tolde vs in the begynnynge that thys worde churche hathe dyuers significacyons amonge whyche at laste he bethought him vpon twayne One a generall significacyons by whiche it is taken for all that embrace the name of Chryste thoughâ— theyr faythes be noughte or thoughe they haue no faythe at all A nother by whiche it specially signifyeth onely the electes in whose hartes god hathe wrytten hys lawe with his holy spiryte and gyâ—en them a felynge faythe of the mercy that is in Christe Iesu our lorde All hys other signifycacyons I lette passe as thynges nat properly pertaynynge to this present questyon of the catholyke churche excepte onely that whyche he hathe also diffined false that is to wytte the pertyculer churches of euery chrysten countrey whiche be nat as Tyndall there taketh them all the people in the towne or the countrey chrysten or hethen or open professed heretykes but onely suche as are the partes of the catholyke churche But in all his declaracyons of all the signifycacyons he hathe as ye haue sene in my fyrste parte of thys worke neyther rehersed them all nor taken â—yght almost any one of these that he hathe rehersed For lettynge as I say the remenaunte passe as nowe nat pertinent proprely to this matter reproued in myne fyrâ—te parte â—f this worke of these two laste significacions hathe he done hys parte in neyther nother but hathe as I there shewed lyfte out the chefe significacyons of all and whervpon all the matter moste especially dependeth that is to wytte the catholyke church of Christ of all trewe christen people For as touchynge the fyrste of hys two laste if he wyll say that he ment that for the catholyke churche than I say that he defamed it false For the generall catholyke churche is nat the nombre of all y â— embrace the name of Christ whether they haue faythe true or false any faythe or none For heretykes suche as Luther is and zwinglius and wyclyffe and hym selfe that fyrste wylfully leaue and forsake the catholyke church and the catholyke faythe therof and be therfore after precyded and cut of there fro and cast out therof neyther be nor neuer haue bene accompted eyther in the churche or of the churche thoughe they styll call them selfe christen men and embrace hys name castynge of the truthe of hys faythe and fyghtynge agaynste good workes by sectes dissoluynge the vnyte and beynge separate from the socyetie of the catholyke churche Than as touchynge the seconde signifycacyon of the onely electes whiche is the churche wherof he â—abereth in all this worke and wolde haue it onely taken for the churche of Christe milytaunte here in erthe let vs consydre ordrely from the begynâ—ynge to the ende what he telleth vs therof and to what wyse ende at laste he bryngeth all hys purpose Aftâ—r his defence of his translacyon very fondely defended to proue vs that the churche is onely the nombre of electes in whose harâ—es god hathe wrytten his lawe gyuen them a felynge faythe of the mercy that is in Christ Iesu our lorde he fyrste moueth a quesâ—yon of hys owne â—euysynge whether the worde were â—efore the churche or the churche before the worde as though that questyon had in suche wyse benne puâ— by vs and that we had affyrmed the churche to be before the wordâ— There with scoffes and moâ—kes he concludeth agaynst vs that the worde was before the churche whereof neuer no man sayd the contrary But that the wrytten worde was before the churche whiche was the thynge that him selfe had sayd and mente and whiche eâ—er was anâ— is his princypall grounde and foundacyon wherof we had sayd and yet say the contrary therof in all that chapyter neyther any thyng proueth he nor any thynge so moche as speketh And so that chapyter nothynge at all to purpose More ouer sythe he bryngeth forthe that chapyter for the profe that the onely electes be the churche for there about goeth all his matter and well ye wote the worde of god bothe wrytten and vnwrytten may be and is beleued bothe of the electes and of the nat elected therfore is also that chapyter nothynge at all to purpose Fynally syth he speketh of the lawe wrytten by the spyryte of god in the harte nowe sythe that lawe so wrytten there is rather y â— worde of god vnwrytten than his worde wrytten in the bokes of the scrypture that we haue of whiche wordes onely Tyndale maketh all his matter and abhorreth euery worde that god wolde eyther speke or wryte besyde the scrypture that we haue all redy this chapyter of Tyndals nat onely nothynge maketh for his purpose but also rather semeth greatly to make agaynste it Than goeth he forthe with his other chapyter wherein he laboreth to proue that the apostels lefte nothynge vnwrytten that were necessary to saluacyon meanynge that we be bounden to beleue nothyng but onely that that they haue wrytten that as Tyndals mayster Martyn Luther sayeth euidently and plainly wrytten wherin who so consyder what I haue answered hym shall I truste well perceyue that it had bene better for hym to haue lefte that matter vntouched For bothe is his purpose on hys parte vnproued and the contrary to hym proued besyde that it is in many places proued that the sacramentes whiche he reproueth be wrytten in the scrypture in deâ—â— Howe be it he corâ—ecteth and amendeth therfore his doctryne of that chapiter 〈◊〉 another chapiter after For where as in the former chapiter he tâ—câ—eth that we be bounden to beleue nothinge of necessyte but onely that that is wrytten in the scrypture yet â—este we shulde be thereby concernyng our belefe ouer â—â—â—â—â—tely reâ—â—rayned of our euangelycall lybertie he bethynketh hym selfe better and in hys other chapyter after he techeth vs that we be nat of necessytie bounden to beleue all that neyther but so that we beleue the promyses we may be saued well inoughe he sayeth beleuynge nat other thynges wrytten euen in the very gospell it selfe This is hys doctryne in his chapyter where he techeth vs that the churche may erre and that yet it can nat erre sauynge that sodeynly vnware he confesseth euen there the contrary Thanne commeth he forthe in hys chapyter with thys questyon whether the churche can erre or nat And there he fyrste sayeth that thys comen knowen catholyke churche bothe may erre and dothe erre and proueth it by hys bare worde And than he sheweth what hym selfe calleth the electe church and sayeth that it is the whole multytude of all repentynge synners that beleue in Chryste and put all theyr truste and confydence in the mercy of god felyng in theyr hartes that god for Christes sake loueth them and wyll be or rather is mercyfull vnto theym and forgyueth theyr synnes of whyche they repente and all the mocyons vnto synne of whiche they feare that they shal be drawen into synne agayne and this they beleue and fele withoute any respecte of their owne deseruynge and onely for
wordes as they be and as innocent and as simple as they seme yet in them meneth Tyndale couertly to come forthe with his poyson of false prechynge the predestinacyon of god with destrucion of the fre wyll of man concernynge any maner of deuoure of them selfe towarde the â—eleue and faythe For he â—â—neth here that god alway maketh the electes to se these thynges without any wyll of theyr owne any thynge workynge with god towarde the syght thereof and that all the reprobates that shal be dampned for lacke of the beleue be reprobated and reiected and lefte vnchosen and kept from the syght and perceyuynge of the thynges to be beleued without any demeryte or euyll deserte of theyr owne onely bicause god lyste nat to make them see And that Tyndale thus falsely meneth by those fayre playne wordes ye shall farther perceyue by other wordes of Tyndals owne wrytynge afterwarde in his answere to to the fyrste chapyter of the thyrde boke of my dyaloge For where as I there shewed that the very bokes of the scripture if selfe can nat make men beleue y t scripture nor very surely knowe whyche were the very true scripture of god and whiche were scriptures countrâ—fete sauyng that the catholyke churche techeth vs to knowe the scrypture and the spirite of god with mannes owne towardes and good endeuoure worketh in man the credulite and belefe by whiche we bothe beleue the churche in techyng vs whiche is the scripture also by whiche we beleue the thinges that are wrytten in the scrypture to this bycause I sayde there that whan we here the scrypture or rede it if we be nat rebellious but endeâ—our our selfe to beleue captyue and subdue our vnderstandyng to serue and folowe fayth prayenge for goddes gracious ayde and helpe god than worketh with vs and inwardely dothe inclyne our harte in to the assent of the thynge that we rede and after a lytell sparke of our faythe oâ—es had increaseth the credence in our incredilyte Tyndale to this in moâ—kage of mennes endeuour towarde the belefe and in scornynge that we wolde captyue our vnderstandyng into y e seruyce of fayth answereth me with an 〈◊〉 as exclamacion and cryenge out vpon my flesheâ—â—â—es and foly â—oâ—eth out his hyghe spirituall sentence in this 〈◊〉 oâ— Tyndale O hoâ—e betleblyâ—de is flesshely reason The wyll hath none operacion at all 〈◊〉 the workynge of faythe in my soule no more 〈◊〉 the chylde hathe in the begettynge of his fathe◠〈◊〉 sayeth Paule it is the gyfte of god and nat of vs. My 〈…〉 sâ—ewe â—e 〈…〉 or an appatent cause why yer my wyll haue any workynge at allâ— More Nowe perceyue you good christen reders what an vnchristen mynde this euyll christen man hathe in those wordes that seme so fayre and playne in this present chapyter For thoughe he speke nat out so plainly in this chapyter as he dothe after in his answere to my thyrde boke as ye haue here herde yet that he falsely meneth in eyther place alyke ye may yet more plainly perceyue by hys wordes y â— in this chapiter immedyatly folow which are such sa may be as well ioyned to his foresayde wordes of his answere vnto my thyrde boke as to the wordes vnto whiche they be knytte in this present chapyter In whiche whan he hathe sayed that god maketh his electes se theyr dampnation in y â— lawe and also the mercy that is layed vp for them in Christes bloode and therto what he wyll haue them do it foloweth than forthwith Tyndale And then when we se his mercy we loue hym agayne and chose hym and submytte our selues vnto his lawes to walke in them For when we erre not in wytte reason and iudgement we can not erre in wyll and choyse of thynges The choyse of mannes wyll doth naturally and of her owne accorde folow the iugement of a mannes reason whyther he iudge ryghte or wronge so that in techyng onely resteth the pyth of a mannes lyuynge More Now trust I good reders that it is inoughe that we perceyue and se what Tyndale entendeth in thys chapitre of the ordre of our eleccyoÌ„ and that for all hys great exclamacyon we be nat yet so betle blynd but that we spye well inough whyche way this wyly serpeÌ„t walketh and that he goth about vnder colour of the prayse and commendacyon of goddes predestinacionâ— and ordynaunce vtterly concernyng fayth to put a way the wurke of maÌ„nes fre wyll and yet ouer that though â—om what more couertely of trouthe concernyng all other good workes to And all be it that he seme here to gyue mannes wyll in maner lyke place in the acte of our loue toward god as he gyueth god in the worke of our belyefe and fayth in vs yet whan he is well perceyued he bryngeth all to suche ineuytable necessyte that both in the tone and the tother and in all maner of good workes he taketh vtterly away all manes of meryt from the good men and electes gyueth vnto the euyll peple and reprobatys an excuse for theÌ„ selfe and an occasion to lay the wight of there iuste dampnacioÌ„ to the vniustyâ—e of goddes eternall ordynaunce and moste ryghtuouse predestynacyon And yet are all hys reasons in thys greate mater so small that a man may nat well wyt whyther they be more wykked or more wyttelesse Nowe all be it that I shall purpose to treat of thys matter more at longe wyth Tyndale whan I shall come to the coÌ„nfutacion of hys fond answeres made vnto the thyrde fourth bokes of my dyaloge yet can I nat presently forbere som what to shewe you of hys abomynable errour in thys poynt And yet in good fayth me semeth no very great nede hys folyes after hys wordes of bothe the places brought forth and layde togyther be now so playne and euydent of them selfe For who is so betle blynde that seeth nat clerely y â— darke deuelysh heresye of thys hyghe spyrytuall heretyque that sayth it is a betle blynde fleshely reason to thynke that the good endeuour of the mannes parte in wyllyngly conformyng hym selfe towarde the fayth and captyuyng and subdewyng hys reason and vnderstandyng in to the obsequy and obedyent seruyce of belyefe shulde be no maner helpe nor furtheraunce towarde the gettyng of any â—rysten fayth but y â— the wyll hath none operacyon at all in the workynge of fayth in mannes soule no more than the chylde hath in the bygetting of his father For here ye se wel that we speke of suche as are of age and haue the vse of reason If mannes wyll had no more part towarde the attaynynge of the belyefe than the chylde hath in the bygettyng of hys owne father I se nat wherfore our sauyoure shulde call vppon the people and byd them do penaunce and beleue the gospell as he dothe in the fyrste chapytre of saynt Marke For though it be very trew that wythout goddes helpe and goddes grace preuentyng and foregoyng no man can
