theÌ„ and now wyll you forbyd chrysten men / to rede holy scriptours / that are sworne vn to them ye and also to defende them vn to dethe Also Saynt Paule saythe Let the worde of god dwell in you pleÌ„teuosly / 〈◊〉 â— 3 S. Paul wolde that lay men shulde lerne the worde of god / ye and that plentuusly / and you commaund that they shall haue nothyng of yt How stondeth youre nothynge / with Saynt Paules abuÌ„daÌ„te AbundaÌ„tly / and nothyng / be for a sunder / But thus do you all ways a gre with Saynt Paule and with holy scrypture / And yf you wolde say playnly in wordis that youre dedys do declare openly / than were we in no doute of yow / for all the worlde wolde take you / as you be takyn a fore god / that ys for the Antichristis that the worlde loketh for / Neuer the lesse doute you not / but god shall declare yt openly at hys tyme / to your vtter confvsyon and damnacyoÌ„ / for doughtles yow neyther holde wyth Christ with holy doctors / not yet with youre awne law / where they be agenste you / but all thes must be expoundyd and wronge vn to youre carnalle purposse or ellys you make yt heresy / But thynke you that the father of heuyn whiche for the grett tender loue / that he had to mans soule sent hys wonly sone to redeme yt / and also to geue yt a lawe to lyue by out of hys awne mougth shall thus suffer yt to be loste thorow youre hypocrysy / aÌ„d hys godly word to be ouer tredyn for the mayntaynynge of your worldly Glory naye douteles for yf yt were possybylle / that he coulde moore regarde youre pompe and pryde than mans solle and hys godly worde / yet were yt vnpossyble that euer he shulde so dyspysse / the swet bloude of hys blyssyd sone swet Iesus / where fore loke a pon youre charge But to oure purpose / Augu. aâ— fratres s 38. S. Augustine is openly agenst you in these wordys My brothern rede holy scrypture in the whiche you shall fynde what you ought to holde / and what you ought to flye / what ys a man reputyd wyth out lernynge what ys he Is he not a shepe or a gotte Is he not an Oxe or an Asse Is he any better than an horsse or a mule the whych hath no vnderstondynge cÌ„ Here S. Augustyn movythe men to rede holy scripture And yov commaÌ„de them not to rede it S. Augustine sayth They shall know in them what to do / and what not to do / and yov say they shalle lerne nothyng there out but he resys S. Augustyn saythe a man with out lernyng of scripturs / is no better than a brute beste / ar not yov god fathers that wille make all youre chyldern no better thaÌ„ bestes / Also Athanasyus In epâ—s ad Ephe. c. 6. If thov wilte that thy chylderne shalle be obedieÌ„t vn to the / vsse them to the wordes of god But thou shalt not saye that it belongyth alonly to religious men to studdy scripturs / but rather it belongythe to euery christen man and specially vn to hym / that is wrappyd in the busynessis of this world / and so muche the more / by cause he hathe more nede of helpe for he is wrapped in the trubbilles of the world / therfore it is gretly to thy profyte that thy chyldern shulde bothe here and also rede holy scripturs / for of them shalle they lerne thys commandyment / honour thy father and thy mother c These wordes be playne ynough agenste yov / They nede no exposicioÌ„ / And the doctoure is of auctorite wherfore answere yov to hym In Gen. c. â— ho. 28. Also ChrisostuÌ„ that was a byssope as welle as yov be / condemnythe youre sentens opynly saynge I beseche yov that yov wille oftyntimis come hyther / and that yov wylle diligently here the lesson of holy scriptur / and not allonly whane yov be here / But also take in youre hondes whane yov be at home the godly bibles / and reseue the thyng there in wyth grett studdy for there by shalle yov haue grett vantage cÌ„ These wordes be so playne that I cane adde notyng to them / wolde yov that we shulde take yov for bysshops and for holy fathers / that be so opynly agenst scripture / and so contrary to holy doctours / that wille I neuer do whylle I lyue / I neuer loke to see other Antichristes than yov / And so wylle I take yov tylle I se almyghty god coÌ„uerte yov Also the same doctor saithe In Mat. c. 1. hom 2. Vvhyche of yov alle that be here / if it were requiryd coulde say won psalme with out the boke or any other parte of holy scriptur / not won doubtles But this is not aloÌ„ly the worste / but that yov be so slow and so remisse vnto spritualle thynges / and vnto deuillishenes yov are whottar than any fyer / but men wille defend this myschiffe with this excuse / I am no religious man I haue a wyfe and chylderne / and a hovse to care for / This is the excuse where with yov doo as it were with a pesteleÌ„ce corrupt alle thynges