chaunceloure for denyeng of the sacrament and for faulte of a better I was assygned to the examynacion of him in the galery And after longe reasonyng and disputaciō I declared and sayde that the sacrament beyng rightly vsed and accordinge to scripture doth after the word spoken by the prest chaunge the substaunce of the bred and wyne in to the body and bloud of Christ Were not these my wordes sayde he Yee sayde M. pope Thē beare me witnesse said he that I erre not in the sacramēt Standishe Allthoughe you did not denie that sacrament yet haue you et cet Couerdale Ye call it slaunderous raylinge whan a man with gods worde both ernestly rebuke such horryble abuses as Antichrist and his malignaunt church hath brought in among Christen people So lothe are ye to consent vnto gods worde or to vse anie thing according to his holy instituciō What could it then haue helped you yf he had opened his minde farther seing that in his so godly and honest request ye ascribe naughtynesse vnto him He did but shew that he wold haue the sacrament rightly vsed and acording to holy scripture and ye are not content with him Yet well worth the Corinthians for though they were fallen in to abuse aboute this holy misterie and aboute other thinges we read not that they spurned against the holy goost as you do whan they were called to refourmacion Standish Se also I praye you how he saieth et cetera Couerdale Yf you shulde saye that for lack of a better ye dyd write agaynst this protestacion of D. Barnes wolde ye therfore be iudged to thynke that there were not many better lerned men in England to take such a matter in hande then you Barnes THen sayde he haue ye anye thing els to saye There was one then asked him his opynion of prayeng to sayntes Then sayd he Now of saintes you shall heare myne opynion I haue sayd before somwhat I thynke of them how that I beleue they are in heauē and with god and that they are worthy of all the honour that scripture willeth them to haue But I saye through out al scripture we are not commaunded to pray to any sayntes therfore I can not ner will not preach to you that sayntes ought to be praied vnto For then shuld I preach you a doctryne of myne owne head Standish Ther is an olde heresie that saieth sayntes be not yet in heauen et cet Couerdale Is this your next waye to confute him that saieth we are not cōmaunded in scripture to praie to anye saintes Ye brawll with the deed man that saieth nothinge against you in this article of saintes being in heauen Standishe How can it be in scripture thou impudent heretike the prayer vnto saintes Couerdale Be good to the poore man and take not the matter so whote He goeth not aboute to proue that your prayeng to sayntes is grounded in scripture Standish As for in the tyme of the olde lawe et cet Couerdale The doctrine of god is that Christ is the lambe which hath bene slayne sens the begynnyng of the worlde that is euen he whose power and deliueraunce hath clensed and saued all thē that euer put their trust in him Christ Iesus yesterdaie and todaie and the same contynueth for euer Standish Therfore concerning praieng to saintes et cet Couerdale Must we beleue the testimony of men without it be grounded on gods worde Are ye become such an Apostle Because the church and congregacion of Christ must discerne iudge trie and examen all maner of doctryne and so to eschue the euell and kepe the good hath it therfore auctorite to make anye new article or to receaue a doctryne contrary to gods worde Because Christ hath promised his holy sprete of trueth to be allwaye in his faithfull congregacion shall they therfore make ordeyne set vp or beleue ought that is contrary to his owne teachinge Standish Doest thou set nomore by the auctorite of it then so in asmuch as S. Augustyne sayde Non crederem Euangelio nisi crederim Ecclesie et cet Couerdale Euen as ye peruerte the wordes of holy scripture so do ye with S. Augustine As ye choppe and chaunge with it so do ye with him And as ye alledge the scripture for another purpose then the plaine circumstaunce of the text meaneth so do ye here with this holy doctoure For youre purpose is with S. Augustines wordes to proue that youre church by her auctorite may make new articles and that we are bounde to beleue as she beleueth though the same be not grounded in scripture But yf men diligently marke S. Augustynes sayeng the occasion of his wryting and the circumstaunce therof it shall be euydent that ye are as like him in vnderstondinge as the moone is like a grene chese S. Augustyne perceauynge the greate hurte that was growyng thorow the doctryne of wicked Manicheus toke in hande to confute him and his secte his errours were so noisome and deuelish For he had not onely fayned a new gospell of his owne and named himselfe Christes Apostle but also mainteined the heresie which the Anabaptistes lately helde that the sonne of god toke not the nature of man of the blessed virgin and denied rulers to beare office denied mariage denied certayne kyndes of meates to be of god or to be graunted vnto Christen men Taught also that some mens soules dye with the bodyes despysed the exterior worde of god and mynistracion therof and sought other visions without it And many other fond and wicked opynions had he vnknowne to the holy church and flock of Christ Now for the refelling of such pestilent doctryne S. Augustine among other thinges wrote one speciall boke agaynst a certayne Epistle of the Manichees which was called Epistola fundamenti and whan he had shewed the occasions which moued him to abyde still within the vnyte of Christes catholike church then in the fifth chapter he shewed the cause that moued him rather to geue credence vnto Christes gospell then to Manicheus where among other he saieth these wordes Nostis n. me statuisse nihil avobis prolatū temere credere et cet For ye knowe saieth he that I am determined to geue no haistie credence to anye thing that ye speake of your awne heades I demaunde therfore Who is that Manicheus Ye answere An Apostle of Christ I beleue it not Now what canst thou saye or do thou shalt not opteine for thou dyddest promes knowlege of the trueth and now thou wilt compell me to beleue the thinge that I knowe not Peraduenture thou wilt reade me the gospell and therby wilt thou assaie to affirme the parson̄e of Manicheus Yf I shulde fynde anye man then which as yet beleueth not the gospel what shuldest thou do to him that sayeth vnto the I beleue not As for me I shulde not beleue the gospell vnlesse the auctorite of the catholike church dyd moue
