he full hard wer it in myne own mynd otherwyse to thynk but the god shall allway kepe the ryght byleue in hys churche But yet sythe we come to thys conclusyon by the grauntyng therof let vs loke onys agayne thereuppon And what yf mâ— wold saye as I hard onys owne saye my self the god doth peraduenture not kepe alwaye fayth in hys churche to gyue theÌ„ warnyng wyth when they doo well wheÌ„ the contrary But syth he hath geuen theâ—m and lefte wyth theym the scrypture iÌ„ whyche they may suffycyeÌ„tly see both what they shuld byleue and what they shuld doo he letteth theym alone therwyth wythoute any other specyall cure of hys vppon they re fayth and by lefe For therein they may see all that theÌ„ nedyth if they wyll loke labour theriÌ„ And if they wyll not the faulte is theyr owne slouth and foly And who so bee wyllyng to mend and be better maye alway haue light to se how by recours to the redyng of holy scrypture whych shall stande hym iÌ„ lyke stede as ye sayd byfore the god kepte the fayth for by hys specyall menys in hys chyrch ¶ yf this q I were thus wherof shuld chrystes promyse serue Ego vobiscuÌ„ sum oÌ„nibus diebus vsque ad finem secult I aÌ„ wyth you all the dayes tyll th ende of yâ— worlde wherefore shold he be here with hys churche yf hys beyng here shulde not kepe his ryght fayth and byleue in hys churche Mary q he these wordys well agreeth wyth all for god ys shal be vntyll the worldes ende wythe hys churche in his holy scripture As Abraham answerd the ryche man in hell seyeng they haue Moyses and the prophites not meanyng that they had theÌ„ all at that tyme present wyth theÌ„ but only that they had theyr boyks And so chryst for asmoche as the scrypture hath hys fayth comprehendyd therin according to his own wordes Scrutamini scripturas quia scripture sunt qtestimonium perhibent de me Serche you the scryptures for they bere witnes of me therfore he sayd Ego vobiscum sum vsque ad finem seculi I am wyth you to th end of the world because his holy scrypture shall neuer fayle as long as the worlde endureth Heuyn and yerth sayth he shall passe away but my wordes shall neuer passe away And therfore iÌ„ his holy wrytiÌ„g is he with vs styll and theriÌ„ he kepyth and techeth vs his ryght fayth yf we lyste to loke for yt ellys as I sayde our owne fawte and foly yt ys ¶ yf god quod I be none otherwyse wyth vs but iÌ„ holy scripture then be those wordys of chryste I am wythe you to yâ— worldes ende suÌ„what straungely spoken and vnlyke the wordes of Abraham whereunto ye resemble theÌ„ For chryst left neuer a boke behynde hym of hys owne makynge as Moyses did and the profytis And in theyr bokys was he spokiÌ„ of as he was in the gospell wherfore if he had spokeÌ„ and ment of scrypture he wold haue sayd that they shuld haue wyth them styll hys euangelystes and wryters of his gospels as AbrahaÌ„ sayd they haue moyses and the prophetis whych were the writers of the bokâ—s that the ieâ—es had Chryst also sayd I am wyth you tyll th end of the worlde not I shal be but am whyche ys the word apê“pâ—yed to hys godhed And therfor that word am is the name by whych our lord â—â—â—d â—s he tolde Moyses be named vnto pharao as a name whyche from all cretures syth they be all subget to tyme clerly dyscernyth hys godhed whyche ys euer beyng and present wythowte dyfference of tyme paste or to come In whych wyse he was not in his holy scrypture for that had begynnyng And at those wordys spoken was not yet all wryten For of the chefe part which ys the new testament ther was yet at that time neuer on word wreten And also we be not sure bi any ê“mis made that the scrypture shall enoure to the worldes ende albeit I thynk verely the substaunce shall But yet as I saye ê“mise haue we none thereof For where our lorde sayth that hys wordes shall not passe away nor one â—ote therof be lost he spake of his promyses made in deâ—e as hys faythe and doctryne taught by mouth and inspyracion Not that the wrytyng shuld