be redde whiche for the great noyse of the people within the churche of Paules whan it was sayde myght nat be herde And if paraueÌ„ture any disciple of Luthers shall thynke that myn argumentes and reasons agaynst his maister be nat sufficient Fyrste let hym consider that I dyd shape them to be spoken vntyll a multitude of people whiche were nat brought vpâ—â—â—â—btyll disputations of the schole Seconde if it may lyke the same disciple to come vnto me secretely and breake his mynde at more length I bynde me by these presentes bothe to kepe his secreasy and also to spare a leysoure for hym to here the bottum of his mynde and he shal here myne agayne if it so please hym and I trust in our lorde that fynally we shall so agre that either he shal make me a LutheraÌ„ orels I shal enduce hym to be a catholyke and to folowe the doctryne of Christis churche And one thynge I do acertayne hym that though his maister Luther dydlyue neuer so well and perfetly yet for as moche as his doctryne is dyuerse from the doctryne of the churche he is to be fled for so teacheth vs the holy mertyr Ignacius in his epistole ad Hereneum sayeng Omnis igitur qui dixerit preter ea que tradita sunt tametsi fide dignus sit tametsi ieiunet tametsi virginitateÌ„ seruet tametsi signa faciat tametsi prophetet supus tivi appareat in grege ouium corruptionem faciens That is to say who so euer affermeth contrary to the traditions and doctrine of the churche though he for his lyfe be worthy to be beleued though he fast neuer so moche though he kepe his virginite though he worke miracles though he prophecy of thynges for to come for all this take hym but as a wolfe intendynge corruption amonge a flocke of shepe Wherfore whan Luther hath in hym none of these good conditions aboue rehersed as we shall proue here after that is to say he neither is faith worthy bicause of his repugnant doctryne nor he chastiseth nat his body by fastynge nor he kepeth nat his virginite nor he doth no miracles nor he is no prophet of thynges for to come and yet neuertheles he techeth clene contrary doctrynes vnto the doctryne of the churche he is to be reputed as a wolfe corruptyng the flocke of Christe Thus fare ye well in our lorde Jesu Respice fides tua te saluum fecit THese wordes ben writen in the gospel redde in the church this quinquagesime sondaye They may thus be englis shed Open thyn eies thy faith hath made the safe In this gospell saynt Luke telleth a miracle the whiche our sauiour dyd shewe vpon a blynde maÌ„ He sayth that a blynde man syttynge nigh to the waye herde a noyse of people passyng forby and enquired what that was It was tolde hym that Jesus of Nazareth passed that waye He gaue faith vnto this worde and cried for mercy sayeng Jesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpoÌ„ me Part of this people went before our sauiour in the waye and part came after hym They that went before as the gospel sayth rebuked the blynde maÌ„ and he moche rather cried for mercy sayeng The son of Dauid haue mercy vpon me Our sauiour staÌ„dyng commaunded this man to be brought vnto hym And whan he was brought to his presence our sauiour asked hym what he wolde O syr sayd this man that I myght haue my syght agayne Than dyd our sauiour this miracle vpoÌ„ hym and sayd these wordes aboue rehersed Respice fides tua te saluum fecit Open thyn eies thy faith hath made the safe And forth with this blyÌ„de maÌ„ was restored to his sight and folowed our sauiour in the way with the other people ¶ By this worde and other suche Martyn Luther hath taken occasion of many great errours wher by he hath blynded many a christen soule and brought them out of the way sayeng that onely faythe doth iustifie vs and suffiseth to our saluation Wherby many one litell regardeth any good workes but onely resteth vnto fayth This gospell therfor may sufficieÌ„tly instructe any reasonable maÌ„ what fayth suffiseth and what nat For it maruelously perteyneth to this purpose if we with any diligence obserue and marke euery mistery therof Fyrste let vs considre this multitude in it selfe where many wente before our sauiour Jesu and many folowed after and he in the myddys of them all Tho that went before