Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	place_n	rome_n	2,559	5	6.7604	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51699	A cloud of witnesses, or, The sufferers mirrour made up of the swanlike-songs, and other choice passages of several martyrs and confessors to the sixteenth century, in their treatises, speeches, letters, prayers, &c. in their prisons, or exiles, at the bar, or stake, &c. / collected out of the ecclesiastical histories of Eusebius, Fox, Fuller, Petrie, Scotland, and Mr. Samuel Ward's Life of faith in death, &c. and alphabetically disposed by T.M., M.A.; Cloud of witnesses. Part 1	Mall, Thomas, b. 1629 or 30.; Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.	1665 (1665)	Wing M329; ESTC R21709	379,698	602

the light of the Holy Ghost given unto the humble and penitent person that seeketh onely to honour God and not unto those persons that claim it by title or place because he is a Bishop or followed by succession Peter or Paul Remember therefore to examine all Doctrine by the Word of God for such as preach it aright have their infirmities and ignorance they may depart from the Truth or else build some superstition and false Doctrine upon the Gospel of Christ. Superstition is to be avoided false Doctrine to be abhorred whosoever be the Author thereof Prince Magistrate or Bishop As the Apostles made answer Acts 5. We ought to obey God rather then man ch 13. The Law is necessary for a justified man to teach him with what works he should exercise his faith will and obedience unto God We may not chuse works of our own wisdome to serve him withal He would have us to be governed by his Word as David saith Thy Word is a light unto my feet And Christ In vain do they worship me by the commands of men In the second Declaration Moses commandeth Deut. 4 that no man should decline from this Law neither to the right nor left hand i. e. That no man should adde to or take any thing from it but simply to observe it as it is given or written to us From this right line and true rule of Gods Word man erreth divers wayes Sometimes by ignorance because he knoweth not or will not know that onely the express Word of God sufficeth He holdeth with the most part and condemneth the better as it is to be seen at this present day This reason taketh place it is allowed of the most part and established by so many holy and learned Bishops therefore it is true c. Another way that leadeth from the Word of God is many times the power and authority of this world as we see by the Bishop of Rome and all his adherents who give more credit to one Charter and Gift of Constantine then to the whole Bible Another erreth by mistaking of the time making his superstition far elder then it is c. One saith thus My Father believed and should I believe the contrary Whereas no Law at all should be spoken of conscience but the onely Word of God which never altered nor can be altered Matt. 5. Luk. 10. Psal. 18.119 If Heavens and Earth made by word cannot be altered how much more the Word it self Unto which Law the conscience of man in matters of faith is bound onely Such as can interpret nothing will say I have an ill opinion of God in Heaven and of the superiour Powers on Earth because I damn the Disciples of the false Doctors with the Doctors and take from all Powers on Earth authority to prescribe unto their Subjects any Law touching Religion of the soul. As concerning those that be seduced by false Teachers St. Luke c. 6. and Ezekiel 3. and 13. judge as I do Both he that leadeth to damnation and he that is led falleth into the pit Notwithstanding I believe that in the midst of darkness when all the world as far as man might judge had sworn unto the Bishop of Rome Christ had his Elect that never consented to his false Laws as it was in the time of Elias 1 Kings 19. where God saith He had preserved seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal As many as die before us seduced by false Teachers without repentance the Scripture condemneth As many as believed them not but trusted to the Scripture or else deceived yet repented before they died live eternally in joy and solace and are saved as Iohn saith Rev. 13. in the blood of the Lamb. As touching the superiour Powers of the Earth it is not unknown to all men that have read and marked the Scripture that it pertaineth nothing to their Office to make any Law to govern the Consciences of their Subjects in Religion but to reign over them in this case as the Word of God commandeth Howbeit in their Realms they may make what Laws they will and as many as they will command them to be kept as long as it pleaseth them and change them at their pleasure as they shall see occasion for the wealth and commodity of their Realms Unto the which superiour Powers we owe all obedience both of body and goods and likewise our daily prayer for them to Almighty God c. And as many divers Commonwealths as there be so many divers Laws there may be Howbeit all Christian Kings and Kingdomes with other Magistrates should reign by one Law and govern the Churches of their Realms solely by the Word of God which is never to be changed Thus Christ commanded his Apostles to teach and their Audience to hear the things he commanded Matth. 