A confutacion of that treatise which one John Standish made agaynst the protestacion of D. Barnes in the yeare M. D. XL. Wherin the holy scriptures peruerted and wrested in his sayd treatise are restored to their owne true vnderstonding agayne by Myles Couerdale Iacobi iij. Nolite gloriari mendaces esse aduersus ueritatem To the Reader To all them that either reade or heare gods holy worde and geue ouer them selues to lyue vnfannedly acording to the same do I hartely wysshe the grace peace and mercy of god the father in and thorow oure lorde and onely Sauioure Iesus Christ THe seuenth daye of Decembre was delyuered vnto me a certayne treatyse composed by one Iohn Standish Felow of Whittington college in londoÌ„ so is the tytle of it and prynted by Robert Redeman Anno M. D. XL. iij. Nonas Octobris At the reading wherof I mourned sore within my selfe for certayne occasions offred vnto me in the sande treatyse First that vnder the Kynges priuilege any thing shuld be set forth which is either agaynst the worde and trueth of allmightye god or agaynst the Kynges honoure Secondlye that good wholsome and Christen wordes shulde be calumpniated and reuyled Thirdly that the sayde Iohn Standish pronouncyng Doctoure Barnes to haue taught heresye so longe is not ashamed all this whyle to haue hold his penne but now first to wryte agaynst him whan he is deed et ce As touching the first whether I haue cause to mourne or no I reporte me to all true Christen hertes for as I am credibly enfourmed and as I partly haue sene there is now a wonderful diuersite in writing bokes and balates in England one enueyenge agaynst another one reuylinge and reprouyng another one reioysinge at anothers fall and aduersite And not onely this but also at the ende of euery balate or boke in maner whether it be the better partye or worse is set the Kynges priuilege Which as it is agaynst the glorye of god that one shulde reuyle another Is it not euen so agaynst the Kynges honoure Yee the shame is it of all Englande that vnder his priuilege anye erroneous contentious or slaunderous boke or papyre shulde be prynted Men wonder in other contrees that ther is so greate negligence of this matter in a realme where so wyse and prudent a counsail is â–ª And they that are moued with godly compassioÌ„ do lament Englande sory that ther is so great discencion in it sory that blasphemous ieasting and raylinge balates or bokes agaynst the manifest worde of god shulde either be suffred or priuilegied sory that gods trueth shulde thus spitefully be intreated of so greate a nombre Now the reformacion of this and all other defaultes lyeth onely in the hande of god To whom I referre it and to the rightfull admynistracion of his holy ordinauÌ„ce and auctorite in the kynges hyghnesse who whan he knoweth of the saide inconuenience how tryflinge and raylinge bokes and rymes are prynted vnder his priuilege wyll no doubte set a redresse herein Concernyng the seconde occasion aboue rehearced Is it not cause ynough forme and all other Christen to be right sory to mourne and lamente that the wordes which are good wholsome and acordinge to the holy scripture and Chrisies faith shulde be either blasphemed or taken to the worst Yf the Kynges grace shulde put forthe an wholsome proclamacion iniunction or commaundement as he doth many what true subiecte louynge gods holy ordinaunce and auctorite in his prynce wold not be greue to se anye man either spytt at those his soueraignes wordes or to defye them Yf we now which are Christen haue so iust occsion and are bownde to be thus wise mynded in this outward regiment wherein god hath appoynted us to be obedient to the hyer powers how much more cause haue we to water our eyes with sory hertes whan the proclamacion iniunction coÌ„maundement and worde of him which is kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes is thus reuyled and euell spoken of That the wordes of D. Barnes spoken at tbe houre of his death and here vnder written are good wholsome acording to gods holy scripture and not worthy to be euell taken It shalbe euidently sene whan we haue layed theÌ„ to the twych stone and tryed them by gods worde To the open text wherof yf ye take good hede ye shal se the peruerse doctryne and wycked opynions of Standish clerely confuted And no doubte god wyll so haue it because that vnder the pretence of bearing a zeale toward gods worde he taketh apon him to be iudge and geuer of sentence agaynst gods worde and to condemne it that gods worde aloweth And this as I sayde is another cause of the sorynesse of my hert that he which darre auowe another man to be an opeÌ„ heretike is not ashamed thus longe nether to haue written ner openly preached agaynst him by name but now to starte vp whan he is deed Is it not a greate worshippe for him to wrestle with a shadow and to â—â—ll a deed man Is he not a worthy souldyer that all the battayll tyme thrusteth his hand in his bosome and whan meÌ„ are deed then draweth out his swerde and fighteth with them that are slayne allreadye Iudge ye gentle readers yf Standish playeth not such a parte with D. Barnes To whom also he imputeth treason and yet proueth neuer a poynte therof agaynst him Yet were it as charitable a dede to confute all treason and to geue us warnynge of it by name as either to establishe false doctryne or to enueye agaynst good sayenges Yee a Christen and charitable acte were it in reprouyng anye traytoure to tell the Kynges subiectes in what thing he committed the treason that they maye beware of the same But thus doth not Standishe here in this his treatise which because it is buylded on sande and on a false foundacioÌ„ I doubte not but with gods worde which is the swerde of the sprete and a weapen mighty to ouerthrow euery ymaginacion that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knowlege of god To geue it a fall and with holy scripture to shewe euydently that Standishe hath farre ouershott himselfe in condemnynge the sayenges which gods word doth not disalowe He that wolde wryte agaynst anye man shulde leuell his ordinaunce agaynst his euell wordes yf he had spoken or written anye and not agaynst his good wordes ffor god is the authoure of all good which as his holy scripture aloweth so will he himselfe defende the same He that is therfore an enemye to the thinge which is good or resisteth it is gods aduersary and withstondeth him Wherfore let Standish froÌ„ hensforth and all other beware that they take no parte agaynst gods worde ner defende any false matter lest god be the auenger ffor yf the lyon begynne to roare he will make all his enemies afrayed And yf D. Barnes dyed a true Christen man be ye sure his death shalbe a greater