hym betoken vnto vs the fathers and the people of the olde testament the whiche dyd passe the course of this worlde before the byrthe of our sauioure Christe tho that folowed after do signifye the fathers the people of the newe testamennt the whiche succeded the byrthe of Christ. Both these make but one people For they be al of one faythe Tho that went before beleued that Christe shuld comme in to this worlde and dye for man Tho that folowe beleue that Christe is comme and hath suffered his dethe for man Neuer the lesse in some poyntes there is difference betwene these two For they were vnder the lawe of Moyses whiche was a lawe of drede and of rygour as saynt Paule saythe vnto the Hebrewes Irritanâ— quis faciens legem Mosy sine vlla miseratione duovus aut trivus testibus moriatur who that hath broken the lawe of Moyses if he were conuinced by two or thre wytnesses he without any mercy shulde dye And in token herof it is sayde of them that wente before Et qui preibant increpabant eum And tho that wente before rebuked the blynde man that cried for mercy But tho that folowed Christ were and be vnder the lawe of grace and marcy For whaÌ„ our sauiour was borne in to this world all grace and mercy came with hym And therfore to shewe a differeÌ„ce of these two people saynt Johan sayth Lex per Moysen data est gratia et veritas per Jesum Christum exorta est That is to saye the lawe was gyuen vnto that people by Moyses but grace and trewe perfourmance of al promysses rose vnto vs by our sauiour Christe All thynges was shewed vnto that people by figures and shadowes as saynt Paule sayth Omnia in figura contingebant illis Tyll vs that succede the commynge of our sauiour the same thynges be disclosed and made open And good reason why For they that folowe a lyght se more clerely by that lyght than they that go before That people myght nat well and easely beare the weyght and strayte commandmentes the whiche were leyde vpon their shoulders And therfore saynt Peter in the Actis of the apostles Neque nos neque patres nostri portare potuimus The burthen of the lawe of Moyses was so heuy that neither we nor our fathers myght susteyne them But nowe to vs the lawes of sauiour Christe be made easy by the abundance of grace and by the dulcenes of loue whiche the holy gost hath put in our hartes as saint Paule saith Charitas
but he must be compelled to coÌ„forme hym vnto the holsome doctryne of the churche Fourth this blynde man whan he was brought vnto our sauiour yet had he nat his syght vnto than he dyd fully assent with his holle wyl vnto the same And to that purpose our sauiour asked hym what he wolde Quid vis vt faciam tibi And so made hym to coÌ„fesse his full assent Thus must the heretike do that wyl haue his spirituall sight he muste fully assent vnto the doctrine of Christis churche He may be compelled to come bodily but if he come nat also with the feete of his soule and fully assent vnto the churche he can nat haue this trewe faith The faith of the churche is nat made our faith but by our assent whiche assent cometh of vs and is the wombe of our soule And therfore it is nat absolutely saide fides but fides tua That is to say thy faith The faith of the churche whiche by thyne assent is made thy faith doth make the safe In the fyfte and the last place as touchyng Martyn Luthers opinion of faith nowe wyll I speks some what To reherse his reasons and so wâ—ade in this matter with them it were inough for all holle daye Neither the tyme wyll serue it nowe nor yet the people can attayne to the conceyuyng of it But I shall breuely say iij. thynges The fyrst is this Luther sore abuseth and discey Howe Luther disceueâ—â—e the people by his erronious opinioÌ„ of fayth ueth the people as concernyng faith For doutles he maketh them in his commoÌ„ sermons to thyÌ„ke it is an easy matter to beleue and to haue fayth and there by to besaued and so they care for no good workes at all But where he boulteth and discusseth this matter vnto the very triall there he maketh it an harde matter For in the declaration of the. vi psalme he sayth these wordes Hoc certuÌ„ est nemineÌ„ peruenturum ad dei misericordiam nisi eam vehemeÌ„tissime esuriat