as you thynke / what shulde yov serche any forther dyd not these men vnderstond scripture is not this exposicion playne this taketh away alle inconueniēs By thys exposycion / god ys not the auctor of euylle thys ys a clarkly exposycyon / Breuely Thys must nedes be the trewe exposycyon wherefor it were better for you / to erre with S Hierom / and with Origen than for to say trew with these new herytykis / so call you all them / that will reproue youre oldde blyndnes Now haue you well defendyd the matter Now ys youre cause well proued / Nowe must the holy gost chāge his wordes / for he hath new scole masters / ād where he was wonte to say / I haue hardened Pharos harte Nowe must he say / Pharo hathe hardenyd hym selfe / by my softenesse and by my easynes / but I haue not done it / But yet I pray you / My goodlye masters how wolde yov satisfyse a weke consyens that styckis faste to the worde of god and reknythe that the holy gost / knoweth well what he shal speke ād wil speke nothing with out a gret cause / but that that he speketh shall be so well spokē that you cā not a mend yt / How think you ys yt sufficyent to say to this pore man / Orygen and. S. Hierō saye so / holde thou thy pece / be thou cōtēt with their exposyciōs / serche thou no forther yt doth not be come the to know it but now will he laye to youre charge / That this thing is openly writen in scripture / and the wordis of Moses and of paul be playne therfore you must answer to them / and yt shalle be as lawfull for hym too know the mynd of holy scrypture as the exposicion of S. Hierom or of Orygen Scripture saithe playnly / That god dothe indurate pharos hart / not pharo his awne hart It is a new gramer to say / I wyll indurate pharos harte / that shal be as muche / as pharo shall indurate himselfe thorow my sofftenesse paciēs / by this rule shall Anaxagoras phylosophye come in place / that shal make of euerye thyng what we wil And where as scrypture saythe / Saull / Saull / why doste thou persecute me / Shalle be as muche to say / As why sufferest thou me to be perse quutid / Also the father of heuen / sent his wonly sone in too the worlde / shall be as muche to say as he suffered hys sone to be sent / Soo that we shall expounde all placys of scrypture / too oure awne purposse / and not to loke what ys the sentens off holy scrypture nor yet what the mynde off the holy gost ys / but what exposycyon wyll plese vs best / and what wylle best serue / to oure carnall mynde Forther more yf god do hardyn mens hartys whan he suffereth / and whan he ys softe and shewythe mercy / thā did he hardyn the hartys of the Iuys whan he brought them out of Egypt in too wyldernes / than did he hardyn them / whan he brought them out off the captiuyte of babylon / than hardenythe he al the worlde whom he suffereth in gret softenesse / and mercy / Also after youre exposycion / he was mercyfulle to Israell whan he sent them in too babylon / for there dyd be chastyn them and by afflyccyons prouokyd them to repentance / Lykewyse the father of heuen had no mercy on the world / whan he sent hys sone / for of that he gaue men an occassyon off induracyon / But whan he dammy the synners / than by youre rule hath he mercy on them / for he chastiseth and ponysheth them for their synnes this ys youre rule off induraciō / and no mā may say agenst yt / but that Misereri may not sygnyfye to geue grace / nor to remytt synne / but to chastis ād to scorge / and by paynes prouok to repētaūce / and Indurare / shal not signifie to hardin / but to suffer ād to be pacient ād to be mercifull / not to chastys But you subtylle Masters / how was god mercyfull vn to pharo / by sofftenesse ād by sufferāce whō he chastysyd so sore / with ten plages / and with suche plagys as Moses meruelyd of / Call you that softenes was that sufferynge of pharo was that an occasyon of Induraciō / by paciēs / Esines and by sufferaūce God send his aduersaries of that pacyens / and of that sufferance / I pray you how coulde god chastice him more yet at every plage he saith I wil indurate pharos hart wherfor pharo had none occasiō of induraciō by sufferāce paciēs of god but rather by his scorging / wherefor here must be an other sence in these wordis thā you do mak / we must seke out an other wais to know how god doth work induraciō in mennes hartes suche wordis do the holy gost vse therfore dare we speke them And how he is the doar bothe of good ād euyll and yet alle thyng that he dothe ys well done Fyrst yow must nedys graunt / that after the faule of Adam / the puer nature of man was corruptyd by synne / where by / we be all wyckyd / and borne as Paule saythe by nature the chylderne of wrathe / and as dauyd saythe we are all conceyued in sinne / Not withstōding of thys corruptyd nature / dothe god make all mē bothe good bad / Those that be good / be good by his grace / those that be bad / be bad of corruptid nature yet god hath mad thē Neuer the lesse by nature they are of the same goodnes ād no better than natur is / that is to say euyll / but yet the creaciō of god his workemāship is good though that thing be euil in it selfe / yet is godis work a for him selfe good though al the world say that nay / now god of his infinit power doth rule ād gyde all maner of men bothe good and bade / and all men by hys infynyte power are moued vn to operacions / but euerye man after hys nature / As after youre awne Phylosophy / Primū mobile / by the reson of hys swyfte ◠mocion caryeth all the inferyor thyngis wyth hym / sufferth nothyng to be vn moued / not wyth stondynge he mouythe all their awne naturall coursse / So lykewyse god of hys infynite power letteth nothing to be exemtyd frō him but all thyngys to be subiect vn to his accyon ād nothyng can be done by them / but by hys pryncypalle mosyon so that he worketh in all maner of thynges bothe good and bade / not changyng their nature mouing thē alonly to worke after their nature so the good worketh good the euyll worketh euyll god vsithe thē bothe as instrumētis yet doth he nothyng euyll but euyll be done allonly thorow the evyl mā / god workyng
