was astonyed and sayde at the last that hée would speake to my Lorde Cardinal for mée Then these meÌ„ offered him to goe with him and to bée bounde for mée Hée sayde it should not néede But neuertheles hée spake so vnto them or they departed that wheÌ„ they came home there was not one of them that durst geue mée so much bread meat as hée durst geue his dog nor yet speake one word to mée Immediatelye after this the byshop founde y e meanes that I was sent to northaÌ„pton there to remayne as in a perpetuall prison Thus most gracious prince haue they handled me your poore Oratour I beseche your highnes to bée good and gracious vnto mée iudge if this bée charitable dealyng thus to coÌ„demne mée for an heretyke not to shew mee the poynt wherefore But euen with a violent tyrannye to compeil mée to doe confesse what they will or els to bée put to death And if there bée any of them yet y e will come forth and proue any of these articles heresye I will not refuse to suffer any payne that your grace shall iudge me worthy Thus our Lord Iesus Christe preserue your noble grace euermore Amen Onely fayth iustifieth before God NOw if your grace doe not take vppon you to heare the disputation the probation of this article out of the grouÌ„d of the holy Scripture my Lordes the Bishops will condeÌ„ne it afore they read it as their maner is to doe with all thynges that pleaseth them not and which they vnderstand not and then crye they heresy heresie an hereticke an hereticke hée ought not to bée heard for his matters bée condemned by the Church by his holy fathers and by all long customes and by all maner of lawes Vnto whom with your graces fauour I make this auÌ„swere I would know of them if all these things that they haue reckened can ouercome Christ and his holy worde or set the holy ghost to schole And if they can not why should not I then bée heards that doe require it in the name of Christ and also bryng for me his holy worde the holy fathers which haue vnderstand Gods worde as I doe Therfore though they will not heare me yet must they néedes heare them In holy Scripture Christ is nothing els but a Sauiour a redéemer a iustifier a perfect peace maker betwene God and man This testimony dyd y e aungell geue of him in these wordes Hée shall saue his people from theyr sinnes And also S. Paule Christ is made our righteousnes our satisfaction and our redemption Moreouer the Prophet witnesseth the same saying For the wretchednes of my people haue I striken him So that here haue we Christ with his properties Now if we wil truly coÌ„fesse Christ then must we grauÌ„t with our hartes that Christ is all our iustice all our redemption all our wisedome all our holynes all alonely the purchaser of grace alonly y e peace maker betwéene God and man Briefely all goodnes that we haue y e it is of hym by him and for his
then those men that call thē selues y e holy church yea take away the name of the church and set in her stéede the name of the deuyll how will you then know a byshop frō the deuyll By their workes nay trewly for they bée all one And yet will you bée the heades of Christes church yea the holy church her selfe not so yée wicked not so Wherefore that this blessed spouse of Christ may bée knowen from thée open and abhominable whores and harlotes therefore will I by gods grace set out what holy Church is and where by men shall know her This worde Ecclesia both in y e new testament and the olde is taken oftētymes for the whole congregatiō and and the whole multitude of y t people both good and bad as it is in the booke of Numeri Why haue you brought the congregation or Church of God into wildernes Also in an other place The king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation or Church of Israell and all the Church of Israell stoode Likewise in the new testamēt Saint Paule to the Corinthians I haue sēt vnto you Tymothy the which shall learne you my wayes y e bée in Christ Iesu as I doe learne euery where in all congregations Also in an other place doe you despise the congregation of God and shame thē that haue not In all these places in many moe is it open that this greke word Ecclesia is taken for the whole congregation both of good bad Wherfore this is not y e church that we will greatly speake of for in this church are Iewes and Sarasens Murtherers and Theeues Baudes and Harlots though we know them not But there is an other holy Church of the which S. Paule speaketh you men loue your your wiues as Christ hath loued the Church and hath geuē him selfe for her that hée might sanctifie her and clense her in the fountaine of water through the worde of life to make her to him selfe a glorious Church without spot or wrincle or any such thyng but that she might bée holy without blame Here haue you the very true Churche of Christ that is so pure and so cleane without spotte But wherby is shée pure cleane not by her owne merites nor by her owne might not by exteriour araye not by gold nor siluer nor yet by precious stones neither by myters nor crosestaues nor by pillers nor pollaxes But wherby then by Christ onely which hath geuen him selfe for that intēt that hée would make her cleane and therefore sayth S. Paule Hée gaue him selfe that hée might sanctifie her that hée might clense her and make her to him selfe a glorious Church Also in an other place you are washed you are sanctified you are iustified in the name of Iesus Christ and in the spirite of God Sée my Lordes how the Church is washed by Christ by his holy spirite and not by your blessynges not by your spirituall ornamentes nor by your spirituall holy water for these thynges cannot helpe the holy Church for she is holy in spirite and not in outwarde hypocrisie she is also clensed by Christes blessed bloud not by outward disguisinges This doth S. Augustine wel proue saying Of Christ is the church made fayre first was she filthie in sinnes afterward by pardon and by grace was she made fayre c. Here S. Augustine sayth y t Christ hath made his Church fayre and that by his grace his pardon and not by your pardons nor by your grace For this Church stādeth by Christes election not by yours And if Christ haue not washed you chosen you then bée you none of this Church though you ride with a thousand spiritual horses and haue all the spirituall tokēs on earth For and if y e sonne of God haue deliuered you thē are you truely deliuered Ye can not make by all your power and holynes that we shall alwayes finde good ale or wyne where there hangeth out a gréene signe and will you with your spirituall signes and tokens make the Churche of God to folow you or by them assigne out where the Churche shall bée Nay nay my Lords it will not bée but they that beléeue y e Christ hath washed them from their sinnes and sticke fast vnto his merites and to the promise made to them in hym onely they bée the Church of God so pure and so cleane that it shall not bée lawfull no not for Peter to say that they bée vncleane but whether they bée Iew or Gréeke kyng or subiect carter or Cardinall butcher or Byshop tancardbearer or cannelrater frée or bounde Frier or fidler Monke or miller if they beléeue in Christes word sticke fast to his blessed promises and trust onely in the merites of his blessed bloud they bée the holy Church of God yea and the very true church afore God And you with all your spiritual tokens with all your exteriour cleannes remaine in your filthynes of sinne from the which all your blessings all your pardons all your spirituallitie all your holynes can not clense you nor bring you into this Churche Boast crake blast blesse curse till your holy eyes start out of your head it wil not helpe you for Christ chooseth his church at his iudgement and not at yours The holy ghost is frée inspireth where hée will hée will neither bée bound to Pope nor Cardinall Archbishop nor Byshop Abbot nor Prior Deacon nor Archdeacon Parson nor Vicare Nunne nor Frier Briefly come all the whole rabble of you togither that call your selues y e holy Churche and exclude all other yea and take sunne moone starres to helpe you with all the frendes you haue in heauē and earth and yet shall you not bée of holy church except that you haue y t spirite of Christ bée washed in his blessed bloud For y e holy Churche of Christ is nothyng els but that congregation that is sanctified in spirite redéemed with Christes bloud and sticketh fast and sure alonely to the promises that hée made therein So that the Church is a spirituall thyng and no exterior thyng but inuisible from carnall eyes I say not that they bee inuisible that bée of the Church but that holy Church in her selfe is inuisible as fayth is and her purenes and cleanes is before Christ onely and not before the worlde for the worlde hath no iudgement nor knowledge of her but all her honour and cleanes is before Christ sure and fast And if there appeare any of her goodnes vnto the worlde of that shée maketh no reckenyng nor thinketh her selfe any thyng thyng the better that the worlde iudgeth well of her for all her trust is in Christ onely She suffereth the worlde to rage and blaspheme both agaynst her and agaynst Christ her maker Shée standeth fast and beléeueth sted fastly that that shal haue a shamefull ende and euerlasting