fyrst rede me all those wordes of hys agayn and as gayly as they be cowched wyth astonyed and amased stormy temptacyons terryble syghtes wyth theyr hartes perced and theyr myndes cumbred with syght of his deth and fere of theyr owne that ere they coulde byleue hys resurreccyon he was fayne to eate and drynke wyth them to lette them fele hym is not all thys tale excuses of theyr faythe fallen from them and no profe of the kepyng what was that in them but the lacke losse of the faythe y t Tyndale telleth vs that they thoughte it impossyble that he shulde ryse agayne bycause they thought he coulde neuer of his owne power and coulde nat thynke or deuyse who shulde rayse hym elles Nowe where he sayeth that all this happed theym thorowe teÌ„ptacyon that wyll we well agre But yet is that no more to saye but lyke as Dauid dyd auoutrye thorowe temptacyon and kylled his good frende thorowe temptacyon and as Eue ete the forbeden frute thorowe temptacyon and Adam ete hit also thorowe temptacyon and Iudas bytrayed Chryste also thorow temptacyon so thapostels fell from theyr faythe and lâ—ste it and all thorowe temptacyon Let Tyndale excuse euery synne that coÌ„meth of temptacyon and whose synne shall he leaue vnexcused excepte peraduenture the deuyll But the synne of men standeth in thys that they breke the commaundement of god in that they do nat as he byddeth them stryue and resyste the temptacyon whyche tyll they cease to do if they truste in god and call helpe of hys grace there can no temptacyon be so great that it can ouer come them as wytnesseth our lorde by the mouthe of saynt Poule God is faythefull whiche suffreth you nat to be tempted aboue that ye may bere but gyueth with y â— temptacyon awaye out that ye may well wyelde it But let Tyndale say for excuse of their synne what him lyste whyche thoughe thoccasyons and circumstaunces may minysshe or aggreue and so may theyrs be lesse greuous than the synnes of some other and the synne of some one of theÌ„ selfe also lesse than another of his owne felowes yet shall Tyndale neuer make it good but that whan he sayeth they coulde nat beleue if he saye true the lacke of theyr belefe was a greuons synne For where as Tyndale wolde seme to saye well for the apostels in that he sayeth they wold fayne haue dyed with our sauyour sauynge for the feare of theyr owne dethe Christe had before forbyden them suche feare of temporall dethe vpon the payne of eternall dethe whan he sayd vnto them feare ye nat them that kyll the body whiche whanne they haue kylled the body haue nothynge that they can do more But I shall shewe you whom you shall feare Feare you hym whiche whan he hathe kylled the body hathe the power to caste the soule into the fyre of hell And in another place he tolde them accordyng to the same who so will saue hys soule in this worlde shall lese it And who so shal lese hys soule in thys worlde kepeth it styll for the euerlastynge lyfe And fynally to shewe theym that all these wordes moost proprely perteyned to the puttynge away of that fere of dethe by whiche folke for feare of dethe wolde forbere and refuse to dye for hym and his faythe he â—ayde the wordes whiche I before remembred who so denye me before men I shall denye him also before my father whiche is in heuen And therfore Tyndale in vayne goeth about to excuse the synne of Christes apostels which they rather will haue knowen and the great mercy of god therwith and therfore they wryte it them selfe the rebukes therewith that our sauyour gaue them therfore to th ende that we shulde bothe beware of fallynge in the lyke and yet if it in oure owne defaute misfortune vs to fall nat dispayre therfore but repent and aryse with goddes helpe as they dyd and than shall he forgyue vs as he forgaue theym And thys wolde rather Christes blessed apostels y â— Tyndale shulde tell vs truthe than vnder pretexte of theyr excuse teche vs false heresyes and make vs wene that vpon temptacyon to forsake our sauyour for feare of temporall dethe were no dedely synne wherof oure sauyoure hym selfe as ye se techeth vs playne the contrary and wyll nat admytte for vs I feare me the excuse of Tyndale for thapostles if we come and say By my faythe good lorde I was a ferde and so forgate all that euer thou taughtest me Howe be it that they synne nat in lesyng of theyr fayth I lette no man to beleue Tyndale whan sa euer he proue hym selfe more credyble than Christe But here ye se that as I tolde you that they loste theyr faythe in dede Tyndale proueth vs after his maner in his fore rehersed wordes wherein he sayeth nay And yet is the man of so good remembraunce and so good hede taketh where aboute he goeth that forthwith in his nexte wordes after he sayeth very playnly more and more that they coulde nat beleue the resurrection and excuseth them thus that for all that they hated hym nat in theyr harte Lo thus he sayeth Tyndale Howe be it there was none of theym that was fallen in hys harte frome Christe More who can more plainly say that they were fallen from the faythe and lacked the belefe than Tyndale sayeth here For thoughe he sayeth that none of them was in his harte fallen from Christ yet he sayeth they coulde nat beleue the substancyall artycle of the fayth of Christ that is to wytte the belefe of his resurreccion without the belefe wherof all the remanaunt wolde nat than serue them to saluacyon And that they beleued nat that artycle Tyndale here sayeth expressely For he sayeth that thoughe they ran to the sepulchre and wolde fayne haue beleued that he was rysen yet they coulde nat beleue it the wounde of theyr temptacyon was so greate that they coulde nat beleue it at the prechynge of a woman without any other myracle Than aske I no more but thys tale of Tyndale For if they couldeâ— nat beleue than dyd they nat beleue and so lacked they than the belefe For as for that they came therto agayne and that Iosephe of Arimathâ—a and Nychodemus and the woâ—â—en came afterwarde to strength boldenesse and that hys two discyples towarde Emaus burned in theyr brestes to here speke of hym all this maketh to Tyndales purpose in this poynte nat the value of a poyntes ende For we speke of his apostels in the tyme in whiche him selfe sayeth here they beleued nat nor coulde beleue it At that tyme say I y â— syth they than beleued nat as they dyd nat if they coulde nat they than had for that whyle the lacke of the faythe And also to what purpose telleth Tyndale vs that they coulde nat beleue at the bare prechynge of the woman As thoughe they were nothynge to blame for that
ones thynke vppon hym For as for any endeuour of theym selfe at goddes good mocyon towarde the fayth they do no more he sayth then doth the chylde towarde the gettynge of hys owne father And hys mercy wayteth euer vppon them And theyr fayth doth neuer at any tyme fayle them nor they do neuer sinne dedely what horryble abominable â—edes so euer they do And syth these folke that are Tyndals electes haue or wene they haue suche a felynge fayth that therby they fele or ellys wene they fele that they can not be dampned but haue here lerned of Tyndale now that what horryble dedes so euer they do they can neuer do dadely synne and be also very sure to repente and theâ— to be neuer punyshed in hell purgatorye nor in thys lyfe neyther For so farre sayth Tyndale now but wyth a shorte repentaunce after longe lyenge in synne sayenge ones Chryste helpe for the maner sake as it were after a snesynge the freâ—ys may froÌ„ y â— nonnes beddes stye euen vp strayght to heuen they may therfore be â—olde hardy hardly so they be to fall to what workes they wyll For syth theyr fayth is both full of false heresyes also can neuer fayle them they may make them selfe sure you se well that they shall be no worse parde not when they be at the very wurste then faythfull harlottes faythfull auoâ—trers faythfull vowbrekers faythfull theuys faythfull murdres faythfull traytours to men and faythfull heretykes to god And these be as ye se nowe Tyndalys specyall electes whyche onely nomber by hys hygh spyrytuall doctryne he wolde we sholde take for the chyrche Now good Chrysten reders yf we wolde graunte vnto Tyndale that all hys lyes were trew that he hath made in all thys hole proceâ—se of his vnto the ende yet were he farre from the prouynge of hys pryncypall purpose that is to tell vs and teche vs whyche is the chyrche towarde the techynge wherof he hath no thynge ellys done but onely gyuen vs two dyffynycyons Of whyche so declared as they be neyther nother is suffycyent for hys purpose and yet the secunde mych lesse then the fyrste For where as in the fyrste he defyneth it to be onely the electys in whose hartes god hath wryten hys lawe wyth hys holy spyryte and gyuen them a felynge fayth of the mercy that is in Chryste Iesu our lorde afterwarde in the secunde he sayth that it is the hole multytude of all repentynge synners that byleue in Chryst and put all theyr truste and confydence in the mercy of god felynge in theyr hartes that god for Chrystes sake loueth them and wyll be or rather is mercyfull vnto them and forgyueth them theyr synnes of whyche they repente and all the mocyons vnto synne of whyche they fere that they shall be drawen into synne agayne and thus they byleue and fele wythout any respecte of theyr owne deseruynge ye and for none other cause then that the mercyfull trouth of god the father whyche can not lye hath so promysed and sworne Now ye remember that Tyndale hath put you by the waye two specyall greate heresyes One that who so euer after baptysme â—ynneth ones of purpose and wyllyngly shall neuer haue remyssyon after The tother that who so haue onys hys felynge fayth can neuer synne dedely after Lette vs now se in the ende besyde that these heresyes of hys be all redy otherwyse impuâ—ned and reproued let vs yet forther se how hys dyâ—fyâ—ycyon of the chyrche and hys heresyes wyll iumpre and agre to gyther amonge theym selfe And fyrste I aske Tyndale whyther he that haue ones after hys baptysme synned of purpose and wyllyngly and sette malycyousely therto maye after by goddes helpe repente agayne that euer he sâ— dyd and byleue therwithall that he is bounden to byleue and loue god and hys neyghbours as god byddeth â—ym to do Maye he after suche a synne done do thys by goâ—des helpe oâ— not Tyndale wyll peraduenture say he maye not Then I aske hym how he proueth that Therto peraduenture he wyll saye that the wordes of saynte Poule It is impossyblâ— that they whyche haue ones ben illumyned c. and the woâ—des of oure sauyoure hym selfe spoken of the synne of blasphemye agaynst the holy goste do prouâ— it whyche I wyll then denye For those places takynge them as falsely as any heretyke can construe theym saye yet at the vttermoste no more but that hys synne shall neuer be forgyuen hym and sayth not that he shall neuer agayne repente nor that he shall neuer well byleue nor that he shall neuer after loue god nor hys neyghbour wherunto yf Tyndale wyll saye that yf he myght come to very repentaunce and very bylyefe and loue he nâ—des muste haue hys synnes remytted and be saued and syth god sayeth he shall neuer be forgyuen and so neuer saued he sayth he shall neâ—er so repent and byleue and loue to that I answere Tyndale two thynges One that god in all hys threttes reserueth hys specyall prerogatyue of hys mercy by whyche hys absolute power is neuer bounden vnder any rule of his ordinaâ—y iustyce Secundely I say that for as myche as those woâ—des be â—ynatory and threttes they be all of trouth none â—â—herwyâ—e to be vnderstanden then excepte he repent As god hym selfe playnely expouned 〈…〉 suche woâ—â—es by the mouth of hys owne holy prophâ—te Ezechiel sayngeâ— Thougâ— I sholde saye to a synner thou shalte dye and the same â—ynner repent hym of hys synne and deale iustely and ryghtuousely and delyuer agayne the pledge and make restytucyon of the â—oâ—bery thâ—â— he hath commyâ—â—ed and walke in the commaundementes of lyfe and 〈…〉 vnâ—yghtâ—ouse thyng he shall lyue in lyfe 〈◊〉 shall 〈…〉 Of all hys synnes none shall be layed to hys chargeâ— He 〈◊〉 delte iustely and ryghtâ—ously he shall lyue in lyfe 〈…〉 ye he destroyeth hys heresye for then he graunteth that he whyche after baptysme sinneth malycyousely maye for all that be saued If he saye nay then he destroyeth hys dyffynycyon for then maye there be some repentaunte synners wyth all that euer in hys dyffynycyon foloweth and yet they shal be none of the chyrche of hys electes And thus muste eyther his heresye distroye hys diffinicyon or his diffinicion muste destroy his heresye Of whâ—che twayne yet it wyll be more honestie for hym to kepe his diffinicyon styll whervpon all his whole mater hangeth and let his heresy go to the deuyll y t gaue it to hym than vnderstande those places of scripture whervpon the deuill taught hym to grounde it that eyther the blasphemye agaynste the holy goost is finall impenitence and the tother no restytucyon by the penaunce to the reuocacyon of baptysme or els that the sore wordes of the both places after a certayne vehement maner of speche vsed in holy scripture somtyme signifyeth onely great hardenes and difficultie nat as hym selfe techeth vs an vttre impossybilyte of remyssyon But nowe let
vs se howe hys diffinicyon wyll stande with his seconde heresye you se well and perceyue that in his seconde diffinicion he restrayneth his electe churche vnto onely repentaunte synners that beleue as hym selfe sheweth you And than hathe he confessed vnto you that his chosyn electes plainly do somtyme abominable dedes whiche dedes yet they repent nat alwaye tyll the rage be paste and tyll as Tyndale saieth y t they haâ—e played out their lustes ye and somtyme to tyll the â—olde feare of dethe turne them to gyue an eare to good counsell Nowe se you than very well that they be by Tyndals seconde diffinicyon all this whyle expressely put out of â—he churche tyll they repente agayne And than consyder ferther howe farre agaynste all reason ye remembre very well I wote well that he techeth vs playnly that none of hys electes dothe at any tyme synne dedely thoughe theyr dedes be neuer so horryble and abomynable bycause of theyr felynge faythe whiche can neyther at any tyme fayle nor suffre any of theyr horryble dedes to be dedely synne And therfore are they consequently neuer out of the fauoure of god nat euen in the tyme wherein they do theyr horryble and abom ynable dedes and before the repentynge of them whiche may be ye wote well many tymes longe betwene In all whiche tyme they be by Tyndall out of all dedely synne and therfore good folke and faythefull and goddes good chyldren styll And therfore syth they be so wherefore dothe Tyndale that is in some places so angery with y t catholyke churche for the puttynge out of euyll folke by excommunicacyon excoÌ„municate good folke now put out of his elect church hym self faythfull and finally suche as thoughe they be fallen a slepe in lechery thefte sacrilege inceste murdre stande yet hyghly styll in goddes especiall grace fauour Nowe the fautes that are commune to bothe hys diffinicyons and yet more open in the seconde than in the first I shall nat nede to reherse you For bothe haue I touched some of them before and also many of theym be to euery good christen man so open at his eye that he can nede none other way to gyue hym warnynge of them For where all hys electes depende vpon his felynge faythe and hys repentaunce whyle hym selfe sheweth what false artycles he techeth his electes for theyr faythe euery good faythefull man very well feleth that the more that Tyndals electes fele his false faythe the lesse faythe haue they and the more faythlesse be they And whan he techeth them to repent the ryght belefe of Christes sacramentes and therein the right rule and ordre of repentaunce euery true repentaunte persone well perceyueth that Tyndals repentaunte electes abhorrynge from shryfte and reiectynge the sacrament of penaunceâ—but if they mende and repente better wyll in stede of purgatory whiche they nowe mocke and ieste at wepe and repente in â—ell this folysshe frutelesse fassyon of theyr impenitent repentaunce But nowe suppose that all were very well that Tyndale here hath sayd yet howe hath he with all that proued hys purpose He hathe tolde vs that the whole multytude of his fassyoned electes is the church But what one worde hathe he tolde vs towarde the profe neyther reason nor one authoryte of any olde holy saynt nor any one texte of scrypture but onely one or twayne suche as nothynge maketh for his matter but vtterly clere agaynste hym And therfore thoughe we graunte vnto hym that the whole multitude nat of his false framed electes but of the very fynall electes be a churche of Christ as he dothe and muste graunte vnto vs y t the whole multytude of christen people nat gone out nor put out is a churche of Chryste of whiche the churche of very electes be though the better parte yet a parte and but a parte and peraduenture the lesse parte and Tyndals electes eyther no parte or but a parte and the very worste parte yet that the onely electes thoughe they be a churche be the churche whiche is the thynge that he shulde proue that hathe he neyther proued nor any thinge brought effectuall towarde the profe no more than if he neuer had ment it nor thought it And therfore nowe hathe he nothynge proued whyche is the churche thoughe we wolde yet of our courtesye ferther graunte hym that all hys whole heresyes were the very faythe and that the very electes were onely those in whose hartes the deuill hath wrytten his lawe or els whiâ—he were yette farre worse that the very electes were onely those in whose holy hartes god hadde hym selfe so wrytten his wyll with hys holy spiryte that they shulde thereby fele that spirituall folke shulde please god with waxynge flesshelye and freres with weddynge nonnes and that if they wolde be saued they â—â—ulde haue therein no respecte vnto good workes but thinke that onely fayth in the promyse and bare repentaunce withoute shryfte or penaunce shall sufficiently saue theym so that they beleue sure that all the seuen sacramentes serue of nothynge but be but bare signes and tokens and vtterly as gracelesse as them selfe are wytlesse and specially so that they beleue that the blessyd body nor blode of Christ be nat in the sacrament of the auter nor that they do none other honour in no wyse therto but onely beleue remembre that there is nothynge but a meâ—â—â—yall of his passyon in a cuppe of wyne and a gobbet of cake brede and yet in doubte and questyon whether it be brede or sterche And than that with this godly belefe they se surely to theym selfe y t they serue no sayntes but rayle vpon theyr reliques and dispyce theyr ymages and there with the crucifyxe to and the holy crosse it selfe also and than leste they myght happe to lese an hole day in goddes seriuce kepe them selfe well warely frome all holy dayes and specially for so these heretykes in theyr bokes call it from the folisshe faste of lent And thus lyuinge and therewith beleuynge these aforesayde heresyes so fermely that they thynke verely they fele theyr false faythe with theyr very fyngers endes be bolde than hardely and beleue verely that theyr felynge faythe shall neuer fayle them but at all tymes so preserue them that they can nat onely neuer be dampned but ouer that can neuer do dedely synne thoughe they do neuer so many deuelysshe dedes but for all theyr falshede thefte auoutry vowe brekynge treason murdre inceste periurye shall for theyr onely felynge faythe be good and faythfull false faythlesse wreches and therfore god almyghtye hys owne mynyons styll And thus good christen reders syth ye nowe playnly perceyue that Tyndale hathe here for his owne parte no thynge proued vs that hys false framed electes nor yet that onely the very trewe electes be the churche of Chryst in erthe nor hathe nothynge shewed vs whiche is therfore onely with all his longe processe vttred and taughte his errours and his heresyes and lefte
