hys boke treateth lyke wyse as they that haue wyt and lernynge do all redy fynde hys handelyng of these maters full of malyce very voyde of trewth so I trust when we come hereafter to the places to make ryght meane lerned folke and meane wytted to perceyue that all hys hygh inuencyon that he wolde haue seme so sothe is in very dede a very madde mannys dreme Tyndale And agaynste the myste of theyr sophystrâ—ye take the ensamples that are paste in the olde testament and autentyke stâ—ryes and the present practyse whych thou seest before thyne yies More we be well content that these thynges trye the myste of bothe partyes so that Tyndale take wyth hym one thynge or twayne more which I meruayle wherfore he now leueth oute sauynge that he seeth well that they wyll clerely dyssypate and dyscusse the myste that he fayne wolde walke in For ellys why leueth he clene out the new testament now we must praye hym that we may take in that to And for asmych as we do on bothe the sydes agre vppoÌ„ the texte of scrypture and that the questyoÌ„ mych lyeth whyther Tyndale and hys felowes vnderstond it ryght or ellys the hole chyrche of all crysten nacyons we shall praye hym to be content that we may laye forth in yâ— behalfe the mynde of the olde holy doctours and sayntes whych wrote of these maters so many huÌ„dâ—ed yâ—â—es ere euer thys busynes began and wrote not for the pleasure of eyther other partye And them wyll we the rather allege bycause Tyndale aswell in hys boke of obedyence as in dyuers places of thys boke is not ashamed to sayâ— that we wyll not byleue the olde holy doctours but that they â—o and be of the bylefe that those holy fathers were and as I say he is not ashamed to wryte this ye and that very often when he woteth well that amonge them all he can not fynde one that euer byleued other but that it was a shamefull abomynable syâ—e a monke to mary a 〈◊〉 whyche thynge hereafter in thys boke Tyndale so folyshly 〈◊〉 that sauynge for pytye to se any man so madde one that â—â—ye sore sycke coude not forbere to lawghe at it Tyndale Iudge whyther yt be possible that any good sholde come oute of theyr domme ceremonyes and sacramentes in to thy soule Iudge theyr penounce pysgrymages pardones purgatorye praynge to postes domme blessynges domme absolucyons theyr domme paterynge and halowynge theyr domme straunge holy gestures wyth all theyr domme disgysynges theyr satisfaccyons and iustefyenge And because thou syndest them false in so many thynges truste them in nothynge but iâ—dge them in all thinges More Iudge good crysten reader whyther yt be possyble that he be any better then a beste oute of whose brutyshe bestely mouth coÌ„meth such a fylthye fome of blasphemyes agaynst crystes holy ceremonyes and blessed sacramentes sent in to his chyrche out of his owne blessed bloody syde And for bycause ye fynde this felowe so frantike and so false in the ray lynge and iestynge agaynste the sacramentes of Cryste ye may well iudge that who so can delyte or be coÌ„tent with his blasphemouse rybauldy hath great cause in hym self to fere that his crysten fayth begynneth to fayle and faynte Tyndale Marke at the laste the practyse of our fleshely spirytualtye and theyr wayes by whyche they haue walked aboue .viij. hoâ—dred yeres how they stablyshe theyr lyes fyrst wyth falsyfyenge the scrypture then thorow corruptyng with theyr ryches wherof they haue infynyte treasure in story and laste of all with the swerde More ye mary marke I praye you For this is mych to be marketh lo that Tyndale can not bere the flesshelynes of oure spyrytualtye bycause the flesshelynes of theyr chyrch is spyrytuall For the flesshely wedded harlotes of theyr chyrche be theyr chyef holy spyrytuall fathers and holy spyrytuall mothers monkes freres and nunnes And bycause theyr holy chyrch is but new bygonne Tyndale wolde we shold wene that this .viii. hundred yere and more Criste hath had no chyrch in the worlde at all For so longe sayth Tyndale all hath be nought by the reason that all this whyle the clergye hath falsyfyed the scrypture and hyred men wyth gyftes and compelled them wyth the swerâ—e to byleue them so all this .viii. hundred yeres sayth Tyndale by these meanes all the crysten nacyons haue in â—tede of true fayth byleued false lyes and so haue ben out of the fayth all nought If Tyndale dyd not lye now as blyssed be god he doth here had ben a grete gappe in crystendome thys .xv. C. yere And where had Crystes promyse ben then all thys whyle with his electes Nay yf this chyrch haue had all this while false sacramentes Cryste hath had none electes all thys whyle For they haue vsed what so euer Tyndale saye the same sacramentes that theyr neyghbours dyd I wolde also that he had tolde vs how mych more then xv C. yeres the chyrche hath had false sacrameÌ„tes lest that that he calleth now more he shall hereafter call yet mych more For therto shall he be faine to fall or els to call these .viii. C. bakke agayne and confesse the sacramentes true or fynally whyche he is most lykely to do bable on styll agaynst all reason agaynst all good men and agaynst all scrypture and so that he be talkynge neuer care what whereof nor how For I am sure that in the sacramentes and in yâ— knowlege of the chyrche hys malycyouse folye is reproued by the olde holy doctours aboue hys .viii. C. yere almoste as many mo and ouer that by playne scrypture to Tyndale Haue they not compelled the emperours of the erth and the great sâ—rdes and bye offycers to be obedyent vnto them to dispute for them and to be they re tormentours and the samsumyms them selfes do but ymagen myschyef and inspyre them More Here is all the great anger that greueth this good man that eyther lorde kynge or emperour medleth any thynge for the mayntenaunce of the fayth or set to theyr handes to the repressynge of heresyes But yf Tyndale fynde thys for a fawte he must go farre aboue hys .viii. C. yere For it is farre aboue a thousande synnys that as euyll lordes prynces and emperours haue holpeÌ„ and mayntened heretykes so lyke wyse good lordes prynces emperours haue set to theyr handes to subdewe them And theyr maynteners haue vanysshed awaye wyth them and theyr amenders and punysshers god hath mayntened and favoured and good godly men haue called vppon prynces for theyrâ— ayde and assystence in suche case and at theyr instaunce and pursuyt haue prynces and emperours bothe punysshed them made many good lawes agaynste them Tyndale Marke whether yt were euer trewer then now The scrybes pharyseys Pyâ—late Herode Cayphas and Anna are gathered to gether agaynste god and Criste but yet I truste in vayne and that he that brake the counsell of Achitophell shall scatter theyrs More Marke now good crysteÌ„
trew catholyke fayth with the grete fall ruyne at length of many scysmatycall sectes whose fall vndowtedly the remanaunt wyll in conclusyon folow wyth the playne open wrathe of god shewed vppon theyr false prophetes as it fell vppon the prophetes bothe of Beale and Baall now thys yere vppon zuinglius hym selfe â— that fyrst brought in to Swycherland the abomynable heresye agaynst the blessed sacrament of the awter and was as I say by the hande of god thys yere slayne in playne batayle agaynste the catholikes with many a thousand of his wreched secte beyng in nomber to the catholykes thre agaynst one and as prowdely and wyth as malycyâ—use purpose inuadynge them as euer dyd the Egypcyans pursew the chyldren of Israell But now sayth Tyndale and frere Barns bothe that I do them wronge in that I call theyr bokes sedycyouse For they counsayle they saye the people in theyr bokes to be obedyent vnto theyr souerayns rulers all though they shold suffer wronge and how can our bokes then saye they be sedycyouse Surely to make men heretykes and then byd them be meke when heresye spryngeth as saynt Austayne sayth of pryde standeth as well wyth reason as to make a man dronke and byd hym be sober make hym starke madde byd hym be well auysed make hym a starke thefe and byd hym se he stele not How be yt besyde the sedicion that euery scysine and dyuisyon muste nedes moue and prouoke amonge any people that are of dyuerse sectis all though they were all oâ—edient vnto one prynce and cause them therby though they rebelled not agaynste his person yet to breke the peace and quiete of his cuntre and tunne in to the daynger parelle of hys lawes let vs yet ferther loke and coÌ„syder in what maner fashyon they counseyle the people to obay theyr prynces They bydde the people for a couÌ„tenaunce to be obedient But they say therwyth that the lawys preceptes of they re souerayns do nothynge bynde the subiectes in theyr conscyencys but yf the thynges by them coÌ„maundede or forbeden were before coÌ„maunded or forbeden in scrypture And all yâ— wordes of scripture wherby they be coÌ„mauÌ„ded to obay theyr gouernours wold they restrayne vnto those thynges onely that are expressede all redy wythin the corps of scrypture So that yf they can begyle the lawys preceptes of theyr souerayns vnware to other men and therby fle fro the parell of outwarde bodely ponyshemeÌ„t theyr euaÌ„gely call lybertie sholde serue theym suffycyently for dyscharge of they re conscyence and inwardely make theym in they re soules clere angelycall hypocrytys Nowe whan they falsely tell theym that they be not bounden to obaye they re gouernours lawfull commaundementes and thenne holyly counseyle theym to obay theyr vnlawfull tyranny for by that name call they the lawys what effecte wene ye they wolde that theyr aduyce sholde haue They knowe theym selfe well ynough and the maner of the people to and be not so madde I warrauÌ„te yowe but that they perceyue full well that yf they can persuade the people to belyue that they be not in theyr conscyence bounden to obay the lawes and preceptys of theyr gouernours theym selfe be no such precyouse apostles that folke wolde forbere they re awne ease or pleasure for the faynt fayned counseyle of a few false apostatas And thus ys yt sure that by they re false doctryne they must yf they be belyued brynge the people in to the secrete contempte and spyrytuall dysobedyence inwarde hatered of the lawe wherof muste after folowe the outwarde brech and theruppon outwarde ponyshement parell of rebellyon wherby the pryncys sholde be dreuen to sore effusyoÌ„ of theyr subiectes blood as hath all redy mysse happened in Almayne and of olde tyme in Englande Let vs yet consyder ferther a poynt of theyr good holy counsayle concernynge the peoples obedyence Frere Barns in hys frantyke booke byddeth the people that they sholde not rebell in no wyse But he byddeth them therwyth that for all the kynges coÌ„maundemeÌ„t they shold not suffer Tyndales false translacyon of the scrypture go out of theyr hande but rather dye then leue it Now knoweth he well that the false malycyouse maner that Tyndale hath vsed in the translatyng therofâ—as I haue proued bothe in my dyaloge and synnes agayne in thys boke and as Tyndale doth hym selfe in hys owne answere openly confesse in the tytles of penaunce and preste was done to set forth hys false heresyes wythall And therfore it appereth well that Barns wold haue the people rather dye then obay theyr prynces in puttynge away that boke that is falsely translated for the mayntenaunce of many pestylent heresyes And thus ye se how fayne he wolde glorye in the peoples blode For he woteth very well that the kynges hyghnesse wyll in no wyse nor in no wyse maye yf he wyll saue hys owne soule suffer that false translacyon in the handes of vnlerned people whyche is by an open heretyke purposely translated false to the destruccyon of so many soules Now no man dowteth I thynke but that Tindale hym selfe wolde no lesse were done for the mayntenaunce of hys false translacyon of the euangelystes then wolde hys euangelycall brother Barns but that folke sholde agaynste the kynges proclamacyons kepe styll hys bokes rather then leue them dye in the quarell for the defence of his glory where as I byfore in my dyaloge dyd say that Luthers bokes be sedycyouse as I now say that Tyndales be to mouynge people to theyr owne vndoyng to be dysobedyeÌ„t and rebellyouse to theyr souerayns in affermyng that they be not nor can not be bounden by any law made by men Tyndale answereth me for Luther that I say vutrewly and then sayth he ferther in thys wyse A crysten man is bounden to obay tyranny yf it be not a gaynste his fayth nor the law of god tyll god delyuer hym therof Now let I passe myche raylynge that he consequentely maketh vppon prynces and shall for thys tyme onely couÌ„sayle you to consyder these few wordes of hys whyche he layeth forth for a rule of peoples obedyence to theyr prynce For hys rule is that they shall obay theyr tyranny tyll god delyuer them therof And in thys poynt wyll I not be Tyndals interpretor he may meane dyuerse wayes but whych way he meaneth in dede he shall hym selfe declare at his ferther â—eysore for me thynketh he meaneth not very well sauynge that I wyll not take hym to the wurste But in the tother poynt I may be bolde to say that no good man may take hym well where he sayth that a crysten man ys bounden to obay they re pryncys tyraÌ„ny yf it be not agaynste hys fayth nor the lawe of god And yet wyll I well agre that yf these wordes were spoken of a good faithfull maÌ„nys moutheâ— and where any nede requyred yt they were very well sayed as they were when the apostles sayed we muste rather
For as well be those thynges to be byleued as these And therfore let vs esteme thobseruauÌ„ces of the chyrce worthy to be byleued so that yf any thynge be delyuered to vs by the chyrch neuer aske farther questyon Saynte Hierome interpâ—etynge the .xi. chapyter of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyes sayth in this wyse Saynt Poule preuented them to th entent none of them shold say where is this wryten nor shold wyth any other argumeÌ„tes stryue agaynste this reason And therfore he sayde we haue no suche custome to stryue and contende neyther we nor yet the chirche of god whych is rather geueÌ„ to myldenesse then to contencyon and stryfe Theophilactus expowneth the same place lykewyse and sayth For as myche as the Corinthyans wolde perchaunce collour this mater by certayne subtyltyes and wente about yt by syllogysmys sophistycacyons alledgynge that these thynges were neyther good nor bad but of theyr nature indyfferent therfore saynt Poule sayde we haue no such custome other to be coÌ„tencyouse or a man to let his here grow in length or a woman to go bare hed neither haue we sayd saynt Poule this custome nor the chirche of god that ys nor the other crysten people neyther And therfore by suche frowarde argumeÌ„tes ye seme to resyste and withstande not onely me but also the chyrche yt selfe These wordes therfore of saynte Poule maye make the herers ashamed to do any thynge contrarye to the custome receyued by the chyrche Saynte Leo also an holyman and a cunnynge in a sermon that he maketh in the faste at whytesontyde sayeth in thys wyse There is no doute my welbeloued brethern but that euery crysten obseruaunce is of Crystes techynge and what so euer is receyued of the chyrche into a custome of deuocyon commeth of thapostles tradycyon and of the doctryne of the holy goost which holy spiryte euen now also doth rule all faythfull hertes wyth his own instruccyon to make them kepe them obedyently and vnderstande them wysely Saynte Austayne in the boke of the baptysme of yonge chyldren agaynste the Pelagians wryâ—eth in thys wyse Chyldren whiche be baptysed be taken in the nomber of faythfull peple and that onely by an olde cononyke sure grounded custome of the chyrche And in a nother place agayne Now sayth he we haue shewed you afore that the lyttell chyld beleueth that he is accouÌ„ted amonxst men yâ— be baptysed Thys holdeth the authoryte of our mother holy chirch and this holdeth the rule of the sure grouÌ„ded fayth who so runneth agaynste this fortresse this inexpugnable wall shall all to frush hym selfe Cassianus in the .xi. collacyon the .xii. chapiter Thauthoryte of the olde fathers and the custome of our elders contynued by the space of so many yeres vnto this day although the cause of them be not perceyued by vs muste we fyrmely byleue And that custome must we with perpetuall obseruauÌ„ce reuerently fulfyll in such wyse as yt was delyuered of olde Saynte Austayne in the .cxviii. pystle to Ianuary sayeth thus Those thynges whych are not wryten and yet we by tradycyon obserue them such I meane as are thorow Crystendome kepte we may well vnderstande that they be kept as thynges ordeyned and commaunded vnto vs eyther by the apostles them selfe or ellys by generall counsayles the authoryte wherof is in the chyrch moste necessary As for ensample that the passyon of Cryste and his resurreccion and hys ascensyon into heueÌ„ and the comynge of the holy goost from heuen are yerely celebrate with a solemne feaste and what someuer thyng we fynde that is obserued amonge all people where the chyrche of Cryste ys sprede Many thynges be not founde in the wrytynges of the apostles nor in the counsayles of those that cam after them whyche yet bycause they be kepte of all the hole chyrche we byleue them to haue hadde no nother bygynnynge but by the tradycyon and commendacyon of the apostles vnto vs by them selfe Saynt Austayne in the fourth boke of baptisme agaynst the Donatystes The thynge that the hole chyrche