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
against the doctrynes tradicyons of men saing All flessh is euen grasse all the glory of it that is to say euen his most excellent wisdom pour is euen lyke the floure of an herbe the grasse widdereth away and the floure of the herbe falleth a way for the spyryte breath of the lord hath blowne vpon it And the peple be very grasse the grasse I say widdereth the floure falleth but the word of the lord endureth for euer c. He threatneth also euerlasting night of infidelyte or vnbylefe if we beleue eyther any newe reuelacyons withowt the word of god or els any apparicyoÌ„s of dead spretes The wordes after the true hebrue text be these Shal the peple seke councel of their god or shal thei are councel of the deade for the liuyng shal thei not rather loke serch in the lawe of the lord and tak the testimony of god vnto councel Iff thei tel you not saith he according vnto this word thei shal haue no morniÌ„g lyght Sureli this is a sore threatning vnto them which vnderstond what this voyce is what this derknes signifyeth and who is the auctor causer of it Iohn calleth christ the light that shyneth in darknes that lightneth all meÌ„ which come in to this world he saith that the true life is in the word of god that life is the light of men again that god is the light in whom is no darknes at all that who so euer walketh in darknes hath no felowship with god And christ calleth hiÌ„ self the life of the world he saith vnto us Walk in the light whyle ye haue it that no darknes compasse now c. Now the deuel is the prince of all darknes he did first steale this light from mankind thorow infidelite he did first robbe us of the true knowlege of god and brought us in to all darknes of infydelite and in to all kindes of errors But the sonne of rigtuosnes hath restored this light vnto the world agayne and his coming was vnto us the bright morniÌ„g wherof Esay speaketh in this place And it is no meruel that we haue walked in a continual darknes thus long for we haue forsaken the word of god and sought the light in the deuils doctrine in our own wisdom in mans tradicyons we haue had so gret confydence in fantasyes that we haue byleued deade spyrites made newe artycles of our fayth euen owt of the appearing of them as namely that there is a purgatory after this life out of the which soules may be redemed thorow the sacrifice of the masse which the pope and the deuyl haue ordeyned to be a sacrifice for the quick and the deade contrary to the institutyon and ordinaÌ„ce of christ But now let us heare what witnesse christ him selfe the euerlasting word of god geueth of his scripture For the same question was disputed of eueÌ„ in christes tyme among the high doctors which thought that the scripture without the tradicyons of the elders was not sufficient vnto their saluacyon and one of those doctors came to christ and saide master what may I doo to enioye euerlasting life But christ seÌ„t this curios infidele vnto the scripture sayng what is writton in the lawe How dost thow reade thereiÌ„ as though he shuld say Doist thou thinck that god is a wauerer or a changeling that wil alter his mynd euery howr as men change their lawes and imagine dayli newe opinions of god I tell the the word of god continueth for euer and do thou nothing but euen the selfe thing only that thow seyst writton in the law and so thou shalt liue he saith not now how thinkest thou or how dost thow heare the pharises the scribes preach teach but he sendeth hym to the scripture and sayth what readest thou there Do that thou shalt lyue And although the scribes pharises and doctors did euer patch their lawes and tradicyons vnto tâ—e word of god yea and preferred theÌ„ also before it as christ sheweth in the .xv. .xxiij. of Mathew yet all other among wâ—om the true church did raygne had on iudgement bylefe namely that the wil of god must be known by the scripture only that aâ—l articles must be iudged and examyned by it as christ declareth where as he saith vnto the iewes Serch the scriptures for ye beleue surely that ye shal haue euerlasting life in theÌ„ by the which wordes christ testifieth playnly that this was the opynion and iudgement of the oâ—d church that all men shuld knowe the wil of god by the scripture only and that thei shuld iudge all articles of the faith necessari vnto saluacyon by that only And where as he biddeth theÌ„ examâ—ne his preaching by the scripture he sheweth euidently euin the whole gospel to becoÌ„teyned in the old scripture And who so euer denieth the coÌ„mandment of Moyses before rehersed to perteyne vnto us because the Apostles had not yet writtoÌ„ their bokes thei be very asseheades withowt any knoulege or vnderstoÌ„ding For this rule did the Apostels folowe whan thei testified vn to the church of the gospel that no boke shuld be receyued except it consentyd with the