28. Mark 16. Moses prescribeth unto his Audience seven Rules wherewith he prepareth them to the receiving of the ten Commandments 1 A right perswasion of Gods Word that God will undoubtedly give the good promised to the good and inflict the evil threatned against the evil 2 To have a right opinion of the Magistrates and superiour Powers of the Earth to give them no more nor any less honour and reverence then the Word of God commandeth For lack of this preparative the world hath erred from the Truth this many years Men do not look what Gods Word saith but extol the authority of mans Laws preferring the decree of a general or provincial Council before the Word of God 3 Another preparative is obedience both to God and man It were as good nere read the Law in case we mind not to be obedient 4 To observe jus gentium 5 To esteem the Doctrine of the Commandments as it is worthy 6 A true and right understanding of the Law not to constrain the letter against the mind of the Text but behold alwayes the consent of the Scripture 7 To adde nothing to this Law neither to take any thing from it If thou judgest that Gods Law containeth one part of such Doctrine as is necessary for mans salvation and the Bishops Laws another part thou contemnest and dishonourest the whole Law and the Giver thereof and offendest against that command Deut. 4.12 and Prov. 30. Every thing that we do for the honour of God not comanded by his Word is as strange and not accepted by God as all good intentions feigned works by man and all things commanded by general Councils not expressed in the Word of God by the Patriarks Prophets Christ and the Apostles which be and ever were before God the holy and Catholick Church Whosoever adde any thing to their Laws are the Church of Antichrist Deut. 4.12 Revel 22. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire i. e. such as he commanded not Read the Commentaries of Thom. Val●●s and Nicol. iu Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 4. and they

in all the will of God Whilst I was at Lancaster some of good will towards me but without knowledge that came to talk with me gave me the same counsel that Peter gave Christ as he went up to Ierusalem Master favour thy self c. But I answered with Christs sharp answer to Peter again Get thee behind me Satan and perceiving that they were an hinderance to me and that they savoured not the things which are of God but the things that are of men I made them plain answer that I neither could nor would follow their counsel but that by Gods grace I would both live and die with a pure Conscience and according as hitherto I had believed and professed for we ought in no wise said he to flatter and bear with them though they love us never so well which go about to pluck us away from the obedience which we owe unto God and to his Word but after Christs example sharply to rebuke them for their counsel God so strengthened me with his Spirit of boldness according to my humble request and prayer before everlasting thanks be given to him therefore that I was nothing afraid to speak to any that came to me no not even to Judges before whom I was thrice arraigned at the Bar among the Thieves with irons on my feet and put up my hand as others did but yet with boldness I spake unto them so long as they would suffer me They threatned and rebuked me for my preaching to the people out of Prison and for my praying and reading so loud that the people in the streets might hear When the Bishop of Chester came to Lancaster he was informed of me and desired to send for me and examine me but he said he would have nothing to do with Hereticks so hastily So hasty in judging and calling me Hereticks are our Bishops in their Lordly Dignities before they hear c. contrary to the Word of God which saith Condemn no man before thou hast tried out the truth of the matter and when thou hast made inquisition then reform righteously Give no Sentence before thou hast heard the Cause but first let men tell out their tale and he that giveth Sentence in a matter before he hear it is a fool and worthy to be confounded It is no new thing for the Bish●ps to persecute the Truth and the Prophets of the Lord for their constancy in preaching of the true Faith Faith for so did their Pharisaical Fore-fathers Pashur was the Head Bishop of the Temple the Ring-leader of false Prophets the chief Heretick-taker that is as much as to say the Outthruster of true Godliness He imprisoned the Prophet Ieremy c. The ungracious Bishop I●son was such another Machab. 2.4 Such were also the execrable and blind Bishops Annas and Caiaphas who never spake the Truth of God themselves unless it were against their wills unwittingly to their own destruction At Chester several times came to me and with all probability of words and Philosophy or worldly wisdome and deceitfull vanity after the traditions of men and the beggarly Ordinances and Laws of the world but not after Christ went about to perswade me to submit my self to the Church of Rome and to acknowledge the Pope to be Head thereof and to interpret the Scriptures no otherwise then that Church did I answered That I do acknowledge and believe one Holy Catholick Church without which there is no Salvation and that this Church is but one because it ever hath doth and shall confess one Onely God and him onely worship and one Onely Messiah and him onely trust for Salvation which Church is ruled and led by one Spirit one Word and one Faith c. and is built onely upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the Head-corner-stone and not upon the Romish Laws the Bishop of Rome being the supreme Head c. and that this Church is a little poor silly flock dispersed and scattered abroad as sheep without a shepherd in the midst of wolves or as a company of Orphans and fatherless children led and ruled by the onely Laws Counsels and Word of Christ who is the supreme Head thereof assisting succouring and defending her from all assaults errours troubles and persecutions wherewith she is ever compassed about I was thrust at with all violence of craft and subtilty but yet the Lord upheld me Everlasting thanks be to that merciful and faithful Lord who suffereth us not to be tempted above our might but in the midst of our troubles strengtheneth us with his holy Spirit of comfort and