et sitiat cum isso qui ait QueÌ„admodum desiderat ceruus ad fontes aquarum it a desiderat anima mea ad te deus Who hath this faith Who coÌ„meth to this hygh pricke of faythe to desyre as ernestly the presence of god as an harte whan he is chased preaseth and coueteth to come vnto the soile Here ye maye se the commen people be disceyued whiche be farre fro this poynt But if only faith doth iustifie vs we can nat be repelled from this mercy whan we be fully iustified Seconde why dothe Luther deny that the workes do nat iustify vs His reason is this He saith bycause they be our workes and what so euer reyseth from vs it is but synne ThaÌ„ let hym obserue these wordis Fides tua Our sauiour saith nat only Fides but Fides tua Thy faith a trouth it is is the gyfte of god but it is nat made my faith nor thy faith nor his faith as I sayd before but by our assent By our assent faith whiche cometh from aboue is made ours But our assent is playnly our worke wherfore at the least one worke of ours ioyneth with faith to our iustiâ—ienge Thyrde saynt Paule in the epistole this daye playnly condemneth this opinion for he sayth that faith hope charite be iij. diuerse thinges Fides spes et charitas tria hec These be iij. diuerse thynges faith hope charite He sayth further Si habuero oninem fidem ita vt montes trasferam charitatem aâ—teÌ„ non habuero nihil sum If I had all and euery faith so that I myght by my faith remoue any great mountayne yet if I haue nat charite I am nought wherfore if a maÌ„ haue al maner of faith and wanteth charite he is neuer the more iustyfyed Withoutten charite therfore no man can be iustified but who that hath charite hath also good workes as the same saynt Paule also proueth at length in the same Epistole Wherfore withouten good workes either done or in a full wyll to be done no man can be fully iustified And for this saint Paule in the Epistole ad Romanes expresseth what faith doth iustifie a man Fides he sayth que per dilectioneÌ„ operatur that is to say faith whiche worketh by loue and that is by loue pregnant with good workes Finally for a more clerenesse of these wordes we shall considre iij. maner of persones one of them that be in the way an other of them that be nigh vnto the way thyrde is of them that be farre out of the way and eche of these haue a byleue The Turke beleueth in god and parauenture more coÌ„stantly than many christen men do but he beleueth nat in Christe the sonne of god nor vpon the doctryne of the churche whiche doutles was inspired by the holy goste And therfore his faith is nat sufficieÌ„t he is very farre out of the way The hereticke beleueth in god and in Christe and therfore he is one degre nerer vnto the right way thaÌ„ the turke is he sytteth by the high way syde but yet his faith is nat sufficient For he doth nat assent vnto the doctryne of the churche whiche is inspired by the holy goste Ye herde by the gospel that the blynde man whan he sate out out of the high way beleued in Christe for he sayd Jesufiâ—â— Dauid miserere meâ— Jesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpoÌ„ me By these wordes it appereth that he beleued he was both god and maÌ„ God in that that he might restore his sight man in that that he called hym the sonne of Dauid But yet this faith gaue hym nat his sight He recouered nat his sight to than he was brought vnto the way and ioyned with this multitude amonge whom Christe Jesus was and gaue his full assent So the hereticke haue he neuer so moche faith of god and of Christe if he be nat coÌ„myn in to this way if he be nat ioyned with this multitude of christen people if he be nat made one of this nombre if he hath nat gyuen his ful assent vnto the doctryne of the churche catholicke whiche is inspired of the holy goste doutles he wanteth the sight of true faith But whaÌ„ he hath fully assented to bileue in god the father and in Christe Jesus his sonne and vpon and in the doctryne of the churche whiche deuoutly was inspired by the holy goste than this miracle is done vpon hym He is restored to the sight of clere faith This is the faith good bretherne that may make you safe and restore you vnto your ê‘fet sight And therfore if ye haue this faith I may say nowe to eche of you Respice fides tua te fasuum fecit Open thyne eies thy faith hath made the safe It is nat the faithe that the turke hath nor the faith that the heretike hath but the faith catholicke of Christis churche that shal saue the whiche faith is made thy faith if thou truly come
