etc. Therefore sayeth he neither of our forefathers nor of our elders is the erroure to be folowed but the authoritie of the scripture and the cōmaundemente of God which teacheth vs. The same Ierome vpon Ezechiel sayth also y t we maye sinne as muche whē we think in our owne opinion y t we do wel as whē we willinglye do naught He writeth vpon y e prophet Nahum sayth y t against the cōing of Christ y e people shall fle to the scripture their studie shal be allowed because they shal not find anye to teach them and the slouthfulnesse of their teachchars shal be rebuked Marcke wel thys propheci for suerelye it byteth He writeth vpon Math. and sayth Anye thing that hath not authoritie of y e scriptur may as sone be reiected despiced as approued and alowed Againe to Ctesiphō he sayth What soeuer we affirme we must do it by the testimonies of holie scripture What soeuer is done without these bokes is in nowyse to be receyued Do these doctours set so little by the authoritie of goddes worde as oure men woulde perswade vs Do they not rather attribute al together to the scripture Ambrose also in the boke of paradise vpon this that Eue added to the wordes of the Lorde Neythere shall ye touche the trye We do learne by this present lessone sayeth he that wee ought to ad nothynge to the worde of God no thoughe wee do of it good intent or warines For if thou either ad any thing or take ought frome it thou semeste to be a trangressour of the commaundemente Heare haue you Ambrose also which can not in any wyse suffer the wysdome of man to be equale with y e scripture but that in all thynges we should leane to that For though our meaneing be neuer so good yet muste we not truste oure owne wyttes Thus he writeth vpon these wordes of the Epistle to the Romaynes be ye all of one mynde thys may be by God sayeth he but by mans wysdome can it neuer be And vpon the beginnynge of the fyrste Epistle to the Corhinthyans he sayth that the philosophers whē they first began to preach Christ they preached hym by the wysdome of the worlde and reiected the lawe and prophetes And agayne writing to Gratianus Augustus he sayeth that y e Arrians gate all the colour of theyr wyckednesse out of philosopheie Yet woulde oure diuines perswade vs that they gote it by readyng of scripture and expoundeinge it after theyr owne sence And therefore ther was no remedy to ouer come them but wyth some other learneinge for they were perfecte in the scriptures Notwithstandinge Gregorie wryttynge vpon Iob sayeth This canonicall scripture passeth all science all doctrine wythout comparisone Thys onely preacheth the trueth calleth to the heauen lye contrey it entiseth the herte of y e reader frō earthly desires to heauenly thinges Beholde gentle reader they boast them selues of the old holy doctours frō Christes tyme hythereto and yet the doctoures thē selues make cleane agaynste them Originne wryttinge vpon the prophet Ieremy sayeth It is nedfull necessary for vs to cal y e holy scriptures to witnes For our sēses our expositions sayth he wtout these witnesses are not to beleued After this sorte also he expoūdeth this saying vnder .ii. or iii. witnesses vnder .ii y t is the newe old testamēt vnder thre y t is y e gospel the prophetes apostles Againe vpon y e Ro. he sayth Paul gaue the doctours an ensāple to speake no thyng but they could proue it by the scripture For if he beinge so great such an apostle did not beleue his sayinges sufficiently except he taught it to be writtē in the law prophetes y t he speake how much more ought we which be far inferiours to him to obseue these thinges y t we do not bringe forth our owne doctrine whē we preache sayth he but y e sētence of y e holy gost Here haue you also the mind of Origen agreat clark whō they alledge verie oftē Cypriā writeth to one Cecilius noting vpon these wordes of Christ If ye do y t I cōmaūd you thē are ye my frēdes And y e Christ onely ought to be harde y e father witnesseth frō heauē saying This is my welbeloued son in whō I am wel pleased heare him Wherfor if onely Christ must be heard we ought not take hed what ani mā hath thought good to be done before vs but what christ hath first done which was before al mē Neither ought we to folow y e custom of mā but y e truth of god Seing god spaketh bi his prophet Esa sayth Thei worship me in vaine teaching y e cōmaūdemētes preceptes of mē And againe in the gospel Ye cast away y e cōmaūdementes of god y t ye mought establishe your owne tradiciōs And therfore deare brother If any of our fathers other by ignoraūce or simplicitie haue not obserued this kept y t y e lord hath taught vs to do by his example and gouernaunce pardone and forgeuenesse thorowe the goodnesse of the Lorde maye be graunted to theyr simplisitie But vnto vs it can not be so graunted which be admonished and enstructed of the Lorde c. He that lusteth to se more of thys let hym loke the place and reade farther and