holdeth and is not instytute and ordeyned by counsayles and that not wytstandynge hath ben euer obserued we very well by leue that yt neuer byganne but by the authoryte of the apostles tradycyon Saynte Austayne in the fyfte boke of baptysme agaynst the Donatistes sayth Many thynges are there whyche the vnyuersall chyrche holdeth and therfore be well byleued that the apostles haue commaunded them though they be not founde in wrytynge Saynte Austayne in the .xi. chapiter of the .ix. boke of his confessyons wrytynge of the departyng of that holy blessed woman his mother Monica sheweth that all be yt before tyme she had ben very studyous of the place where she wold be beryed longed specyally to be layed by her husbande yet at the tyme that she lay dyenge beynge then farre from the place where her husbande lay shewed vnto saynt Austayne then psent wyth her that she cared not in what chyrch they beryed her bodye but she prayed them very effectually to remember her in his masse whyche thynge I wryte the ye may se that the masse and prayenge for soules therin ys not so new a thynge as Tyndale wolde haue yt seme And in the nexte chapyter after saynte Austayne sayeth these wordes spoken vnto god Her body was caryed forth we folowed cam agayne wythoute teares And ouer yâ— in those prayers whych we made vnto the when the sacryfyce of our redempcion was offered for her the corps beyng set by the graue as the maner is there I wept not in those prayers neyther but all the day was I in a greuouse secrete sorowe And afterwarde in the laste chapyter of the same boke saynt Austayne prayeth for his mother vnto our Lord amoÌ„g many other wordes in thys wyse I good lorde that art my prayse and my lyfe the god of my hart settynge a syde for the whyle my mothers vertues and goodnesse for whych I ioyfully geue the thaÌ„kes wyll now beseche the for her synnys Here me gracyously good lorde for that medycyne of out woundes whyche honge vppon the crosse and now syttynge at thy ryght haÌ„de doth call vppon the for vs. I know good lorde that she dyd workes of mercy and that she hartely dyd frogyue the dettes vnto her dettours Forgyue thou good lorde her dettes to her suche also as she hath fallen in by so many yeres after the water of helthe Forgyue her good lorde forgyue her I beseche the and enter not wyth her into iudgement And afterwarde he sayth And I beleue good lorde that thou hast done all redy the thynge that I praye for For she when the daye approched of her departynge nothyng bethought her how she myghte haue her body costely couered or dressed wyth spycâ—s nor longed for a suÌ„ptuouse sepulchre nor cared not to be beryed in her owne countrey These were not the thynges that she any thynge requyred vs but onely desyred vs to haue her in remembraunce at thyne auter to
and haue accursed Tyndale to yf all the myghte haue saued hys lyfe And so he gaue counsayle vnto one Iamys that was for heresye in pryson wyth hym For as Iamys hath synnys confessed Tewkesbery sayed vnto hym saue you your self and abiure But as for me bycause I haue abiured byfore there is no remedy wyth me buth deth By whych wordes yf he had not ben in dyspayre of lyfe it well appereth he wold wyth good wyll haue ones abiured and ones periured agayne And yet at hys examynacyon he denyed that euer he hadde holden any such opynyons as he was abiured for notwythstandyng that there were at hys axamynacyon some persons present of myche honestye and wourshyppe two that had ben present at hys abiuracyon byfore to whyche also hys owne hand was subscrybed And afterwarde beynge ferther examyned vppon the same some he denyed some he defended agayne Amonge other thynges he sayed that he vsed to praye to sayntes that he byleued them to be goddes frendes and that theyr prayours were profytable to vs and well done to praye to them wheruppon I sayd vnto hym my selfe that I was glad to se hym in that poynte yet amended and I shewed hym as the trouth was in dede that I amys helde the contrarye and that he hadde so greate a truste in Tewkesbery that I dowted not but when he sholde here that tewkesbery hadde reuoked that poynt he wolde reuoke it to As sone as Tewkesbery herd that he went from it agayne by and by that so farre that fynally he wolde not agre that before the day of dome there were eyther any saynt in heuen or soule in purgatory or in hell eyther Nor the ryght fayth in the sacrament of the aulter wolde he not confesse in no wyse For which thynges and dyuers other horryble heresyâ—s he was delyuered at laste vnto the secular handes and burned as there was neuer wretche I wene better worthy yet is there one thynge notable and well declarynge what good and cherytable mynde the maÌ„ dyed in Forâ— after that he was delyuered vnto the secular handes neyther whyle he was in pryson nor at the tyme of hys deth wolde he by his wyll be aknowen of any of hys heresyes vnto any man that asked hym any questyon but couered and hyd them by all the meanes he coulde make labored to make euery man wene that he had neuer holden any such opynyon And by thys dealynge euery man maye se that he rought not so mych for his heresyes nor toke them not in his owne mynde for suche thynges as he so gretely forced whyther they went forwarde or bakwarde as he wolde fayne leue an opynyon amonge the people that hys iudges had borne hym wrong in hande condempned hym for such heresyes as he neuer helde And what conscyence he had that dyed in that mynde there is no good man dowteth Now was his examynacyoÌ„ not secrete but folke inough therat bothe spyrytuall and temporall and of eyther parte ryght wourshypfull so that hys malycyouse mynde can in that poynte lytell take effecte And yet dyd the same Iamys also confesse afterwarde that Tewkesbery had redde vnto hym wyclyffes wykkeâ— agaynst the blessed sacrament And ouer that was there founden about hym by the shyryffes offycers in the pryson a boke of heresye of hys owne hande wrytynge that is to wyt the boke of Marten Luther wherin he teacheth men vnder the name of crysten lybertye to roÌ„ne in to the deuyls boâ—dage And in hys howse was founden Tyndales boke of obedyence whyche he well alowed and hys wykked boke also of the wykked mammona sayenge at hys examynacyon that all the heresyes therin were good and crysten fayth beynge in dede as full of false heresyes and as frantike as euer heretyke made any syth Cryst was borne And yet all thys notwythstandynge when he was in the shyryffes warde and at the tyme of hys deth he wolde not speke of hys heresyes any thynge nor say that he had helde and wolde holde thys poynt and that but handeled hym selfe as couertly as he coude to make the people wene that he hadde holden no maner opynyon at all nor neuer had I thynke yf Tyndales vngracyouse bokes had neuer come in hys hande For whych the pore wreche lyeth now in hell and cryeth out on hym and Tyndale yf he do not ameÌ„de in tyme he is lyke to fynde hym when they come togyther an hote fyrebronde burnynge at hys bakke that all the water in the worlde wyll neuer be able to quenche Another is there also whom hys vnhappy bokes haue brought vnto the fyre Tho. Bylney thas was before abiured whyche was the man of whom wythout name I spake so mych in my dyaloge whyche beyng conuycte by .xx. wytnesses and aboue dyd yet stykke styll in hys denyall sayd they were all sorsworen and had vtterly belyed hym But god whyche is very trouth and bryngeth at last alwaye the trouth to lyght wolde not suffer suche obstynate vntrouth at length to passe vnpunyshed but of hys endles mercy brought hys body to deth gaue hym yet the grace to turne and saue hys soule For so was it that after dyuerse sermons whyche he had after hys abiuracyon and agaynst the prohybycyon gyuen hym vppon hys abiuracyon made in sundry secrete corners and some also openly wherof the bysshoppe yet bycause he herde of none heresye therin had forborne to lay the dysobedyence to hys charge he went vnto Nor wych where he had enfected dyuers of the cytye before And beynge there secretely kepte by a certayne space had in the whyle resorte vnto an ancresse and there began secretely to sow hys cocle and brought vnto her dyuers of Tyndales bokes and was there taken in the doynge and the bokes after founden about a nother man that was conuayenge them thense and these thynges who so herde the hole processe cam in suche wyse to passe that he coulde nothynge dowbte but that it came to lyght by the very prouysyon of god when he came to examynacyon he waxed styffe and stoborne in hys opynyons But yet was god so good and gracyous lorde vnto hym that he was fynally so fully conuerted vnto Cryste and hys trew catholyke fayth that not onely at the fyre as well in wordes as wrytynge but also many dayes before he had reuoked abhorred and detested suche heresyes as he before had holden whych notwythstandyng there lakked not some that were very sory for it of whom some sayd and some wrote out of Norwych to LondoÌ„ that he had not reuoked his heresyes at all but styll had abyden by them And suche as were not ashamed thus to saye and wryte beynge afterwarde examyned theruppon saw the coÌ„trary so playnely proued in theyr faces by suche as at hys execucyon stode by hym whyle he redde hys reuocacyoÌ„ hym selfe that they had in conclusyon nothynge elles to sayâ— but that he redde hys reuocacyon so softely that they coude not here it
How be it they confessed that he loked vppon a byll and redde it but they sayd that they coude not tell whyther it were the byll of hys reuocacyon or not And yet rehersed they them selfe certayne thynges spoken by hym to the peple at the fyre wherby they coude not but perceyue well that he reuoked hys errours albe it that some of them watered his wordes wyth addycyons of theyr owne as it was well proued before them They coude not also deny but that forthwyth vppon hys iudgement and hys degradacyon he kneled downe before the bysshoppes chauncellour in the presence of all the people and humbly bysought hym of absolucyon from the sentence of excoÌ„munycacyon and wyth his iudgement helde hym selfe well content and knowleged that he had well deserued to suffer the deth that he then wyste he sholde They coude not say nay but that vppon thys hys humble request and prayour he was there in presence of all the people assoyled byfore that he was caryed out of the court whyche them selfe well wyste wolde neuer haue ben but yf he hadde reuoked yet was there a nother thynge that they coude not deny For all be it they sayd they were not therat yet they hadde herd it in suche wyse that as they sayd they byleued it to be trew and that thynge was suche as it selfe alone muste nedes make them sure that he had reuoked hys heresyes The thynge was thys He labored and made greate instaunce certayne dayes after hys iudgement that he myght be suffred to receyue the blessed body of Cryste in forme of brede wherin the chauncellour made a whyle greate stykkynge and dyffycultye to the entent that he wolde the better and more clerely perceyue what deuocyon the man hadde there to And fynally perceyuynge hym to be of a trew perfyte fayth and hys desyre to procede of a feruent mynde it was agreed and graunted And theruppon was he howseled in so trew perfyte fayth so grete deuocyon that euery good crysten man hath greate cause to reioyce therin And when hys confessour in the ende of the masse which Bylney full deuowtely herde vppon hys knees brought vnto hym the body of Cryste vppon the paten of yâ— chalyce wyth very good and godly exhortacyon vsed vnto hym that excepte he were in herte as he was in worde and outwarde semblaunce he shold ellys forbere to receyue that blessed body syth he sholde then vndowtedly receyue it on hys owne daÌ„nacyon it wold haue gladded any good crysten herte to haue herd hys faythfull crysten answere as they reporte testyfye that were at that tyme by Moreouer where as in the presence of that holy sacrament holden yet vppon the paten in the prestes handes Bylney byfore he receyued it sayd yâ— colecte Domine Iesu Christe when he came at these wordes ecclesiae tuae pacem concordiam he dyuers tymes repeted those wordes wyth tunsyons knok kynges vppon hys breste and there vnto god confessed and asked his mercy that he had so greuousely erred in yâ— point and so sore offended hym in coâ—tempnynge hys chyrche And no meruayle was it though he had a specyall remorse of that artycle For the contempnyng of Crystes catholyke knowen chyrche and the framynge of a secrete vnknowen chyrche that he lerned of Luther and Tyndale was the very poynt that broughte hym vnto all hys myschyefe as the very fundacyon wheruppon all other heresyes are byelded And therfore as the goodnesse of god gaue hym grace to cast vnto the deuyll all hys other errours so gaue he hym hys specyall grace to haue of that heresye that was and is the grounde of all the remanaunt moste especyall repentaunce and remorse wherby we may very well hope and trust that our lorde whose hygh goodnesse gaue hym suche grace so fully to repente and reuoke hys heresyes that he wyth glad herte was content to suffer the fyre for the punysshement of hys offence hath of hys infynyte mercy taken and accepted that payne for so farre as he wyll exacte of the pore mannes purgatory and settyng the merytes of hys owne paynefull passyon therunto hath forthwyth from the fyre taken hys blessed soule to heuen where he now prayeth incessauntly for the repentaunce and amendement of all suche as haue ben by hys meanes whyle he lyued into any suche errours induced or confyrmed And I fermely truste that goddys grace that effecte wyth that holy mannes prayour wyll worke and so I praye god it maye But thus ye se the Tyndale hath no greate cause to glory of hys martyrs when that theyr lyuyng is openly nought theyr opynyons suche as hym selfe wyll abhorre they redy to abiure agayne yf it myghte saue theyr lyfe theyr sectes so dysperate that eyther they dare not at the fyre set forth theyr opynyons for shame or ellys of malyce do dyssymule them to bryng the people in a false opynyon of theyr iudges to wene that they iudged wronge And Bylney that had lernynge and had ben accustumed in morall vertues was by god reuoked from Tyndals heresye ere he dyed and that of lykelyhed the rather bycause god wolde not haue all his good workes loste And yet gloryeth Tindale vngraciously in theyr destruccyon râ—kenynge that theyr paynefull deth doth grete worshyppe to hys bokes whyche are of suche sorte that neuer were there worse nor more abomynable wryten And yet hys bokes beynge suche some folke there are that wyth suche folysshe fauour and suche blynde affeccyon rede them that theyr taste enfected wyth the feuer of heresyes they not onely can not decerne the thynge that they rede whyche yf they coude they were in good waye towarde amendement but are also dyscontent and angry wyth any man that wolde helpe them to perceyue it and fayne wolde they haue them rather byleued then answered Of whyche sorte some haue asked what haue I to do to medle wyth the mater sayenge that beynge laye man I sholde leue it to the clergye to wryte in and not hauynge professed the study of holy scrypture I sholde leue the mater hole vnto deuynes Surely fyrst as touchyng lernyng yf that these maters were very dowtfull and thynges of greate questyon or hadde bene so connyngly handeled by Tyndale and hys felowes as they myghte seme therby maters of greate dowte and questyon then wolde I peraduenture lette them alone my selfe to be debated by men of more erudycyon and lernynge But now the maters beynge so playne euydent and clere and by the hole chyrche of Cryste so clerely put out of questyon that it is playne and open heresye erenestly to brynge them in questyon I neuer purpose beynge in my ryght mynde and a trew crysten man to gyue an heretyque so myche authoryte as to â—eken my selfe vnable in so playne poyntes of the crysten fayth to answere hym namely syth I haue gone somwhat to scole my selfe and bestowed as many yeres in studye and vnder as connynge maysters as some of them haue and that
