lift vp their sacrament offer it for the deade and quicke and eate all vp whan they haue done whether is not euery one aswel the priestes as laite bounde to obey the Queene and her lawes BOth Priestes and the laite be bounden to obey the Queene and her lawes as farre as Goddes lawe will permit but no manne ought to obey the Queene and her lawes against God and his lawes For landes goodes and bodye euerye one is bounde to obey the Queene and her lawes and no man ought to disobey or resist her or her lawes for God in the scripture commaundes But for matters of faith and relygion pertaynyng to oure soule health she hath nothinge adoe to medle for Christe himselfe hath dearly bought our soules with his precious bloude shedinge and committed them to the rule and gouernement of the Byshoppes which watche as to gyue an accompt for our soules Therefore the Scripture commaundes vs to obey the Byshoppes in matters of faith and religion pertayninge to our soules health and the Queene in temporall causes concernynge landes and goods and body The. xiii answere FOr obeyinge the Queenes maiestie and her lawes or for disobeying we do not greatly differ from him but where he sais she hais nothing a doe with matters of faith and relygion we vtterly denye it For that is as much to say as that she were not a christian Prince no nor a Prince at all for Princes are charged by God to maintaine true religion and suppresse supersticion and Idolatry This is the marke that they shote at to be exempt from all correction of Princes that they might do what they lust bring in supersticion in stede of religion and nourish the people in bloude deuotion rule all other and be ruled of none no not of God him selfe So muche obedience the Turkes subiectes owe him and yet denie him not autority in their religion But this mater was more fully handled in the. v. aunswere King Richard the. ii proues wel in his Epistle to pope Boniface the ix that temporall rulers haue oftē from the beginnige bridled and ruled the spiritualtye euen the Popes Salomon sayes he putte downe the Priest Abiather and set vp Sadoc Otho Themperour deposed Pope Ioan. xii Henry the Emperour put downe Gratianus Otho deposed pope Benet the. i. The controuersy betwix Symmachus and Laurens who should be Pope was ended afore Theodoricus kinge of Italy Henry Themperor deposed ii striuing who shoulde be Pope and set vp a. iii. called Clement the. ii Frederick Themperor corrected iiii Popes By these and manye suche like he proues that Princes haue corrected and brought◠in order so many Popes therfore they haue lawful power so to do And shal not our Quene haue power to see whether the clergye here within her Realme do their duty in teachinge true doctrine pure ministringe of the sacramentes and an vpright godlye life In dede this was the beginninge of the controuersye betwix Tho. Becket and kinge Henrye ii and these lyke good scholers of the same schole folowe the same waye Certaine priestes were complayned on for their leud liuing whom the king would haue punished But Becket withstode him sayinge it belonged not to the kinge to handell such holy anointed spirituall men Austin in his boke contr liter petiliaī ii in vi and other sundry chapters proues that it belonges to Kynges to haue care and charge for religion bothe in maintaininge the good and pullinge downe the euill He alleages this of the ii psal Serue the lord in feare c. How shoulde kinges sais he serue the lord in feare but in forbiddinge and punishing those thinges that are done against the Lordes commaundement he serues in one sort in asmuch as he is a man and in another in so muche as he is a king he serues him as a manne in liuing trulye but as a kinge in makinge lawes whiche commaund iust thinges and forbid the contrary So serued kinge Ezechias in descriyng the groues and temples of idolles so serued Iosias so the kinge of Niniue in compellynge the whole citie to pacifie the lord Thus serued Nabucho in forbiddinge by a fearfull law that they should not blaspheme god Kings serue the Lord in this point whan they doe those thynges to serue him which none can doe but kinges c. Thus far Austin Constantine also the good Emperour commaunds the donatistes to come to Ro. to heare the Bysshops iudgement but afterward whan he had hard the matter debated he iudged the cause himselfe and made a law against them as Austin writes Epist. ix viii Thus Princes than callyng their clergye together bicause fewe of theym haue sufficient learninge of themselues and hearing the matters of religion debated and the trueth tried maye and ought by their law and roial power defende that trueth and punyshe the disobedient who so euer they be The Prophete sayes that God made kinges and Queenes to be