for yov do rekkyn that the studdy of holy scriptur belongythe alonly vnto religius men / whane they be muche more necessary vn to yov than vnto theÌ„ cÌ„ Here may yov se that youre damnable institucion was in the hartes of men in chrysostuÌ„s days / how they wolde rede no scripturs / but yov se he coÌ„demmyth it / aÌ„d callithe it a pestilens / wille yov now bryng it in agayn If yov had but a lovsy statute of youre awne ageÌ„ste me or an other man / yov wolde caulle vs heretykes / But yov neither regarde chrystes holy worde nor holy doctours nor yet any other thynge that is ageÌ„ste you But lett vs se what youre awne lawe sayth to this / Di. 38. Si iuxta If christ as paule sayth be the power and the wysdom of god / thane to be ignoraunt in scrypturs / is as muche as to be ygnorant of Christ cÌ„ Here haue yov playnly that to take away scripturs from lay men / ys as muche as to take away christ from them / the which no doute / but that yov doo intend in youre hartes to doo / and that thinge god knoweth and youre workes doo declare yt the whiche god shalle venge full stratly over you / also in an other place / 7. sinod c. OeÌ„s et di â— I wylle sett my meditacion in thy iustificacions / and I wylle not for gett thy wordes / the which thing is exidyng good for alle christen men to obserue and kepe cÌ„ Here ys a counselle of youre awne that hathe admytted that alle christen men shalle studdy holy scripture And wylle yow now condemne yt Is their neyther scripture of
shame saith he inconuenieÌ„t / and farre froÌ„ the noblenes of youre lybertye seynge you be the bodye of Christe to be disceaved wyth shadowes and to be iudged as synners yf yov despyse to obserue those thinges wherefore let no man ouercome yov seynge yov are the bodye of christ that wyll seme to be meke in harte in the holynes of aungelles and bringinge in thinges which he hath not sene C.xxj. Austyne sayeth / Seinge that we be made of soule and body / as longe as we lyve in this temporall lyfe we must vse to the norisshinge of this life / these temporalle goodes Therfore muste we of that parte that belongeth to this liffe / be subiecte vnto powers / that is / vn to men that doo minister wordlye thinges / with some honoure but as concerninge that parte wherbye we beleue in god and be called vnto his kingdome we ought not to be subiecte vn to anye man / that wylle perverte the same thinge in vs that hath pleased god to geue vs to eternall lyfe 121. Austyne sayth / lett vs not loue any vysyble spectacles lest by erringe from the verite and by louynge shadowes we be brought in to darkenes lett vs haue no devocion vnto oure phantasies It is better to haue a true thinge what so euer yt be / than alle maner of thinges that maye be fayned at oure pleasure 141 Austyne sayth / lette vs haue no deuocion in honouringe of deed men For if they lyved welle / they maye not be counted for such men as to desyre such honoures / but they wylle that god shuld be honoured of vs by whose lightninge they reioyse that we are made companions of their glorye wherefore sayntes must be honoured by folowinge them / but not honouringe them of devocyon 145. B Barnarde saithe / I doo abhorre what so euer thinge is of me / excepte paradventure that that be myne that God hath made me his By grace hath he iustefyed me frelye / and by that hath he delyvered me from the bondage of synne Thou hast not chosen me saith christ but I haue chosen the nor I founde no merites in the that might moue me to chose the but I prevented al thy merites wherfore thus by faith haue I maryed the vnto me and not by the workes of the lawe I haue maryed the also in iustice / but not in the iustice of the lawe / but in that iustice whyche is of faith 46 Barnarde saith / that those rulers of the churche which go so gorgiouslye arayed of oure lordes godes as deacons / Archedeacons / bisshopes aÌ„d archebisshopes they calle them selues the minysters of Christ but they serue antichrist lxviij Barnarde saith / what shall we saye is this alloÌ„lye all the merite of frewill that he doth alonlye consent ye doutles Not that the same consent in the which is all his merite is not of god / whaÌ„ we can neyther thynke the which is lesse than to consent any thinge of oure selfe as though we were sufficient of oure selfe / these wordes be not myne but the appostles the which geueth vnto god and not to his frewille / alle maner of thinge that can be good / that is to saye to thinke / to will or to performe cÌ„ lxxxiâ— Chrisostome saith / the appostle wolde not that a whole contre shulde be permytted vnto one man / but enioyned to everie man his cure / to haue cure and charge of one church onlye xxviij