neuer be lost oâ— whyth sum partyes be all redy loste more per aduenture then we can tell of And of that we haue the bokys in sum partâ— corrupted wyth mysse wrytynge And yet the substance of those wordys that he ment ben knowen wher sum parte of the wrytyng ys vnknown He sayth also that hys father and he shulde send the holye goste and also that he wâ—lde coÌ„ hym selfe wherto all thys yf he meÌ„t no more but to leue the bokys bâ—hynd them and go they re way Chryste is al so present amâ—ng vs bodyly iÌ„ the holy sacramente And ys he there presente wyth vs for nothyng The holy goste taught many thyngê I thynk vnwryten and wherof sum parte was neuer comprysyd iÌ„ the scrypture yet vnto thys daye as the artycle whyche no goode chrysten man wyll doute â—f that oure blessyd lady was a perpâ—tuall vyrgyn aswell after the byrthe of chryste as afore Owre sauiour â—lso sâ—yâ— vnto his Apposteles that wheÌ„ they shuld be accused and brought in Iugement they shuld not nede to care for answere yt shulde euen theÌ„ he put iÌ„ ther myndes And that he mente not only the remeÌ„braunce of holy scripture which before the paynym iugê were but a colde and bare allegyng but suche wordes newe geuen them by god inspyred in they re hertê so effectuall and coÌ„fermid wyth myracles that theyr aduersaries though they were angry therat yet shuld not bee able to resyste yt And thus wythe secret helpe and inspiracion ys chryste wyth hys churche and wylbe to the worldes ende present and assystent Not oÌ„ly spoken of in wrytyng ¶ The .xxi. chapyter ¶ The author sheweth that yf yt so were in dede as the messenger sayd that is to wytt that chryste coÌ„tynued wyth hys chyrch none other wise but only by the leuynge of hys holye scrypture to theym and that all the fayth also were oÌ„ly therin thaÌ„ shuld it yet folow that as far as the necessyte of our saluacyon requyreth god geueth the chyrch the ryght vndeâ—staÌ„dyng therof And theruppon foloweth â—arther that the chyrche can not err in the tyght fayth whereuppon is inferred eâ—te sone all that the messeÌ„ger wold haue fled fro byfore And therâ—n also specially followeth that â—ll thâ— texâ—ê of holy scripture whych herytyques alledge agaynst ymagê or eny poynt of the comen byleue of Chrystys catholique church can no thyng serue they re purpose BUt now wold I wytte syth ye reken hym none other wyse present theÌ„ in holy scrypture whether theÌ„ doth he gyue hys churche the ryght vnderstandyng of holy scrypture or not ¶ what yf he do not quod he ¶ Mary quod
techith his chirch wtout scriptur agaynst our owne miÌ„de also to gyue dylygent heryng ferme credence and faythfull obedieÌ„ce to that chyrch of chryst concernyng the sence vnderstaÌ„dyng of holy scripture Not dowtiÌ„g but sith he hath coÌ„maÌ„ded his shepe to be fedde he hath prouyded for theym holesome mete and trewe doctryne And that he hath therfore so farre inspyred the olde holy doctours of his chyrch with the lyght of his grace for our instrucâ—yoÌ„ that the doctrine wherin they haue agreed and by many agys conseÌ„ted is that very true fayth and ryght way to heuyn beyng put in theyr myndes by the holy haÌ„d of hym qui facit vnanimes iÌ„ domo that maketh yâ— chyrch of Cryst all of one mynd The .xxviii. chapyter ¶ The messenger eft sonys obiected agaynst thys that we shulde byleue yâ— chyrch iÌ„ any thyng where we fynd the wordes of scrypture semiÌ„g playnely to say the contrary or byleue yâ— olde doctours interpretacyons in any necessary artycle where they seme to vs to say coÌ„trary to the texte shewiÌ„g that we may ê‘ceyue yâ— scripture aswel as they might the answer of the author ê“uiÌ„g the authorite of the old interpters the infallible authorite of the chirch iÌ„ yâ— god techith it euery truthe requysite to the necessite of maÌ„nys saluacyoÌ„ which he ê“ueth by a deducey oÌ„ ê‘tely depeÌ„diÌ„g vppoÌ„ naturall resoÌ„ IT semeth me quod he that all thys goth well that we shulde byleue the chyrch as chryst as