wherof he mainteined the prerogatyue of prynces against the tiran̄ie and vsurped power ye wote of whom I saye nomore but yf ye be at that poynt and may so frely write what ye wil I cōmitte my part of the playe to god Who as I doubte not wil defend the king in his right so am I sure that though ye be now in your ruffe he is not yet hard aslepe Where as ye saie that at D. Barnes death there were thre sortes of men and that the first sorte which by your reporte wer moost contrary to him wolde geue him no answere at his honest request Ye declare planely that either they had nothing to saie agaynst him or els litle charite seing that acording to S. P. wordes which ye alledge they found not thē selues greued to se the weake offended yf it were as you saie Nether proueth it thē to leane stedfastly vnto the piler of trueth to loue gods lawe to haue true quyetnesse in their conscience or to be endewed with feruent charite that folow not the same law of loue in the tyme of nede How do those places of scripture then that ye bring in alowe their acte Let all indifferent readers iudge how the cxviij Psalme the third of the first to Timothe or the eight to the Romaynes agreeth with their purpose In describing the secōde sorte of people that were at D. Barnes death ye faile also First in reporting of thē that they euer be and shal be as apte to receaue the euel preaching as the good Secondly that they are cōtent in these matters to go whither they be led Thirdly that they are cōtent to beleue what they be taught Fourthly that they know not whan they be in the right waye ner whan they be forth of it Now saieth our sauyoure in the same text which ye your self do alledge that they beleue in him Then like as they harkē to his voice and not to the voice of straunges so folow they him and are led of his holy sprete And not onely proue all doctrines whether they be of god but also kepe that which is good for they knowe Christes voice and not the voice of straūgers Morouer yf that third sorte of people did fauour no worse opinions and were no fuller of fleshly and carnall sensualite then this present protestacion of D. Barnes teacheth them that text dilexerunt magis tenebras et cet maye rather be verified of you and your sorte then of thē Barnes BVt they that haue bene the occasion of it I praye god forgeue them as I wold be forgeuen my self And. D. Stephin Byschopp of wynchester that now is yf he haue sought or wrought this my death ether by word or dede I pray god forgyue him as hartely as frely as charitably and without fayning as euer Christ forgaue thē that put him to death Standishe Se now whether this be fayned charite or nor et cetera Couerdale It is no poynt of fained charite a man to forgeue them that offend against him and to praie for them that persecute him As it is manifest by our sauiours doctryne and example also at his death Ye take vpon you here the office of a iudge afore ye be called ther to yee euen gods onely office in iudging mens hertes take ye vpon you As who saie he goeth aboute to ouerthrow and cast downe a man that agreeth not with him in his doctryne As touching any contencious maner betwene my lord of winchester and. D. Barnes though you and I both as I suppose be ignoraunt what direction the Kynges highnesse dyd take therin Yet seyng the one was reconciled to the other openly at the Spittle ye shulde now not take the matter so whote But a pyke thanke will ye be still What mynde hath he to be reuenged that first asketh a man forgeuenesse and than praieth god to forgeue him as Christ forgaue his death yf he be giltie Agayne Will the. B. of winchestre iudge him selfe to be either sediciously or disdainfully named or without reuerence whan he is called a bisshoppe I darre saye he will not Why plaie ye Philippe flatrers part thē as though the name of a bisshoppe were not a reuerent name Barnes ANd yf any of the counsaill or any other haue sought or wrought it thorow malice or ignoraunce I praye god forgyue them their ignoraunce and illumynate their eyes that they maye se and aske mercy for it Standish O what ignoraunce et cetera Couerdale This praier is nether malicious against gods word ner preiudicial to any man and yf they that suffred D. Barnes to liue so long were to blame for their so doing then make ye your selfe giltye of the same fault that haue played the coward all that whyle and not helped him to his death Barnes I Besech you all to pray for the kynges grace as I haue done euer sens I was in preson and do now that god maie geue him prosperite and that he maie lōg raigne amōg you ād after him that goodly prynce Edward may so raigne that he maye fynishe those thinges that his father hath begon I haue bene reported a preacher of sedicion and disobediēce to the kynges maiestie but here I saye to you that you all are bound by the cōmaundement of god to obeye youre prince with all humilite and with all your hert yee not so much as in a looke to shew yourselues disobedient vnto him and that not onely for feare of the swerd but also for conscience sake before god Standish Thou hast bene truly reported a sedicious preacher et cetera Couerdale Will ye then winke at sediciō so long and not be an accuser therof where as by your awne confession ye haue heard him preach so oft Ye and knowing his boke to haue bene so long prynted But how vntruly ye belye him it shall be euydent to all the worlde that will reade his boke Ye reporte of him that he shuld saye in his boke prynted ten yeares agoo that yf the Kyng wold by tiranny take the new Testament from his subiectes they shuld not suffre him Now is it manifest that like as he saieth here in this parte of his protestacion so saieth he also in his boke and bringeth in the same xiij chapter to the Romaynes that ye alledge and addeth morouer these wordes In no wise be it right or wrong maiest thou make any resistaunce with swerde or with hand et cet Itē Yf the Kyng forbyd the new Testament et cete men shall first make faithfull praiers to god and humble supplicacion to the Kyng that his grace wold release that commaundement Yf he wil not do it they shall kepe their testament with all other ordinaunce of Christ and let the Kyng exercise his tiranny yf they can not flie and in no wise vnder paine of damnacion shall they resiste him by violence but suffre paciently et ce Nor they shal not go aboute to depose their