signifiynge and teacheynge that christes ordinance is not to reseue the bloude in the boddy wonly / but to reseue the bloude after his institucion by it selfe out of the cuppe / lest they shulde be found corectours and blasphemers of the holy institution and coÌ„mandymeÌ„t of the lorde / Of whom S. paule reseuyd this coÌ„mandemeÌ„t / and of no counselles Now what christen man can dought but oure Master christ to whom all thing is bare and opyn bothe thingis present and also to come knew that there was bloud in hys awne boddy / Also Saynt paul his scolare which lerned this lesson of him was not ingnorant that there was bloud in his body / And yet firste oure M. christ geuithe his bloud a lone by it selfe out of the cupp / aÌ„d his diligeÌ„t scolar knowing that doctrine of his M. dyd the same regarding his masters doctrine pÌ„ferryng it by fore his carnall reson which knew that there was bloud in euery body / but his M. doctryne taught him that his M. kepte not his blud in his bodi / but for vs / lost daÌ„ned parsons for oure innumerable detestable aÌ„d a boue all capassyte to declare daÌ„nable and abhominable sinnes / Brake his boddy shed his bloud there out pleÌ„tuusly there with made sacrifice aÌ„d satysfaccioÌ„ for all our synnes as S. IohaÌ„ saithe / The bloud of Iesus chryst clenseth vs from alle sinne / also we are santifyde by the offerynge off the body off Iesê° christ wons for all / now that all christeÌ„ meÌ„ whych be santifide by the offering of thys boddy / 1. Ioan. 1· aÌ„d by sheding the bloud out of this boddy / shuld all ways haue bothe those partes in remeÌ„brance / Hebre. 10. he accordyng as the bloud was deuyded froÌ„ the body for all sinners indifferently that wil come vn to christ And a cordynge to hys masters institucyon and coÌ„mandement / ministerde thys sacrament and also ordened yt to be ministred to all men / The body / by it selfe and the bloud by it selfe / That they might all way not remember aloÌ„ly that oure sauyour christ offerd his boddy for vs / but also shed out of that same body his most precius bloud and therfore sayth S. paule as his Master chryst taught him As often as you shall ette thys brede and drink this cuppe / you shall shew the lordes dethe tylle he come Now my lordys come to youre counselles Christ and Saynt Paull defendythe thys thynge partinacyter as yow calle yt that ys stytfy and strongly wyll they a byde by it and wyll nott reuoke it / wherefore after the decre of youre Counselle they be condemned for heretykes I can no more say but god helpe them for there is no remedy with theÌ„ but they must nedis to the fyer / for they wyll not be abiured in nowisse / it is a pittyus case that .ii. so good men as these be / wyll be thus openly agenst the decre of the holy counsel ye and agenst so meny and so noble fathers / aÌ„d so gret clarkis the which knew this matter as ye saye as wel as they / it is not to be thoughe that the holy gost wolde leue so menny excelent and holy fathers / and gret doctours of dyuinite / and so meny noble prynces and wisse men of the world / And be wyth these .ij. poore meÌ„ whych be of no reputacyon in thys worlde / wherefore my lordes procede agenst them after the holy decreys that he inuentyd agenst heretykys / styck not for their namys for it is neyther christ nor paulle that can hurte you / yow haue also coÌ„demned ther lernyng and preuaylyd agenst theÌ„ why shulde you not coÌ„demne them as well / you be lordes / and you haue the streÌ„gthe aÌ„d the wysdum of the worlde wyth you and as a sertyne doctor of lawe sayde / they haue no man to holde wyth them but a sorte of begers and dyspysyd persons of the world / wherfore spare them not / be bolde / Implete numerum patruÌ„ vestrorum / All tyrans be not yet deede But now whaÌ„ you haue coÌ„demned them / yet haue you as muche to doo as euer you had De consecia di 2. â— câ—perimê° for youre awne law is opeÌ„ly agenste yow in these wordes Vve vnderstoÌ„de that sertyn men reseuyng alonly the porcion of the blessyd boddy / do abstayne from the chalys of the holy bloude the whych doughtles seynge I can not telle by what superstycyon they are lerned to abstayne lett them eyther reseue the whole sacrament or elles let them be forbyddyn from the whole sacrament / for the dyuision of won and of the same mystery cane not be done wyth out grett sacrylege cÌ„ How thynke you by these wordes be they not playne that all men shall eyther reseue both kyndes or none / here haue you a nother heretyke / for he Iudgeth and sayth that it is sacrilege which is openly agenst youre counsell to reseue yt in won kinde But peraduenture you will say this law was wryten to pristes I answere To whom so euer it was wryten it maketh noo matter for these wordis be playne / The diuysyon of won mistery caÌ„ not be done with out gret sacrilege / These wordis be not spoken of the persons that shall reseue yt / but of the deuydynge of the sacrament / who so euer shall