longe as they say as Cryst sayth for some thynkethe ment our lorde ¶ But now yf they tel me talis of theyr owne wherof Cryst neuer spake worde nor mencyoÌ„ made therof in holy scrypture I may thaÌ„ say with the ê“phet Hieremie noÌ„ mittebaÌ„ prophetas et ipsi currebant Non loquebar ad eds et ipsi prophetabant those prophetis quod our lord ranne forthe of they re owne hed and I sent theym not And ê“phecyed of theyr owne heddes whaÌ„ I spake nothyng to theym And than how myche may I more say so yf they say me a thynge wherof Cryste or holy scrypture sayth the contrary shall I byleue the chyrch aboue chyrste were that a good humylyte to be obedyent more to menne than to god More ought I me thynketh to byleue god aboue spekynge in hys holy scrypture hym selfe than all the olde fathers yf they make a glose agaynste the texte Nor they doo nott theym selfe for they re opynyons say wryte that they haue theym by inspyracyon or by reuelacyon or by myracle But by wysedome studye dylygence and collacyoÌ„ of one texte wyth a nother By all whych meanys men may now perceyue the senteÌ„ce of scrypture as well as they myght than And yf ye wyll peraduenture say that grace holpe theâ—m whych I wyll well agree than wyll I say agayne that goddys grace is not so farre worn oute yet but yâ— yt may as well helpe vs as yt holpe theym and so may we be for the ryght vnderstandynge of scrypture equall wyth theym and peraduenture one ace aboue theym wherby whan we ê“ceyue that they went wrong and other after theym shall we than call yt humylyte so to captyue subdue our vnderstandynge wherby god hath happely geuen vs lyght to perceyue theyr errours that without thank geuyn him therfore we shall so sett hys gyfte at nought that we shall byleue theym byfore hym selfe tell hym that hym self bad soâ—â— therfore me thiÌ„ke where yâ— old doctours or the holy chyrche telleth me the tale that god doth ther he byddeth me byleue theym But where god sayeth one thynge in scrypture and they tell me a nother yt thynkith me that I shuld in no wyse byleue theym ¶ well quod I than in suÌ„what ye saye ye will bileue the chirch but not in all In eny thynge bysyde scrypture ye wyll not nor in the interpretacion of scrypture ye wyll not And so where ye sayed that ye byleue the chyrch in suÌ„what in very dede ye beleue the church iÌ„ right nought For wherein wyll ye byleue yt yf ye byleue it not in the interpretacioÌ„ of scripture For as touchynge the texte ye byleue the scrypture self and not the chirch ¶ Me thynketh q he the text ys good ynough and playne ynough nedynge no glose yf yt be well consydered euery parte compared with other ¶ Hard yt were quod I to fynde eny thynge so playne that yt shulde nede no glose at all ¶ In faythe quod he theye make a gloâ—e to suÌ„ textys that be as playne as yt is yâ— twise two make four ¶ why quod I nedeth that no glose at all ¶ I trow so quod he Or els the deuyll ys oÌ„ yt ¶ I wysse quod I and yet though ye wole bileue one that wold tell you that twise two gaÌ„ders made alway foure gese yet ye wolde be aduysed ere ye byleued hym that wolde tell you that twyse two geese made alway foure ganders For theriÌ„ might ye be deceyued And him wold ye not byleue at all that wolde tell you that twise two gese wold alway make foure horse ¶ Tut quod he thys ys a mery mater They must be all that twyse twayne alway of one kynde But gese and horse be of dyuerse ¶ well quod I than euery man that ys neythere gose nor horseseâ—th well that there is one glose yet But nowe quod I the geese and the ganders be both of one kynde and yet twyse two gese make not alway foure ganders ¶ A swete mater quod he ye wote what I meane well ynough ¶ I thynke I do quod Iâ— but I thinke if ye bryng yt furth yt wyll make a nothere glose to your texte as playne as youre texte ys and ye wyll in all holy scrypture haue no glose at all And yet wyll ye haue collaâ—yon made of one texte with a nother and shew how they may be agreed to gether as thogh all that were no glose ¶ ye quod he but wold you that we shulde byleue the chyrch yf yt seâ—t a glose that wyll in no wyse agree wyth the text but that it aperyth playnly that the texte well consydered sayeth clene the contrary ¶ To whoÌ„ dothe that apere quod I so playnly whaÌ„ yt aperyth one to you and to the hole chirch a nother ¶ yet yf I se yt so quod he though holy doctours all the hole chyrch wolde tell me the contrarye me thynkythe I were no more bounden to bileue them all that the scrypture menith as they take yt than if they wolde all tell me that a thynge were whyte whych I se my self ys blak ¶ Of late quod I ye wolde byleue the chirch in sum thynge And now not onely ye wold byleue it in nothiÌ„g but also where as god wold the church shulde be your iudge ye wold now be iudge ouer the chirche And ye wyll by your wyt be iudge whyther the chyrch in the vnderstaÌ„dynge of holy scripture that god hath wryten to hys chyrche
I then your selfe seeth well that they were as well wythowte And so shulde the scrypture stand them in as goode stede as a payre of spectacles shulde stande a blynde freer ¶ That ys very truthe quod he But therefore hath hys wysdom and goodnes prouyded yt so to be wreten that yt may be well vnderstaÌ„den by the collacyoÌ„ and consyderacyon of one texte wyth a nothere ¶ May yt not also be q I that sum of them whych do rede it dilygently and dylygently compare and consyder euery texte how yt may stand with otheâ— may yet for all that mistake and mysunderstande yt ¶ yes quod he yt may be so For elles had there not ben so many herytykes as ther hathe ben ¶ Uery truthe quod I. But now yf all the fayth be in holy scrypture and no parte therof any where elles but that yt must be therin all to gether lernyd were yt then suffycyent to vnderstand sum parte aryght and sum other parte wronge in the necessary poyntê of our fayth or must we as farforth as coÌ„cernith the necessyte therof mysunderstand no parte ¶ we must q he mystake no parte as farre as necessaryly coÌ„cernith our faythe But we muste haue so the ryght vnderstanding of all to gether that we conceyue no damnable errour ¶ well sayd quod I. Then yf we must we maye For yf we may not we muste not For our lord byndyth no maÌ„ to aÌ„ iÌ„possybylyte we way q he If we may q I theÌ„ may we ether by good hap fall in the ryght vnderstandyng or els by naturall reson cuÌ„ to it or els by suê‘naturall grace be ledd into it ¶ That is trâ—th q he nedê must it be one of these wayâ— well q I we wyll not yet eÌ„serch whych But I wold furst wyt whether Cryst haue a chyrch in the world coÌ„tynually so shall haue to the worldê eÌ„d or els hath one sumtyme suÌ„tyme noÌ„e at all As we might thynk that he had onâ— whyle he was here hym self ê‘aduenture a whyle after hapely none at all neuer sythyÌ„s nor shall not agayne we wot nere when Nay q he that can not be in no wyse but that he muste nedys haue hys church coÌ„tynew styll suÌ„ where for els how coud he be with them coÌ„tynually to the worldys end in scrypture or other wyse yf they with whoÌ„ he promisyd to bâ— contynew to the worldys end shulde not contynually so longe endure Or how could those wordê of cryst be trew Lo I am with you all the days to the worldys end yf before the worldê end he wer away sum days as he wer in dede fro the church sum days if in suÌ„ days he had no church well quod I yet wold I wit one thyng more Can he haue a church wtout faythe Nay quod he that were iÌ„possyble Forsoth quod I so were it for hys church is a congregacyoÌ„ of people gatheryd into hys fayth And fayth is the furst substaÌ„cyall dyfference dyscernyng crysten men from hethen as reason is the diffâ—rence deuydyng maÌ„ froÌ„ all the kyndys of brute beâ—â—ys Now then if hys churche be and euer shal be contynuall wythoute any tymes betwene in whyche there shall be none and wythoute fayth yt may neuer bee and no parte of the fayth is as ye saye ellys where had but in holy scrypture and