nurces to hys Churche The Nurces duetye is to feede guyde and chearyshe the chylde yea to correct instruct and reforme him wha◠he does a faut She must not be a drie nurce but wyth the. ii Pappes of the newe Testament and olde feede her children she must teache him to goe whan he is fallen take him vp agayne and geue him suche holesome meat that she maye and dare taste and trie it herselfe God graunt Princes thus to be nurces and not stepmothers that Goddes children may serue their lord Godde maister and father quietlye vnder their winges The conclusion OUr Sauioure Christe whan they called him Samaritan a friende of Publycans and sinners a drunkard c. held his tunge and made no aunswere but whan they sayde he had a deuill he saide I haue no deuil It is written also in vitis prū of Agathō whom certaine woulde trie whether he could pacientlie beare sclaunders and called him proude aduoterer a these and bereticke Al other he let passe and said I am a sinner but I am not an heretick They asked him why he aunswered to that rather than to the other he said he learned of Christe his maister to suffer lies but not his doctrine to be touched for heresy separates a manne from god So amonge all sclaunderous tounges that goe about to deface gods truth by raning on the ministers of it many are borne of manye with gryefe of minde but to be charged wyth false doctrine no honest minde can beare nor good man shoulde suffer For as he teaches the good and holesome doctryns so he should confounde the contrarye to hys power and this was amonge other a great cause why I though not hurt by this his folish railing tooke in hand to aunswere this blynde Papist and bycause those learned fathers whome he woulde seme to touche thought it vnworthy any aunswere Whan I see this copye cast abroade by a malicious member of Antichryst to wythdrawe Gods people from his truth my spirie was stirred to the aunswerynge of the same but manye whan
surely if he be as bold asblind baierd to leade the wrong and thou be so madde to folowe hym thou shalt bee condemned as well as he If he alone might fall in the ditch thou might more boldlye folowe him but now thou art warned learn and take hede for ignoraunce will not excuse thee The Hospitalitye and almes of Abbayes is not altogether to be eyther allowed or dyspraysed The most of that which they did bestow was on the riche and not the poore in dede as halt lame blinde sicke or impotent but lither lubbers that might worke and would not In so much that it came into a commen prouerbe to call him an abbay lubber that was idle wel fed a long lewd lither loiterer that might worke and would not On these and the richer sorte was the most part of their liberalitie bestowed that I nede not to speake of any worse the smallest portion was on theim that neded most not according to their foundation Poly chro sais lib. v. ca. xxxii that Abbaies wasted their goodes in glotony and out rage lib. vii ca. vi that munks vsed haukinge buÌ„tinge disinge drinkinge and therfore vnder kinge Richard i. munks were put from Couentrye and clerkes brought in lib. vii ca. xxv Baldwin a munke and Byshoppe of Cantorb did the like with his munkes the same time ca. xxviii But whether y â— new munkes with their short coates almost wythoute all religion kepinge a shepeherde and a dog where all thys good cheare was afore be worse than the munkyshe Idolatrous Popish creatures which deuised a religion of their owne shewing their holynesse in their longe coates I leaue it to the disputacion of the learned Looke into London and see what hospitals be there founded in the Gospell time and the poore in dede releued youth godly brought vppe and the idls set to worke Poperye would some time fede the hungry but seldome correct the vnprofitable drones that sucked the honye from the labouring bees nor bring vp children in the feare of God but to fill the bellye and not to teache vertue is to encrease vice Wel worth Bridewell therfore for it is a good schole The rest of his railyng is not worthy aunsweringe for there is as muche and more vertue and kepinge Goddes commaundementes vsed nowe as was than and more though both sortes be bad ynough and the best may be amended Aske an olde Papist of the commen sort howe many commaundementes of god and what they be and he can not tell Aske a Protestauntes childe of vii yere olde that hais learned his Catechisme and he can tell his duety to God man how to liue and die what to loue and what to flee better then all their popish Priestes Is it like that he kepes gods commaundementes which knowes not what they be how manye of the people were taught than woulde learne or were moued to learne their commaundementes no fewe suche at these dayes are willinge to heare theym or