Chrisostome saithe / the key is the worde and the knowlege of scriptures wherbye the gate of veryte is opened unto men lxxiiij Chrisostome saithe the keyberars are preastes vnto whom is commytted the worde to teach and to interpretate scriptures lxxvj Chrisostome saithe I saye boldlye that the bishopes and prelates of the church maye haue no thinge but meate and drynke and cloth xxviij lxxix Chrisostomâ— speakinge ageÌ„st the presumpcions of prelates saith / behold I se men that haue no true sence of holye scripture / yee thy vnderstonde nothinge at alle therof / and to passe ouer many thinges for I am a shamed to calle theÌ„ mad men trifelaâ—s and wrangelars they be such as knowe not whate they saye nor of what thinge they speake / but alonlye be they myghtye and bolde to make lawes and to curse and condemne those thinges of the whiche they knowe nothinge at all cÌ„ lxxx Chrisostome saith / I besech yov that yov wyll often tymes come hyther / and that yov wil diligentlye here the lesson of holy scripture / and not alonlye when yov be here / but also take in youre handes when yov be at whome the godlye Byble / and receave the thinge there in with greate studye for therebye shalle yov haue greate vauntage C.vij Chrisostome saieth / which of yov all that be here if it were required coulde saye one psalme with out the boke or any other parte of holye scripture / not one doutelesse / but this is not alonlye the worst but that yov be so slowe and remisse vnto spirituall thinges and vnto develyshnesse yov are hotter than any fyre But meÌ„ wyll defende this myscheve with this excuse / I am no religious man / I haue a wyfe and chyldren and a house to care for This is the excuse wherwith yov doo as it were with a pestilencye corrupte alle thynges / for yov doo reken that the studye of holye scripture belongeth allonlye vnto religious men / whan they be moch more necessarye vn to yov than vnto them C.viij Chrysostome saythe on thys texte / woman thy faith is greate Dost thou se this woman whiche was vnworthye but by her perseueraunce was made worthye / wilte thou lerne also that we prayenge vnto god in oure awne persons do more profyte than whan other men doo praye for vs This woman dyd crye and the disciples came and prayed hym that he wolde spede her for she cryeth on vs / but to them he answered / I am not sent but vnto the shepe which are perished of the house of Israell But when she came her selfe and did persever cryenge and saynge yeâ— lorde / for the whelpes doo eate the crummes that faule froÌ„ their masters tables / theÌ„ did he geue her the benefyte and sayde be it vnto the as thou wylte Dost thou not se how he did repell her whan other men prayed for her But whan she came her selfe and cryed / he did graunte her Vnto them he sayde I am not sent but vn to the shepe of Israell / but vnto the woman he sayethe / be it vnto the as thou wilt cÌ„ Fol. C.xlv Chrisostome saith / we haue no nede of patrons a fore god / nor nede of moch processe to speake fayre vnto other men / but though thou be alone wante a pratrone praye god by thy selfe / yet for all that shalt thou haue thy desyre / god doth not so lightlye graunte whan other men praye for vs as when me pray for oure selfe ye
haue / that be agenst his holy verite / but let vs graunt that that translacion was so false / why did not yov there take a pone yov opynly for to amend it and to sett forthe truly the holy testament of christ yov must nedes graunt that there is an holy testameÌ„t of his in erthe except yov wille deny christ as I dought not but that yov wille in effect where is it whye haue we it not If that wer not it / whye do not yov sett the very trew testament out / yov were reddy to coÌ„demne an other mans faithefulle labor aÌ„d diligence / but yov had no cheryte to amend it / yov thynke alle ways to disseue the worlde with youre holy hypocrysy / men be not so blynd but that they cane welle Iudge / If yov hade condemnyd that testament allonly by cause off errours / yet at the lest ways yov shulde bothe of cheryte / and also of dutye haue set forthe the trew texte / and than wolde men haue thought / that yov condemned the other by the resoÌ„ of errours But men may now euydently se that yov dyd not condemne it for errours sakes / for how shulde they iudge erroures that be soo vnlernyd but alonly by cause that the verite was ther in / the which yov coulde not abyde that men shulde knowe / and that dyd the processe of youre sermon and also youre tyranny that dothe folow wel proue / but mi lord I say to yov / aÌ„d to all youres if yov do not amend it shalle be to youre euerlastyng damnacyon / for god wille not take thys rebuke at youre