set vp in the steade of it his own blasphemes and that thei shuld haue bene called the writton word of god rather thaÌ„ the vnwritton inuented word Oh lord the holy gost had euel prouided for us if he had left us in the holy scripture only part of the word and will of god And how could god haue lauffully daÌ„ned us for receyuing strange doctrines euen after the commandmentes of the bisshops if he had not left all things necessary for our saluacyon writton in his holy word And againe where as christ coÌ„mandeth us to heare the church if we shuld not know the true church only by the scripture but by pour auc torite saccession who shuld haue durst ones to haue opened his lippes against the Idolatrissh seruice and false tradicioÌ„s of the bishops or ones haue whisspred against any wickednes had it bene neuer so manifest But thei being thorouly bliÌ„ded do not perceyue this most shameful and detestable blasphemy Thei doo not consyder what ignorance neclygence vnmercifulnes thei ascrybe vnto god whaÌ„ as thei say that god did not regard that the word shuld be writton whereby he saith that we shal be iudged at the latter day But the holy gost esspyed before the malyce of the deuel and also this blasphemy and therfor to represse and confownd his purpose and tyranny and agayne to stopp the mouthes of all other he enioyned his scribes that is to say the Prophetes Apostels and euangelistes to wryte this word that we shuld haue by us a sure and a perpetual testimony whereunto we might surely trust and wherby he might shew declare hym selfe to damne the wicked lawfully And he coÌ„manded the apostels that thei shuld beare witnes of this scripture and that thei shulde reiecte all other writinges whose so euer thei were which went abowt to mixe their lyes with the gospel lyke as s. luke in the prologe of his gospel sayth I thought it good to wryte vnto the gentil brother Theophyl all things which I haue serched out with all dilygence from the beginning that thou mightest haue a perfight grouÌ„de to bild thy fayth vp on which thou leâ—nydst in thy youth c. By this so euydent a testymony hath the holy goost stablysshed confirmed our hartes agaynst the blasphemy of antichrist which accuseth the holy gost of most shameful wickednes and vnrightuosnes saing that he did not regard to wryte all Articles of our christen religyon and faith but that he wold thei shuld depend vpon vncerten doctrynes which the bisshops might make and alter as oft as thei list And the holy gost was not content with this one testimony but he caused the self same euangelist which had promised him self to wryte all things from the beginnig with all diligeÌ„ce to testifye agayne that he had fulfilled his promes for in the begiÌ„nig of the actes he saith that he hath writtoÌ„ in the story of his gospel of all things which christ both did and taught eueÌ„ vntyl that day that he left this world And because there were certeÌ„ which did falsely wrytte and wrest this place the holy father Chrisostome doth expownd it thus There be some that enquire how luke could wryght of all things which christ both did taught seiÌ„g Iohn sayth it were impossible to wryte all thiÌ„gs whom I answer saith he luke meneth not al thiÌ„gs but of all things necessary vnto our saluacion But the holy gost nedeth no helpe of animan to coÌ„firm his wordes for he which is the most coning craftesman of all and hath the knoulege of all wordes did espie before what cauillacyon the deuel wold make at that therfor he maketh answere vnto it euen by the self same euangelist For where as Ihon had sayd that Iesus had done many miracles which be not writtoÌ„ he addeth immediatly and saith These be writtoÌ„ that ye shuld bileue that Iesus is the son of god that ye beleuing shuld haue euerlastiÌ„g life hy his name By thâ—s wordes it is manifest that the soÌ„me of all christes doctrine and so many miracles also were writton as be sufficyent to confirme our faith all maner of articles whiche we be bownd to byleue For this article that Iesus is the son of god the promised seede which shuld breake the serpentes heade and restore that lyfe which the deuel had stolen from us and had brought agayne restored thorow the apperyng of the gospel that light which was darckened hidden by the prince of darknes vnto themyserable world sitting or liuing before in darknes in the shadowe of death this article I say is the soÌ„me of the whole scripture and the principal point or article of s. Iohns gospel And for this articles sake he sayth in his first pistel that he wrote all things vnto all men and that he which byleueth in the son hathe the witnesse iÌ„ him selfe that is to say he doth vnderstonde the somme of the whole scripture And because god wold haue the holy bokes wrâ—ttoÌ„ testifye of this sede that was to come namely the son of god the whole scripture is a testimony of this christ and son of god there are many tâ—mâ—s dyuerse witnesses alledged in the scripture to beare witnes of christ that he is the son of god coÌ„ceyued by the holy gost borne of the virgine suffred death is rysen vp agayn c. And vnto this had he respect whâ—n he sayd Serche the scriptures for thei beare witnes of me And peter speaketh in like maner sâ—iÌ„g All the prophetâ—s do witnesse with hâ—m that god forgeueth all the synÌ„es vnto them which bileue and put their confydence in this christ And