he shall fynde lyke wordes in hys thyrde treatise of the simplicitie of prelates And whereas men be so muche addycte to theyr customes y e same Ciprian sayth Nether y e custome whiche hath crept in among some ought to be a let whereby the trueth shoulde not preuayle and ouercome For the custome wythout the truth is an old errour Therfore let vs leaue the erroure and folow the truth All the doctours agree wholelye in thys that the scripture is the touchstone a recoursse for al christen men to seke vnto to be sure of theyr fayeth and to haue quietnes of cōscience And what exhortacions Chrisostom geueth to all men for the studye of holye scriptures appeareth in hys thred sermon De Lazaro And vpon Iohn the .xvi. Homelye in the end Also vpon Iohn the .iii. Homelie and .iiii. Chapi and in diuers other places Nothinge doeth he so ernestlye beate into oure heades as the study of scripture And I thynke there is no doctoure that writeth vpon the scripture that doeth not lykewise and geueth it euen suche a rowme and preheminence that all other doctrines muste geue place Ireneus sayeth To go about wyth y e diuine scriptures whiche is the vndoubted trueth is to build an house vpon a strōg rocke but all other doctryne what so euer it be is to builde a weake house vpon an vncertaine place of quicke sand which wil be lightli ouer throwē Now if these authorities be not sufficient to stope theyr mouthes I thynke they wyll neuer be answered For where as the scripture is so hard to be vnderstand and therefore loke vpon the
answere suppose you they coulde make I thynke none other but as I haue made you before That is we knowe it by oure elders or holye prophetes and fathers before vs. Nowe I wyll aske you a questian whiche shall not be impossible nor verie vnlyke If it pleased God to moue the herte of a Iewe whiche wer neither christian nor turke to seke in the worlde here the moste perfecte religion He goeth to the Turkes and cometh to the christians Wherwyth woulde you perswad hym to thys perfect religion Woulde you preache to hym constitutions coūselles and customes of the elders He mought then as well beleue the turkes as you For they haue many thynges in their lawe that seme to be verie godlye And they re authoritie wythout authoritie of scripture is euen as good as yours But I knowe you wyl saye what so euer you thinke that you woulde preache the Gospell vnto hym Then must you nedes graunte that the scripture is of greater efficacie and strength them oure fathers elleders and counsayles If you wyll yet wyth your questians affirme that the fathers whyche descended frome tyme to tyme frome the Apostles hither to haue greater authoritye then the scripture I wyl axe you an other questian The Apostles of Christ forsoke the ceremonies customes and constitutions of theyr elders forefathers and of as holye mother holye churche in the iudgemente of the worlde at that tyme as yours is w t the world at thys houre and of as longe continuaunce of tyme. Yet folowed they Christes doctrine who was named of those holye fathers a sediciouse felowe a newe tidinges bringer and an heretike Answere me nowe what touchstone had they to trye Christes doctrine wyth that they so ernestlye folowed hym and refused theyr forefathers olde holye doctours proceadynge from Moyses to Christ Ther were at that tyme auncient fathers which had great learneing both byshopes and priestes The tradions ordinaunces and ceremonies whiche they vsed receyued they of theyr elders lyke as you woulde haue vs to receiue the constitucions of oure elders Tell me nowe how can you excuse the Apostles They were but pore fisher men and net makers they wer not brought vp in the scholes they hadde not the leisure toturne and tosse those greate volumes to be made doctours of deuinitie nor law And yet within a whyle they toke vpon them to teach the great doctours and what mought those holye fathers haue sayed to these fishers Take hede to your fysheynge What haue you to do wyth the scripture It is not mete for euerie coblarde to be talkeynge of scripture Howe were these men so lyghtlye perswaded What touchestone I saye had they But seynge you woulde so fayne haue the name of the holye fathers and holye churche I axe you thys questian Those Apostles and Disciples of Christe whyche were in hys tyme wyth hym presente whyche preached and wrote the scripture were holy fathers and of the perfecte true churche If the fathers syeth theyr tyme haue dissented frome them in doctryne maners custome lawes or in anye thynge partayneynge to Christes relygion whyche fathers woulde you folowe If you denye that the fathers haue dessented as is a fore sayed I refer the proue of it tyll a tyme of more leasure Partely because I thynke you wyll not denye it but chiefelye because my letter woulde be to longe Wherfore I wyl come to your thyrde question whyche in dede includeth the matter of all the reste whiche is thys If ther