honde / Esa 62. remember that he hathe sworne by the movght of his prophete hy his ryght honde aÌ„d by the might of his strengthe that he wille defende this cause / Be not these lordly wordes / of the eternalle god / thinke yov to make hym for sworne Heb. 10. Remember how the holygost thretyneth yov in another place saynge / yf a man dyd dysspysse the lawe of Moses / he must with out any mercy dye / howe muche more are they worthy of ponishement / that do trede the sone of God vndernethe their fete / and dyspise the bloud of hys testament / how thynke yov ys not this opynly agenst yov / That coÌ„demne not alonly christ but also his blessed worde / and alle that longythe to hym / Take a way christes word / and what remanythe bi hynd of chryst nothyng at alle I pray yov my lorde to whome was thys worde fyrst preched to whome was it writtyn allonly to prystes not vn to lay men ye was it not writtyn to alle the worlde yes truly / where by wille yov conuerte a turke or an infidelle / not by holy scripture whan they be conuerted / what wille yov lerne theÌ„ what wille yov geue them to rede / any other thyng than holy scripture I thynke nay Now wille yov make youre awne cuÌ„trymen / youre awne citysins youre awne subiectes yee youre awne brethern / redemed wyth christes blessed bloud worsse them Iuys / and infidelles But their is no reson nor no bretherhod / nor no chrysten cheryte that cane moue yov / or that cane helpe yov / for yov are so blynded and so obstinate agenste chryst / that yov had rather alle the worlde shulde peryshe / thane his doctryne shulde be brought to lyghte / but I do promisse yov / if god do spare me lyffe / aÌ„d geue me grace / I shalle so set it out / if yov do not revoke it that it shalle be to youre vtter sâ—ame and confusyon / fynde the best remedy that yov cane / I do beleue stedfastly / that god is myghttyar than yov / and I doo rekkyn and faytheffully beleue / that yov are ten tymys worsse thane the grette Turke for he regardeth no more / But rule dominyon in this world And yov are not there with content / but yov wille also rule ouer mens consyens yee aÌ„d oppresse christ and his holy word / and blaspheme and condemne hys worde / was it not a holy covnselle / of the chanseler of london to conselle a sertyn merchaÌ„t / to by Robyn hoode for his seruaÌ„tes to rede what shulde they do with vitas patryÌ„ / and with bokes of holy scriptur Also the same Chanseler sayed to an other maÌ„ / what fyndest thou in the gospel but a story what good canst thou take there out O lorde god where arte thou why slepist thou why sufferst thou this blasphemy Thov hast defeÌ„ded thy prophetes with wilde fier froÌ„ heueÌ„ / And wylte thov suffer thy wonly sone and thy heuynly worde / thus to be dyspysyd and to be rekenyd but as a story of Robyn hoode Rysse vpe good loorde / Rysse vpe / thy enemys do preuaylle / Thy enymys do multiplye / shewe thy power / defend thy glory It is thy conâ—umely and not oures what haue we to do with it but alonly to thy glory venge this cauâ—e or thy enymys shalle rekkyn yt not to be thy cause / O thou eternalle God though oure synnes haue deseruyd thys / yet loke on thy name / yet loke on thy veryte / Se howe thov arte mockkyd Se how thou arte blasphemid / ye and that by them / that haue takyn on theÌ„ to defend thy glory / But now heuynly father / Seynge that thou haste / so suffered it / yet for the glory of thy name / geue some man strengthe to defend it / or els shalt thou be clearly takyn out of the hartes off allemen where fore most gracious lorde / of thy mercy and grace I besech the / That I may haue the strengthe to defend thy godly worde to thy glory and honour / and to the vtter confusyon of thy mortalle enymys / helpe good lord helpe / and I shalle not fere a thovsand of thyne enymys / In thy name wille I begyn to defend thys cause Fyrst commyth thy faythfulle seruant Moses / trewe and Iuste in alle thy workes / and he commandythe faythefully and trewly / and with grett thretnynges that man / woman and chylde shuld dilygently rede thy holy worde / Sayng / Sett youre hartes on alle my wordes the whych that I do testyfye vn to you thys day / That yov may commaÌ„de them vn to yovre chyldern / to kepe / to doo / and to fulfylle alle thynges that be wryttyn in the boke of thys lawe / Marke howe he commauÌ„ded them / to lerne their chyldern alle thynges that be wryttyn in thys boke / Deu. 32. and so to lerne them that they myght kepe and fulfylle alle thynges that were wryttyn in the boke / Moses maâ—e nothyng of secretnes / and wille yov make secretes ther in how shalle men fulfille those wordes that they know not how cane men know the very trewway of god and haue not the worde of god is not alle oure knowlege ther in The prophete saith / thy