reseue yt / yt is sacrylege to deuyde this thing / answere yow to that Marke also that youre awne law callythe yt supersticion to reseue but won kynde aÌ„d no dought they that dyd reseue yt so wher blindyd by this damnable reason of youres that there ys no boddy wyth out bloude / and yet he calleth yt supersticion But let vs see what youre glosse sayth on this texte / yt ys not superfluusly sayth he reseued vnder bothe kyndes / for the kind of bred ys referryd vn to the fleshe / aÌ„d that kynd of wyne vn to the bloud / The wyne is the sacrament of bloud in the which is the seatte of the solle / and therfore it is reseuyd vnder bothe kindes to sygnifie that Christ did reseue bothe boddy and soule / and that the pertakynge there off dothe profyte both boddy and soule wherefore if it wer reseuyd alonly vnder won kynd it shulde signifie that it dyd profyte allonly but won parte cÌ„ How thynke you dothe this glosse vnderstonde it of pristes wonly haue lay men no soules May not this sacrament profite theÌ„ bothe body and soule Marke also that he saythe it is not superfluusly nor with out a cause reseuyd vnder bothe kyndes Also an other lawe / De coÌ„secÌ„ di 2. c. cum fraÌ„gimus Vvhan the hoste is brokyn and the bloud shed out of the chalys in to the mouthys of faithfull men / what other thynge is there signyfid but the immolacyoÌ„ off oure lordes boddy on the crosse / aÌ„d the sheddyng of his bloud out of his side cÌ„
obedyent vnto temporalle prynces / ye and that vnto infidels And not alonlye he / but all hys ordinaunce All hys wrytynges / and all his bisshops dyd agre to the same And yff they wyll dispice S. Paule / by cause he was but a begger / and no lorde off the parlament what wyll they say to oure Master Christe oure mighty / gracious / and excellent prynce / was not he obedyent vn to Pylate that was an infydelle / and in auctorite muche lesse than youre grace / dyd not he obey in bodye and goodes / dyd not he paye tribute vn to Cesar / was not he crucifyed / vnder Pons Pylat / was not he a spirituall man / was not his cause ryghtuous / was not he mighty to defende his cause was not he worthy to be exempted / was he not annoynted I meane not with oyle but wyth the holy gost so well as they / and yet wolde kepe the order / that was sett by hys heuynly father Dyd not he sore rebuke Peter / that wolde haue defended his cause / and sought for suche carnall lyberte / agenste the power off princes / Dyd he not clearly take a waye / the temporall swerd from hym we neuer rede that euer he drewe yt after / and yet we reade that he had causys suffycient And now commyth Peters successoure / and he wyll drawe yt out / and hed pryncis there with who gaue master vicare auctoryte / to doo that the the parson durste neuer doo / ner coulde neuer doo yt / was his cause neuer so ryght ye though yt were to defēd christ wyth out greate rebuke of his master Thus youre grace maye se / how they do vsurpe / bothe the name of christ / and off his holye appostles / but they neyther agre in worde nor dede what dothe yt profyte / to call an open whore an honest woman / the name can not make here honest / Disti 40. Nō est facile di 40. multi sacerdot◠so lykewysse as their lawe saith They be not the chyldern off holy men / that sytte in the romes of holy men / but they that doo their workes c̄ Also in a nother place The seate dothe not make a preaste / but the preast maketh the seate The place dothe not sanctifie the man / but the man sanctifyeth the place / All preastie be not holye / but all holye men be preastes c̄ Nowe yff youre grace wolde follow their awne lawe / what were they lesse than bysshops Take a way theyr seate / that is their worldely pompe and pryde / their outwarde shynynge / their glorious name / and what remayneth in them / Surelye not one poynte that belongethe to a bisshope / Thys may youre grace well doo / there is neyther lawe nor consciēce can lett you ye bothe the lawe of god / and also conscience dothe bynde you to doo yt / how can youre grace otherwyse be discharged / except yov sett other men in their romes / that wille doo those thynges / that belongeth by holy scripture to bysshops to doo There out commith their name / why shulde they not also be hounde to lyue there after youre grace hathe taken some off them from the bochers staulle and made them bysshops / you haue taken some out of the carte and sett them in Peters Chayre / who can denye but this youre grace maye doo All ways providyd that they doo those thynges that belongeth to their office by the worde of god / or els youre grace is in daunger But who can proue / that they are worthye off thys dignite / that youre grace hath heuen them moche lesse to be youre controllars / yee and also to be aboue all youre lawes / and to haue auctorite to deposse you But yf youre grace wolde doo thē ryght / you shulde returne them home ageyne / the bocker to his staulle / The begger to hys wallet / the carter to hys whyppe / and than aske them yff they be of the church and what exempcion they haue from youre obedyence and from youre lawe / and what auctorite to deposse kynges But as for thys / youre grace can order yt moche better / than I cane deuyse I saye yt for no nother purposse / but for to declare youre graces power / and youre goodnes towarde them / and lykewyse their vnworthynes / and ingratitude / agenst youre most noble grace I wylle returne agayne to oure Master Christ / whan the multitude wold haue chosene hym kyng dyd he not flye Io ▪ So that he dyd not