aryse anye contention in vnderstandeynge the Scriptures wherein boeth the parties bringe scripture for them whoe shall nowe discusse the matter Where is nowe the toucheston The scriptures can not For boeth bring scripture And the scripture you meane causeth y e cōtrouersye But I aske you whether the scriptures be deuided or no If they be deuided then accordinge to Christes worde they muste be confounded But that is an incōuenience and I knowe well you wyll not graunt that If the scriptures be not deuided but agre in one as they do in deede for one place cannot be repugnaunte to an other thoughe it so seme then haue not boeth parties scripture for them but y e one partie must nedes falsely alledge scripture But you will aske me who shal geue sentence or by whom the cōtrouersye shal be appeased and where is Luthers touchstone In dede at your sermō no man made answer Wherefore you made answere and sayde the holye gooste must be tuchstone As who should saye Luthers answere were not the very same When he sayeth gods worde must be the touchston as you reporte of hym And I praye you maister Chrispyn what difference is betwene gods worde and godes spirite Is not goddes worde the breath of gods mouthe And call you not that the holye goste Howe be it it is easilye perceyued what ye meane Ye put in the holye gost for a cloke to deceiue vs wyth albeit ye meane nothing lesse then the holye gooste If you aske me how I proue it I answer thus I proue it Wythout fayeth it is not possible to please God but fayeth cometh by the word of god Ergo wythout the worde of God nothyng can please God But you exclude the word of God from the spirite of God and in stead of that ioyne vnto it fathers counsayles and oure mother holy churche for you saye the worde of God can not be touchston ▪ but onelie beare wytnesse but the holye gooste is the touch stone whoe was and is in the holye fathers that haue alwayes gathered counsayles by whyche all thynges muste be iudged and dermined To proue thys ye alledge these wordes Where so euer two or three be gathered together c. These holye fathers you affirme to be the byshopes and prelates But thus to include the holye gooste into byshopes you exclude y e word of god If this be not to be disceiued sure I am deceyued But it were necessarie for you to proue the chur that you speake of to be the true-holye and catholyke churche before you perswade men so ernestye to belyeue and stycke vnto it But I saye the churche that taketh awaye the authoritye of goddes worde or diminisheth it by anye meanes is not of Christe But you mayster Chrispyne graunte youre selfe to be of thys churche Ergo etc. And in myne opinion you do naught to say that all holy fathers frō Christ to thys time wer of the same opinion that you be of concernynge goddes worde For I dare saye Augustine whome you admytte to be of the verye holye church wyll not hold wyth you in thys matter But if he woulde the authoritye of Christe is greater Whoe is it that wyll not suspecte your churche seynge you set it so high in Lucifers place aboue Christe and separate the hollye goste from Christe where as Christe sayeth I am that I say vnto you What is y t he spake vnto vs Is it not his word He saith moreouer the wordes y t I speake are spirite lyfe I
perceyued by the helpe of God nether by oure selues or other c. Suche a one am I in other mens writtinges as I would other men should be in myne If we had no moe sayeinges of the doctours but thys one consideringe the estimacion Augustine is in it were inoughe to ouerthrowe all the confidence that they woulde teach vs to haue in mens writinges besyde gods worde But heare an other He writeth vnto Hierome and sayeth I haue learned to geue this feare and honoure onlye vnto the writters whiche be called canonicall y t I stedfastly beleue that none of them haue erred in writtinge For if I finde anye thinge in those letters y t semeth contrary to the trueth either I thinke the boke not to be true or the translater hath not truelye folowed his copie or else I think verilye I do not vnderstande it But I read al other writers saieth he after this maner that I thinke be they neuer so holy and well learned that it whiche they haue written is not strayte way true because they haue thought so but because they coulde make me beleue it either by those canonical authoures or else by some probable and sure reasone which dissenteth not frō the trueth He writeth agaynste one Cresonius the grāmariā sayinge I am not boūd by the authoritie of this Epistle because I do not cōpt and esteme Ciprians letters as canonicall of lyke authoritie w t the scripturs but I way thē pōder thē by the scripture If I finde any thing in thē agreinge w t the authoritie of holy scripture I receyue it with his praise But if it agre not bi his leaue fauour I refuse for sake it Againe in his treatise of shepherdes He hath ordeined y e hilles of Israel sayth he y e