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
artykyllis / men wolde geue hym none audience / nor they wolde not here hym / wherefore there were no feare off suche men / for as sone as they open their mouthis to speake agenste any of these / a none we condemne them with out any further iudgemēt wherefore S. Iohā must nedes speake of other craftyar heretikes than these / which graunt all those thinges with many other mo to mās iudgement yee all they doo / they do yt in christes name preache in christes name / do many good workes in christes name / yee paraduentuer al so do miracles in christes name / and yet neuer the lesse vnder the great crafte and subtylty of the deuylle they denye Christ / Is not this a meruelous thinge howe can this be How can they deny christ and also graunt christ how can they preache christ / and yet deny christ But all thys crafte and subtylty vse they in christis name / all by cause they wyll deny Christ / for the more that antichrist preachyth christ / the more wylle he deny hym For whan he hathe once gotte hym auctorite by christes name / than wylle he rage / and waxe secretly mad agenst Christ / and yet wyll he preache Christ / and also deny Christ and so subtylly deny hym / that wyth out we stycke faste to holy scripturs / and haue the spryte of god / we shall not perseue hym / therefore lett vs now proue his sprete / ād we shal sone se that he is not off god But fyrst we must declare / and perfytly know what is christ Not allonly by the name / for that Antichrist graunteth / but we must serche out the properte / and the nature / and the verye effect of christ / and so shall we sone know hym ▪ In holy scripture Christe is nothing elles but a sauiour / a redemer / a iustifyar / and a perfecte peace maker bytwene god ād man Mat. ◠1. Cor. ◠Esa 53. This testimonye dyd the angelle geue off hym in these wordes / he shall saue hys people from their synnes / and also S. Paule Christ is made oure ryghtwysnes oure sanctificacion ād oure redempcion / moreouer the prophet wyttnesyth the same saynge / for the wrechidnes of my people haue I strykyn him / so that here haue we christ with his properties / now yf we wil cōfesse that christ is borne in to this world / thā must we graunt with oure hartes that christ is al oure iustice / all oure redempciō / all oure wysdō / all oure holynes / alonly the purcheser of grace / alonly the peace maker / by twene god mā Breuely al goodnes that we haue / that yt is of him / by him / for his sake only And that we haue no nede of nothing but of hym only / we desyer no nother saluacion / nor no nother satisfaccion / nor any helpe of any other creature / other heuynly or erthely but off him onlye / for as s Pe. sayth / there is no nother name geuen vnto men / where in they must be saued Actu 4. Act. 13. And also S. Paule / by him are all that beleue iustifyde from all thynges Moreover S. Iohan witnesseth the same in these wordes he yt is that hathe opteyned grace for oure sinnes and in a nother place ▪ 1. Ioan. 2. 1. Ioan. 4 He sent his sone to make agremēt for oure synnes Now my lordes / here haue you Christ and his very nature fulle and holle / and he that denyethe any thinge / or any parte of these thinges / or take any of them and aplye them or geue the glorye of them to any other person than to Christ only / the same man robythe Christ of his honour / and denieth christe / and ys very antichrist wherefore my lordes / fyrst what say yov vn to this article / vn to these propertis of Christ / yff you graunt yt / thā are we at a poynte for it saith that faythe in Iesus Christ only iustifythe a fore god / secundarilye yff you deny yt as I am suer you wyll for yov had leuer denye youre crede then graunte yt how can yov than a voyde / but that you be the very antichristis / of whom S. Iohan spekyth for now haue we tryed youre spretis that they be not of god / for you deny Christ That is / yov deny the very nature / the properte of Christ you graunte the name / but you deny the vertu you graunte that he dissended from heaven / but you denye the profyte therof / for he descended from heaven for oure helth / thys denye you and yet it ys youre crede you graunt that he was borne / but yov deny the purposse you graunt that he is rysyn from dethe / but yov deny the profyte there of / for he rosse to iustify vs. you graunt that he is a sauiour but yov deny that he is allonly the sauiour I pray yov wherefore was he borne to iustify vs in parte to redeme vs in parte to doo satysfaccion for parte of oure synnes / so that we must haue a