afore the horse Yee your doctrine will haue us to be the fore goers of god and not the folowers of him as scripture byddeth us Standishe A reuocacion of these was red in octauis pasche et ce Couerdale What reuocacions ye make in mens names they beinge absent I can not tell But like as ye come to the sermon to take Christ in his wordes so are ye not to lerne to turne the cat in the pan This may all the world spie here in you that as ye are craftie and sotell to bring men to reuocacions so are ye malicious in diffaminge of them Standishe Furthermore reade his detestable bokes and you shal se what pestilent sede he hath sowid Couerdale Yf. D. Barnes bokes be detestable and to be abhorred why do ye bid us reade theÌ„ Will ye haue the kynges subiectes to read abhominable bokes As for the sede which he dyd sowe I can not greatly maruail at you that cal it a pestilent sede for in his boke he said these wordes Whan I am deed the soÌ„ne and the mone the starres and the elemeÌ„t water and fire Yee and also the stones shal defende this cause against them meaninge the cause of gods word against the spiritualty sooner then the veryte shulde perishe This is one corne of the sede that D. Barnes dyd sowe And verely so farre as I can perceaue this same litle praiy sede veryte will growe and come vp Yee I maye tel you it wil grow in youre owne gardeÌ„s whan ye are most against it â—or Christ tolde your predecessours planely that yf his disciples wolde not speake the very stones shulde crye acording to the prophecye of Abacue It is no wonder therfore though he cal this a pestileÌ„t sede For pestilent is asmuch to saye as hurtfull or vnwholsome so that yf ye suffre this sede of the verite to growe it will hurt youre false doctrine and the phisicians that haue sene your water saie that it is vnwholsome for your complexion Standish And therbye you shall perceaue how shamefully now he doth lye like as he hath done euer heretofore Couerdale By. D. Barnes bokes maye euery man perceaue that he confesseth the articles of the Christen beleue And yf he lyed euer here tofore as you reporte of him then sayde he neuer trueth Now is it manifest also that in his boke to the Kynges highnesse he confesseth that no man in England is excepte from the subiectioÌ„ of the Kynges power nether bisshoppe ner other He confesseth also that the Kynges prerogatyue is alowed by gods worde He saieth like wise in the nexte leafe that it is not laufull for the spiritualtye to depose a Kynge Is not this trueth Will ye saye then that he hath lyed euer here tofore Let not the Kynge ner his counsaill here these your wordes I will advyse you Now like as D. Barnes spake trueth in these thinges so heard I him saye to a sorte of malicious enemies of gods worde euen the sayenge of Christ to the wilful Iewes Ye are of the father the deuell and after the lustes of youre father wil ye do He was a murthurer from the begynnynge and abode not in the trueth for the trueth is not in him Whan he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and father of the same et ce Ye will graunt these wordes to be true I thinke Standishe Which wolde haue us here to beleue contrary to oure hearinge and seynge that he neuer taught ner preached heresye ner erroneous opynions Couerdale To that doth D. Barnes saie himselfe in his fore rehearced wordes that to his knowlege he neuer taught anye erroneous doctrine Somwhat also haue I sayde vnto you allready concernynge this matter Standishe I praye you what was his owne reuocacion et ce Couerdale Ye make answere to youre owne questioÌ„ your selfe Ye saie that he utterly there forsoke many of his olde damnable heresies Yf as you saye he forsoke there his olde damnable heresyes then dyd he there as he dyd in other his sermons euen shewed himselfe to abhorre the heresies of the papistrie for those were the olde infectioÌ„s that he was tangled withall somtyme Barnes ALlthough I haue bene slaundred to preach that oure lady was but a saffron bagg which I utterly proteste before god that I neuer meant it ner preached it but all my studie and diligence hath bene utterly to confounde and coÌ„fute all men of that doctryne as are the anabaptistes which denie that oure sauioure Christ did take anie flesh of the blessed virgin Mary which sectes I deteste and abhorre Standish Here he cleareth himselfe to be no Anabaptist as though ther were no heresie but that alone Couerdale Ye wolde be lothe youre selfe that other men shuld so vnderstoÌ„d your wordes or gather such a consequeÌ„t of theÌ„ Yf ye were accused to be a preuy these and came before a multitude to cleare youre selfe froÌ„ that vice wold ye meÌ„ shulde iudge you to be therfore of so fond opinioÌ„ as to thinke that ther were no moo vices but theft alone I doubte not but yf ye were strately examyned ye wolde saye that ther were also the vice of lienge the vice of malice of slauÌ„dring of bacbyting of frowardnesse of foolishnesse of wilfulnesse et cet Standish And yet this opinion to saie Christ did passe thrugh the virgins woÌ„be as water thrugh a cundeth was none of the Anabaptistes owne opinion It was one of the Maniches erroure and also Eutices errour whoÌ„ som of the Anabaptistes herin dyd folow Couerdale Whose erroure so euer it was I referre that to you for youre treatise declareth that ye be wel acquainted with heretikes Standishe Therfore M. Barnes hereby doth not pourge himselfe froÌ„ the Anabaptistes heresie concerning the baptime of infauntes Couerdale His disputacioÌ„s had oft times with theÌ„ his coÌ„tinual preaching against theÌ„ his dailie wordes also and conuersacioÌ„ was recorde sufficieÌ„t that he abhorred their erroure also in that behalfe Why wolde ye haue him theÌ„ to pourge himselfe therof Youre phisike is not good to geue a man a purgacion which is not infecte with such euell or grosse humours as require a purgacion Standishe Here he saieth he neuer gaue occasion to insurrecion But how saye you Dyd he not offre himselfe to cast his gloue in defence of his errours at Pauls crosse Couerdale He sayde at the crosse the thirde sondaie in lent Here is my gloue not in defence of anye erroure as ye vntruely reporte nether with materiall swerde buckler or speare to defende anye such thinge but with the swerde of gods worde to proue that god first forgeueth us afore we can forgeue and that they be no breakers of ordre which set forth gods worde and due obedience to their prince but they that mainteine their owne tradicions burne gods worde and regarde not the Kynges iniunctions et cet Standishe Dyd he not openly saye these thinges meanynge his errours must