allonly lerne obedience in his doctrine / but also he dyd practice yt in his outward workes and lyuinge Fynallye / they shall neuer be able to prove to youre grace / but that Chryst and alle his apostles were subiect / to the temporal princes / bothe in bodye and goodes / and toke no nother rule in this worlde / but only to preache the eternalle worde of god / and lefte all wordly rule / vnto temporall princes / whether they were faythefull / or vnfaythefull But now commyth oure spirituall fathers So muste we call them allonly of customme and of no deseruynge and wyll commaunde prynces to be sworne vn to them / and to defende them / and their lybertes / with all their gorgyousnes / and prowde dignytyes of this worlde which othe / yff the prynces wyll not make to thē / they wyll interdyte theyr londe / and priuate them of theyr dignite / yee and also asoyle men off the othe / that they made to their prince This ys opyn in their lawe / de hereticis De hereticis Ad abolendum Ad abolendum How dothe thys agre wyth S. Paulys commaundement / and wyth oure Master Christes factes Is thys obeying to princes / to depelle them their royalme / yff they wyll not be sworne vnto them / Be these trewe subiectes Is this the offyce of byshops / Be these the successors of Peter / Paule Be these the perfyt men that haue forsaken all thyng and followed Christ Doubtles they forsake all thynges / that they can not gett Be not these perfytt / forsakers But they wyll saye that princes be bounde to be sworne / to defēde their churche / from heretykes or ells to be deposed This ys yt that I lokyd for Vvhom call you heretykes Vvho shall iudge these men to be heretikes After what lawe shall they be iudged yff you call them heretikes / that speke agenst youre lawes / and agenst youre libertyes / and agenst youre dignite / than are Christ and all his holy appostles heretikes For they defende pertinaciter as yov say their lerninge agēste youre lawes / and that not in one place / but in euery place / as yt ys open in holy scripture But now yff you take them for heretykis that be agenst Christ and his holy worde / than ys the kynges grace sworne to expelle you his realme and
So that yff a man pleasse them / than promysse they hym heuyn and erthe wyth all the frutes in them / yee and also god hym selfe Cōtrarye wise yf a mā displeasse them and speake agenste their abhominable lyuynge / a thousande hellys are to lyttle for hym / and neyther frēd in heuyn nor erthe can helpe hym / no Chrystes bloud can not profite hym / but he must be dāpned with out recover I wyll passe ouer the labour that I made to doctour Steuen / And to D. Allyn For nothyng coulde helpe me / so that I am compelled by intollerable vyolence and opressyon to complayne vnto youre most noble grace / humbly and meklye beseching youre grace / for Christ Iesus sake / and in the honoure of god oure father in heuyn / that you wold call the matter a fore youre grace And yf the bysshops can yet proue any heresye in myne artycles / I wyll refuse no maner of payne that youre grace shall iudge me worthye Notwithstondyng with youre graces fauoure I haue bene sufficiently punished for one trespasse How be it / I call god to my recorde / that in my consciens I neyther intended heresy / nor yet lerned heresy in my sermone / and I doubte not / but their consciens will also testifye the same Moreouer yf yt plese youre grace / they know that I coulde bryng them good testimonye ād that to a great number out of the vniuersite / where I dyd preach and was continually .xx. yearis / that there was neuer man that harde by me any thyng lesse or more that was worthy after good cherite to be suspected for heresy And yet my lordes haue thus cruelly condemned me for one sermone / which they are never able to proue heresy by godes worde nor by holy doctours Notwithstondinge yff it were heresy / me thynketh christes word and his blessyd cheryte wolde moue suche holy fathers as they wyll be / not to caste a way a man for euer for once errynge / Seyng I offerd my selfe to be taught of them / and they are not abylle to make a man Moreouer most gracious prynce / youre daylye orator had good testimonie / of his sermone from the best of the vniuersyte / vn to certayne men in wryttynge As vn to D. Steuen a letter / from Master Iohan puergould / which harde my sermone / whose testimony D. Steuen can well reporte / vnto youre grace Also the vicechauncelar dyd wryte a letter vnto a marchaunt of londō whan the cause had bene a fore hym .vj. wekys testifiynge / that there coulde none heresy be proved agenste me / and that he durst say / that I dyd intend none heresy Furthermore yf it please youre grace / the bisshops knowe how the principal clerkes of the vniuersite were with me / yf they durst haue spoken for them But all my submissiō / all my wytnes / all my suertyes / all these lernyd men / and all the lerninge that I coulde speake coulde not helpe / but I must nedes be an heretike / for I had spoken so muche as they sayd agenste the holy church Vvherfore here be the articles followynge that were layd agenst me / and also the lerninge / that the bysshops layd agenst me / so nere as god hathe geuen me remembraunce This doo I not to gett any worldly vauntage or worldly promocion as god is my iudge for of all the worlde I cā make no more but meate and drynke / the which I doute not but god shal send me / for my dayly prayer ys / lorde geue me my dayly bred whych I stedfastly beleue that he shal do for hys wordys sake / where so