many great errours One errour suffiseth to spill and to distroye any mannes faithe but moche rather many great errours and specially suche as here before haue bene condempned by many generall counsayles had in the churche At the whiche counsayles were present great nouÌ„bre of honorable fathers assembled to gether by the holy gost men of singular lernyÌ„g and excellent holynes the whiche was confirmed by many great miracles Wherfore the faithe of the Lutherans and the faith of the churche can nat agree but be clene repugnant one agaynst an other And therfore if they bothe be true faithes than shall there be two faithes the whiche saynt Paule vtterly denyeth sayng Dnus dominus vna Ephe. 4 fides Wherfore also they want this seconde condiction that is to say honestie and beautie of faithe The thyrde condition is bono that meaneth the The thyrd condition towardnes of a good wyll to brynge forthe the frute of good workes For withouten that all fayth is nought as sayth saint James Fides sine operibus Jac. 2. mortua est It suffiseth nat for a christen man to beleue the doctryne of the churche but he muste also worke bringe forthe some encrease of good frute This frute they bryng nat forth as it more playnly shall appere here after Wherfore they want also this condition of the good erthe But what thaÌ„ be they Surely they be the trodde erthe in the high way and the stones and the thornes wherof the gospell here speketh Saynt Peter in his seconde Epistole where he prophiseth of suche heretickes hath â— Peirâ—â— expressedly discribed the Lutherans and telleth iij. conditions of them Wherby they Howe the LutheraÌ„s maye be knowen may be clerery knowen The fyrst is this Qui carnem sequentes in coÌ„cupiscentia polutionis ambulant That is to say they folowe the wayes of theyr flesshe walke in the vnclene disires of the same Thus Luther doth withouteÌ„ doubt and they all whiche be of his secte for he sayth it is necessary for euery man and woman to haue the carnall vse of their body as it is to eate or to drynke But where this carnalite reigneth there the wicked spirites haue full dominatioÌ„ and there they kepe their hauÌ„te and make that soule and herte as coÌ„mune a trodde as is the high way These be the byrdes of the ayre whiche eate vp the sede of the worde of god they leaue nothynge but the veray hulle of that sede the vertue oâ— it they conuey away The fayre speche the eloquece the knowlege of languages these be but the veray hulle of the scriptures This hulle these heretickes haue But the veray pithe and substance of the sede is piked out of theyr hartes by these euyll spirites that kepe them in this carnalite The seconde condition is Dominationem contenmuÌ„t audaces prefracti That is to say they dispise al gouernours and them that be iÌ„ auctorite they be stiffe heedy in their wayes be nat the Lutherans thus who is more styffe yea more furious than Luther is For he dispiseth kynges princes popes bisshoppes and all auctorite both spirituall and temporall And what is this but a veray stonynes indurate of pride and obstynacie The thyrde condition is this Qui gloria precesientes non verentur coÌ„uitus incessere That is to say they drede nat nor be a shamed to skoffe and checke and to rebuke yea to teare scratche and rente the fames and lyues of noble men And this the Lutherans also do and Luther hym selfe principally and thus they shewe them selfe to be very thornes and briers whiche as the gospell sayth doth strangle the good sede Nowe thaÌ„ to you my bretherne whiche be abiured I must direct my speche For as moche as by this collectioÌ„ ye perceyue that the erthe ment in this parable is the true christen people whiche haue Christe amonge them accordyng as the gospel of the miracle telleth and that this people hath continued their succession hitherto fro the see of Peter and that also they haue in them iij. conditions