authours of holy scripturs There feade ye that you maye feade salfelye What so euer ye heare of that let it sauoure well wyth you whatsoeuer is besides that spite it out agayne leste ye erre in the clowde Addict youre selues to the meaneynge of the scripture There is the deyntie of y e hert there is no poysen no straynge thynge ther onelye is the moste holesome feadeyng Beholde the mynde of this great doctour named to be one of the greateste clarkes that wrot sence the aposteles tyme. He woulde haue no mans doctryne what soeuer he be to be compared to the holye scriptures In hys owne wryttynges he warneth vs that we shoulde not geue ouer much credence in the thynges sayeth he that you thynke yourselfe suer vnles ye surely vnderstande it beleue it not so stidfastely And writyng to Vincentius he graūteth that he hath wryten some thynges worthye to be blamed and therefore sayth that he hath made a boke of retractacions reuoking and casting agayne that which he had made before that the readers thereby maye learne that al his writinges in al points dyd not please hym Thys diffidence had Augustine in his writynges that in no case he would compare them wyth the scripture And loke what opinion he had of his owne writinges euen the same had he in al other mens besides the canonicall scriptures For he sayth in his boke of retractaciōs I cā not nor ought to denie sayth he but lyke as in myne elders so are many thynges in so many seuerall workes y t I haue made whyche maye be blamed wythout rayshnes with good iudgment If Austen wyl haue no credence geuen to mens writinges whether they be byshops or what so euer they be onlesse they bringe the authorite of scripture w t thē as he writteth to Vincentius We must make a differēce sayth he betwene mens wryttinges He nameth Hilarie Ciprian and Agrippie which be lyke were byshopes and the canonicall scriptures For they ought not so to be reade sayth he as though we might geuefurth suche testimonies of them that it shoulde not be lawefull to thinke other wyse then they affirme For peraduenture they vnderstande it otherwyse thē y e truth requireth He y t lusteth to searche Austēs workes shal find many thinges cōtrarie to their proud doctrine kycking against y e scriptures yea cōtrarie almost to al theyr blind erroures In so muche that I haue meruayled that they haue had him so longe in such estimacion and had not rather condemned hym for an heretike As for the authoritie of mens doctrine besyde the scripture he can not abyd But in all thynges he wylleth vs to haue respect to the scripture euē in prayseing god sayeth he let it be done as he hath appoynted lest in steppinge a syde we offend him that we would prayse And agaynste fanstus be writeth euē the same we must not tourne either to the right hand neither to y e lifte no not in y e prayse that we geue to god But euen the same praises sayeth he must we frame according to y e wil of y e scriptur And in y e xvi Cha. he sayth that they which would teach y e people any other thing thē y e canonical scriptures are not only false prophets but theaues robbars euē of our sauioure How cā our olde catholike fathers abyde thys felowe He calleth thē false prophetes theaues and robbars It is tyme the popes excommunication were out for hym He writeth agaynste the Maniches and sayeth Dispise you the scriptures whiche are commaunded and established with so great authoritye You do no miracles whiche if you dyd yet we would be ware of them in you because the Lorde teacheth vs to beware of suche saynge Ther shall aryse many false Christes etc. Many mo places maye there be founde in this mans workes which thei maye be a shamed to heare if it were nedfull But because they shall not conceyue al ther malise against Austen and parauēture haue hym in examinacion for slanderinge these holye fathers ye shal heare what Hierome sayeth He declareth y t Christ speaketh in Peter in Paule and that of the people and princes y e scripture is to be vnderstanded of the doctrine of the Apostls Of those sayeth he which were in it not of those which we beholde nowe And marke what he sayeth Those that were and not those that be that ye moughte vnderstande that what so euer shal be sayed after the Apostles tyme let it be cut a way sayth he for it hath none authoritie afterward Therfore if ther be any S. after the Apostles tyme he hath none authorite for thei come to late to be alowed quia nō fuerūt in ea sayeth he If y e saints must geue place to the holie scripture and haue none authoritye besydes that than what are they that make articles of our fayth or at least condemne thē for heretikes that wyl not receyue that doctrine that hath none authoritie of y e scripture but rather against the scripture The same Ierome vpon Ieremie sayth And they haue gone after straing gods as theyr fathers taught them