learne them how much lesse to practise them What a wicked opinioÌ„ is this to think that ignorance is better than learning or that a manne shall better serue God without knowledge of god his duetye and his word rather than by knowing feling and vnderstandinge gods goodnes and mannes frailnes gods mercy and mans misery oure wretched worldlye state and Gods euerlasting blessed felicitye God giue vs grace to thinke and thanke The last reason that he lais for maintayning his supersticion declares what religion and opinion he is of Than was plenty he sais and nowe is scarsenes of all thinges whiche howe true it is let the worlde iudge Looke at the late dayes of poperye and see what dearth death and scarsenes was than and compare it with these dayes and the plentye of gods vndeserued blessing powred on so vnthankefull a people Then akecornes were good to make bread of and vnder Henry â—i they made breade offerne rootes as Polychro sais lib. viii ca. xxi now commenly the porer sort almost haue disdained with brown bread Then scholers of the vniuersitys brake by their houses went and liued abroade with their frendes being not able to continue at their study than was such dearth and scarsity as the like hais not oft bene red of than a Bishoppe of Mentz was so pursued with rattes in a time of derth that he was compelled to flee to his towre standinge in the mids of the riuer Rhene a myle from anye land yet the rats folowed him deuoured him there for his vnmercifulnes therfore is called the rats towre to thys daye this Byshop was no protestaunt UUhether the like be nowe the blinde maye see UUho feles it God giues his blessing plentifully if man coulde consider it thankfully and vse it liberally Who hais cause to complaine or where is it sene I think England had not the like plenteous time so commenlye these many yeres although this yeare corne be deare and somwhat â—ars But I put the case that there were scarsenes and dearth of all things plagues war c. UUere thys a suffycyent cause to condemne our religion No sure no worldlye thinge good or euill wil moue gods people to iudge gods truth by any other thinge than by gods holye booke Should we condemne Saint Austin because the city where he was Byshop was besieged and wun by gods enemies Austin himself beinge within it and died a littell before the wynnynge of it â–ª Shoulde Elias and Eliseus haue forsaken Gods lawe because there was so great dearth and scarsenes in their tymes Shoulde Daniel for the Lions denne or Paul for his chaines haue forsaken their God In the dayes of Elias it rained not the space of iii. yeare and a half vnder Eliseus in the sege of Samaria women eate their Children and Doues dung was good meate Onely the worldlynges iudge by their bellye their religyon The Godles people said to Ierâ— We will not heare the word of God of thee for while we worshipt the mone and sterres we had plentye of all thinges but sins we harde the worde of Godde of thee we haue hadde scarsenes of all thinges This is the reason that led the Iewes and by the same is this Iewishe Papist moued to iudge of gods trueth Therefore I can not iudge him to be of another religion than those whose belye is their God Let vs praise God for our health welth and libertye that he bestowes on vs vndeserued so plenteouslye lest in not thankfullye recetuing his word murmuring against his blessinges we prouoke him to plage vs worse than afore If wealth maye moue consider what great thinges the Lord hais wrought by the Quenes maiestie than iudge Whan the Realme was in daunger to be giuen into straungers handes and none coulde tell howe to deliuer them selfes god of his vndeserued goodnes set vp the Queene ours maistres who quietlye contrarye to all mennes expectacion auoyded theym all UUhat daunger was Scotlande in
crossinges blessinges blowinges knockinges knelinges bowinges liftinges sighinges houstinges tournynges and halfe turninges mockinges mowings slepynges and apyshe playinges softe whisperyngs and loud speakinges haue we to consecrate our owne deuises with all or it can be getten done Morcouer if Saint Iames should haue vsed our latin canon and priuitye of the Masse as they terme it in hys consecration or any such like he shoulde haue prayed to hym selfe and worshipped himselfe beynge alyue whyche were a greate absurdite to graunt For the latin canon and preuity of the Masse is full of praying to Saintes and names them particularly amoÌ„g whom Saint Iames is one himselfe Than Sainct Iames vsynge the Latiâ— Masse as they say he did he shoulde hauâ— prayed to himselfe and worshipped him selfe beinge aliue which I thinke whan they aduise themselues better they will not graunt to be true nor meete to be done and wyth suche wicked foolyshnes I