patience giveth us a mouth and wisdome how and what to speak where against all his Adversaries are not able to resist At another appearance before the Bishop c. the Chancellor charged him That he had preached most heretically and blasphemously in many Parishes within the Bishops Diocess against the Popes Authority the Catholick Church of Rome c. He answered That he neither heretically nor blasphemously preached or spake against any of the said Articles but simply and truly as occasion served and as it were thereunto forced in Conscience maintained the Truth touching those Articles as said he all you now present did acknowledge the same in King Edward's dayes After the Bishop of Chester had read half-ways the Sentence of Condemnation he asked him whether he would not have the Queens mercy in time He answered He did gladly desire the same and did love her Grace as faithfully as any of them but yet he durst not deny his Saviour Christ and so lose his mercy everlasting and win everlasting death Being again called upon by the people to recant and save his life he said I would as fain live as any of you if in so doing I should not deny my Master Christ and again he should deny me before his Father in Heaven When the Bishop had read out the Sentence he said Now I will no more pray for thee then I will pray for a Dog Mr. Marsh answered That notwithstanding he would pray for his Lordship When he was in the Dungeon and none suffered to come near him some of the Citizens would at a hole upon the wall of the City that went into the Dungeon ask him how he did He would answer them most cheerfully that he did well and thanked God most highly that he would vouchsafe of his mercy to appoint him to be a witness of his Truth and to suffer for the same wherein he did most rejoyce beseeching him that he would give him grace not to faint under the Cross but patiently bear the same to his glory and comfort of his Church When he came to the place of Execution one shewing him a Writing under the great Seal and telling him It was a Pardon for him if he would recant he said That he would gladly receive the same but forasmuch as it tended to pluck him from God he would not receive it upon

and perswaded all that pro●ess Gods Word manfully to persist in the defence of the same not with sword and violence but with suffering and loss of life rather then to de●ile themselves again with the whorish abominaon of the Romish Antichrist So the hour being come with my fact and example to ratifie confirm and protest the same to the hearts of all true Believers and to this end by the mighty assistance of Gods holy Spirit I resolved my self with much peace of conscience willingly to sustain whatsoever the Romish Antichrist should do against me When Mr. Warren the Chancellor willed 〈◊〉 chief Jaylor to carry me to the Bishop I laid 〈◊〉 his charge the cruel seeking of my death a●● when he would have excused himself I told h●● he could not wipe his hands so He was as g●●●● of my blood before God as though he had mu●thered me with his own hands He departed fro● me saying I needed not to fear if I would be 〈◊〉 his belief God open his eyes and give him gra●● to believe this which he and all of his inclinatio● shall find I fear too true for their parts that 〈◊〉 they which cruelly maliciously and spitefully pe●secute molest and afflict the Members of Chri●● for their Conscience sake and for the true test●●mony of Christs Word and cause them to be mo●● unjustly slain and murthered without speedy re●pentance shall dwell with the Devil and his Ange● in the fiery lake everlastingly where they sha●● wish and desire cry and call but in vain as the●● right companion Epulo to be refreshed of them whom in this world they contemned despised disdained as slaves misers and wretches The Bishop laid to my charge my not coming to Church Here I might have dallied with him and put him to his proofs Notwithstanding I answered him through Gods merciful help that I neither ha● nor would come at their Church as long as their Mass was used there to save if I had them 〈◊〉 hundred lives The Bishop asking me wh● should judge the Word I told him Christ wa● content that the people should judge his Doctrine by searching the Scriptures and so was Paul Methinks ye should claim no farther priviledge no● preheminence then they had The Bishop telling me He was my Bishop and therefore I mu●● believe him If you say black is white said I must I also say as you say and believe the same because you say it is so If you will be believed because you be a Bishop Why find you fault with the people that believed Mr. Latimer Mr. Ridley Mr. Hooper c. that were Bishops Because they were Hereticks said the Bishop And may not you erre quoth I as well as they I looked for learning at my Lords hand to perswade me and he oppressed me onely with his Authority He said I dissented from the Church and asked me where my Church was before Kings Edward's time I desired him to shew me where their Church was in Elias time and what outward shew it had in Christs time The tidings that I should be carried to Lichfield did at first somewhat discourage me fearing least I should by reason of my great sickness through extream handling which I looked for have died in the Prison before I should come to my answer But I rebuked immediately with Gods Word this infidelity in my self c. after this manner What make I of God Is not his power as great in Lichfield as Coventry Doth not his providence extend as well to Lichfield as Coventry Was he not with Habakkuk Daniel Meshach and Ieremy in their most dangerous imprisonments He knows what things we have need of them He hath numbred all the hairs of our head The Sparrow falleth not to the ground without our heavenly Fathers will much more will he care for us