learnyng will graunt that euill men bée the dead members of the Churche what they bée worth let other men iudge But M. More reckoneth that there is not such a Churche here in earth that is without spot and wrincle as S. Paul sayth For the Church sayth hée is here gracious and not glorious Truely I haue marueile what hée meaneth thus to expound Saint Paules saying for I thinke hée can not prooue but that S. Paules saying is verified of the Church that is here militant and not of the church triumphaunt But I will not at this tyme greatly dispute with M. More But and if hée were as hée hath béene I would say some thyng more to hym then I will doe at this tyme. Hée can neither mocke me nor iest me out of coÌ„ceite and if I were disposed to couple with hym nor it is not hys foule shameles woorkes and vntrue sayinges that hée layeth to me that could feare me But now that it hath pleased God without any helpe or know ledge of me to bryng hym vnto this fall I will praye to God for hym to geue hym grace that hée may reuoke all such false doctrine as hée hath brought into the worlde For doubtles if hée abyde in the meanyng that hée is now in I doe not sée how hée can dye Gods seruaunt Yea his own knowen Church is agaynst hym whoÌ„ hée sayth men are bound to beléeue vnder payne of damnation But truely as God shall iudge me I am sory for hys trouble if I could helpe hym with any lawfull meanes I would doe my best so euill will beare I him But to procéede farther in my matter I will not greatly speake much of the Church by the reason that many other men sence my fyrst writinge haue declared this article much better then I can doe it Wherefore I will all onelye resite the places of holy doctours that I haue brought for mée in my fyrst booke and the intent wherefore I aleaged them to prooue that y e Church was afrée thing throughout all the world and not bounde eyther to place or to person I brought for me y e saying of S. Augustine saying these wordes The holy Church are wée But I doe not saye are we as one should say we that bée heare all onely that heare mée now but as many as bée heare faythfull christean men in this Church y e is to say in this Cytie as many as bée in this region as many as bée beyonde the sea as many as bée in all the whole world for from y e rysing of the sunne tyll the goinge downe is the name of God praysed So is y â— holy Church our mother c. Also Lyra sayth The Church doth not stand in men by the reason of spirituall power or seculer dignitie For many princes and many Popes and other inferiour persoÌ„s haue swerued from the fayth Wherfore the church doth stand in those persons in whom is the true knowledge and confession of fayth and of veritye c. Here Lyra sayth as much as I doe in cleare wordes And M. More doth not nor yet caÌ„ refell hym Afterward I bring a saying of S. Augustine to prooue that the Church hath spottes and wryncles in her And yet by confessing of them and by stycking to Christes bloud they bée not imputed vnto her This is his saying The whole Church prayeth Lord forgeue vs our sinnes Wherfore she hath spottes and wryncles But by knowledging of them her wryncles bée streatched out and by knowledging her spottes are washed away The Church continueth in prayer y e shée myght bée clensed by knowledgeing of her synnes And as long as we here liue so standeth it And when euery maÌ„ departeth out of this body all such sinnes are forgeuen hym the which ought to bée forgeueÌ„ For they bée forgeuen by dayly prayer and hée goeth hence clensed And the Church of God is layde vp in the treasure of God for puregolde by this meane the Church of God is in the treasure of our Lord without spotte or wrynkell It foloweth Let vs therefore pray that God may forgeue vs and that we may forgeue our dettours séeing it is sayde and it shall be forgeuen vnto you We say this dayly and dayly we doe this and this thing is done dayly in vs. We are not here without sinne But we shall departe hence without synne c. Let euery man iudge whether that this place of S. Augustine maketh for my purpose or not that is to say whether that y e Church hath any spottes or wrincles in her or not And yet neuertheles shée hath no spottes nor wrincles For S. Augustine sayth y e Church of God is in the treasurie of God without any spotte so that through Gods mercy nothing is imputed vnto her Her cleannes is not y e shée hath no spots but béecause that for Christes sake there is nothing layd to her charge M. More maketh many wordes of â—enyall synnes and deadly synnes But to speake after his owne schoole men it should bée to harde for hym to defende that exposition that hée here maketh of S. Augustine But to proue that the Church is cleane by the reason of Christ I brought for mée their owne lawe whose wordes bée these Therefore is y e Church holy because shée beléeueth righteously in God c. Furthermore to prooue that this congregation of faythfull men is the Church that can not erre I brought for mée their owne lawe Whose wordes bée these The holy Church can not erre c. Also in an other place The Congregation of faythfull men must néedes bée which also can not erre c. So that it is cleare first that there must nedes bée a congregation of faythfull men which bée neyther bounde to Rome nor to Hierusalem uor yet to any certayne place but it is spread abroade throughout the whole worlde and standeth in the vnitye of faythfull christen men And that is the church that God suffereth uot to erre in those thinges that belong to saluation Wherefore I dyd say in my other booke that the Popes councels were not the church that coulde not erre For for y â— most part those couÌ„sels did not order themselues after Gods worde Wherfore I sayd they myght well erre And for that cause a pryuate person hauing scripture for hym ought to bée preferred afore a whole counsell if they had no scripture For Gods worde ought to bée iudge ouer all counsels and to prooue this I brought for mée the saying of Panormitanus which sayth The counsell may erre as it hath erred concernyng y e contracte of matrimony inter Raptorem Raptam And y e saying of S. Hierome was afteaward preferred aboue the statute of y â— couÌ„sell as it is prooued 36. quest 2. Tria For in these thynges concernyng the fayth the saying of a priuate person is to bée preferred before the saying of the Pope if
should not bée released but thorow your power séeyng that you bée but ministers and seruauntes ordayned of Christ vnto her profite and not to your honour Thys wyll I declare by an example I put this case that there bée a prisoner bounde fast in cheynes ouer the which you haue the custody and the kéepyng after the kynges commaundement now the kynges grace saith vnto you loose that fellow let hym goe frée out of prison vnder this cōdition that he shal promise to serue no Prince but mée onely What will you loose him or not Cā you or dare you kéepe hym longer if you woulde Or can you compell him to make any other composition with you than alonely to serue y e king If you woulde kéepe him longer in prison did you not runne in the kynges displeasure And if hée did promise you any other composition were hée bounde thereto Nay doubtles Moreouer in loosing of him what thyng doe you by your auctoritie yea what thyng doe you at all but that you are mynisters vnto the kynges commaundement and a seruaunt to the poore fellowe The ministration seruice is yours but the auctoritie is the kinges of the which you haue neuer a crumme Take an other example If it please the kynges grace to make any of you an Embassadour and geeue you a commission and commaundement to fetch home into his lande a banished man vnto whom the kinges grace writeth his pardon with such wordes and vnder such condition as pleaseth his grace Now this pardō deliuereth hée to you for to beare and to declare vnto the banished man Here woulde I know of you what you can doe for this banished man more then is written in your cōmission Also what can you doe againste hym in these thinges that the kinges grace hath pardoned hym You can neyther adde nor take away from the kinges pardon You can no more doe but declare it vnto the partie And if hée receaue it then may hée as lawfully and as fréely come into the land as you may and you can not say by right that you haue by your auctoritie discharged hym or geuen him any pardō of his banishmēt but alonely you haue deliuered declared vnto hym the kinges pardon which when hée had receaued with the considerations therein then is hée discharged of hys banishment And if hée will not receaue the kinges pardon then can you neyther helpe him into the land nor yet discharge hym of his trāsgression but onely you leaue hym and declare vnto him yea and that by the kinges wordes that hée is a banished man and so shall remayne till hée receaue the kinges pardon So likewise y e word of God where in is pardon for all sinners is committed vnto you to preach and to declare which if they receiue by faith they are frée and loosed from their synnes but if they doe not they are bound not by your auctorytie for you bée but mynisters and seruauntes and can no further goe then your commyssion but by y e auctorytie of God onely Wherefore sée well to your conscyence how you can discharge your self afore God that doe so presūptuously vsurpe his auctorite of the which you haue neyther worde nor example in scripture Moreouer how can you prooue this manner of absolution Ego absaluo te auctoritate mihi comissa for to bée lawfull I pray you where was there euer any auctoritie cōmitted vnto man to take away synne There is no auctoritie committed vnto man but all onely ministraciō of the worde Now your absolucion maketh mencion of auctoritie yea and that without the sworde and a great many of you vnderstode not the worde Duns sayth Quod absolutio sacerdotis est dispositio necessitatis ad remissionem culpae How thinke you bée these fitte wordes for a Christen man if your absolution bée necessary then can not God take away sinne without you nor you wtout hym but God and you togither take away sinne Whether will you now Will you ascend so hie will you bée check mates with God I thinke shortly you will also bée Gods The Pharesies did recken much better of God then you doe for they sayd that God onely did absolue from sinnes you say I doe assoyle yea and that by auctoritie so that you farre passe the Pharesies But let vs sée what S. Augustine sayth of such mē many sinnes bée forgeuen thee hée Prophecyed of men that bée to come There weare many men to come that would say I forgéeue sinnes I iustefie I sanctifie I make whole so many as I baptise Wherefore the Iewes did better vnderstande the remissyon of synnes thē heretykes doe for the Iewes sayde what mā is this y e forgeueth synnes the heretyke saith I forgeue I make cleane I sanctifie c. These wordes bée playne inough agaynst you for you say we haue auctoritie to remyt synnes And. S. Augustine sayth you bée heretyckes for so saying You can not denye but S. Augustine reprooueth your owne absolucion where in you say that your absolution is requisite of necessitie to remyssion of sinnes the which is nothing els but clearly denying of christ of his blessed bloud and also of his holy worde But if wée had grace wée might perceaue that neyther you nor your absolucion nor yet any thing y e you doe weare of God For all y e you doe is clearely done for mony and for no other cause Recken one thing that you doe as concerning your ministration but that you will haue money for it As not so much as washing of a heape of stones Whereby haue you gotten all your great possessions but alonely vnder the collour that you bée Christes holy bishops For money you make whore dome as lawfull as matrimony For money stollen good shall bée better thē heritage For money you make vsury lawful marchaundise For money all sinnes bée vertue Yea and also haue great pardon to them For money you sell man wife mayde child king and land For money you make as good marchaūdise of womens priuities as a Goldsmith doth of gilted plate You will recken that this is a shame for me to write but it is more shame for you to doe it And if you did not these shamefull déedes I shoulde haue none occasiō to make this shamefull writyng Take you away y e cause and I will take away y t writyng Yea you are not so content but you sell Christ you sel the blessed Sacrament of his flesh and bloud you sell his holy worde you sell all other Sacramentes Briefely you sell all maner of thyng that euer hée left in earth to the comfort of mans soule and all for money Yea and not so content but you make also more lawes and more statutes dispense with them for money and all these thynges doe you by the authoritie of the keyes that both open heauen and hell and a mans coffer and also his pursse yea
looke of S. Augustine aboue recited and there shall shall you fynde how man commeth by this will Also the wordes of y e text bée not if thou wilt thou mayst kéepe them or intende to kéepe them Nor they bée not Man may kéepe them or intende if hée will But if thou wilte kéepe them then they shall kéepe thée Wherefore of these wordes can you not conclude any power in man For it foloweth not when God sayth doe this heare this heare that kéepe this kéepe that if thou wilte doe this if y u wilt doe that That we can doe these thinges or can intende to doe them For God commaundeth vs to doe all good thinges Ergo we bée able of our naturall strength to doe them Then were the spirite of God frustrate for the spirite of God is not geuen vs to geue commaundementes but for to geue vs strength to fulfill and righteously to vnderstand those thinges y t bée commaunded vs. By the commaundementes is declared that thynge that we ought to doe and also they shew our weakenesse and imbecilitie that we might learne to séeke for a greater strength and greater helpe then is in vs. As Sainte Augustine sayeth in these woordes The lawe was geuen that man myght fynde hym selfe and not to make hys sickenes whole but by his preaching the sicknes increased y â— the phisicion might bée sought Wherfore the lawe threatning and not fullfilling that thing that hée commaundeth maketh a man to be vnderneath hym but the law is good if a man doe vse it well What is that vse the law well By the law to know our sinnes and to séeke Gods helpe to helpe our health c. Heare is it playne that the commaundementes of God geue vs no strength nor yet declare any strength to bée in vs but sheweth vs our dutye and also our weakenes and also mooueth vs and causeth vs to séeke further for strength So that these wordes si voluris si feceris si audieris si emundaueris si vis with all other such that bée wordes of commaundementes or wordes vnder a condition doe nothing declare but what we are bounde to doe and what shall folowe if we doe them And as the wordes of the lawe doe threaten an euyll ende for synne all onelye for to feare euel doers and wicked persons from euell so doe the wordes of promyse styre vp and quicken good meÌ„s hartes for to doe well and also comfort theÌ„ that they should not dispayre in adâ—ersities But neither these nor those geue vs any streÌ„gth to doe that that is commaunded but alonely they doe declare what paines and what reward shall folow to the breakers and the kéepers of them An other scripture haue you where as our Maister Christ sayth How often woulde I haue gathered thy children and you woulde not Here cry you liberum arbitrium lib. arb For if they had no fréewyll what néede our Maister Christ to say thou wouldest not First must wee consider y t there are two maner of wils in God One is called hys godly wyll or hys secrete or vnscrutable will whereby that all thinges bée made and ordered and all things bée done Of this will no creature hath knowledge what hée ought thereby to doe or not to doe for as S. Paule sayth it is inscrutable therefore it is sufficient for vs to knowe therof alonely that there is an inscrutable will The other will in God is called a declared and a manifest will the which is declared and geuen to vs in holy Scriptures This will was shewed vnto the vttermost by our M. Christ the sonne of God and therefore is it lawfull And also men are bound to search to know thys wyll and for that consideration was it manifested vnto vs. This wyll doth declare what â–ª euery man is bounde to doe and what euery man is bounde to flie And by thys wyll is offered vnto euery man those thynges that bée of saluation And by this will GOD will haue no man damned for hée letteth his worde to bée preached indifferently to all men Nowe hée that wyll knowe this wyll must goe to our Maister Christ in whome as S. Paule sayth is all treasures of wisedome and science So that hée will shew vs as much as is necessarye for vs to knowe and as much as the father of heauen woulde wée shoulde know Now to the texte here speaketh God that is incarnated that was sent to will to speake to doe to preach to bée familiar with vs to doe myracles yea and also to suffer death for our saluation Now sayth hée I woulde haue gathered thy children that is to say I dyd preach I did labour wyth all diligence to conuerte thee I did myracles afore thée yea I wepte I wailed for thy sake all these thynges did I with all other thinges that myght bee to thy conuersion and that beloÌ„ged to God incarnate to doe But all these things did not profite them And why Because they woulde not In hym was there no faulte For there was nothyng vndone that belonged to hym to doe so that hée was wyllyng and yet did it not profite Ierusalem And why Because they woulde not But now why woulde they not Because it was in theyr power to wyll to consent and to wyll not to consent Nay truely but because as Iohn saythe They coulde not beléeue for hée had blinded their eyes hardened their hartes that they shoulde not sée with theyr eyes nor vnderstand with their hartes So that they must néedes alonely will not to consent and coulde no otherwyse doe but not consent and yet were they neyther constrayned nor compelled nor wrunge to it wyth violence but fréely they woulde not conseÌ„t and yet had they the libertie of their fréewill that was to bée agaynst Christe and not to bée wyth hym For the libertie of fréewill standeth not in this that he may wil this thing and also will the contrary therof But it standeth in that that all thyng that hée wyll or wyll not is at his owne wyll and is not therto constrayned but wylleth it fréely wythout compulsion and yet hée can not choose no nor wil not choose buâ— so to wyll or so not to wyll So that there is a necessitie immutable but not a necessitie of compulsion or coaction Nowe is it open that this place maketh not for you for there was no power nor none entente in their fréewyll to consent vnto Christ but to wyll the contrary and not to wyl vnto hym and all was because they were blynded and their hartes were hardened And therefore of their naturall streÌ„gth coulde they none otherwyse doe but vary from Christ no they would nor destred no otherwise but to swarue from hym that was all their will and delyte But wherefore they were blynded and wherefore they were hardened that must you inquire of the inscrutable wyll that pleased hym so to leaue theÌ„ The
Wherfore we wil now speake of the other power which men call spirituall Fyrst here is to be noted that this is no power nor none auctoritie worldly but all onely a ministration of the word of God and a spirituall regiment preaching the gouerning of the soule and the mynistration of y e spirit hauing nothing to doe with the erterior Iustice or righteousnes of the worlde and therfore hath it no power by right and law to make any statutes or lawes to order the worlde by but all onely faithfully truely to preach and to minister the word of God ther by instructing the conscience of man nothing addyng thereto nor taking there from but as S. Paule sayth to abyde in those thinges that they haue learned and that bée commytted vnto them for S. Paule as hée hym selfe sayth â—urst speake no other thing but those things which christ had wroght by him For hée curseth him bée he maÌ„ or Angel that preacheth any other gospell then hée had preached Therefore the Prophet commaundeth vs that we should not heare the wordes of those prophetes which disceaue vs for they speake visions of their owne hartes and not out of y â— mouth of god and yet speake they in the name of God Wherefore these men so long as they speake onely y â— worde of God so long are they to be heard as Christ himself after y e saying hée y e heareth you hereth mée also whatsoeuer they say vnto you sytting in the chayre of Moses do it On y e which text speketh S. Augustine By syttyng in y e chayre is to vnderstand the learning of the lawe of God and therefore God doth teach by them but if they will teache their owne doctrine heare it not doe it not for such men séeke that is theirs and not Christes c. These wordes bée playne agaynst all them that preach any thing but the law of God onely Wherfore if these mynysters will of tyranny aboue the worde of God make any lawe or statute it must bee consydered after two maner of wayes fyrst whether it bée openly and derectly agaynst the word of God and to y e destructioÌ„ of y e faith as that statute is whereby they haue condemned the new testament also forbydden certayne men to preach the worde of God hauing no trew cause aganst