all yt must be had and also as we were agreyd a â—ytyll whyle afore there must be non errour adioynid therto therfore as far as toucheth the necessyte of feyth no part of scrypture may be misse taken but all must be vnderstanden ryght and may be ryght vnderstaÌ„den eyther by happe reason our helpe of grace yt necessaryly folowethe that by one or other of these ways the chyrch of Cryste hath alway neuer faylethe the ryght vnderstaÌ„dyng of scrypture as fare as longethe for oure necessyte ¶ That foloweth in dede q he ¶ well quod I let passe for the whyle what foloueth further And â—yth the church so hath let vs fyrste aggree by whyche of these .iii. wayes the church hath it why there by happe reason or grace ¶ By happe quod he were a poore hauyng For so myghte yt hap to haue and hap to fayle ¶ Then quod I sythe yt hathe yt euer it can not be by hap what thiÌ„â— you then of reasone ¶ As lytell quod he as any man thynkethe For I take that for playne enmye to faythe ¶ ye take paradueÌ„ture wrong quod I. But thereof shall we se further aftere But now syth ye so thynk ye leue but the thirde way whych is the help of grace ¶ No surly quod he ¶ Ueryly quod I where reson may betwene dyuers textys stand in greate doute whych way to lene I thynk that god wyth hys holy spyryt ledeth hys church into the coÌ„sent of the trouthe As hym selfe sayd that the holy goste whoÌ„ he wold send shulde lede theym iÌ„ to all trouth And thus by the helpe off hys grace as yee grauÌ„t the ryght vnderstandiÌ„g of scrypture is euer preserued iÌ„ hys church froÌ„ all suche mystakyng wherof myght folow any damnable errour concernyng the fayth And therof doth ther fyrst folow that besyde the scrypture self ther is an other present assystence speciall cure of god perpetuall with his church to kepe yt iÌ„ the right fayth that it erre not by mysse vnderstandynge of holy scrypture contrary to thoppynioÌ„ that ye purposyd when ye sayde that Chrystys beyng wyth hys churche was only the leuyng of hys holy scrypture to vs. And ouer thys yf god were no nother wyse present then ye speke of yet syth yt ys proued that hys church for all that euer hath the ryght vnderstandyng of scrypture we be coÌ„men to yâ— same poiÌ„t agayne that ye wold so fayne flyt froÌ„ For yf the scrypture and nothyng but the scrypture doth contayn all thiÌ„g that we be bounden to byleue and to do and to forbere and that god also therfore prouydeth for hys church the ryght vndeâ—standyng therof coÌ„cernyng euery thiÌ„g necessary for vs that is coÌ„teynid iÌ„ scripture theÌ„ must there nedes folow theruppon the thyng that ye feryd lest ye had wronge and vnaduysydly grauntyd that ys to wyt that god alway kepyth the ryght fayth in his church And theruppoÌ„ foloweth further the remanant of all that ys in questyon bytwene vs that the faythe of the chyrche in the worshyp that yt beleuyth to be well geuyn vnto sayntys relyques and ymagys ys not erronyous but ryght And ther uppon foloweth also that the myracles done at such places ben none illusyoÌ„s of dampned sprytys but the myghtye hande of god to shew hys pleasure in the corroboracyon thereof and in the excytacyon of oure deuâ—cyon therto ¶ In dede quod he we be cuÌ„ bakk here wyth goyng forwarde as men walke in a mase ¶ ye haue not yet quod I lost all that labour For thogh ye haue half a chek in thys poynte yet haue ye yf ye perceyue