that is to say they be of one harte by true doctryne they be of one honesty by the brightnes of faith And thyrde they be of one good wyll to brynge forthe eÌ„crease of good frute The Lutherans waÌ„t these iij. conditions they be nat of one harte and of one doctryne with this multitude Nor they haue nat one faithe with them And as for any frute they care nat as shal be clerely shewed in the fourthe collection Wherfore they be nat this good erthe but they rather haue the conditions of thornes and stones and of the clonge erthe as it manifestly appereth by the prophecy of saynt Peter as ye haue herde Wherfore it shal be expedient that ye from hensforth fle their company adioyne you with the good erthe with the catholike people and folowe the doctryne of Christis churche that I may repete vnto euery of you the wordis aboue rehersed Respice fides tua te saluum fecit Open thyn eies this thy faith nowe beleuynge as the churche beleueth hath made the safe The fourth collection concernynge the encreace of good frute THe fourthe and the laste thyng to be marked in this parable is the encreace of frute â–ª the whiche in the gospel of Mattheu is tolde more expressely â–ª Aliud quideÌ„ centuplam aliud sexâ—â—â—agecuplum Mat. 1â— aliud trigecupsum In some erthe this sede bryngeth forthe an hundred folde encreace in some sixtyfolde in some thyrtyfolde This diuersite of encreace betokeneth vnto vs diuerse degrees of spiritualnes whiche the sede of the worde of god workethe in our hartes more or lesse accordynge as our hartes better or worse be disposed The hart that is more towardly disposed is made more spiritual and the hart that is lesse towarly is lesse spirituall The same diuersite of frute was signified in the gospell of the myracle For there all that multitude that folowed Christe was nat elyke nygh vnto Christe euery one of them Wherfore tho that were nexte vntyll hym betoken the most perfect tho that were farther of lesse perfecte and tho that were farthest of the leaste perfecte But we shall nowe speke of the diuerse degrees of encrease of frute Conceyue me what I meane Ye se that though the grounde in the feeldes by the dylygence of men be neuer so well broken and seasoned yet if there be no good seede sowen in it it bryngeth nothynge forthe of it selfe but weedes and all his naturall moysture tourneth in to weedes But whan some good sede is caste in to hit than that sede by his naturall vertue and by the influence of the heuens so myghtily draweth that erthely moysture of the grounde and chaungeth it and assembleth it in to his owne substaunce in so moche that in some well prepared erthe there spryngeth nat one weede but all the moysture of the grounde is tourned in to corne In some other be fewer or mo weedes accordyng
vnto the right way if thou fastly ioyne thy selfe with the churche catholicke if thou entierly make thy selfe one of this noÌ„bre if thou vprightly walke by good workes doyng if thou frely and fully assent vnto the commeÌ„ doctrine of this multitude amonge whom Christe Jesu is And to th entent that your sightis maye be the more clered in this faith I shal gether iiij collectioÌ„s by the whiche to all them that be nat ouer peruersedly drowned in the heresies of Luther it shall appere as I verily suppose that his doctryne is veray pestilent and pernitious But here fyrst I muste beseche you to helpe me with your deuoute prayers that it may please that infinite goodnes of almighty god so to assiste me with his grace in vtteryng these collections that it maye be vnto the true faithfull catholicke herers some frutefull comforte and to the fauorers of these most pernitious errours and heresies a very coÌ„fusion and that these poure brethernÌ„ of ours whiche haue ben out of the way may the better be confirmed and establisshed nowe in the same To this prayer it may lyke you to haue recoÌ„mended the vnyuersall churche the veray spouse of Christe with euery state and degre of persons in the same hygh and lowe spiritual and temporall as well them that be nowe lyuyng as other that be departed hens enduryng as yet the greuous payns of purgatory where they nowe abide the great mercy of our lorde and the releue of