them but all onely their malicious suspectioÌ„ also y e learning wherby they learne that workes doe iustifye moreouer that statute whereby they bynde men vnder the payne of damnation to bée assoyled of them These statutes I say with other lyke men are not bouÌ„d for to obey neither of charite for here is faith hurt which geueth no place to charitie nor yet for auoyding of sclaunder for the worde of God may not bée auoyded nor yet géeue place vnto sclauÌ„der for then shoulde it neuer bée preached but it must bée faâ—â—e stucke vnto and the more that men bée offended withall and the stiffer that they hée against it the more openly and playnely yea and that to their faces that make such statutes mâ—st wée resiste them wyth these wordes wée are more bounde to obey God then man This is well proued by Hilarius wordes All maner of plantes that hée not planted of the father of heauen must bée plucked vp by the rootes that is to say the traditions of men by whose meanes the coÌ„maundementes of the lawe hée broken must bée destroyed and therefore caulleth hée theÌ„ blynde guides of the waye to euerlasting life béecause they sée not that thyng they promise and for that cause hée sayth that both the blynde guides and they that bee led shall fall into the dyke c. Marke that all traditions of men which are agaynst Gods lawe must be destroyed Therfore let euery man take héede for it longeth to their charge for both the blynde guides and also they that bée led shall fall in the dyke It shall bée none excuse for hym that is led to say that hys guyde was blynde but let them heare the worde of God by his holy prophetes walke not in the preceptes of your fathers nor kéepe not their iudgemeÌ„ts but walke in my preceptes and kéepe my iudgementes The other maner of statutes bée when certaine thinges that bée caulled indifferent bée commaunded as thinges to bée done of necessitie and vnder the paynes of deadly sinne As for an example To eate fleshe or fishe this day or that day is indifferent and frée also to goe in this rayment of this colour or that colour to shaue our heades or not a priest to wear a loÌ„g gowne or a short a gray Fryer to weare a gray coate or a russet a whyte Fryer to weare a white or a blacke a Priest to marry or not to marry an Heremyt to haue a bearde or not These with all other such outwarde workes bée thinges indifferent and may bée vsed and also left Now if the Byshoppes will make any lawe or statute that these thynges shall bée determinately vsed so that it shall not bée lawful for vs to leaue it vndone but that wée must precisely doe them and not the contrary vnder the payne of deadly sinne here must they bée withstanded and in no wise obeyed â—or in this is hurt our fayth and libertie of Christendome whereby wée are frée and not bounde to any exteriour worke but frée in all things and vnto all men at all tymes and in all maner except it bee in such a cause where as brotherly charitie or the common peace should bée offended Therefore in all these thynges bée wée frée and wée must withstand them that will take this libertie from vs with thys texte of Scripture Wée are bought with the price of Christes bloud wée will not bée the seruauntes of men This texte is open against them that will bynde mennes conscience vnto sinne in those things that Christ hath lefte them frée in Of this wée haue an euident example of Saint Paule the whiche would not circumcise Titus when the false brethren woulde haue compelled hym thereunto as a thynge of necessitie vnto whom S. Paule gaue no romthe as coÌ„cernyng to bée brought into subiectioÌ„ S. Paul dyd not withstand them bycause that CircumcisioÌ„ was vnlawfull or might not bée vsed of Christen men but bycause that they would haue compelled hym vnto it as vnto a thyng of necessitie that thyng woulde not Saint Paule suffer for that was agaynst the libertie that we haue in Christ Iesus as hée sayth here playnely Wherfore we bée not alonely by Christe made frée from sinne but also made frée in vsing all maner of thynges that bée in different and vnto them we can not bée bounde as vnto thynges of necessitie as on the Friday to eate fish and thereunto bée bounde in conscience vnder the payne of deadly sinne In this we may not obey for it is against the word of God not béecause it is euill to
more ieoperdye to geue the pure body of Christ Iesus into a foule soule then y t a drop of bloud by negligence should fall on the ground for there falleth but a drop and here is y t whole body in a foular place then the ground is Also that may bée auoyded with good diligence and wisedome of the Priest but that the sacrament shall alwayes bée receiued into a pure conscience there is no dilygence of the priest that can make it How thinke you now now is all the whole sacrament Christes blessed ordinaunce clearely taken away and all for auoyding ieoperdies and perells Thus trifle you with Christes holy word yea and y t in your great and holy counsels Other reasons my Lorde of Rochester bringeth that bée worthy of no solution for hée doth but mocke scorne and trifle with Gods word Hée bringeth y t myracle of y t fiue loues where there is no mentioÌ„ made of wyne therefore lay men must bée houseled in one kinde is not this madnes What meane these men y t neyther feare God nor yet bée ashamed of man what is this to the purpose Christ dyd a myrackle of fyue loues where is no mencion made of wyne what is this to the sacrament If the bread fygnifyed one part of the sacrament what sygnifyed the 2. fyshes they that were there These 2. things must néedes signifye the other part Also lay men did touch this breade Moreouer in an other place Christ geueth all onely wine Therefore the sacrament must bée receiued in the kinde of wine al onely of the lay men Bée not these goodly argumentes yea and that of bishops it were madnes to aunswere to them That by Gods worde it is lawfull for Priestes that hath not the gift of chastitie to marry Wiues I Haue séene and heard in diuerse countryes where I haue béene intolerable persecutioÌ„ agaynst Priestes that were compelled by weakenes of nature to mary wyues for that intent that they might after Gods law and mans law vse an honest coÌ„uersation in this world For the which thyng I say they haue béene sore persecuted some cast out of their countrey some drowned some burned and some beheaded Finally all the cruelnes that could bée excogitated against them men thought it to litle Wherfore I that recken my selfe a debtour and a seruaunt vnto all meÌ„ in all thynges wherein I may profite them and specially in thynges that apperteine to instructioÌ„ of their conscience hath taken vpoÌ„ me in this cause to shew my litle and small learnyng charitably desiryng theÌ„ that bée some thing yet against this thyng that they will let them selues bée taught and instructed by Gods word and not to set themselues obstinately agaynste the verity of Gods blessed word For our Lord can easely beare and suffer an vnwilled ignoraunce but a peruerse malice and a froward resistyng of his veritie can hée not suffer but thereunto is hée a mortall and an extreme enemy Wherefore let men consider that if this article doth stand with Gods word â—ith Christes holy doctrine that if then they resiste and set themselues agaynst it how that they doe resiste God the which no man is able to performe Certaine men there bée that of a very peruerse froward and obstinate mynde doth set them selues agaynst this article other moe And will in no wise admit either reason or learnyng but still remaine in theyr old errour that they haue conceiued in their braynes whiche is neither grounded in Gods holy word nor yet in the holy conuersation or lyuyng of blessed and vertuous meÌ„ Vnto these men will I write nothyng bycause I will not trouble them and bycause I would bée loth to bée torne with dogs téeth or elles to cast pearles béefore swyne An other sorte of meÌ„ there bée that doth not admit this article by the reason that they bée ignoraunt in Scriptures and know not the very grouÌ„de therof but alonely are led by an old custome that they haue béen brought vp in Yet neuerthelesse they are not obstinate enemyes vnto the veritie but would gladly geue place to learnyng and reason And all that they doe is to search with a sober méekenes what y e truth is The which thing they are glad to embrace as soone as it is layde to them Vnto these men is my writyng and my labour spent whom I doe charitably beséeche that they will fauourably and indifferently iudge this my writyng This doe I bynde my selfe to prooue this thing by Gods grace out of Christs holy worde by the sayinges of holy Doctours by the authoritie of autheÌ„ticall stories by the examples practise of holy and vertuous men And if I doe not this I will bée contented not to bée beléeued which thyng if I can performe I thinke all reasonable men will géeue credence to mée Finally and laâ—t of all I will shew those reasons and authorities wherby that the Pope hath bounde hys Priestes to kéepe as hée calleth it pure chastitie And in conclusion after my poore learnyng I will assoyle all those Scriptures and reasons and prooue that in this thyng they caÌ„ haue no place Vnto the performyng of the whiche Iesus of his infinite mercy graunt me of his holy spirite Amen FIrst coÌ„meth blessed Saint Paule whom the Church of God hath alwayes had in reuerence and hée approueth this doctrine of mine saying Let euery man for auoyding of fornication haue his wife and euery woman haue her husband Marke how blessed S. Paule coÌ„maundeth where as any daunger of fornication is that euery man in auyoding of vicious lyuyng should take a wife Here is no man excepted for the text is for euery man and specially for them that can not lyue sole Vnto theÌ„ it is a streight commaundement to marry there is none other remedy ordeined of God to auoyde fornication but mariage Yea and if there were ten other remedies more then mariage yet must mariage bée as lawfull as they to bée vsed yea and a great deale more séeyng that it is specially appoynted of God for a remedy in this case For as for all other remedyes as fastyng watchyng labouryng chastising of a mans body though they bée lawfull laudable and good yet bée they not appropriately and onely appoynted of God to bée remedies agaynst fornication as blessed S. Paule doth here appoynt mariage for to bée Wherefore if it bée lawfull for Priestes for to fast and watch to auoyde fornication it must néedes bée more lawful for theÌ„ to marry wiues if they bée in daunger of fornication For mariage in this case is not alonely commaunded of God but it is appointed of God for an especiall and singular medecine for this disease Marke also the occasion that S. Paul had to write this text to the Corinthians There were certeine men amoÌ„g them that reckened it an holines and a perfectioÌ„ as certeine meÌ„ doth now for Priestes that Christen meÌ„ should lyue sole without wiues as