his spirite nat into the clergy onely but into his whole catholique chirche nor to be with his clergy onely but also with his whole catholique chirch nor to lede his clergy only into euery trouth but the lay peple of his chirch also yit sith he ê“uided specially the clergye to be the prechers of whose mouthe the lay people shulde here the trouthe by meane of which herynge with theyr owne good endeuoâ—r god wold hym selfe wryte it in the herers hartes whiche ordre of cuÌ„mynge to the faith appereth plainely by sundry places of holy scripture as where saint Paule sayth Faith is made by herynge And how shall a man here without prechyng And how shall a man preche but yf he be sente to preche And than that a man mâ—st at the heryng do his own good endeuour Christe saith Be thou nat an vnbileuer but a byleuer And that he thaÌ„ writeth hym selfe in the hart witnesseth the prophete Ieremy I shal write my law in theyr hartes In whiche place he sayth spekynge of the chirch of Christ Euery man shall nat teche his neighbour but they shall all be the scholers of god and I shall write my lawe in theyr hartes he meaneth nat that there shall be no prechynge for that were ye wote well contrary to the wordes of saynt Paule but he meneth therby the techynge whiche the precher techeth without whiche sainte Paule sheweth that they can nat ordinarily cum to the faithe is yit no techyng wherof any fruâ—e can cum but if god therwith write vpon the hert whiche he neuer faileth to do yf the party do hys parte and be not by hys neglygence or frowardenesse the lette And all be it that these wordes of the prophete be specyally spoken for the dyfference bytwene the olde law that was called the lawe wryten bycause that Moyses receyued and delyuered the lawe by wrytynge and the new law wherof Chryste neyther receyued nor delyuered any parte by wrytynge yet maye those wordes well serue for thys purpose also syth the trouth of them is also in thys poynt veryfyed to whych trouth saynt Poule subscrybeth where he sayth that no man can say and confesse our lorde Iesus but by the holy gooste Now these thynges I saye beynge thus though god wryte in the hartes of euery sorte of hys catholyke chyrche as well the laye people as the clergye as well women as men and so teche them inwardly and lâ—de them into euery necessary trouth yet syth the precher muste haue it ere he preche it and muste preche it ere the herer here it and the prechers by Chrystes order muste be or at the leste wyse by Tyndals owne confessyon in dede be thorow chrystendom none but the clergye nor of trouth hyther to none but the clergye haue be nor as appereth by many playne places of scrypture none but the clergye maye be the ordynary mynystres of goddes holy wordes and sacramentes vnto the people it muste I saye vppon Tyndals confessyon nedes folow that of all the wordes of god before remembred whyche so euer our sauyour sayed vnto hys whole chyrche yet euer he sayd it pryncypally to the clergye and so by Tyndals owne coÌ„fessyon syth that the clergy be the successours of Chryst and hys apostles and be for the gouernaunce of Chrystes chyrche now in hys and his apostles place Tyndale is bounden by Chrystes worde to receyue them here them and obaye them Aud in that he wyll not so do but in stede of receyuynge them refuseth them in stede of herynge them mocketh them and in stede of obayenge them despyseth them and persecuteth theym and teacheth hys false heresyes contrary to the treuth that Chryste hath by hys holy spyryt accordyng to hys owne promyse taught them he is fallen I saye into the maledyccyon curse of Chryst that hath ordeyned them and on Tindals hed falleth that ferefull worde of Cryste He that hereth you hereth me and he that despyseth you despyseth me and he that hereth not the chyrch take hym for a publicane a very painym and in better case shall Sodome and Gomor be than he shall at the day of Iugement And thus hath Tyndale denounced his owne dampnacion hym selfe plainely pursuynge vpon his owne confession Now if Tindale wyll paraduenture say that it is in the clergy now as it was in the scribes phariseis in Christes tyme and that as they and that people were thaÌ„ fallen froÌ„ the trewthe into false errours so be now the clergy and the christen peple I haue all redy shewed him the plaine scriptures in which god hath made many suche plentiouse promises of his assistence with his holy spirite in his chyrche perpetually to kepe it from all dampnable errours by techynge it and ledynge it into euery trouth that though he suffre many great piecis of people to fall out therof and so lytle litle the body to be minisshed made a small flocke in comparison till his pleasure shal be to increace it againe yet shall he neuer neither suffer it to be distroyed nor the flocke that remaineth how many braunches so euer the deuyll blow of to be brought vnto the scarcite either of faithe or vertue that the sinagoge of the Iewis was at Christes cummynge though there neuer was any tyme long to gether nor neuer shall there be but that in Christes chyrche as longe as it dwelleth in erthe there shal be many nought yit shall alway the doctrine of his chyrche with which hym selfe hath alway promised to be lede it into euery trouth be so good and so sure that vnto those that shall be well wyllynge to lerne the trouthe it shall alwaye be knowen where they may lerne it that for the clerynge of all doubtes and auoidyng of all errours it shal euer be trew to say that the chyrch is as saint Paule saith the pylar the fote or grouÌ„de that is to say the sure strengthe or fastenynge of the trouthe And this chyrche must be that knowen catholique chyrche of whiche from age to age the scripture hath ben receiued and the people taught and not a chyrche vnknowen of onely good men or electes onely in whiche is neither precher nor people assembled to preche vnto nor sacramentes ministred by any man as a ministre of that vnknowen chyrche nor people of an vnknowen chyrch to ministre them vnto among whom can be no suche asseÌ„bleâ— for no man can know where to call a nother nor how to know another yf they cam togyther by happe And thus I saye that neyther can Tyndale stande by hys vnknowen chyrche nor for his purpose suffycyently resemble the catholyke chyrch of Cryst vnto y e synagoge of y e Iewys nor the clergye of the tone to the scrybes and pharyseys of the tother syth god gaue these two chyrches not lyke begynnyng nor Moyses that was the lawyere begynner of the tone was not lyke vnto Crist the begynner
now to be of the same harte and mynde that the olde holy fathers haue ben of in olde tyme. And how wyll thys holy baptyste do all thys gere and thus turne the hartes of the chyldren and the fathers all in to one surley by techynge the chyldren as well in fayth as lyuynge the very clene contrary of all that euer theyr olde holy fathers thys .xv. hundred yere haue taughte them with tellyng vs that all the olde fathers were â—yke the false pharyseys and corrupted the scrypture as pharyseys dyd wyth false gloses teachynge good workes and sacramentes and kepyng of holy vowes and suche other synfull superstycyons And therfore doth thys holy new baptyste to purge and puryfye the people byd vs now byleue that to breke the vowe of chastyte is a good wurke and well done and that all other good wurkes be nought worth and baptysme as lytell worth bycause y e presâ—e speketh to the chyld in laten a langage that the chyld vnderstandeth not as he sholde full well ye wote well yf the tale were tolde hym in hys mother tong Then techeth he vs that confessyon is the deuyls inuencyon and absolucyon ys but whystelynge Satysfaccyon greate synne to do any The sacrament of wedlocke he sayeth is suche that he coulde make as good a sacrament of an olde nette sauyng onely when freres wedde nonnes for thaÌ„ is it holy in suche holy folke The sacrament of holy order he iesteth vpon wyth shauyn and shorne and oyled waggyng of the bysshoppes hand and saynt Poules hand layde vppon Tymothe but lyke a mannes hande layed on a boyes hedde and call hym good sonne The sacrament of extreme vnccioÌ„ he calleth but gresynge the syke man The sacrameÌ„t of confyrmacyon he calleth but smeryng of the chyldes face and butterynge of the boyes forehed The holy blessed sacrament of the aulter the very precyouse body and bloude of our sauyour hym self this holy new baptyste forbedyth to haue any honour done vnto it but onely take it for a memoryall of hys passyoÌ„ And then he iesteth theron hym selfe sayth that it is no thyng ellys but wyne and cake brede excepte it be peraduenture turned into starch Lo good Chrysten readers here is the doctryne of thys nowe baptyste not saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyâ—te but syr wyllyam Baptysteâ— thys holy wyllyam Tyndale otherwyse called Huchyn scolare to frere Huyskyn whyche hath here made you of the synagoge scrybes and pharyseys such a goodly paynted processe as he hath now tolde you twyse a serued you wyth a Iak of Parys an euyll pye twyse baken to declare you twyse the greate frute and profyte that the world maye now taken yf it wyllâ— by hys holy comynge into it to preche and rebuke the pharisaycall doctrine of all the olde holy sayntes and teche hys owne godly chryâ—ten heresyes suche as ye now haue herde And now yf thys gere be good then haue we surely great cause to thanke god For then can we lacke none holy baptystes to preche vs. For there is not I wene so pore a vyllage in chrystendome in whyche there is dwellynge any one vyllayne knaue but he maye be wythin thre dayes yf he be not all redy suche an other baptyste as thys is and rebuke all that good is wyth suche abomyâ—able blasphemye as now Tyndale doth yf any chrysten mannes â—aâ—ys can abyde the herynge But yet remember good readers that in the conclusyon of all that tale he knytteth it vp with a fresh lusty poynte and soyleth all the reason in thys wyse Tyndale Now make this reason vnto IohnÌ„ Baptist and vnto many prophetes that went before hym and dyd as he dyd ye and vnto â—rysâ—e hym selfe and his apostles and thou shalt â—ynde theÌ„ all heretykes and the scribes and pharysyes good men yâ— that reason be good More Thys poynte is lo the olde poynte whych here and in hys solucyon to the â—yrst reason he hath put forthe four or fyue tymes before sauynge that he gyueth allway hys old poynt at one ende or other some newe aglette But when all hys coste is done theron it is not all worth an aglet of a good blewe poynt For I haue in my syxte boke answerynge hys solucyon to the fyrste reason shewed you many answeres that saynt IohnÌ„ and Cryste and hys apostles and other pore folke to very farre vnder them myght saye for them selfe agaynâ—te the scrybes and pharyseys whyche thinges neyther Luther nor Tindale nor none of all theyr sectes can say for theÌ„ selfe agaynste the catholyke chyâ—che And yet more shall I shew you of the same sorte when ye haue hard what Tyndale can here saye for hym selfe Aâ—ter all whych thynge harde well wayed ye shall well and clerely perceyue that for Tyndales tale the reason of saynt Austayne that Tyndale here speketh of beynge made by the Iewes agaynste saynt IohnÌ„ and Cryste and his apostles shall haue no strength at all neyther to proue theym euyll nor the pharysyes good And yet the same reason beynge by the catholyque chyrche made agaynst Tyndale and Luther and Huyskyn and Swynglius muste nedes proue the catholyque chyrch to be the very chyrch of Cryst and that Luther and Tyndale and all they with all those that byleue them be playne vndouted heretyques And therfore let vs fyrst se with what euasion Tyndale wyll auoyde this reason for hym selfe and his own sectes And then what Cryste can saye more for hym selfe and his company we shall se somwhat after Tyndale lo teacheth his dyscyples to answere the reason thus Tyndale Therfore this wyse thou maysâ—e answere No thankes vnto the 〈…〉 that chyrche that the scrypture was kepte but vnto the merâ—y of go◠〈◊〉 as they had destroyed the ryght sense oâ— yt for theyr â—â—â—re saâ—e â—uen 〈…〉 they haâ—e destroyed yt also had they câ—ulde rather tâ—â—n â—he people shol◠〈◊〉 come vnto the ryght vnderstandyng of yt as they 〈◊〉 the trâ—we interpretâ—uâ—s and preachers of yt And euen so no thâ—â—â—â—es vnto our ypocrites that the scrypture is kepte but vnto the botomlesâ—e mercy of god For as they haue destroyed the ryght sence of yt wyth theyr seuen anâ— as they destroye dayly the trewe preachers oâ— yt and as they â—eâ—e yt from the laye people that they shold not se how they 〈◊〉 wyth yt euen so 〈◊〉 they destroye yt also coulde they bryng yt aboutâ— rather then we shulde come by the trewe vnderstandynge of yâ— were yt not that god prouyded otherwyse for vs. For they haue put the storyes that shuld in many thynges helpe vs clene oute of the waye as nye as they coulde They haue corrupte the â—egende and lyues almoste of all sayntes They haue fayned false â—okes and put them forth some in the name of saynt Hiâ—rome some in the name oâ— saynte Austayne in the name of saynte Cypriane saynte Dyonyse and other holy men â—hych are proued none of theyrs partely by the style and latyne and partly by auteÌ„tyke storyes And as the Iewes hâ—ue
