glorifye our father which is in heauen Hath not our Sauioure chosen and ordeyned us to go and bringe forth frute et cet Were we not made heyres of eternall saluacion and baptised to the intent that we shulde now malke in a new life Are we not deed from the curse of the lawe and maried vnto Christ to the intent that we shulde now bringe forth frute vnto god Hath not god ordeined us to walke in good workes Are we not chosen of god to shew now his wonderful workes which hath called us out of darknesse in to his maruelous light Must we not lead an honest conuersacion in the world that they which bacbyte us as euell doers maye se our good workes and prayse god Now to do good dedes to bring forth good frutes to walke in a new life to shew gods wonderfull workes to lead an honest conuersacion in the world what is it els but to shew and set forth our profession the life that we haue promised and taken us to at the font stone euen the holy couenaunt and appoyntment that we haue made with the eternall god Do ye not considre also that the scripture appoynting maried women their estate and dewtye willeth them to be of so honest conuersacion that euen they which as yet will not beleue gods worde maye without the worde be won by theyr godly liuinge And not onely this but so to araye them selues in comly apparel with shamefastnesse and discrete bahaueour without excesse as it becommeth wemen that professe godlynesse thorow good workes What can be more planely spokeÌ„ then this How ernest is the scripture likewise in mouinge and commaunding us specially that take in hande to instructe and teach other aboue all thinges to shew example of good workes in the doctrine of god et cet that such as resiste his trueth maie be ashamed of their parte hauinge nothinge in us to reporte amysse And immediatly after in the same chapter how diligeÌ„t is the Apostle in requiring Titus to exhorte seruauntes to the doing of their dewtie to their masters and to shewe all faithfulnesse But for what intent to merite or deserue immortalâ—â—â— â–ª Naye to the intent that in all thinges they maie do worshippe to the doctrine of god oure Sauioure that the name of god and his doctrine be not euell spokeÌ„ of Thus wolde he haue Timothy also to teach and exhorte and then saieth he these wordes Yf any man teach otherwise and agreeth not vnto the wholsome wordes of oure lord Iesus Christ and to the doctryne of godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothinge et cet Reade ye the text forth and remembre your selfe well considre in what case ye are and how wyde your doctryne disagreeth from the wholsome word of god Yf I shuld saye ye were puft vp ignoraunt a waist brayne et cete of a corrupte mynde or robbed of the trueth ye wolde happlie be angrie Yet be coÌ„tent to let Paul speake to you for though he rayle not yet shall ye not find him a flatrer Standish Which thing beynge true as the church confesseth et cete Couerdale The church of the wicked graunteth many moo thinges then it shall euer be able to proue excepte it be with violence and shedding oâ—â—nnoceÌ„t bloud which is in very dede a fearce sore and strong waye of probacion Nether be they heretikes that denye this your doctryne for I haue proued vnto you by open scriptures that your doctryne is false Standish Be not oure owne good workes meritorious to ourselues Couerdale Yes parde for the prophet saieth All our righteousnesses are as the cloth of a menstruous woman Standish Whether shall we rather beleue S. Hierome et cete Couerdale Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of god is greater for this is the witnesse of god which he hath testified of his sonne et cete Euen that god hath geuen us euerlasting life and this life is in his sonne S. Augustine saieth also All my hope is in the death of my lord his death is my meryte my refuge my saluacion my life and my resurrection Standishe Which for their detestable opynions deserued iustly to be burnte as heretikes Couerdale Yf they were not burnte heretikes in dede no force And yf they were iust deseruers it is a tokeÌ„ that they medled the more with righteousnesse for no man can iustly erre ner iustly coÌ„mitte treason Standishe What a detestable heresie is it to saie the cause that we be commaunded to do good workes is to set forth oure profession Couerdale Is not oure profession the promes and couenaunt that we haue made with god to seke his glory and oure neghbours profet euen to loue him with all oure herte with all our soules and with all oure strength and oure neghbour as oure selues In the which two pointes hangeth all the lawe and the Prophetes Are not we bound then by gods commaundement to set forth the glory of god oure neghbours profit and loue to them both Remembre what places of scripture I haue pointed you to afore concernyng this matter Standish Before whom shulde we set it forth before god he knowoth oure profession before Couerdale What then Studye allwaye to haue a cleare conscience toward god and men after the Apostles ensample Standish Before man So we maie haue good workes as the pharises had et cet Couerdale Though Pharises do their workes to be sene of men will you therfore beyng a preacher not geue good ensample to other ner let your light so shyne before men that they seinge your good workes maie geue the glory vnto god What are ye so farre from the knowlege of this geer and yet a preacher a reader and a post of the church Who wolde thinke that you which are so well aquaynted with him that can compare the deare bloud of Christ to the stinckynge bloud of a swyne shuld be so farre from the vnderstondinge of such thinges O wicked hogges whom Sathan hath possessed of that sort Is the worthy prynce of oure redempcion come to that worshippe amonge you No maruaill that ye are so blinded in your vnderstondinge for ther was neuer enemie of Christes bloud that had yet anye cleare iudgment in his worde till he ernestly repented and gaue him selfe wholy to the studye and life that it teacheth Barnes I Beleue that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do professe Christ Standish Allbe it that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue et cet Couerdale Ye saye that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue and yet ye call the same belefe erroneous and damnable Is the Christen beleue erroneous and damnable Or is it erroneous and damnable to beleue as euery Christen man ought to beleue Thus are ye not onely contrary to youre selfe but iudge Christen men also to be heretikes Standishe For you iudge as appeareth by your preaching et cet
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