old scripture and by this rule the church refused the bokes which confirmed their storys by the prophetes And by this rule do the Euangelistes proue their writings Paul also procureth auctorite vn to his pistle to the Roma .j. by this same rule where as he saith that his gospel was before promised by the prophetes in the holy scriptures To this purpose also serue these saings of christ If ye beleued Moyses ye wold bileue me also for he wrote of me c. and agayne this Serche the scriptures c. for euen thei beare witnesse of me Now this controuersy of the vnwritton word of mans gloses and tradicyons if we wil folow the councel of our fore fathers and stande to the iudgement of the church in christes tyme I wil lay this senteÌ„ce of the old church confirmed of christ for me against all that my aduersarys can make or say writton in the xij of Iohn The word which I haue spoken shal iudge them in the last day And if this word were not writtoÌ„ or if it were not all writton who could besure certen of his saluacyon or of the wil and pleasure of god And if our faith and the saluacyon of mankynd did depend only of mennes doctryne so that the soÌ„me rule of our religion were not writton in the scripture who durst trust bileue that one hole perfight and vnblemisshed sentence of christ were left vnto us For seing the deuel wresteth the scripture vnto eueri wicked opinyon and durst refuse the scripture thorow the Manicheis as he doth now adays cause it be burnt by the bisshops who dowteth but that he wold rather haue destroyed the whole scripture at ones more than .xv. hundreth yere agone and to haue
Of the auctorite of the word of god agaynst the bisshop of london wherein are conteyned certen disputacyons had in the parlament howse betwene the bisshops a bowt the nomber of the sacrameÌ„ts and other things very necessary to be known made by AlexaÌ„der Alane Scot and sent to the duke of Saxon. There is nothing hydden that shal not be opened and come to lyght Math. x. Of the auctoryte of the word of god ABowt .v. yere agone I wrote to the noble king of scottys the father of my contry complayning of a certen proclamacyon wherin the bisshops had forbidden the holy scripture to be redd in the mother tong I answered also to certen slaunderos lyes of cochleus whom the bisshops had hyred to spewe out all the poison in his bely against me For I was at antwerp whan a contry man of myne whose name was Iohn foster did send a soÌ„me of mony vnto Cochleus by a marchant from the bisshop of S. Andrews which geueth him yerely so long as he liueth a certen stipend And it chaÌ„ced by the goodnes of god wherby he discloseth the wickednes of these hipocytes that a pistle of Cochleus which he sent vnto a certen bisshop of pole came vnto my handes wherin he complayneth that he hath gret losse and euel fortune in setting forth of bokes for as moch as no man wil wetesaue to rede his bokes And he beggeth a yâ—rely stipend of the bisshops of pole saing that he hath bene nobly rewarded of the king of scottys and of the archbisshop of s. Andrews and of the bisshop of glasguo And were it not for the loue of my contry and of the kinges grace I wold cause his pistle to be printed with the copy of the kings letters which he send vnto a certen bisshop of pole because he shal knowe that I haue a copy of the kings letters the king doth write manifestly that Cochleus boke dyd more please him for the coÌ„mendacyon of Kyng Ferdinandus and of Erasmus than for any study or diligeÌ„ce of the autor I wil not vtter other things contayned in the sayd letters neyther wold I haue disclosed thus moch but that I wold wissh that the king were admonisshed to coÌ„sidre whether cochleus were a man worthy to be presented with his letters and his princely reward or no. And because I wold auoyde the furios enuy of this blasphemos impudent rayler whoÌ„ the bisshops had hyred to bark agaynst me for beside slanderos raylyng wordes he made me no answer at all and he threatned me that he wold send me home agayne if he could bring it to passe vnto the bisshops with my handes bownd behynd me for the which cause I say I did cast in my mynd to chang agayne that coÌ„try where I was specially seing I was called in to Ingland by the right noble lord Crumwel and the Archbisshop of caÌ„terbery for the railyng wretch Cochleus did manifestly wright that he was sorer greued with me for dwelling in that place where I did remayne than he was with my matter or with any other thing els I considered that christ gaue place somtymes vnto the furiosnes of the Iewes agayne that curr dogges which be tyed at mens gates to bark whaÌ„ no man is by them thaÌ„ thei slepe and make no besynes at all And therfor I thought to auoyde his rayling writings by no meanes so well as if I shuld goo in to Ingland and euen stopp myne eares at his rauyng And in dede I was not deceiued for the serpeÌ„t left