were then all his solucyon confounded But this peyce is also nought for a nother thynge For in this patche he supposeth that for y e fayth of Cryste there coulde not be gyuen so good an outwarde cause but that some better myght be made agaynst yt or at the leste some suche as myght appere the better But I say that excepte obstynacy forwardnes be in the mynde of hym to whom yt shall so seme yt is ellys a thynge impossyble that euer there shall be layed so great outewarde thynges agaynste the fayth of Cryst as shall be layed for yt But the reasons all redy made and the thynges all redy shewed for y â— fayth are suche as euery resonable man standynge but indyfâ—erent and voyd of obâ—tinate forwardnâ—sse yf the mater were but the trouth of a â—tory and not the meane of maÌ„nis saluacyon might well descerâ—e all that may be made agaynst yt to be farre the weker parte And now beynge this mater the meane of mannys saluacyon towarde the bylyef wherof god worked Tyndales tale is myche the flebler For ellys geue we them a great excuse that lest not to byleue the trouthe But oure lorde sayth vnto the prechers of hys sayth whome he sent to preache to all the worlde that he wolde geue theym a â—outh and wysedome therin that no man shold be able to resyâ—te the reasons wyth whych they shold conferme yt In â—hych wordes our lord ment not y t euery man wolde for all those reasons of prophecyes myracles martyrs and many other thynges bysydes consente and agree to byleue but that all be yt of abâ—tynacy they wolde not yet to theym that were indyfferent yt sholde well apthat they coulde neuer be able sufâ—ycyently to answere theÌ„ but that they myghte euer by playne outwarde proues be sustancyally confounded and the trew byleuer able alway to declare to the false and faythlesse an outward cause suffycyent of his fayth and hopâ— whyche the tother myghte frowardly saye he wolde not but reasonably could he neuer say why he shold not beleue and geue credence vnto And thus ys lo the fyrste parte of Tyndales dyâ—tynccyon deâ—troyed Now is the seconde partâ— his felyng fayth whych is he sayth that bylyefe and fayth not that a man hath goten and conceyued in hys harte by herynge of other men but by y e playne experyeÌ„ce of his owne felynge And wyth this felyng fayth byleueth he y â— batayle that hath not herd other men talke therof told yt hym but hath hym self both ben present therat aud also ben wounded therin Nor no man byleueth wyth the felyng fayth that the fyre is hote tyll he haue at the leste wyse burned his fynger in yt For all ys but hystorycall fayth byfore Nowe good cristen reders by this tale Tyndale telleth vs that all the credence whyche he gaue vnto the chyrche in takynge the bokes of the foure euangelystes for the very gospelles of Cryste was all to gether but lyke Tyndales mothers blowynge vppon her fynger and therby makynge that prety babe her sonne byleue that the fyre was hote and hadde burned her and that he wolde haue byleued her no lesse yf she hadde tolde hym the same by a cuppe of colde water And that in lyke wyse as he byleued the chyrche that the gospelles were holy scrypture so shold he haue byleued theym yf they hadde tolde hym that a tale of Robben hode hadde ben holy scrypture For syth all was but an hystorycall fayth all muste nedes haue ben one Consyder by the way good reder the dyfference betwene saynt Auâ—tayne and the good man Tyndale in theyr credence geuen vnto the chyrche Saynte Austayne byleued the chyrche in teachynge hym whyâ—h was the trewe scrypture bycause he perceyued well the same chyrch to be so declared by miracles many other menes to be y e trew chirch that therby he byleued that the doctryne therof coulde not be false and that therfore yt could not teache a tale of Robbyn hode to be the gospell of Cryâ—te Now Tyndale as ye se taketh the credeÌ„ce of the whole catholyke chyrch the â—â—der of euery maÌ„nys cristendome lyke his ovne moder blowynge vpon her fynger and therby makynge the babye byleue what she lyâ—te And therfore in this poynt wherin saynte Austayne and the good man Tyndale tell you two so dyuerse tales consyder well with your self the wysedom the lernynge the maners the vertue of those â—wo â—â—n and then of them both loke whome ye fynde beste and by myne aduyse euen hym byleue beste But now doth Tyndale he sayth byleue the trouth that not a tale of Roâ—ben hode but the bokes of the foure euangelystes be the tâ—â—w gospell of Chryâ—te bycause oure lorde â—ath hem self so taught it hym and so shewed yt hym now that all that he hath heâ—â—â— theâ—â—â— vyfore by the teachyng of the catholyque chyrche moueth hym nothynge at all for now he hath an inwarde profe and experyence therof and fully and sensybly feleth yt as he feleth the fyre hote by the burnynge of his fynger And as he feleth yt thus in hym selfe so he perceyueth yt is with all y â— other electes the meÌ„bers of his trew chyrch and that therfore of all them there is none that knowe the scrypture by the catholyke chyrche but by theyr owne sure secrete felynge suche as they fele when they burne they re fyngers This is the tale ye wote well that Tyndale telleth vs. But now is yt perde good reason that Tyndale tell vs also by what meane he proueth yt or ellys at the leste wyse that he tell vs some cause resonable wherfore we sholde in so straunge a mater byleue hys bare worde For furely though that in any such thynge as he wyll saye that he feleth hym selfe in his owne breste and theruppon take hys othe vppon hys honesty that he feleth yt in dede reason requyreth for lakke of other tryall that we byleue his owne worde consyderynge that we may be ledde to byleue hym by the long experieÌ„ce of the contynuall lyeng that we haue euer therfore fouÌ„den in him yet that the lyke felyng is also in all his felowes hartes how feleth he And therfore howe can he desyre that we sholde therin byleue hym wythoute profe namely syth we se that hys owne hyghe spyrytuall mayâ—ter mayster Martyne Luther hym selfe for all hys hygh fleshely vertues layeth not in that mater such feling for his owne fayth but well lyketh and mych alloweth the hystorycall fayth of saynte Austayne and playnely confesseth hym selfe that the chyrche that â—aynte Austayne spake of that is to wyt the knowen catholyke chyrch hath that gyft gyuen of god that yt shall perfytely dyscerne the wordes of god from the wordes of men â—nd therfore â—hall neuer take and teache a tale of Robben hode for the trew scripture of god Now therfore as I say Tyâ—dale muste proue vs this felynge fayth at the lest wyse fâ—â— the fayth of his felowes or ellys shall
deuyls fayth euery man I wene that well marketh y â— mater wyll be lykely to call hys propre scoffe but a very colde conceyt of my goffe that he founde and tokâ— vp at sottys hoffe I say to Tyndale yet agayne that as ferforth as perteyneth onely to the nature of fayth that is to wyt to the bare bylyefe alone that fayth that maye stande wyth all maner of ahomynacyon is a very ryght fayth and a trewe But I saye that though it be as it is bothe ryght and trewe yet is it not suffycyent to bryng a man to heuyn yf it not onely maye but also do stande wyth any kynde of abomynable synne bycause it is than lewd Luthers fayth and Tindals fayth y â— is to saye fayth not alone but fayth coupled with abomynable synne But now that fayth alone that is to saye bylyefe alone is very ryght fayth and bylyefe is a poynt whyche I haue all redy proued hym mych more ofte I dare well saye then hymselfe hath sayde masse thys moneth and therfore I wyll not now laboure mych about it And to say the trouth the thynge is so playne open of it selfe that sauynge for thimportune bablynge of these heretykes no man sholde euer haue neded to go aboute the profe at all For what sholde I go about to proue the thyng that saynt Poule proueth for me whych sayth of hym selfe y â— though he had all fayth yet yf he lacke cheryte therwith he were no thynge what nede I now to go any ferther therin syth saynt Iamys reasoneth dysputeth dyssyneth the mater coÌ„cludyng that fayth maye be wethout good wurkes but then affyrmyng that when it so is than it is dede not dede in the nature of fayth but dede as vnto the state of saluacyon as the men of whome oure sauyour spake where he sayth Let the dede men very theyr dede men and folowe thou me he ment not I suppose that men naturally ded in dede sholde bere the dede corps to beryenge ye sayth Tyndale but yet thys is not the ryght fayth of Cryste I saye yes for as farre as belongeth to the onely faythâ— that is to saye to the onely bylyefe of these poyntes artycles that Cryste wyll haue vs bounden to byleue yet sayth Tyndale thys fayth is not suffycyent for saluacyon but yf it haue with it bothe hope and cheryte what nedeth Tyndale to tell vs that tale who dyd eueâ— say nay to thatâ— But yet be fayth hope and cheryte thre dyuers dystincte vertues For as saynt Poule sayth fayth hope cheryte the greter of these is cheryte yet sayth Tyndale thoâ—e thre be thre systers that neuer be asuÌ„der so that who so euer hath any one hath all That is playne vntrew For yf that heresye were trew then who so euer had fayth had all thre and who so euer had all thre had all that euer he neded But now bycause of that false heresye lest he that byleueth ryght in all the artycles shold wene that therefore he lacked not cheryte so were saufe inough neded no more this was y e very cause for which both saynt Poule and saynt Iamys labored so myche to tell vs that Tindale lyeth and that a man may haue fayth and lacke yet bothe hope and cheryte ye sayth Tyndale but that is but an hystorycall fayth that a man getteth by hym self of his onely naturall power is not the wurke of god in his soule and therfore y â— faith is but faynt feble and soone gone agayne is therfore no ryght fayth nor no chrysten fayth For the ryghte fayth is wrought wryten alway by god hym selfe in the maÌ„nes harte and therfore it is neuer withoute hope and cheryte wrought wryten within the harte togyther with y â— fayth and is therfore a felyuge â—ayth that neuer can fayle ther â—n neuer can ceace both to hope well and wurke well Thys is of trouth the whole somme and effect of Tyndales holy tale wherin he dyd somwhat yf he wolde onys proue vs halfe But fyrst I denye y t euery historicall faith y t is to say euery hystorycall bylyefe credeÌ„ce is so faynt so feble that it is so soone gone as Tindale sayth it is For we se profe inough that wyth many men it standeth styll all theyr lyfe be the thynge trewe or falâ—e as the false story of Machomet many Turkes take for so trewe that they wyll not withstandyng many suffycyeÌ„t causes wherfore of reason they sholde reken it for false they wyll I saye yet of obstynacy stand styll therin and abyde bond slaues in chrysten contrees vppon the borders of Turkaye ye and dyde theron to rather then byleue the contrary I saye forther that it is not trewe that man in the bylyefe of the artycles of the chrysteÌ„ fayth geteth that bylyefe by hym selfe of his own naturall power wythout the helpe of god wurkynge wyth hym and yet I speke here of bare bylyefe cheryte not yet ioyned wyth it For syth euery man that seketh for the bylyefe and endeuoreth hym self therto purposeth therby to seke the way to saluacyon the corrupte nature of man can neuer begyn to entre into that iournaye nor walke forth one fote therin but yf he be bothe fyrste preuented by grace and haue it walke wyth hym styll For our sauyour sayth wythout me can ye nothynge do But lyke wyse as a man maye by goddes helpe that calleth vppon euery man entre in towarde the bylyefe yet leue agayne ere he gete it and byleue some one poynt and yet leue of at an other so maye he go forth wyth god into all the poyntes of bylyefe and yet leue of and lacke hope He maye olso go forth in bylyefe and hope to ye and ouer greate hope to and yet for the purpose of some flesshely delyte whyche he is not in mynde to leue he maye leue of and lacke cheryte For though the deuyll maye besyde such thynges as he verely knoweth byleue some suche artycles as we do wyth out any preuencyon of grace for as mych as in him beyng perpetually dampned the bylyefe can be no furtheraunce towarde saluacion and therfore can in hym be no mater of the wurke of grace yet in man to whome the faythe is by goddes ordynaunce prouyded for a waye toward saluacion tough the way be two longe lanes besyde fayth therfore he may leue if he lystere he come at any of y e lanys end that is to wytte hope and charyte yet neuer can he fynde y e enterynge into the fyrste lane that to wytte into fayth nor neuer can he sette forth any fote forwarde in yt but yf god worke wyth his wyll For our sauour sayth no man can come to me but if my father drawe hym And who so be fallen into a depe pytte and thens drawen out is not drawen from the brynke but from the botome And so lyke wise god
god that he hath a better fayth and a more perfayte than saynt Austayne had after that god had by myracle turned hym to the fayth and wryte agaynst the Manicheys from whose false secte god had called hym PeradueÌ„ture this questyoÌ„ wyll somwhat seme strauÌ„ge to this dyscyple of Tyndale bycause it is none of those to whyche hys mayster hath taught hym to make answere But yet I thynke in conclusyoÌ„ y â— hys mayster wyll not aduyse hym to saye that he feleth hym selfe to haue a more perfayt bylyefe then saynt Austayne in any suche thynge as saynt Austayne and he byleued bothe leste euery man shold fele the mayster of such a scoler to proue a proud fole Now on the tother syde yf he coÌ„fesse that he fele not his owne fayth for any more perfayt then saynt Austayns was but byleue in hys owne mynde that saynt Austayne in any trewe poynt of bylyefe commune vnto them bothe had as full a fayth and as perfayte as he then wyll I aske hym wherfore he doth not now byleue the scrypture styll for the authoryte of the chyrche as well as saynt Austayne dyd styll when he wrote of hym selfe agaynste the Manicheys and sayd I wolde not byleue the gospell but yf the authoryte of the chyrche moued me therto He byleued it for the authoryte of the chyrche alwaye styll and yet dare I saye and Tyndale I suppose dare not saye the contrary but that the spyryte of god hadde as well wryten that conclusyon in hys harte as in the holy harte of any dyscyple of Tyndale whome Tyndale here teacheth to answere vs the contrary And thus as concernynge the knowlege of the very scrypture whyche is our pryncypall mater Tyndals answere in the very chyefe poynte of all but yf he proue hys scolers fayth better then saynt Austayns hys answere that he techeth here hys dyscyple is not worth a rysshe But now let vs in those other artycles aske thys good scoler of Tyndale syth it is so that he feleth and fyndeth in his herte wryteÌ„ by the spyryte oâ— god that freres monkes that haue by vowe forsaken flesshe may lawfully fall from fysshe to womans flesshe and vnder the name of weddyng make stewed struÌ„pettes of nonnes and feleth also by lyke felyng fayth that good workes are nought worth nor shall be rewarded in heuen and feleth also by the same false felyng fayth that in the blessed sacrament of the awter there is neyther the precyouse body nor bloude of Chryste but onely cake brede and wyne or starche in stede of brede I shall aske hym I saye therfore the questyon to whyche hys mayster hath bouÌ„den hym to make answere that is to wyt how he came fyrst by thys fayth that is to saye the hystorycall fayth of them byfore that the spyryte of god wyth wrytynge theym in hys harte caused hym there bothe to rede them and fele them For answere of thys questyon Tyndale sayth to his scoler Tell hym whyther it were by redyng in bokes or heryng it preched Uery well Now syth his mayster byddeth hym tell vs I wolde praye hym to tell vs whyther by prechyng or redynge in bokes To thys he wyll I wene answere me y â— he lerned those thynges by prechynge Then I aske hym by whose prechyng he came