haue reasoned with you allready Now because ye can not proue this last parte of youre conclusiō by scripture namely that your good dedes and actes are not vnpure ner vnperfecte in this life therfore the Prophet Esaie to recompence you the wrong that ye dyd him in minishing his wordes afore will yet take the paines for you to proue your purpose though it be litle to your minde Whan he saieth All we are become as an vncleane man and all oure righteousnesses are as a clothe stained with the floures of a woman And the wise man saieth also Who maie saie My hert is cleane I am pure from sinne Barnes ANd with this he cast abrode his handes and desyred god to forgeue him his trespas Standishe Extra ecclesiam nulla salus et cetera Couerdale Without the church ye saie is no saluacion Now is it manifest that beside the church made of lime and stone ther is also a congregacion church and multitude of frowarde and wicked doers which not onely gather them selues together like roaringe lyons fatt bulles wanton calues and curre dogges agaynst Christ as the xxj Psalme complaineth but also make lawes cōstitucions statutes ordinaunces and tradicions agaynst gods worde Wherby it commeth to pas that though they boast neuer so much of gods seruice yet all is to them in vaine as the Prophet and Christ himselfe doth testifie Another church is there which is the holy spouse congregacion and company of them that are of the felashippe and communion of Christ and walke not in darknes but in the trueth hauing al their sinnes clensed by his bloude This church continueth in the Apostles doctryne renneth not out from the heauenly felashippe of Christ and his membres distributeth the sacramentes duely and truly ceasseth not frō praieng and well doinge et ce are of one minde and soule are glad to helpe one another as it is manifest in the actes and Epistles of the Apostles The men of this church praie in all places liftinge vp pure handes et cet In this church whosoeuer asketh hath he that seketh findeth and to him that knocketh doth god open In this church is fre pardon and remission of sinnes for all true penitentes For god will not the death of sinners but yf they cōuerte vnto him they shall liue and who so is laden with sinne and commeth vnto Christ findeth rest and ease in his soule and shall not be cast out Forasmuch then as ye condemne D. Barnes thus doinge and iudge him to be none of the church that desireth god to forgeue him his trespace it is euident that in your church ther is no forgeuenes for poore sinners and so is it not the church of Christ Wherfore seinge ye discente frō Christes church where the dore is euer opened to them that knocke youre owne sentence condēneth you that ye can trust to haue no saluaciō by gods promes But alas what blindnesse is in you Though a sinner doth erre or hath erred from the right faith and from the true vse of the holy sacramentes that be in the church of Christ and now commeth to repentaunce desiringe god to forgeue him his trespace Is not this a damnable doctrine to teach that he can not trust to haue saluaciō by gods promes No hath god promised that sin̄ers which repēt shal not be saued The thefe that hanged on the right hand of Christ hath proued the cōtrary Agayne Yf a sin̄er maie not trust to haue saluacion by gods promes wherby thē maie he trust to haue it By himselfe by his owne workes Or by youre merites Euen by your merites as it apeareth wolde ye haue him trust to haue saluacion for ye must nedes be full of merites that in all your workyng committe no sinne as ye saye your selfe Morouer the tenoure of your wordes separateth the mercy of god from his promes as though they cōcurred not together But I pray you who can trust to haue saluacion by gods promes and trusteth not in his mercy Whan the Apostle saieth God gaue the enheritaunce vnto Abraham frely by promes was it not done by his mercy And whan he saieth in the same chapter Ye are the heires of Christ acording to the promes what meaneth he els but as he saieth to Titus that the kindnesse and loue of oure sauioure hath appeared not for the dedes of righteousnesse which we haue done but acordinge to his mercy hath he saued us et cet S. Iames wordes which ye bring in in latyn denieth no forgeuenesse to them that repent but like as he rebuketh them that are but Christen men in worde and not in good workes and dedes so yf parcialite be sinne then doth the circūstaunce of the same text cōdemne your former conclusion that saie ye sinne not in all your workes Standishe Loke the reward of finalis impenitētia et cet Couerdale D. Barnes words testifie what faith and repētaunce he had toward god and what hert he bare toward the comon welth of all Christendome and yet shame ye not to wryte that he dyed without repentaunce and in errours because he wold not denie Christ and reuoke his worde with you Standishe Which died by his wordes without signe or token of saluacion Couerdale Is it no token ner signe of saluacion to beleue in the holy and blessed trenite the incarnacion passion death and resurrectiō of our sauioure and to knowlege the same before men Is all this utterly no token of saluacion Christ and the Apostle Paul are of another iudgment Standishe And so his praier must nedes be voyde Couerdale D. Barnes cast abrode his handes and desired god forgeuenes and yet darre ye affirme that his praier must nedes be voide By the which wordes like as ye denie the article of forgeuenesse mencioned in our Crede and promised in the scripture to euery one that truly repenteth so declare ye euidently that ther is litle mercy in your mother the church of the wicked for in Christes church yf the sonne aske the father a pece of bred he will not geue him a stone but good thinges Standish Marke how he trusteth with in an houre et ce Couerdale Is it blinde arrogauncy whan a man refusing all confidence in his owne workes trusteth to haue eternall life thorow the mercy of god What blynd arrogauncy was in the Apostle whan he saide we knowe certainlie that yf oure earthy house of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building ordeined of god an house not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Oure sauioure also geueth this comforte to such as beleue in him that they shall not come to damnacion but passe from death vnto life Are ye not a comfortable Phisician then to mens consciences that shame not to teach other wise then Christ doth But surely these two places of scripture are not for the stablishinge of your soule masses and diriges and therfore
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
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