stroke to ypocrisye then euer his life coulde haue bene Yf he was falsly accused to the Kynges highnesse and so put to death woo shall come to those accusers yf they repent not by tymes And yf D. Barnes in his hert mouth and dede committed no worse thinge towarde the Kynges highnesse then he committed agaynst god in these his wordes at his death he is like at the later daye to be a iudge ouer them that were cause of his death yf they do not amende Now indifferent reader to the intent that thou mayest the more clearly discerne light frō darknesse and knowe gods true worde from false docrine I shall whan I haue sayde somwhat to Standish preface rehearce vnto the. D. Barnes wordes Secondly though I rehearce not vnto the all Standish wordes lest I shuld make to greate a boke I shall poynte the to the begynning of his sentence requyring the yf thou wilt to reade out the rest thy selfe in his treatise Thirdly though he hath desserued to be roughly handled yet do I purpose by gods onely grace to deale more gently with him beynge alyue then he doth with the deed This interpryse now as I take in hand agaynst Standishe in this behalfe so am I ready to do the same agaynst the greate graundsire and captaine of false teachers I meane greate Goliath of Rome and his weapen-bearer That is agaynst all such as are enemies to Kynge Dauid oure lorde Iesus Christ for whose moost confortable sprete gentle reader I beseche the to praie with me vnto our moost deare father in heauen whose name be praysid whose kyngdome come whose onely wyll be fulfilled now and euer Amen Here Foloweth the Preface of Iohn Standish to the reader Standish TO se the most victoryous and noble Prynce oure soueraigne lorde the kyng labourynge and watchinge contynually wyth all diligent studye to expulse and dryue out I maye saye to pourge and clense this his catholike regyon etce Couerdale Though ye abuse youre termes in reporting that the Kyng goeth about to expell and dryue out his catholike region I will impute those youre wordes to the weaknesse of youre brayne and to the seacenesse of honest eloquence therin But yf the Kynges laboure watching and diligent studye in pourging and clensyng his realme from all heresies and scismes be occasion sufficient as it is in dede to compell euery true subiecte to helpe vnto the same why haue ye then bene so slack therin all this while Youre owne wordes bring yo in to a shrewd suspicion For ye knowe and haue sene with your eyes that the kyng hath these many yeares bene labouring and busie in abolishing out of his realme the vsurped power of the. B. of Rome his manifolde sectes of false religions his worshipping of ymages his disceatfull pardons his ydolatrye and pilgremages etc. Were not all these great heresies and scismes Or can ye excuse your selfe of ignoraunce that ye haue not sene how the Kyng hath laboured in putting downe the same Yf ye then be a writer against heresies and scismes why haue ye written agaynst none of these all this while Thus euery man which readeth your wordes maye se that ye haue bewraied your selfe to be a fauourer of such thinges Standish Wherfore maruayll not gentle reader etc. Couerdale Contrary now to your request wil euery man maruail at you not onely because ye declare your selfe to haue borne all this whyle no ryght loue toward gods word to the saluacion of mens soules ner to the dewtye that ye owe to your prynce but also because that now thorow the occasion of a poore mans deeth ye first starte vp to wryte as though the Kyng had put downe no heresies afore D. Barnes dyed Is this the zele that ye bear toward gods word and towarde his people Such a zele had they of whom the Apostle speaketh to the Galathians sayenge They haue no good zele vnto you but wolde thrust you out namely from the trueth that ye might be feruent to them ward Where as ye write the daye and yeare of D. Barnes death it increaseth your owne confusion and shall be a cleare testimonye agaynst youre selfe for resistinge those good wordes of his protestacion yf ye forsake not youre heresye in tyme. Yee euen by youre owne penne haue ye brought it to pas that it shall not be forgotten till the worldes ende what a Christen testament and last will D. Barnes made at his death and how paciently he forsoke this life Standish FOr in his protestacion is both conteyned heresye and treason Couerdale For saie ye in his protestaciō et cet Is that the cause why ye do enterpryse and take in hande to wryte agaynst it Then verely declare ye youre selfe not onely to be parcial but also a fauourer of heresye and treason knowinge so many to haue bene attaynted therof within these seuen yeares Standish ALlbeit do not thynke that I wryte this thorow anye malyce toward him that is burned etc. Couerdale He that compareth youre wordes to your dede shall soone perceaue that ye haue cast milk in youre owne face and that for all youre holy pretence some spice of Cainish stomake hath made you now do more then all the Kynges noble actes in abolishinge the saide abuses coulde make you do many yeares afore though the same yf ye were a true subiecte were by youre owne confession sufficient cause for you so to do Howbeit it is not I that go aboute to laye malice to youre charge youre awne acte is not your best frende I praye god your conscience accuse you not therof But why take ye god to recorde in a false matter Do ye not confesse yourselfe that the Kynges graces laboure watchinge and diligent studie is the thinge that causeth and compelleth you to write against D. Barnes protestacion and that thorow the loue and feruent zele ye beare towarde gods word and the saluacion of mens soules et cete And now take ye god to recorde that ye do it for feare lest the people schulde be infecte 〈◊〉 the multitude of copies of the saide protestacion Against the which feare I knowe none other comforte for you as longe as ye will not harken vnto gods worde but that wisdome it selfe geueth you in Salomons Prouerbes Namely that the thing which ye feare shal come vpon you and euen it that ye are afrayed of shall fall in sodenly amonge you This am I certified of not onely by the same place of scripture but euen by this youre present acte in putting forth youre treatise to be printed with and against the saide protestaciō For yf ye feare the great infection of the people thorow the multitude of copies therof why caused ye it to be printed or any man els for you Is the printing of the saide protestacion the nexte waie to kepe copies therof from the people Ye maie well haue witte but sure ye lacke policie Such a like wise waie was takē in England within these