ever I shall become Neuer the lesse where so ever I be I shall be a faythefull and a trewe bedeman of youre graces better seruice can I not do youre grace But this doo I that youre grace may know / what tyrānye the bisshopes vse vndernethe youre name / for the which your grace shal straytly answere a fore god where fore humbly I beseche youre grace that in tyme to come you may so over se them that they doo not opresse poore men by tyranny / as they haue done longe / and doo also dayly / and not alonly that / but they also lerne and compelle men to lerne / clearly and openly agenst Christes holly gospelle and the exposycion of doctours yee and agenst their awne lawe / to the euer lastynge damnacion off many a christen soule / of the which thinges I haue partly opened vnto youre grace in certayne artycles that here folowe / which I haue proued by the invyncibylle word of god / and that not wrōge after my sence / but after the exposycyon off their awne doctours / wherfore I doute not but that youre noble grace wyll defend this boke frō the tyranny of the bisshops tylle they be able to condemne yt with Christes holy word / and doute ye not but that the heuynly father and his mercyfull sone Christ Iesus / and the holy cōfortar / shall all ways defend youre most excelencie preserue you in his verite and kepe yov in all prosperite and honoure of this worlde / ād after this miserable lyffe shall they bring yov vn to an heuenly lyffe that neuer shall haue ende Amen Now most noble and excelent prynce / humblye / and with all mekenes of harte I desyre pardon of youre grace for that thynge that is eyther a mysse writen / or not with due ordre nor wyth due reuerence as yt ought to be to so noble a prince / for there is no faught in my harte / nor wyll / But allonly for want off lernyng / and experience in writinge vnto so noble a prynce / thus Iesus Christ kepe youre hyghnes euer Amen HEre folowe the articles which the bisshopes did condempne for heresye the yeare of oure lorde a thousande fyve hundred and fyve and twentye the ninthe daye of februarye / whiche articles were gathered out of a sermone that doctoure barnes made in saynt Edwardes churche in cambridge the .24 daye of december / ād were presentyd to the bysshops by a master off arte called Master Terelle / a man of no lernynge as al the bysshops do knowright well / and yet was he sufficient to accuse me of herisye for these articles which as god knowyth hathe neither Iudgement in faythe / nor yet in heresy / but as farre as I can coniecture and suspect the getherars of these artycles were doctour Rydley ād doctour Preston / chaplens to the bisshope off London / notwythstondynge none of them bothe / nor yet no nother man durste euer take apon them for to prove them heresy in so moche that doctour Rydley dyd saye that it was never his mynde that they shulde be presentyd as heresy / but as he sayde they were very evylle and vncherytablye spokē agenste the bysshops seynge there was none of them present This is the some and the fulle
groundid in christ / Suê‘ Ioâ— Trac 1â— â–ª c. 21. of him hath reseuyd in peter the keys of heueÌ„ / that ys / to say power to bynd losse cÌ„ Thus is it playne that these keyes are geueÌ„ to the wholl churche of christ for hyr faith / and they be the coÌ„men tresure of the church belonge no more to one man thaÌ„ to another / but because that al meÌ„ caÌ„ not vse these keyes alle to gether / for that wolde make a confusion / ther fore dothe the churche that is the congregacion of faythefulle men commytte the ministracion of these keyes / that is of the prechyng the worde of god / vn to sertyn men whome they thynke moste abylle and best lernyd in the worde of god the whyche men thus chossen be but ministers of the commen treasure / and no lordis ouer it / for the churche may deposse them / that is she may take a way the opyn aÌ„d the commen mynystracyon that she commytted vn to them / if they vse it not welle / and than they be but as other christen men hauynge no commen offyce nor mynystracyon in the churche / where fore they may neyther preche / nor yet mynyster sacramentis opynly but as other christen men may do pryuatly / in their awne housys / or in other places where men be getheryd whyche wille here of christ / there I say bothe they and alle other christen men / may speke and lerne christes worde / and declare it after the gyfte that is geuyn vn to them of god / and they that do beleue this worde thus prechyd bi christen men / be by the power of the keyes losyd from their fynne and bound if they beleue not For al the church and everye parte of the churche haue power to execute these keyes / allonly that the opyn order be not brokyn / 1. Cori. 14. Thys dothe S. paule declare saynge / yov may alle interpretate scripturs but se that alle thyngis be done after an order / Nowe to kepe an order that nothyng shulde be done after a confuse maner / therfore the church assigneth sertyn meÌ„ to be the opyn aÌ„d the commeÌ„ mynysters of this tresure the whyche be but allonly mynysters / no lordes / And of this coÌ„men tresure aÌ„d not of their priuatte tresure as S. paule saythe / lett a man so rekkyn vs as the mynysters of chryst / 1. Co. 4 Item 3. dispensators of the mynistery of god / Also in a nother place / what is paule what it appollo but mynysters by whome yov haue beleuyd / Also S. Peter youre predicessor commandethe yov / 1. Pet. 5. that yov shulde not exercysse any dominion ouer the coÌ„gregacioÌ„ / but geue example to the flocke Be not