our prayers And to this purpose euery parson of your charite say som what after your deuotioÌ„ The fyrste collection FOr a more strengthynge of these collections we shal adioyne vnto this miracle a parable of our sauiour Christe which â—â— the same euangelist saynt Luâ—e telleth in this maner The sower he saith weÌ„t forth to sowe his sede and in the sowyng some part of his sede fell nigh vnto the high way and so was trodden vpoÌ„ and the byrdes of the ayer dyd eate vp this sede An other parte fell vpon the stones whiche was couered over with a litell erthe and so the sede dyd sprowre but whan it was sprowted it myght take no roote for the hardnes and drynes of the stones but anone withered for lacke of moysture A thyrde part fell amonge the thornes and this sede rooted and rose vp a littel but the thornes ouer grewe it and so dyd suffocate it that it myght brynge forthe no frute The fourth parte fell vpon the good erthe and sprowted and toke roote and shote vp and brought forth great increase of frute an hundred folde so moche WhaÌ„ our sauiour had spoke this parable he cried mightily sayeng Om havet autes audiendi audiat who that hath the inwarde eares of heryng let hym here and marke this parable Foure thiges noted in this patable In this parable we shall note iiij thynges and of them by the leaue of all myghty god we shall gether as many collections Of these iiij thynges the fyrst is the sower the secoÌ„de is the sede the thyrde is the good erthe the fourth is the great eÌ„creace of frute All these iiij thynges vnder other names be coÌ„teyned in the gospell of the miracle There our sauiour is redy to take away the blyndnes of our hartes â—here is he called a sower of his sede The multitude there eÌ„structeth the blynde maÌ„ where Jesus of Nazareth is enfurmeth hym in the doctrine of faith He or the same doctrine is called the sede of the worde of god That multitude which therÌ„ hath Christ amoÌ„ge them here is called the good erthe There the multitude ê“fiteth in merite by walkyng nigh approching vnto our sauiour Christe here this merite is called the plenteous encreace of good frute Fyrst thaÌ„ as coÌ„cernyÌ„g the sower some ê‘son might Fyrste the sower here lightly thynke that our sauiour was nat fully circuÌ„spect in tellyng this parable for here semeth to want som thyng that is chiefly necessary for the pleÌ„teous eÌ„creace of frute to be had here is left out vnspokeÌ„ of the fauorable dispositioÌ„ influence of the heuens whiche is priÌ„cipally required vnto the purpose For put that the sede be neuer so good and the erthe neuer so well prepared ordred and that the sower do his part neuer so moche yet if the fauorable influence of the heuens want al that labour is but in vayne there shal no frute arise of that sowyng This is a very trouth I can nat say the coÌ„trary these iiij thyÌ„ges must nedes be coÌ„curraÌ„t to worke eche with other ioyne to gether in one purpose I say the influence of the heuyns the diligence of the sower the goodnes of the sede the due preparation and tyllyng of the erthe And albe it that here is no speciall mention made of the influence of the heuyns it is neuer the lesse included For whan we knowe who is the sower we shall well perceyue he hath all the influence of the heuyns in his owne hande and this shall well appere if we ioyne the parable his declaration to gether Joyne I say the parable with the declaration of the same and ye shall fynde that this sower that is ment here is very god And by this reason the parable sayth Exiit qui seminat seminare semeÌ„ suuÌ„ He that is the very sower hath issued for to sowe his owne sede The declaration is Semen est verbum dei This sede is the worde of god Nowe thaÌ„ if the sede that this sower doth sowe be the worde of god this sede whiche he soweth is his veray owne It foloweth necessarily that this sower is very god And so must he nedes haue in his handes the holle influence of the heuyns Whersore here nothyng lacketh in this parable But as for the bodely heuyns lette them passe all is spirituall that is ment here the heuyns the influence the sower the sede the erth the frute all is spiritual and we must conceyue all this spiritually And