of their heauenly father confirmed with y ◠bloud of their Lord Christ For vnto them it is harder to enter into y ◠kingdome of heauen then for a camel to enter through y ◠eye of an nedle Mar. 10. No they haue no part in the kyngdome of Christ God Ephe. v. Therefore is it euident why Christ so diligētly warneth all his to beware of couetousnesse and why hee admitteth none to be his Disciples except he first forsake all together For there was neuer couetouse person true yet either to God or man If a couetous mā be chosē to preach Gods word he is a false Prophet immediatly If he be of the lay sorte so ioyneth he him self vnto the false Prophetes to persecute the truth Couetousnesse is not onely aboue all other lustes those thornes that choke y t word of God in them that possesse it But it is also a deadly enemy to all that interprete Gods word truly All other vices though they laugh thē to scorne that talke godly yet they can suffer thē to lyue and to dwell in the countrey But couetousnes cannot rest as long as there is one that cleaueth to Gods word in all the land Take hede to thy preacher therfore and be sure if he be couetous and gape for promotion that he is a false Prophet leaueneth the Scripture for all his crying fathers fathers holy Church and fiften hūdred yeares and for all his other holy pretenses Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted This mournyng is also in the spirite and no kinne to the sowre lokyng of hipocrites nor to the impaciēt weywardnesse of those fleshely which euer whyne and complayne that the world is naught because they cānot obtayne and enioy their lustes therin Neither forbiddeth it alwayes to be mery and and to laugh make good chere now and then to forget sorrow that ouermuch heauynesse swalow not a man cleane vp For the wise man sayth sorow hath cost many their lyues And Prouer. xvij an heauy spirite drieth vp the bones And Paule commaundeth Philip. iiij to reioyse euer And Roma xij he sayth reioyse with them that reioyse and sorow with thē that sorow and wepe with them that wepe which seme two contraries This mourning is that crosse without which was neuer any Disciple of Christ or euer shal be For of what soeuer state or degree thou be in this world if thou professe y ◠Gospell there foloweth the a crosse as warmenesse accompanieth the sonne shynyng vnder which thy spirite shall grone and mourne secretly not onely because the world and thyne owne flesh carie thee away cleane cōtrary to the purpose of thyne hart But also to see and behold the wretchednesse misfortunes of thy brethrē for which because thou louest them as well as thy selfe thou shalt mourne and sorow no lesse thē for thy selfe Though thou be King or Emperour yet if thou knowest Christ and God through Christ and entendest to walke in the fight of God and to minister thyne office truly thou shalt to kepe iustice with all be compelled to do dayly that which thou art no lesse loth to do then if thou shouldest cut of arme hand or any other member of thyne owne body yea and if thou wilt folow the right way and neither turne on the right hand nor on the left thou shalt haue immediatly thine own subiectes thyne owne seruauntes thyne owne Lordes thyne own coūsellours and thyne owne Prophetes thereto agaynst thee Vnto whose froward malice and stubburnesse thou shalt be cōpelled to permitte a thousand thynges agaynst thy conscience not able to resiste them at whiche thyne hart shall blede inwardly and shalt sawse thy swete soppes which the world weneth thou hast with sorowes mough and still mournyng studyeng either alone or els with a few frēdes secretly night and day and sighing to God for helpe to mitigate the furious frowardnesse of them whō thou art not able to with stand that all go not after the will of the vngodly What was Dauid cōpelled to suffer all the dayes of his lyfe of his own seruauntes the sonnes of Seruia Beside the mischaūces of his own children And how was our king Iohn forsaken of his owne Lordes when he would haue put a good and godly reformatiō in his owne land How was Henry the secōd compassed in lyke maner of his own Prelates whom he had promoted of nought with the secrete conspiracie of some of his own temporal Lordes with thē I spare to speake of y e mournyng of the true preachers the poore cōmon people which haue none other helpe but the secret hand of God and the word of his promise But they shal be cōforted of all their tribulatiō and their sorrow shal be turned into ioye and that infinite euerlastyng in the lyfe to come Neither are they without comfort here in this world for Christ hath promised to sēd them a comfortour to be with them for euer the spirite of trouth whiche the world knoweth not Iohn xiiij And they reioyse in hope of the comfort to come Rom. xij And they ouercome through fayth as it is written Hebr. xj the Saintes through fayth ouercame kyngdomes obtained the promises And. i. Iohn v. this is the victorie that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith But the blind world neither seeth our comfort nor our trust in God nor how God thorough faith in his word helpeth vs maketh vs ouercome How ouercome they wilt thou say that be alwayes persecuted and euer slayne verely in euery battaile some of them that wynne the field be slayne yet they leaue the victorie vnto their deare frēdes for whose sakes they toke the fight vppon them and therfore are conquerours seyng they obtayne their purpose maynteine that they fought for The cursed riche of this worlde whiche haue their ioye and comfort in their riches haue sence the begynnyng fought agaynst them to wede thē out of the worlde But yet in vayne For though they haue alwayes slayne som yet those that were slayne wanne the victory for their brethren with death euer increased the nūber of them And though they semed to dye in the sight of the foolish yet they are in peace and haue obtayned that euerlastyng kyngdome for which they fought And beside all this when God plagueth the world for their sinne these y ◠mourne and sorrow are marked with the signe of Thau in their foreheades and saued from the plague that they perish not with the wicked as thou seest Ezech. ix as Lot was deliuered frō among the Sodomites And contrariwise cursed are they that laugh now ▪ that is to say which haue their ioy solace and comfort in their riches for they shall sorrow and weepe Luke vj. And as it was answered the rich man Luke xvj sonne remember how that thou receauedst thy good dayes in thy life tyme and Lazarus likewise euill