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
afore the horse Yee your doctrine will haue us to be the fore goers of god and not the folowers of him as scripture byddeth us Standishe A reuocacion of these was red in octauis pasche et ce Couerdale What reuocacions ye make in mens names they beinge absent I can not tell But like as ye come to the sermon to take Christ in his wordes so are ye not to lerne to turne the cat in the pan This may all the world spie here in you that as ye are craftie and sotell to bring men to reuocacions so are ye malicious in diffaminge of them Standishe Furthermore reade his detestable bokes and you shal se what pestilent sede he hath sowid Couerdale Yf. D. Barnes bokes be detestable and to be abhorred why do ye bid us reade theÌ„ Will ye haue the kynges subiectes to read abhominable bokes As for the sede which he dyd sowe I can not greatly maruail at you that cal it a pestilent sede for in his boke he said these wordes Whan I am deed the soÌ„ne and the mone the starres and the elemeÌ„t water and fire Yee and also the stones shal defende this cause against them meaninge the cause of gods word against the spiritualty sooner then the veryte shulde perishe This is one corne of the sede that D. Barnes dyd sowe And verely so farre as I can perceaue this same litle praiy sede veryte will growe and come vp Yee I maye tel you it wil grow in youre owne gardeÌ„s whan ye are most against it â—or Christ tolde your predecessours planely that yf his disciples wolde not speake the very stones shulde crye acording to the prophecye of Abacue It is no wonder therfore though he cal this a pestileÌ„t sede For pestilent is asmuch to saye as hurtfull or vnwholsome so that yf ye suffre this sede of the verite to growe it will hurt youre false doctrine and the phisicians that haue sene your water saie that it is vnwholsome for your complexion Standish And therbye you shall perceaue how shamefully now he doth lye like as he hath done euer heretofore Couerdale By. D. Barnes bokes maye euery man perceaue that he confesseth the articles of the Christen beleue And yf he lyed euer here tofore as you reporte of him then sayde he neuer trueth Now is it manifest also that in his boke to the Kynges highnesse he confesseth that no man in England is excepte from the subiectioÌ„ of the Kynges power nether bisshoppe ner other He confesseth also that the Kynges prerogatyue is alowed by gods worde He saieth like wise in the nexte leafe that it is not laufull for the spiritualtye to depose a Kynge Is not this trueth Will ye saye then that he hath lyed euer here tofore Let not the Kynge ner his counsaill here these your wordes I will advyse you Now like as D. Barnes spake trueth in these thinges so heard I him saye to a sorte of malicious enemies of gods worde euen the sayenge of Christ to the wilful Iewes Ye are of the father the deuell and after the lustes of youre father wil ye do He was a murthurer from the begynnynge and abode not in the trueth for the trueth is not in him Whan he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and father of the same et ce Ye will graunt these wordes to be true I thinke Standishe Which wolde haue us here to beleue contrary to oure hearinge and seynge that he neuer taught ner preached heresye ner erroneous opynions Couerdale To that doth D. Barnes saie himselfe in his fore rehearced wordes that to his knowlege he neuer taught anye erroneous doctrine Somwhat also haue I sayde vnto you allready concernynge this matter Standishe I praye you what was his owne reuocacion et ce Couerdale Ye make answere to youre owne questioÌ„ your selfe Ye saie that he utterly there forsoke many of his olde damnable heresies Yf as you saye he forsoke there his olde damnable heresyes then dyd he there as he dyd in other his sermons euen shewed himselfe to abhorre the heresies of the papistrie for those were the olde infectioÌ„s that he was tangled withall somtyme Barnes ALlthough I haue bene slaundred to preach that oure lady was but a saffron bagg which I utterly proteste before god that I neuer meant it ner preached it but all my studie and diligence hath bene utterly to confounde and coÌ„fute all men of that doctryne as are the anabaptistes which denie that oure sauioure Christ did take anie flesh of the blessed virgin Mary which sectes I deteste and abhorre Standish Here he cleareth himselfe to be no Anabaptist as though ther were no heresie but that alone Couerdale Ye wolde be lothe youre selfe that other men shuld so vnderstoÌ„d your wordes or gather such a consequeÌ„t of theÌ„ Yf ye were accused to be a preuy these and came before a multitude to cleare youre selfe froÌ„ that vice wold ye meÌ„ shulde iudge you to be therfore of so fond opinioÌ„ as to thinke that ther were no moo vices but theft alone I doubte not but yf ye were strately examyned ye wolde saye that ther were also the vice of lienge the vice of malice of slauÌ„dring of bacbyting of frowardnesse of foolishnesse of wilfulnesse et cet Standish And yet this opinion to