praye you master Chrispine what spirite ment Christe here What lyfe speaketh he of Can ther any man bring out of hys breast either by writting preachinge or otherwise teacheinge or speakeinge the sentence of the holie spirite wythout goddes worde Is not the sentence or worde of the holye gooste the worde of God Is it not to be vnsterstand of the lyueynge fayth that the holy goste worketh in the soule of man in beleuing the word Is not the scriptur called the two edged sworde Is it not also called the sworde of the spirite Maye ye separate the spirite from the wordes seynge he calleth them spirit and lyfe I thynke not ▪ No more than heate can be separated from fire Why then in the name of the holye gooste do you vndermine Christe The churche you saye must be iudge and the scripture muste be wytnesse onlye So must Christe be inferioure to mē For I am sure you wyll not denye but these holye fathers which you cal the church were be men And those you saye must be the iudges And Christe to be the worde and promise of the father he hymselfe wytnesseth sayeinge I am that I saye vnto you and hym you make but a witnesse or iudge Therefore I saye your churche is to be suspected As toucheynge the true spose and catholyke churche of Christe which are verye membres of hys bodye and he the head this churche hath so muche authoritie as the scripture geueth them and take vpon them no more for the scripture and they are one and for the scripture they ieoparde theyr liues as many haue done whome you and your forfathers bishopes and prelates haue alwayes put to dath Who persecuted y e prophets and put them to death Who procured Christe to the crosse Whoe the Apostles wyth manye othere holy men Were they not byshops and prelates of the churche Howe manye godlye preachers wyth other good soules hath the byshop of Rome put to death by the helpe of prelates in diuers contries syth he came to the supremitye and beareynge a rule ouer kynges and emperours Hath there not ben some put to death here in Englād wythin these .xx. yeres for speakeynge agaynste the Pops pardons and pylgrymages wyth suche lyke abuses Was not the Pope chiefe of these holye fathers whom you cal holye churche and woulde haue them iudges But I knowe what you meane You would perswad the multitude that you and youre churche be the verye true churche and haue the holye gooste and that what so euer you do is well But whereby do ye perswad thē By olde custome for you haue nothynge else and longe continuaunce of tyme the whyche if you coulde beate in to the heades of the communaltye your reformacion of thynges that are amysse shoulde be as you luste But maister Chrispyne if you were not in darckenesse you coulde not refuse the light Christ sayth if you cōtinue in my worde then are you mi verye Disciples and ye may know the trueth and the trueth shall make you fre But he that refuseth me and receyueth not my wordes hath one alredye that iudgeth hym the worde that I haue spoken shall iudge hym in the laste daye Beholde Christe sayeth hys worde shal be iudge All that be of Christ heare Christes wordes Mayster Chrispyne my lettere is longer then I thoughe it should haue ben howe it shal lyke you I can not tell but hertily desire you if you loue the truth and desire the glorye of God answere wyth the trueth and defende the trueth and do not wyllfully resist the truth But defend it not with the authoritye of men but wyth the power of God and that wyth charitie For if I haue by any meanes spoken any thynge in this letter more rigorously then charitye requireth whereby you myght be offended at me iustlye I am redie in such case wyth all myne herte to be reformed Wherfore I eftsones desire you to answere me as it becometh a true preacher for quietynge of my conscience And so doynge I comitte you to Christ and hys worde Amen ¶ Yours lokinge for an answer Philip Nicolles Written xxiii of Aprile MDxlvii HEre haste thou my letter gentle reader euen worde for worde as it was deliuered to mayster Chrispyne And trueth it is I wrote it inmediately after my retoune frome hys sermon euen whyle it was hotte For it greued me that it had not been lawful for me to haue answered him euen incontinente before all the audience For he perswaded them al for the mooste parte that nothynge coulde be sayde to the contrarie Which greued me to heare Not wythstandynge when I hadde written my letter I dyd not sēde it furth w t but paused a whyle partelye seeinge ther was suche a greate audience to se whether any man of woship or some better learned then I woulde take the mattier in hande But after I had rested vpō thys a moneth or .vi. weakes and perceiued that no man busied hym selfe in it al though ther were present men of worship pretēding to haue knowledg I sent furth my letter the laste daie of Apriel or nere there aboute And because the mesenger dyd not in all thynges fulfyl my request I wrote agayne to maister Chrispyne desireinge hym to sende me an answere by the sayede bearer of my letter to whō he gaue thys