I se not hytherto these maters handeled in suche wyse by Tyndale or the best of them bysyde that euer haue wryten therin but that a ryght meane lerned man or almoste an vnlerned woman hauynge naturall wyt and beynge sure and faste in the trewe catholyke fayth were well able to answere them For so helpe me god as I nothynge fynde effectuall amonge them all but a shamelesse boldenesse and vnreasonable raylynge wyth scryptures wrested awrye and made to mynyster them mater vnto theyr iestynge scoffynge and outragyouse rybaldry not onely agaynste euery estate here in erth that agaynst them moste that be moste relygyouse in lyuynge but also agaynste all the sayntes in heuen and agaynste the blessed body of Cryste in the holy sacrament of the aulter In whyche thynges they fare as folke that truste in nothynge elles but to wery all wryters at last wyth endlesse and importune babelynge to ouerwhelme the hole worlde wyth wordes Now as for me y◠cause is of my wrytynge not so mych to debate and dyspute these thynges wyth them whyche though I truste therin to gyue them no grete place many men maye do mych better yet then I as to gyue men warnynge what myschyefe is in theyr bookes bycause many good symple folke byleuynge that these men neyther saye nor meane so euyll as they be borne in hande and longyng therfore to rede theyr bokes and se the thynge them selfe be fyrste infecte wyth some heresyes that seme not at the fyrste intolerable ere euer they come at the greatest and then beynge before infecte wyth the lesse they fall at laste to bere the greater to whyche in the begynnynge they coude neuer haue abyden Now yf they wyll aske is there no body to gyue them warnynge but I. yes there be that be mete there to and there be that in dede do so and yet amonge other that parte apertayneth to me For I well knowe that the kynges hyghnes whyche as he for hys moste faythfull mynde to god no thynge more effectually desyreth then the mayntenaunce of the trewe catholyque fayth wherof he is by hys no more honorable then well deserued tytell defensor so nothynge more detesteth then these pestylent bokes that Tyndale and suche other sende in to the realme to sette forth here theyr abomynable heresyes wythall doth of hys blessed dysposycyon of all erthly thynges abhorre the necessyte to do punysshement and for that cause hath not onely by hys moste erudyte famouse bokes bothe in englysshe and in latyn declared hys moste catholyque purpose and entent but also by hys open proclamacyons dyuers tymes iterate and renewed and fynally in hys owne moste roiall person in the sterre chamber moste eloquently by hys owne mouth in greate presence of hys lordes spyrytuall and temporall gaue monycyon and warnynge to all the iustyces of peace of euery quarter of hys realme then assembled byfore hys hyghnes to be by them in theyr cuntrees to all hys people declared and dyd prohybyte and forbydde vppon greate payne the bryngynge in redynge and kepynge of any of those pernycyouse poysened bookes to the entent that euery subget of hys by the meane of suche manyfolde effectuall warnynge wyth hys gracyouse remyssyon of theyr formar offence in hys commaundement byfore broken sholde from thense forthe auoyde and estyew the parell and daunger of punyshement and not dreue hys hyghnesse of necessyte to the thynge from whyche the myldenesse of hys benygne nature abhorreth Now seyng the kynges gracyouse purpose in thys poynt I reken that beynge hys vnworthy chauncellour it appertayneth as I sayed vnto my parte and dewty to folow the ensample of hys noble grace and after my pore wyt and lernynge wyth openynge to hys people the malyce and poysō of those pernycyous bokes to helpe as mych as in me is that hys people abandonynge the contagyon of all suche pestylent wrytynge maye be farre from infeccyon and therby from all suche punyshement as folowynge theruppon doth aftentymes rather serue to make other beware that are yet clere then to cure and he le well those that are all redy infected so harde is that carbuncle catchynge onys a core to be by any meane well and surely cured How be it god so worketh that somtyme it is Towarde the helpe wherof or yf it happely be incurable then to the clene cuttynge out the parte for infeccyon of the remanaūt am I by myne offyce in vertue of myne othe and euery offycer of iustyce thorow the realme for his rate ryght especyally bounden not in reason onely and good congrewence but also by playne ordynaūs and statute wherfore I recon my selfe of dewtye depely bownden to shew you good reders the parell of these bokes wherof the makers haue such myscheuouse mynde that they boste and glory when theyr vngracyouse wrytyng bryngeth eny man to deth And yet make they semblauns as though they were sory for yt And then Tyndale cryeth owt vppon the prelates and vppon the temporall prynces and callethe theym murtherers and martyr quellers dyssymulyng that y◠cruell wrech wyth hys wreched bookes murderethe the man hym selfe whyle he geueth hym the poyson of hys heresyes and therby compellethe prynces by occasyon of theyr incurable and contagyouse pestylence to punyshe theym accordynge to iustyce by sore paynfull deth◠bothe for ensample and for infeccyon of other whych thyng as sore as these heretyques reproue affermyng that yt ys agaynst the gospell of Chryste that eny heretyque should be persecuted and punyshed and specyallye by bodylye payn or dethe and some of theym saye the same of euery maner cryme thefte murder treason and all yet in Almayn now contrary to theyr owne euāgelycall doctryne those euangelycalls theym selfe ceace not to pursew and punyshe by all the meanys they may by purse by pryson by bodylye payne and dethe dyuerse they re euangelycall bretherne that vary fro theyr secte as there are of those coūterfayte euangelycalls mo sundry sortys of dyabolycall sectes then a man may well reherse And thys at the last be they dreuen theym selfe contrary to they re owne formar doctrine bycause they fynde proue well by experyence that thoughe they re sectes be but false heresyes all yet can not the tone sorte long dwell wyth the tother but that yf they begynne onys to be matchys they shall not fayle at length to contende and stryue to gether by sedycyons the tone dreue the tother to ruyne For neuer shall y◠cuntre long abyde wythout debate and ruffle where scysmes factyouse heresyes are suffered a whyle to grow Byleue me not yf eny man can reken a place where euer he founde it otherwyse in Affryque the Donatystes in Grece the Arryanes in Boheme the Hussytes in England the wyclyffystes and now in Almayn the Lutheranes and after that the zuynglyanes what bysynes they haue made what dystruccyon and manslaughter they haue caused partelye the storyes wytnesse partelye men haue presentely seen And yet hath god alwaye mayntened and contynued hys
god hartely sende that yonge man the grace to bestow hys wyt and lernynge such as it is aboute some better busynes then Tyndale mysse bestoweth it now For now is Frythys wyt and lernynge nothynge but Tyndales instrument wherby he bloweth out hys heresye Fynally after that I shall haue answered Fryth I purpose to retourne agayne vnto Tyndales boke and answere hym in euery chapyter that he hath impugned in the .iiii. bokes of my dyaloge wherin I truste to make euery chyld ê‘ceyue hys wyly folyes and false craftes wyth hys open shameles lyes put in and mengled amonge them wher wyth he fayne wolde weneth to blynde in such wyse the world that folke shold not espye the falshed foly of hys erectable heresyes I thynke that no man dowteth but that this worke both hath ben and wyll be some payne and labour to me and of trouth so I fynde it But as helpe me god I fynde all my laboure in the wrytynge not halfe so greuouse and paynefull to me as the tedyouse redynge of theyr blasphemouse heresyes that wolde god after all my labour done so that the remembraunce of theyr pestylent errours were araced out of englysshe mennes hertes and theyr abomynable bookes burned vppe myne owne were walked wyth them and the name of these matters vtterly put in oblyuyon How be it syth I se the deuyll in these dayes so stronge and these deuelysshe heresyes so sore set a broche in some vnhappy hertes that they neuer ceace in all that euer they may to sprede these bokes abrode to suche as kepe them in hukermoker secretely poysen them selfe wenynge the bokes were very good whyle they rede but theÌ„ alone and then of those euyll bokes so many dayly made by so many idle heretykes and by by sent hyther it were nede as me semeth that dyuerse wyse well lerned men sholde set theyr pennys to the boke whych though they shall not satysfye them that wyll nedes be nought yet shall they do good to suche as fall to these folke of ouersyghte wenyng that theyr new wayes were well Lucae .15 Our sauyour sayth that the chyldren of darkenes be more polytyke in theyr kynde then are the chyldren of lyght in theyr kynde And surely so semeth it now For these false faythlesse heretykes whose hertes are in the depe darke don geon of the deuyll are more wyly and more besy therwyth in settyng forth of theyr heresyes then are the faythfull lerned folke in the defence of the trouth And as the trew dyscyples of Cryst were in slumber and fell in slepe in Crystes company whyle Iudas the traytor was wakynge and watchynge aboute hys detestable treason so whyle these Iudasys watche study about the makynge of theyr vngracyouse bookes good and trew byleuynge men that were mete to answere them and that were able in wrytynge to mych more then ouermatche them yf they wolde wake and praye and take the penne in hande be now so forweryed wyth the sorowe and heuynesse to se the worlde waxe so wretched that they fall euyn in a slumber therewyth and lette these wretches alone sauynge that yet somtyme some good Peter in a good zele so smyteth of Malchus eare that god setteth it on better agayne and gyueth it grace to drawe bakke from the herkenynge of false heresyes and to gyue it selfe to the herynge of Crystes trewe catholyque fayth And somtyme agayne some good holy Poule shaketh the poysened adder into a fayre fyre that lyeng and lurkynge amonge the drye frutelesse fagottes catcheth good folke by the fyngers and so hangeth on theyr handes wyth the poysen styng of false onely fayth that they wolde wythholde them from settynge theyr handes to any good vertuouse workes But now leuynge other men to do as god shall lyke to put in theyr myndes I shall for my parte performe that I haue promysed yf god gyue me lyfe and grace therto For as for leysore shall not I truste one tyme or other lakke to suffyse for so mych for mych more to whyche when I haue as I before sayd all togyther performed I wolde in good fayth wysshe that neuer man sholde nede to rede any worde For surely the very best waye were neyther to rede thys nor theyrs but rather the people vulerned to occupye them selfe besyde theyr other busynesse in prayour good medytacyonâ— and redynge of suche englysshe bookes as moste may norysshe and encrease deuocyon Of whyche kynde is Bonauenture of the lyfe of Cryste Gerson of the folowynge of Cryste and the deuoute conteÌ„platyue booke of Scala perfectionis wyth suche other lyke then in the lernynge what may well be answered vnto heretykes The very tryacle were well losteâ— so that all venome and poyson were vtterly lost therwyth And better were it not to be syk at all theÌ„ of a grete syknesse to be very well heled And yf it myghte be prouyded that euery man sholde be so well tempered that no man sholde by dystemperauÌ„ce fall into dysease then were it better that the physycyon bestowed all hys tyme about that parte of physyke that teacheth to preserue our helthe then to wryte any worde of that parte that restoreth it But syth it can neuer be brought to passe that poysen wyll be forgoten nor that euery man shall vse hym selfe so cyrcumspectely but that eyther of ouersyghte or aduenture some shall haue nede of cure therfore it is necessary that tryacle for the tone and other medycynes for the tother be prouyded and had And therfore as I wold wyshe that theyr bookes were all gone and myne owne therwyth so syth I se well that that thynge wyll not be better it is I reken that there be tryacle redy then the poysen to tary and no tryacle for it How be it though euery shoppe were full of tryacle yet were he not wyse I wene that wolde wylfully drynke poysen fyrste to drynke tryacle after but rather caste the poysen to the deuyll and let the tryacle stande for some that sholde happe to nede it And lykewyse wolde I counsayle euery good crysten man and specyally such as are not groundely lerned to cast out the poysened draught of these heretykes bokes whych when they be dronken downe infecte the reader and corrupte the soule vnto the euerlastyng deth and therfore neyther vouchesafe to rede theyr bokes nor any thyng made agaynst them neyther but abhorre to here theyr heresyes so mych as named accordyng to the gracyouse counsayle of the blessed apostle Poule agaynst fornycacion where he wryteth vnto the Ephesyans Ephes. 5. Let not fornycacyon be so mych as named or spoken of among you And yet syth that wolde not be brought to passe that he counsayled and wold fayne haue had obserued he was fayne hym selfe to speke therof and wryte therof to arme the people agaynste it in mo placys then one as both he and other apostles and all holy doctors synnys haue ben dreuen to wryte againste heresyes yet wold fayne that
folke wolde so clere haue caste all heresyes out of remembraunce that neyther theym selfe shulde haue neded to wryte therof nor other folke to rede the parte of they re bokes And therfore as I wolde aduyse any man neither to rede these heretykes bokes nor myne but occupy theyr myndes better and standynge fermely by the catholyke faith of this xv C. yere neuer onys muse vppoÌ„ these newe fangled heresyes so vn the tother syde yf it mysse happe any man to fall in such a fonde affeccyon vayne curiouse mynde that neither parell temporall in brech of hys pryncys proclamacyon the lawes of the realine nor the parell spyrituall in hurtynge of his owne soule nor they both to gether by puttynge hym selfe in daynger to burne both here and in hell can hold his ycchynge fyngers frome they re poysened bokes then wold I couÌ„sayle hym in any wyse to rede therwith such thynges as are wrytten agaynste theym and way theym both at the leste wyse indyfferently and not to fall sodenly so dronke in the newe muste of they re neweâ—angled neweltyes that the olde holsome wyne with whych good folke haue lyued now this fyften hundred yere offend theyr dronkeÌ„ taste bycause yt is not so walow swete but drynketh more of the verder Forthermore for as mych as accordynge to the wordes of Cryst Lucae .17 It wyll none otherwyse be but that some stuÌ„blyng blokkys wyll allway be by malycyouse folke layed in good peoples way though beste were to stoppe your â—aris vtterly and gyue none herynge to any false euchauntors that wold bywych you wylyly to make you delyte in those bokes yet sith some that be playne symple may fortune to be secretly mysse lede by false wyly shrewes excepte they be well armed before I doute not by godes grace but yf they rede fyrste the thynges that are wrytten agaynste theym they shall theym selfe be able to reiecte and confouÌ„de any deuyll that wolde drawe theym to them And therfore as I am sure that euyl and vngracyouse folke shall euer fynde the meanys that suche bookes shall neuer in some corners lakke wherby good people may be deceyued and corrupted yt ys more thenne necessary that men haue agayne at hande suche bookes as may well arme them to resyste and confute them Of which kynde of good bokes all be it I knowe well there may and dowte not but there shall be many better made then myne and that some such I se alredy yet haue I not so sieyghtly seen vnto myn owne nor shoffled it vp so hastely nor let it so passe vnloked ouer by better men and better lerned also then my selfe but that I truste in god it maye amonge the better stande yet in some good stede And that it so maye to goddes honour and the profyte of some good folke I hertely byseche our lorde wythout the adspiracyon and helpe of whose especyall grace no labour of man can profyte and to whom therfore be all thanke referred whyche lyueth and regneth in eternall glorye To whych as he hath all redy brought many a blessed saynt so mote his mercy brynge with spede the soules that are in purgatory and gyue vs the here lyue in this wretched worlde ayde and helpe of grace by trewe fayth and good workes to folow them the rather by the intercessyon and prayours of all his holy sayntes that are all redy wyth hym A MEN. The preface of Tyndall wyth thâ— answere vnto the same Tyndall THe grace of our lorde the lyght of his spyryt to se and to iudgâ— trew repentaunce toward goddes law a fast fayth in the mercyfull ê“mises that are in our sauyour Cryste feruent loue toward thy neybour after then sample of Cryste and hys sayntes be with the O reder and with all that loue the trouthe and lâ—nge for the redempcion of goddys elect Amen More TIndall here begynneth wyth an holy salutacyon and so doth Luther to and so doth freâ—e huskyne to and id doth euery fonde felow of any of theyr sectys They begynne theyr pystles in suche apostolycall fashyon that a man wold wene yt were wryten from saynt Paule hym self But wolde god they wolde onys rather folow hym truly in fayth and good workes then in symulacion of lyke sancryte wyth theyr holy salutacyons For yf men coÌ„syder that where Tyndal here prayeth holy +ly for the lyghte of the spyryt to see trew repentauÌ„ce he then techeth hym selfe a sodayne sleyghte repentauÌ„ce forbedyng both confessyoÌ„ all doynge of penauÌ„ce they shall yf they be good men sett lytle by hys holy salutacyon And when they coÌ„syder that where he prayeth god sende theym a fast fayth hym selfe techeth a false fayth agaynst the sacrameÌ„tys and meneth that they shulde be fast in the same there wyll no good crysten man can hym thank for that holy prayour And where he prayeth here â—o holyly for the loue of yâ— neygh +bour yf men loke on the loue that ys vsed amonge all the maysters of that hole holy secte coÌ„syder they re lyuyngys and loke vppon frere Luther the very father of theyr hole secte and se hym ronne out of relygyon fallen to flesshe and caryn and lyue in lechery wyth a nuÌ„ne vnder name of wedloke and all the cheyfe heddys of then late monkys freres and now apostatas lyuynge wyth harlotes vnder the name of wyues he that lokyth on thys and then secth theym and theyr scolers as Tyndale here and suche other come forth and speke so holyly wolde he not wene that yt were a sorte of freres folowynge an abbote of mysrule in a Christemas game that were prykked in blankettes and theÌ„ sholde stande vp and preche vppon a stole and make a mowynge sermon And as lewd sermoÌ„s as they make in such noughty games wold god that these meÌ„nys ernyst sermons were not yet mych wurse But surely as euyll as the tother be yet is there more harme more dedely poyson to in this one sermone of Tyndalys as ye shall here or yt come at the ende then in an hundred sermons of frere Frappe that fyrste gapeth and then blessyth and loketh holyly and precheth rybauldrye to the peopell that stande aboute For there is not the worste thynge that frere Frappe precheth in a lewde sporte but fader Tyndall here wryteth mych worse in very great ernest mych worse then doth the tother abusyth the scrypture vnto yt The tother when he precheth that men may lawfully go to lcchery he maketh commenly some fonde textes of his owne hed and dare not in such madde matters medle wyth the very scrypture yt selfe But Tyndall teacheth vs in good ernest that freres may walke out and wedde nunnes and is neyther aferd nor ashamed to draw the holy scripture of god vnto the mayntenauÌ„ce of abhominabyll synne and seruyce of the deuyll The tother rybawde in hys fonde sermon medleth but with fleshly vyces and worldly wantonnes But Tyndall here with an ernest hyghe professyon of godly