put on sackcloth nether disfigure oure faces to be sene of men though whan we praye vnto god we pricke not our selues with botkens ner make to much babling of wordes Such flinges such morris dauncis such wanton gestures such light myrth we make not for our ioye and gladnesse is inward cōceaued in our brestes whan we fele the inestimable mercy and loue of god therin yee euē whan we are put to trouble and aduersite Another ioye haue we also and the same is likewise a frute of our repentaunce appoynted in scripture as whan we ioye with them that ioye whan we are glad of our neghbours welfare glad and cherfull to do him good glad to geue him lodginge et cet Wherfore to call such frutes of repentaunce any light or wanton myrth ye are to blame and of a wanton iudgment Standishe As these new felowes wold haue pennaunce to be et cet Couerdale To be called new felowes of your mouth we do not greatly force But first where as ye ieast vpon us for casting our sin̄es and care on Christ and for reioysing that he hath taken thē on him ye shew your self not onely ignoraūt in this spirituall cause of Christes faith but also blasphemous both agaynst him and his I praie you who hath so broad a back or so mete to beare the sinnes of penitentes as Christ hath Hath not his heauenly father laied our sinnes vpon him as ye your self haue confessed out of Esaie And doth he not saie vnto us himself Come to me all ye that laboure and are laden and I shall refreshe you Is not he the lambe of god that taketh awaie the sinnes of the world And doth not his bloude clense us from all sinne Secondly where as ye blame us for castinge oure care vpon Christ we do not greatly passe vpon it though we lament your blindnesse for we haue gods worde on oure side yee not onely his cōmaundement and precepte but also his promes that so doinge he will norishe us and not suffre us to lacke Neuertheles in castinge oure care vpon god we robbe not oure body of his dewtie but set the handes to laboure the fete to go the mouth to speake and euery membre to worke in his callinge lest we tempte god contrary to his commaundement Standish This pennaunce Peter dyd not take Couerdale What will ye belie S. Peter Dyd not he caste his sinnes vpon Christ Saieth he not planely that Christ himselfe bare our sinnes on his body vpon the tre to the intent that we might be delyuered from sinne and liue vnto righteousnesse Or dyd not holy S. Peter cast his care vpon Christ Why biddeth he us then to cast all oure care vpon him addyng also that he careth for us Agayne Doth not S. Peter also bid us reioyce in asmoch as we are partakers of Christes passions et cet Or thinke ye that he did not as he taught Was he not one of those disciples which were glad whan they sawe that their lorde was aliue Why are ye not ashamed thē to belie him Fye fye take better hede to your wordes another tyme. Standishe But his pennaunce was mournfull Couerdale Though he mourned and wepte bitterly whan he had denied oure sauioure as euery true penitent doth yet proueth not this the contrary but that in consideracion of the goodnesse of Christ he also reioysed as appeareth by his owne wordes afore Standish Theirs glad and iocunde et cetera Couerdale So glad are not we in our pennaunce but we maie fynd cause ynough of sorinesse though we cōsidred nothinge els saue the blind vnderstonding that is in you Ye saie that we thincke iustificacion to be without worckes of pennaunce But like as ye are to malaperte to entre in to mens thoughtes So am I glad that ye can not reporte that we shulde preach teach talke or wryte that we wolde haue iustificacion to be without workes of pennaunce folowinge For oure bokes oure papyre our pennes our handes oure whole conuersacion though we haue our faultes aswell as other men yee and the mouthes of them that know us can testifie that we are of a contrary opinion Standish Yf you saie remission of sinne is frely forgeuen in baptyme therfore we nede nomore pennaunce et cet Couerdale I wondre in whose name ye make that obiection Yf ye know anie man to affirme teach or write that we nede nomore pennaunce because synne is frely forgeuen in baptyme he ought to haue an open rebuke Howbeit the same is like vnto your owne doctrine where ye saie that yf Christ had taken awaie the paine due vnto your sinne ye shulde not repent but folow your carnall libertye Now to your satisfaction ye saie here that it springeth out of the thirde kynde of pennaunce and afore in the eight leafe of your treatise to proue it strongly ye bring in S. Iohn baptistes wordes which ye ioyne now to the first kynde of pennaunce Is it not now strongly proued Are ye not very sure now of the doctrine that ye teach Agayne To proue that by the second kynde of pennaunce godly men are pourged from such sinnes without which a man can not here lyue ye alledge the first chapter of the first Epistle of Ihon who in the same place saieth these wordes Yf we saie that we haue felashippe with god and yet walke in darknesse we lie and do not the trueth But yf we walke in light euen as he is in lighte then haue we falashippe together and the bloude of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth us from all sinne This scripture now maketh clerely agaynst you and proueth your opinion to be false for Christes bloude clenseth us from all sinne none excepte so long as we walke in his light and not in darknesse Why ascribe ye then the purgacion of mens sinnes to anie kynde of pennaunce seyng Christes bloude hath and must haue the honoure therof Ye alledge here sondry places of scripture the circūstaunces wherof doth utterly disaproue your doctrine as planely apeareth to him that conferreth the same to the open wordes of the text which I hartely require all indifferent readers to do The place of Ezechiel is manifest that god will nomore thinke vpon their synnes that truly repent and turne from them The place of Esaye sheweth that god will haue mercy on such penitentes The place of Hieremy is plaine that yf people conuerte from their wickednesse god will nomore plage them therfore The xj chapter of wisdome declareth euidently that the punismentes which happened to the Egipcians were sent thorow the indignacion of god and that the trouble nourture and correction which the Israelites had came of his fatherly mercy The cxliiij Psalme witnesseth that the lord is gracious and mercifull long suffringe of great goodnesse louing to euery man et cet lifteth vp all them that are cast downe and is nie to all such as faithfully call