trust they wyll not burden Saint Iames withal Furthermore it skils much what language Saint Iames vsed for our holy Byshops think it not mete that their holy relyques shoulde be vttered in our Englyshe tunge Saint Paule sais be had rather speake fiue wordes that he vnderstandes and to teache other than tenne thousande in a straunge tongue oure Prelates saye nay None will prepare himselfe to warre eâ—cept he vnderstand what the trumpet blowes no more can any learne his duty to God if he vnderstand not the thinge that is taught and the language Oure Prelates sayes that blinde ignoraunce is the mother of deuocion but Christ sayes ye erre because ye know not the Scripture Than ignoraunce is the cause of errour By like God eyther vnderstandes not Englyshe or els he is partiall and loues not oure Englyshe tounge so well as the latin and yet to speake or vnderstande dyuers languages is the gifte of the bolye ghost Surelye if the holye ghost geue the grace to speake and vnderstande dyuers languages God can not bate them that vse anye of theim nor disalowe the giftes of the holy ghost in any man We rede for they be tourned into latin and printed that other Countries haue vsed of olde tinie and yet do at this day their owne language in ministring the lordes supper Why than may not England do the same What faute haue we made more than other Chrisostomes order of the Communion Basils and that which beares the name of Saint Iames were written in the Greke whiche the people vnderstoode and aunswered in the same language The Sirians Athiopians Armenians Moscouites and the dominion of Prestor Ioan doe at this day and euer did vse their owne language whan they ministred and out of them are turned latin that easily it may be sene how we differ The good Christian Emperor Iustinian commaundes plainelye in hys ciuill lawes Nouell constitut 124. and. 126. that all thynges shoulde bee done in the Churches in those languages whyche were knowen in the Countries and also that the wordes of baptisme and the lordes supper shoulde bee spoken in a loude voyce that thereby the deuotion of the hearers might be stirred vp which al althoughe they were written a thousande yeares sins our holy Papistes deny and saye it was neuer done nor ought to be done nor that Princes haue anye suche autoritye to commaunde or medell in Pope Pius the seconde beares witnesse that the Sclauons whan they made sute to minister in their owne tunge and the Pope made curtsie to graunt it a voyce was hearde from heauen that euery spirite and language shoulde prayse God and so it was graunted them to vse their owne language The Popyshe kinde of mariage althoughe the rest was latin yet the best part was English I N. take thee N. to my wedded wife c. I N. take thee N. to my wedded husbaÌ„d c. If this was well why not the rest also Yf in making promises we vse that language whiche we vnderstand why shoulde we not do it to vnderstand what God commaundes vs Is a promise to man more to be considered than that which is made to God Yf these thinges shoulde be denied they be in Print that euerye man may reade and therefore I wil not stand longe in rehearsinge of theym Are these tongues more holye than oures that the holye misteryes maye bee vsed in theym and not in oures I leaue oute the Boemians and Waldenses which haue â—sed to communicate in their owne language many though not al these C C C yeres The Germans the Italians and the French I passe ouer because it is not olde But these Countries they wil say are in the East parte of the worlde and partes of the Greke Churche whiche neuer was subiecte to their holye father the Pope and in these thinges they doe erre but the west Church worshippinge the Pope would neuer suffer anye suche thing In thus sayinge they proue the Pope to be worse than the Turke Presster Ioan the Sophi or anye Heathen Prince that will not suffer Gods people to worship their God in their owne language as they doe It is great maruaile to me why oure holye Prelates will not haue the people to praye in Englishe seing the common rude sort and altogether vnlearned in all the farre Northe partes of the Realme euen the borders haue euer vsed the lordes prayer the articles of our faith and tenne commaundementes and yet do in Englysh meter differing nothing from the true sense of the scripture They neuer learned them in latin and can not nor wil not learne that they vnderstand not Surelye Gods wisedome in their rude simplicitye does confound these proude Prelates wicked Poperye Yet is there remaining one of y e foulest lyes that is commenlye red or writen in the Popes testament the decrees wheron they bylde their faith whiche if thys proctour and all his partakers can proue to be true I will saye with theym It