to it To this muste he be fayne to saye that by the prechynge of hys owne mayster wyllyam Tyndale Luther Lambert Huyskyn or Suinglius or some suche other apostaticall prechers But now to thys shall I tell hym agayne that syth he had not the felyng fayth wryten by y e spyryte in his harte after his maysters owne tale tyll he fyrst byleued the same thinges with an hystoricall fayth by the herynge of those holy prechers he muste to th entent that he maye lede vs in to the same fayth as they dyd hym tell vs what reason he had to byleue them seynge that they be neyther men of more lernynge nor of more wytte nor of so mych vertue as were saynt Austayn saynt Hierom saiÌ„t Basyle saynt Cyprian saynt Chrysostom saynt Grygory saynt Ambrose wyth many such other lyke whose holy lyuynge trew fayth doctryne god hath approued testyfyed to the worlde by manyfolde wonderfull myracles all which holy doctours haue taught men to beleue y â— coÌ„trary To this questyon Tyndale techeth hys scoler to make answere and saye that he byleued them bycause they laye so good authoryte for them what authoryte laye they for them shall I saye Now to thys questyon Tyndale hym selfe maketh an answere and sayth Concernynge â—utwarde teachynge we allege for vs scrypture elder then any chyrche that was tâ—is xliii hundred yeres and olde autentyke storyes whych they had brougâ—t a slepe where with we confound theyr lyes Remember ye not how in our owne tyme of all that toughte grammer in Englande not one vnderstode the latyne tonge how câ—me we then 〈◊〉 tâ—e laten tonge agayn not by them though we lerned certayne rules aâ—â— prâ—ncyples of them by whyche we were moued and haddâ— an ocâ—â—sâ—on 〈…〉 further but oute of the olde authors Euen so we seâ—e 〈…〉 out of whych we lerne and not of our chirch thâ—â—â—h wâ— receyâ—â—◠〈◊〉 pryncyples of our chyrche at the begynnynge but more faâ—shed amâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 trueth Lo good readers thys dyscyple of Tyndale in these artycles of his felyng fayth that good chrysten mennes good workes shall haue no rewarde in heuyn that frerys may wedde nonnes and in hys blasphemy agaynste the blessed body and bloude of Cryste in the sacrament of the aultare he byleued hys mayster and his mayster his mayster Marten Luther and the other lewde maysters of these newe sectes not wythout a cause ye se well For he sayth that they alledge for theyr heresyes the scrypture olde auncyent sâ—oryes therwyth as men haue brought vp nowe the trewe olde grammer agayne euyn so do they now brynge vp the olde trewe fayth agayne wherof thoughe they toke some pryncyples of the catholyke chyrche at the begynnyng yet they toke therof more falshed amonge then truthe Now which those thynges are that he calleth the falshed that he sayth they toke of the chyrche ye knowe good chrysten reders well inough those are the poyntes for whyche he so sore iesteth and rayleth agaynst the catholyke chyrch the techynge that good wurkes shal be rewarded in heuyn and that folke shold kepe the holydayes fastyng dayes pray for all chrysten soules honour the precyouse boâ—y bloude of Cryste in the blessed sacrament and obserue theyr holy vowes made to god and forbede that freres sholde wedde nonnes and many suche other thynges These thynges he sayeth that the chyrche hadde taughte hym false tyll that nowe Tyndale and Luther and Lambert and Huyskyn and Suynglius haue restored agayne the ryghte fayth in all these poyntes that hath ben thys .viii. hundred yere loste as Tyndale sayth These thynges haue they now restored and brought vp agayne by antyquytees and old
If he say y t he could not but byleue saint Poule bycause god wrought myracles for hym by the same reason muste he byleue the catholyke chyrche for as myche as god contynually in euery good crysten countrey worketh myracles in yt for the catholyque chyrche and wythdraweth his myracles from all chyrches of heretykes and therby declareth that he dothe those myracles not onely in yt but also for yt And also Tyndale knewe not that god by the mouth of saynte Poule sayde so but bycause that the chyrch taught hym that god dyd so If he saye yes he felt yt by the wrytynge of goddes owne fynger in his herte he muste consyder that I speke of the tyme before y t his hert was so holy that god lyked to wryte wyth his owne fynger therin For hym selfe sayth that the hystorycall fayth goth fyrste the felynge fayth cometh after Therefore at the leste wyse in that tyme why sholde he not as well byleue the chyrche when yt sayde This thynge god by saynt Poule dyd tell as when yt sayde This thynge god by saynt Poule dyd wryte And in lyke wyse for the bokes of the wryten wordes of scrypture of whyche these heretykes receyue suche as lyke them refuse such as they lyste syth y t in the begynnynge sauynge for the catholyke chyrche they neyther knew the tone nor the tother why sholde they not byleue the same chyrche as well in the tone as the tother And as concernynge the bokes of scrypture whych they they them selfe receyue syth the debate betwene the chyrch and these heretyques standeth not vppon the wordes but vppon the sentence yf Tyndale were a Turke borne bycause he layeth so often the Turkes for his parte agayâ—ste vs they wolde and well they myghte reken hym but for a proude fole yf he wold now begynne to constre them theyr Alcharon in great and necessary poyntes of theyr fayth agaynste the consente and agrement of all the olde exposytours of theyr owne and the bylyefe of all the people from the deth of Machomete vnto Tyndales byrth If Tyndale wold now refute myne obieccion of y â— Turkes and theyr Alcharon wyth obiectynge in lyke wyse agaynst me the Iewes and the olde testament whyche Crist and his apostles taught theym to constre contrary to theyr olde vnderstandynge fro Moses dayes to theyr owne and that the chyrch of Cryste doth euen the same styll and wyll therfore say that so maye hym selfe and his mayster Martyne and Huyskyn and Swinglius teache the chyrche of Cryste in lykewyse to constre the scrypture of the new testament in necessary poyntes of fayth contrary to the consent of all the olde exposytours and the comen fayth of all crysten nacyons syth the tyme of Cristes deth and his blessed apostles vnto our owne dayes as Crisâ—e and his apostles and the catholyque chyrche teache the Iewes to construe theyr own scrypture of the old testament that they had had and taught so longe before I answere Tyndale therunto lettynge passe other answeres for this time that Cryst and his apostles and the catholyque chyrche euer synnes haue proued and yet proue the authoryte of theyr doctryne to be aboue the Iewes in the constrewynge of theyr owne scryptures delyuered by Moses and the prophetes by that yt hath pleaseth god for the testyfycacyon therof to shewe by Cryste and his apostles and his catholyke chyrche contynually to this day many meruelouse myracles and wythdrawe theym all from the Iewes Nowe lette Tyndale and Luther and Huyskyn and Suynglius do the lyke agaynste the catholyque chyrche then let them come and teache yt to constre the scrypture of Cryste contrarye to all the olde But tyll they haue the myracles among them and the catholyque chyrche leseth theym yf Tyndale and hys fonde felowes wyll in the meane whyle go nowe aboute to teache the chyrche to constre the scrypture of Cryste contrary to the contynuall fayth fro the apostles days vnto theyr owne we may myche better call theÌ„ proude presumptuous folys then myght the Turkes for teachynge them a contrary construccyon of theyr Alcharon Besydes this his ensample of the Iewis wyll not helpe hym for a nother cause For the olde exposytours of they re scryptures bothe of Moses and of the prophetes were vppon the parte of Cryste and his apostles and consequently of the catholyque chyrche contynually agaynst the false scrybes and pharysyes and the false doctoures synnes in suche necessary poyntes as they and we vary for as appereth well by dyuers of theyr bokê whych be dayly brought forth and allegged by men at this day lerned in theyr own tonge and also by that substancyall well lerned man Lyre in hys exposycyon of the seconde psalme Now yf Tyndale Luther Huiskyn Suingliê° can say y t the old holy doctours expositours vpon the scrypture dyd euer expoune it so that by theyr exposycyon it myghte appere that the scrypture of Cryste appereth it for lawfull and not abhorreth it as a thynge abomynable that freres sholde wedde nonnes I wyll agre wyth Tyndale to gyue ouer all the mater And thus ye se good reders that as concernynge the scrypture which Tyndale here techeth his dyscyple to say that they alledge elder then any chyrche thys .xiiii. C. yere syth the debate and variaunce is not in the wordes wherin they and we bothe agre but in the senteÌ„ce wherin not onely the comen contynued fayth of all chrysten nacyoÌ„s but also all the olde holy doctours sayntes euer synnys the same scrypture wryteÌ„ agreeth with the catholike chyrch agaynst hym hys alledgyng of the scrypture is not worth a leke And therfore is he now dreuen in all that euer we vary for to leue both scrypture and all and when he aske wherfore he byleueth eyther thys or that fayne muste he be to holde hym onely to hys felynge fayth and as Tyndale for a shote ancre techeth hym say that he byleueth it onely bycause he feleth it wryten in hys harte wythout any reasonable outwarde cause wherfore he fyrste byleued it wyth a story fayth wherof as ye haue herde he can for hys heresyes proue vs none at all Then syth he is comen to that poynt that without any good outwarde cause he muste defende hys fayth by hys onely felynge may not the Turkes and the Iewes bothe whome he layeth so sore agaynst vs defende theyr faythe 's agaynste hym by the selfe sam And when he can no ferther saye but that he feleth his to be trew eche of theyrs false may not eche of them answere hym that they fele theyrs to be trewe and hys false And thus were gone the counsayle of saynt Peter that we sholde geue a reason of our hope to euery man that wyl aske vs wherfore we hope so And therfore leuynge saynt Peter hys way lette euery man folowe Tyndale and byleue what he lyste and saye he feleth it wryten in hys owne harte wyth goddes owne hande Men saye that he
say trâ—w that he consented not but all was done agayne his wyll god was not angry with hym nor offended by hym nor his synne no synne at all For as saynt Austayn sayth yf it be done without the wyll it is not synne Fynally yf he stycke styll in this poynt that in y e doynge of those horryble dedes theyr lyuely felynge fayth whiche can not as they say but worke well standeth styll in theym all the whyle that they be doynge these horryble dedes that they fall in vpon great occasyons thorow the frute of the synne that breketh out of theyr meÌ„bres and that they therfore do not those horryble synfull dedes them selfe but the synne that remayneth in theyr membres and that they resyst the dede all the whyle they be in doynge and do not consent nor agre there vnto nor do it not with theyr harte but onely with theyr meÌ„bres it wylbe then a wonderous case in my mynde to consyder what maner a medytacyon and what maner conflycte haue they in theÌ„ selfe bytwene theyr harte and theyr membres when the frute of the synne that remayneth in theyr flesshe agaynst the professyon oâ— theyr harte to the lawe of god breketh out of theyr membres into suche horryble dedes as take theyr bodyes that were the membres of god and make them as saynt Poule sayth the membres of a stynkynge harlot Fyrst when the deuyll vpon some syght of a wanton woman putteth that suggestyon in theyr hartes they make no crosse of lykelyhed neyther on theyr forehed nor on theyr brest nor any wher about theyr body Foâ— suche blessynge and crossynge Tyndale calleth waggynge with fyngers in the ayre aâ—d dum ceremonyes and ymage seruyce But lyke holy spyâ—ytuall fathers borne agayne of god and the spyryte they resyste manfully fyrste and a great whyle But whan they resorte vnto her and talke with her more and more and all agaynste theyr wyll ye wote well for the deuyll dryueth them thyther and he must nedes go whom the deuyll dryueth then all the way they go they say to god and them selfes ywys though I go thyther with my fete yet I wyll not agre to go thyther with myne harte lo. Nor I wold not come at her at all good lorde sauynge that vpon the great occasyon that I had when I saw her ones I then lyked her so well that I am now caryed thyder eueÌ„ in a rage But yet for all y â— rage I wyll not cast of thy yoke good lord but I wyll cary thy yoke styll about my necke to bedde with her put it about her necke to yoke vs bothe to gether And yet after all this lo when all the rage is paste y t now haryeth me forth in an hete thorow the frute of synne which remaynynge in my flesshe breketh out of my members then wyll I repent it good lorde be sory therfore and retourne agayne from her to the or ellys brynge her yoked with me to And then wyll I pray the of pardon And then thou most nedes good lorde forthwith at the fyrst worde gyue me full remyssyon of synne payne all by our holy father the popys leue so that I shall neuer be punysshed therfore neyther in hell purgatory nor iÌ„ this world neyther And this good mynde good lorde wyll I kepe styll and neuer let it fall out of my harte so that all the whyle that I lye bassyng with Besse I am doynge y â— horryble dede with my body yet wyll I neuer agre therto wyth my harte Or yf I myshappe for weykenes and fraylte to consent vnto the dede yet wyll I neuer consent to the synne of the dede for it shall neuer be synne by my coÌ„sent Or yf I do coÌ„sent to the synne yet wyll I not coÌ„sent of purpose of malyce as the deuyll doth but of weykenes and fraylty as other holy folke do Nor at the ferthest I wyll consent no ferther to the synne but that the synne shall serue me not I to serue the synne in no wyse I wyll be well ware of that For I thanke the good lorde the seed of thy spyryt that thorow my felyng fayth is in me can neuer suffer my harte to consent to be seruaunte to any synne how horryble synnys how many so euer my membres do And therfore euyn whyle I am in doyng y t thanke be thyne good lorde I do neuer synne dedely nor neuer shall nor can nor neuer am by any synne out of thy fauour nor neuer stande out of the state of grace for any synne that I do or can do be they neuer so many or neuer so horryble and suche as one of these peuyshe popysh papystes shall be dampned to the deuyll yf they do but the fyftenth parte of some suche one and all for faute of suche a felynge fayth and suche good medytacyons as I haue Is not here a godly medytacyon trew ye Forsothe I suppose ye shall not fynde suche a nother in all the medytacyons of saynt Barnarde as holy a man as he was And I assure you Tyndale and hys felowys yf theyr holy here syes be trewe muste nedys in the doynge of euery such horryble dede as Tyndale telleth vs that they fall in by the ragyouse occasyoÌ„s of the synne brekyng out of theyr wredched membres they must I say nedes haue some such maner of medytacyoÌ„ in theyr holy hartes yf they shall both do those horryble dedys yet in the tyme of the doyng neuer consent vnto the synne to serue it but coÌ„tynually kepe styll in theyr myndes the professyon purpose towarde the law of god in all y e tyme of theyr horryble doyng neuer onys shake of y e yocke of theyr bond toward god but both abyde bouÌ„den styll vnto god and yet ronne lose at large after the deuyll These twayne bothe at onys wythout some suche medytacyon can neuer stande to gyther Fynally for coÌ„clusyon of this his worshypfull chapyter of euer synnynge neuer synnynge where as Tyndale as though he had clerely proued the thyng wherof he proueth nothyng coÌ„cludeth agaynst me in thys wyse And therfore it is afals coÌ„clusion that M. More holdeth how that a man may haue a ryghte fayth ioyned withall kynâ—e of all abommacyon and synne I conclude agaynst Tindale y â— he coÌ„cludeth clerely y e same And yet coÌ„clude I farther for all y e that I coÌ„cluded trew that he coÌ„cludeth false And thus bycause y t in this chapiterâ— Tindale is as it semeth by his euer synnynge neuer synnynge set vpon redyng of rydles for his recreacyon I put hym my rydle to y â— he I be agreed yet we be not agreed that he sayth as I say and yet I say not as he sayth For where as I sayd trew I sayde that a ryghte fayth may stande abyde with all abomynacyoÌ„ menyng therby that the trew ryght bylyefe of all the artycles of y e catholyke fayth maye be