answer That he would not writ but cōmune wyth me him selfe I lefte him not thus but wtin a while after he cam to a benefice y t he hath called Herbertō besyd Totnes and preached there y e sūday after corpus Christi day as they cal it y e mūdaie in the morning I wente to him and communed w t hym and spent wel most y e whole day In which cōmunicaciō we swarued not frō these .iii. questiās I I resorted vnto him againe not long after y e and had much talke w t him al which cōmunicaciō I haue not nor wyll babble out al thought it be reported y t I came to him for non other purpose but to haue matter to talk of and to accuse him But yet they be to blame so to reporte of me For if Maister Chrispine or other y t be more busie peraduēture in talking then he him selfe can say ▪ y t I haue accused him of any such priuat cōmunicatiō let thē lay it to my charge else let thē for shame hold theyr peace and say y e thing they knowe As for the wordes that he or any other shal speake in a pulpyt or any suche like audiēce I am sure they wil be cōtēted to heare of thē againe If not let thē hēce forth desire their audience to kepe coūsel or else truly if I be presente heare any thing spoken againste god or my prince especially agaynste the doctrine of Christe I muste needes disclose it If they wyll blame me for this I am cōtented to beare it howe be it vn worthye in my owne conceyte let other iudge But if he were
doctrine of the apostles which is written we cal it the Gospel we call it the scriptures we cal it y e newe testament and the olde these wordes written in a boke beinge reade vnto the people to enstruction edifying of y e cōgregatiō is the word of god yea Christ y e breade of life which came frō heauē so y e whoso eateth therof shal liue euer The words that Moyses dyd testifie vnto the children of Israell and sayed vnto them it is no vayne word but your life be they not writtē And be they not our life as wel as theyrs But what life cā thei be vnto vs if thei be kept frō vs so that we know thē not Dyd Moyses hyde them away and say they would make mē heretykes But all suche as do euil hate the lyght and come not to it that theyr dedes should not be reproued but he that doeth the trueth cometh to the lyght that his workes maye be knowen for they be done in God Agayne I am the lyghte of the world sayeth Christe Whye shoulde these men refuse goddes word to be their light if they wer of god whie should they feare to saye y e Christes worde is Christe the worde of the father the light that lyghneth al men that come vnto hym Esaye sayth If anye man want light let him loke vpon the lawe and testimonies What meaneth he by the lawe and testimonies meaneth he not the scripture or written word of God shall we not ther fynde the lighte I woulde aske these disputers of the worlde Whether the Gospell be written or no I thyncke they wyll graunte that it is written Well Saynct Paulle sayth he is not a shamed of y e Gospell of Christe for it is the powre of God whiche saueth all that beleue Nowe is this gospel written for our learneing saueth as many as beleue Marke wel the beleuers are not saued because it is writtē but they be saued because they beleue y e which is writē I aske these philosophers whether y e wordes that Christe speake be written or no I trowe the Euangelistes haue written the moste necessarye thynges yea the verie secretes hyd thynges If Christes wordes which he spake be writtē then the word y t is written shal iudge these vnbeleauers in the laste daye For thus sayth Christe He y t refuseth me and receyueth not my wordes hath one alredye y t iudgeth hym The word sayth he that I haue spoken shal iudge him in the last day Vnderstād nowe gentle reader y t these fathers would vnder colours plucke a waye the great authoritie of the scriptures and diminishe thorowe subtyle disputinge y e efficatie and strength of the gospell Whether they do of hatred to gods word or blindnes and ignoraunce in the same or else for lucers sake I can not tell But to far wander they out of the waye But I exhorte the though they be to far on the left hand rune not y u to far on y e rigt hande Enter in at the strayte gate for wyde is the gate and brode is the way that leadeth to destructiō many ther be y e go in ther at But strayte is y e gate and narrowe is the waye that leadeth vnto lyfe and fewe therbe y e fynd it Thys is therfore the sume of thys disputaciō y t Christ is the word and wisedome of the father in whom who so beleueth hath euerlasteinge lyfe Thys same word did he him self preach and sayeth If you abyde in me any my wordes abyde in you ye shall axe what you wyll and it shal be done vnto you Beholde wheras he sayde before If you continue in my wordes nowe he sayeth If you byd in me and my wordes abid in you By this it is euident that Christe is the worde euen that worde whiche was preached frō the beginning is preached nowe and shal be to the ende And