saie Christ did passe thrugh the virgins woÌ„be as water thrugh a cundeth was none of the Anabaptistes owne opinion It was one of the Maniches erroure and also Eutices errour whoÌ„ som of the Anabaptistes herin dyd folow Couerdale Whose erroure so euer it was I referre that to you for youre treatise declareth that ye be wel acquainted with heretikes Standishe Therfore M. Barnes hereby doth not pourge himselfe froÌ„ the Anabaptistes heresie concerning the baptime of infauntes Couerdale His disputacioÌ„s had oft times with theÌ„ his coÌ„tinual preaching against theÌ„ his dailie wordes also and conuersacioÌ„ was recorde sufficieÌ„t that he abhorred their erroure also in that behalfe Why wolde ye haue him theÌ„ to pourge himselfe therof Youre phisike is not good to geue a man a purgacion which is not infecte with such euell or grosse humours as require a purgacion Standishe Here he saieth he neuer gaue occasion to insurrecion But how saye you Dyd he not offre himselfe to cast his gloue in defence of his errours at Pauls crosse Couerdale He sayde at the crosse the thirde sondaie in lent Here is my gloue not in defence of anye erroure as ye vntruely reporte nether with materiall swerde buckler or speare to defende anye such thinge but with the swerde of gods worde to proue that god first forgeueth us afore we can forgeue and that they be no breakers of ordre which set forth gods worde and due obedience to their prince but they that mainteine their owne tradicions burne gods worde and regarde not the Kynges iniunctions et cet Standishe Dyd he not openly saye these thinges meanynge his errours must
And happie is the man whom thou lorde god instructest and teachest him out of thy lawe It is time lorde to laie to thine hand for they haue waisted awaie thy lawe This article that Christes death onely is the satisfaction to the father for all the sinnes of the worlde is plaine manifest and approued thorow out all the holy scripture the whole sentences wherof are here to longe to rehearce but the text is open and euident though somtime it vse one vocable and somtime another For to this article perteine all those scriptures that reporte him to be the pacifier and reconciler of his fathers wrath the clenser the pourger the maker of attonement or agremēt the opteiner of grace the sacrifice and oblacion for oure sinnes et cet The father of heauen himselfe doth testifie that it is his sonne Iesus Christ in whō or by whom he is pleased and content Who taketh awaie the sinne of the worlde but he In whom are we complete and haue all heauenly and necessary thinges pertaininge to saluacion but in him I passe ouer the rehearsall of the scriptures written Esa liij Ose xiij j. Pet. j.ij.j. Iohn j. ij.iij Apoc. j. Heb. j. v.vij.ix.x Tit. ij Col. j.ij.j. Timot. j.ij.j. Corinth j.ij. Cor. v. Rom. iij.v. Whatsoeuer D. Barnes reuoked as ye reporte of him I referre that to you which seme to knowe more therof then I. Yf ye were compelled by force to write reade or saie anie thinge agaynst right and conscience then like as they be to blame that wil feare man more then god in that behalfe so will god certainlie be the visitoure of such extreme handlinge I wolde wisshe with all my hert yf I might laufully so do that the kynges moost roiall persone might se as farre as his hie auctorite extendeth for I feare the comon prouerbe be to true that there runneth by the myll much water which the miller knoweth not of Nether be all then gentle and louing intreaters of the Kynges subiectes that speake to his maiestie faire wordes in his face yee the Kynges grace maie haue Iudas in his realme aswell as Christ had him in his small courte I am sory at my hart rote whan I remembre how oft the Kynges highnesse hath proued his cōclusion true in his time I can saie nomore but referre all secretes to god who I am sure will do as he was wont and bring all falshode to light at the last As for D. Barnes preachinge at the spittle so farre as I can lerne there is nothinge maketh more agaynst you then that same his daies worke For like as he there openly gaue a good ensample of charite and fraternall reconciliacion So is the same a confusion to you and all youre wanton secte which belyenge the trueth blasphemynge the holy gost and slaundrynge them that are the pryce of Christes bloude aswell as you which poyntes smell of grater heresye then ye can proue agaynst D. Barnes in this his protestacion will not repent ner aske open forgeuenesse Which of youre cancred sorte hath yet of his owne fre mynde vncompelled come in to an open audience and played such a parte or desyred reconciliaciō Not one of you all that I knowe of no though the Kyng hath commaunded you in his iniunctious and though some of you hath not bene ashamed to burne gods worde Standishe As it was declared at Pauls crosse et cet Couerdale D. Barnes last will and testament wher vpon he taketh his death is this that ther is no other satisfaction vnto the father but the deeth and passion of Christ onely Therfore though it had bene ten thousand tymes reuoked afore yee and declared neuer so oft at Pauls crosse either in the rehearsall sermon or other wyse Yet shall no mans reuokynge no ner your blastinge and blowing your stampinge and stayringe your stormy tempestes ner wyndes be able to ouerthrow this trueth and testimonye of the holy goost thorow out the scriptures that the death of Iesus Christ onely doth satisfye and content the father of heauen and maketh the attonoment for oure synnes Nether do ye ought but bark agaynst the Moone so longe as ye laboure to mynishe the glory of Christ as though he optayned not grace for all the synne of the worlde Youre opynion and doctryne will not suffre Christ to be a