edyfyeth not his soule for god byeldeth not so fast therwyth as hym selfe helpeth the deuyll to pull it downe agayne and cast it quyte away so that it is neuer the better And therfore he wyll that hys holy spyrytuall sorte shall set all the holy ceremonyes and sacrameÌ„tes at naught but yf men can tell them what other specyall thynge is ment by the water of baptysme and by the oyle in confyrmacyon and eneylynge and by the cerymonyes of the masse and by the salte and by the asshes and by the holy water by the blessynge of all suche maner of thynges vppon all whych for the meanwhyle tyll all thys be tolde taught hym he thynketh that it becometh hym well agaynst crystes holy sacrameÌ„tes to ieste and mokke and mow and rayle and skofe and ryally playe the rybawld resemblyng the salte to sand and the holy oyle to smeryng of some bareld butter Ah blasphemouse beste to whose rorynge and lowynge no good crysten man can with out heuynes of herte gyue ere Nowe can men and do also for the more parte of these thynges gyue good causes and playne open reasons bothe of the sygnyfycacyons and of the spyrytuall profyte and bodyly bothe And yf that of any suche sacramentes or ceremonyes gyuen of olde by god vnto his blessyd apostles and by them delyuered vnto hys chyrche and therin euer synnys fro hand to hand contynewed it hath pleased the spyryte to let his people haue and enioye the profyte wythout declaracyon of the specyall betokenynge other then the secrete grace gyuyn theÌ„ therin is not Tyndale wene ye well ouer seen to mocke the sacrament and refuse the grace bycause god wyll not make hym so secret of hys counsayll as to tell hym why he toke such an owtward sygne rather then suche an other and then aske god almyghty why he wolde rather haue vsed for a ceremonye salte then sande whyle sande is so good a scorer and why rather asshes then erthe syn man was made of erthe and not of asshes and why in baptysme rather water then wyne whyle wyne wyll wasshe as clene why rather oyle then butter whyle the tone wyll sinere aswell as the tother wyll anoynte and then why rather an halowed candell then an vnholowed torche that wyll gyue more lyght and fynally why any bodyly ceremonyes or sacramentes at all about grace to be gyueÌ„ to the spyrytuall sowle that god myghte aswell do wythout and yf god lyste not to make Tyndale an answere and tell hym all thys gere then wyll he lyke a spyrytuall man set all suche bodyly ceremonyes sacramentes at nought and say god what he wyll Tindale wyll glose hys texte as it please hym and then byleue as he lyste who shall let hym when our lorde in the olde testameÌ„t descrybed so seryously all the apparell of the preestes dyd he tell the people therwyth all the causes why Exodi 28 Of sume we se that he dyd as why he wolde not haue Aaron asceÌ„de vnto the awlter by degrees But of all hys apparell Exodi 2â— Exodi 26. â— 27. â—euitiâ—i 16. Exodi 29 and all the fasshyon of the tabernacle and the awlter and the arche of the testament and the ceremonyes of the expiacyon or purgyng of the tabernacle and sanctyfyeng of all the vessels and consecratynge of the preestes wyth the rytys and ceremonyes of all theyr sacryfyce dyd god I saye tell the people what all the outwarde ceremonyes fygnyfyed nay nor what sygnyfycacyon had the sacrament of cyrcuÌ„sycyon neyther other then that who so obserued it not amonge them sholde fall in hys indygnacyon and therby peryssheâ— and who so fulfylled it sholde be in hys fauour and ascrybed therby in to the nomber of hys electe and peculyer chosen peple But why he rather wylled them to haue the marke and token of cyrcumsicyon then an other or why that in the tabernacle arche and awlter apparell sanctyfyeng and sacryfyce our lorde chose those outward sygnes and fasshyons that are wryten in Exodo Numeri and Leuitico before other or what he sygnyfyed and ment by euery of the same that I se not that god taughte the people and yet had they thanke for the kepynge and sholde haue ben shent for the brekynge Now yf our spyrytuall father Tyndale had ben there that in euery commaundement wyll neuer cease serchynge tyll he come to the very botom and so iudgeth all thynge when he sholde in all those thynges haue serched and sowght and cowlde fynde few thynges other then allegoryes of whyche dyuerse men dyuersly diuyne and all whyche he lyttell setteth by and sayth they proue nothyng and the very causes and sygnyfycacyons he cowlde not haue founden though he wolde haue mused out hys brayne then wolde he not haue set a ryâ—â—he by all that god had deuysed nor wolde haue kept it at all lest he beynge so spyrytuall sholde haue serued as he sayth visyble thynges Is nothere a wyse worke of Tyndale But he wyll happely say that in the olde law thys was lesse mater for that was the law that was all in shawdoes and darkenes of fygures But now in the law of lyghte in whyche the veyle is taken away and all set open Tyndale can not abyde it to be ignorant of any sacrament or cerymonye of any thynge set therby but yf he serche and fynde the vttermost sygnyfycacyon therof Surely as lyghtsome as it is and as open as all thynge is now that the veyle of the temple is withdrawen yet wyll not Tyndale fynde out the proper causes and sygnyfycacyons of these sacrameÌ„tes and ceremonyes of the olde law thys seuen yere seuentene tymes tolde But go me to the new law to those sacramentes which Tyndale agreeth for sacramentes whyche be onely twayn baptysme and the sacrament of the awter in whych though he be content to call them sacramentes yet hath he dyuersefull erronyouse opynyons and very fals faythes But begynne therfore as I sayd at baptysme when our sauyoure shewed vnto Nichodemus that except a man were borne agayne of water and the spyryto Iâ—â—an â— he cowlde not enter in to the kyngedome of heuyn he tolde hym there the necessyte of baptysme but not the proper sygnyfycacyon of the water why it pleased god to put it for the sacrament by whyche we sholde enter in to heuyn Nor when he sent hys disciples to go forth and baptyse he shewed them not as farre forth as the gospell telleth for what proper sygnyfycacyon god set the water in that sacrament before any other thynge but onele shewed them that so he wolde it sholde be bad them go shewe it and do it Nor I fynde not that in theyr baptysynge they shewed vnto the people that thyng that bycause water wassheth and clenseth therfore god had appoynted it vnto the sacrameÌ„t that wassheth and clenseth our soules And yet who so shall say that the water hath for that cause a conuenyent symylytude for the mater shall saye very
there can not hyndre theyr cristeÌ„dome And as for the chyld if neyther they nor the preste nother well vnderstande theyr dewtye nor well byleued in baptysme neyther ye though they were turkes Iewes or saracens or that worse were then all thre very starke heretyques yet so that in the baptysynge they purpose to make the chyld crysten therin do as the chyrch doth all theyr lakke can not make the baptysme lese his frute And yf that Tyndale knowe not this he is very porely lerned and yf he know this and then saye as he sayth that for lakke of such teachynge at the founte the baptysme there is frutelese what is he then say you But now is yt good to se somwhat of Tyndales mynde concernynge these twoo thynges that is to wyt the fayth set on sensyble tokens in the sacrament and the prechynge of the promyses Fyrst for the visyble sygnes there be twoo thynges to be consydred Thone that Tyndale beryth vs in hand that the clergye maketh vs byleue that the visible sygnes alone doth all to gether therin he saythe false a nother that hym self byleueth that they do no good at all and therin he byleueth false For the fyrst poynt these be his wordes Tyndale They make vs beleue that the worke selfe wythoute the promyse saueth vs whych doctryne they lerned of Aristotle More In this poynte he playnely bylyeth the clergye whyche doctryne he lerned of the deuyll who taketh baptysme but for a sacrament ordeyned of god for mannys saluacyon by whych god hath promised that he shal be saued except synne after let hym and wythout whych he shall not be saued excepte ryght specyall cases those be very few neyther able to be playnely proued by scrypture and yet wyll Tyndale agre them agaynste his maysters rule How be yt Tyndale hath here a nother rule and that as false as the tother by whych as I was aboute to saye he rekeneth the outwarde tokens of the sacrament to be of none effecte but onely bare tokens of that grace that is wrought wyth the worde and that the worde of Cristes promyse For he sayth that the sacrameÌ„tis be as yt were a precheour and do onely preache goddes promyses and therfore for to mynystre the sacramentes is he sayth nothynge ellys but to preache goddes promyses And for this he alleggeth yâ— wordes of saynte Paule in the fyfte chapyter of his pystle to the Ephesies Ephe. 5 Criste clensed the coÌ„gregacyon in the founteyne of water thorow the word And also the wordes of saynt Peter where he sayth in the fyrste of his fyrste pystle 1. Petri .1 ye are borne of new not of mortall seed but of immortall seed by the word of god whych lyueth and lasted euer He alleggeth also the worde of saynte Iamys in the fyrste chapyter of his pystle Iacobi .1 where he sayth Of his good wyll bygate god vs wyth the worde of trouthe that is sayth Tyndale wyth the worde of promyse He sayth also Thou seeste that it is not the worke but the promyse that iustyfyeth vs thorow fayth He sayth also that as the preste purgeth by prechynge of the promyse so do the sacramentes and none otherwyse bycause he sayth that the sacramentes be but sygnes and tokens that betoken and preache the promises And so he meaneth that as the preste prechyng the promyses doth geue vs a knowlege of them or putteth vs in mynde of them and yet he doth but shew vs of the promyses of grace doth not gyue vs any effecte of any promyse or grace nor we by that preching do not gete no grace but by goddes worke bysyde so though he minystre yâ— sacraments yet we do not attayne gete any grace neyther by yâ— preste nor by the sacramentes nor by that worke or dede that is done in mynystrynge or receyuynge the sacramentes no more than by the prestes prechynge but onely by the promyse of god thorow fayth to the infoundynge wherof the sacrament doth nothyng worke nor is no cause therof nor cooperant thereto nor meane nor instrumeÌ„t therin but onely a bare sygnyfyer and a shewer thereof And yet worse then thus that lykewyse as yf a preste standyng vp in the pulpet to preche do there stande styll and preche nothyng at all but so come downe agayne and say nothynge doth vnto yâ— people no profyte at all so the sacramentes syth they be but bare sygnes as he sayth and serue of nothyng but to sygnyfye certeyne thynges he sayth therfore that bycause the mynysters of the sacramentes do not open and declare those sygnyfycacyons to the receyuers of the sacrameÌ„t therfore the sacramentes be frutelesse and meÌ„ take no more profyte by the receyuynge of them then by the stondynge of the preste in the pulpet that standeth there and precheth not And it it to be consydered that thys is hys opynyon as well of the blessed sacrament of the auter as of the holy baptisme wherby what mynde he hath of that blessyd sacrameÌ„t he leueth lytell doute to them that haue eyther lernyng or wyt If thys opynyon of Tyndale were trew that the preest doth in mynystrynge the sacramentes no more but preche the promyses and in the mynystrynge he purgeth but as he doth by hys prechynge and when he precheth not the sygnyfycacyons then he purgeth not then were there wyth the baptysme no grace at all geuen vnto chyldren for the preest precheth not then though he dyd we fynde not yet that he sholde suffycyently purge the chylde wyth prechynge And yet yf baptysynge be nothynge ellys but prechynge as Tyndale sayth then after that the preest had well preched all the were to be preched and shewed what the token and the sacrament meaneth he myght as it semeth by Tyndals tale send home the chyld agayne neuer put water vppon hym Tyndale wyll haue vs byleue no thynge but playne euydent scrypture I wolde he sholde therfore proue hys tale here by playne and euydeÌ„t scripture for as for these placys that he layeth proue it no thynge at all Ephe. 5 For the wordes of saynt Paule to the Ephesyes Criste cleÌ„sed the congregacyon in the fountayne of water thorow the word is the thynge that all we say to that is to wyt that by the holy wordes of baptysme comyâ—ge to the water god cleÌ„seth the soule accordynge to the wordes of saynt Austyne accedit verbum ad elementum fit sacramentuÌ„ S. Austinus But Tyndale bycause saynt Paule sayth there in the fountayne of water thorow the worde weâ—eth that he setteth the water but for a sygne as yf the one wolde say a man doth in hys body faste watch gyue almesse and praye thorow the deuocyon of the soule Tyndale wolde then saye that the body were set but for a sygne and in all these thynges doth nothynge at all Hys texte also of saynt Peter is nothynge in thys world for hys purpose For wheÌ„ saint Peter sayth ye are
were not worth a myte More Thys is another ferdell full of lyes and that he woteth well inough For yf the preste lefte of hys stole folke wolde then saye he dyd lewdely as they myght well saye in dede But Tyndale knoweth full well that folke do not reken the sacrameÌ„t hurted therby For he knoweth well that chyldren be somtyme crystened of the mydwyfes hande and the people knoweth well that she vseth no stole And thus euery body well perceyueth how shameles Tyndale is in these lyes Tyndale He hadde leuer that the byshopes shold wagge two fyngers ouer hym then that another man shold saye god saue hym and so forth More Blessynge of bysshopes Tyndale iesteth vpon in mo places then one And for as mych as he knoweth well that all crysten people haue and euer haue had a good faythfull byleue in blessynge both where a man or woman blesse them selfe and also where as any that hath authoryte ouer them gyuen by god to blesse them whyche is a kynde of prayour and inuocacyon of goddes grace vppon the partye so blessed wyth the sygne of the crosse as the naturall father or the godfather blesseth the chylde or the curate his paryshen or the bysshope his diocesaâ—â—e such thynges Tyndale taketh for tryfels and laugeth such blessynge and crossynge to skorne For in his boke of obedyence the laynge of the bysshops hande vppon the preste in geuynge the sacrament of holy orders he resembleth to the layeng of a mannes hande vppon a boyes hâ—d wheÌ„ he calleth hym good sonne And the blessynge as he calleth yt here the waggynge of two fyngers so he calleth yt there the waggynge of the hande in the ayre How be yt we nede not mych to meruayle though Tyndale and Luther and frere Huskyn aud theyr felowes sette lytle by the sygne of the crosse made by a mannes hande in the ayre syth we se that they set so lytle by an ymage of the crucyfyx and also by Crystes holy crosse yt selfe wherof Luther wryteth that yf he had all the peaces he wolde caste theÌ„ all there as neuer sonne shold shyne vppon them But all crysten men syth Crystes deth hytherwarde hath set mych by that kynde of blessynge in whych the sygne of the crosse is made vppon a maÌ„ eyther by hym selfe or by a nother And not a few storyes are there that testyfye great thynges done in the vertue of that sygne not onely amonge good crysten men but also sometyme amonge euyll men and the very infydeles them selfe And though that I entende not to prolonge this worke wyth wrytynge of storyesâ— yet commeth there one to my mynde so mete for the mater and wryten by so great authoryte that I cane not let yt passe Grego Nazi Saynt Gregory Nazianzene the great famouse olde doctour wrytynge in his seconde oracyon made agaynste the great emperour infydele coÌ„menly called Iulianus apostata wryteth that when that man was fallen from the fayth of cryste vnto paganysme and gentylyte geuynge hym self therewyth not onely to the persecucyon of crysten men but also to the folowynge of euery kynde of superstycyouse