Paul saith in lyke maner that rightuosnes was testifyed of in the lawe in the prophetes Wherfore thos testimonys which proue Iesus to be the son of god do sufficiently proue also our whole christeÌ„ faith and all maner of articles necessarâ—y to saluacyon and to euerlasting life And it were no hard thing to dyduce and drawe all the articles of the faith euen owt of this one For he that byleueth Iesus to be the son of god must nedes also grant god the father almyghty maker of heauen and erth to be the natural father of our lord Iesus christ and that for his sake he is our father and we be the soÌ„nes of god for Iesus sake and thorow him And christ saith byleue ye in god so byleue in me also do ye not byleue that I am in the father and the father in me And Iohn saith who so euer confesseth Iesus to be the son of god khe hath both the father the son Item who so euer bileueth Iesus to be the natural son of god must nedes acknoulege that he is that Emanuel of whom Esay did Prophecy that he shuld be borne of a virgyn and shuld suffer death lyke as other scriptures had before testifyed he saythe O ye folisshe hartes harde to byleue all thiÌ„gs which the prophetes haue
vayne vnto these most damnable Antichristes but I wryte only for the coÌ„fort of the faithful and for them which sinne thorow ignorance if it shal please god to put in to their hartes to knowlege the veryte and to repent and come out of the deuyls snare at whose wil and pleasure thei are now led captyue prysoners And because it were a long work to serch all the aucthorytes thorowt the scripture I wyl alledge but one place more out of the lawe and then wil I come to the prophetes and to the gospel In the .xxx. of deutero it is writton thus The coÌ„mandment which I gyue vnto the is not aboue thy pour neyther is it farre from the it is not set in heaueÌ„ that thou canst laufully say which of us all can clyme vp in to heauen to bryng it down vnto us that we may heare what it is and fulfyll it Neyther is it set beyond the see that thou canst laufully say which of us all is able to swymme ouer the see and to fetch it vnto us that we may heare what it is and fulfill that which is coÌ„manded vnto us therin But the word is nygh yea very nygh vnto the in thy mouth and in thy hart These wordes be spoken vnto the gloteÌ„s and belly goddes of this last tyme which for all the gret preteÌ„ce and outward shewe that thei make of holines and say that thei murder men for the preseruacyoÌ„ of the true fayth and of the autorycte of the church yet thei declare euydently inough that thei denye the vertu of holinesse seing thei be spotted and shamefully defiled with blode murder whordome disceyte and with all kyndes of filthinesse and of wickednesse so that it may manyfestly appeare that thei be fully persuaded that god taketh no care at all for mankynde yea that there is no god at all which will ponish these abhomynacyons Leo the .x. called a cowncel to determine whether the soule of man were iÌ„mortal or no and whan he had heard euery mans sentence and mynd he sayd that the matter was more diffycult than that he could determine or iudge which part had strongar reasons for it but whether the soule were mortal or iÌ„mortal he said he wold not defraude his sowle of the coÌ„modytes delycyosnes and pleasures which were present and if there were any life after this he wold be conteÌ„t to make good chere with other there also if he shuld see that thei wold be as good felows there as thei were here This was the voyce of the high and supreme bisshop after whose sentence all men must determine of the word of god and vp on whose arbytermeÌ„t our fayth and saluacyon must depend This I say is the iudgement of the holy see wherunto men must sayle out of Aphryca Asya and europe Denmarke InglaÌ„d and Irland and out of all other landes euen in to Italy vnto this vicar of christ and vnto his .xij. Carnals the postys of the church which succeded the apostels to these must thei come to aske councel of the wil of god of the vnderstonding of the scripture which in their owne nacyons and in the councels of their own contrys thei can in nowyse vnderstaÌ„d But moyses drawyth us from this deuelissh sentence where as he sayth The word is very nygh vnto the euen in thy mouth and in thy hart before thy eyes marke sayth he remember that I haue set it before thy eyes that thou maist reade in that boke yea and vnderstond it also For els in dede it had bene but a very madnes to haue writtoÌ„ such thiÌ„gs as no man could vnderstond It had bene moch more worship for god to haue wryton nothing at all than so to haue mocked man kynd where as he sayd he had set before hym good and euyl life and death blessyng and curse etc. He ment not good and euel after the meaning of the serpent persuading Adam that he thorow trangressyon of gods commandmeÌ„t in eating of the forbiddyn frute that he shuld haue the knoulege of good and euel that is euerlasting daÌ„nacyon for so ment the deuel But god wil not be honored after the doctrine of the serpent nor after the doctryne of the deuel nor yet he wil not be feared after the coÌ„mandmeÌ„tes tradicioÌ„s and doctrines of men coÌ„trary to his word or other wise than his word appoynteth He forbiddeth all maner of honor and condeÌ„nyth all maner of worship and seruyce done vnto him which he hath not ordeyned or commaÌ„ded For these