although Christe be not as is sayde incke and paper or a worde closed in a boke as thought we mought saye looe here in thys boke is Christe or in that boke is Christe yet was it the wyll of God that thys heauenly doctrine shoulde be written and that it shoulde remaine wyth vs and also that these wordes written beinge reade vnto vs shoulde be vnto vs euē that same worde that Christe spake when he sayed He that is of god heareth gods worde And euen the verie same to them that beleue that he speaketh of sayeing If anye man kepe my worde he shal neuer se death And to them that beleue not the same that he sayeth shall iudge the vnbeleuers in the last daye Now marke well I besech the and consider wyth thy selfe the mischiefe of these subtyle sophisters They make it wounderfull dayngerouse to call the scriptur Christe They be verye carefull to haue the true worship of god preserued and kepte And they feeare leaste we wyll fall to worshipynge of the verie boke wherin the testimonies of Christe be wrytten And therfore do they withdrawe all men from readeinge and heareing it as much as they can But alas why be they not so ware and dayngerous in theyr laye mens bokes as they cal them whiche al the scripturs crie out vpon euen from the begininge of the olde testament to the later ende of the new By the which bokes or rather abominable Idoles it is open and manifest that muche Idolatrie hath ben cōmitted yea wil be stil so longe as ther is one left standing in the temples The word of god the doctrine of Christe whiche he and his Aposteles so ernestlye taught exhorted cōmaunded to harken vnto to beleaue and folowe almost al the bible is nothing else this I say they cānot suffer any man to haue to do with al. Thei haue burned it frō tyme to tyme they burned the readars of it as al the worlde can testifie It is manifeste that they beare little good wyll to it vnto thys daye But these mahomets puppetes veri Idolles which haue not one word in al scriptur for them but contrarie to the vtter abolishinge of them these they can suffer to be called Christe saynte sauioure saynte Sundaye the holye trinitie oure ladye of Pitye our ladye of grace oure ladye I can not tell wherof Alhallowes wyth a thousād like names Yea they can abyde that the people should worship those stil for they neuer preach agaynste them but rather defende them to kepe the vnlerned in their blindnesse styl Alas to open is your doynge nowe O you catholyke fathers euerye chylde maye perceyue your blinde doctrine Yet wyl not you cease to exalt this false church cōgregaciō of deceyceyuers euē aboue god him selfe For God was the worde and aboue the rule of thys worde sete ye your owne tradicions in the name of Christes church Thus dyd Christe prophecie that you shoulde come that you shoulde dooe miracles and wonders In so
of their bishopes and by the prudence and learneinge of learned teachers and by counsayles if bi chaunce anye thynge be strayed from the trueth And those counselles sayeth he that be done in euerie prouince or region ought to geue place without any doubtes to the authoritie of the full counsayles whiche are done of the whole companie of Christian men And those generall counsayles that go before maye often tymes be amended by those that folowe after when soeuer anye thynge shall appere by anye experience whiche was before shet vp when so euer anye thynge is knowen that before was hyde wythout anye coloure of false holy pryde wythout anyeÌ„ puffed vp spice of Arrogancie without anye â–ª condemnacion of enuye or malice wyth pure humilitye wyth vniuersall peace and quietnes and wyth Christian charitie These be Augustines worde whiche beinge charitably vnderstande are surelye goode and profitable For the fyrste he setteth goddes worde euen the canonicall scriptures to be the very perfect and vndoubted touchstone As it were an euerlasting trueth agaynste the whiche no man maye repyne or stande Then of mens writtinges he declareth what the nature is and howe they ought to be vsed After that of generall counsayles to whyche thoughe he attribute much yet layeth he ther no suer foundacion but they maye conclude vpon matters that maye be afterwarde reformed But aalas when was ther any suche generall counsayle as Saynte Augustine here speaketh of But what shoulde we doubt of suche perilouse tymes spoken of in so manye places of the scripture to be euen nowe wherein that aduersarye is opened Whyche hath so longe tyme sate in the steade of God aboue all that is called God or goddes seruice The abhominacion of desolacion stode in the holye place That gallaÌ„t whore trimmed w t purpel hath ben drunke with the bloude of the Sayntes but the Lord hath shortened those daies for hys electedes sake and hath destroyed this wycked wyth the bryghtnesse of his comeing with the spirite of hys mouth For the Gospell is preached Blessed are they which are called to the lambes supper Among so manye fine