foly he toke with hym on a tyme certayne necromaÌ„cyers and went in to a caue to coniure vp spyrites to enquyre of them certayne thynges wherof he was very curyouse to knowe And when he was in the pyt amonge them with theyr coniuracyons there appered many terryble syghtes so far forth that all be yt wyth the truste of his coniuracyons he bare yt oute a whyle yet at the laste the terrour and feare so sore encreased that he was fayne for the surest refuge to blesse him selfe wyth the sygne of the crosse whych he so pursued and hated At whyche onely sygne so made wyth the waggynge as Tyndale calleth yt of his hande in the ayre as euyll an hande as yt was yet were all the deuyls so sore a frayed that all theyr ferefull illusyons fayled vanyshed quyte away Lo what a force and strength hathe that fasshyon of blessyng that Tyndale setteth aâ— so lyghtâ— wherin many a man dayly fyndeth great profyte in auâ—ydynge of temtacions of our goostly enimye the deuyll and in manye a soden fere of the fende And I lytle doute but as Tyndale foloweth Iulianus apostata in fallynge from the ryght fayth so wold he at a nede folowe hym also in blessynge to For as lytle as Tyndale setteth by blessynge now yet yf he myghte ones mete yâ— deuyll in the darke he wolde I warraunte you crosse and blesse a pace And I beseche our lorde to gyue hym grace so to blesse hym self by tyme that he mete not the deuyll in eternall derkenes where who so myshape to mete hym caÌ„ haue no grace to crosse and to blesse hym selfe but shall in stede of crossynge and blessynge fall all to cursynge and desperate sorowe and furyouse blasphemynge wythout comforte and wythoute ende Tyndale Wherfore beloued reader in as mych as the holy gooste rebuketh the worlde for lacke of iudgement and in as mych also as theyr ignoraunce is wythoute excuse before whose faces inough is set to iudge by yf they wolde open theyr yies to se and not captyuate theyr vnderstandynge to beleue lyes and in as mych â—s the spyrytuall iudgeth all thynge euen the very botome of goddes secretes that is to say the causes of the thynges whych god commaundeth how mych more ought we to iudge our holy fathers secretes and not to be as an oxe or an asse wythout vnderstandynge More It appereth well that the holy goost accordynge to the wordes of our sauyour at his laste souper whyche wordes Tyndale wold falsely wreste a wrye dyd rebuke the Iewes and the gentyles for lacke of iudgement and that he taught the chyrch of Cryste the true iudgement by whych euer synnys Crystes dayes by the iudgement of holy sayntes and all good crysten people bysyde such thynges as now Luther Tyndale and fxere Huskyn do teache haue ben alway iudged for heresyes And this is open afore euery maÌ„nes yies excepte we wold wyllyngly captyuate our vnderstandynge to byleue Luthers lyesâ— And therfore those that folow them of theyr ignoraunce haue none excuse when they se agaynst the hole consent of crystendome so many hundred yeres contynewed foure our fyue fond frerys runne oute of relygyoÌ„ and lyuynge in lechery take vppon them selfe to preche and saye to the people of them selfe we be the spyrytuales we serche the botome of goddes secretes we serch the causes of goddes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t we vnderstande the scrypture in his ryght senâ—e and all that haue ben called holy doctours interpreters byfore our dayes were eyther false or folys and haue eyther of euyll wyll or of ignoraunce brought all crysten nacyons oute of the ryght fayth tyll now that god hath of hys hygh goodnes sent vs our wyues to preche fayth and teche heresye and shew lechery to torne the worlde to grace Now he that wolde in the declaracyon and vnderstandynge of the scrypture of Cryste and
lyuynge Titi. 1 And in his epistle to Titus he toke yt for no synne to alledge the poetes versys but in the disprayse of them of Crete for vsyng of Tyndales fasshyoÌ„ in lyenge and also in geuynge the worlde warnyng to beware of such as Tyndale is whose euyll wordes and sermons do corrupte and marre mennys good maners as his doth where he wolde make menne wene that good maners were nothynge worth And thus yf Tyndale grauÌ„t the tone parte that is to say that of olde tyme they preched both the worde of god wryten and vnwryten then he wynneth nothynge for euen so do they in the new tyme to Now yf he wyll not saye they preched both of olde tyme but that of olde tyme they preched onely the tone that is to wyt the worde of god wryten then must we wytte of Tyndale whych he calleth the olde tyme. For this I wote well so dothe Tyndale to that fyrste of all Cryste our sauyour hym selfe preched more then his worde wryten and promysed also wythoute wrytynge and was byleued then wythout wrytynge that he wolde sende the holy goost that shold teache his chyrch all trewth wythout wrytyng Cryst full trewly fulfylled his promyse without wryting and yet will not Tyndale now byleue hym wythout wrytynge and after Cristes deth dyd his apostles preache mych more of goddes worde theÌ„ was writeÌ„ And therfore yf Tyndale grownd hys argument vppon the olde tyme and say that they preched onely goddes worde wryten I haue dreuen hym onwarde one steppe downe for I haue shewed hym here the oldest tyme and the best tyme of Crystendome in whyche he can neuer wreste out but that he shall confesse that all the crysten prechours that is to wyt all the euangelystes and all the apostles of Cryste and Cryste hym selfe also besyde the scrypture preched goddes word vnwryten as longe as euer they lyued For I truste that Tyndale as madde as he is is not yet so madde as to thynke that after that some of the apostles had wryteÌ„ eyther gospels or pystles that then they alleged theyr owne wrytynges for theyr authoryte or theyr owne felowes eyther as though theyr owne wordes theyr owne wrytynge were not all of one credence But now yf Tyndale be not content to stande to that olde tyme and wyll saye that he spake of olde tyme but not of so â—lde then â—yth he compareth the olde tyme wyth thys tyme that is now we must aske hym whyche tyme is that whych he taketh for the olde tyme in respecte of this newe tyme now we call an olde man ye wote well at fourscore yere and at an hundred yere very olde wyll Tyndale stande to yâ— tyme wyll he stande at two huÌ„dred iii. hundred iiii v vi vii viii Nay surely he wyll none of all those huÌ„dredes For he sayth in hys preface that all thys eyghte hundred yere and aboue the prechours haue ben false and haue falsyfyed the scrypture Now semeth me that eyghte hundred yere is in respect of now a metely old tyme. And syth he sayth that by all this old tyme they haue not preched goddys worde well I wolde knowe whyche is that olde tyme in whyche they preched goddys worde well and the worde onely wryten wythout any prechynge of any worde of god vnwryten and toke for vayne and faâ—se all that euer were called goddys worde but yf they fouÌ„de it wryten Let Tyndale noâ— tell vs that olde tyme. For this must he tell vs or els he takâ—th a fowle fall Now wyll he make many shyâ—â—es and â—â— the last he shall be fayne to fall bothe into hys owne poeâ—â—y and also in to hys grammer agayne and come forth wyth hys .iii. degrees of compacyson olde elder and eldest And syth neyther the oldest 〈◊〉 of Cryst and hys apostels aâ—ayâ— serue hym bycause the 〈…〉 besyde scrypâ—tâ—â—e the â—â—orde of god 〈◊〉 tâ—n nor 〈…〉 tyâ—â— of eyghâ—◠〈◊〉 yâ—res nowe laÌ„ste passed bycause they preched as Tyndale sayth dyuerse sacramentes ceremonyes and promyses as the wordes of god vnwryten in whych he sayth they preched false but he wyll take an elder tyme then thys and not so olde as that that is to wyt the tyme next after the apostels dayes and he wyll say that all the wordes of god were then all redy wryteÌ„ by the euaÌ„gelystes and the apostels so that there was none of goddys wordes lefte vnwryten and therfore after theyr dayes by a certeyne tyme the trewe prechers preched purely the bare worde of god wryten in holy scrypture well nowe be Tindale and I comen at last to some poynt For he sayth a thynge here wyth whiche he answereth me well and with good grammer sauynge for his poetry for that marreth all hys mater For I saye surely that he sayth not trouth but that of goddes wordes they wrote not all but dyuers thynges were by god to them and by them to other taughte by mouth and by tradycyon from hande to hande delyuered and from age to age hytherto contynued in Crystes chyrch And that I saye trewth in thys poynt I haue dyuers good and honest wytnesses to bryng forth when tyme requyreth saynt Austayne saynt Hyerom saynt Cypryan saynt Chrysostem and a greate many mo whyche haue also testefyed for my parte in thys mater more then a thousand yere a go yet haue I a nother auncyent sad father also one that they call Origene And when I desyred hym to take the payne to come and bere wytnesse wyth me in thys mater he semed at the fyrst very well content But when I tolde hym that he sholde mete with Tindale he blessed hym selfe shranke bakke and sayde he had leuer go some other waye many a myle then onys medle wyth hym For I shall tell you syrquod he before thys tyme a ryght honorable man very connyng and yet more vertuouse the good bysshoppe of Rochester in a great audyeÌ„ce brought me in for a wytnes agaynst Luther and Tyndale euyn in thyâ— same mater aboute the tyme of the burnynge of Tyndalys euyll translated testament But Tyndale as sone as he herde of my name without any respecte of honestye fell in a rage wyth me and all to rated me and called me starke heretyke and that the starkeste that euer was Thys tale Orygene tolde me swore by saynt Symkyn that he was neuer so sayed vnto of suche a lewde felowe synnys he was fyrste borne of hys mother and therfore he wolde neuer medle wyth Tyndale more Now in dede to say the treuth yt was not well done of Tyndale to leue resonynge and fall a scoldyng chydynge and brawlynge as yt were a bawdy begger of byllyter lane Fy for shame he sholde haue fauored forborne hym somwhat and yt had bene but for his age For Origene is now .xiii. hundred yere olde or there aboute and this was not mych aboue .vii. yere synnes Now yf this made Tyndale bold to set Origene as short as his olde shone bycause saynt
Hierome founde some fautes in his workes he muste remember agayne that many a good man and among those saynte Pamphilus the blessed martyr founde in Origenes doctrine so mych erâ—dycyon deuocyon vertue bysyde that they veryly thought those errours none of his nor neuer were there any such faâ—tes founden in his wrytynge whyle hym self lyued nor no man offended with hym many places in his bokes playne that seme to saye the coÌ„trary And therfore many good men thought and yet thynge all be yt saynt Hierome thought otherwyse as he myght well inow whyle that poynte no thynge perteyneth to the fayth that chose heresyes were put in to hys bokes after his deth by some that were heretyques in dede and wolde for the great estymacyon that Origeneâ— was in thorough all the chyrch anaunce theyr owne heresyes forwarde vnder the name and standard of his famouse authoryte But graunted nowe that those faâ—tes were his whyche were imputed vnto hym yet is this none of theÌ„ But saynte 〈…〉 so 〈…〉 Tyndales scoldyng accepted and taken 〈◊〉 all 〈…〉 wyll I brynge in with hym some other that I haue named and yet other mo bysyde that shall as I sayd testyfye with me before this boke be done that god hath taught his chyrche many thynges wherof in the scrypture his worde is yet vnwrytem But now wyll I for the meane while touchyng this poynt wheruppoÌ„ the great wayghte of all the mater hangeth go nerer vnto Tyndale a nother waye It is ye wote well agreed bytwene vs or yf he wold be so madde to say naye ye wyll yet your selfe agre this in his stede that ones of olde tyme Cryste hym selfe and his apostles dyd teache and preache mâ—ny wordes of god vnwryten Now thus I say syth many thynges were tought fyrst vnwryten yf any of them be yet lefte vnwryten then saye I that Tyndale is at the leste wyâ—e temerariouse ouer bolde so certaynely to affyrme that any sacrament that the chyrch vseth and so longe hath vsed or ceremony eyther is idolatrye for as mych as if we lakked sure profe vppon our syde whyche in dede we lakke not by reason of goddes spyryte by Crystes owne promyse euer abydynge wyth his chyrch and teachyng it all trewth but yf we lakke I say that profe for our parte yet were he to presumptuousely bowe so precysely to affyrme the contrary syth he can not say naye but that they myght be some of those that were sometyme toâ—ghte vnwryten and yet remayne obserued vnwryten as the other that now be wryten were tought kept wythout wrytynge before To this wyll Tyndall answere that syâ—â—â—â— that tyme all goddes wordes promyses sacramentes that he wold haue kepte and byleued in crysâ—â—ndome he hath caused to be wryten by his euangelistes and apostles and lefte nâ—ne vnwryten to 〈…〉 that his chyrch shall not stande in any dâ—wte nor fall into any errour of any necessary poynt for lakke of wrytynge but moâ—e â—knowâ— by that he hath caused all to be wryten that all be false and fayned and â—â—ennys madde inâ—encyons that they byleue and obserue vnwryteÌ„ For wâ—y sholde he â—â—â—se some to be wryten and suffer some lefte vnwryten to make men sure of some and to leue some in 〈◊〉 〈…〉 cause for he seeth why well inough and therfore I wyll gyue no rekenynge why god hath caused some to be wryten and some to be lefte vnwryten But thys wyll I be bolde to saye that he was not of any necessyte compelled to wryte any one sacrameÌ„t or ceremony or weyghty poynt of byleue for any fere leste it sholde fall awaye and that he coude not wyth hys owne spyryte kepe it in mennys hertes and vsage wythout wrytynge as well as he kept in the good generacyons the knowledge of his promyses and his lawes longe and many ages before the lawe was wryten and yet wrote them not all therin neyther but the people had a fayth of Cryste amonge them more large then was wryten in theyr lawe whyche went from hande to hande I thynke from Adams dayes to whom it is lykely that god made after his fall some larger promyse and reuelacyon of hys redempcyoÌ„ agayne than we fynde made vnto hym wryten in any place of scrypture But we shall not nede mych profe for thys mater for that god was able to kepe all hys sacramentes and artycles of the fayth wythout wrytynge Tyndale I wene wyll not deny me Now to say that yf he sholde haue lefte some vnwryten it wolde haue made dowtes and debates and be occasyons of errours and heresyes and the writyng doth put all thynges oute of dowte and therfore god hath lefte none vnwryten we se that thys maketh neyther more sure nor lesse For as well dyd men byleue before the wrytyng those thynges that are now wryten as euer they dyd synnys and we beleue now the promyses as well that are vnwryten as any that are wryten And the wrytynge taketh not away all the dowtes but as many ryse thereuppon and many mo then vppon those thynges that we byleue vnwryten For fyrste the credence to be gyuen to the hole boke in whyche they be wryten hangeth all vppon the same fayth vppon whyche dependen the thynges that are vnwryten For as I byleue the tone so byleue I the tother And as one maye by hys owne frowardnes lakke the grace to byleue the thynges vnwryten so maye a nother by his owne malyce lakke the grace to byleue any parte of the hole boke of holy scrypture that is wryteÌ„ and take it all for fantasyes And in good sayth I am aferd yâ— so do they whych saye they byleue nothynge els but it For as for parte of the boke they brynge in queâ—â—yâ—Ì„ 〈◊〉 boke of the Machabees by cause it maketh questyon as agaynst theyr purpose concernyng purgatory And parte they let not mych to deny as Luther doeth the epystle of saynte Iamys bycause it speketh playnely agaynst hys idle workelesse fayth Now in that partes whyche they graunte for scrypture yet taketh it not awaye all the dowtes But vnto such folke as Tyndale is and Luther that be so contencyouse it mynystreth rather mych mater of dowte and of debate that mych more then do the thynges that are obserued wythout wrytynge For fyrst they refuse to obserue them bycause they saye they fynde them not there wryten so ryseth that questyon fyrst vppon the wrytynge Then yf it be founden there then dyspute they whyther it be fully founden there as whyther we fynde there bothe the token and the thynge betokened For the sacrament take they but for a bare sygne and the thynge that is sygnyfyed they call no thynge but Crystes onely promyse And here make they vppon the wrytynge many greate batayles to bete downe allmoste all the sacramentes sauyng scant one and an halfe Then vppon the letter rayse they many greate errours and saye the scripture is playne vppon theyr syde And thys say not onely Luther Tyndale and