these playne scripturs how yov be no lordes but mynysters of Christes tresure / yov leue the ministracioÌ„ vsurpe auctorite S. Peter whose successors you boste youre selues to be / commandeth yov that yov shuld vse no dominioÌ„ ouer the coÌ„gregacioÌ„ / why do yov not succede him in this thing yov shuld be alonly but ministers keyeberers of these keys / In. M. c. 23. as Chrisostom proueth in these wordes / the keyeberrars are prestes vnto whome is coÌ„mitted the worde to teache aÌ„d to interpretate scripturs cÌ„ Here yov not how yov be but keyeberrars teachers of the worde of god This doth S. Ambrose wytnes in these wordes / synnes be forgeueÌ„ by the worde of god whose interpretar is the deken cÌ„ li. de Cain et abell Marke that sinnes be forgeueÌ„ by the worde of god of that which yov be but interpretars where is nov I pray yov youre lordly power which you call the keyes of heueÌ„ / is not scripture the practys of the appostles the exposicioÌ„ of holy doctours opeÌ„ly ageÌ„st yov wille yov vsurpe a thynge / that is coÌ„trary to all these I pray yov where fynde yov in all holy scriptur / but one that Peter or Paule did asoyle / after the maner of youre keyes And yet no doute but they had the keyes / yee also did vse them wherefore it is to me greet mervell / of whome yov haue lerned youre vsage / where yov haue gotten suche keyes It maketh no matter to me though yov crye as you are wonte Fathers Fathers / Counsels / Counsels / the church / the churche / For yt will not helpe yov / you see opinly / that I haue the holy worde of god / and oure Master Christ / which is elder thaÌ„ oure fathers I haue also the practis of the holy apostillis that vnderstonde thys thyng better than all youre couÌ„sellis / But let vs grauÌ„te that you haue fathers and counsellys for yow / That ys the next way to dysseue the churche of god / By whome can Christen men be disseued / but by suche men as be of auctoryte / and dignite of the world This you know that men can not bedesseued by horsses / nor by caluys / but yt must be by men aÌ„d not by folyshe men For who wyll regarde fooles but by them that berekkened of wisdom and of reputacyon in the worlde / And not by one wyse man for a nother wysse maÌ„ may be of as good reputacyon and wysdom as he but yt must be by many / or ellis it can haue no shyne nor coloure of excelency / yee and by suche a multytude that reason can not suspect / so that there ys neuer so great danger vn to the church of god / as whane all these thyngis come to gether / and therefore sayth the holy prophete / 〈◊〉 Blyssed is the maÌ„ that followeth not the couÌ„sellys of wylkyd meÌ„ / you know that couÌ„selles caÌ„ be no smal thynge / nor no folishe thyng Nor the wykked men them selfe doo rekkyn yt for no smalle thynge but for the gretiste thinge / and the wysyst thinge / and the strongist that they can thynke or deuisse / and noo doute but it hath a fore reson and a fore all the world a grett apparens of no small wysdom / and is so stronge that euerie maÌ„ is coÌ„pelled to reseue it / yee also those meÌ„ haue auctorite / for as the prophete saith they syte in the cheyre / the which doth both sygnifie gret lernynge also gret auctoryte / And yet saythe the prophet that blissed is he that followeth not their couÌ„sellis nor sitteth in their chayre Now if these thingis coulde be iudged by comeÌ„ reason or ellis they semed so euyl / that all the worlde coulde iudge theÌ„ what nede the holy gost to make so muche a doo or to wryte soo stronglye agenst them ye aÌ„d to saye that blessid ys he that herys them not / where fore he must nedys speke of suche myschyffe and of suche falsehod / aÌ„d of suche errours as haue all those thingis for them that you brynge of you / That is
who not / the probacion of mens testimentes / the orderyng of paymentes and custoÌ„s the settynge of alle maner of taskes and forfyttes / the correccion of alle transgressions / where by the commen welthe / or any priuate person / is dysquieted or wronged / as correccion of Theuys / murderars / harlottes baudes / sclanderars wranglars / extorcioners / brybers / vserars / false byars and sellars / and of alle other thynges where vnto be longeth any outward orderinge or any corporalle payne / in thys power ys the kynge cheffe and fulle ruler / alle other be minysters and seruantes as S. Paule dothe declare saynge / lett euerye soulle be subiect and obedient vnto the hye powers cÌ„ Roma 13. 1. Pet. 2. Also S. Peter / be subiect vn to the kynge as vn to the cheffe hede / eyther vn to rulers as vn to them that are sent of the kynge for the ponyshement of euylle doars Roma 13 Vn to this power muste we be obedyeÌ„t in all thynges that perteyne to the minystracion of this present lyffe and of the commen welthe / not allonly as paul saith for a voydyng of ponishemeÌ„t but also for dischargynge of oure consciens / for this is the will of god So that yf this power coÌ„maÌ„de any thinge of tyranny agenste ryght and law Alle ways prouidyd that it repugne not agenst the gospell nor distroye our faith oure cherite must nedis suffer yt / for as paule saithe / 1 Cor. 13 Mat. 6. Cherite sufferth all thyng / Also oure Master christ / if a man stryke the on the won cheke / turne hym the other / for he doth exarcisse tiraÌ„ny / but ouer these worldly goodis / and these present thingis aÌ„d ouer thy corporall boddy / which ChristeÌ„ men do not alonly not regarde but they dispisse it / Neuer the lesse yf he coÌ„mande that any thinge ageÌ„st ryght or do the any wroÌ„g As for an