therfore our sauiour sayd Oui habet aures audiendi audiat who that hath the inwarde eares of spirituall herynge and spirituall conceyuyng he is mete to here and to conceyue this parable Fyrst this sower as I haue sayde is the sonne of god â–ª our sauiour Christe Jesu and he is the very spirituall sonne of this worlde Qui illuminat omne hominem venientem in hunc mundum That spreadeth his comfortable beames vpon the soules of men He issued out from the bosome of his father and came iÌ„ to this worlde purposely to sowe iÌ„ the hartes of men the sede of trouth He it is that soweth his owne sede The preachers of this word be nothyÌ„g els but as the cophyns and the hoppers wherin this sede is couched Thus saint Augustine sayth of hym selfe Ego quid sum nisi cophinus seminatoris â–ª What am I sayth he verily nothyng els but the cophyne or the hopper of hym that soweth The preacher may well reherse the wordes of scripture but they
and of elder yeres what lyfe suppose ye that he lyued in the feruour and heate of his youthâ— â–ª He speketh moche of hypocricy but what hypocricy vsed he all this longe tyme that he was a frere vnder his freers coote If he dyd nat than conteyne What abhominations dyd he vse in the luste of his youthe that nowe in his later dayes may nat lyue chaste O Jesus who may thinke that any gratious and frutfull knowlege of holy scriptures dyd entre and abpde in this mannes breast whan it is writen In masiuosam animam non introihit saptentia nec habitabit Sap. 1. in corpore subdito peccatis We rede of diuerse that for the foule vncleÌ„nes of their bodies lost the singular gyfte of the holy spirite whiche they had got before Wherfore if this man led this abhominable lyfe before and might nat conteyne hym selfe it is certeyne he hath no frutfull knowlege of god nor of his holy scriptures And so this excuse shal be rather his coÌ„dempnation But if they say that he before conteyned Than I say that he shulde so nowe haue done specially being nowe of elder yeres and a religious man and a preacher of the worde of god He shulde haue chastised his body as saint Paule dyd sayeng Ego castigo corpus mefi â— Cor. 9. et in seruituteÌ„ redigo ne quum aliis predicauero ipse reprobus inueniar I chastise my body subdue it leste that whan I shall preache to other I be founde reprouable my selfe Dyd nat saynt Paule suffre many temptations and assaultes and brontes in his flesshe yes doubtles so he sayth hym selfe But by the chastisemeÌ„t of his body and by grace of god he dyd ouercome them And so this maÌ„ shuld haue done he shulde haue chastised his body by fastyng by watche by prayer and so by the helpe of grace haue mortified his carnall desires Thus thaÌ„ ye perceyue I suppose clerely that the doctrine of this most peruersed hereticke hath neither the encrease of the frute after the hiest degree of virginite nor after the meane degree of wydowhed nor after the lowest of matrimony but that the couplyng of hym of his mate to gyders is a veray brothelry a detestable sacrilege before the eies of god of both these parties So that I dare surely say that all the stewes lesse offeÌ„deth the eies of god with their abhominations than doth Luther and his mate with theyr double sacrilege Put nowe vnto this the blasphemes reproches The blasphemes of Luther agaynst almighty god wherby he doth impute vnto god that he shulde be the auctour of synne And that his coÌ„mandementes be impossible to be kepte Agaynst our sauiour Christe denyeng that he by the mouthes of the fathers hath sowen the true â—â—positioÌ„ of the holy scriptures Nor that he so was assistent with his churche accordynge to his promyse Agaynst the holy goste that he shulde 〈◊〉 sufficieÌ„tly instructe by the same fathers the christen people in euery trouth perteynyÌ„g vnto the faith of Christe Agaynst the blessed mother of Christe that ther shuld be no differeÌ„ce betwene her other womeÌ„ but that she was as synful as other be Agaynst the holy crosse that he wolde breÌ„ne as many peates therof as he might gette AgayÌ„st the blessed sayntes that their prayers helpe vs nat and that they shuld nat be honored vpoÌ„ vs. AgayÌ„st certeynÌ„ bokes of scripture namely the gospel