nother to make satisfacciō for the other parte Say what yov wyll yf you geue not al / and fully and alonly to one christ / than deny you christ / and the holy gost S. Iohan dothe declare yov to be contrary to christ This may also be proued / by a playne scripture of the holy gost which is this No man in heuyn nor in erthe / neyther vnder the erthe / was abylle to open the boke / or to loke on the boke / tyll the lambe came vn to whom the senyours spake / on this maner Thou arte worthy to take the boke / and to open the selys ther of for thou wast kylled haste redemed vs by thy bloud How say yov to thys my lordis In heuen was there none founde / neyther by the angyllis / nor yet by the senyours / worthy to open the boke but christ only / and will you fynd that they coulde not fynd wyl you sett an helper to christ / whome they sett a lone but I praye you tell vs what he shall be All the worlde knowethe that they be good workes / but now from whēce come youre good workes whether from heuen / or out of the erthe / or from vnder the erthe yf they were in any of these places / where were they whan the Angells and the senyers sought them haue you found them whome they could not fynd but let this passe I praye you what wylle you lay for youre good workes or by what tytell wyll yov bring them in to Ioyne them with the lambe in openyng off the boke The senyours haue layd for them that the lambe alonly was worthy to open the boke by cause he was slayne / and redemed them with his precious bloud Now what cause lay yov for youre good workes The lambe
most exceleÌ„t and gracious prince / yt is not vnknowen vnto alle the worlde that my lordes the bisshops haue purchesed youre grace this tytylle to be defender off the faith / oure lorde strength youre grace that yov may performe yt / nothwithstoÌ„ding there was neuer none of all the bisshops / that wold take so grete payne for youre graces sake / as to declare what was the very trewe faythe whiche youre grace was bovnd to defend / but thei lefte youre grace as a man shyt in a darke housse that wolde fayne come out / but he colde not fynde the dore for want of lyght So lyke wysse / they gaue vn to youre grace The tytylle of defendyng the faythe / but they neuer declaryd what it was / but alle ways lefte youre grace to the name of faythe and to the olde opynioÌ„ that went of faithe but neuer clearly set out what it wasse / where fore moste nobille prince / for to declare my trewe and faithfulle seruyce that I haue vn to youre most noble hyenes I haue taken the labours and paynys / to the vttermost powre of my smalle gyfte to declare this artykille / so playnlye and so stronglye / not alonlye by the heuynly worde of god / but also by the clarkely exposicions of holy doctours / that no faythefulle man caÌ„ haue any place to doute in it / wherfore most excelent prynce with al humble subieccion / and with all due honoure and reuerence / I besech youre grace to reseue graciously my faithefulle and trew harte For if I coulde do youre noble grace any better seruyce It shulde not be vndone Now do I not doute but that youre grace wille defend this pore aÌ„d sympille laboure of myne / from the vyolence of the bysshops that they shalle not condemne it by tyranny / nor with out lernynge as their maner is to doo / and for that cause haue I dedicatyd the holle boke / vnto youre most noble grace / vnto whome it can not be vn knowyn / how greatly it were agenst youre honoure to suffer the bysshops to condemne by tyranny with out reason and lerninge so playne scripturs of god so cleare exposicions of holy doctours How were youre grace abille to answere to it a fore the dredfull trone of christ Iesus This present lyffe is shorte / and sone faylythe vs / but if we suffer the godly worde / of the euerlasting God to be ouertrodyn and oppressed bi vyolence / there remaynythe nothynge to vs but everlastynge wo and damnacion / for we are lost for ever For euer is a great tyme and god wille not be mokkyd / for as the holy goste saithe / if we do dispisse so gret helthe how shalle we escape Hebr. 2. IbideÌ„ 10. also in a nother place / it is an horrible and a ferfulle thynge to falle in the hoÌ„dys of the lyuynge god where fore I doute not but that youre grace wille more regarde the holy verite of chryst Iesus and also youre soulle helthe / than any out ward shynynge of thys dysseuable worlde And here by this present wrytinge do I offer my selfe vn to youre most nobylle grace to proue alle thyngys that I haue here wryten agenst the bisshops and alle maner of men that wille holde with them in this cause / ye and that vnder the payne that your most noble grace shalle sett thys do I