things must be lerned out of the word of god and the wil of god both what pleaseth him and what pleaseth him noti â— known only by the holy writtoÌ„ scripture And if we byleue not this euen heauen and erth at the latter day shal witnes against us that we folow obey the serpent which is now waxen a gret Antichrist euen wetyngly of a sett purpose and obstynacy contrary to the exhortatioÌ„ and monicion of Moyses For he saith I take and call to witnes heauen and erth that I haue set before the in thy sight life death blessing curse not that curse that the puppy bloweth out vnder the name of almighty god the holy saintes Peter Paul but euen this curse which if we regard or obey the pope we shal heare of christ go your way ye cursed in to euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuel his messengers For christ geueth us warning there as Moises did of the belly goddes of the last time of the fals lying prophetes of the fals christes which shuld imagyne a newe word and a newe Christ bownd to certen appointed places dayes meates othes vowes bandes to absteyne from the lauful creatures and ordinances of god which shuld driue christ out of the compâ—ny of men and out of the ordinary comon life in to the wâ—ldernes againe and shuâ—d shutte him vp in deanes klosters or presons rather among the captiue presoners he saith also that thei shal byld coÌ„firme their preaching doctryne lawes not by the word of god or by the holy wordes of the old Prophecyes that is to say by the scripture but by false signes lying miracles that thei shal so myghtily blinde and deceyue the vnfaithful such as haue not receyued the truth of gods word but haue suffred theÌ„ selues to be ledde a way from it to be seduced thorow miracles that eueÌ„ the elect if it were possible might be deceyued And he monissheth us of these thiÌ„gs so ernestly that he calleth vpon heaueÌ„ erth to beare him witnes that he did premonissh and declare these things vnto us before of the Antichristes that shuld come wherby he declareth what sorow and care he taketh for us how sore he lamenteth that we shuld perissh be damned thorow such blasphemy of Antichrist And euen after this same maner with like wordes doth the prophete Esay thonder for the defence of gods word
told yow Must not Christ nedes haue suffred all these things so entre in to his glory Agayne it was impossyble that the son of god shuld be holdē down of death but that he shuld breake the paynes of hell ryse vp agayne As peter doth proue in the actes out of Dauyd and lyke wise Paul to proue his ascensyon vnto heauen alledgeth this verse out of the psalm Thou didst ascend vnto the highth And tokest captyuyte prysoner and gauest dyuers gyftes vnto men And dauyd speaketh of this son saing The lord sayd vnto my lord syt at my right hand vntyl I make thy emnys thy fotestole Which place paul expowndeth of the kingdom of christ after his resurrectiō and ascensyon .j. to the coryn .xv. Furthermore if thou byleuest Iesus to be the son of god than thou shalt grant that he hath sent the holy gost to sanctifye the congregacyon that is to say all the faythful according to his promes and that he is the god in whose name he cōmanded that we shuld be baptysed lyke as in his fathers name and his Itē all the prophetes do beare witnes of the holy gost namely that we must receyue remissyon of synnes thorow his name and he promyseth that he wil rayse us vp againe vnto euerlastīg life These thinges haue I spoken the more largely for the shameful cauellacyon and blasphemy of London which denyeth that all the articles of our faith can be proued by the scripture because s. Iohn saith that Iesus dyd many miracles which be not writton in this boke Now wil I alledge the myndes of Cirillus and. s. Austen to confute this wicked and blasphemos opinyon Cyrillus writing vpon Iohn the .xij. chap. speaketh thus Iohn saith there is a gret multitude and an infinyte nomber of the myracles which the lord did but those saith he which we haue shewed yow be sufficyent to them that reade them diligently for the stablysshing confirmacyon of a perfight fayth and I am not to be blamed though I haue not writton them all For if all were gathered one by one none left out the whole world wold not receyue the multytude of the bokes Wherfor all that he did were not writtō But all things which the writers thought sufficyent both for the fayth and bylefe and also for the life and conuersacyon of men that we myght shyne with a right and perfight fayth and with true workes vertues and so come vnto the kyngdom of heauen thorow our lord christ be wrytton wherfor it is a newelye lately inuēted in the deuels shop to say that all the articles of the christen fayth can not be proued by the scripture and that mēs tradicyōs besyde the scripture be good workes and please god Now ye may see that the church in Cyrillus tyme did not acknoulege this wicked blasphemy Austen affirmeth the same writing vp on this place of Iohn these be writton that ye shuld byliue etc. Our lord Iesus saith he did many miracles but all be not writton for those that shuld be writtō were specialy chosen pyked owt as many as wer thought necessary and sufficient for the saluacyō of the faithful By these auctorites ye may see that thei belye the old doctors which say that they maynteyne any such blasphemy But now to make an end of alledging any