xliij where he saieth these wordes We can not do that we wold why so For we wold that ther were no concupiscences but we can not haue our will For whether we will or no we haue them whether we will or no they tickle they flatre they pricke they vexe they will vp they are kepte downe but not yet utterly extyncte as long as the flesh lusteth agaynst the sprete and the sprete agaynst the flesh The same affirmeth he in the sixtenth sermon de verbis Apostoli And in the xlix chapter de diffinitionibus orthodoxe fidei he saieth after this maner And therfore all holy men do truly in pronouncyng them selues sinners for of a trueth they haue wherof to complayne and though not thorow any reprofe of conscience yet thorow the frayltie et cet Such doctryne now though it be approued both by the holy scripture and by S Augustine yet because the Germaynes teach it it must nedes be condemned of you for an erroure I wondre ye condemne them not also for holding so litle of the popes church of his pardons of his purgatory for puttynge downe his religions his chauntrees his soule masses and diriges his trentals pilgrameges stacions et cet For ministring the sacramentes in their mother tong for setting their prestes dailie to preach the onely worde of god for bringing in no new customes in to the church for auoyding whordome and secrete abhominacion from among their clergy as well as from other for bringing vp their youth so well in the doctrine of god in the knowlege of tonges in other good lettres and honest occupacions for prouidinge so richely for their poore nedie fatherlesse and aged people et cet Now to your ensample of Abraham which obeyed the voyce of god Doth it proue that his obedience was so perfecte as the equite of gods iustice required Or that his owne wordes were false whan he saide vnto god I am but dust and asshes Standish Also it is said Iob primo In omnibus his non peccauit Iob. Couerdale The later parte of the text which declareth the whole meanyng therof leaue ye quite out The wordes of the scripture are these In all these dyd not Iob sin̄e ner spake any foolish thinge agaynst god Now is it manifest by the same chapter that whan the scripture hath tolde of the great aduersite that Iob had in the losse of his goodes and children it maketh mencion also of his notable pacience and then concludeth the chapter with those wordes The on parte wherof like as ye leaue out and tell the other in latyn from the vnlerned so make ye of a particular an vniuersall asthough Iob might not offende in other thinges though he grudged not here agaynst god For manifest is it that he did afterwarde curse the daie of his byrth as the thirde chapter declareth Now because Iob was pacient in his first aduersite and blasphemed not god doth that proue it an errour to holde with him whan he saieth Yf equite of iudgment be required no man darre beare recorde on my side Yf I will iustifie miselfe or shew miselfe innocent mine owne mouth shall condemne me Standishe And. S. Peter ij Pet. j. after he hath recyted certaine vertues et cet Couerdale S. Peter afore those wordes speakynge of the same vertues saieth thus Yf these thinges be present and plentifull in you they shall not let you be ydle ner vnfrutefull in the knowlege of oure lorde Iesus Christ Let one place of scripture now opē and expounde another Standishe Furthermore a strong argument to proue it maie be this Omnis qui in deo manet nō peccat j. Ioh. iij. Sed qui manet in charitate in deo manet j. Ioh. iiij ergo qui manet in charitate nō peccat et cet Couerdale To your argumēt I answer Like as it is true whan the scripture saieth they that are borne of god sinne not partly because god hath couered their sinne and imputeth it not vnto thē and part ly because they are at the staues end with sinne and delite not in it but kepe them selues from sin̄e as S. Iohn saieth in the same fifth chapter So is it true also that yf we saie we haue no sinne we disceaue our selues and the trueth is not in us as holy S. Iohn saieth In the declaracion of the which words S. Augustine noteth heresie in the Pelagians and Celestines for affirminge that the righteous haue utterly no sinne in this life Take you hede therfore that ye smel not of the Pelagians panne for it stinketh afarre of Standish As Dauid speakyng in the personne of euery good man said he did seruaui mandata tua domine Psal cxviij Couerdale He saieth also a litle after in the same Psalme vnto god I haue gone astraie like a shepe that is lost O seke thou thy seruaunt The circūstaunce also declareth that it is not onely a Psalme of consolaciō of doctrine and of thankesgeuing but also an ernest praier of one that is very feruēt in gods cause and in the defence of his word So that like as somtyme he mourneth and wepeth to se the actes and statutes of god despised Euen so cōplayneth he sore vnto god of them that manteyne anye doctrine contrary to his worde Thus in respect of them he darre boldly saie that he kepeth gods cōmaundementes and no mens doctrynes for he abhorreth all the false lerning of ypocrites But in consideracion of his owne infirmite he saieth to god oft times in this Psalme O teach me thy statutes geue me vnderstonding that I maie lerne thy statutes saue me helpe me deliuer me et cete Like as in another Psalme where he confesseth to haue kepte the waies of the lord he saieth a litle after in the same Psalme O my god geue thou light vnto my darknesse Standish Acording to goddes sayeng to Ieroboam ijj Reg. xiiij Couerdale Though god couered Dauids synnes and imputed them not vnto him yet made he his confession vnto god while he was in this body and said Yf you lord wilt strately marke iniquities lorde who shall abide it Lord entre not in to iudgment with thy seruaunt et cet Standish And also as it maie be proued by this that god cōmaundeth us nothinge vnpossible for us to do Couerdale One false opinion wold ye proue by another and by this present article like as by the other afore ye declare your selfe to be a very Pelagian and partaker of their heresie cōfuted by S. Augustine in the sixtenth chapter of his boke de libero arbitrio and in moo other places Standishe But he saieth not onely Matth. xix si vis ad vitam et cet Couerdale Your argument is this God that commaunded us to kepe his lawe ergo it is not vnpossible for us so to do But whether your cōsequent will be alowed in the checker or no we shall se by our Sauiours