of god god here sayth that Dauyd dyd in those horryble dedes dyspyce bothe his lawe and hym selfe to And how dyd he then kepe styll his loue to the lawe of god in the whyle in whyche he dyspysed both the lawe of god and god hym selfe also Or how sayth Tyndale that Dauyd coÌ„sented not to the synne when god hym selfe that beste knewe hys thoughte layed hys synnes so sore to hys charge that he appoynted an endeles plage for the punisshement therof tyll by hys repentaunce his humble confessyon god as he forgaue the dedelynesse of the synne and translated it from mortall in to venyall so chaunged the punysshemente from endeles in to endynge For where as the prophete had before hys repentaunce and confessyon sayed vnto hym by the byddynge of god The plage shall abyde in thyne howse for euer world with ende forthwyth after hys repentaunce and hys confessyon made he sayed vnto hym Our lorde hath translated thy synne that was from dedely to venyall that is to wytte the punysshement from eternall to temporall And therfore the prophete sayed that yet the chylde that he bygatte vppon her in that auoutry sholde dye as it dyde after in dede And yet was not Dauyd out of hope wyth other penaunce whyche he hadde leuer sustayne to purge and redeme y e punisshement to and therfore fasted and prayed to saue the chylde vntyll the tyme that it was dede in dede And thus good chrysten reders ye maye clerely se that all Tyndals proper processe of kynge Dauyd concernyng the order of hys eleccyon that he was therby preserued for euer frome all dedely synne ys clerely comen to noughte and all hys wordes reproued by the very playne wordes of scrypture And yet by the same scrypture for aduauntage is there a nother of Tyndals heresy destroyed by whyche he teacheth that after repentaunce all is forthwyth forgyuen vnto the electe bothe synne and payne and all so farre foâ—th that for the synne passed the partye shall neuer after be punusshed nor suffer any payne neyther in thys world purgatory nor any where ellys The playne reprofe wherof of appereth euydentely the dedely synne translated and y â— temporall punysshemente reserued by thys open place of scrypture By whyche is reproued Tyndales other heresye that we now go aboute in whyche he techeth vs that Dauyd dyd none of hys horryble dedes wyllyngly nor consented to synne nor malycyously caste of the yoke of loue towarde the lawe of god and therfore synned not dedely wherin as ye se agaynste Tyndale tellynge vs thys very god hym selfe telleth vs the contrary and that Dauyd synned so dedely that he synfully despysed bothe goddes lawe and god hym selfe therwyth And now that Tyndale hath of kyng Dauyd tolde vs hys wyse processe of not synnynge suche as ye se it proued he procedeth forth from Dauyd and telleth vs as wyse a tale of Chrystes blessed apostles Of whom thus he sayth Tyndale And in lyke maner the apostles of â—hryste at his passyon were astonyed and amased and in suche a storme of temptacyons for the soden chaunge from so greate glory into so vyle and shamefull deth that they hadde forgotte all the miracles all the wordes which he had told theÌ„ before how that he shuld be betrayed and delyuered on the same maner vnto deth Moreouer they neuer vnderstode that sayenge of his deth bycause theyr hartes were alwaye heuy and ouer ladde with erthly thoughtes For though they sawe hym reyse vppe otheâ— yet who sholde reyse hym vp when he were dede they coulde not comprehende Rede what thou reder canst and thou shalte fynde no temptacion lyke vnto that from the creacyon of the worlde or so greate as it by the hundred parte So that the wondrefull soden chaunge and the terryble syghte of hys passion and of hys most cruell and moste vyâ—e deth and the losse of whom they so greately loued that theyr hartes wolde fayne haue dyed with hym and the feare of theyr owne deth and the impossybylyte that a man shulde ryse agayne of hys owne power so occupyed theyr myndes and so astonyed them and amased them that they coulde receyue no comforte eyther of the scrypture or of the myracles whiche they had sene Cryste do nor of the monycyons and warnynge wherewith he had warned them before neyther of the women that brought them tydynges that he was rysen The swerde of temptacyons with feare sorowe mornynge and wepynge had so depely perced theyr hartes and the cruell syghte had so cumbered theyr myndes that they coulde not byleue vntyll Chryste hym selfe came deth put of and ouercomeâ— ye and when they fyrste sawe hym they were astonyed for wonderynge and ioye to gyther that thoughtes arose in theyr hartes Alas is this he or dothe some spyryte mocke vs he was fayne to lette them fele hym and to eate with them to strength theyr faythes More Here haue ye herde good deuout chrysten people a pece of Tyndals deuout godly collacyon in whyche the man is not so farre fallen into deuocyon but he is mych forther fallen from hys wytte wherby he neyther perceyueth y â— poynt that he sholde proue and ouer that seeth not that hys sermon sayth more agaynst hys mater then we that impugne hys purpose For hys purpose is to proue vs that none electe can at any tyme synne dedely And now forgetteth he that poynt telleth vs that the apostles neuer loste theyr fayth which yf it were graunted hym yet wanne he not hys purpose For they myghte kepe styll the fayth in theyr harte and yet synâ—e dedely by the denyeng therof wyth theyr mouth For as holy saynt Poule sayth In harte byleue we for our iustyfycacyon and wyth the mouth we confesse it for our saluacyon Shewynge by those wordes that neyther are we ryghtuouse by sayeng wyth our mouth that we do byleue but yf we byleue in our harte nor shal be saued by the bylyefe of our harte but yf no fere can let vs to coÌ„fesse it with our mouth wherto consenten the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe where he sayth who so denye me before men I shall deny hym to before my father whyche is in heuen And thus for the fyrste poynt Tyndale in hys holy sermon is so depe in deuocyoÌ„ y t he forgetteth where about he goth Now for the seconde poynt where I sayed no more but that they loste the suffycyent fayth that is to saye the lyfe of theyr fayth he goth about as I tolde you to proue vs that the apostles suche as were electe neuer loste theyr fayth at all nor at any tyme fell therfro And thys poynt handeleth he so properly that euer he telleth vs that they loste it not and euer he proueth vs that they loste it And by the selfe same wordes by whyche he sayeth that they kepe it alwaye styll by the selfe same I say alwaye styll he proueth y t they kepte it not styll in dede but were very farre fallen therfro For
where he myght gete oute For bysydes that yt appereth playne by saynte Hierome that there were at that tyme the same vyces in the catholyke chyrche that are now all saue weddynge of folke that hadde vowed chastyte I saye that in the place where saynte Austayne wryteth those wordes â—e speketh neuer a worde that the vertuouse lyuynge oâ—â—he chyrche caused hym to byleue it nor nothyng in that place speketh of the vertuouse lyuynge of the chyrche nor of tâ—e persecucyon but in many other places he confesâ—eth that the chyrche then was as we se yt nowe is a congregacyon and company of both good and badde And that in this boke wryten agaynst Cresconiâ—s he alledgeth that holy martyr saynt Cypriane and râ—hersâ—â—h his wordes wryten in hys pystle that he wrote vnto Maximus by whyche he sheweth that men maye not leue the chyrche bycause of the euyll fâ—â—â—e that be therin For in the chyrche there be both good and badde as there are in the feld of god wherof Cryste speketh in the gospell both good corne and cocle and in a great house as saynt Poule saith to Timothe there are not only golden vessellis and syluer but also trene and erthen These wordes of holy saynte Cypriane doth holy Austayn reherse and approue wherby meÌ„ may well perceyue that both saynt Cypryane and saynt Austayn to dyd take the chyrch for none other then the knoweÌ„ catholyke chirch and knewe that chyrche ryght well not for a companye of onely good men but of goâ—d and badde bothe and so be they sâ—yll what euer Tyndale say But yet this one thyng dyd both saynt Cyprian saint Austayne say that of all â—hat departe oute of this chyrche there is not one good nor can not be good vntyll in harte they resorte therto agayne And for that cause is yt called holy chyrche not for that euery man is holy that is in yt but for that many suche be in yt and none can be holy that wyll not be in yt And to th entent that ye may the more clerely perceyue that Tyndale here to blynd vs wyth deuyseth of his own hedde this euasyon that saynte Austayne byleued not the chyâ—che in his days but bycause of theyr constaunce in persecucyon and theyr holynesse of lyuynge who so loke vppon the place where he wryteth those wordes that is to witin his boke agaynste the pystle of Manicheus theretyke of whose secte saynte Austayne hadde ben onys hym selfe wythout any coÌ„syderacyon of persecucion or holy lyuyng layeth other consyderacyons that made hym know and byleue the catholyke chyrche of hys dayes that is to wytte the consent of the catholyke chrysten nacyons and that he had the catholyke chyrche in authoryte fyrst for the myracles that were shewed therin and that therupon his fayth and credence geuen therunto was nurysshed and fosâ—ered wyth hope encreaced wyth cheryte and confermed with antiquite There helde hym he sayd in the gyuynge of fayth and credence to the catholyke chyrche thys thynge also that is to wyt that he sawe the successyon contynued in the see of saynt Peter to whom our lorde had after his resurreccyon coÌ„mytted the fedynge of his shepe sayth saynt Austayne from saynt Peters dayes vnto hys owne tyme. And fynally euyn the very name he sayth of catholyke that is to say vniuersall gaue toward the gettyng of his credence the catholyke chyrche great anthoryte whych name of vniuersall the same chyrche alone amonge so many heresyes hadde so obtayned that where as euery secte of heretykes wold fayne be taken for catholykes yet yf a strauÌ„ger shold come amonge them aske where were any catholyke chyrche that he myghte go to there were none heretyke y â— durst for shame bryng hym to any chyrch or any house of theyrs These causes â—o â—ayed saynt Austayne all whyche causes are in the catholyke chyrch styll these he layd I say for the authoryte of the catholyke chyrch for whyche he sayde he gaue so fast fyrme vndouted credence to it that for y â— authoryte therof he byleued the gospell at the teching therof And these causes he layd vnto the heretykesâ— as â—â—uâ—es that he thought shold of reason moue them therto also And yet to the entent ye shall the more clerely seâ— howâ— Tyndale wolde wyth hys lyes blynde vs and what ferme credence saynt Austayn gaue to the knoweÌ„ catholyke chyrche wythout mencyon of eyther persecucyon or vertuâ—use lyuynge as Tyndale wolde here make vs wene I shâ—ll translate and reherse you here saynt Austayns owne â—â—â—des wryten in the fyfth chapyter of hys sayd boke agaynst the pystle of Manicheus In whych place saynt Austayne dysputeth agaynst the heretykes of that secte and proueth them that lyke as he that byleueth the catholyke chyrche hath good suretye of hys bylyefe is able to shewe good causes of his bylyefe all thoughe there were no scrypture wryten so on the tother syde the Manycheys bycause they byleued not the catholyke chyrche and lykewyse who so euer byleueth it not can neuer proue any thynge for theyr purpose neyther to hym that byleueth not the scrypture nor yet vnto hym neyther that doth byleue the scrypture And therfore saynt Austayn hauyng rehersed before what thynges be suffycyent to make hym byleue the catholyke chyrche bysyde the scrypture doeth nowe in thys chapyter dyspute wyth them shew them that they all suche heretykes as go fro the fayth of y e catholyke chyrch can neuer proue theyr parte good neyther to hym that refuseth the scrypture nor to hym that byleueth it And therin lo thus he sayth Let vs se therfore what Manicheus techeth me specyally let vs consyder the selfe same booke that ye call the pystle of the fundacyon in whyche is conteyned almoste all that ye byleue when that same pystle was redde vnto vs at that tyme wrechys that we were we were wont to vowe downe and say Amen Thus begynneth the pystle Manicheus the apostle of Iesu Chryst thorow the prouydence of god the father these be the holsome wordes issuynge out of the euer flowynge founteyne of lyfe Now I praye you and it please ye herken pacyentely what I shall aske you I byleue not thys man to be the apostle of Cryste I beseche you be not angry nor begynne to chyde ye knowe well that I am determyned nothynge rasshely to byleue that ye bryng forth I aske you therfore who is thys Manicheê°â— ye answere me y â— apostle of Crist. I bileue it not Now haue ye nothing that ye can eyther saye or do ye promysed to teche me and make me to know the trewth now ye wolde make me byleue the thyng that I know not ye wyll peraduenture rede me the gospell and labour to proue me the persone of Manicheus by the wordes of the gospell But now yf I shold fynde you out some man that yet byleued not the gospell what coulde ye then say for Manicheus to hym that wolde saye vnto you I