more testimonies I wil cyte only .ij. specyal and most faithful witnesses against this deuelyssh sophistical cauillacyon and opinyon namely Peter and Paul and so wil I make an end For euery man that hath any witt at all may plaīly perceyue that Peter wrote his second pistle against such blasphemers as do imagine a new word of god besyde that which is writton For he calleth the scripture euen a very true prophecy and he calleth them false or lyeng Prophetes which teach cōtrary to this prophetical and Apostolical prophecy or any thing which is not conteyned in it and he teacheth this rule wherby we shuld auoyde all maner of lyes that we shuld trye and examine them by this prophetical word or prophetical scripture wherunto he cōmandeth us to haue a specyal eye as vnto the candel which dryueth out and banisheth away all darknes and lyes of the deuel His wordes be these I wryte vnto yow this second pistle to prick you vp to quyckē your hartes that ye might remember the wordes which haue bene told now before by the holy prophetes and also the wordes of our message and cōmandment which be the Apostles of the lord and sauior for ye must knowe that in the latter dayes there shal come mockers Now these mockers he paynteth with specyal colors wher by thei may be known Thei shal bring in saith he pernicyos and dānable sectes or as Paul saith thei shal speake lies in hypocrisy vnder the color and pretense of holynes Forbidding to mary to absteyne from the meates which god hath created to be receyued of the faithful with thankes geuyng And thei shal denie the lord saith he which hath bought or redemed them and the way of the truth shal thei slander and reuyle as certen blasphemers do now a dayes speake blasphemosly of paul because he doth manifestly confute mans satisfaccyons rightwisnes and redempcyō by workes And therfor saythe he for couetosnes sake thei shal make marchādise of now thorow fables and false doctryne inuēted of their own braynes and he compareth thē to Sodom and Gomor and he sayth that thei haue eyes ful of adultery But their doctryne peter calleth disceitful fables and he sayth that their suttelty must be disclosed by the lantern of the prophetycal scripture And we haue the word of prophecy saith he wher unto ye do well to harken as vnto a candel geuyng lyght in the dark nyght tyl the daye lyght appeare and the mornyng sterre ryse in your hartes for as moch as ye know that no prophetycal scripture belongeth to mās interpretacyō nor it was neuer thrust vnto us by mās wil But the holy men of god were inspyred of the holy gost and moued to speake it This is a sure and a substancyal testimony to cōfute all maner of doctrines and tradicyons besyde the scripture yea and to refuse all maner of doctors and writars which speake any thing of their own brayne without scripture to confirme it For. s. Peter putteth a speciall difference betwene prophecy or prophetical scripture and an Interpretacyon which is inuented of mās own brayne and tradicyons which are made and enioyned at mans cōmandmēt and he calleth all maner of doctrines which be not conteined in the scripture of the holy goost capcyos disceyghtful fables and he ascribeth an high auctoryte vnto the old prophecy and prophetical scripture For whan he had alledged for his doctryne the diuinite of christ which he had sene and the voyce of the father which he had hard and agayn the witnes of Moyses and Elyas te in wickednes and thei shal subuert bewitch their hearers that thei shal
haue gret delight in the deuels cauillacyons and blasphemis Such fals lying prophetes doth paul set forthe in such lyuely colors as thei ought be paynted with and maketh a comparyson betwene a faythful preacher of the gospel and a false hipocryte and dissembler And he describeth both by these tokeÌ„s The tokens of a good and faithful bisshop be these j. The husband of one wife ij Sobre iij. Discrete iiij Lowely and meke v. A keper of hospitalyte vj. Apt to teach vij No dronkerd viij No fighter but a iust dealer hating all quarelling and contencyon ix Not desieros of filthy luker but abhorring all couetosnes x. Not doble tunged â—j No yong scolar butt holding the mistery of the fayth wyth a pure conscyence False hypocrytes and dissemblers be these j. Forbydders of mariage ij Vnthankful or vnkynd iij. Geuyn to all pleasures and ryot iiij Proud and vayn glorros v. Vnmercyful and cruel vj. Slanderers blasphemers seducers of other men in to errors suffring themselues to be seduced vij Vnchast and geuen to all voluptuosnes viij Vnpacyent braynles braulers about wordes froward and sensual mynded ix Couetos and louers of them selues x. Betrayers of secret councel rassâ—blabbes xj Hauing a color and out ward shyne of holynes and yet denyeÌ„g the specyal vertu and pyth therof Now there is no man so blynd or of â—o lytle witt which can not discern and know false seducers from true preachers by these tokens but yet because there be many hipocrytes which pretend to be as holy and deuowt as angels thorow their fylthy wyueles life and abstynence from meates and difference of garmentes he reproueth this doctrine of theirs by name saing that thei shal forsake the fayth and the vertu and pyth of holynes that is to say the rigtuosnes of faith that thei shal teach lyes the deuyls doctrine thorow hypocrisy namely this that mariage is vnlauful and forbidden vnto