but alonely we sée that nowe hée is preuayled in mischief Wherfore I will now procéede after my promise and recite their Scriptures and reasoÌ„s wherby they prooue Celibatum SacerdotuÌ„ Their first scripture is Bée ye holy for I am holy sayth the Lord. Vpon this Scripture disputeth y t pope on this maner The priestes of the old law did not company with their wyues in the tyme of their ministration Wherefore the priestes of the new law whiche doth alwayes minister must much more alwayes kéepe their chastitie First the pope doth alleage this Scripture wrong For it is not Moyses mynde where this text is spoken to compell men from their wiues or not to marry the which thyng the pope hath taken vpoÌ„ hym to prooue For Moyses speaketh there to the whole houshold of Israell Now was not the house of Israell coÌ„pelled by the text either to forsake their wyues or els to vowe chastitie Wherfore this text can not make for the popes purpose Farthermore the text sayth no more but that we should bée cleane and holy Now is not matrimony either vncleane or vnholy for it is a thyng instituted and sanctified of God And the purest creatures that euer God made dyd vse it was not therby defiled Ergo this text maketh not for the popes purpose And where as the pope saith that y t priests of the newe law shall bée cleane we grauÌ„t the same and desire God with all our hartes that they may bée so And béecause that we would that it should bée so therfore doe we exhorte them to vse Gods holy ordinaunce that they may bée holy For all creatures of God bée good And vnto them that bée cleane nothyng is vncleane Now is matrimony gods ordinauÌ„ce â–ª Wherefore it must néedes bée cleane of it selfe and may bée lawfully vsed with thankes Farthermore what argument is this of the popes The priestes of the old law did abstayne froÌ„ their wiues the tyme of their ministration Ergo our priestes must alwayes abstayne How foloweth this alwayes out of the old priestes sometyme But me thinketh the pope should rather take an occasioÌ„ of this place to bynde hys priestes to mariage if they can not lyue sole For the priestes of the law by Gods coÌ„maundement had wiues Ergo God would not recken mariage vncleane and vnpure And if it were cleane for them it must much more bée cleaner vnto our priestes For all thynges bée cleaner vnto vs then to them Wherfore me thinketh y t pope should rather dispute on this maner The priestes of y t old law had wyues and were not thereby defiled Ergo my priestes must much rather haue wyues for they shall bée lesse defiled Moreouer it foloweth not The priestes of the old law abstained from their wyues in the tyme of their ministration Ergo our priestes must abstayne alwayes bycause they bée alwayes in ministration For many thinges were vncleane to the priestes of the old law that bée not vncleane vnto our priestes Also vnto them it was a commaundement so to doe or els it had béene lawfull for them to tary by their wyues But our priestes hath no commaundement Ergo they are not bounde to abstayne Finally this text of Scripture dyd not bynde the Apostles nor all the holy fathers after the Apostles till Innocentes tyme to abstayne from theyr wyues Ergo it byndeth not our priestes now For gods word was in as full streÌ„gth before Innocentes dayes as after The second Scripture is this Abstayne for a tyme that ye may the better geue attendaunce to prayer On this texte disputeth the pope on this maner Paule commaundeth sayth hée laye men to abstayne for a tyme. Ergo much more are priestes bounde to abstayne alwayes The whiche must alwayes pray and bée in a continuall sacrifiyng This argument is also false and not concluded after Saint Paules mynde For S. Paule woulde not by this text forbydde mariage by the reason of prayer For howe could hée saye then Abstayne for a tyme Vnmaryed men must abstayne alwayes and not for a tyme onely Nor it is no commaundement vnto lay men as the pope sayth to abstayne For S. Paule will y t they shall not abstayne except that they be both agréed Yea and also in a case y t is where their abstayning should bée an occasyon of more prayer But if their abstayning may bée the occasyon of vncleanenes Or els if the one party will abstayne and the other can not Then will blessed S. Paule that neyther of them shall defraude the other For they are more bounde in thys case to vse them felues in the offyce of matrimonye then pro illo loco tempore to pray For y t text is clere Vxori vir debitum reddat Let men marke my saying well For though we bée bound to pray by the Gospell yet I thynke that the cercumstance of tyme and place is of mans lawe reddere debitum is in this case of the Gospell Wherefore the other must geue place Take my wordes charitably and after learning But yet grauÌ„t it a commaundement How can it folowe there out that priestes shall neuer marry because that lay men are bound as the pope sayth to abstaine for a tyme Why doth not the pope rather bynde his priestes in tyme and place requisite to matrimony for auoyding of fornication as S. Paule doth All the world knoweth y t priests doth not alwayes pray Wherefore then doth not the pope graunt them that same lybertie y t S. Paule doth For he wâ—ll lest y t deuyll should teÌ„pt them by incontenency y t they should returne againe after their prayer to y t office of matrimony O Lorde God how would men crye out agaynst mée if I should thus teare and wringe scriptures But this popet may doe what hée lysta nd all that hée doth men doe recken to bée articles of our fayth There is not a stronger place in all scripture for matrimony then this is In so much that all learned men that euer spake of this matter hath brought this same chapter of S. Paule for them yet y t deuill in the Pope can turne this topse turuy And that y t maketh agaynst him must néedes make for hym or els hée will wring him tyll hée breake his necke What learning can prooue this that priests may not marry béecause they are bouÌ„de to pray to doe sacrifyce Doth mariage defyle their prayers or can it coÌ„taminate their sacrifyces then the holy patriarches Prophetes haue no cleane sacrifyces Yea Christes Apostles had vncleane sacrifices But here is a wonderfull iuglynge of the deuyll For sometime matrymony shall bée an holy and a blessed sacrameÌ„t and shal géeue grace and an other while it shall bée against God and all his sacrifices and a defyler of Gods mynisters of all their prayers Wherefore I conclude that this texte of S. Paule Abstaine for a time that you may the
Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Luke The Prologue of W. Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Iohn The epistle to the Romaynes to the excellentest part of the new Testament Here you must note these wordes law sinne c. Law how it is to be vnderstand The law of God requireth the bottom of our hartes S. Paul was a great persecutor of the christians If we be not willing to do good then doth sinne raign in vs. No man can fulfill the law but Christ onely The pâ—â—e and perfect kepyng of the law is to do the â—aâ—e of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 but oâ— inward loue The law encreaseth sinne The law is spiritual The spirite of god maketh a maÌ„ spirituall The law is good righteous and holy Workes of the law the fulfilling of the law are two things By the workes of the law no man can be iustified As the law is spiritual so it must be fulfilled spiritually Where true fayth is there is the spirit of God Our iustification is by fayth in Christ Out of true fayth springeth all good workeâ— Oâ—synne Sinne what it is Sinne in y â— scripture is chiefly called vnbe liefe Grace how it is vnderstand in the scriptures Gift what it is God for Christes sake receaueth vs. There is no damnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Faith what it is False and fained faith True faith is liuely Fayth is not idle The true definition of fayth Good workeâ— cannot be separate from true fayth Righteousnes how it is to be vnderstaÌ„d Flesh spirite what they are â—ow to vnderstand them How this word fleshe is to be vnderstand in the Scripture Increduâ—â—tie is the chief of all sinnes Fleshe is here well described What soâ—euer procedeth of faith is spirituall A necessary and profitable instruction for all preachers The maner of S. PauÌ„les doctrine Nature is so blinde that we caÌ„not see nor vnderstand the goodnes of God hys mercy shewed vnto vs in Christ Iesu hys â—owne S. Paule coÌ„demneth all hipocrisiâ— How S. Paul rebuketh hypocrites The difference betwene the Iewe the Gentile All men are sinners The waye howe wee must bee made righteous Faith obteineth the fulfillyng of the law S. Paule auÌ„swereth to the caueling question that our Papistes vse agaynst iustificatioÌ„ of faith onely Good workes are ouâ— ward signes of true fayth Wee are first iustified theÌ„ foloweth good workes Gods mercy moueth vs to fayth in his promises so that God in al things worketh our iustification Gods mercy saueth vs and not we our selues If we lack Abrahams fayth we cannot be Abrahams children Fayth onely receaueth the grace that coÌ„meth by Abraham The frutes workes of fayth Fayth before all workes iustifieth Good workes are the fruites of fayth Where true fayth is there are good workes Where fayth lacketh there is all euill workes As by â—â—aÌ„ came sinne so by Christ came saluation The principall work of faith and the battaile betwen the spirite and the flesh What it is not to be vnder the law What it