is writen de consecra distincto i. ca. Iacobus that Saint Iames y â— brother of our lord Bysshop of Ierusalem and Eusebius Bysshop of Cesaria made their masse If this haue any likenes of a truth in it let the world iudge Saint Iames was Bysshop of Ierusalem and there liued continually not wandringe into other countryes as other Apostles didde but there suffered martirdome beynge throwne downe from the pynacle of the Temple where a Fuller smote oute his braines with a clubbe In Ierusalem then their naturall speache was Hebrewe and the prayers that they vsed in the Temple were onelye the Scriptures and in the Hebrew tounge as the Iewes do to this day in their Synagoges wherein they proue themselues better than y â— Papists which in their Churches haue few praiers of the Scripture but manye foolishe ones deuised of their own braine and in a language that the people vnderstande not Therefore whan they haue proued that the Latin toung was vsed in Ierusalem or that Sainct Iames prayed in Latin although I doubt not but he had the gift
the Scripture than any that euer they haue receyued from the Pope If we had not this faith spoken of to the Ebrewes we durst not so boldlye come to the throne of grace wythoute makynge anye moe medyatoures than one onelye Iesus Chryst Where as they in makynge so manye meanes and intercessoures for thē as though God were a cruel iudge and not a mercifull father declare them selues to want this faith in that they dare not so boldly come to the throne of grace without suche spokes men as we vse none for faith onely makes vs bolde to come into Gods presence and begge of his grace But accordinge to their desire let vs searche oute the olde waye whiche is good that we maye walke in it The faith of a Christian manne is generallye conteined in the Crede and particularly declared in the scripture at large and whether we kepe that better then they let wise men iudge We do esteame these articles of the Christian faith so much with the Lordes prayer and the tenne commaundements of almightye God that by commen order it is appoynted and good ministers practise it that Children shall learne theim not in a tonge that they vnderstand not as the Pope would haue theim but in their mother tong w e such a short declaratiō on it by a Catechisme that now a yong child of a ten year old can tel more of his duty towarde God and manne than an olde manne of their bringinge vp can doe of lx or lxxx yeare olde all the canonycall Scryptures we do so renerently receiue and faithfully beleue that we stande in contention with the Papistes that nothing is to be beleued as necessary to saluation but onely the old testament and the new where their faith is neuer certayne but whan it pleases the Pope or his Councell to make theym a newe artycle of their faith or condemne or chaunge any that they haue they receiue it willingly beleue it faithfully and folow it earnestlye with fire and fagor It is not longe sins that by commen autoritye where oure Creede hais but xii articles they added vi mo articles and with no lesse daunger of wythstandynge theym than of life This six stringed whippe did vere Gods people sore vnto God of his vndeserued mercy prouided a remedye And where they thincke no faith nor religion to be good alowed or receiued but that whiche is confirmed by generall counsels or written by the doctors for that I say their religious supersticion cannot be proued by general counsell nor Doctour as the reuerend Bysshop of Sarum laies against D. Coole But so farre as eyther generall counsel or the Doctoures writinges doe agree with the body of the holy scriptures we do not onelye reuerentlye and willingly receiue them but diligently so farre furth as we maye practise theym They crake much of the autoritye of a generall counsel and bleare the peoples eies with so glorious a name and also with the reuerende name of the fathers Doctoures and auncientye where in deede they make more for vs than theym If they considert what Gerson and Panormitanus write which were auncient fathers and not new protestants and were at the counsel of Basil where it was disputed what autoritye a counsell hais they woulde not so stifly sticke to so weake a staffe we must rather beleue one symple lay manne saye they alledginge the scripture than the hole counsell to the contrarye De Elect. Ca. significasti This thinge was well proued true in the greate Nicene councell where manye would haue forbidden Priestes mariage and onelye Paphnutius beinge vnmaried and alledginge the Scriptures which alow mariage in all menne did stoppe it Gregory Nazainzene sais that he neuer see good ende of a counsell They alledge muche generall Counselles whan in dede very fewe of them be generall If it be but a prouinciall