example cast the in preson wrongfully yf thou canste by oÌ„ny resonable and quiet menys / with out fedyssion / in surreccion / or breking of the coÌ„meÌ„ peace saue they selfe or avoyd his tiraÌ„ny thou mayst do it with good consciens / As yf thou wert in presonne yf thou couldest a void with out any sedisioÌ„ thou mayst lawfully do it / aÌ„d thy consciens is fre so doinge and thou dost not synne / nor offend the lawe of god / as paulle saithe / 1. Cor. 7. If thou mayst be fre vsse yt / but in no wysse be yt right or wrong mayst thou make any resistence / with swerde or with honde but obey except thou canste a voyd as I haue shewed the / but yf the cause be right / lawfull / or prophitable to the commen welth / thou must obey / and thou maist not flye with out sinne / That men haue fled from the tiranny and the wronge of this power we haue yt openly / 4. Reg. 6. 3. Reg. 19. Act. â— ideÌ„ 9. .14 in dyuers placis of scriptours / As of Elezy that fled froÌ„ the tyraÌ„ny of the kyng of Siria / Also Helyas fled from the tyraÌ„ny of kyng â— has / also Saint Peter fled out of presonne / And. S. Paulâ—e out of the City of damascum / and out of IconyuÌ„ as it is open in the Actis of the apostyllis / so that agenst this power though thou haue wronge mayst thou not make any corporall resistaunce / but allonly a voyde by flyynge / or ellys kepe the thing that ys coÌ„mandyd the. But if it be right / and to the ê“phyt of the coÌ„meÌ„ welthe / thou must bothe fulfylle it and also abyde But now will there be inquierid of me / this casse / yf it plesse the kyngis grace to coÌ„veÌ„ine the New testament in ynglyshe and to commande that none of his subiectis shall haue it vnder hys displesure whether they be bouÌ„d to obey this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t or no to this wil I answere / That I do beleue / that oure most noble prynce hath notâ— forbyddyn / that christen meÌ„ may haue chrystis testament whether yt be in lattyn / in ynglyshe / frenche / douche / grek / or Ebrew / for chrystes veryte / is all whom in all tongis / And as his grace knowyth yt wer very vnresonable that any man shuld eyther counsell / or for byd hys grace that he shulde knowe or rede / the testament off the Most noble prince hys father in the whyche is allonly geuen / and â—misyd worldly goodes / which as sone as they be geuen / be reddy to dekey and to perysh / and yf I say thys be vnresonable / and vnright / how muche more were yt vnresonable to take away from vs oure father of heuyns testament whosse legasy and promysys do as for excelle / the legasys of the noble prynce hys father / as god dothe excelle man But what shulde I make meny resons to proue vn to hys grace that thynge to be lawfulle / That the father of heuen hathe sent vs / from whom commythe nothyng but goodnes / yee aÌ„d it was not sent by man / by Angell / or by saynt / but by the wonly sone of god / bothe god and man / aÌ„d dylygently declared by hym to all the worlde / Not vn to the Pharysys alone / but vn to all maner of people / and that to the houre of hys dethe / and also there of toke his dethe / and nott yet so coÌ„tent / but sent his gloryous apostillis to declare and to lerne thys godly worde thorow all the worlde And by cause the mynystracyon of this worde requyered a greter strength than was in any naturall man / therfore also gaue he them his eternalle spret / to stablyshe theÌ„ / to coÌ„firme them / and to make them strong in all thingys that there myght be nothing desyeryd / too the declaracion and settyng out of this worde Now who coulde fynd in hys harte / That ys a trew subiect and regardythe the honoure of oure noble prynce and the saluacyon of hys soule / eyther to thinke that his grace wolde coÌ„demne yt / or elles to moue hym to condemne the thynge / that commythe from heuyn ye aÌ„d that from the father of heuen / and sent and lerned bi hys eternall sone which hathe selyd yt wyth ys most precius bloude / and â—o commandyd hys gloryous apostillis to preche yt / And confirmed it wyth so meny mirakylles and dyd also geue / to the confirmynge and the writinge of yt / The gloryous consolatour the holy goste / so that yt is opeÌ„ / that the father of heueÌ„ did not send this godly word with a small diligeÌ„ce / or as though he caryd not whyther yt shulde remayne in erthe or not / But so hath he declared thys holy worde wyth suche a prosses / That heuyn / erthe and helle shulde know that yt ys hys worde / and that yt ys hys wylle that alle
moste excelent and nobylle prynce I haue here after the poore gyfte that god hathe geuen me sett out vnto youre grace serten articles which though they seme at the fyrste syghtte to be newe yet haue I proued them openlye with the euerlastynge worde of god and that not wrong nor wrested after my lyghtt brayne / but after the exposicion of clearkly doctoures yee that of the oldest and of the best wherefore most excelent prynce moste humbly and mekly I beseke youre grace / that I may fynde so grete in dyfferencye at youre graces hande as that the bysshoppes shalle not condemne thys boke after the maner of their olde tyranny / except they cane with open scriptures and with holy doctores / refelle yt as I haue proved yt But I wold yt shuld plese youre grace to call them alle a fore yov / and to command as meny as wylle condemne this boke every won of theÌ„ seuerallye wyth out others counsell to wryght their cause why they wylle condemne yt and the scripturs where by they wylle condemne it and to brynge them alle to youre