by a greate deale as the messenger doth in my dyalog whyche I haue yet suffered to stande styll in my dyaloge that rather yet by the counsayle of other men then of my selfe For all be yt that yt be lawfull to any man to mysselyke the mysseuse of euery good thynge and that in my dyaloge there not onely those euyll thynges rehersed but answered also and soyled and the goodnes of the thyng self well vsed is playnely confyrmed and proued yet hath Tyndale by erronyouse bokes in settynge forth Luthers pestylent heresyes so enuenemed the hartes of lewdly disposed persones yâ— men can not almost now speke of such thynges in so mych as a play but that such euyll herers wax a grete dele the worse And therfore in these dayes in which Tyndale hath god amende hym wyth thenfeccion of his coÌ„tagyouse heresyes so sore poysened malycyouse and newfangle folke that the kynges hyghnes and not wythout the couÌ„sayle and aduyce not of his nobles onely wyth his other counsaylours attendynge vppon his gracys person but also of the ryght vertuouse and specyall well lerned men of eyther vnyuersyte other partyes of the realme specyally called thereto hathe after dylygent and longe consyderacyon hadde therein ben fayne for the whyle to prohybyte the scrypture of god to be sufferd in englyshe tonge amonge the peoples handes leste euyll folke by false drawyng of euery good thynge they rede in to the colour and mayntenauÌ„s of theyr owne fonde fantasyes and turnynge all hony in to posyn myght both dedly do hurte vnto theym selfe and sprede also that infeccyone farther a brode I saye therfore in these dayes in whyche men by theyr owne defaute mysseconstre and take harme of the very scrypture of god vntyll menne better amende yf any man wolde now translate Moria in to Englyshe or some workes eyther that I haue my selfe wryten ere this â—ll â—e yt there be none harme therin folke yet beynge as they be geuen to take harme of that that is good I wolde not onâ—â—y my derlynges bokes but myne owne also helpe to burne thâ—â— both wyth myne owne handes rather then folkesh 〈◊〉 though thorow theyr own faute take any harme of them seynge that â—seâ—heâ— lykely in these dayes so to do But now after this Tyndale handeleth me full vncourtesly for he taketh awaye all my thanke and rewarde that I sholde haue had of the spyrytualtye For he sheweth them that I wrote not my boke for any affeccyon that I bere to them no more then Iudas bytrayed Cryst for any fauour that he bare to the hygh prestes scrybes and pharaseys but that I dyd the tone as he dyd the tother for the lucre that shold come therof after whych he sayth that I so sore hungre that the good man as my frend prayeth for me that I eat not to faste for chokynge Now yf the spyritualtye had ben aboute to haue gathered a dysme amonge them and geue yt me Tyndale here had loste yt me euery peny But god forgeue the good man and I do For wheÌ„ he speketh of my lucre in good fayth he maketh me laugh and so I wene he maketh many mo to that knowe well god be thanked that I haue not so mych lucre therby that I stande in so grete parell of chokynge wyth lucre as Tyndale standeth in daunger of chokynge god saue the man wyth the bones of buttred bere Now where Tyndale sayth I haue fayntely defended the thynges wherof I wryte the thynges be stronge inough and lytle nede me to defend them and also my purpose was not so mych to do that that neded not that is to wyt to defende them as to proue and make the people perceyue that Tyndale went aboute to brynge in heresyes amonge them And that nedeth now as lytle for Tyndale hath proued yt hym selfe And so lytle defence suffyseth for any reason that Tyndale layeth agaynste yt And fynally yf I were faynte therin as Tyndale sayth yet is a faynt fayth better then a stronge heresye But Tyndale yet for all this as a good godly father of his haboundaunte cheryte sayth that he charytably dothe exhorte me in Cryste by the examples of Iudas and Balaam to take hede and ferther he counsayleth me and my felowes full holyly to awake by tymes ere euer our synnes be rype leste the voyce of oure wykkednesse ascende vp and awake god out of his slepe to loke vppoÌ„ vs and to bowe hys earys vnto our cursed blasphemyes agaynst the open trewth and to sende hys herueste men and mowars of vengeaunce to repe it excepte we repent and resyste not the spyryte of god whyche openeth lyght vnto the worlde These wordes when I redde them semed me so pytthy so persaunt set and cowched in suche an hyghe spyrytuall fasshyon that they made me mych to meruayle what Tyndale had spyed in me and caused me to serche my selfe to se whyther I had vsed any suche hygh blasphemyes that the wykkednes therof were lykely to ascende vp in to heuyn awake god almyghty out of hys slepe But when I hadde ouer serched all my boke ransaked vp the very botom of my brest though I fouÌ„de in the tone som prety peccaduliuÌ„s such as I wyll not now confesse to father Tyndale bycause he sayth confessours kepe no counsayle yet coude I fynde in good fayth neyther in my brest nor in my boke I thaÌ„ke god any suche hygh blasphemyes as Tyndale so hyghly cryeth out vppon excepte he call it an hygh blasphemye to call heresyes heresyes whyche I take as helpe me god in my pore conscyence for none hygher blasphemy then to call a gose a gose Nor I. fynde no trewth that I neyther blaspheme or onys speke agaynste excepte Tyndale mene by thys open trewth all the false open heresyes that hym selfe techeth agaynste Crystes holy sacramentes Agaynst whyche kynde of false trewth I no more fere to speke then agaynst the deuyll hym selfe that fyrste founde it out Nor I can not fynde wherein I resyste the spyryte of god in openynge hys lyght vnto the worlde excepte that Tyndale take for the spyryte of god the spyryte of the deuyll of hell and for openynge of lyght vnto the worlde he take the lyghtesome lanterne of good ensample by whych the worlde maye se for a shewe of holy matrymony frere Luther and Cate calate hys nonne lye luskynge togyther in lâ—chery Now to resyste thys deuelysshe spyryte my pore spyryte for all Tyndales hygh ferefull charge is so lytell afrayed that I call hartely to the spyryte of god to quenche the fowle fyrebronde of that helly lyght that so thorowly that the worlde se neuer any suche example more And now when that I had thus thorowly serched well my breste and my boke and saw my conscyence clere farre out of any suche cause of ieoperdy then Tyndals terryble exorcysme made me not mych to trymble syth heretykes haue of olde be wont alwaye to vse suche wordes But my mind more gaue me
But I were lothe that he deceyued vs yf it be not so And therforâ— to the entent it may the better appere that penauÌ„ce is necessary and that to retourne to god and clene to be forgyuen is not so lyght a thynge as Tyndale maketh it but that the chyrche of Cryste appoyntyng payne for the synne and not a bare forethynkynge or repentaunce as Tyndale wolde haue it is therein taughte by the holy spyryte of god let euery man consyder in what wyse the prophete Ioell descrybeth the maner wyth whyche man sholde retourne to god agayne after synne The lorde sayth Icheâ— 2. retourne to me wyth all your harte in fastynge in wepynge and weylyng Teare your hertes and not your garmentes and retourne to your lorde god For he is benygne and mercyfull pacyeÌ„t and plentuouse of mercy and redy to forgyue synne Tyndale And yt wyll folow yf I repente in the herte that I shall do no more so wylâ—lyngly and of purpose More In these few wordes there are many doutes Fyrste how Tyndale taketh repentynge in the harte whether he meane that who so repeÌ„teth in his harte shall no more do so agayne wyllyngly and of purpose as longe as he so repenteth or ellys that who so repent onys in his harte shall neuer ceace to repente or though he do shall neuer yet do more so wyllyngly and of purpose whyle he lyueth And yf he meane in the fyrste manner his wordes be lytle to purpose For yf he graunte that though he repent at one tyme he may ceace to repente at a nother and then do as euyll as he dyd and be as euyll as he was then had I as leue that he sayed yâ— man whych onys repeÌ„teth wyll do so no more as long as he doth so no more and wyll be good styll tyll he be nought agayne Now yf he meane in the secunde manner that who so repenteth onys in his herte can neuer after ceace to repente as long as euer he lyueth or though he ceace to repent shall yet as longe as euer he lyueth neuer wyllyngly and of purpose fall to synne agayne theÌ„ eyther of all that fall to synne agayne that is to wyt of all crystâ—â— people allmoste there was neuer none that euer repented in â—arte in 〈◊〉 who so euer haue onys repented in his harte all the 〈◊〉 that euer he doth after he doth none of them wyllyâ—â—â—â— or at the lefte he doth them not of purpose but 〈…〉 by chaunce myssehappe ere euer hym selfe â—ewâ—re therof at aduenture sodaynly Now yf he saye that neuer any whych do synne agayne dyd hartely repente byfore and then that he requyreâ—◠〈◊〉 then herty repeÌ„taunce of man for his recoÌ„cylyacyon to god he preacheth vs no gospell nor telleth vs no glad tydynges but the heuyeste tydynges that euer man tolde For then he telleth vs playne that of all cristen people there is almost none that standeth in state of grace lenger then the lakke of reason excuseth the defaute of his dede or that the lakke of lyfe leueth hym no tyme to synne agayne after his repentaunce For we playnely se that such as repent fall agayne to synne and so by hym they neuer so repented that euer they were reconcyled agayne to god in all theyr hole lyfe And then were there also mych doute of theyr deth For though yt be good in some case yet were yt not good alwaye that euery man were ouer bolde vppon the sodayne grace that the these gate at laste that honge on the crosse at Crystes ryght hande And yf Tyndale wene to make the mater more easy bycause he sayth he that repenteth in harte wyll do so no more meanynge that he wyll no more fall to that kynde of synne this wyll not serue hym For he falleth out of goddes fauour and the state of grace by the commyttyng of any other synne that is vppon his damnacion forboden And therfore yf harty repentaunce be able for euer to kepe hym from one kynde yt muste be able to kepe hym froÌ„ euery kynde of lyke dedelynesse or ellys yt suffyseth not Now to the tother poynt If Tyndale thynke to ease all the mater by this that he sayeth not that he whyche repenteth in harte shall do so no more but that he shall do so no more wyllyngly and of purpose then ryseth there a nother doute what he calleth wyllyngly and of purpose He hath as yt semeth some other vnderstandynge of this worde wyllyâ—gly then other men haue we saye that yf he do yt not wyllyngly he synneth not at all yf his wyll noâ—hynge do therein at all except yt depende vpon some other synne of hym selfe done wyllyngly byfore as where a man synfully falleth in dronkenesse or in fransye and then dronâ—eâ— or frantyke doth harme or where as one man geueth other occasyon of ruyne as Tyndale dothe when men be 〈◊〉 here wyth his bokes and after damned for his here 〈◊〉 such meÌ„ peradueÌ„ture as he neuer knew and yet fallen all thâ—â—â— dethys both of body and soule in Tyndales nekke For as 〈◊〉 saâ—nte Austayne sayeth the heretyke that is a teacher 〈◊〉 a â—etter forth of heresyes though he be depedaâ—â—â—â— in hell â—â—â—ll neuer yeâ— knowe the vttermoste of hys payne tyll the daye of dome For as many men as byfore yâ— day be damned for his heresyes shall eâ—er as they come to hell more and more encreace his payne But ellys I saye where a man hath no wyll in the dede nor in the occasion therof there is he as I thynke no partener in the synne I wote not what Tyndale meaneth by wyllyngly and of purpose For he is wonte to reken as though there is nothyng done willyngly that is done of frayletye nor I can not tell what he calleth purpose how longe tyme serueth after his rekenyng to make yt done of purpose But this I wote well allbe yt that there be degrees ciâ—cuÌ„stauÌ„ces that aggreue the synne make it more weyghty as when yt is in the mynde longe contynued done of pure malyce and such other thynges yet yf these lakke so the damnable dede that god hath forbodeÌ„ to be done in dede by hym that is not agaynste his wyll forced there vnto this caâ—â— we wyllyngly done saye that he synneth dedely that so doth all though he neuer purposed him selfe longe byfore vppon yt As yf a man mete a nother and kyll hym sâ—â—enly for an angry worde or mete a mayden sodaynly and so deâ—â—ore here this wolde I call wyllyngly but yf she were so stronge or had so mych helpe that she rauyshed the maÌ„nâ—s 〈◊〉 and dysuowred hym by force Now such thynges as these be we dowâ—e not but the folke haue fallen to agayne after repentaunce and after penauns to and such as haue ben by the sacrament of penaunce resâ—â—â—ed vnto the state of grace And syth that these be damnable whyther they be byfore purposed or no therfore yf is partely false partely folysh that Tyndale sayth that who
debatable termes of generall pyth and substaunce and of drawynge out and deducynges and dependynge vppon scrypture vppon euery whyche worde he maye make an argument when it cometh to the poynte But yet yf he wolde honestly stande to hys taclynge in thys poynt and gyue vs the lyke lybertye that hym selfe wyll take and neyther vse false deduccyons of hys owne nor refuâ—e our deduccyons yf we deduce them well we wolde neuer fynde faute in thys poynte But now let vs deduce a thyng neuer so strayght it can not be alowed Let hym selfe drawe it neuer so farre a wry yet wyll he swere that it is ryght inough I shall gyue you for the more clerenesse one ensample of eyther syde Matthei 2â— we saye that syth our sauyour hath hym selfe promysed in the gospell that hym selfe and hys holy spyryte shall be wyth his chyrche all dayes vnto the ende of the worlde yt foloweth say we therof that hys chyrch shall neuer fayle as longe as â—he worlde lasteth IohnÌ„ 16 And bycause our sauyour sayth in lykeâ—â—â—e that hys holy spyryte euer abydynge wyth hys chyrche shall teche his chyrch all thynges and lede them into euery trouth and put them in remembraâ—â—â—e of all that he hym selfe had or wolde say vnto them we deduce theruppon that he wyll not suffer hys chyrche fall in to the erronyouse bylefe of any dampnable vntrouth but lede them into the tâ—outh that is the coÌ„trary of that vntrouth And syth 〈…〉 the holy gâ—â—â—â— shall wryte vnto you all thynges nor shall wryte you all trouth but shall lede you into all trouth we deduce theruppon that the bylefe where into the spiryte of god ledeth vs and planteth it in our harte is as good and as sure to saluacyon of oure soules wythout any wrytynge at all as yf it were wryten in parchement wyth golden letters and Crystes owne hande Here haue I shewed you a sample of oure deduccyons whyche I truste euery man may se that we draw it not farre of but that the scrypture well and clerely maynteneth oure deducynge therof And the sample also that I shew you serueth mych for our mater agaynst Tyndale that contendeth and laboreth to proue that we be bounde to byleue nothyng but goddys promyses and here he seeth that god promysed not to put all thynge in wrytynge but that the holy gooste sholde teche vs by ledynge vs into euery trouth Now shall I shewe you a sample of Tyndales deduccyon vppon scrypture whyche as god wolde he bryngeth forth hym selfe in thys same present chapyter to the entent that ye sholde not lakke a shew wherby ye shall se how playnely he proueth hys holy doctryne by the holy scrypture The scrypture sayeth loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe Now vppon this texte deduceth Tyndale that women may crysten and consecrate the body of Cryste and saye masse to How other men wyll alowe thys deduccyon I can not tell But lest they that lyke it not myghte happe to wene that he sayth it not I shall reherse you hys owne very wordes Tyndale They wyll happely demaunde where yt is wryten that womeÌ„ sholde baptyse Veryly in this commaundement loue thy neyghbour as thyselfe yt is wryten that they may and ought to mynistre not onely baptisme but all other sacramentes also in tyme of nede yf they be so necessarye as they preache them More Lo syr here ye se that yf the masse be so necessary as the chyrche techeth whyche sayth and hath ordeyned that it is necessary to be sayd vnto the parysshe at the leâ—â—e wyse euery sondaye yf the preste be not at home then some good wyfe maye for a nede steppe to the awter and saye masse in hys stede bycause the scrypture sayth lâ—ue thy neyghbour as thy selfe what is there that these folke maye not proue by scâ—â—pture yf they may deduce it thus and haue theyr deduccyâ—â— alowed Or a made as good deduccyon as thys and yâ—â—â—â—â— no thanke For he thoughte that bycause of the commaundement 1. Parasip 13. thou shalt honour thy lorde god he myghte was bounden to set hys hande vnto stayeng and kepynge vp of the arche of the testament that was aboute to fall But god taughte other men by that mannys sodayne deth that he was to malapert to medle wyth that kynde of goddys honour that was not mete for hym And Tindale bycause a woman muste loue her neyghboure as her selfe wyll haue her not touche the arche but the blessed bodye of god and bodely coÌ„secrate yt her self which neyther the blessed mother of Crist nor the hyghest angell in heuen durste euer psume to thynke bycause god had not appoynted them to that offyce Suche deduccyons vppon scrypture made they of lykelyhed that toke vppon them in the old testameÌ„t more then theyr parte cam to as Chore and Abyron and the kynge Ozias Numeri 16. 2. Parasip 2â— that wolde nedes playe the preste and encence god hym selfe for whyche honorable seruyceâ— our lorde sent hym shame and sorow Now yf Tyndale aske me why a woman maye crysten not coÌ„secrate syth both be sacrameÌ„tes I can answere hym the comen answere that though both be necessarye yet both be not lyke great nor lyke necessarye For both is there greater reuerence to be had to the sacrameÌ„t of Cristes body then to the sacrament of baptysme and yet is baptysme of more necessyte then the tother syth that â—or faute of baptysme saluacyon fayleth and not forfaute of housell But as for my parte I wold geue hym none answer to that question other then the ordynaunce of goddes spyryte whyche I se that god hath taught his chyrche and ellys wolde he not suffer them to byleue that yt were well done wherof no man is boundeÌ„ to geue a precyse cause But yt were ouer mych boldenes to thynke that we coulde precysely tell that cause of euery thynge that yt pleaseth god to deuyse though Tyndale and his spirituall sort will not obaâ— goddes byddyng tyll them self as he sayth haue enserched founden the very full cause why It is to me for all Tyndales deduccyon a greater queâ—â—yon yet sauyng for the custume of Cristes catholyke chyrch why a woman may crysten then why she may not coÌ„secrate For surely syth god sent out onely men to baptyse I wolde set no woman thereto for any nede no more then to be a confessour and â—â—â—oyle men of theyr synnys for nedâ— sauynge that I se yeâ—one euer 〈…〉 where in Cristes hoâ—e chyrche and the consent of holy sayntes approuynge and allowyng the same And in consecratynge neuer woman dyd yt nor good man byleued that any woman myghte do yt whyche bylyef yf yt were false I doute not but the spiryte of god techynge his chyrche wolde ere this haue led his chyrche into the contrarye trewth accordynge to Crystes promyse But now as I say ye se by Tyndales ensample for what entent and purpose he putteth in his deducynge drawyng of articles of the fayth