certen persons Item thei shal put difference betwene meates garmentes that one kynd is more holy than a nother c. And thei shal affirme that these doctrynes do conteyne in them saluacyon the pyth of holynes and the perfeccyon of a christen man And he sayth that these do turn stopp their eares from the truth and from the holy scripture turning them vnto vayne fables that thei shal not abyde holsom doctrine nor the swete word of our lord Iesus christ that thorow fayth is profytable vnto true holines but thei shal procure them selues a multitude of masters which shal preache vnto them after their own appetites that thei shal dote abowt vayn questyons and contencyons of wordes because the truth is takeÌ„ from them thei shal byleue surely euen luker to be holynes because thei be infect and poysoned in their hartes and myndes and thei shal haue but lytle delight or pleasure in the doctryne of fayth but put their confidence in opynions articles inueÌ„ted of their own braynes and of other men and those shal thei highly esteme euen for heauenly wisdom and true holynes For thus doth paul him self affirme vnto the thessalonyans that god shal send them a strong myghty blyndnes that thei shal byleue lyes and that all which byleue not the truth and the holsom word of our lord Iesus christ shal be damned he saith also that thei shal haue delyght and pleasure in vnrigtuosnes that is to say thei shal think them selues saued by those things which haue no vertu of saluacioÌ„ in them namely by the workes of their own handes which are not confyrmed by the word of god but only by false and lying myracles Such do not harkeÌ„ vnto the angels singyng glory be vnto god aboue and peace delyght ioy vnto men in the erth c. For thei can not delight them selues vpon this infant because he is symple myserable abiect and disfigured with the crosse of affliccion for thei think luker to be holynes thei seke ryches and hygh empyres or kyngdoms thei geue no eare vnto god speaking from heauen This is my dearly beloued sonne in whom I delight but thei delight in other things than in him in whom god wold us to delight and reioyse And ther for paul biddeth us toshunne them saing that thei ought not to he herd and that no man ought to dispute or reason with them but that we ought to fle from them as from an infectuos canker and to stop our eares at theyr bablyng capcyos disceyght ful wordes and folissh and wicked questyons he wil not suffre us to moue one hear brede out of the scripture to cople or reason with theÌ„ but to resist and withstand them with the holy scripture for he saith But thow stand fast in those things which thou hast lerned in those things which are coÌ„mitted vnto the remembriÌ„g of whom thou hast lerned them and that euersyns thou wart a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which be able to make the perfyghtly lerned thorow faith vnto the saluacyoÌ„ which is in christ Iesus for as moch as all scripture inspired by god is profitable to teach and to reproue c. And paul reasoneth thus A bisshop ought to resist his aduersarys with that lerniÌ„g wherby he maye be enstruct in the doctryne of faith eschew the doctrines of the deuel and saue both himself and his hearers But the holy scripture is such lerning wher for he ought to resist by the holy scripture which reasoÌ„ he proueth by the propertys of a good and faithful preacher For the property sayth he of a true teacher is eyther To teach to improue false doctryne to amend and edyfye or to instruct in rightwisnes For as he sayth a bisshop must be apt to teach and to reproue the aduersarys of the faith and he must be such one as must be myghtie and also able to conuynce them that be aduersaris to the truth further more such as erre thorow ignorance or infirmytie thei must reforme them in to the ryght way fynally it is necessary for childern to be norisshed with mylke and gentle instruccyons Now if the holy scriptures be sufficyent to teach instruct perfyghtly thaÌ„ it must nedes folow that all thiÌ„gs necessary vnto saluacyon may be taught owt of them And agayne if thei be sufficient to coÌ„uynce them which resist the truth or fight agaynst the articles of the fayth vphold the deuels doctrynes thaÌ„ it must folow also that all heresis may be confuted by them and that thei lye abhominably which imagyne a newe vnwrtttoÌ„ word for that cause And this refuge or excuse to say that although the scripture be profitable for such thiÌ„gs yet it is not sufficyeÌ„t That is false sayth paul For I affirme sayth he that the holy scriptures do teach us abundantly all thyngs wherby a man of god that is to say a christen man may be perfight and apt or ready vnto all goodnes and thus it foloweth also that thei teach lyes which affirme any