if we be not faithless whom he hath made worthy to be witnesses of his truth So long as we put our trust in him we shall never be destitute of his help neither in prison nor in sickness nor in health nor in death nor before Kings nor before Bishops Not the Devil himself much less one of his Ministers shall be able to prevail against us With such like meditations I waxed chearful of good consolation and comfort So that hearing one say They could not provide Horses enough for us I said Let them carry us in a Dung-Cart for lack of Horses if they list I am well content for my part I told Iephcot the Chancellors Servant That they should have judgement without mercy that shewed no mercy and this mercy I found at his hand at Lichfield He put me into a Prison that same night where I continued till I was condemned in a place next to the Dungeon c. very cold with small light and there he allowed me a bundle of Straw instead of a Bed without Chair Form or any other thing to ease my self withall God of his mercy gave me great patience through prayer that night so that if it had been his pleasure I could have have been contented to have ended my life In the time of my imprisonment I gave my self continually to prayer and meditation of the merciful promises of God made unto all without exception of persons that call upon the Name of his dear Son Jesus Christ. I ●ound in my self daily amendment of health of body increase of peace in conscience and many consolations from God by the help of his holy Spirit sometime as it were a taste and glimmering of the life to come All for his onely Son Jesus Christs sake To him be all the praise for ever and ever The enemy ceased not many times sundry wayes to assault me Oftentimes objecting to my conscience my own unworthiness of the greatness of the benefit to be accounted amongst those that suffer for Christ for his Gospels sake Against him I replied with the Word of God on this sort What were all those whom God had chosen from the beginning to be his Witnesses and to carry his Name before the world Were they not men as well subject to sin and imperfections as other men be Who gave first unto him What hast thou that thou hast not received All have received of his fulness They were no bringers of any goodness to God but altogether receivers They chose not God first but God chose them They loved not God first but he loved them first Yea he both loved and chose them when they were his enemies full of sin and corruption as well as void of all goodness He is and will be the same God as rich in mercy as mighty as able as ready as willing to forgive sins without respect of persons to the worlds end of all them that call upon him God is near he is at hand he is with all with all I say and refuseth none excepteth none that faith●ully in true repentance call upon him in what hour what place or what time soever it be

Testament saith Exod. 20. Deut. 6. Thou shalt make no Image The New saith that Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Matth. 5. Christ therefore hath left the commandments of the old Law unto the Church in which he saith Thou shalt not make any Image Of late years Images were in the Temple and honoured with pater noster heart and mind leg and knee Now they be applyed to another use to teach the people to be Lay-mens Books as Damascene c. saith O blasphemous and devillish Doctrine The most perfect Churches of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles used no such mean and we ought to follow them and the Word of God writ by the Prophets and Apostles The words of Gregory ad Seren. Episcop M●ssil part 10. Ep. 4. should move no man though he say Quod legentibus Scriptura hoc ideotis pictura praestat cernentibus This is but Gregory's opinion Epiphanius was not of his mind He willed the occasion of ill to be taken out of the Church as Paul commandeth 1 Thes. 5. This Doctor was as all men know of singular learning and vertue Again against the Authority of Gregory the Great I set the Authority of Athanasius the Great who denieth in express words the Images to be the Books of the Lay people Lactantius Firmianus crieth so out against Images that he saith there can be no true Religion where they be Tertullian judgeth the same Loved we God we would be content with the Scripture Shall not the Patriarks Prophets Christ and his Apostles suffice the Church of God What although many learned men have approved Images should their wisdome maintain any contrary to the Word of God Such as defend them have nothing but sophistical arguments to blind the people with The Scripture nor Apostles Church used none Had all Asia Africa and Europe and Gabriel the Archangel descended from Heaven approved the use of Images forasmuch as the Apostles never taught nor wrote any such thing their Authority should have no place the Word of God solely and onely is to be prefer'd which forbiddeth Images ch 10. The Office of Christ to sanctifie us according to Iohn 17.1 sanctifie my self that they may be sanctified doth abrogate all other things that mans constitutions attribute any holiness unto as bewitched water c. for onely Christ sanctifieth and all holiness we must attribute unto him Sacraments must be used holily yet not have this Office of Christ added to them ch 11. In the later dayes when Christ as King was to be born the Angel declared the Power and Puissance of his Kingdome He shall reign over the house of Jacob and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Luke 1. Although the Commonwealth of the Church hath no certain place appointed where it shall remain as it was appointed in the old Law yet certain we be that this Kingdome of Christ remaineth upon the Earth and shall do till the Earth be burned Matth. 