and captiouse wyttes among so many swifte and diuers iudgmentes of men as are nowe regninge in the worlde harde shall it be for a right wel learned maÌ„ to please the multitude of them that be learned Wherefore I maye not nor wyl not loke for it But vnto you dearlie beloued brethern which onely desyre the glorie of God and the lorde Iesus and in the same lorde the must charitable reformacion and retourne of his elect froÌ„ blindnes errour vnto the perfite knoweledge of y e lordes heauenly doctrine to you bretherne I saye I make thys declaraion concerninge this my simple labour in thys wyse As touchynge my letter I dyd it God is my wytnes euen of a feruente zeale knowyng for a suretye that thought Maister Chripyne be learned and a greate sorte more which haue do hold the same opinion that he doeth yet am I certen that none of them is able to defend it either by scripture or doctours As coÌ„cerneing y e authoritye of the doctours I take them euen as thei y t selues desier That is If they expouÌ„de anye place of scripture declareynge to be so wyth the helpe of other manyfeste places of scripture or wyth a sure and probable reasone whiche is not contrarye to anye places of the scripture then I accepte it and prayse God for hys gyftes in them If not I let them passe as I fynde them For I haue not alledged them here to thentente that anye man shoulde thynke that the scripture is the more established thorow theyr learnenyge For all men are vayne and cursed is he that putteth hys trust in them But because these meÌ„ sticke so muche to them that in thys poynte are theyr enimies If they thinke I haue ben to quicke wyth them in any thinge let them knowe that the Lorde hath opened his wysdome euen vnto babes And in those thynges we maye not nor wyll geue place to such wyse and prudente from whome they be hyd If they can finde in their hertes to geue place to the infallible veritye of Christes doctrine If they can be contented to caste awaye the hye estimacioÌ„ that thei haue in theyr muche readynge and longe continuance of tyme wyth the titles of honoure geue them by men If they can thorowe pure charitye and desyre of vnitie caste them selues into suche an humilitie as to thynke that God hath opened that vnto simple men whiche thorowe theyr hante mynde is kept from them If they woulde I saye haue theyr whole respecte to the laste wyll and testamente of the lorde Iesus Christe in so muche that if it were an asse that speake vnto them any of those wordes they woulde yet here hyr and regarde the wordes for hys sake who so they be if they were thus minded I would wyshe to speÌ„d a greate parte of my lyfe wyth them I woulde reuerence theyr learneinge and geue them as much honoure as appartayneth vnto suche men But beinge other wyse puft vp contrarye to ryght charitye and in a wronge estimacion of them selues and despyceing Christes simplicitie the Lorde cut ther combes And therfor I hertely exhort al faithfull bretherne to lyfte vp theyr hertes wyth me vnto the lyueinge God in pure fayeth geueing hym most ernest hertie and humble thankes for that he of his tender mercie hath geuen vs so towardelie a yonge kynge so graciouse a gouernour so vertuouse a counsayle by whose meanes all cruell tirannye and murderinge of innocentes is banished pure christian charitye put in vre and practise the lordes doctrine brought in agayne into the seate a poynted strauÌ„ge learneinge banished and put awaye the true worship and seruice of God fouÌ„de out the Idole seruice and false worshippynge driuen out of the church of God Thys waye shall the filthy and vncleane conuersacion of men be purified and y e vncharitable and vnfayethfull dealynge of neyghbours shal be reduced into vnitye fayethfulnes and immutable loue whiche alwayes shal continue in the lyueynge God throughe Iesus Christe Whose name be magnified praysed and exalted for euer Amen ☞ Written the .vii. of Nouembre Anno Domini M.D.xlvii P. N Imprinted at London by Iohn Day and Wyllyam Seres dwellynge in Sepulchres Parish at the signe of the Resurrection a litle aboue Holbourne Conduite Cum gratia priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Esai xxix Ioel. ii i. Pet. â— Esaie xi ii Tim. iii. i. Ti. vt Iohn i. Iohn viii Psal Cxviii Idem Cxiii Deute xxxii Io. vi Iohn iii. Esai viii Rom. i Iohn xii Math. vii Ioh. viii Iohn xv Iohn xâ— ii 〈◊〉 ii Math. xxiiii ii These ii i. Timoth. iiii Deut. iiii Iosue i. Deut. vi xxxii Iohn vi Math. vii Galath 1. Apoc. xxii Math. x. Math. vii Esai xxix Colos. ii Epist clxxxxviii Libr. iii. Fol. clxi Libro ii Cap. xxiii Tractatu postorum Augustinus in prologo tertu lib. De Trinitate Idem ad Vincentium Epist xlviii Austinus super Ssal cxlxii Libr. vi Cap xiiii Tomo v. Capit. xlv Tomo xi Ca. pite iii. Capit. xxiii Capt. i. De fide ca. v. Libr. iii. Epist iii. Libr. i. Cap. l vi Corh i. Math. xix Math. xx Iohn xx Tractatu xlix Capit. ix Supâ—r Iohn Capit. xii Capi. iii.