laie to D. Barnes charge I haue talked with you afore Touchinge martirs Like as we haue cause sufficient to prayse god dailie for his worde mynistred vnto us by those martyrs that ye here haue named and for all such as be true folowers of thē So haue we no litle occasion to lamente and be sory that anie man betaking himselfe to godlines and makyng a couenaunt with god to lyue vnfaynedly after his worde shulde not professe the same in true fidelite and good workes Our lorde be praised yet which thorow the fall of other men hath warned us to beware of vnthankfulnesse For whan they that pretende to be setters vp of godlynesse are either ypocrites to god vntrue in the effaires of their prince maynteynours of pryde of ydillnesse of swearyng of excesse and of aduoutrye in them selues or in their housholde seruauntes Gods good worde must weere the papyre and be iack out of seruyce from other men Now god shew the right Barnes ANd that allwayes I haue spoken reuerently of sayntes and praised them as much as scripture wylled me to do Standishe Here he planely sheweth himselfe to be an heretike et cet Couerdale I am sure that Christes church hath made no such ordinaunce nether geuen any sentēce or iudgment that men shall not speake reuerently of saintes nether that men shall prayse them otherwyse then scripture teacheth How sheweth he himselfe thē to be an heretike in this behalfe that foloweth the example of Christes church and not of your vnholy synagoge What maketh youre diffiniciō of heresie to proue that he is an heretike which not onely speaketh reuerently of sayntes but also prayseth them acordinge to the rule of scripture Verely your diffinicion commeth out at an importunite Ye might also haue diffyned it thus and haue sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. volo decerno That is to saie I will so haue it I am at a full poynt For truly I se litle in youre writinge but wilfulnesse and obstinate resisting of the manifest trueth Well god is able to brydle you Standish Also in this his saienge that he wil do nothinge but that scripture byddeth him he planely goeth agaynst scripture et cet Couerdale Is he not a worthy Apostle legate or messaūger that hauinge commission of his prince what to saie in his message will speake thinges of his owne heade or more then his master commaundeth him Forsoith he declare manifestly whose Apostle ye be But now let us se how the scriptute will mainteine this spirituall treason euen treason verely and no better agaynst the Kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes Christ oure Sauyoure saieth vnto his Apostles these wordes As my liuinge father sent me so send I you How did his father send him My doctrine saieth he is not myne owne but my fathers that hath sent me Therfore saieth he go ye youre waye and teach all nacions and baptise them et cet and teach thē to kepe all thinges what so euer I haue commaunded you Ought not stewardes to be faithfull mynistres of their masters goodes to paye euery man good money as they be cōmaunded and not to geue false coyne in stead of syluer and golde Must we not contynue in the doctrine of Christ and speake that thing which is agreable to gods worde Your doctrine wold haue us to renne at ryote and not to kepe us with in the boundes that god hath appoynted us Standish So that here he proueth himselfe to haue another propertye of an heretike which is to go about with the worde of god to destroye the worde of god et cete Couerdale Like as ye proue not here with what text of scripture D. Barnes shulde go aboute to destroie the scripture so declare ye manifestly by this your opyniō and wrestinge of the texte to be one yourselfe that with the worde of god goeth aboute to destroye the worde of god Now to your thre places that ye bringe out of gods worde Where fynde ye in the fiftenth chapter of the actes that we must obeye more then holy scriptuture byddeth us First S. Peter confesseth there in that coūsail that it is a tēpting of god to laie anie yock of the ceremonies of Moses lawe vpon the neckes of Christes disciples or to trouble the weake consciences of those which lately we returned and conuerted to the faith And afore in the same place he confesseth that god appoynted and ordeyned him to preach the worde of the gospell and maketh mencion of none other doctrine Againe like as by the comē consente of the Apostles in the same coūsail ye se that they wolde not be brought in to subiection ner geue place to those false brethern that wolde haue brought in ceremonies of the law to binde mens cōsciences withal So wolde they not that the brethren which were turned to Christ shulde abuse their libertie in him but absteyne from certayne meates for offendinge of the weake which thinge also S. Paul requyreth ernestly in his Epistles In the xvj chapter of the Actes Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and whan Paul sawe that to circumcise Timothye was a thing which might be done for the time and was not requyred of the Iewes as a thing necessary he was content Wherby it is manifest that like as in thinges indifferent they had allwaye respecte to the tyme in forbearinge weake conscientes for a whyle so preached they none other doctryne but gods onely worde In the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians S. Paul whan he hath told them of the great departing from the faith doth geue thankes to god for calling thē to his trueth of the gospel in the which he requireth thē to stand stedfast and to kepe such ordinaunces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or by epistle Now let me demaunde of you this question In the xv of the Actes whan Peter preacheth the worde of the gospell and forbyddeth the binding of weake consciences with supersticious thinges and consenteth with the other Apostles to haue such a charitable respecte to the tyme Is that as much as to will that men shal obeie more then is grounded in scripture In the xvj of the Actes whan Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and deale gently with the consciences of the weake acordinge to the tyme will they that men shall obeie more then holy scripture teacheth them ij Tessa ij Whan S. Paul requyreth them to stande stedfast in the trueth of the gospell and to kepe such ordinaūces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or in their Epistles willeth he them to obeye more then is conteyned in holy scripture Thus is it euydent where about ye go namely euen by your false alledginge of such places of gods worde to destroye the worde of god This is