16.28 1 Cor. 15. Howbeit as Christ wan and obtained this Kingdome in the later dayes without shield or spear so doth he preserve it with his holy Spirit and not with carnal weapons My Kingdome is not of this world John 18. Meaning he would not reign in this world as a Prince of this world in pomp and pride but defend his people with his holy Spirit that the Devil and the World should not break their patience though many afflictions and sorrows should fight against them for the Truth 's sake Christ doth not deny to be King of the world but he meant not to reign worldlily to the hinderance and defacing of the Emperours Dignity and Title as the Jews falsly accused him as Cyrillus l. 12. c. 10. in Iohannem saith This Kingdome shall be ever persecuted till the worlds end Isaiah the Prophet described the Church of this present life saying He will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction but he will not remove thy teachers chap. 30.20 Thus the Church shall alwayes remain but in affliction I know such as favour not the Truth will interpret my words that I condemn all Princes and Kings as enemies of the Gospel because they peaceably enjoy their Kingdomes whereas I wish them alwayes so to do to the glory of God but of the one thing I will assure every Prince of world The more sincere he is in the Cause of God the more shall be his Cross. God indeed preserveth above humane reason his Ministers as he did Iacob from the hands of Esau David from Saul Daniel from the Lions and Paul in the Ship when there was no humane hope of salvation Likewise he governeth his Church with his onely Laws The onely Law whereunto this Congregation is bound is the Gospel as Christ saith Iohn 4. The Holy Ghost shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things which I have said unto you Here Christ bindeth the Apostles and all the Church unto the things that he had taught them Such as teach the people to know the Commonwealth of the true Church by these signs the traditions of men and the succession of Bishops teach wrong Those two false opinions have given unto the succession of Bishops power to interpret the Scripture and power to make such Laws in the Church as it pleased them God hath given the Civil Magistrates power and authority to make such Laws for the Commonwealth as shall be agreeable with reason and not against Gods Law and likewise power to interpret the same Laws but this is not to be admitted in the Church unto whom God hath given the Gospel and interpreted the same by his onely Son taught the meaning and contents thereof himself The adversaries of the Truth defend many an errour under the name of the holy Church when the Church therefore is named diligently consider when the Articles they would defend were accepted of the Church by whom and who was the Author of them Leave not till the matter be brought unto the first original and most perfect Church of the Apostles If thou find by their writings that their Church used the thing that the Preacher would prove then accept it or else not Be not amazed though they speak of never so many years nor name never so many Doctors If either the Authority of Bishops or the greater part should have power to interpret the Scripture the sentence of the Pharisees should have been prefer'd before the sentence of Zachary Simion Elizabeth or the blessed Virgin Consider the true Church is many time but a small Congregation as Isaiah saith Unless God had left us a remnant we had been as Sodom Therefore the interpretation of the Scripture is not obligated to ordinary power nor the most part Beware of deceit when thou hearest the name of the Church The verity is then assaulted They call the Church of the Devil the holy Church many time Remember Christian Reader that the gift of interpreting the Scripture is

Malefactour You have heard a Sentence of death pronounced against me by the Priests c. I stand in your presence whom God hath made Princes your Power is above their Tyranny before you do I expose my cause I cannot resist to suffer what you think just but least my lenity and patience should make you negligent in the defence of me in my just cause c. I dare not conceal That if you murder me which thing ye do if ye defend me not ye make your selves and this whole City guilty of my blood whereupon they freed him from the Sentence The same this Prophet did before Zedekiah This will more plainly appear in the fact of Saint Paul He appealed from all judgement of the Priests at Ierusalem to the Emperour It seems that his Cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he refused the judgement of those that had most knowledge as all men supposed of Gods Will and Religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome far absent from Ierusalem a man ignorant of God and enemy to all vertue But the Apostle considering the nature of his enemies and what things they had intended against him did not fear to appeal from them c. grounding himself upon his innocency he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus nor the brunt of the ignorant multitude but appealed to Caesar c. What I think of mine own person God will reveal when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed c. But touching the Doctrine and Cause for which that adulterous and wicked generation of Antichrists Servants who will be called Bishops among you have condemned me I fear not neither do I shame to confess and avow before man and Angel to be the eternal truth of the eternal God and in that case I doubt not to compare my self with any member in whom the Truth hath been impugned since the beginning Seeing that my battel is against the proud and cruel hypocrites of this Age as that battel of those most excellent instruments was against the false Prophets and Malignant Church of their ages No man ought