or sawe suche a man he runneth strayt to hys remembraunce and sayth he sayd it not or saw hym not to hys remembraunce though it were in leâ—se then halfe an howre afore For therin he seeth hym selfe saufe For though the whole towne sawe them togyther and herde hym speke it yet whyche of all them can proue whyther he remember it styll or haue forgote it were it neuer so late And so playeth Tyndale now beynge fayne to graunte all that he hath denyed he flyeth lyke rede Raynarde the foxe for hys saufegarde into his malepardus of his felyng fayth in whyche though he haue nothynge to proue it yet the Raynarde trusteth to lye saufe bycause he thynketh no man can fynde hym out For who can folow hym thyder to make any tryall what maner fayth hym selfe feleth in hys owne harte But yet good reders we shall so sette aboute hym and then sette in suche terryers to hym that we shall I truste eyther course hym abrode or make hym euyll reste within For lette vs now resorte agayn vnto the gaye gloryous processe of Tyndalys holy dystynccyon And where as in the begynnynge therof he calleth the hystorycall fayth a creâ—ence gyuen to a story tolde hym by men and that such fayth and credence hangeth vppon the trouth and honesty of the teller or of the comen fame and consent of many as yf a man tell hym that the Turke hadde wonne a cytye and that therfore yf there come an other that semeth more honeste or that hath better persuasyons than he thynketh immedyately that the fyrste man lyeth and so he loseth hys fayth agayne If ye consyder well good chrysten readers ye shall fynde that parte of hys dystynccyon that is to wytte the tone halfe of all to gyther is suche a tale as tyll he proue it better shall neuer serue hym here For all be it that in wordely thynges thys tale be trew yet in maters of faythe whyche faythe is the fyrste gate whereby we entre oure iournaye the ryghte waye toward god we canne neuer come at it wythout the helpe of god nor how probable a tale so euer be tolde vs neuer shall we byleue it wythout hys holy hande inwardly set on vs and ledyng vs therin to whych is euer redy in all such thynges both to preuent vs and to goo forth wyth the towardnesse of our owne wyll not frowardly resystynge but applyable vnto hys mocyon And thys order to be trewe Cryste wytnesseth where he sayth No man can come to me but if my father draw hym And saynt Poule sayenge we be not suffycyent of our self to thynke any good thynge as of our selfe And therfore god as I sayde preuenteth vs in the begynnynge goeth forth wyth vs all the waye wythout whom we coulde do nothynge by fayth towarde god nor â—y the outwarde occasyon of fayth toward the inwarde consent therof syth no man can as saynt Poule sayth saye our lorde Iesus but in spyryte And that god is euer redy but yf we wyllyngly wythdraw hym selfe sheweth where he sayth I stonde at the dore and knocke And that god helpeth vs forward not without our own coÌ„formable wyll appereth playn by clere textes of scrypture I wene mo then an huÌ„dred As where he sayth wo be thou Capharnaum for yf in Tyrus Sidon had ben wrought the myracles that haue bene wroughte in the they wolde longe a goo haue done penaunce in asshes and shyrtes of here And also where he sayd vnto HierusaleÌ„ in this wyse Hierusalem Hierusalem how often wold I haue gathered thy children togyther as the henne gathereth togyther her chykens thou woldest not And where he byddeth saynte Thomas of Inde wyll not thou be vnbyleuynge but byleuynge And where he blameth hys dyscyples for not byleuynge those that had seen hym rysen from deth agayne And therfore is it in my mynde false that Tyndale sayth that the hystorycall fayth that is to saye the fayth acquysyte and gotten by gyuynge credence to the reporte and tellynge dothe in the thynges of the chrysten fayth depende vppon the trouth and honesty of menne or comen fame alone For all be it that such thynges be the outwarde occasyons by meane wherof a man cometh therto yet is there euer more in euery such fayth the inwarde cause mouynge our wyll towarde the consent therof the speâ—yall ayde and helpe of the great goodnesse of god wythout whyche oute wyll had neuer walked towarde it And lykewyse as not the mannys tale at oure eare with oute god workynge wythin bryngeth vs into the bylyefe For as saynt Auâ—tayn sayth In vayne sowneth at y e eare the word but yf god worke in the herte eueÌ„ so not y e maÌ„nis tale alone kepeth y e faith in vs but as an outward mocyon yt kepeth as it brought but pryncypally kepeth vs therin he that pryncypally brought vs therto that is the inward workynge of goddes owne holy spyryte And thus ye se that this pyece of Tindales tale is but a bare brokeÌ„ patche Nowe the tother parte wherein he sayeth that yf there come a more honeste man or one that hath better persuasyons to the coÌ„trary that then he that had the faith vppon the fyrste mannys tellynge loseth yt agayne vpon the seconde man tellynge the coÌ„trary I say y t this patche is double noughte For syth as I sayd byfore he came to the fayth by two mocyons the pryncypall god workynge wythin and the secondary the occasyons outwardely geuyn also by god lyke as the good wyll workynge wyth god assented vnto yt so shall neuer any mannys tale nâ—r the tale of a thousande agaynste one ouermayster that inwarde mocyon of god as long as the wyll of the man will contynue styll with god in cleuynge to the fayth as yt dyd in folowynge hym in the commynge to yt Aud therefore some man that hath vppon ryghte small occasyon turned to the fayth and therfore wyth the myche more meryte as Cryste sayde Bleâ—sed be they that haue byleued and haue not seen could neuer wyth any maner occasyon be pulled from yt agayne bycause of theyr good wyll stykkyng styll to the inwarde cause of theyr fayth For yf a man may as in dede he may so obstynately set his wyll vnto the worse syde that no persuasyon of good reason can remoue hym to the better how mych it is more trew that when a man hath coupled his wyll wyth god by inclynynge cleuynge vnto grace there can none euyll persuasyon of counterfeted reason be able to plukkâ— hym from yt tyll the frowardnesse of his wyll do wyllyngly fall therfro as the towardnes of his wyll dyd wyllyngly cleue therto and as yt agayne maye when yt is fallen from yt wyth helpe of grace wyllyngly returne therto Now yf Tyndale call this a felyng fayth yet were his dystinccyon then clene vaynyshed and gone For then were euery historycall fayth in maters in the fayth a felyng faith also And therby
he make vs fele that for a shyfte to scape away wyth he hath sought sore 〈◊〉 found out for the artycles of his heresyes not any trâ—â— felyngâ— faythâ— but a false fumblynge fantasye yet wolde Tyndale seme to proue his felynge fayth by scrypture and therfore he sayth Of the felynge â—ayth yt is wryten IohnÌ„ vi They shall be all taughte of god That is god shall wryte yt in theyr hertes wyth hys â—oly spyryte And Paule also testyfyeth Roman viii the spyryte bereth recorde vnto oure spyryte that we be the sonnes of god And thys fayth is none opynyon but a sure felynge and therfore euer frutefull Neyther hangeth yt of the honesty of the preacher but of the power of god and of the spyryte And therfore yf all the preachers of the worlde wolde go about to persuade the contrary yt wold not preuayl no more then though they wolde make me byleue that the fyre were cold after that I haâ— put my fynger therin Now good chrysten reades here haue ye fyrste herde the wordes of god wyth whych Tyndale wold make vs wene that he proueth vs hys felynge fayth of all hys heresyes after haue ye herde the wordes of hym selfe declarynge the effecte of the same in hym self so depe and so surely wryten in hys herte that all the prechours in the worlde can not now scrape it out no more then make hym byleue that the fyre were colde in whyche he had burned hys fynger Fyrste ye maye sone se that the scryptures proue of hys purpose not one peyce For well ye wote your questyon is not whyther god wyth hys inwarde wurkynge wryte in mannys harte the fayth whyche I haue at length all redy shewed you that he doth and haue also shewed you what is ment therby that is to wytte hys wurkynge wyth the towardenesse of mannys wyll in ledynge hym in to the consent of bylyefe whyche ledynge is the techynge wherof Crist speketh in the wordes which Tindale here alledgeth the wordes of our sauiour rehersyng the sayeng of the prophete Esay They shal be all taught of god whych wordes by the prophete were spoken of our sauyour the new law that he sholde brynge and of the great dyfference bytwene Moyses that taught the olde Cryst that shold come and tech the secunde For in the fyrst though it were receyued of god was yet delyuered them taught them by Moyses that was but a man they lerned but oâ— theyr neyghbour that is to wyt of man of whych euery one is neyghbour to other by kynde But in the new law the worlde receyued lerned of Cryste whyche was not our neyghbour onely y â— is to wyt very man But also the maker of euery mannes neighbour him self also very eternal god y e same techer though he taught before was y e same god y t before taught by Moyses the synagoge of the chyldren of Israell and gaue theym by Moyses a lawe wryten in bokes eyther of stone or in dede skynnes yet when he wolde after come to gather hys chrysten chyrch and teche in hys owne person he wolde hys owne mouth gyue hys chyrche a lawe wythout booke and shede out hys grace so meruelouse and so plentuouse vppon the people that thorough the myracles the doctryne dede stony hartes sholde waxe tender softe quycke and wyth wyllyng and applyable myndes shold by the spyryte of god haue the lawe that is the trewe bylyefe good hope and well wurkynge cheryte gracyously wryten in them And thus sholde it haue bene and by the same spyryte sholde it euer haue coÌ„tynued in the catholyke chyrche all though neuer worde of the new testament had ben wryten And yet in the same maner remayneth wryten in the same chyrche by the same spyryte a ryghte rule lefte by god techynge the chyrche to enterprete and vnderstand the wrytynge that hys holy apostles haue wryten after hys holy prophetes haue also wryten before And thys wrytynge from tyme to tyme in the hartes of hys chyrch is the writyng that Cryst so often promised vnto his chyrch that is to wyt that he wolde sende the holy gooste to teche it all thynge and to lede it into all trouth be wyth it hym selfe all dayes also euyn vnto the worldes ende Now what chyrch this is there nedeth no man to dowt when we dowte not whych chyrche it is that hath by god that gyfte to knowe by bylyef which is the trew scrypture whyche is as me semeth one greate artycle of the fayth That chyrche that hath the gyfte of that artycle vpon whyche by the doctryne of all these heretykes them self the credence of all the other artycles depende and none other chyrche hath it but by it that chyrche I saye may soone be perceyued and ought to be byleued to be the very chyrche Now what thys techyng is that is ment by our sauyoru in the wordes that Tyndale alledgeth ye â—e And therfore as I sayed now consyder that the purpose of Tyndale is not to teche vs that god techeth hys electes the fayth but to teche and proue vs by the textes that he bryngeth forth that god techeth not onely the trewe fayth but also the felynge fayth of suche a maner felynge as hym selfe hath declared by beynge wounded in the batayle and burnynge hys fynger in the fyre so y t he can neuer after at any tyme byleue the coÌ„trary no nor neuer after do any dedely synne And now ye se perde clerely that in those wordes of Crysâ—e rehersynge the prophecy They shall be all taught of god here is neuer one worde of any suche maner felynge and therfore doth that texte nothynge proue for hys purpose of hys felynge fayth Besydes thys ye wote well that Tyndale putteth thys felynge fayth to be the fayth of all electes and than hym selfe denyeth not but that there were electes in euery tyme from Adam vnto Cryste And thys prophecy that he nowe bryngeth in for hys purpose was as hym selfe knoweth spoken of the chyrch of Cryste that shold be after hys own comynge And how can he than for shame saye that it was spoken of the felynge fayth of all electes when they wâ—re onely spoken to declare the maner of excellence bytwenâ— the new lawe and the olde But suche is Tyndals iuglyng to make euery thynge of euery thynge Let vs now go than to the wordes of saynt Poule in the viii chapyter of his pystle to the Romayns where he sayth the spyryte bereth wytnesse to our spyryte that we be the sonnes of god These wordes good chrysten reder whyche Tyndale here allegeth for hym not onely make nothynge for hym but ouer that yf we consyder them well wyth some woâ—des before and after they make so clere agaynste hymâ— that a man coulde not wysshe for a place more effectuall to turâ—â— ouer vtterly destroye clerely Tyndals hole gostely purpose For lo good reder saynt Poule after that he hadde in the .vii. chapyter
came to the lande of beheste were electes and had the felynge fayth bysyde and that all those that dyed in wyldernesse were reprobates and therfore hadde but the fayth of mennys teachynge and of myracles alone But nowe is Tyndale tell vs this we wyll praye hym proue yt For tyll he do more then say yt we wyll not lette to say agayn that with as many as byleued god wrought hym selfe wyth theyr wylles and that ellys they hadde not byleued neyther men nor myracles And we shall not let to tell Tyndale ferther that of those byleuers whyche were enduced by the meane of men or myracles there dyed in wyldernesse such as we may well trust to haue bene electes and to be now in heuen and therfore that they eyther had the felynge fayth yf none other myght suffycyently serue or ellys suche other fayth as they had goten by the meane of men or myracles was for theyr saluacyon suffycyent inough And surely yf it so were then yet agayne we shall not nede to fere For yf we maye gete heuen we care for none other lande of byheste nor for none other doth Tyndale put the sample but by theyr comynge to the lande of byheste or theyr lesynge therof to sygnyfye whyche maner fayth sholde attayne to heuen and whyche sholde fayle therof and neuer attayne therto And in dede as it semeth Tindale meneth that all those whych lefte theyr carcases in the wyldernes perysshed and lost heuyn for lacke of â—uche a felyng fayth and thâ—rfore he concludeth euyn so shall the chyldren of maysâ—er Mâ—res faythâ—esâ—e fayâ—h made by the persuasyon of men lepe shorte of the reste whiche our sauyâ—ur Iesus is rysen vnto But now hath Tindale forgoteÌ„ that the prophete Moyses hym selfe that spake with god was taughte by hym not peâ—suaded by myracles eyther told him by other mennes mouthes or wroughte in his syghte by the meane of other menne but wrought by god by the meane instrument of hys owne handes lefte yet for all that hys carcays hys bonys in the wyldernesse and that hydde so surely that neuer man shold after fynde them to cary them thense Now syth not onely such as attayned faith by persuasyoÌ„ of men but such also as Tyndale dowteth nothyng to be sure of saluacyoÌ„ left theyr carcayses in the desert neuer came in the land of byhest his ensaÌ„ple of them y t there left theyr carcayse no thynge maketh more agaynste the chyldren of mayster M. fayth as faythles as he calleth it then agayâ—st the chyldren of Tyndals own felynge fayth And therâ—ore euery man may fele y â— Tyndale hath brought in this poynt lyke a very fole For euery maÌ„ may well ê‘ceyue y t the fayth which Tyndale reproueth iÌ„ me calleth it faithles bycause men are enduced therin to by myracles ê‘suasyoÌ„s of men Tyndale hym self knoweth to be y â— fayth of holy saynt Austayne as his wordes agaynst the Manicheys whych Tindale hath hym selfe reherced testyfye well and bere wytnes though Tyndals own glose wâ—re trewe For yf he byleued the chirch bycause they were thaÌ„ good â—en yet was he then enduced in to the bylyefe by the persuasyon of mâ—n And yet is not he lepte shorte oâ— that râ—ste that Cryâ—â— is rysen to but is therin and not in the reste onely but in the blesse to â—nd so be many chyldren of the same faythe and mâ—â—y mo shall But as for Tyndals fayth byleueth it selfe that hym selfe and hys mayster and all theyr chyldren shall lye styll and slepe and therfore lepe shorte of blesse and lyfe to tyll domes daye and then dare I be bolde to warraunt theym for as longe agayne after But yet syth Tyndale telleth vs heâ—e that thys fayth of ours is nought and by hys wyse reason the fayâ—h of saynt Austayne to bycause bothe he and we were induced to tâ—e bylyefe by myracles and persuasyon of men Let vs besech Tindale beyng so specyall a prechour sent by god to gyue vs his good gostely counsayle what we maye do tâ— come to heuen what wyll he answere vs what connsayle wyll he gyue vs He wyll of lykelyhed bycause he lykeneth vs to Simon Magus that byleued for the myracles whiche he sawe Phylyp wurke byd vs therfore do as saynt Peter bode hym do to whome he sayed do penaunce for thys thy wyckednes and praye to god yf he peraduenture wyll