wolde saye agayne as the false prophete Luther sayeth hym selfe I set not by Hyerome I set not by Austayne I care not for an hunderd Gregories I not for a thousande Cyprianes I laye for me the playne worde of god And for the catholyque chyrche that thou callest the chyrch of Cryste it is but a multytude of mortale men whom yf I sholde byleue for the multitude I must rather by leue the Paynyms or the Machometanys whych be many mo And thy sayntes whom thou layest for the be dede but the worde of god that I laye for me lyueth and shall lyue for euer And the chyrch of Cryste is vnknowen to men but yt is well knowen to god oute of whose hande no man can take them as our sauyour sayth but though they slepe now and reste in hope as the scripture sayth my fleshe shall reste in hope they shall yet in the daye of the lorde awake at the blast of the trumpe euer after lyue wyth the lord in his reigne And of these I doute not was that holy maÌ„ Arrius many a nother holy man of his secte Now yf agaynste all this the trew preacher fall in farther dyspycyons agayne as well about hys fyrste questyon as about the chyrch wyth dyuerse other that incydently fall in debate bytwene them and then for the fynall ende playneste profe conclude and reste vppon the scrypture and saye that he hath proued his parte well thereby and that his textes be clere and the textes of the tother parte are falsely wrested and hys owne answeres effectuall and the tother 's but sophystycall and then the false prophete for hym selfe agayne saye that he ioyeth mych that theyr dysputacyon is come to so good a poynt for he knoweth well that he hath alleged the scryptures ryght and coÌ„strewed them in theyr trew sense and that his aduersary is aduersary of the playne opeÌ„ trouth and preacheth and teacheth agayn his owne conscyence and therby synneth agaynste the holy goost whyche shall neuer be forgeuen in thys worlde nor in the worlde to come for whose irremyssyble synne hym selfe is full sory and exhorte hym to remeÌ„ber the false prophete Balam and beware by tyme leste he come to lyke ende and theÌ„ say that he is yet glad agayn on tother syde hyghly thanketh the lord that hathe by his trew teachyngâ— theâ—e â—pened the yiâ—s of the peple about them that they now cleâ—ely se the lyght of trouth whyche hath now putte awaye the darkenes of theyr ignoraunce wherin the blynde leders the false popysh prechers haue led them wronge all this whyle byfore the errour of whom he douteth not but that god hath by hym made them now so playnely to perceyue that he well dare and so dothe make them all his iudges whether of them both hath defended his parte better and therfore prayth them to speke and shew theyr myndes therin for the apostle sayth while other speke the congregacyon muste iudge and euery man sayth Luther for his owne soule byleueth or byleueth not vppon his owne parell therfore vppon his owne bylyef what he sholde byleue and what not muste nedes be iudge hym self now good readers when they thus haue spoken bothe thynke ye by your trouth that the people vnlerned of theyr audyence shal be metely to dyscerne and iudge whyther of them hath spoken better and whyther parte is bytwene theÌ„ better proued by scrypture Are not the people well lykely wyth suche doutefull dyspycyons to be rather ledde out of the trouth then well confermed in yt namely syth many of them shal be corrupted in corners drawen in to that false fayth byfore as the guyse of heretyques is But now how myche parell were there more yf this false prophete sholde as Tyndale putteth his case come forth with false miracles to and in the ende of his dysputacyon and his holy eâ—hortacyon theruppon saye farther to the people thus Dere brethern in the loue of the lorde the father hys onely begoten sonne our sauyour Cryste that cam into this wreched worlde to shew yt ensample of mekenesse and not to make hym selfe as great a god as his father as the popyshe preachers preache vnto you whych therby make you byleue that our mayâ—â—er Cryste passed in pryde the proud angell Lucifer that for the same pryde was depryued of heuen and throwen in to hell where he reigneth as prynce vppon all the sonnys of pryde I am come as ye se sent by the blessed spyryte of the lorde that hath prayed for you wyth syghes vnspekable that ye myght be delyuered from thys errour that this false preacher here I haue dysputed vppon in your presence where as you se I am sure perceyue full well that I haue wyth the worde of god ouercome hym vtterly though he bable on styll But yet bycause the trouth standeth not in wordes but in vertue and power of dede yt pleaseth god that for the strengthynge of weke coÌ„scyences I shall shew you more profe of the glorye of god For syth this euyll man misse ledde wyth an euyll spyryte wold lede you styll in a wronge waye and make you mysse vnderstande the scrypture sayeng that I take yt wrong teache you false where as I made your selfe iudges of the mater I shall now call god to iudge it hym selfe in your syghte by some shew of his specyall presens and power And then after this spoken sholde call vppe vnto hym some well knowen blynde man and in the syght of all the people sodaynly make hym se. what sayth Tyndale to thys here is hys owne case were the autentyque scripture in thys case lykely to stay the people surely me semeth naye For though the scrypture be trew in yt selfe yet syth yt is not so playne bâ—t that many great dyffycultees aryse thereuppon in whyche though he whyche vppon the studye therof hath bystowed many yeres may perceyue the trew parte from the false yet vnto the vnlerned yt shal be lykely full ofte that in suche dyspycyons the false parte maye seme treweste And then how mych more yf he se in his owne syght myracles set therto But now say I that on the tother syde the worde of god vnwryten may stay all to gâ—ther For I say that the trewth of that artycle taught and byleued as the chyrche wythout any doute or questyon byleueth may be so surely grauen in mannys harte that though he neuer haue redde nor herde neyther any scrypture in that poynte yet presupposynge yt for an vndouted trouth he shall set at nought all the false wrested scrypture of the fâ—lse prophete and all his false myracles to and shall euer conster the scripture by the knowen artycle of the catholyque fayth whych was tought and byleued byfore those textes of scrypture were wryteÌ„ and hath yet the same trouth now that yt hadde then not wythstandynge all the textes that seme to saye the contrary And by this fayth in the worde of god vnwryten in
all the thre byfore remembred that the apostles wryte of grace geuen wyth the puttynge vppon of the handes And therein when Tyndale seketh an euasyon in his boke of obedyeÌ„ce sayenge that the puttyng of the handes was but a maner of menne in that coâ—tre as yt was to stretche oute the arme in prechynge or to laye an hande vppon a boyes hed call hym good sonne this euasyon is noâ—e euasyoÌ„ For in the syxte chapyter of saynt Poule vnto the Hebrewes saynte Poule wolde not haue made so seryouse ernest remembrauÌ„ce of the puttynge vppon of the handes whyche he reherseth as ernestly as baptysme yf yt were but such custumable maner that men maye do and lyue vndone as they lyste Nor yf yt were but suche a thynge he wolde not so expressely saye to Tymothe that he had grace geuen vâ—to hym by yâ— puâ—â—yng of his handes vppon hym These places of scryptuâ—â— and many mo to be for this mater so playne agaynste Tâ—ndale and so â—uydent that when he wrestleth with them and wold fayne scape away wyth some gay glose of his owne diuyse he fareth lyke a butter flye falleÌ„ on a lyme twygge whych yâ— more yt stryueth and flotereth euer the faster yt hangeth Now yf he meane in the thyrd fasshyon that is to wytte that the apostles of those fyue sacramentes do not besyde the comen sygnyfycacyon of grace wryte any specyall and proper sygnyfycacyons of the outwarde tokens to whyche sygnyfycacyons the same outwarde tokens hadde suche resemblans and lykenesse that they were therfore appropred vnto them as water in baptysme hath by the wessynge of bodye a resemblauns vnto the clensynge of the soule yf Tyndale meane in this manner as yt semeth that he dothe for when Luther and he and all the sorte of them hadde longe labored agaynste the blessed sacramentes and hadde fyrste assayed to saye that fyue of them were not in scrypture spoken of at all and whan that wolde not be bydden by then that there was at the leste wyse no grace promysed wyth them when they se them selfe shamfully conuycted and reproued in that poynte to then fell they fynally to the thyrde poynt and wolde not wythstandynge that the scrypture make mencyon of them of grace also graunted wyth them yet wold the wise meÌ„ make vs so madde as to take theÌ„ all for nought but yf we fynde in scrypture what other specyall sygnyfycacyon euery outwarde token hath and preache that sygnyfycacyons to the people as the specyall thynge and the hole effecte of the sacrameÌ„t lettyng the grace go by whych these men wolde were clene forgoten in no wyse byleued But where as in all theyr wryâ—ynges they rayle vppon allegoryes crye out vppon such holy doctours as preache them yet the holy sacramentes selfe they wolde shold serue for allegoryes onely and for nothynge ellys Now then I saye syth Tyndale meaneth thys wyse and therfore sayth in his wordes afore remembred that otherwyse preached they do no good but hurte all to gether for yt maketh he sayeth the audyence to put confydence therin that the dede yt selfe iustyfyeth a man whyche is the denyenge of Cristes blood syth Tyndale I saye sayeth thus I wolde wyt of Tyndale whether the sacramentes and the ceremonyâ—s of the olde law were by god prouyded to be well and with theyr profyte delyuered taught by Mâ—yses vnto the Iewes I thynke â—â—â—t Tyndale wyll not be so madde to say that god dyd by Moyses teche them to serue hym wyth those sacrameÌ„tes sacryfyces ceremonyes dyspleasauÌ„t to hym selfe thankles toward them selfe also to theyr hurte wherfore yf he haue eyther wytte or grace he muste nedys grauÌ„te agre that they were by Moises taught vnto the iewes very well and agreable to goddys pleasure theyr welthe But then say I that those specyall and proper sygnyfycacyons of euery sacrament sacryfyce and ceremonye were not taught them nor they vnderstode them not wherfore it foloweth that Tyndale sayeth false in that he sayth that the knowledge of them was so necessary for the soule helthe that wythout that knowledge the vse of them muste nedes be noyfull and not lawfull vnto them For but yf Tyndale teche false in thys god had taught hys people in the begynnynge to serue hym wyth damnable ceremonyes hym selfe Now yf Tyndale wyll at thys clappe turne hys cheke a syde and say that bycause that ellys all theyr seruyce to god done wyth those sacramentes and ceremonyes hadde bene dampnable therfore it appâ—reth well that all the sygnyfycacioÌ„s of them were taught them and so the minor of myne argueÌ„mt false yet in turnynge the to cheke for me he tourneth the tother very fayre to me so that he wyll haue a clap on the tone cheke or the tother make what skyfte he can For then say I thys vnto hym that yf the knowledge of all these sygnyfycacions was so necessary to them that with out that knowlege the doynge of those thynges whyche without synne they myghte not leue vndone were synne as ofte as they dyd them and that therfore lest we sholde be so wretched to wene god had on â—ueâ—y syde so bywrapped hys people in synne hym selfe by hys owne specyall prouysyon that they coude not by no meane escape we muste nedys perceyue that god caused theÌ„ to be by Moyses taught all those sygnyfycacyons Then say I that syth they were not wryteÌ„ vnto them in the scrypture they were yf Tyndale tolde vs trew taughte them but onely by mouth and so fro mouth to mouth taught and contynued amonge them tyll men by theyr foly and slougth fell to forgeâ—â— them or lytell to force of them and then to not byleue them as these heretyques fare by the ryght fayth at thyâ— dâ—ye And then saye I that therupâ—onâ— it very well foloweth ferther that Tyndale sayeng that Mâ—yses receyuâ—â— all â—â—cessary thynges in wrytynge sayed very false 〈…〉 fole for the knowlege and vnderstandynge of those sygnyfycacyons of all theyr sacryfyces and ceremonyes he confesseth to be necessary vppon parell of theyr soulys and yet he confesseth that they were not wryten in the scrypture And yf Tyndale wene to wry asyde and skape by that he sayth that those sacramentes ceremonyes serued them for bookes that they â—ed all the sygnyfycacyons in them as in bookes I aske hym whyther the ceremonyes were tokens so lyke the sygnyfycacyons that they were able to teche the sygnyfycacyons and kepe them by the beholdyng of the ceremonyes or not If they were they had not ben forgotten If they were not and yet the sygnyfycacyons so necessary then yet agayne was not euery thynge necessary delyuered Moyses in wrytynge But lettyng Tyndale with his foly passe the trouth is that the iewes had necessary thynges taught them besyde the wrytynge had an expectacyon of Cryst and of redempcyon by hym before the law wryten in that tyme and after and the iewes loke for it yet they knowe that wythout