I suffer to allow ryghte well in some But yet if he did neuer in his life lerne oughte els how olde think ye that he shuld be or he lerned the articles of his belefe in the bible ¶ I can nott redely tell quod he for I haue not sene it assayed ¶ well quod I sith we be not sure how long it wolde be in lernynge there were it not beste then that for the whyle he were tought hys crede before in his own mother tong ¶ I demeÌ„ not yâ— q he that he shuld conne hys crede byfore because euery chrysteÌ„ mannys chylde by the law shuld know hys fayth as sone as he coud but I say he shuld not therwith take vppon hym to iudge and examyne holy scrypture therby ¶ well quod I let thys crysten chylde of ours alone for a whyle And let vs coÌ„syder yf there were a good old ydolater that neuer had hard in all his lyfe any thyng of our belefe or of other god theÌ„ only the man in yâ— mone whoÌ„ he had watched aÌ„d worshypped euery frosty night If thys maÌ„ myght sodeÌ„ly haue yâ— hole byble turned into his own tong rede yt ouer thynke ye that he shuld therby lerne all the artycles of yâ— fayth ¶ I thynk quod he yâ— he myght ¶ ThiÌ„k ye so q I I put case that he beleuyd that all yâ— boke were lyes ¶ Mary q he that may he by yâ— book hym self lern the coÌ„trary For the boke in tellyng hys tale affyrmyth hys tale techyth yt to be trew ¶ ye say very trothe quod I if yt were all one to rede a thyng lerne a thynge But now myght there be an other boke made also wyth lesse wonders fewer therby lesse vnlykly aÌ„d yett all vntrewe And how should hys mynde geue hym than that thys boke tellyng so incredible wonders shuld be trew ¶ Nay quod he that thyng must he nedys beleue or els he can parceyue nothynge ¶ well quod I then is there one poynt of fayth one gret lessoÌ„ to be lernyd without the boke that must be lernyd sum where ether by god or maÌ„ or els yâ— hole boke wyll do vs lytyll seruice And of whom we shall lern that we shall se herafter But now suppose that thys olde ydolater were thorouly perswadyd in hys mynd that all the boke were trew thynk you thaÌ„ that he shuld fynd out theryn all the artycles of our fayth ¶ I thynk quod he that he shuld ¶ Thynk ye so q I beyt so than But thynk ye that he shall fynde them outâ— all in a weke ¶ Nay quod he that can he not do ¶ well quod I than sith he shall not at the lest wyse fynde them out all on a day let vs leue hym a lytyll while in sekyng we shall retorne agayn after to hym and loke what he shall haue founden And in the meane season we shall go loke agayn vppon oure good lytell godsoÌ„ the boy parde that we crystened ryght now taught hym his crede sett hym to scrypture were it nede yâ— thys chyld knew no more of hys fayth but his crede before he go to scripture ¶ Me thynketh quod he that yt were ynoughe ¶ Be it so than quod I. ¶ whatt yf yt shoulde fortune hym to fynde some text of scripture that shuld seme to him to be coÌ„trary to his crede As for ensample yf he happened vppoÌ„ the redyng of these wordys Dij estis filij excelsi omnes Goddys be ye all the chyldern of the hye god what yf he wolde wene that syth in these wordys it ys sayd all good meÌ„ be the chyldern of god oure sauyour Cryste were not goddys onely begoten sonne but hys soÌ„ne in such wyse as god by yâ— prophet callyth all good men ¶ That coud he not thynke q he For he shuld in â— other partes of scrypture fynd many placys that shuld shew hym well the contrary ¶ well sayd quod I very truth But now in the mene tyme wyll ye that he shal beleue as that text shall seme to souÌ„d to hym agaynst hys crede tyll he haue found a nother texte in scrypture that answeryth yt seemyth to hym to saye more playnly the coÌ„trary ¶ Nay quod he not one houre For he seeth that thogh other good men be callyd goddys chyldern goddys yet as they be not very goddys so be they not goddê very naturall chyldern by generacyon but by acceptacyon where as the crede sayeth of our sauyour that he is goddes onely bygotten sone that sygnyfyeth him to be hys soÌ„ne by generacyon ¶ That is quod I very trew and well and resonably consyderyd and accordynge vnto the very ryght fayth But now consyder that ye make hym by and by fall to the squaryng of his stones lyke that slowthfull masoÌ„ that ye spake of wyth hys leden rule For now ye make hym to examyne the trouth of thys texte of the psalme by the artycle of the faythe whych he brought wyth hym and by a colleccioÌ„ and discourse of reason And so forthwyth ye finde both these rules necessarie to the discussioÌ„ of scrypture Of whych twayne ye wolde in the byginnyng