his hissing and I was louingly receyued not only of the Archbisshop and of the honorable lord Crumwel but euen of the right noble king himselfe also and I was sent vnto Cambridge to reade a lecture of the scripture there but the crosse foloweth alweys christes doctrine wher soeuer it goeth the deuel hath euer enuye that christ shuld haue any rest for euen in the wildernes he wold not suffer him to be quiet a lone vntil he had brought him vnto the crosse I had scasely declared out the .viij. psalme but I perceyued myne enemy going a bout to wrap me in contencions the which although I hate naturally and haue studied always to my powr to auoyde them yet I neuer submitted my self cowardly to the deuel nor neuer recanted any thing sins I had any knoulege of christes true gospel And whan I wold haue made answer there for such doctrine as I had tawght I came to the scholes of the vniuersite where a gret nomber of auditors was gathered and there before the whole multitude I taryed an howr or ij loking whan myne aduersary shuld come but he although he refrayned from disputacyon for what purpose or consideracyon I can not tel yet he coÌ„spired me such enuy that there were some that were not a frayd to threaten me that it shuld cost me my life which thing after I had opened to the vychanceler by the councel of certen of the wisest men there and sawe him winke at the matter I gaue place to this malyce also and departed from thens specially for as moch as I perceyued there were statutes sent forth from the bisshops and from the whole councel of the reame which were such that it had bene wickednes not to haue spoken openly against them and yet to haue reproued them it shuld haue bene counted a poynt of sedicyon The man was not hyndered nor put in feare by me but the chanceler of the vniuersyte which sent me thether by the commandment of the king wold suffer none of his vniuersyte to speak against any of the comon lawes wherfor I determined with my self to serue the tyme and to change the preaching of the crosse with the scyence of physik wherin I had a litle sight before And thus I went vnto a very well lerned phisyciaÌ„ called doctor Nicolas which hath practised phisyk in loÌ„doÌ„ thes many yeares with high prayse whose company I dyd vse certen yeares wherby I did both see and lern many things euen the principal poyntes concerning that science In so moch that at length certen of my frindes did moue me to take in hand to practise which thing I did I trust not vnluckyly But yet not withstonding this coÌ„trary to all my expectacion I chanced to fall agayn in to such a disputacyon as I was in before and in maner with like aduersarys for before I was vexyd with my contry bisshops and with an hyred railer Cochleus about the reading of the scripture in the mother tong And it fortuned me to haue a like contencion with certen bisshops of Ingland which maynteyne still the bisshop of rome so farre as thei dare whether all things necessary vnto our saluacyon be conteyned in the scripture or but a part only and the resydue to be taken out of the gloses of the doctors out of the actes of old councels and out of popes lousy decreys And vnto this disputacioÌ„ I came sodenly vnprepared for as I did mete
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
whan he gaue the scripture to be writton or els that he could not tell all things or els that he hidde certeÌ„ things from us of purpose that so he myght damne and destroy us where as he had sayd before euidently that we shuld be iudged at the latter day by the word which he had spoken vnto us But thei be so blynded by the deuel that thei can not perceyue the abhominacion of this blasphemy Now to confirme all godly myndes and to call them back from their dotyng I haue gathered in order certen testimonys which do euidently proue that the wrytton word of god is the fowndacion of our christen fayth and that all the articles of our christen fayth ought to be prouyd by the holy scriptures The first is in the .iiij. of Deuteronoâ—ye shal not adde vnto the worde which I speake vnto yow neyther mynissh from it And who dyd euer expownd this to be vnderstand of the vnwritton word before thes lying false prophetys and antichrystes And if it ought to be vnderstoÌ„d of the writton scripture only than do thei playnly agaynst gods word which Imagyne that there shuld be any vnwritton word But I am not ignorant how these mockers are wont to iest or scoff a way and to face owt this place sayng that there is one kynd of adding which minyssheth a nother which altereth a nother which maketh largyer and a nother which fulfilleth thei grant that this sayng refuseth all maner of addings sauyng the last maner wherby the scripture is made more manifest and open But to coÌ„fute this fansy Imaginacyon the manifest scripture is suffycyeÌ„t deute the .vj. what I command that shalt thow do only vnto