workes to be good that are not conteyned in the scripture Now the other part of his reason he proueth thus Those which folowe foliss◠questyons contencyons of wordes strange old wyues fables and to be short the doctrines of men not conteyned in the word of god do swarue and erre from the faith and are vngodly wiked hypocrites wherfor if thou stand fast by the holy scriptures and wade no further than thei teach the thou shalt saue both thy self and also them which heare the from this capcyos snare and suttelty of the deuel Specially if thou wilt monissh the christen brethern both of the holsom doctryn and also of the deuels erronios doctrine as it becōmeth a faythful minister of Iesus christ Preach teach these things saith he to all faithful men namely to such as may be apt to teach other likewys And agayne If thou puttest them in remēberāce of these thīgs thou shalt be a faithful minister of Iesus christ brought vp in the word of faith and of the true doctrine which thou hast folowed vntil this day But se that thou banisch contemne all vnholy and old wyuissh fables and rather exercyse thy selfe vnto vertu and godlines Take deligent hede to thy self and to thy doctrine stand fast in it for so doīg thou shalt saue both thiself and them that hear the. Afterward he geueth him a commandment and saith this precept do I charge the with O son timothy acordinge to the prophecies that be past befor thy daies that thou fight a good battel in thē with a sure perfight faith a good or right vp conseyence which certē not regarding haue suffred gret harme losse in their fayth c. And euen in these wordes he teacheth us to fight agaynst the deuel euen with the old prophecy or prophetical scripture and to confirme our faith by it and also to forme and rule our conscyence by it And he sheweth a cause for els we shal lose our faith as other haue done we shal procure our selues a wauering and a dowtful consciēce Finally he is not content and satisfied to haue geuen hym this monicyon but he also entreateth besechith him by all meanes saing I besech the for gods sake and for our lorde Iesus christes sake which shal iudge both quick and dead at his coming and for his kingdoms sake preach the word be instant be ernest and importune in season and out of seasō reproue chide exhort with gentilnes or sobrenes with doctryne For the time shal come whā mē shal not suffer the holsom doctrine but thei shal procure thē selues masters acordīg to their own affeccions and appetices c. This tyme which he speaketh of heare if it be not now let us neuer loke for it For now our faith is confirmed with a vnwrittō word with mās tradicyons with custome ceremonis fathers and cowncels with out any word of god and the manifest scripture is moked out with euery crafty hipocrites Imaginacion and glose yea it is takē out of our handes and burnt Now if these men be not louers of them selues and estemers of their own wisdom if thei be not couetos if thei be not arrogant and vaine glorios if thei be not braggers and blasphemers which ymagin a new vnwrittō word if thei be not dissobedient vnthankful vnto their parentes which wil not ones moue their fote out of their deanes to helpe an old man or to comfort their parentes lying at the point of death if thei be not vnkind vnnatural which for their fayned chastite dare not knowe their own childerne if thei be not truse breakers that vnmercifully warre against vertu and godlines if thei be not deuels quarelers and the very members of the deuel which do nothīg but ymagine cauillacyōs to mocke a way the truth if thei be not voluptuos ryetors merciles neglectors of their office despisers of all lerning and of all true good workes if thei be not traiteros betrayers of kings kingdōs of the whole world if thei be not louers of wordly pleasures and lustes rather than louers of god which condēne matrimony lest thei shuld be compelled to mary wiues but might still liue in whordome with other mennes wiues if thei denie not the vertu pyth and effect of godlines that vnder a color and pretence of true holynes which esteme mans tradiciōs higher than the .x. commandmentes of god and teach that their own tradicyons and ceremonys be sufficiēt to make a perfight christē man that thei may minissh drowne the iustyficaciō of faith ther were neuer none such nor neuer shalbe Paul whan he shuld take his last vale of the church or congregaciō and byd them farewel for euer he called a cowncel whose auctoryte and testimony he wold haue to be estemed and regarded of all men and in that councel he preached thus vnto the bishops I take you all to witnes and testifye vnto you all this day that y am innocēt pure clere frō the blode of you all for I haue kept secret frō you none of those things which concerne your profyght and saluacyon but I haue opened vnto you all the councel of god for the space of .iij. yeares day night without ceasing and I monisshed exhorted euery one of you euen with weping teares For I know right wel that after my departing there shal come among yow rauening wolues which shal haue no pyty or compassyon vp on the flock and certen among you shal teach false and wicked doctryne to allure discyples after them Wherfore take diligent hede both vnto your self and to all your floke and watch remembryng that I haue monysshed you of these things for the space of .iij. yere together with gret lamentacyō And now brethern I commit you vnto the word of his grace which is able to edifye you and to gyue you an inherytance with all them that be sanctifyed c. Here doth paul monissh the councel of the false and lying prophetes and he exhorteth the whole church that thei remember diligētly his monicyon wher of he had put them in rememberāce continually for the space of .iij. yeares that thei shuld take hede of those wolues which had deuoured both bodis and soules of men with wicked doctrine opinions tradicions which thei wold thrust in to the church vnder this color and cloke that the apostles could not teach all things necessary vnto our faith and saluacyon and that all the articles of the christen faith are not conteyned in the word of the grace of god I haue taken yow to record this day sayth he For this cause that if ye cast a way damne your selues thorow bileuing theyr persuasions I am pure clere from your bloude christ shal not reken vnto me your damnacyon For I know that this thing wil come to passe and I tremble and shake euery ioynt of me for the miserable perturbacyons and aduersites of the church whā