admit nether nother ¶ But now goo ferther what yf he wolde vppon thys texte homines iumenta sal uabis deus God thou shalt saue both men and bestys wene that bestys had immortall soulis as menne haue and that maÌ„ and beste shuld be both saued at laste and so yâ— no dedely sinne shuld be ponyshed wyth euerlasting payne â—â—ll he cam to other textys that shulde proue well the contrarye were the beste or ellys were it better that bysyde hys crede he had knowlege bifore of these artycles of our feythe that onely oure soules be in mortall and not bestys al so And that the payne of hell shal be for synners euer lastiÌ„g And that he may therby wyth reason ioyned therto perceyue that this text Thou shalte saue bothe men and bestê is mente by som other kinde of sauing and preseruyng here in thys world and not of bryngyng both to heuen ¶ All thys may he know quod he by scripture selfe well I â—ough ¶ That wot I well q I. And yet as playne as christe speketh of hell iÌ„ the gospell Origene for all yâ— which neyther was a nawghty maÌ„ nor vnlerned in scrypture could not so clerly se it but that he sayed the contrary And toke the wordes of Chryste in a wroÌ„g sense And wolde perauenture wythe one that wolde stykke onely vppon the the wordys of scripture leuyng the right sense therof whych god and hys holly spryt hath tawght his churche brynge hym to a baye therin that he shuld be fayne not our chylde onely but also a well elderly man and in scripture well forwarde to take hym in conclusyon to yâ— fayth of Chrystys church ¶ Now if our childe sholde rede on the texte of scrypture wythout care of the commeÌ„ t is and wythout
mater eny thing deceyuyd but they clerely deceyuyd that do vnderstand those textê of holy scrypture to the contrary These thiÌ„â—gys as I saye and yett many other mo myght I lay But syth ye dyd your self put the chyrch them both in one case so they be in dede I wyll rather ê“ue you the treuth of them by the treuth of the chyrch than the treuth of the chyrch by the treuthe of theÌ„ so semyth me good reason For surely syth they were but meÌ„bers of hys chyrch god had hys specyall cure vppon them moste especyall for the profyte of his churche by whose hole corps he more settyth than by eny member therof saynt apostle euangelyst or other And therfore must I yet ask you agayn whether the chyrch may haue eny dampnable errour in the fayth by mystakiÌ„g of scripture or otherwise ¶ That ys q he sumwhat hard to tell ¶ Now quod I sumwhat I meruayle that ye remember not that your self hath agred all redy that these wordê of Christ spoken vnto Peter I haue prayd that thy fayth shall neuer fayle were not oÌ„ly ment by the fayth iÌ„ Peter hys owne persoÌ„ but also by the fayth of the chyrch For to hym was yt spoken as hed of the chyrche ¶ yes I remember q he ryght well that I agreede yt But I remember also that notwtstanding mine agremente ye were content that we shulde enserch agayn and agayne the matere otherwyse bysyde wherin myne agrement shuld not binde me ¶ Lo quod I that had I forgotteÌ„ agayne But let it thaÌ„ alone for the whyle and tell me this Dyde not Chryste entende to gader a floke congregacyon of peole that shulde serue god and be hys specyall people ¶ yes quod he that ys very trouthe For so sayethe playne scrypture of Christe in sondry placys As where the fathere of heuen sayeth vnto Chryste in the psalme Postula a me dabo tibi genâ—es hereditatem tuam aske of me and I shall giue the paynym people for thyne enherytaunce many other placys And els vndowtedly hys hole coÌ„miÌ„g had bene in maner frustrate in vayne ¶ That people quod I whych shulde be aÌ„ eÌ„herytaunce â—yd he entende shulde endure for hys owne dayes oÌ„ly while he lyued herâ— or els that yâ— shulde go forth coÌ„tynue long after ¶ Nay quod he that shall coÌ„tynue whyle the worlde lasteth here tyll domys daye after in heuen eternally ¶ Shall this peple q I haue amonge theym the knowlege vnderstandynge what he wolde they