full satisfyer vnto his father for all synnes Ye saye he delyuered us from origenall synne and actuall and yet ye youre selues confesse that ther be also venyall synnes Which yf ye taught not to be washed awae with some other thinges of youre owne chosynge No doubte ye wold confesse that Christ delyuered us from them also aswell as from the other In this youre doctryne ye confesse that thorow Christ we maye auoyde and escape the eternall and seconde death and yet afterward saye ye that our satisfaction doth please and content allmightye god as satisfactory for oure trespace But how fayntly bring ye out these wordes We maye O howe loth are ye that Christ shulde haue his due honour Agayne How stand youre wordes now together Yf we escape the eternall and second death by Christ how can we ascribe the pacifieng and contenting of allmightie god to oure owne satisfaction Morouer how doth god accepte oure satisfaction as satisfactory for oure trespace whan no man by youre owne confession can satisfie for the offence Is not trespace and offence all one thinge Ye affirme in youre latyn wordes that a man suffreth not the eternall and second death thorow the sinne of Adam which saienge includeth a very heinous heresie and is openly confuted by the Apostle to the Romaines where like as he proueth that the saluaciō of all men came onely by Christ so affirmeth he also that condemnacion came on all men thorow Adam Standishe No man can I graunt satisfie pro culpa et cetera Couerdale Ye graunt now that no man can satisfie for the offence and yet ye saide afore that oure satisfaction is accepted of god as satisfactory for oure trespace Item ye saie here that euery man must satisfie for the punishment belōginge to sinne and ye graunted afore that thorow Christ we auoyde and escape the eternall and second death loke better on youre boke man for shame Is not the eternall and seconde death euerlasting damnaciō and punishment due for sinne How can we then satisfie for the punishment belonginge vnto sinne whan by youre owne confession we escape it by Christ Alas that ye are so blind or that ye shulde buylde vpon so weake a foundacion Standishe Acordinge to that of S. Paul j. Cor. xj Sinos ipsos iudicaremus et cet Couerdale Remembre youre selfe well and forget not that ye haue brought in this texte to proue that euery man must satisfie for the punishment belonging vnto sinne Neuertheles let us se wher vpō the Apostle speaketh and pondre the circumstaunce of his wordes so shall we trye
vpon him The xviij of Matthew is euidēt hat who so euer conuerteth from his sinne all mightie god will not that he shall perishe Item that like as all true penitent sinners haue their det frely forgeuen them so shall they be partakers of the same forgeuenesse still yf they will hartely do vnto other as they are dealt withall them selues These places of scripture though ye tell not forth the wordes are of your owne alledging and yet are ye not ashamed to write yee euen of penitentes that none of their sinnes shalbe vnpunished Now is it manifest in the said chapter of Ezechiel that like as god will not rewarde their good dedes that forsake him and turne awaye agayne to their vomite of wickednesse So will he not thincke vpon their sinnes that truly conuerte therfrom vnto him Yet call ye them happie that punishe them selues and take vpon them to be satisfactours in that behalfe As though it were a blessed thinge for men to laie crosses vpon their owne backes Thus by your iudgment were Baals prestes happie and the ypocrites that the Prophet Esaie speaketh of O disceatfull teachers Full well might the Prophet saie vnto gods people of England in this behalfe O my people they that call the happie do but disceaue the and marre the waie that thou shuldest go in Now let us heare more of D. Barnes wordes Barnes ANd that no worke of man dyd deserue any thing of god but onely his passion as touching our iustificacion Standishe This maner of iustificacion planely appeareth to be false euen by that one place yf we had no mo of Cornelius Acto x. et cet Couerdale The wordes of the text are these There was at Cesarea a man named Cornelius a captayne of the Italianish company a deuoute man and one that feared god with all his house and gaue much allmes to the people and praied god alwaie The text saieth in ordre first that Cornelius was a deuoute man and feared god with all his house and then speaketh it of his good workes as allmes praier et cet Wherby it is manifest that he himself was first accepted of god and iustified for as S. Peter saieth afterward in the same chapter god hath no respecte of personnes but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted vnto him And as the Prophet saieth The straungers gentiles or Heithen which cleue vnto the lorde in worshippinge him and louing his name are accepted vnto him as his owne seruauntes Againe The scripture saieth They that feare the lord geue credence to his worde And without faith it is not possible to please god Item what so euer is not of faith is sinne By this is it manifest that those good workes of Cornelius were frutes of his faith and of the feare of god and he iustified afore he dyd them Ye confessed also afore that fastinge prayer and allmes dedes are the frutes of pennaunce then must ye nedes graunt that the tre was afore them This text then proueth not that oure iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion ner that Cornelius workes deserued much of allmightie god afore he was iustified For as I shall rehearce afterwarde ye confesse your selfe not onely that we are iustified frely but also that god first geueth us grace without which we can do nothing that is good Standish As did the