is to be vnder the lawe The right fredome libertie froÌ„ sinne and from the law Example Our consciences bound and in daunger to the lawe by olde Adam so loÌ„g as he liueth in vs. The law requireth of vs that which we cannot pay The law doth vtter and declare what sinne is What wâ— may do of our selues and what we may not do Where feare and shame is away there all wickednes is committed The fleshe is contrary to the sprite The sprite lusteth contrary to the flesh There is no daunger to theÌ„ that are in Christ The right worke of fayth is to mortify the flesh Predestiâ—… cion is in the handes of God How farre we may proceede in predestination Predestinâ—tion is not rashly to be disputed of Which are good workes mete to be done Loue is y â— fulfilling of the law We must deale louingly with our weake brethren The weaknes of our brethren is to be considered In the epistle to the Romaines is conteyned a sufficient doctrine for a Christen man Beware of the traditious of men This epistle declareth it self Weake and yong consciences as to be stubborne for the last shal receiue the equall reward with the first Loue fulfilleth the law It is the parte of a good shepherd to veÌ„ture hys lyfe for hys sheepe tribulatioÌ„ for the Gospell sake maketh vs sure of eternall lyfe All that repent are iustified thorough saith by Christ and not by workes The law condeÌ„neth but the beleuyng of Gods promises iustifieth In sekyng any other satisfaction theÌ„ Christ we beceauâ— our selues Hereby are we warned that workes saue vs not but the word that is the promise Mannes righteousnes zeale or imagination without Gods worde is odious For fayth when it is preached bringeth y e spirite and power to fulfill the law Who so hath a pure fayth can not but abouÌ„d with good workes Not the receauyng of the Gospel but the coÌ„tinuaunce to the latter ende maketh vs blessed He meaneth therby lest they should fall from the worde they had already receaued PatieÌ„ce in persecution for Christs sake rewarded with y â— crowne of euerlasting ioy and felicitie Hereby haue we euident signes that the latter day is at hand The office of a bishop The Pope his Prelates are here playnly set forth for what Christ loosed freely the Pope did bynd it to lose it agayne for money Vertuous Byshops are worthy double honor Byshops must be vigilant in their vocationâ— This hath already ben fulfilled in our spiritualtie What maner a man a Byshop or Curate ought to be Good deedes please god so farre foorth as they are applied to the kepyng of the commaundements but Christ onely iustifieth Christ is all to a Christen man MeÌ„ ought to rule theyr wiues with godâ— word To watch is not onely to abstaine from slepe but also to auoyde all occasions that may drawe vs to sinne As god reioyceth not in the dede it selfe â–ª so doth he not in â—…dle faith without works Good workes are a shew of our fayth as the fruit is of the tree He prophesieth of the popes spiritualtie The condition of the worlde shall waxe worse and worse Where 〈◊〉 true fayth is there are also good workes Christes bloud purchaseth forgeuenes of sinnes and not mans workes Whether this were Paules epistle or no great learned men haue doubted Some deny it to haue bene written by anye Apostle and refuse it as not Catholike A solution of the former doubts This not to be denied to be Paules Epistle Mercy is locked vp from hym which wilfully yeldeth his body 〈◊〉 soule to sinne No place in the scripture so plainly describeth the significations figures of the olde testament as this epistle doth This epistle for that it agreeth with the rest of the scripture ought to be of equal authoritie with the other This epistle is to be taken as holy scripture The papistes alleage this text for their purpose thorough misunderstandyng the same Fayth only
do not take their vocation to seke Gods glory and honour but to liue easilie promote themselues to dignitie Libertie God destroyeth one wicked with an other Gods word is not the cause of euill Christes Disciples were long weake and worldly mynded What the Popes doctrine causeth he coÌ„maundeth murther The popes doctrine is bloudy Christes doctrine to peaceable God auengeth hys doctrine him selfe How a maÌ„ ought to behaue him selfe in readyng of doctours and also in the Scripture Our fathers and mothers are to vs in Gods stede What wee doe to our fathers mothers that we do to God The reward of obedience The reward of disobedience God auengeth disobedience hym selfe though the officer will not Mariage couetousnes maketh our spiritualitie that they cannot see that which a Turke is ashamed of Get her with child say they so shall thy cause bee best Gods commaundementes breake they throughe their owne traditions Money maketh marchaundise Iugglers Mariage altereth the degree of nature The husband is 〈◊〉 the wife in gods stede In sufferynge wronges patieÌ„tly â—e folow the steppes of Christ The master is vnto the seruanÌ„t in Gods stede Our spiritualtie retayne mens seruauntes not to honour God but their traditions and ceremonies onely Christes doctrine the Popes differre If thy master please thee not shaue thy selfe a Monke a Frier or a Priest To obey no man is a spirituall thyng Rom. 13. Kyngs are chosen to suppresse the wicked support the good An â—pte similitude Iudges are called Gods Blessyng Curse God rewardeth aâ— obedience though no maÌ„ els do God auengeth all disobedience though no maÌ„ els do VeÌ„geance is Gods Dauid God destroyeth one wicked by an other God prouideth a meanes to take the euil out of the way when they haue fulfilled their wickednes Why Dauid slewe not Saul The kyng 〈◊〉 in the roâ—â—â—e of god in this world The kyng must be reserued vnto the vengeaunce of God It iâ— not lawfull for a Christen subiect to resiste hys Prince though he be an heathen man Kynges must make accompt of their doynges onely to God The kyng hath no power but to his damnation to priuiledge the spiritualtie to sinne vnpunished A king is a great benefite though he be neuer so euill Princes are ordeined to pâ—uill doâ—rs The damnation of Princes Sanctuaries Neckeuerse Three natures What it is to looke Moyses in the face Heauen commeth by Christ A Christen man seketh no more but Gods will Lustes Freâ—ill Worldly witte The will is bond and â—ed Fredome All is sinne that springeth not of the spirite of God and all that is not done in the light of Gods worde So do our spiritualtie in all their workes True miracles are wrought to coÌ„firme the preaching and not the God head of the preacher Our hypocrites are blinde The religious looke vpon the out side onely The sprituall man The naturall man Feate is the last â—emedy Kinges defend y â— false authoritie of the pope their office punishing of sinne loyd apart Bishoppes minister the kinges dutie their owne layde apart yea they persecute their owne office Kynges do but waite on y â— Popes pleasure The iugling of the Pope Bishops of Almany Mylane Byshops of Fraunce A cappe of maintenaunce Most Christen kyng Defendre of the Popes Fayth The eldest sonne of the holy 〈◊〉 Blâ—â—â—ng of armes The English Bysshops The falsehode of the Bishops O a cruell and an abhominable example of tyranny iudge them by theyr dedes saith Christ The whore of BabyloÌ„ Confession Not Peter onely but Christ also was vnder the temporall sword The kings sinne in geuing exeÌ„ptions the Prelates in receauyng them When the spiritualitie payeth tribute Shameles iugglers They make no conscieÌ„ce at any euill doyng They care for theyr neighbours as y â— wolfe doth for the shepe The euill ensample of the spiritualtie causeth the lay to beleue that they are not bound to obey There is no ChristeÌ„ loue in theÌ„ What purpose euen to flatter the princes that they may abuse their authoritie to sleâ— who soeuer beleueth 〈◊〉 Christ and to mainteine the Pope Confessiâ— Prelates know all mens secretes 〈…〉 man theâ—… â—oue fulfilleth the law before God not the outward dede Agaynste workemen The deede fulfilleth the law before the world Faith maketh a man to loue Iustifiyng The office or dutie of the law The beleuyng of Gods promises iustifieth The spirite and the inward vertues are knowen by the outward dede Ouercome thyne enemy with well doing The law The kyng Rulers are Gods gift Why the rulers are euill Euill rulers are a signe that God is angry with vs. Why the Prelates are so wicked The cause of false miracles is that we haue no lust vnto the truth The right way to came of bondage Euill rulers ought not to be resisted God is alwayes one alwayes true alwayes mercifull and excludeth no maÌ„ from his promises A Christâ— man doth but suffer onely Euill rulers are wholesome medicines A Christen man receaueth How profitable aduersitie is The greatest sinner is righteous in Christ and the promises And the perfectest and holyest is a sinner in the lawe the fleshe Rigour in parentes towardes their chilchildren is to be eschued The right bringing vp of children The destruction marring of children The maryage of children without conâ—… of their parenâ—es is vnlawfull In Christ we are all seruaunts and he that hath knowledge is bounde MeÌ„ ought to rule their wiues by Gods worde Why the man is stronger then the woman Teach thy seruaunt to know Christ and after Christes doctrine deale with hym Do all thyng with Gods worde Landlordes should raise no rentes nor bring vp new customes God gaue â—he earth to men Landlordes should withstand the worng of the Tenauntes There is no respect of person afore God Moyses Iudges O tyranny to compell a man to accuse himselfe Our Prelates learned of Cayphas Secret sinnes pertayne vnto God to punishe and open sinnes vnto the kyng ☜ Parcialitie in Iudges is wicked Parcialitie bribe takyng is the pestilence of Iudges ☞ Women pride and coÌ„tempt of subiectes are the pestilence of Princes Vayne names The holy father lonseth peace and vmâ—â—e trace trâ—uth and aâ— honesty What the keyes arâ— why they are so called The keyes are promised The keyes are payde To bynde and loose Repentaunce and forgeuenes come by preachyng Peter practiseth his keyes The popes authoritie is to preach gods word onely Beware of the net and of the leuen and of the counterfet keyes of our holy father Not w t an hereticke sayth the Pope Vnlawfull vowes or othes men are commaunded to breake Byshops Behold the face of the Pope and of the Byshops in this glasse Peters patrimonie The popes authoritie is improued Byshops haue captiued Gods word with theyr owne decrees Rochester They walke in shadowes Aaron is euery true preacher Aaron representeth Christ Aaron addeth nothyng to Moses law The Apostles preached not Peter but Christ Paule is greater thaÌ„ hye