to think it strange that I compare my self with them with whom I sustain a common cause But lest that some doubt remain that I require more of you then you of conscience are bound to grant I purpose briefly but yet freely to speak what God by his Word doth assure me to be true 1 That in conscience you are bound to punish Malefactours and to defend Innocents imploring your help 2 That God requireth of you to provide that your Subjects be rightly instructed in his true Religion and that the same be by you reformed whensoever abuses do creep in by the malice of Satan and negligence of men 3 That you are bound to remove from Honour and to punish with Death if the Crime so require such as deceive the people or defraud them of that food of their souls I mean Gods lively Word After that M●ses had declared what was true Religion viz. To honour God as he commanded adding nothing to his Word neither diminishing any thing from it and after also he had vehemently exhorted them to observe the same Law he denounceth the punishment against the transgressours If thy Brother Son Daughter Wife or Neighbour whom thou lovest as thine own life sollicite thee secret saying Let us go serve other gods c. let not thine eye spare him c. Observe here 1 That such as sollicitate onely to idolatry ought to be punished to death without favour or respect of person c. 2 That the punishment of such crimes as are Idolatry Blasphemy and others that touch the Majesty of God doth not appertain to Kings onely but also to the whole body of the people and every member thereof according to his vocation c. God even streightly commandeth that a City declining to idolatry should fall by the edge of the Sword and that the whole spoil of the same should be burned no portion of it reserved that the Lord may turn from the fury of his wrath c. hinting that by the defection and idolatry of a few Gods wrath is kindled against the whole which is never quenched till such punishment be taken upon the Offenders that whosoever served them in their idolatry be brought to destruction because that it is execrable and accursed before God If any think that this is contrary to the practise of the Ap●stles who finding the Gentiles in idolatry did call them to repentance requiring no such punishment I answer That the Gentiles before the preaching of Christ were never avowed by God to be his people nor received into his houshold neither were his Laws given unto them to be kept in Religion nor Policy and therefore no corporal punishment was inflicted on them c. But after they repented of their idolatries and embraced and made one people with the believing Iews they were subject to the same Law as the Iews were and were liable to the same punis●ment if they returned to idolatry again In universal defections and a general revolt such as was in Israel after Ieroboam there is a diverse consideration for then because the whole people were conspired against God none could be found to execute the punishment God had appointed till God raised up Iehu whom he appointed for that purpose I know that your Bishops c. will cry A damned Heretick ought not to be heard But remember my Lords what I protested in the beginning upon which ground I continually stand I am no Heretick no deceivable Teacher but the Servant of Christ Jesus a Preacher of his infallible Verity innocent in all they can lay to my charge c. and therefore am unjustly condemned from which cruel Sentence I have appealed and do appeal as before in the mean time most humbly requiring your Honours to take me into your protection to be Auditors of my just defences granting unto me the same liberty which Ahab a wicked King and Israel at that time a blinded people granted to Elijah in the like case viz. that your Bishops and the whole rable of your Clergy may be called before you and before the people whom they have deceived that I be not condemned by multitude custome authority or law devised by man but that God himself may be judge betwixt me and my adversaries Let God I say speak by his Law Prophets Christ Jesus Apostles and so let him pronounce what Religion he approveth and then be my enemies never so many and appear they never so strong and learned no more do I fear victory then did Elijah being but one man against the multitude of Baal's Priests And if they think to have advantage by their Councils and Doctors this I farther offer to admit the one and the other as witnesses in all matters debatable three things which justly cannot

should do evil that good may come thereof though he meant nothing so c. Now my Lord will not think I dare say that St. Paul was too blame that he spake no more warily or more plainly to avoid the offence of the people but rather the people for that they took no better heed to his meaning yea he will pity the people who had been so long nuzled in the Doctrine of the Pharisees and wallowed so long in darkness of mans Traditions and Superstitions that they were unapt to receive the bright Light of the Truth and wholesome Doctrine of God uttered by St. Paul nor do I think that my Lord will require more circumspection in me then was in St. Paul when he did not escape slanderous reports of them that be of corrupt judgements who reported him to say whatsoever he appeared to them to say or whatsoever seemed to them to follow of his saying So they report us to say saith Paul so they speak evil of us whose damnation is just And I think the damnation of all such that evil report Preachers now adayes is just also yea Christ himself was mis-reported and falsly accused both as to his words and also as concerning the meaning of his words He said Destroy you they made it I can destroy He said This Temple they added Made with hands to bring it to a contrary sense He did mean of the Temple