worke of Kyng Ezechie iiij Re. xx et cet Couerdale Your purpose is by the ensample of Ezechias to proue that oure workes deserue much of allmightie god afore we be iustified And that worke of Ezechias which ye alledge was done long after his iustificaciō For the texte saieth that whan he laie sore sicke the Prophet Esay came to him and tolde him the message of god And that he thē made his feruēt praier and wepte After the which god sent him word that he had heard his praier and sene his teares et cet And afore in the same boke it is euident that the same Kyng Ezechias dyd the thing that was good in the sight of the lorde acording as his father Dauid had done put his trust in the lorde god of Israel et cet cleued vnto the lord went not out of his pathes but dyd acording to all the preceptes that god had commaunded Moses and therfore saieth the texte was the lorde with him in all that he toke in hand Wherfore by the circumstaunce of the text it is manifest that Ezechias was iustified afore he laie sicke and that his praier was a worthy frute of his repētaunce long after he was iustified and no worke that deserued anye thing afore his iustificacion Nether dyd his praier ner the work of the Niniuites chaunge the sentence of god for god is nether chaungeable ner double in his wordes But like as afore the Niniuites beleued in him he first sent his word and thretened them that yf they wold not conuerte their citie shulde be destroyed after fortye daies Euen so whan Ezechias was fallen in to sinne god threatened him that yf he wold not repent he shuld dye And like as god whan we receaue his worde ernestly beleue stedfastly in him and bring forth good workes doth accepte us as he dyd the Niniuites Euen so though we haue fallen from the professiō of our faith yet yf we now do ernestly repent and conuerte he is mercifull and true to forgeue us oure sinnes and to graunt us oure peticion after the ensample of Ezechias At whom like as all kynges and princes maie take instructiō of good gouernaunce Euen so in him haue all other sinners that haue broken their couenaunt with god a very notable ensample of true repentaunce But how rimeth the ensample ether of Ezechias or of the Niniuites for the probacion of youre purpose Dyd either Ezechias after he was fallen in to sinne or the Niniuites afore they beleued deserue any thinge of god Or doth anie of both these ensamples proue that oure iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion Afore in the tenth leafe of your treatise ye alledge the ensample of the Niniuites to proue that after the sinne is forgeuen we must make satisfaction vnto god for the paine due ther vnto And now bring ye the same in to proue that our workes maie deserue much of allmightie god afore we be iustified Yf this be not a mockyng with gods worde let them iudge that are lerned therin Standish Scripture is full of such ensamples et cete Couerdale Scripture is full of ensamples bot to bring us vnto the faith of Christ and also to make us ryse vp by true repentaunce whan we are fallen from the same But in all the scripture finde ye no ensample that teacheth you to call oure iustificaciō deserued onely by the death of Christ a false iustificacion or to affirme that
laie to D. Barnes charge I haue talked with you afore Touchinge martirs Like as we haue cause sufficient to prayse god dailie for his worde mynistred vnto us by those martyrs that ye here haue named and for all such as be true folowers of thē So haue we no litle occasion to lamente and be sory that anie man betaking himselfe to godlines and makyng a couenaunt with god to lyue vnfaynedly after his worde shulde not professe the same in true fidelite and good workes Our lorde be praised yet which thorow the fall of other men hath warned us to beware of vnthankfulnesse For whan they that pretende to be setters vp of godlynesse are either ypocrites to god vntrue in the effaires of their prince maynteynours of pryde of ydillnesse of swearyng of excesse and of aduoutrye in them selues or in their housholde seruauntes Gods good worde must weere the papyre and be iack out of seruyce from other men Now god shew the right Barnes ANd that allwayes I haue spoken reuerently of sayntes and praised them as much as scripture wylled me to do Standishe Here he planely sheweth himselfe to be an heretike et cet Couerdale I am sure that Christes church hath made no such ordinaunce nether geuen any sentēce or iudgment that men shall not speake reuerently of saintes nether that men shall prayse them otherwyse then scripture teacheth How sheweth he himselfe thē to be an heretike in this behalfe that foloweth the example of Christes church and not of your vnholy synagoge What maketh youre diffiniciō of heresie to proue that he is an heretike which not onely speaketh reuerently of sayntes but also prayseth them acordinge to the rule of scripture Verely your diffinicion commeth out at an importunite Ye might also haue diffyned it thus and haue sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 j. volo decerno That is to saie I will so haue it I am at a full poynt For truly I se litle in youre writinge but wilfulnesse and obstinate resisting of the manifest trueth Well god is able to brydle you Standish Also in this his saienge that he wil do nothinge but that scripture byddeth him he planely goeth agaynst scripture et cet Couerdale Is he not a worthy Apostle legate or messaūger that hauinge commission of his prince what to saie in his message will speake thinges of his owne heade or more then his master commaundeth him Forsoith he declare manifestly whose Apostle ye be But now let us se how the scriptute will mainteine this spirituall treason euen treason