not to preferre mi selfe / but alonly that I can not suffer the glorious bloud of christ Iesus to be extynctyd and trodyn vnder the foote by vyolence I requyer no defence of none evill cause / but alonly I requyer youre graces fauoure and defence from vyolence and oppression as god is my Iudge who preserve youre most Noble and excellent grace to his pleasure and honoure ever Amen Vvhat is holy churche / aÌ„d who be therof aÌ„d wher by men may know hyr THe name of that holy church / haue those men of longe tyme vsurped presumptuously with out all shame / that were the greatyst enymys the holy church coulde haue in erthe / For they did no more agre with the maners of holy churche / thaÌ„ darknes aÌ„d light / thaÌ„ god the deuyll For where holy churche hard no man but Christ only / They wolde here all maner of meÌ„ sauyng christ / neuer here him / except it were to theyr profyte or glory where as holy churche was rulyd in this world / they wold rule all the world / and where as holy church wold be holy by christ oÌ„ly / they wold be holy by their awne helpe / And where as holi churche was all ways dispisid / and persecutyd of the world / They wolde be honouryd of the worlde aÌ„d persecuters of all men / And where as holie church was in wardly deckyd with spirituall vertues they wolde be vtwardly shinynge in spiritual araye where as holy church wolde be chayste in spryte they wold with their mouthes vowe chastite / and spend all their liuâ—s in horedome / And where as holy churche dyd all ways shew meknes in the worlde / they wolde be so proude that harte coulde deuyse no more / Breuely what so euer thynge that was agreabylle with the churche / of that had they never a crumme but allonly by vyolence vsurpyd the name off holy churche / So that yf a man had had a croune or a longe goune and a whyte smock ouer his goune / thaÌ„ was ther no remedy but he must nedis be of the churche / yee and holy church her selfe / So that yf a barber had made a bulle a crone / aÌ„d a Tayler Iachnappis a longe goune and brought an asse forthe in a white rochitte / than no maÌ„ might doute but that there were holy churche euerie maÌ„ must fall doune to receyue clene remissioÌ„ a pena a culpa / tocieÌ„s quocieÌ„s / for there caÌ„ the successors of peter paule they that haue the dispeÌ„sacioÌ„ of christes bloud / the meritis of holy sayntes / aÌ„d the suffragis of holy churche to dystribute / the keyberrars of heuyn hell / who caÌ„ deny but this is truth It is to opyn to nede any probacyoÌ„ / for we see it dayly a fore oure yies So that if a maÌ„ wil coÌ„pare oure master Christ that is the very hed of holy church vn to these pelattis that call theÌ„ self his vicares he shall finde but smal agremeÌ„t / by twene the ê‘son the vicar and he that wil coÌ„sider S. peter S. paul / with al other holy apostillis shal think that eyther they were none of holy churche or ellis oure prelatris â— for they agree in nothing / yee he may rekkyn yt. S. peter S. paul were stark foolis right mad men that liuyd so despectuê° a liff what ned me to make many wordys / or to tell their namys that I speke of / There is no doute but the galde horise wil
bewraye him selfe But shortlye / yt the deuill wolde come in his awne ê‘son disgysyo / Tel me how it were possible that he could be more coÌ„trarie to christ his holy apostillis / thaÌ„ those meÌ„ that call theÌ„ selfe the holy church / yee take a waye the name off the church / set in her stede the name of the deuyll how wil you thaÌ„ knowe a bisshop froÌ„ the deuyll By their workis nay trewly / for they be all one yet wyll ye be the hedys of chrystis church / ye the holy church here selfe / not so ye wyked not so Vvherefore that this blessyd spouse of christ / maye be knowyn froÌ„ the opyn abhominable whores harlatis / therefor wil I bi godis grace set out what holy church is where bi meÌ„ shal know her This worde Ecclesia / bothe in the new testament and the olde / is takyn oftyntymys for the hole congregacion and the holle multitude of the people bothe good and bad / as it is in the boke of numeri / Nume 20 why haue yov brought the congregacion or churche of god in to wildernes also in a nother place / 3. ReguÌ„ 8 The kynge turnyd his face and blessid the holle congregacion or churche of Israell / â— Corin. 4 and alle the churche of Israell stode lykewysse in the newe testament S. Paule to the CorynthiaÌ„s / I haue sent vn to yov Tymothe the whyche shalle lerne yov my ways / that be in christ Iesu / 1. Corin. 