of his Body and they did wrest it to Solomon's Temple There be three sorts of persons which can make no credible information 1 Adversaries 2 Ignorant ones and without judgement 3 Whisperers which will spew out in hudder mudder more then they dare avow openly The first will not the second cannot the third dare not Therefore the relation of such is not credible and cannot occasion any indifferent Judge to make process against any man It is a great commendation to be evil spoken of them that be naught themselves and to be commended of such is many times no little reproach God send us all grace to wish well one to another and to speak well one of another Meseems it were more comely for my Lord if it were comely for me to say so to be a Preacher himself having so great a Cure as he hath then to be a Disquieter of Preachers and to preach nothing at all himself I am sure St. Paul the true Minister of God and faithful Dispenser of Gods Mysteries and right Exemplar of all true and very Bishops saith Though some preach Christ of envy thinking to obscure me and bring my authority into contempt some of good will thinking to comfort me notwithstanding so that Christ be preached I joy and will joy So much he regarded more the Glory of Christ and Promotion of Christs Doctrine to the edification of Souls then the Maintenance of his own Authority Reputation and D●gnity considering that what Authority he had it was to Edification and not to Destruction Now I think it were no reproach to my Lord but rather very commendable to joy with Paul and be glad that Christ be preached qis vis modo yea though it were for envy in disdain despite and contempt of his Lordship The University of Cambridge hath Authority to admit twelve early of which I am one and the Kings Highness did decree That all admitted of Universities should preach throughout his Realm as long as they preached well To inhibit a Preacher admitted of the King is to disobey the King We low Subjects are bound to obey Powers and their Ordinances and are not the highest Subjects also who ought to give us an ensample of such obedience As for my preaching it self I trust in God my Lord of London cannot justly blame and reprove it if it be taken as I spake it or else it is not my preaching but his that falsly reporteth it as Martial saith to one that depraved his Book Quem recitas meus est O Fidentine libellus Sed male dum recitas incipit esse tuus In English thus Mine is the Book thou readest Fidentine But thou not reading right dost make it thine Now I hear that my Lord of London is informed and hath informed the King that I go about to defend Bilney and his cause against his Ordinaries and Iudges whereas I had nothing to do with Bilney except his Judges did him wrong for I did nothing else but admonish all Judges indifferently to do right It might have become a Preacher to say as I said though Bilney had never been born I have known Bilney a great while I think much better then ever did my Lord of London and to tell you the truth I have known hitherto few such so prompt and ready to do every man good after his power both friends and foes c. In sum a very simple good Soul nothing meet for this wretched world whose blind fashion and miserable state yet far from Christs Doctrine he could as evil bear and would sorrow lament and bewail it as much as any man that ever I knew I cannot but wonder if a man living so mercifully so charitably so patiently so continently so studiously and vertuously and killing his old Adam i. e. mortifying his evil effections and blind motions of his heart so diligently should die an evil death Let him that standeth beware that he fall not I am ignorant in things that I trust hereafter to know as I do now know things in which I have been ignorant heretofore It were too long to tell you what blindness I have been in and how long it was ere I could forsake such folly it was so incorporate in me but by continual prayer continual study of Scripture and oft communicating with men of more right judgement God hath delivered me c. yea men think that my Lord himself hath in times past thought that by Gods Law a man might marry his Brothers Wife who now both dares think and speak the contrary and yet this his boldness might have chanced in Pope Iulius his dayes to stand him either in a Fire or a Fagot Which thing pondered of my Lord might somewhat stir him up to charitable equity towards such who labour to do good as their power serveth with knowledge and do hurt to no man with their ignorance for there is no greater distance then between Gods Law and not Gods Law nor is it so or so because any man thinketh it so or so but because it is so or so indeed therefore we must think it so or so when God shall give us knowledge thereof for if it be indeed either so or not so it is so or not so though all the world have thought so these thousand years c. The matter is weighty as you say and ought to be substantially looked upon even as weighty as my life is worth but how to look substantially upon it otherwise know not I then to pray my Lord God night and day that as he hath emboldned me