verely and no better agaynst the Kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes Christ oure Sauyoure saieth vnto his Apostles these wordes As my liuinge father sent me so send I you How did his father send him My doctrine saieth he is not myne owne but my fathers that hath sent me Therfore saieth he go ye youre waye and teach all nacions and baptise them et cet and teach thē to kepe all thinges what so euer I haue commaunded you Ought not stewardes to be faithfull mynistres of their masters goodes to paye euery man good money as they be cōmaunded and not to geue false coyne in stead of syluer and golde Must we not contynue in the doctrine of Christ and speake that thing which is agreable to gods worde Your doctrine wold haue us to renne at ryote and not to kepe us with in the boundes that god hath appoynted us Standish So that here he proueth himselfe to haue another propertye of an heretike which is to go about with the worde of god to destroye the worde of god et cete Couerdale Like as ye proue not here with what text of scripture D. Barnes shulde go aboute to destroie the scripture so declare ye manifestly by this your opyniō and wrestinge of the texte to be one yourselfe that with the worde of god goeth aboute to destroye the worde of god Now to your thre places that ye bringe out of gods worde Where fynde ye in the fiftenth chapter of the actes that we must obeye more then holy scriptuture byddeth us First S. Peter confesseth there in that coūsail that it is a tēpting of god to laie anie yock of the ceremonies of Moses lawe vpon the neckes of Christes disciples or to trouble the weake consciences of those which lately we returned and conuerted to the faith And afore in the same place he confesseth that god appoynted and ordeyned him to preach the worde of the gospell and maketh mencion of none other doctrine Againe like as by the comē consente of the Apostles in the same coūsail ye se that they wolde not be brought in to subiection ner geue place to those false brethern that wolde haue brought in ceremonies of the law to binde mens cōsciences withal So wolde they not that the brethren which were turned to Christ shulde abuse their libertie in him but absteyne from certayne meates for offendinge of the weake which thinge also S. Paul requyreth ernestly in his Epistles In the xvj chapter of the Actes Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and whan Paul sawe that to circumcise Timothye was a thing which might be done for the time and was not requyred of the Iewes as a thing necessary he was content Wherby it is manifest that like as in thinges indifferent they had allwaye respecte to the tyme in forbearinge weake conscientes for a whyle so preached they none other doctryne but gods onely worde In the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians S. Paul whan he hath told them of the great departing from the faith doth geue thankes to god for calling thē to his trueth of the gospel in the which he requireth thē to stand stedfast and to kepe such ordinaunces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or by epistle Now let me demaunde of you this question In the xv of the Actes whan Peter preacheth the worde of the gospell and forbyddeth the binding of weake consciences with supersticious thinges and consenteth with the other Apostles to haue such a charitable respecte to the tyme Is that as much as to will that men shal obeie more then is grounded in scripture In the xvj of the Actes whan Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde and deale gently with the consciences of the weake acordinge to the tyme will they that men shall obeie more then holy scripture teacheth them ij Tessa ij Whan S. Paul requyreth them to stande stedfast in the trueth of the gospell and to kepe such ordinaūces as he and the other Apostles had taught thē either by mouth or in their Epistles willeth he them to obeye more then is conteyned in holy scripture Thus is it euydent where about ye go namely euen by your false alledginge of such places of gods worde to destroye the worde of god This is
prince as my lordes the bisshoppes were wont et cet But yf the kyng will do it by violence they must suffre it but not obeie to it by agrement Item Now is it cleare that we maie not resist this temporall power in no wise by violence et cet but yf anye thing be commaunded us that is against the word of god wherby oure faith is hurt that shuld we not do in any wise but rather suffre persecucion and also death Be these wordes now as much to saye as yf the Kyng commaunde anie thing by tirannie mē shall not suffre him What meane ye so vntruly to reporte of the deed But no maruail whan ye shame not to belie so many textes of gods holy word Touching mens lawes it is manifest that such as are not grounded in gods word do not bind the conscience of man to deadly sinne For yf they be not grounded in gods worde and agreable to the faith therof then are they synfull and naught Who is bound now to obeie sinne But a man maie smel you a farre of whose successours ye be You will not sticke to call it a laufull acte for a prince to condemne gods word and to forbid that thinge which is institute and ordeyned of god Yee yf oure prince wold take such a thing in hand which god forbid he shuld lacke no instigacion of your malignaunt church Nether can I yet coniecture the contrary but that ye are aboute such a tragedy Now go to set your watch men to kepe the sepulchre suffre not Christ to ryse vp in any wyse let not the souldiers lack money the church is riche ynough cast your greate heades together and let Caiphas geue you his most so tel counsaill For whan ye haue done your best and lyed all that euer ye can yet