the prophecies which speake of the latter dayes come to my remembrance And I feared lest christ shuld reken it vnto me vnd lay it vnto my charge if I shuld not haue monished you before And this thing with the horrible blasphemys and Idolatry which shal opresse the church hath made me so heauy careful and hath caused me to water myne eyes so oft But what shal I doo whan I heare danyel sayng The determinacion is concluded I can no notherwise do than monissh you that ye heare or receyue no newe opynions vnder any such cloke or color as though I had not opened vnto you all the councel of god somoch as perteyneth vn to you to know or as though I had hidden any thing from you which shuld be necessary vnto your saluacion I can not tell what to say more but only to commit and referre you vnto the word of the grace of god that is to say to the holy scriptures which all are able to edifye and to bilde you vpon the tru foundacion which is christ wherupon the whole church all the patriarckes prophetes and apostles be bylded and grounded Christ is the foundacion of the church we be the stones and stikes which are proued and assayed with diuers tentaciōs and aflictions The holy gost is the master bylder or worck man and the word of god is the clay lyme which holdeth the whole bildīg to gether For by the word of god we are incorporate vnto the church and by it we abide and remayn in the churche This word also incorporateth ioyneth groundeth us perfightly to christ that we shuld not be drawn away and ledde about with euery blasing wynd of doctryne and so fall a way agayne This is a good bucler agaynst all the fiery dartes of the deuel This is the sterne wherby alone the shyp of the church is ruled This is the anker which ones brokē or lost our faith must nedes vtterly perissh To this word peter biddeth us loke as vnto a lantern which in the dark night of ignorance of the cōtempt of god of infidelite and of all weakenes of such hartes as be blinded of the deuel sheweth the light of faith and the knouledge of gods will that we fall to no heresis nor receyue the doctrine of the false lying prophetes And by this light which chaseth a way all darknes of errors Christ and Peter cōmand us to examen and trye all maner of doctrine as by the true toche stone And Paul biddeth us ronn vnto this in all stormes as vnto the most sure anckar to resist or withstand all maner of strāge doctrines with the holy scripture and Christ doth plainly pronounce that by this we shal be iudged at the last day Iohn writeth this to be sufficient to obteyne euer lasting life by And christ sendeth the man which enquired of him by what meanes he might be saued vnto this scripture which luke saith that he hath writton with all dyligence Esay sent them which sought newe reuelacions vnto this word Christ also sent them which required myracles vnto this saing Thei haue Moyses and the prophetes if thei wil not byleue them neither wold thei bylefe if any shuld ryse from death By this word doth Moyses command kings to feare god and he biddeth the pristes to iudge by this word and at last he sayth let this word be writō out to you before your eies that no man may be excused of ignorance and he saith further that heauē erth shal witnes against us at the latter day that we geue ouer our selues agayne frely willingly and wetingly vnto the deuel if we receyue any doctryne not approued by the word of god or if we iudge determyne any thing of the wil plesure of god without some testymony of the holy scripture Now these testimonys gathered out of the holy scripture be sufficient against this grosse blasphemy of the vnwritton word
neuer cease til thei had goteÌ„ him out of the way and thei had before brought to death diuerse whom the king did highly fauor before the king him self whom thei moued by all meanes to put them to execucyon quickly could perceyue spye out their craft and suttilty But he bad me gyue hym the paper wherin I had writton my disputacyon that he might shewe it to the bisshop of londoÌ„ to the other bisshops in the councel the coÌ„tentes wherof was this Right honorable and noble lord and ye right reuerend fathers yesterday whan I disputed of the sacramentes with the bisshop of london we came thus farre that those only ought to be called sacramentes which haue the word of god for them and this point only remained to be further declared that nothing ought to be taken for the word of god but only the holy bokes of the old and newe testameÌ„t For the bisshop of london affirmed that the tradicions and ceremonys wherof the old ecclesiastical writers do make mencyon were receiued of the apostles and geuen us of the fathers from hand to hand and therfor thei may be laufully called the word of god vnwrittoÌ„ and our faith must be proued by them as well as by the holy scripture which is writton in the bible