Couerdale D. Barnes wordes are playne ynough He goeth no farther then the article of your crede yf ye be a Christen man What will ye more Do these his wordes iudge any good man to be none of Christes church Or be they good men that professe not Christ Standish For it can not be but either your secte or the other be the malignaūt church Couerdale But so it is that ye which are of another secte blaspheme Christes bloude Ergo ye are of the malignaunt church Standish Two contraries can not stande both in one Couerdale It is not reason that they shulde and yet can ye bringe it so to pas for ye can prately well graunt to a thing in one place and denie the same in another as I tolde you oft afore Standish Hinc Iacobi iij. Nunquid fons de eodem foramine et cet Couerdale It foloweth a litle after euen in the same place yf anye man be wise and endewed with learnyng among you let him shew the workes of his good cōuersaciō in the mekenesse that is coupled with feare Which text doth utterly confute your former doctryne that will not haue us do good workes to set forth oure profession Standish Vnde .ij. Corinth vj. Que societas luci ad tenebras et cet Couerdale It foloweth immediatly in the text What parte hath the beleuer with the infidell How accordeth the tēple of god with images Now might I aske this questiō also of you How do these places of scripture that ye haue now alledged agree to the confutacion of D. Barnes wordes which saieth I do beleue that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do professe Christ Standishe Wherby ye proue your selfe both an heretike and a traytoure Couerdale Do ye laie heresie and treason to him for beleuyng that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do professe Christ Saieth he here anie thinge els And do ye not confesse your selfe that euery Christen man must thus beleue yf he will be saued Standish Makynge by youre deuelish doctrine not onely us to be the malignaunt church Couerdale To beleue that article of the Crede which D. Barnes here affirmeth is no doctryne to make you of the malignaunt church but your blaspheminge of Christes deare bloude your defacinge of his glorye your wresting peruerting and belieng of his holy worde and disagreyng from the wholsome doctryne therof maketh you ye maye knowe what by S. Pauls wordes .j. Timo. vj. Ye plaie here with D. Barnes though he be deed from this body as the false Prophet Sedechias did with Michee Who whan he had exhorted the kyng not to breake gods commaundemēt this Sedechias stepte forth among foure hundred of his secte and smote Michee vpon the cheke and saide What hath the sprete of the lord forsaken me and spoken vnto the Euen thus do ye with the deed whom though ye may not hurt with your fist yet do ye your worst with your tonge against him Notwithstondinge ye shall be of the malignaunt church still for all your facyng and bragginge yee though ye had ten thousand times foure hundred false Prophetes of youre side solonge as ye resist the manifest trueth of god Standish But also oure heade the Kynges graces maiestye and his honorable counsell Couerdale I darre saye that the Kynges highnesse and his noble counsaill doth iudge no malignite to be imputed vnto them whan anie subiecte beleueth that ther is a holy church for they knowe that it is an article necessary to be beleued of all Christen men Wherfore this cauillaciō declareth you planely to be but a pike thanke in this behalfe Well yet remembre the ende of Sedechias the storye is written for your warnyng And verely like as myne humble expectacion in the Kynges highnesse doth persuade me so heard I a very famous and prudent counsailour of his who yet is aliue saye within these few yeares that of all prynces liuing his grace is the greatest enemie to flatrers whan he ones hath thorowly spied them The Kynge also hath receaued his hie and suppreme office of god to defend the worde the faith the congregacion and church of god within his dominion and is no mayntener of anye such malignaunt church Yf your doctrine come to light it will doutlesse declare the same Standish By whose lawes you be now iustly condemned to be burnte Couerdale By what lawe he was cōdemned I wote not nomore than I can tell what poynt of treason was layed vnto him But sure I am that like as the ciuile lawes of euery realme excepte the prynce graunt his pardon condemne such as are accused by the mouthes of many witnesses so do false witnesses oft tymes bring to death euen innocent persons as ye se by the storie of Naboth of Susanna of holy S. Steuen in the actes and of oure Sauioure Christ Yee cleane contrary to the iudges minde Neuertheles though Cain slaye Abel in the busshes yet will murthur come out at the last Standish But now to speake of this parte of your belefe et cete Couerdale What is the holy church and cōpany of thē that professe Christ but that true and faithfull church which is ruled by the holy goost acording to gods promes euen the congregacion of the electe and chosen children of god What els can ye iustly gather of D. Barnes wordes but he confesseth the same whan he saieth I beleue that ther is a holy church et cete Standish For this is the company that professe Christ with their mouth et cet Couerdale So they do also with other good frutes aswell as with their mouth Now yf this company of Christes church do professe Christ with their mouth then haue they some iniunctiō of god so to do for without his commaundement will they do nothinge ner consente to that which they knowe not to be his will And thus haue ye proued your selfe at the last that it is not erroneous to saye how that god hath commaunded us to do good workes for the settyng forth of our profession Had it not bene more worshippe to you for to haue graunted the same at the first thē now with shame to affirme it that ye denyed afore Barnes ANd that all that haue suffred and cōfessed his name be sayntes and that all they do prayse and laude god in heauē more then I or any mans tonge can expresse Standishe As you do take it this is also erroneous et ce Couerdale What so euer the cause were that he was put to death for wherof I am ignoraunt it is no euell token of a Christen man at the very poynt of his death among other articles of the crede to confesse that such a holy church ther is which professeth the name of Christ and ys content to laude and prayse it and to lyue and die in his cause Nether is it erroneous thus to saie Of arrogauncye that ye