shall god make your policye to serue for the glorye of his trueth Amen Barnes YEe and I saye further yf the kyng shuld commaunde you any thing agaynst gods law yf it be in your power to resist him yet maye you not do it Standish Se here the stedfastnesse et cetera Couerdale This man nether wrote ner sayd that we must obeye an erthly prynce more then allmightie god and yet are ye not ashamed so to reporte of him He saieth that though the Kyng commaunde us anye thing agaynst gods lawe yet maye we not resist him Which saieng ye call an abhominable heresie Thus declare ye your selfe manifestly to be of the nombre of them that teach how that it is lauful for a man to resist his prince Which thing whether it be not both heresie and treason let them iudge that haue auctorite Because Amos the Prophet preached agaynst ydolatry at Bethel that false prest Amasias whom ye speake of told that Kyng that he was a sedicious felow and so found the meanes to get him out of the court Yet played Amasias a more honest parte with Amos then you do for he laied rebellion to his charge that was alyue and your accusacion is agaynst the deed Agayne Amasias being yet a false prest saieth not that it is laufull for a man to resist his prynce and you call it abhominable heresie to teach the contrary Though Peter and Iohn do teach that we must obeye and harken vnto god more then vnto men do they therfore teach that we must resist our prynce Where fynd ye that example in them Peter smote of Malcus eare in dede but litle thanke had he for his laboure Doth he not teach us to endure grefe to suffre wrong and to take it paciently Saieth he not that we are called ther vnto Setteth he not Christ vnto us for an example of suffryng Because our Sauioure wylleth us not to feare them that kyll the body must we therfore resist them Whan a prynce doth persecute us for gods wordes sake in one citie must we resist him and not rather flye in to another Doth he call them blessed that resist and not them rather that suffre for persecucion sake Dyd Christ entre in to his Kyngdome by resisting or by suffryng As for that saieng qui timet hominem et cet I can not find it in the xix of the prouerbes but I fynd ther written that a false witnesse shall not remayne vnpunished and that he which speaketh lies shall not escape Ye call it an abhominable heresie to teach that we ought not to resist our prince though he commaunde us any vnlaufull thing And to proue your purpose ye poynt us to the fifth of Esaye where ther is no such words as ye speake of But these wordes fynd I there Wo vnto them that call good euell et cet As for the ensample of the seuen brethren and their mother it utterly condemneth you for they saie these wordes We are ready rather to suffre then to offende the lawes of god et cete And as they said so they dyd without makyng resistaunce though the Kynges commaundement was vnlaufull What other thing now dyd D. Barnes teach in his fore rehearced wordes but as he had said in his boke afore that yf the Kyng wolde cōmaunde us anie vnlaufull thing we must suffre him though we obeie not to it by agremēt What daunger you be in then for teaching the contrary I will not define I praie god acording to his good pleasure haue mercy vpon you Barnes THen spake he to the shereffe and sayde M. shereffe I requyre you of gods behalfe to haue me commended vnto the kynges grace and to shew him that I require of his grace these requestes first that wher his grace hath now receaued in to his handes all the goodes and substaunce of the abbayes Then the shereffe desyred him to stoppe there He answered M. shereffe I warraunt you that I wil speake no harme for I know it is well done that all such supersticion be taken cleane awaye and the kynges grace hath well done in takyng it awaye But seyng his grace is made a hole kyng and obeyed in his realme as a kyng which nether his father ner graundfather ner his ancestours that raigned before him euer had and that thorow the preaching of us and such other wretches as we are which allwayes haue applied our hole studies and gaue our selues for the setting forth of the same and this is now our reward Well it maketh no matter Now he raigneth I praye god long maye he raigne among you Wold god it might please his grace to bestow the sayd goodes or some of them to the comforte of his poore subiectes which surely haue great nede of them The second that I desire his grace is that he will se that matrymony be had in more reuerence then it is and that men for euery light cause inuented cast not of their wifes and lyue in aduoutry and fornicacion and that these that be not maried shuld not abhominably lyue in whordome folowing the filthy lustes of the flesh The third that the
can stoppe the trueth no farther ye wold beare us in hand that it is the wryters iudgment onely which ascrybeth vnto him that he paciently toke his death as though there were none els that herd him and sawe him dye but the wryter alone Couerdale Allbe it I will iudge onely of the outwarde behaueour Couerdale Iudge not after the outward appearaūce saieth our sauyour but geue a righteous iudgment Yet do ye not as ye saye for in many places of your treatise ye iudge the mans mynde and intent yee contrary to his wordes Standishe Takyng occasion by his erroneous wordes to iudge he dyed an obstinate heretike Couerdale Ye can not denye but that after the open confession of his faith and his humble requestes vnto the Kynges grace he than reconcyled himselfe to all men and at the last whan he had desyred thē to praye for him toke his death paciently and yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightye god For all this ye do not onely call his wordes erroneous but