Now I haue determined to coÌ„fute this saing and opinyoÌ„ and to shewe by the manifest testimonys of christ of the Apostles of the prophetes and also of the old doctors that the Christen faith ought to leane only vpon the holy scripture and that the bokes of the old newe testament only ought to be had and taken for the word of god And because there hangeth a nother disputacyoÌ„ vpon this that is to say of the auctorite of the doctors and of councels I wil also speake of them For cochleus and other blasphemos lyers which for the bellys sake haue salable tuÌ„ges and in whom the saing which Paul alledgeth against them that mainteyne wicked doctrine for their bellys sake doth very wel agre saing The cretyaÌ„s are alweys false lyers wicked beastes and slowe bellys These hipocrites I say do plainly hold that the church that is to say the bisshops as thei vnderstond hath pour to iudge ouer the scripture and to examyne it and also that it hath auctoryte to allowe or to refuse the gospel and to dispense with the .x. commandments and to alter the forme of baptyme and to make newe articles of our faith beside those which be conteined in the scripture Some there be that speake yet more reuerently saing that thei contend not of the scripture or of the word of god but of the exposicyon theroff which thei wil haue to be taken and sought of the church and of the doctors which be alowed of the church vnto whose iudgemeÌ„t thei say we ought to stand in all coÌ„trouersys of our faith what so euer thei deere whether thei haue any scripture for them or no. This sophistical suttelty although it hath more coning than the first grosse blasphemy yet it is to the same effect and thei both haue one end and defend both one opinion But yet before the bisshop of londoÌ„ there was neuer none so farre past shame as to say that the rytes and ceremonys in the church which can not be proued by the scripture ought to be called the word of god vnwritten â–ª and that we ought to byld our faith vp on them as vp on the holy scripture written in the bible This threfold maze or rather one traâ—â—formed .iij. ways couered painted with diuers wordes hath those reasons onli to coÌ„firme it which the bisshop did before alledge for the vnwritton word and certeÌ„ other which I wil reherse and confute in the end of this writing But first I wil beate downe this grosse blasphemy and I wil shewe and declare that our whole fayth and all the articles of the christeÌ„ religioÌ„ be coÌ„teined in the scripture of the prophetes and apostles so that a christen man is bownd to byleue no other thing than such things as may be proued out of that scripture This horrible blindnes of men and the boldnes malycyos obstinacy which foloweth therup on wherthorow thei blaspheme god and his holy word is rather to be lamented than to be conuict with many reasons the thing being so manifest But the nerer that the brightnes of the sonne of reightwisnes doth coÌ„e and the more clerely that the light of the gospel doth shyne so moch more blinder and more obstynate are the vnfaithful made in so moch veryly that thei are more blynder now in the gret light than thei were before and thei stomble in very dede vp on the stomblyng stone and vp on the rock of sclander For the false teachers euen whan thei were in the most blind darknes were neuer so bold nor impudent as to breake out in to such a blasphemy as to say the church might make newe articles of the faith not coÌ„teyned in the scripture or that it hath auctorite to dispeÌ„se with the .x. coÌ„mandmeÌ„ts and to alter the forme of baptyme Gerson duns dorbel Decam Tomas BonaueÌ„ture do plainly condemne this heresy and thei affirme that the truth reueled of god and conteined in the body of the bible or in the holy scripture is the foundacion of our faith that is to say the thiÌ„g where vp oÌ„ our fayth ought to be bylded thei wold neuer haue byleued that there shuld euer be so gret blindnes in the church that any man shuld be so bold as to affirme that the articles of the christen faith ought to be sought not in the scripture but in the gloses of men and in bisshops lawes or that mans tradicions rites and ceremonys receyued in the church and not conteyned in the scripture ought to be called the word of god vnwritton But I wil cease my coÌ„playning seing I know that now is the latter tyme wherof the prophetes christ and the apostles did prophecy that there shuld come false prophetes which shuld face out the gospel and imagyne a newe gospel euen stynking hethenyssh old wiuyssh and capcyos fables inuented by the suttyl wit of man as peter and paul calle them and of these false prophetes that is to say Antichrist did daniel christ and paul admonissh us that he shuld extolle him self a boue god and shuld robbe god of his name pour wisdom and mercy and shuld accuse him of right wisnes cruelnes and weakenes vnabylyte which thing we do manifestly see in maner in all their doctrynes as in their pardons in the popes your in purgatory in pryuate masses in the prayng vnto saintes in worshipyng of Images in the vowes of monkes and pristes and in all mans tradicyons And I pray yow is not this to accuse god of ignorance of malice and of sluggisshnes neclygence to say that god hath not writton in his holy bokes of scripture all things necessary vnto our saluacyon as though either he did not remember althings