men The litterall sense killeth say sophisters The letter killeth expound this To loue the law is righteousnes The litterall sense is spirituall What is to be sought in y â— Scripture and in the litteâ—… sense The story of Ruben Swearâ— they by their honour thâ—â— are they not ready to suffer shame for Christes sake The adultery of Dauid The difference betwen gods sinners the deuils Nos The Pope is likened to Ham. They will to heauen by away of their owne makyng The vse of similitudes A similitude without Scripture is a sure token of a false Prophet Paul preached not worldly wisedome Similitudes and reasons of mans wisdome make no faith but waueryng opinions onely Goddes word maketh surâ— fayth for God can not lye Peter preached not fables and false similitudes but the playne Scripture ☞ Schole do 〈◊〉 Similitudes are no good argumentes among the sophisters owne selfe We must â—ure our in 〈…〉 with the remedies that God hath ordeined not tempt god What 〈…〉 ☞ ☜ In expoundyng of the Scripture we must haue a respect vnto the liuyng and practising of Christ and of his Apostles and Prophetes The scripture was geuen to leade vs vnto Christ ☞ Settes or orders Couetousnes desire of honour is the ende of all false doctrine and that which false prophets seke Purgatory Pardons Praying to saintes Confession An example of false expouÌ„ding y â— scriptures Christ the â—ayth and Gods word is the rocke and not the Pope The auctority of Peters successour â—o but to preach That expositioÌ„ to false which is agaynst thâ— oâ—en scripture or agaynst thâ— practising of Christ and of hys Apostles Binding 〈◊〉 lowsing is one power What Iesus signifieth What bynding meaneth What cursing meaneth What lowsing meaneth ☜ The Pope is Robyn goodfelow Of our selues we can performe nothâ—ng further theÌ„ God â—…ll geue vs power Another example To sit on Christes seaâ—e is to preach and confesse Christ Christ rebuked desire of preheminence in his Disciples but the Pope chalengeth it aboue all men as hyâ—… owne inheritaunce Fathers fathers Miracles miracles The womaÌ„ of Lemster was a solempne miracle The armour of the spiritualtie The armour of a Christe maÌ„ is Gods word and fayth ☜ Gods woorde about all mens iudge mentes Fryers be not bound to preach How God ought to be serued In Christ to rest of conscience onely Do good deedes and trust in Christ Gods worde is the rule of childreÌ„ seruauntes wyues subiectes â—o please God â—o to beleue hys promises to loue hys commaundementes He that will aueÌ„ge robbeth God of his honour How 〈◊〉 soeuer the kyng is 〈…〉 vnto thâ—… great gift of God The Pope hath a law that none of his sprites may be suerty The kyng is but a seruaunt to execute the lawes of God How farre a kyng ought to seeke at his commons handes Note 4 Confession The manifolde enormities which their auricular confession did breede The Pope and his chapteyns were the fountaines of all euils in spiritualâ— regiment or teÌ„porall Vnder an outwarde pretence of Gods honor the poâ—â—â— Clergie procured their owne dignitie The keepyng down of Gods word promoted the Popes spiritualties honour The Byshop of Rochester as a fit paterna to 〈…〉 â—ll y ◠〈…〉 aâ—… The cause why kings coulde not come to the knowledge of y â— truth Miracles are done by fayth and not by ceremonies The vse of Allegories The vse of similitudes â–ª To digge the welles of AbrahaÌ„ is to open and to make plaine the scriptures which is the kingdome of God Abrahams welles The kingdome of heauen what it 〈◊〉 Moses face The keye what it is The lawe is the way that leadeth to Christ Lawe what her office is The law 〈…〉 â—â—reth sinne condemneth our deedes drinketh vs to Christ Moses 〈◊〉 the law but Christ onely geueth grace to do it and vnderstand it aright The 〈◊〉 serâ—ent Num. 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 〈…〉 contraâ—… peâ—acioâ—s The 〈◊〉 â—ure 〈◊〉 is looked vp Christ is the doore the way and foundation of all the Scriptures When by gloses of out owne imaginacioÌ„ we darken the cleare text of gods word theÌ„ is the Scripture locked by from vs. Christ vsed 〈◊〉 temporal regiment Christ is a gâ—… geuen onely to theÌ„ that loue the law and professe it He that professeth not the law hath 〈…〉 in the promises Workes do not iustifie 2. Cor. 〈◊〉 The law By keepyng the lawe we continue in grace Fayth loue and hope are insepararable in this lyfe They that loue not the law cannot vnderstand the Scripture to saluation Care How God careth for the weake By bearyng eche other weakenes we fulfil the lawe of Christ Rulers why they were ordayned Why God scourgeth hys The conditions of the couenaunt Flesh and spirite Crosse Euill lustes and affections are to be purged with the crosse of Christ To sinne vnder grace and to 〈◊〉 vnder the lawe Lambes Swyne Dogges Swyre haue â—o fayth Dogges loue not the lawe True fayth to coupled with loue to the lawe The difference of faythes and how it is to be vnderstoode fayth iustifieth Fayth of hipocrites fayth of 〈◊〉 The â—ight baptâ—… The church of Christ Whosoeuer derogate any thyng froÌ„ the 〈◊〉 of Christ are not of the church They that haue not the lawe writeâ— in their harts â–ª caÌ„not vnderstand the passion of Christ to saluation A 〈◊〉 re peting What the inward baptisme of the soule iâ— Thau Faith â—ope and charitie are inseperable Faith hope and charitie are knowen one by the other The office of fayth The office of loue The office of hope The anker of our saluation is perfect faith in Christes bloud 1. Pouerth in spirite Riches Neither riches or pouertie exclude or assure vs of Gods blessing Who are poore in spirite is here pithely declared Riche in spirite Couetousnes is a thyng contraris to the worde of God and to the ministers of the same By couetousnes is a false Prophet chiefly knowen 2. Some cry the world is nought not â—or their owne and others iniquitie but for waywardnes they caÌ„ not enioye theyr owne lusles Godlye mournyng As warmeth accoÌ„panieth the sâ—nne so foloweth the crosse a true Christian man K. Iohn Henry the second The promise of Goddes word is y â— coÌ„fort of y â— afflicted in this world for Christs sake Faith is our victory By persecution and death for y â— truthes sake we obteine lyfe get the victory The mourners for righteousnes are saued when God taketh vengeance on y â— vnright 〈◊〉 wise 3. Mekenes possesseth the earth Referre y â— reuenge of thy cause to the Magistrate whoÌ„ God appointeth to forbyd such violence Hundred folde The priuat person may not aduenge but the officer must 4. Righteousnesse How this word righteousnes ought here to be vnderstode Monkes Monkes why they runne into Religion Luc. vi Monkes be cursed 5. To be mercyful what it is how manye wayes mercy may be shewed Monkes Couent Oâ—le Holy oyle must bee aduenged Zeale
Christ is accompted to vs for righteousnes We are saued by grace and not by workes of the law The Pope when any man offendeth him falleth to cursing Workes can be no satisfaction for sinne to Godward God is a spirite and must be worshipped in y t spirite Popish workes Gods worship God doth pardon and forgeue all our sinnes whatsoeuer they are for Christes sake Christes victory The popes purgatory is terrible Binde and lose Note this text Bynding losing is by the true preachyng of Gods Word We must struggle striue with sinne How penauÌ„ce came vp Purgatory How the Pope and hys shauelyngs haue abused penaunce Here was Purgatory kindled The deâ—…nition of penaunce made by the Papistes Fayth is the chiefest part of penaunce Our workes can make no satisfaction but onely faith in Christes bloud The practise marcheuÌ„dise of the Pope his Clergy Vowes of Religion Worshyppyng of Saintes The Pope and his Clergy setteth vp Idolatry The true worshipping of saintes Good lessons are to be learned of y â— saints The true worshipping of saintes is to folow their life and doctrine If we harken to the voyce of God he is mighty and of power to helpe vs. We must do good for euill A popish imaginatioâ—â— Aduourâ—es Idolatry God hath promised to geue vs whatsoeuer we aske in Christes name for Christes sake Saints caÌ„ not help vs The saints were not saued by their â—…ne merites but by Christes merites We must humble our selues to the mercy of almighty God The Angels serue vs. To choose saintes to be our aduacates is mere idolatry Christ is the way life that leadeth vs to saluation Howe Christ prayeth for vs Christ is a kyng and hath power him selfe to forgeue vs and to receaue vs vnto hym selfe All the blessed company of heaueÌ„ reioyse and are glad to haue vs to be with them that we might loye together Christ prayeth for vs and hys prayer is heard Imageseruice is abhorred of God God hateth superstition Churches were or deined for preachyng and callyng on the name of God Christe hath made a chaunge with vs for he hath taken vpon him all our sinnes and grauÌ„ted vs his mercy and giftes of grace loue maketh all thynges common S. Paule was a louyng and carefull preacher A good saying of S. Paule The state of grace They that keepe the coÌ„maundementes are in the state of grace When we do good to our neighbour then we may be assured that we are in the state of grace A sure argument to know false Prophetes by To be in God is to beleue in the mercy of God A rule to know whether we loue God or loue him not They that be enemies to the Testament of Christ and are teachers of mans 〈◊〉 tions are not in Christ And old coÌ„maundement is the woorde which ye heard from the begynnyng Siâ— transit gloriâ—â—uÌ„â—… This was Cardinall wolsey He that hateâ—h hys brother is in darknes and seâ—th not Christ To abyde in the light is to abyde in 〈◊〉 knowledge of Christ Faith in Christ is the roote of all goodnes He that hateth hys brother is in ignoraunce IgnorauÌ„ce When we haue offended