also geue sentence that he dyed an obstinate heretike Standish And as for the inward secretes whether he be condēned or saued whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no et cet I remitte that to the secrete counsaill of the blessed trenite Couerdale A wonderfull thing is it that ye are so vnstable in your wordes Do ye not take vpon you afore to iudge that he dyed an obstinate heretike And now ye can not tell whether he be saued or condemned whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no. But can an obstinate heretike yelde vp his soule whan he is deed all ready Can an obstinate heretike be saued Beholde now to what worshippe ye bring your doctryne at the last Standish Vnto whom be laude honour and glory for euermore Amen Couerdale Amen Euen to that same blessed trenyte father sonne and holy goost be honour and glory now and euermore Amen The Apostle describing the office and dewtie of a ministre or preacher of gods word wylleth him among all other qualities to shew himself such a laudable workman as nede not be ashamed handling the word of trueth iustly Wherfore seyng ye haue so vnreuerently handled gods holy word peruerted it wrested it and belyed it so oft and many tymes in your treatise Maruaill not at this myne inuectyue agaynst your false doctryne As for symple ignoraunce and such frayll weaknesse as accompanyeth the nature of man whether he will or no it may be suffred and borne But wilful spurnyng at gods holy word froward and false belieng therof must nedes be rebuked and improued Your zele for all your holy pretēce is to suppresse gods trueth to mainteine that doctrine which the catholike or vniuersal church of christ neuer receaued and to defend the church malignaūt in hir wickednesse This is manifest by your present practise But god allmightie which soweth the sede of his holy word and dayly increaceth it in the hartes of his faithfull shall though no man els will maynteyne and defende it himselfe We also whom god will not to be ydle shall do our best and be carieng stones to the makyng vp of the wal which ye haue broken downe To the intent that Christ our sauyour maye haue his owne glorye which ye haue robbed him of our prince his honoure and oure neghboure his dewtie To all true Christen readers Faynt not thou in faith deare reader nether waxe colde in loue and charite though the enemies of gods worde be gathered together and growne in to such swarmes Be thou strong in the lorde and in the power of his might And let it not discorage the that the sayd worde is so litle in the estimacion of the world so greatly despised so sore persecuted so wickedly peruerted wrested and belyed so vnthankfully receaued so shamefully denied and so slouthfully folowed Arme thy selfe therfore with the confortable ensamples of the scripture And as touchinge those ioly Nimrottes that persecute gods worde hunting it out of euery corner whetting ther swerdes and bendyng their bowes agaynst it Be thou sure that the god of oure fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall do with thē as he euer was wont to do with tirauntes in times past Thou seist thorow out the stories of the holy byble how that like as he turneth some of their hartes from crueltie to mekenesse Euē so with death with fyre with water and with such other his plages destroyeth he them that will nedes despise his warninge Yee breaketh their bowes in peces and killeth thē with ther own swerdes As for Iamnes and Iambres those wicked sorcerers and couetous chaplens that teach cōtrary to gods worde and dissuade the greate mē of the world frō it Their owne wrestinge and belyeng of it must nedes cōfound thē For though ther be many that resist the truth yet whan it is uttered and commeth to light their madnesse as S. Paul saieth shall be manifest vnto all men And as Moses rodd deuoured their roddes in the Kynges presence So likewise the same places of scripture that they alledge for their wicked purpose shall destroye their false doctryne in the face of the world Yee euen as litle honestie as the papistry hath gotten by wresting of Tu es Petrus et cet so small profit are they like to haue for belyeng of other textes Nether is it to be feared but god will do for one parte of his worde asmuch as for another whan he seith his tyme. Concernyng those bely beastes that for no cōmaundement ner promes of god for no example warnyng ner exhortacion will be counsayled but still blaspheme his holy worde thorow their vngodly conuersacion let not that withdrawe the from the waye of righteousnesse Loue not thou Christ the worse though Iudas be a traytoure Sett not thou the lesse by his wholsome doctrine though dogges turne to their vomite and though swine walow in their stinking mire agayne I knowe gentle reader that to all true Christē hartes it is a great tentaciō to se gods holy worde either persecuted belyed or vnthankfully receaued But first remembre thy selfe well by the practyse of all stories whan was it without persecucion Whan was there not one tyraunt or other that exercised all his power strength witte and counsaill against it Whan were the childrē of Israel without some bloudy Edomites Egiptians Assirians Babilonians Philistines or other Secōdly Whan was not gods worde belied peruerted or euell spoken of by one false Prophet or other Were there not heretikes and flatringe chaplens in all ages that withdrue men from the trueth and misreported the straight waies of the lord Thirdly whan were there not some multitudes that pretēding a loue toward Christes word did but folow him for their own belies sake whan was the sede of Christes word sowē but some parte of it fell vpō the stony ground where it withred and among the thornes