Counsell they themselues graunt that it maye erre Nowe than looke bow manye maye be called or are called generall in their owne bookes and ye shall fynde verye fewe Take heede therefore of these Fores ye that will not bee deceyued whan they alledge a Counsell and trye euen by their owne booke of counselles whither it bee generall or no Ye shall fynde that euerye tenth that they alledge is not generall than beynge a particuler and prouinciall they geue vs leaue to deny it and so they condemne their owne doinge whan they alledge nothinge but prouinciall Counselles There is no Crede made at anye generall counselles nor Athanasius Crede but we willingly embrase it receyue it and beleue it Seinge than we openly professe and teache all thynges conteined in the holye Scriptures and all the artycles of anye Crede determined in generall Counsell or written by Athanasius or anye Catholycke father howe can it bee that we be oute of the fayth and howe canne it be but thys sclaunderous Proctour of the Pope hays blasphemed Godde belyed hys Minysters Gods people ▪ and his truth Thus much I haue spoken particularlye to purge vs from his liynge lyppes where he speakes generallye naminge ▪ nothinge but meaninge all that we should forsake both faith and religion and deuyse a newe one of oure owne where they themselues are gilty in this as more plainly shall appeare This shalbe sufficient I trust to them that will be satisfied to declare that we be not oute of the faith seinge we professe our faith now to trie whether we be fallen from the olde wayes of holye fathers and whether auncient recordes do testifie this maner of Church seruice to be godly and haue bene heard tell of afore Luthers time and whether it be elder than theirs I am content to wine with him in triall thereof I trust they will be content to call Moyses Dauid and the Prophetes auncient fathers whye than looke what order of prayer was in the Tabernacle of god and Salomons temple in their time and see whether it go nerer our seruice or the Popes Portuis Rede Dauids Psalme and marke howe manye of theym haue their title directed to the Chauntor or chefe singer and plaier on thinstrumentes to Asaph Hemā Dithum c. to be songe in the Temple and ye shall finde a great sorte suche Rede the xxv chap. of the first booke of the Chronicles and there it appeares whom Dauid appointes to be singers of the Psalmes in the Temple with their posteritye Rede the xiii Chap. of the art of Thapostles and there it appeares that the lawe and the Prophetes were redde in the temple euerye Sabboth daye for their seruyce with a Sermon After the reading sais Saint Luke of the lawe and the Prophetes the rulers of the Synagoge sent to Paule and Barnabas saiyng ye men and brether if ye haue any exhortacion to the people speake Againe in the. xv Chap. he sais Moyses hais of old time them that preache him in euery citye in the Sinagoges where he is red euery Sabboth daye Marke what prayers or kinde of seruice as
the xxxii yeare of king Henrye the first Of this kinred came that goodlye impe Tho. Beket In the yeare M. C. xxxvii and the first yeare of kynge Steuen began a fire at London bridge and burned all the Citye and Churche of Paules vnto ye come out at Temple barre to Saint Clementes church whiche was than called the Danes churche In the yeare M. iii. lxxxii and the xxi daye of Maye with a greate earth quake through the Realme the crosse in Paules Church yard was ouerthrowen in the. vi yere of Richard the. ii To the bylding of that crosse againe Willyam than Byshoppe of Cantorb gathered greate summes of money and enriched him selfe And because menne should be more willinge and liberal to giue he the rest of such holy Byshops graunted manye dayes of pardon to theym that would frely geue money to the bilding of that crosse again Cantor grauÌ„ted xl days London Ely Bathe Chichester Carleil LaÌ„daff Bangor euery one xl dayes the summe in all iii. C. rr dayes of pardon but not one dodkin of money came out of their purse All which thinges and more the Deane of Paules declared wel at the crosse out of the recordes of their church and Citye iii. yeare afore Lanfranc was made Byshoppe of Cantorb as Legenda sanctorum writes the hole city of Cantor almost and Christs church there was burned vp with fire in the beginninge of Willyam conquerours days Polychr tels lib. vii ca. iiii that a great piece of London and Paules Churche with the principall Cities of Englande were burned Ca. vii he sais a whirle winde threw downe a. C. houses in London and many churches also lib. viii ca. i. Basil a great Citie with many towres fel with earthquake in Edward the. iii. days and in Naples xl thousande were killed Ca. xâ—viii on Candelmas euen in mid winter Paules