relate good Reader That if thou wilt read my little Works thou mayest remember I am one of them who as Austine reports of himself profit by Writing and Teaching not one of those who from nothing on a sudden become Chieftains Farewell in the Lord and pray for the increase of the Word against Satan who is alwayes mighty and malicious but now most furious and raging knowing his time is but short and that the Kingdome of his Pope is shaken The Lord God confirm what he hath wrought in us and perfect the Work he hath begun in us to his own glory Amen March 3. An. 1545. Mr. Clark tells us That when they threatned to burn his Books he writ thus to Spalatinus As for my self I contemn Rome's favour and fury Let them censure and burn all my Books I will do the like by theirs and will put an end to all my humble observance of them which doth but incense them more and more In his Epistle to Melancthon from Auslurg when he appeared before Cajetan Here is nothing new or wonderfull but that the City is filled my Name and every one desires to see such a Boutefeau Play the man as you do in rightly teaching the youth I am willing for them and you to he sacrificed if it please the Lord. I had rather die and which is most grievous to me for ever want your most sweet company then recant and be an occasion to the most foolish and bitter enemies of all learning of destroying good learning Italy is fallen into Egyptian darkness so ignorant are all of Christ and the things of Christ and yet we have these for our Masters and Teachers of faith and manners So filled up is the anger of God against us Farewell my Philip and by holy Prayer avert the Lords anger When Cajetan wrote to Prince Frederick either to send Luther to Rome or to banish him out of his Dominions he wrote unto the Prince as followeth I refuse not banishment as seeing snares laid for me every where by my Adversaries neither can I easily live any where in safety But what should I a miserable and humble Monk hope for yea what danger should I not fear when they threaten your Excellency so great a Prince so great an Elector so devout a favourer of the Christian Religion I know not what misery if you do not either send me to Rome or banish me Wherefore least any evil should happen unto you for my sake which I am most unwilling of behold I leave your Countrey being resolved to go where my mercifull God pleaseth and to commit the event to his Will I still rejoyce in the love of God and give him thanks that Christ the Son of God hath counted me worthy to suffer in so holy a Cause Novemb. 19. 1518. In his Letter to Pope Leo the Tenth April 6. 1520. I have indeed sharply inveighed against all wicked Doctrines and been biting to my Adversaries for their impiety of which I am so far from repenting that I am resolved in contempt of mans judgement to persevere in that heat of zeal after the example of Christ who in his zeal calls his Adversaries a Brood of Vipers blind hypocrites the children of Satan and of Paul who calls the Sorcerer the child of the Devil full of all subtilty and wickedness and others dogs c. If his Hearers were tender and soft they would account him biting and immodest Who more biting then the Prophets the wicked mad company of flatterers have made the ears of this age so delicate that as soon as we perceive our own wayes not approved we cry out we are bitten and when we cannot repel the Truth on any other account we avoid it under the pretence of railing impudence c. But what is Salt good for if it be not sharp what a Sword if it will not cut Cursed is the man that doth the work of the Lord negligently I contend with none but onely about the word of Truth In all other things I will yield to any but cannot and will not desert and deny the Word Neither you nor any body else can deny but the Court of Rome is more corrupt then any Babylon or S●dom I have therefore detested and could not endure that the people of Christ should be deluded under your Name and the Church of Rome and so have resisted and shall resist them while I breath The Roman Court is desperate the anger of God is come upon it to the full it hates Councils fears to be reformed c. and makes good her mothers character We would have healed Babylon but she is not healed let us forsake her Hence I have been troubled good Le● that you were made Pope in these dayes who wast worthy of better She doth not deserve you and such as you but Satan himself who doth indeed reign in that Babylon more then you your self O would to God that laying aside that which your deadliest enemies boastingly call your glory you would be content with being a private Priest and live upon your own inheritance What do you my Leo at Rome but let the most wicked and accursed wretches use your Name and Authority to destroy mens estates and souls to increase wickedness to oppress faith and truth with the whole Church of God O most unhappy Leo you sit in a most dangerous seat I tell you the truth because I wish you well If Bernhard did sympathize with his Eugenius ruling Rome in a more hopefull condition though then very corrupt what may not we complain to whom in the space of three hundred years there is such an accession of corruption and perdition It incomparably exceeds the wickedness of the Turks Behold my Father Leo upon what account I have so inveighed against that pestilent See I am so far from speaking against your Person that I hope I should do you the greatest courtesie if I should stoutly and fiercely destroy that your Prison yea your Hell But this I never intended but was forced to do so by my Adversaries When I was before Cardinal Cajetan he might have made peace with a word for I promised silence and to put an end to my Gause if he would command my Adversaries to do the same but he justified my Adversaries and required me to recant which he had not in his instructions Not Luther but Cajetan is to be blamed for what followed afterwards seeing he would not suffer me to be silent when I most earnestly desired it Upon the occasion of Eccius challenging me to dispute with him many Romish corruptions were brought to light Now the name of the Court of Rome doth stink in the world and the Papal Authority languisheth their famous ignorance is misliked of which there would have been no mention if Eccius had not interrupted the Treaty between me and Charles Miltitius Being yet perswaded to hearken to peace c I come holy Father and humbly beg that you would