the tyme of those olde ceremonyes sacrameÌ„tes iudycyalles all was gone sauynge for as farreforth as the chyrch of Cryst by the spiryte of god hath taken vp any aâ—ayne But let Tyndale brynge of saynt Poule all the places that he possyble can and he shall neuer fynde one whyle he lyueth amonge them all in whyche saynte Poule reproueth any sacrameÌ„t or ceremony taken vppe and accompted for good thorow Crystes whole catholyque chyrche nor yet the iewes for vsynge the ceremonyes geuen by god to Moyses and by Moyses to them for the tyme whyle they serued though they knew not the sygnyfycacyons excepte yt were for lakke of some other vertue whych they lefte of rought not for and thereby loste the frute of they re ceremonyes at all One other thynge he sayth whych he taketh for an hygh poynt to proue that saynt Poule taught no ceremonyes or sacramentes but suche as hâ— taught also theyr sygnyfycacyons And that he proueth thus Tyndale Paule commaundeth that no man ones speke in the chyrche that is the congregacyon but in a tonge that all men vnderstnade excepte that there be an interpreter by More And what than At suche tyme as the lawe was gyuen fyrste to the chyldern of Israel yt was in dede wryten in a tonge that the people vnderstode But yet the ceremonyes though they were wryten in the same tonge yet were there many of them that the people neuer vnderstode what they ment nor peraduenture Moyses neyther and yet were they bounden of obedyence to obserue them and theyr obedyeÌ„ce was frutefull to but yf that some other faute made yt lese the frute And therfore where Tyndale telleth a longe tale that saynt Paule commaundeth them to labour for knowelege vnder â—tadynge felynge and beware of hypocrosye ceremonyes and all maner of dysguysynge and many such wordes mo some of saynt Poule some of his owne planted in among them hys tale semeth somwhat solemne but yt is nothyng substauncyall For the sacramentes aâ—d ceremonys geuen by god vnto 〈◊〉 chyrch be neyther hipocrisye nor iudaycall ceremonyes nor dysguysynges neyther whyche worde Tyndale setteh in hym selfe in scorne as yt semeth of the blessed sacrament of the auter Nor saynt Poule though he wold haue them labour for knowlege meaneth not yet they shall leue the sacramentes vnserued which god hath taught tyll he teche them the knowlege why he taught them and what specyall sygnyfycacyon euery sacrament ceremony had For where as Tyndale rymeth yt out and sayth that he both denyeth and also defyeth that the apostles taught any ceremonye wherof the reason coulde not be knowen for all hys denyeng and also defyenge a better man then the apostles dyd our sauyour Cryste hym selfe when he sent is dyâ—cyples forth to baptyse and to preache he taught them how they sholde go and what they sholde do but the reason and cause of euery ceremony that fynde we not yâ— euer he taught them but at some of them he suffred both them then and vs euer synnes to gesse and to dyuyne For that he wolde haue them neyther bere walet nor sachell nor shone vppon theyr â—â—te nor stykke in theyr hand nor salute any man by the way nor why he chose water and baptisme in stede of circuÌ„cisyon nor why he wold they shold lay theyr handes vppon some syke folke whom they shold hele nor why they shold anoynt syke folke wyth oyle hele them by that meane the causes I say and the proper sygnyfycacyons of all these ceremonyes and many other we fynd not that our sauyour when he sent them shewed them and yet he bode them do yt and they were bounde to obaye and meryted and deserued by theyr obedyeÌ„ce Myche more theÌ„ he sholde haue done who so wolde haue sayde tell me fyrst good lorde why maye I not putte on my shone why maye I not take a stykke in myne hande what arte thou the better thought I go bare fote what shall yt hurte the mater though I bere a stykke why were yt not as good to smere a syke man wyth butter as anoynt hym wyth oyle tell me the causes of all those thynges and yâ— proper sygnifycacyon ere I go For ellys to say that I wyll be sent out with such dumme ceremonyes wherof I know not the causes that I denye and also defye He that thus sholde haue sayd lyke Tyndale shold haue goten lytle thanke And as I haue byfore somwhat sayâ—e almyghtye god taught many ceremonyes to Moyses and he forth to â—he people and neyther can Tyndale nor any man elips proue me by scrypture that the people vuderstode all theyr sygnyfycacyoÌ„s no nor Moyses neyther And where is then Tyndales worshyppefull ryme that I denye and also defye I lette passe all the ceremonyes taught about the arche the temple the sacryfyces and many other thynges wyll wyt but howe Tyndale can proue me that the chyldern of Israell or as I saye Moyses eyther vnderstode all the ceremouyes commaunded by god about theyr departyng out of Egypte why a lambe why a kydde why of one yere why wythout spotte why taken the .x. daye why offred the xiiii why the vengauns of god put fro the house at the token of the blood put vppon the postes why eaten by nyght why none lefte tyll the morow but rather the remanaunt burnte why vnleuened brede why wylde letuse I knowe well god wyste why he commaunded all those ceremonyes but I saye Tyndale can not proue that the people vnderstode them all nor peradueÌ„tnre that Moyses neyther If Tyndale yet say that the people vnderstode all those ceremonyes I wyll fyrste bydde hym proue me that poynt by scrypture And then for some lykelyhed towarde a profe of the contrary I wyll laye forth for authorite agaynst wyllyam Tyndale the wordes of one maÌ„ whom Tyndale wold were moste byleued of all men that is to wytte the wordes of wyllyam Tyndale hym selfe For hym selfe sayth in hys boke agaynste me Tyndale Cryste axed the apostles Matth. xv whom they toke hym for And Peter answered for them all sayngeâ— I say that thou art Cryste the sonne of the lyuynge god that art come into this worlde That is we byleue that thou art he that was ê“mysed vnto Abraham shuld come and blesse vs and delyuer vs. How be yt Peter yet wyste not by what meanes But now yt is opened thorow out all the worlde that thorow the offerynge of hys body and bloude More Now syth as Tyndale sayth hym selfe saynt Peter at the tyme dyd not knowe by what meane Cryste sholde redeme vs and yt is very lykely that saynte Peter al be yt he was not yet fully lerned dyd yet at the tyme goynge to scole wyth Cryste vnderstande as myche at the leste wyse as the comeÌ„ peple dyd euen in Moyses days I thynke therfore the Tyndale sholde hym selfe agre contrary to that hym selfe hathe sayde byfore that the people vnderstode not all the ceremonyes And yet I thynke he wyll not
scripture neyther he myght by his passioÌ„ haue wrought our redeÌ„pcion all though he had wedded goten chyldreÌ„ to And in good fayth I wene we shall se those folke fall so frantyque ones that they shall not let at laste to say he dyd so to and bydde vs go proue the contrarye by scrypture or ellys they be at theyr angelycall lybertye to byleue whyche waye they lyste But now come we to Tyndales other example that he putteth of purgatorye Tyndale What am I the better for the bylyefe of purgatorye More In good fayth not the better of an halfpeny whyle ye by leue yt no better then ye do But surely if ye byleued yt well ye myghte be bothe the better for purgatorye and the farther from hell Tyndale To fere men wyth thou wylte saye More He maketh men answere as yt pleaseth hym selfe But we wyll not saye so for it were a folyshe sayeng to say Tyndale is the better for the bylyefe of purgatorye to fere men wyth what fole wolde saye so but Tyndale For Tyndals bylyef can not fere folke no more then other mennys bylyef fereth Tyndale nor Tyndale is not the better though other men be aferde And therfore that questyon as he folyshely frameth yt so he folyshely answereth yt But I saye that purgatory is ordeyned for the punyshement of suche synnys as were eyther venyall in the bygynnynge or from mortall turned to venyall by the forgyuenesse of the mortalyte And I saye that the bylyefe thâ—rof profyteth two maner of wyse One wyse in that yt maketh a man to be preserued thens or to be the lesse whyle there by that yt maketh hym do penaunce and good workes here of whiche two thynges Tyndale abhorreth to here A nother waye the bylyefe therof profyteth in that as for so farre forth yt kepeth the byleuer from hell into the fyre wherof for the contrary bylyefe and heresye holden agaynst yt he sholde ellys fall hedâ—ynge downe byleued he neuer so well and lyued he neuer â—o well also bysyde And therfore of the bylyefe of purgatory there commeth â—hese profyâ—es 〈◊〉 other folke though Tyndale be neueâ—â—he better for the bylyefe therof whyche byleueth yt not Tyndale Cryste and his apostles thoughte hell inough And yet besydes that the flesshely ymagynacyons maye not stande with goddes worde what greate fere can there be of that terryble fyre whyche thou mayste quenche almoste for thre halfpens More Nay surely that fyre is not so lyghtely quenched that folke sholde vppon the boldenesse of perdons stande out of the fere of purgatory For lykewyse as though the sacrameÌ„t of penaunce be able to put away theternalyte of the payne yet hath the party for all that cause to fere bothe purgatory and hell to leste some defaute vppon hys owne parte letted god in the sacrament to worke such grace in hym as sholde serue therfore so though the perdon be able to dyscharge a man of purgatory yet may there be suche defaute in the party to whom the perdon is graunted that though he gyue for thre halfpence thre hundred pounde yet shall he receyue no perdon at all And therfore can he not be for thre halfepence out of fere of purgatory but euer hath cause to fere it For no man excepte reuelacyon can be sure whyther he be partener of the perdon or not though he maye haue and ought to haue bothe in that and euery good thynge good hope And yf the fere of purgatory were so clere gone bycause it myghte be quenched wyth the coste of thre halfepence then were the fere of hell gone 〈◊〉 by Tyndales techynge syth bare fayth and sleyght repentyng putteth out that fyre clene wythout the cost of a peny And where he sayâ—â—h that Cryste and hys apostles thought hell inough I aske hym how he preueth that For we se well by experyence that hell and purgatory to be scant inough bytwene them bothe to refrayne folke from synne we se also that bothe Cryste and hys apostles haue shewed vs that there is purgatory And that haue they shewed vs not onely by mouth whyche were suffycyent to faythfull folke but by the scrypture to And yet bothe twayne be not inough to Tyndale For hys felowes and he wyll not vnderstande those places of scrypture but after theyr owne fasshyon And therfore now where as he calleth as vnprofytable â—â— the soâ—le as smoke to sore eyes all thynges that be not eyther wryten in scrypture or deduced theruppon put the ensamples of the assumpcyon of our ladye and purgatory he muste adde vnto them as many thynges mo as hym selfe putteth in the same case And so therby ye se that he sayth now that a chylde to be confermed or to be crystened eyther yf yt be crystened in latyne or a man to shryue hym selfe of his synnys or to do penauÌ„ce or to do any good workes toward heuen warde or to be aneled or to pray to sayntes or to byleue in the holy sacrament of the aulter the blessed body and blood of Cryste or to do any honoure vnto yt all these thynges be by Tyndale as profytable for the soule as smoke is for sore eyes But I praye god that the sore eyes of hys sycke soule maye ones loke vppe better leste he fynally fall in to the foule smoke of hell where he shall neuer se after Tyndale And that the apostles shold teache aught by mouth that they wold not write I pray you for what purpose More Now haue ye herd all redy by what hygh reasons Tyndale hath prouyd you the thynge that he affermeth that ys to wyt that the apostles wrote and lefte in wrytynge euery thynge that is of necessyte for the soule eyther to be done or to be byleued But syth he seeth hym selfe that in his reasons for hys owne parte there is so lyâ—â—e pyth that he can neuer proue nor no man ellys the thynges that Tyndale muste proue or ellys proue hym self a fole for fallynge from the fayth of Crystes chyrce that is to say yâ— the apostles left all such necessarye poyntes of the fayth in wrytynge he leueth of now his parte hym selfe asketh vs why they left aught vnwriten as though if I that neuer was of counsayle with them can not tell vnto Tyndale playnely wherfore and why the apostles left aught vnwryteÌ„ he myght theruppon conclude that they wrote all to gether Is not this a wyse and a worshyppefull reason Thys maner is mych lyke as Tyndale wolde afferme that all the lawes of England be wryten and what so euer were vnwryten were no law And when he hadde longe wrestled therwyth and coulde not proue it wolde then aske me hath the realme of Englande any lawes that he not wrytenâ— to what purpose I praye you sholde they be lefte vnwryten And then yf I coulde not gyue hym an answere therto such as coude content hym he myghte therfore wyth good reason take hys parte for proued and well and wourshypfully conclude that all that
euer are vnwryten are no lawes But now in my name he answereth hys questyon and then confuteth that answere Tyndale Bycause they sholde not come to the handes of the hethen for mokkynge sayth mayster More I praye you what thynge more to be mokked of the hethen coude they teache then the resurreccyon and that Cryste was god and man and dyed betwene two theues and for his deths sake all that repente and byleue therin sholde haue theyr synnes forgyuen them ye and yf the apostles vnderstode therby as we do what madder thyng vnto hethen people coude they haue taught then that brede is Crystes body and wyne his bloude And yet all these thynges they wrote And agayne purgatory confessyon in the eare penauÌ„ce and satysfaccyon for synne to godwarde with holy dedes and prayenge to sayntes with suche lyke as dome sacramentes and ceremonyes are maruelouse agreable vnto the superstycyon of the hethen people so that they neded not to abstayne from wrytynge of them for feare lest the hethen sholde haue mocked them More Thys was an happy happe for mayster Tyndale that it happed mayster More wyth the layenge of suche a slender cause to mynyster mayster Tyndale so mych pleasaunt mater of replycacyon For yf I had not happed to haue sayed that the apostles forbare the wrytynge of some thynges for estewynge of infydeles mokkynge Tyndale had had now no more to saye but had lâ—â—te of wyth shame inough where as now by thys poynt he hath occasyon of mych mater and wynneth mych wourshyppe therwyth But now yf I wolde be content to saye that I was ouer seen in so sayenge and that I can not defende my wordes that they forbare to wryte any maner thyng for any such cause â—nd that also I can not tell why nor for what cause the apoles wrote some necessary thynges and lefte some necessary â—â—â—nges vnwryten no more then I can tell why that euery eâ—angelyste wryteth many thynges that hys felowes haue and yet lâ—â—eth out some as greate and as necessary as some that hâ— wâ—â—â—â—â—h in yf I wolde for Tyndales pleasure saye thys â—hâ—câ—â— yâ— I dyd I neded not mych to force for any greate haâ—â—â— that my parte could take therby for yâ— thynge were in it selfe neuer the lesse trewe that the apostles so dyd in dede though I coude not tell why then hadde I taken away quyte all Tyndales pleasure in his present bablyng and lefte hym onely to those reasons that he hath layed before in all whych he is as ye se to shamefully confounded But yet yf it lyke you good readers to rede myn owne wordes as I wrote theÌ„ which ye shall fynde in the fyrst boke of my dyaloge the .xxv. chapyter there shall ye perceyue it that it is not fully so farre from all reason as Tyndale wolde haue it seme For I shew there that the apostles dyd more playnely speke and more opeÌ„ly declared many thinges by mouth amonge the crysten folke bycause theyr audyence was more mete whyle they were onely amonge them selfe then they dyd by theyr wrytynge whyche myghte percase come in to the handes of hethen men that wold laugh some such thynges to scorne Now cometh Tyndale and sheweth that thys is fondely sayed syth the apostles letted not to wryte the thynge that the hethen wolde moste mokke of all and that purgatory and the sacramentes were lest lykely to be mokked amonge them for that they were most agreable vnto theyr owne superstycyon But now lest he sholde haue combred hym selfe somwhat wyth the answere and haue defaced therwyth the bewtye of hys owne tale he leueth out here all suche thynges as I layd in that place for the profe How be it those thynges wyll yetâ— I truste serue me suffyâ—yentely agaynste all Tyndales scoffes Amonge whyche yet where he weneth that he speketh wyseste he helpeth me so in what hym selfe euyn here vnware For fyrste though I coude not tell why they wrote somwhat that the hethen men wyll mokke yet leue out somwhat lest they sholde mokke though I coude not I saye tell why they dyd thys yet is it inough yf I proue that they so dyd in dede For the profe wherof I maye laye and so dyd in my dyaloge whych Tindale here leueth out that not onely saynt Peter so dy◠〈◊〉 the seconde chapyter of the actys Actuum 2 where he forbaâ—e â—o call Câ—yâ—t god lest it sholde haue hyndred the fayth in that audyenâ—â— but that our sauyour dyd the same hym selfe in the many 〈◊〉 preachynge of hys godhed aâ— appâ—reth in theâ—â— câ—apyteâ— of saint IohnÌ„ Now syth ye se thâ—t thus thâ—â— dyâ— in dede whâ—â— nedeth me to caâ—e for all Tyndales whyâ—s 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 bare thys where was lesse cause to â—ere and whâ— the◠〈◊〉 thys where was more cause to fere syth he can 〈…〉 but that they so dyd am I bounden to gyue the rekenynge why and wherfore they so dyd This dare I be bolde to say that they neuer taught thynge of dyffyculte be wrytynge but that they taught yt more playnely by mouth by whych explanacyons by mouth the people cam into the vndouted trouth and fayth of the mater were the wrytynge neuer so full of doute For the profe wherof Tyndale hath here as I sayed byfore by reason of his heresye wyth false vnderstandynge of saynt Paule brought forth a ryght good sample For thus he sayeth Tyndale ye and yf the apostles vnderstode therby as we do what madder thyng vnto the hethen people coulde they haue taught then that brede is Crystes bodâ—e and wyne his blood and yet all these thynges they wrote More Lo here ye se that Tyndale hym selfe dowteth vppon saynt Poules wordes whyther he ment as we do whyche yet meane not as Tyndale doth that brede is Crystes bodye and wyne his blood so that the brede and wyne styll remayne as Tyndale sayeth that the apostles wryte but that the brede wyne is conuerted and chaunged into Crystes body and blood and that by what wordes so euer the apostles wryte yt yet that is the thynge that they meane that all be yt that they haue wryten yt playne inough in scrypture yet bothe Cryste and they wyth many wordes so clerely dyd declare yt by mouth that in that artycle neyther then nor neuer after was there any doute arose tyll that these heretykes here now of late yeres make dowtes vppon the wrytynge contrary to the declaracyon made by Cryste and his apostles and well and surely writeÌ„ in mennys hartes fourtene hundred yere byfore Such parell is yt lo to fall froÌ„ the vndouted fayth vnto the dyspycyons of the scrypture whyche by the fayth is vnderstanden as the scrypture yt selfe For lykewyse as yt sayth playnely scrutamini scripturas serche ye in scrypture so sayth yt as playnely nisi credideritis non intelligetis but if ye byleue ye shall not vnderstande And here ye se that though Tyndale wyll not coÌ„fesse that the apostles lefte any thyngâ—