shulde do to please god wythe all ¶ ye q he ¶ whyâ—her shall they quod I haue thys knowlege for a while iÌ„ the bygynnyng than lese yt or shall they haue it styll as longe as they contynue ¶ Here he bygaÌ„ a litle to stagger why quod I caÌ„ ye call thâ— hys peple any lenger yf they lese the knowlege how to serue hym and please hym yf they for sloth to do theyr dutye as slake seruauntys suÌ„tyme do yet may they mend do beter a nother tyme. But yf they lese the knolege of they re dutye tâ—aÌ„ wot they nere which way to mend As he that knoweth fornicacyon for syn may fall by frayletye to fornycacyon But syth he knowethe yt for nought thoughe he sinnid more in the doyng than yf he had not knowen the prohybycyon yet doth the knowlege gyue hym warnynge and occacyon of repentaunce and amendment whych must nedys lack yf he had lost the knowlege ¶ UppoÌ„ this he grauÌ„ted that it must nedys be that thys peple muste nedys haue alwaye the knolege how to serue and please our lorde or els they ceaced to be hys peple ¶ Is not this peple q I called the chirch ¶ yes quod he ¶ ThaÌ„ the chyrâ—h quod I alway hath â—lway shall by your reasoÌ„ haue the knowlege vnderstaÌ„diÌ„g how god may be seruid and plesed ¶ Trouth q he ¶ Is quod I that knolege fully had wtout the knolege of such thingê as god biÌ„deth vs to bileue Nay q he what if we knew theÌ„ iÌ„ such wise q I as we could reheâ—se theÌ„ oÌ„ our fiÌ„gers eÌ„dys yet byleuyd theym not to be trewe wolde thys knowlege serue ¶ In no wyse q he for yf ye byleued the to be false thogh ye so knew theÌ„ that ye could reherse theym by rowe ye coud take no warniÌ„g by theÌ„ to plese serue god with theÌ„ which is the causâ— wherfore the chyrch shulde of necessytâ— know theÌ„ This is q I vâ—ry well sayd thaÌ„ sith ye grauÌ„t that the chyrch shall euer eÌ„dure that it coud not â—dure wtout the knolege of sich thiÌ„gê as may plese god nor thos thiÌ„gê can be all known if knolege laked of those thiÌ„gê that god byndeth vs to bileue nor the knolege of theÌ„ eny thiÌ„g sarue to the knolege warniÌ„g geueÌ„ vs of goddys pleasure but yf we not only can tell theym but also byleue theym whyche bylyefe ye graunte ys callede fayth of thys yt coÌ„sequently foloweth that the chyrche alwayes hathe and all ways shall haue the knowlege and bylyefe of such thyngys as god wyll haue yt boundeÌ„ to byleue ¶ That is trouth q he because god hath lefte holy scrypture to the chyrch and therin ys all and the chyrch byleuyth that to be trew and therfore therin therby hath the chirch all that warnyng and lernyng of goddes pleasure that ye speke of wythout whych yt caÌ„ not endure ¶ what if god quod I had lefte the scripture to the chirch lokked vp in a close cheste and that no man shuld loke therin wold that haue seruyd ¶ Nay ê‘de quod he ¶ what if he had lefte hyt open wrytten in such wyse that no maÌ„ coud rede yt ¶ That were all one quod he ¶ what yf euery man quod I could rede yt and no man vnderstaÌ„d yt ¶ As lytle wold yt serue quod he as the tother ¶ Than quod I syth yt seruyth the chyrch to lerne goddys pleasure theriÌ„ and that can yt not as ye graunte your self but yf the chyrch vnderstande yt yt foloweth of thys that the chyrch vnderstandeth it And thus euery way for the fayth and knowlege of goddys pleasure yf yt be as ye saye all knowen by the scrypture no parte otherwyse yet alway to this poynt ye bryng yt in the ende that the chyrch hath the sure knowlege thereof And than yf that be so ye shall not as ye lately sayd ye shulde in eny dyuerse textê of scripture seming to make a dowtouse artycle of our fayth and to brynge in questyone what we be bounden to byleue after ye haue red iÌ„ scripture all that caÌ„ be red and herd on both sydes all that can be sayd than take whyche parte semeth to your self moste probable Nor yf ye stand styll for all that in a dowt thaÌ„ after your bytter prayers made to god for hys grace gyde iÌ„ the choyse go take you the tone parte at aduenture and