steple was burned wyth lyghtninge in the tyme of Henrye vi Ca. xxii the church of DurraÌ„ likewise about xl yere sins w t many other like But why shuld I stand to proue that which euerye man knowes to be true if he be of any lerning knowledge as thoughe it were a doubt or straunge thing What great town or church can ye recken within the realme or w tout almost that hais not sufferd the lyke why shuld we thaÌ„ meruail of this cal to remembrans y e late dais of popery here w e vs not vii yere sins see what horrible stormes thunders and lightninges was here by Notingam where houses Churches belles woodes and loden cartes were ouerthrowen and caried awaye But he sais these chaunced some in time of Ciuill warre and not all with fire from heauen What than what helpes that his case all were in the time of poperye and many mo like And thoughe all these were not wyth fire from heauen yet it is as great a token of Goddes anger as well as the other or more Sais not Dauid Fire haile snowe yse and windy stormes do his coÌ„maundement If they do his commaundement than the one is his doing aswell as the other Does not god rule the earth as well as the heauen These fires from heauen chaunce more seldom than the other and therefore more fearfull whan they come yet these on earth obey his word as well as the other and are not done withoute him And not without a cause it maye be a token of gods greater anger to punish vs rather with those thinges that be daily among vs and were ordeyned to serue vs for our helth than to corect vs with those that fall so seldome and are made to feare vs and declare Gods great fearefull maiestie But this greues him to call that the time of supersticion ignoraunce whan God was serued night and daye so deuoutly as he thinkes and euery one liued quietly without reasoning of y e scripture and beleued what so euer the pope sent them serued god after their owne diuise not as god himselfe taught the so that the belly were ful al was wel thoughe they maintained ideli lubbers which was no more almes afore god thaÌ„ their praitinge was praying For their munkishe night prayer how vain lippe labour it was and mumbled vp of an vnlearned sort I said inough afore and declared how farre it differed from true prayer but this is that maye not be borne whan the people haue the scripture in their owne tonge for than they are able to tell the Priestes their dutye and correcte their supersticious Idolatry It skilles not muche thoughe the Papistes would haue the people to liue in blyndnesse still for in that the Pope and the Turke agrees well that their people shalbe vnlerned and vnderstand nothing but what so euer it pleases the Priestes to teach them which is neither much nor good but God in his word the auncient fathers in their writinges do teache christian people otherwaies Dauid sais the father shoulde declare his truth to their children Moyses sais Aske thy father and he will tel thee demaunde of the elders and they will declare vnto thee Paul sais wiues if they woulde know any thing let them aske their husbandes at home If fathers must teache their children and children learne of their fathers and wyues of their husbandes howe shoulde eyther party be ignoraunt Ierom. sais men are wont women are wont and Munkes are wont to striue amonge themselues who should learne most scriptures and thinks them best that learnes most but he learned most that does most Chriso in his xxxi Homily on S. Ioan rebukes the people that were so vnwillinge to learne the scriptures seing the woman of Samaria of whom there he writes was so desirous that at home in their houses they hadde Tables and Chesses rather than bookes and if they had anye bookes they were not occupied c. In his ii Homilie on Matth. In declaringe howe the scriptures refresh the minde as a holesome aer does the bodye he moues them to the readinge of it and rebukes theym that saye it belonges to munkes and Priestes to read it and studie it and not to the people Thus in corners these ennemyes of god and hys woorde woulde drawe the people from their saluation and woulde make them beleue that it were not their duty to learne What blindnes is this to thinke ignoraunce better than learninge and blindnes than sight Saint Paul sais the Gospel of God is the power of god to saue them that beleue Saint Ia. sais the worde of god is able to saue oure soules Than surelye those theues that woulde robbe Gods people of Gods worde woulde robbe theym of their saluation by christ and sell theym such filthye salues as the Pope woulde heale his scabbed shepe withall whiche stinkes in Gods sight Christ oure lorde sais if the blinde leade the blinde bothe fall into the ditch than it is not inough to saye Sir Iohn our Priest taught me thus For