the lord thou shalt neyther adde nor minyssh any thing And in the last chapt of the Apoca. Who so euer addeth any thing vnto this the lord shal seÌ„d hym the plages which be writoÌ„ in this boke which place all the duns men euen duns him self granteth that it ought to be vnderstond of the whole scripture wherfore it is manifest that those synne against the commandment of god which affirme that there is any word of god vnwriton like as thei do which expownd the scripture after their own fansis or gyue iudgement of the wil of god with owt the manifest word of god For it is a deuillyssh lye to say that the scripture can not be vnderstond with owt mens commeÌ„tarys or glosys because it is so darke dowtful that it may be applyed to coÌ„firme all maner of heresys In the .xxviij. of deuter are proffred benedyccyons of all sortys vnto them that kepe those things which are writton in the boke of the lawe And in the .xxxij. chap. of the same boke Moyses doth manifestly say thus Set and fyxe your hartes vpoÌ„ all the wordes which I testyfye vnto you this day that ye may command your childern to kepe and obserue all things which are writton in the boke of this lawe for thei be not geuen and commanded vnto yow in vayne but that euery one of you should lyue after them Marke here is euerlasting life promysed vnto them which kepe those things that are writton in the scripture And Moyses doth playnly say that this is the fynal and only cause why god wold haue his word to be writton that all men in general and euery one in sâ—eciall of what order degre or occupacyon so euer he be shuld haue the word of god where by thei might be saued wherupoÌ„ it foloweth that it is a manifest blasphemy to say that we may be saued or damned by any tradicyoÌ„s of man And here thei are conuyct to be starck idyotes which asscrybe this ignoraÌ„ce neclygence vnto god as though he either could not or els wold not coÌ„myt all articles necessary vnto our saluacyon to be writton in the holy scripture For thei declare euydently that thei knowe not the final cause why the scripture is geuen vnto us but thei Imagyne god to be lyke some ignorant poete which hath geuen us a patched and an vnperfight worke For god wold that in the scripture his will shuld shyne as it were in a glasse and that the perfight image of hys deyte which paule calleth the prynt and seale of his substance shuld appeare therin Item s. Iohn sayth that this word doth shyne in darknes and that it is the lyght which shineth in mens hartes blynded of the deuyl thorow sinne and that christ doth open vnto us the wil of god thorow his gospel which will no mortal man did euer knowe but so farre as this word which is in the fathers bosom dyd open vnto him Wherfor we may perceyue that it is not only thorow the ignorance of man that the word of god is thus blasphemed but thorow the malyce of the deuyl For the deuel neuer ceaseth to disfigure this word namely the son of god whom he despysed before the world was made and shal fight with him euen with all his pour vntyl the day of iudgement In the .xvij. of deute The king is coÌ„manded to haue alweys in his handes and in his sight the boke of the lawe and to reade owt of it all the dayes of his life for this purpose that he shuld lerne to feare his lord god And for his study diligeÌ„ce this promes is made him that he shuld lyue loÌ„g and that his kingdome shuld be geuen to many of his progeny lynage And wold to god all christen kinges and princes wold think surely the reading of the holy bokes of scripture to be a part off their offyce not to reade them in lateÌ„ which thei vnderstand not but so to reade it as thei may lerne the wil of god how he wil be feared by his word only and not by any popish lawes and mans tradicyons And if thei wold do thus I durst surely waraÌ„t them both that thei shuld lyue longer and also that thei shuld haue lesse tumult and sedicyon in their life tyme. For now seing thei play the tyraÌ„nes ouer the scripture and ouer the readers of it it is no meruel that god doth ponissh them for their cruelnes and that there be fewe of them but that dye some shameful and cruel death for such is the end of tirannes wont to be Ioachim king of Iuda sawe all his sonnes headed and he him self his eyes before put out was bownd and led presoner in to babylon and it was sayd openly vnto him because thow hast brent the boke of Iheremy there shal be none left of thy sede which shal sit vpon the throne of dauid and thy cark as shal be cast out in to the heate in the day time and in to the frost in the night tyme. Antiochus which coÌ„manded the holy bokes of scripture to be burnt perisshed miserably in desperacyon and thorow a meruelos falle Both daniel and paul do testifye that he was the figure of the last Antichrist that euer shuld be Wherfor I wil not spend my wordes in
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