11 as I do lerne euery where in alle coÌ„gregacions Also in an other place do yov dispisse the congregacion of god aÌ„d shame them that haue not In alle these placis and in many mo is it opyn that this greke worde ecclesia is takyn for the hole congregacion bothe of good aÌ„d bad / where fore this is not the church that we wille greatly speke of / for in this churche are Iuys and Sarasens / Murtherars aÌ„d theuys / baudys and harlotes though we knowe them not Ephesi 5. But there is a nother holy churche of the which S. paule spekyth yov men loue youre wiuys / as christ hathe louyd the churche / and hathe geuyn hym selfe for hyr / that he myght santyfye hyr / And clense hyr in the fovntayne off watter thorow the word of liffe / to make her to hym selfe a glorious churche with out spot or wrynkille / or any suche thynge / but that she myght be holy and with out blame Here haue yov the very trewe churche of christ / that is so puer and so clene with out spot But whereby is she puer and clene not by hyr awne meritis nor by hir awne myght / not by exterior araye / not by golde nor syluer nor yet by precious stonys / neither by myters nor crosestaues / nor by pillers nor polaxis / but whereby than by Chryst only whiche hathe geuyn hym selfe for that intent that he wolde make her clene and there fore saithe S. Paule / He gaue him selfe that he myght santifie hyr / that he might clense hyr make hyr to hym selfe a glorious churche Also in a nother place yov are wasshid / yov are sanctifyde / yov are iustifyde in the name of Iesus christ / and in the sprete of god Se my lordes / howe the churche is washed bi christ aÌ„d bi his holy sprete / and not by youre blessingis / 1. Corin. â— not by youre sprytualle ornamentis / nor by youre spritualle holy watter / for these thynges caÌ„ not helpe the holy churche for she is holy in sprytte aÌ„d not in outward hypocrysye / she is also clensyd by christes blessyd bloud / and not by outward disgysyngis This dothe S. Augustine well prove sayinge Of christ is the churche made faire / first was she fylthy in synnys / Augustinê° de verbis dnÌ„i ser 50 afterwarde by pardon and by grace was she made fayre cÌ„ here S. Augustine saithe that christ hathe made his churche fayre / and that by his grace and his pardon / And not by youre pardons / nor by youre grace for thys churche / stondythe by Christis eleccion / and not by youres and if Christ haue not wasshid yov and chosyn yov than be yov none of this churche though yov ryde with a thousande spretualle horses / aÌ„d haue alle the spretual tokyns in erth / Ioan. 6. for aÌ„d if the sone of god haue dylyuerd yov thaÌ„ are yov trewly deliuerd / ye can not make by al youre powre and holynes that we shalle al ways fynde good ale or wyne where there hangyth out a grene sygne / And wille yov with youre sprituall sygnes aÌ„d tokins make the church of god to followe yow / or by them assigne out where the church shall be nay nay my lordis / yt wyll not be but they that beleue that Chryst hath wasshed them from their synnes / and styke fast vn to his meryttis and to the promysse made too them in him only / they be the churche of god / aÌ„d so puer and so clene that yt shall not be lawfull no not for Peter to say that they be vnclene / but where they be Iue or greke / kynge or subiect / Carter or cardinalle / bucher or bisshop / TaÌ„cardeberar or caÌ„nâ—lcater / fre or bouÌ„d / fryer or fydler / Monke or Miller if they beleue in Christis worde / and styke faste to his blessed promysys / trust only in the meryttis of hys blessed bloude / they be the holy church of god yee and the very trew church a fore god / and yow with all youre spirytuall tokyns / and with all youre exteryor cleÌ„nes / remayne in youre fylthynes of synne / from the whyche all youre blessynges / all youre pardons / All youre spiritualyte / all youre holynes / caÌ„ not clense you / nor bryng you in to this church Boste / Crake / Blaste / Blesse / Curse tille youre holly yies starte out of youre hed yt wyll not helpe you / for Christ chousythe hys church / at his iudgemeÌ„t not at youres The holy gost ys fre / and in speryth where he wyll / he wil neyther be bound / to Pope nor Cardynall / archebysshop nor Bysshop / Abbot nor Pryor / Deken nor Archedeken / Parson nor Vyckar / too Nunne nor Frear Breuelye come all the holâ— tabbylle of yow to gether that call youre selfe the holy churche and exclude all other yee and take sonne / mone / and stars to helpe yow with all the frendes yow haue in heuen and erthe and yet shall yow not be of holy churche except that you haue the sprite of christ and be wasshid in his blessed bloud / For the holy churche of christ is nothyng els but that congregacion / that is sanctifyed in sprete / redemed with Christis bloud / and stykkyth fast and suer alonly to the promissis that be made theryn So that the