forgyue the thys euyll mynde of thy harte we myghte here saye that the faute whyche saynt Peter found wyth Simon Magus was not the fawt that Tyndale fyndeth wyth vs that is to wyt the byleuynge for myracles and by persuasion of men but for that he wold with money haue bought the gyfte of the holy goste How be it syth Tyndale I se well taketh thys fawte of ours for as greate a cryme as that of hys yt can not become vs to defende it but confesse it for suche and be sory for it and shew hym that we be full heuy and repente it very sore that euer we byleued eyther the scrypture the better for the chyrche or the chyrche the better for the myracles that are dayly wroughte in it or any pyece of the fayth for any myracle that Phylyppe wroughte or Iacob eyther or any apostle of them or yet our sauyour eyther But now that we be so sory for it what wyll he byd vs more Fastynge prayeng or pylgrymage or other wurkes of penaunce we â—hall not nede to feâ—e For Tyndale vseth none but sayeth it is synne to do any well we shall be at hys counsayle content for hys pleasure to forbere all those synnys of payne and penaunce to but yet howe shall we do for faytheâ— For wythoute the very felynge fayth no repentaunce can saue vs be we neuer so well ware in kepynge vs both fro shryft and thryfte and satysfaccyon what counsayle wyll he gyue vs therfore how we maye labour for thys fayth He hath gyuen vs playne answere all redy that there is wyth vs no remedy For syth we haue so hyghly offended god not of weykenes fraylte and infyrmyte as hys electes do when they falle into theyr horryble dedes by y â— frute of theyr synne remaynynge in theyr flesshe and brekynge out at theyr frayle members but euyn wyllyngely and of purpose and of pure malyce whan we endeuour our selfe to byleue the artycles of Cristes fayth by myracles and persuasyon of menne whyche fayth is as he sayth the deuyls fayth therfore as for the rest that god is rysen to he telleth vs playnely we shall neuer come therto and therfore byddeth vs neuer loke thereafter nor neuer care therfore but lette it alone and thynke no more theron but playe make vs mery whyle we maye and whyle we can neuer haue good in the worlde to come embrace therfore he byddeth vs and holde faste thys present worlde and the pleasurs therof whyle we maye and be not so folysshe as to lese bothe Is not here good chrysten readers
by the worde of god But surely thys ancre lyeth to farre aloufe fro thys shyppe and hath neuer a cable to fasten her to it For neuer herd I yet two thynges so losely knyt to gyther what maner an argument doth frere Barons call thys Fayth cometh by herynge and heryng cometh by the word of god ergo in euery place where the worde of god is herd must nedes be some faythfull men Though there were neuer man faythfull wythout herynge of the worde of god as in dede there is not ordynaryly in actuall fayth maye it not be for all that that there maye be many that here it to gyther in one place of all whome neuer one wyll be faythfull but haue the fayth in derysyon Thys argument is so folysshe that I meruayle frere Barons wolde be so fonde to brynge it forth And thus good chrysten reades here ye se now to what poynt frere Barons is brought with his sygnes tokens wherwyth he promysed vs to make vs knowe where were some membres of hys holy pure clene chyrch wherin he coÌ„fesseth hym selfe that some of his sygnes and tokens be but faynt and vnsuffycyent And than that one whyche he sayth is perfayth ye se so vnperfytely proued that of all the scripturs that he bryngeth there is not one syllable serueth him And yet haue I shewed you also that yf he proued all y t he sayth yet were all hys techyng of knowlege where some of the chyrch be wythout the knowlege who they be a very frutelesse knowlege wherof the knower coulde neuer take spyrytuall profyte But now good chrysten readers to the entent that the foly of frere Barons inueÌ„cyon may the more clerely appere concernyng his tokens with whiche he techeth vs to know his vnknoweÌ„ chyrch let vs yet a lytell consyder hys lesson better Let vs suppose that some good honest merchauÌ„tes wyfe a woman honest of her conuersacyon beynge by some shrewed gosseppes of hers brought in aquayntaunce wyth some false wyly heretike had bygonne to fall in some dowte and fere leste the fayth that she had before lerned of the thyrche concernyng the seuen sacramentes prayeng to sayntes and prayeng for soules and many thynges mo were vntrew and daungerouse to lyue and dye in and that she were not yet so farre fallen to the wronge syde but that she stode styll in a dowte and in a mamerynge whyche way she myghte take and fayne wold take the beste And beyng thus brought into thys doute had by some proctour of the euangelycall fraternyte secretely broughte vnto her frere Barons boke After whych secretely redde ouer by her self in a corner for many thynges that she partely lyked partely mysse lyked in the redynge perceyuynge that he was than vppon hys passage ouer these agayne longed sore to speke wyth hym selfe ere he wente and theruppon beynge by some good brother and syster broughte to gyther where there were none present but suche as were towarde the fraternyte after solempne salutacyons and gostely gretynges of the congregacyon in osculo charitatis she wolde breke her mynde vnto hym shew hym that by the good gracyouse mocyone of such a man or suche a woman she had bygonne to entre in to the consyderacyon of her soule helthe and not to be so neglygent as she had before ben to byleue euery prestes tale that standeth vp in a pulpet but to seke some sure way how she may surely â—e taught the treuth not deceiued And for bycause she had redde his boke wher in she founde dyuers doutes of whyche she wolde fayne yf he myght haue taryed be sumwhat â—atisfyed and also haue vsed hys gostely counsayle for her ferther instruccyon and sure settyng forth in the waye of the treuth syth god had so dysposed that he sholde so soone depart that she coulde not haue that full frute and comforte of hys persone she wolde not for the shorte tyme of that theyr present assemble cuÌ„ber hym wyth her questyons whyche were lyke to be but fryuolouse womannysshe nor be a let and impedymeÌ„t vnto the feruent desyres of the other bretherne systers of the coÌ„gregacyon wherof euery one longed to be comforted with his gostely coÌ„munycacyon at that tyme specyally whyche was as it semed the laste in whyche they were lykely to be fedde wyth the plesauÌ„t coÌ„uersacyon of his bodyly presence And therfore she wold no more desyre of hym for the tyme but that he wold as our sauyour when hym self wente hys way dyd sende his holy spyryt to teche his apostles hys apostles to teche the wyde wyld ignorauÌ„t world so maye it please you good father Barns whyle ye depart hense to assygne some meane shew me some way by whych I maye be sure all way to haue some good gracious spyrituall maÌ„ some trew meÌ„ber of the very chirch of whom I may be sure to lerne the very trew fayth that our sauyour fyrste by hym selfe after by his holy spyryt taught his blessed apostles by them the world that wold lerne yet by y e same spyryt techeth his very holy chyrch styll as ye shew to my symple myndefull well clerkely in your goodly processe wherin ye declare whych is the very chyrch I beseche you therfore do no more for me for thys onys but leste I be when ye be gone deceyued by some false techer set me now before your goynge in some way wherby I may be sure euer of a trew To thys wold frere Barns of lykelyhed make her great congratulacyon tell all the congregacyon that they haue all greate cause to ioy and reioyce in the lorde whose hygh mercy hath so goodly bygon to pour in the lyuely lycoure of hys grace into the dyenge harte of that good syster and hathe thereby so reuyued it wyth the warme breth of hys holy spyryte that he maketh yt begynne to qnycken loke vp and to longe to byholde and se the bryght sonne of hys veryre wryten in the holy scryptuâ—e of god to rubbe her eyen and shake of the â—alse ymagynacyons of all the dampnable dremys of menne and that hym self is very sory that he can not accordyng to his hope that brought hym hyther haue hys euangelycall doctryne accepted of the kynge and openly receyued in the realme whyche he so sore hath trauayled to regender agayne vnto god in the trew fayth buâ— is by the menes of the false scrybes and pharasâ—ys reiected and rebuked and sauynge for the kynges saufe conducâ—â— sholde haue standen in parell to be burned and hys bokâ—s wyth hym whyche saufe conducte bycause it was graunted but for .vi. weekes now more thenne almost passed for whyche cause he chaunged hys notable monstrouse apparayle that he came in wyth and shoue hys berde and wente lyke a merchaunt that he myghte be the lâ—sse meâ—ked in taryenge after the saufe conducte and vysytynge the congregacyon wythout whose lyberall ayde and almoâ—se he shold neâ—ther haue ben able to sustayne
they re very mynde is in the mater ye shall vnderstande that it happed my selfe to be vppon a tyme present in a certayne assemble of personages bothe of great honoure and also of great connynge in whyche amonge other thynges that were there treated of one that hadde in sundry places preached after suche maner fashyon as I haue here rehersed you was demaunded and asked whyther yt were ynough byfore a man bestow his money vppon such kyndes of voluÌ„tary to helpe fyrste such pore nedy folke as he happened to here of vnsought or ellys that he must besydes that byfore he bestowe any money other wyse seke and serche about whether he may fynd any mo wherunto he answered well and playnely that we be fyrst bounden to seke serch be sure therof namely bycause of suche as can not come forth but lye styll bedred at home some that be peraduenture a shamed to offre theym selfe and begge Then was he demauÌ„ded farther syth yt was not inough to geue pore men wheÌ„ they asked nor where we fouÌ„d them by happe but we were forther bouÌ„den before we bystowed ought vppon voluÌ„tarye to seke and serche out such necessary whyther yt suffysed then to take for our parte those nedy folke that were founde in oure owne paryshe or ellys that we muste extende oure almoyse farther to the whole towne wherunto he answered that neyther suffysed oure paryshe nor our towne no nor all our own whole countrey neyther but where so euer there where any pore nedy men we were bounden to helpe theym all byfore we sholde any thynge bestowe vppon suche kyndes of voluntary so that fynally the man was fully mynded rather to send vs all to Rome to seke serch out some pore man and bere him a peny thether then to suffer vs spende a halpeny eyther oute or at home vppon any offerynge eyther to god or saynte or byeldynge of chyrche or garnysshynge therof or byenge of any ornament therfore And surely yf these folke saye well then Mary mawdelayne dyd not wel but was mych to blame For I am very sure and our sauyour hym selfe shall bere me recorde that yf she wolde haue soughte and serched she moughte haue founden in Hierusalem euyn at her hande pore nedy men inough to haue receyued twyse as mych money as all that oyntement was worth Cryste blamed not those that offered into the treasory of the temple nor sayd that they offered to myche but rather by praysyng of the pore wydow that offered somwhat of her pouerty rebuked the rych folke for offeryng to â—ytle all be it that as the gospell sayth many offered mych And yet as I sayed of thys am I very sure that they myghte haue had poremen inough to bestowe that money vppon in relyefe necessary that they there spent vppon the temple a thynge as these men call it voluntary How be it I meruayle why they sholde call it all voluntary for some of it be thynges that must nedes be done For chyrches at the leste wyse muste we nedes haue and yet therto saye some of these folke naye But holy saynt Chrysostome calleth vpoÌ„ folke to byeld chyrches there as it semed necessary and that so farforth that rather then to leue that wurke vndone he wolde they sholde gyue the lesse to pore folke to do the tother wythall And thenne dare I saye that he wolde haue men bye bothe bokes and chalyces and other ornamentes therto And thus may we sone se that these new sectes of Tyndals sorte be farre fro saynt Chrysostomes mynde For ye may well perceyue by theyr doctryne that when they wold haue all pore men sowght out euer and serued and euery mannes necessyte done before any of the tother thynges that they call voluntary shold be by any man begon what other prechyng is thys but vtterly to forbyd theÌ„ not with playne wordes but wyth wurse then playne wordes wyth blasphemouse mockerye knauysshe derysyon and scorne And surely that worde of Tyndale in whyche he calleth the sayntes that are departed dede sayntes all be it that there were none harme therin spoken by a good mannes mouth yet hath it a shrewde sygnyfycacyon spoken out of hys syth Luther and he wene that there were not one of theym all in heuyn but that they lye all in a slepe styll no man woteth where and therfore Tyndale bydded vs pray to theym when we speke wyth theym so that tyll than he wolde we sholde let them alone And thus good chrysten reders for conclusyon of thys poynt ye maye clerely se that concernynge offerynges to god or hys sayntes or money bestowed aboute those good wurkes that these folke call all voluntary the chyrche techeth ryghte as appereth well by playne and euydent scrypture And that the doctryne of the pharyseys whyche Cryste reproued the chyrche reproueth also and therof techeth the contrary And so the doctryne of the chyrche and the doctryne of the pharyseys in thys poynte wherin Tindale resembleth them togyther and lyeth to to make them lyke be no more lyke togyther then is chalke to colys Nowe is all the remanante of hys processe as ye haue herde nothynge ellys but raylynge vppon the doctours of the catholyke chyrche for byleuynge that the sacramentes be not bare sygnes and tokens and bycause of the bylyefe of purgatory Now am I very gladde that ye se so clerely that those whome thys newe saynte IohnÌ„ Baptyste calleth pharyseys be all those olde holy doctours and sayntes that haue bene in euery age thys fyftene hundred yere For all they haue byleued in the same sacramentes that we do and the same thynges that thys newe baptyste rebuketh And in lykewyse of purgatory Tyndale can not saye naye For I haue in my thyrde booke of hys confutacyon layed hym playne wordes of dyuers of the eldest and most holy doctours and amonge other saynte Chrysostome wrytynge that the apostles them selfe prayed for soules in theyr masses And now se you playnely that Tyndale calleth theym all pharyseys therfore and is come as a newe saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyste to shewe vs that by name thys .viii. hundred yere but by his declaracion thys .xv. hundred yere the pharyseys that is to wytte all the holy doctours and sayntes that haue bene all thys whyle in chrystendome from Cryst hym selfe hytherto the treuth of whose fayth and the holynes of whose lyuynge our lorde hath illustrate and setâ—e out vnto the shewe wyth many a thousande myracle haue made the scrypture croked and rowgh wrestynge it wyth false gloses makynge men byleue that there were purgatory and that men sholde knele to Crystes crosse and kysse it and wurshyp Crystes holy body in the blessed sacrameÌ„t and kepe the chastyte that they haue vowed to god tyll now lo that thys newe seynt IohnÌ„ baptyste is sent downe to prepare the waye for Antichryâ—â—e and make the rowgh smothe and the croked strayte and to turne the hartes of y e fathers vnto the chyldren wyth makynge the worlde