of Luke and the Epistole of saint James Agaynst the other scriptures who shall nombre the false coÌ„structioÌ„s the wroÌ„ge intpretatioÌ„s the mischeuous errours wher by he hath corrupted the holy scriptures of god Agaynst the sacrameÌ„tes of Christis churche all saue twayne that is the sacrameÌ„t of the altar baptyme And agaynst the holy canon of the masse Agaynst the doctryne of the holy fathers whose holynes was coÌ„firmed by many miracles he clerely dispiseth bothe them and theyr miracles Agaynst religion who shall reken howe many religious ê‘sones bothe men and women whiche before were in the high way of saluation that nowe by his pestilent doctryne be become apostatas and haue forsaken theyr ordre and be retourned vnto the carnall wayes of the worlde to their perill and euerlastyng damnation Agaynst all them that be in souerayntie as well teÌ„porall as spiritual coÌ„trary to the playne doctrine of holy scriptures Agaynst hym selfe and his herers and folowers intrikyÌ„ge snarlyng bothe hym and them in so pestilent errours and heresies to the high displeasure of god that he hath suffred them to tomble in mentem improbam that is to say into a peruersed iudgemeÌ„t approuyng this wretched carnalitie wherin they nowe lyue Agaynst his owne countrey gyuyng occasion by his moste mischeuous doctryne to the subuersioÌ„ of that contrey whiche was the floure of the empire by insurrections amonge them selfe wherby many pyles many castels many great holdes many stronge fortresses haue bene ouerthrowen and cast vnto the grounde many teÌ„ples many famous monasteries many noble houses of religioÌ„ haue bene clerely destroyed and suche a murdre of meÌ„ as in our dayes hath nat ben herde of in so shorte a tyme Doutles it is the hande and stroke of god vpon them for the fauoryng subportyÌ„g of his most mischeuous doctrines Suche a murdre of men as credebly and faithfully is reported aboue an C. thousande This is the frute whiche is spronge of this moste wicked sede The sede of god in the good hartes of true christen people worketh great encreace of gratious frute CoÌ„trary wyse the sede of the deuyll in the hartes of the Lutherans worketh all mischefe corruptioÌ„ I shall conclude as I verily thynke I beleue that onles Satanas were let lose out of hell as in the Apocalypsis it is promised that he shulde beleued towarde the ende of the worlde so great a mischefe by one man withouten his counsaile cou 〈…〉 haue bene wrought ¶ Nowe my bretherne I wolde auise you so loke well vpon this matter and nat so lightly to caste your soulis away by beleuyÌ„g this doctrine of this most pernitious hereticke whiche bryngeth forth none eÌ„crease of frute after any of these uâ— degrees aboue rehersed but moche habundance of pestâ—â—â— and stynkyng weedes of carnall corruptioÌ„ of horrible blasphemes of detestable murders Folowe rather the doctrine of the churche by the whiche in the hartes of the true christeÌ„ people springeth aryseth and encreaseth all these iii. degrees pleÌ„teously so that by this doctryne ye may also be restored to the clerenes of your sight as was the blyÌ„d man vpon whom our sauiour shewed that great miracle afore tolde And nowe hens forwarde as that man dyd folowe ye Christ in the right way For it is sayd there of hym Confestum vidit et sequebatur eum He forthe with had his sight and folowed Christe Do ye in like wyse and beware that ye retourne nat in to your olde errours agayne nor that ye loke nat backe vnto these heresies nor stoppe in the way by any wauering of your faith but go forthe right in meritorious workes wherin the churche walketh whiche hath with them the continuall presence of Christe and of his most holy spirite that one to sowe this gratious doctrine that other to gyue his influence with the same vnto the herers And doubt nat but this waye shall finally brynge you vnto the glorious contrey of heuen where ye shal haue the presence of almighty god with endlesse ioye and blisse to the whiche he brynge vs all Qui cum patre et spiritu sancto viuâ—â— et regnat deus Amen Imprinted at London in fletestrete in the house of Thomas Berthelet nere to the Cundite at the signe of Lucrece ¶ Cum priuilegio a rege indulto