our brother if we reconcile our selues vnto hym agayne theÌ„ are our sinnes forgeuen We can not know the father but by the sonne Fayth in Christ ouer commeth the worlde â—â—arice or couetousnes The loue of y â— worlde 〈◊〉 many from Christ Thomas Wolâ—… lâ—â—â— Cardinall of England Lechery Couetousnes Pride Compare the worldâ— to the pope Cardinals â–ª c. and you shall finde them to bee the world Pride â–ª Couetousnes Note The proâ—…tions of the spiritualitie corrupt their myndes Popes and Bishops will suffer nothyng that shall restrayne their pride and couetousnes Riches and couetousnes blyudeth the eyes of the 〈◊〉 Houre Antichrist The worldings loue the Gospell so longes it bryngeth gayne The Papistes poudred the doctrine of Christ w t theyr dreggeâ— The Pope hath put Christ froÌ„ his rule gouernement Antichrist hath bene long among vs. Christ onely is called holy Annoynted The carnall man knoweth not the thinges of the spirite of God Antichrist who it is The Pope captiuateth the vnderstandyng of all meÌ„ with his superstitious rites and ceremonies Pelagius heresie Iesus Christus Emanuel Sanctus Thomas Curteise a churle Dead men Poore meÌ„ Christ is no disguised person The Pope and his shanelynges are right Antichrists To know God The Apostles doctrine ought we to abide by Annoyntyng Outward oyle auayleth nothyng We must cleaue to the doctrine of the Apostles A fore saying to all hypocrites and teachers of false doctrine We must beleue the resurrectioÌ„ not to be curious to vnderstand the state of the soules departed where they are nor what they do The doctrine of the Pope is cleane contrary to Christes doctrine The thyrd Chapter The world could not knowe Christ The world shall know Christ A Christen mans faith and hope are not idle The fayth of a Christen man The popes fayth What sinne is The suÌ„me of Gods law Loue breaketh the law We are baptised to dye with Christ concernyng sinne The filthynes of the Popes doctrine Where true fayth is there procedeth good workes He that preacheth Christ in worde and deede hym take for Christes vicare The man is first euil The maÌ„ is first good The Popes doctrine The faythful and vnfaithfull sinne diuersly We must recompence euill with goodnes Good â—orkes declare where good sayth is Fayth is the roote of all commaundementes Spirites We may not beleue euery doctrine that is taught and preached but we must first examine it with the touch stone of Gods word and so either receaue it or reiect it The triall of all doctrine Antichrist will not coÌ„fesse that Christ 〈◊〉 come in the flesh Doctrine that is of God Doctrine that is of the deuill The Popes doctrine of Christ God is the worker in vs by fayth that we haue in 〈◊〉 Two generations in the world The Popes doctrine is worldly He that loueth God is borne of God The founteâ—ne of loue God first loued vs before we could loue hym Ephesâ— Herein appeareth the great and louing mercy of almightte God toward vs when we were yet sinuers Loue maketh vs the sonnes of God No man hath sene God The scripture hath sene God By this badge of loue we are knoweÌ„ to haue the spirite of God He that be leueth that Iesus to Gods sonne hath God in hym Fayth taketh hold of Christes death and deseruyng Loue maketh the faythfull Christian man to be bold Loue. Feare If we loue ouâ— brethreÌ„ theÌ„ are we carefull for them The more we loue God the more diligent we are to do his will Where perfect loue is there is no feare Fayth is the mother of loue A sure rule If we loue God we must do his commaundements his commaundement is to loue our neyghbours Fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes What it is to beleue that Iesus is Christ Iesus the true Messias and the
de verbis Apostoli s 〈◊〉 The church of God is the treasures of God without spotte or wrinkle That which is of fayth can neither bee seene nor felt The true holynes that is of our right holye mother the Church 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 15. De con D. D. 4. c. prima igitur 1. Iohn 2. De pâ—ne Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1. Arecta in Glossa The faythfull congregation can not erre The voyce of murtherers and theeues A rule that Rochester teacheth to know the difference betweene y â— Pope and Councell The Councell erreth if the Pope agree not to their do ynges Popes haue erred Popes condemned for heretickes 3. King 2. 3. King 18. The litle flocke is y e flocke of Christ De electio c. significa The Councell of Meldelci dyd erre A generall Councell is not the vniuersall Churche Augustinus de bap li. 2. c. 3 contra Donatistas Councels haue erred and many erre The holy scriptures are the iudges of the Councels doings Math. 10. There are perticular Churches to whome wee may complayne 24. q. 3. Si. quis et c. cuÌ„ aliquis The communion felowship of Saintes is the vniuersall Church How a maÌ„ may know the church An example teaching how y e true church may be knowne Esay 55. Roma 10. Actes 10. 1. Thess 2. Good workes are the fruite of good fayth Charitie may be deceaued but fayth can neuer bee deceaued A saying of Chrisostome Chrisostome sendeth vs to scriptures to learne which is the holy Church not vnto them that call themselues y e holy church Ephe. 2. The holy Church is builte and founded vpon the Apostles Prophets Augustinus The true Church is a sufferer and no persecutor 2. Tim. 3. The Popes church are persecutors but no sufferers The glory of the Popes churche is in trash Hilarius cont Arianos Barnardus super can s 33. Note here the saying of Saint Barnard S. Barnard greatly reproueth the insaciable pride of the Popes Church xiiij quest i c. QuodeuÌ„que in verbo Reconciliat M. More would haue vs to thinke there is none other holy church but y e Pope and his Cardinals and Byshops c. Epes 5. Aug. de ver bis Domini serm l. Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 6. Now euill men be in the church What the very true church is Roma 〈◊〉 Homo mortuus non est homo Ephes 5. M. More layeth many thynges to me wroÌ„g fully Aug. Serm. 99. de tempore Lyra in Mar. ca. xix De verbo Apost ser xxix Anotable saying of S. Augustine De coâ—se D. iiij c. Igitur xxiiij q. i. Arâ—cta in glosa De electio c Significal 1. The counsell of Weldâ—us did erre Au. de Bapt. li. 2 cap. 3. The full counsels may erre How a man may knowe the church The church suffereth Chris in opere Im ê‘secto By scriptures men may know the veritie Hila. contra Arrianos Barn suê‘caÌ„ serm 33. The true church of Christ staÌ„deth onely in them that are good men 1. Tim. 4. The keyes of y e church is the openyng of Christ and the loosing of vs from sinne Psal 80. Scâ—tus 4. sent di 18. How DuÌ„s interpreteth the keyes Nicho. de orbel di vs supra Hiero. in M. c. 16. The saying of S. Hierome vppon the keyes Scotus 4. sen dist 15. Quest 1. August ser 2. de sane The nature property of the keyes of heauen Roma 10. Psal 118. Ibidem 1. Cor. 14. 2. Tim. 1. Psal 118. All thinges shal perish but y â— word of God endureth for euer Hebr. 4. Roma 3. What power it is that the Priest hath The word of God is the true keye that openeth loseth Math. 6. Acte 2. The true maner of losyng and byndyng of openyng and shottyng Math. 10. The hearyng of the worde of God and beleuyng the same loseth vs from our sinnes Mark 6. Actes 18. Iohn 20. Luke 24. Luke 24. Preachyng of the word of God is losing from sinne Actes 17. How the worde of God byndeth how it loseth 2. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 1. The worde of God is remission of sinne if it bee beleeued when it is preached Hebr. 6. By preaching of the worde of God heaueÌ„ is opened and shut Chriso in M. c. 15. De doctr christi li. 1. c. 15. es 18. Augustine in Ioan Trac 124. 24. q. 1. QuodcuÌ„que Origenes Super. M. Ho. 1. The church is builded vpoÌ„ the confession of all the Apostles and of all faithfull people Super Ioan Trac 124. c. 21. Preachers if they abuse their preaching maye bee deposed 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 4. Item 3. 1. Pet. 5. The ministers of the Churche ought to be no Lordes In M. c. 23. li. de Cain et Abell The Byshops and cleargie abuse Christes keyes The false allegyng of fathers and Councels is the next way to deceaue the Churche of God Psal 1. Blessed are they whose meditation is in the law of God An exaÌ„ple The ministration of the Church belongeth to the Byshops other ministers but the authoritie of the same belongeth to Christ An other example The doctrine and true preaching of the worde of God is the pardon and remission of our sins The authoritie of the churche belongeth to Christ onely Luke 7. August lib. Quinquaginta home liarum be 23. The popes Clergy is condemned by S. Austen to bee heretickes Money is the Popes best marchaunt Shamefull doyngs must bee shamefully rebuked The Pope selleth God and all his ordinauÌ„ces The Pope will not folow nor obey to Christes commauÌ„demeÌ„t for hee biddeth hym loose The Pope selleth hys ware very deare Math. 10. 1. Cor. 9. Hierome Chrisosto ad Ti. 5. S. Chrisostome is very straight to byshops and the rest of the Clergye Chri. s 6. de anathemate Byshops compared to popets and stage players Math. 26. Luke 11. A sore sentence of Christ agaynst vnpreachyng Prelates In what thinges we haue free-will and in what none Iohn 15. The frutes of freewill Freewill without gods grace can doe nothyng that is good Bona intentio Super Ioannem tract lxxi DuÌ„ces doctrine ouerthrowen 2. Cor. 3. We of our selues as of our selues can not doâ— so much as thinke a good thought Barnarde lib. arbit Math. 7. Math 12. Mans free-will without Gods grace can doe nothing that is good Roma â–ª 3. In Enche 〈◊〉 â—9 Man by vsâ—ig of his freewill euill did lose both hymselfe his freewill De â—erbis apost â–ª ser 11. Mans free-will caÌ„ doe nothing but sinne Roma 8. MaÌ„s fleshly wisdome is enemy to God Duns Marke 7. Roma 8. De verbis Domini ser xv Freewill without grace is sinne Roma 8. De verbis Apost â—…ij We can doe nothyng that is good without the spirite of God Who are y t children of God Bonus conatus verstum de congruâ— Fleshly carnall reason reasoneth frowardly and crookedly As God is nothynge but goodnes so can hee commaunde nothyng but that which is good Why God hath