grace / and youre grace may iudge by twene bothe partys I doo not doute but they wyll brynge youre grace meruelous probacions and such as were neuer harde and if .iij. of them agre in one tale if they be devyded lett me dye for yt / and that youre grace shall well se / the father of heuen and his moste mercyfulle sonne Iesus Christ kepe youre grace in honoure to hys pleasure and glorye Amen Finis I Haue added Christen reader a table to this boke to helpe thy memorie and that thou mayste the more easelye finde that thou desirest wherin I haue also sette out the most notable saynges of doctoures and of the popes lawes whych are alleged in the boke afore / so that this table ys in a maner a summe and shorte rehershall of the hole boke But harken deare reader / thys one thynge I do require off the / that thou wylte compare these sayinges of doctoures / holye fathers and of the popes awne lawe vnto the sayinges of the pope and bysshopes that be nowe / and vnto the practice of thys present worlde / and then geue sentence thy selfe howe they do agre If they accorde then conclude boldlye that thys ys the same churche that was in their dayes but yff they agre not / then mayest thou suspecte that yt ys amysse and that the devell hathe transfygured hym selfe in too an angell of lyght and that they are hys mynysters whych notwithstondynge haue faschyoned theÌ„ selues as though they were the mynysters of rightwisnes whose ende shal be accordinge to their dedes ALen doctour AleÌ„ expouÌ„deth scriptur C.v Ambrose saith / the teares and prayers be the wepons of prestes / and that otherwyse they maye not nor ought not resyst xv Ambrose sayth / they are iustefied frelye / for they doinge nothinge nor nothynge deseruinge alonly by fayth are iustefied by the gifte of god .xli Ambrose saith / It was so decreyd of god / that after the lawe / he shulde require vnto saluacion alonlye the faith of grace / he sayeth that they be blessyd of whom god hath determed wyth out laboure / wyth out all maner of obseruaccioÌ„ / allonly by faith that they shall be iustefyed before god Blessed are they whose sinnes be forgeuen Clearlye they are blessed / vnto whoÌ„ with out laboure / or with out any worke their iniquittyes be remitted their sinnes couered / and no maner of workes required of theÌ„ / but allonly that they shulde beleue xliij Ambrose sayeth / synnes be forgeuen by the worde of god / whose interpretar is the deacoÌ„ lxxvi Ambrose sayth to the emperoure Theodosius How shat thou lifte vpp thy handes out of the which doth yet droppe vâ—rightwise bloude how shalt thou wyth those handes receyue the bodye of god with what boldnesse wilt thou receyue in to thy mouth the cuppe of the precyous bloude / seinge that thorow the wodnesse of thy wordes so greate bloud ys shed wrongfullye C.xxix Ambrose condemninge the vayne opinioÌ„ of the ignorant people as concerninge that they thought it expedient to haue mediatoures and spokysmeÌ„ betwene god and them / writeth in thys maner Men are wonte to vse this miserable excusacioÌ„ that by these thynges we maye come to god / as we may come to the kynge by Erles I answere we do come to the kinge by the meanes off dukes Erles / because the kinge is a man and knoweth not to whom he maye coÌ„mytte the comeÌ„ welth / but vnto god / from whom nothyng can be hyd for he knoweth all meÌ„nes merites we nede no spokesman nor no mediator / but allonlye a deuoute mynde cÌ„ Fol. C.li. Antychristes cast is to warne men of heretykes traytoures because no maÌ„ shuld suspecte hym and in the meane ceason whyle they loke for other cometh he in and playeth both the heretyke and also the traytoure .v Athanasius sayth / there are two maner of faythes / one is iustifyinge / as that of the whych it is spoken / thy fayth hath saued the a nother is called the gyfte of god wherbye miracles be done / of the whych it is wryten / yf you haue fayth as a grayne of mustarde seed lv Athanasius saith It is to youre coÌ„deÌ„nacion that you go to lawe one wyth a nother wherfore do you not rather suffer wronge xxvi Athanasiê° saith / the apostle wolde not coÌ„mytte to one bisshope a whole Ilonde or coÌ„tre / but he did enioyne that euerye cytye shulde haue hys propre pastor or curate because the people myght be the better taught xxviij Athanasiê° saith / Now doth the apostle plainlie shewe that faith alonlye hath the vertu in hym to iustefie bringeth abacuc saynge of faith not of the lawe shal a ryghtwyse man lyue He addeth wel before god / for before maÌ„ paradueÌ„ture they shall be rekened rightwyse that stycke to the lawe but not a fore god cÌ„ xlv Athanasiê° saithe / If thou wilte that thy chyldren shal be obedieÌ„t vnto the vse them to the worde off god But thou shalt not saye that it belongeth allonlye too religyous men too studye scrypture / but rather yt belongeth to euery Chrysten man / specyallye to him that ys wropped in the busynesses off thys worlde / and so moch the more because he hath more nede of helpe / for he ys wropped in the troubles of thys worlde Therfore it is greatlye to thy prosite that thy chyldren shuld both heare and also reade holy scriptures / for of them shall thy lerne thys commandement / honoure thy father and thy mother cÌ„ Fo. 107. Augustyn saith / the saboth is coÌ„maunded to be obserued figuratyuely / and not by bodely ydelnes that is that we cease from vices and concupiscences and not from bodelye labour fo 24 Austyne saythe / those same workes that be done afore faith / though they seme vnto meÌ„ laudable are