this threatning and forbidding the laye people to reade the Scripture is not for loue of your soules which they care for as the Foxe both for the Geesse is euident and clearer then the Sunne in as much as they permitte and suffer you to read Robbin Hode Beuis of Hampton Hercules Hector and Troylus with a thousand histories and fables of loue and wantones and of rybaudry as filthy as hart can thinke to corrupt the mindes of youth withall cleane contrary to the doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles For Paule Ephes v. sayth see that fornication and all vncleannes or couetousnes be not once named amonge you as it becommeth Saintes neither filthines neither foolishe talking nor gesting whiche are not comely For this ye knowe that no whoremonger either vncleane person or couetous person which is the worshipper of images hath any enheritaunce in the kyngdome of Christ and of God And after sayth he thorough such thyngs commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of vnbeliefe Now seyng they permitte you freely to reade those thynges which corrupte your myndes and robbe you of the kingdome of God and Christ and bring the wrath of God vpon you how is this forbidding for loue of your soules A thousand reasons moe might be made as thou mayst see in Paraclesis Erasmi in his preface to the paraphasis of Mathew vnto which they should be cōpelled to holde their peace or to geue shamefull aunsweres But I hope that these are sufficient vnto them that thyrst the truth God for his mercy and truth shall well open them moe yea and other secretes of hys Godly wisedome if they be diligent to cry vnto him which grace graunt God Amen ¶ The Prologue vnto the booke FOr asmuch as our holy Prelates and our ghostly religious which ought to defēd gods word speake euil of it and do all the shame they cā to it rayle on it beare their captiues in hād that it causeth insurrectiō teacheth the people to disobey their heades gouernours moueth thē to rise against their Princes and to make all common and to make hauoke of other mēs goodes therfore haue I made this litle treatise that foloweth cōteinyng all obedience that is of god In which who soeuer readeth it shal easly perceaue not the cōtrary onely that they lye but also the very cause of such blasphemy and what stirreth thē so furiously to rage and to belye the truth Howbeit it is no new thyng vnto the word of God to be rayled vpon neither is this the first tyme that hypocrites haue ascribed to Gods worde the vengeaunce where of they thē selues were euer cause For the hypocrites with their false doctrine and Idolatry haue euermore ledde the wrath and vengeaunce of God vpon the people so sore that God could no lēger forbeare nor differre his punishmēt Yet God which is alwayes mercyfull before he would take vengeaūce hath euer sent hys true Prophetes and true Preachers to warne the people that they might repent But the people for the most part and namely the heades and rulers through comfort and persuadyng of the hyopcrites haue euer waxed more hard harted then before and haue persecuted the word of God and his Prophetes Thē God whiche is also righteous hath alwayes poured his plagues vppon them without delay Which plagues the hypocrites ascribe vnto Gods word saying see what mischeue is come vpō vs sence this new learnyng came vp and this new sect and this newe doctrine This seest thou Hieremias xliiij Where the people cryed to goe to their old Idolatry agayne saying sence we left it we haue bene in all necessitie and haue bene consumed with warre and hunger But the Prophet aunswered them that their Idolatry wēt vnto the hart of God so that he could no lenger suffer the maliciousnes of theyr owne imaginations or inuētions that the cause of all such mischieues was because they would not heare the voyce of the Lord and walke in his law ordinaunces and testimonies The Scribes and the Phariseis layd also to Christes charge Luke xxiij that be moued the people to sedition And sayd to Pylate we haue found this felow peruertyng the people and forbiddyng to pay tribute to Caesar and sayth that he is Christ a kyng And agayne in the same Chapter hee moueth the people sayd they teachyng throughout Iury and began at Galile euen to this place So likewise layd they to the Apostles charge as thou mayst see in the Actes S. Cyprian also and S. Augustine and many other mo made workes in defence of the word of God against such blasphemies So that thou mayst see how that it is no new thyng but an old and accustomed thyng with the hypocrites to wyte Gods word and the true Preachers of all the mischieue which their lying doctrine is the very cause of Neuer the later in very dede after the preachyng of Gods worde because it is not truly receaued God sendeth great trouble into the world partly to auenge hym selfe of the tyrauntes and persecutours of his worde and partly to destroye those worldly people whiche make of Gods word nothyng but a cloke of their fleshly libertie They are not all good that folow the Gospell Christ Math. xiij like neth the kyngdome of heauen vnto a net cast in the Sea that katcheth fishes both good and bad The kyngdome of heauen is the preachyng of the Gospell vnto which come both good and bad But the good are fewe Christ calleth them therfore a litle flocke Luke xij For they are euer few that come to the Gospell of a true entent seekyng therin nothyng but the glorye and prayse of God and offering thē selues frely and willingly to take aduersitie with Christe for the Gospels sake and for bearyng recorde vnto the truth that al men may heare it The greatest nomber come and euer came and folowed euen Christ hym selfe for a worldly purpose As thou mayst well see Iohn vj. howe that almost fiue thousand folowed Christ and would also haue made hym a kyng because he had well fedde them Whom he rebuked saying ye seke me not because ye saw the miracles But because ye eat of the bread and were filled and droue them away from him with hard preachyng Euen so now as euer the most parte seke libertie They be glad when they heare the vnsatiable couetousnes of the spiritualitie rebuked When they heare their falsehood and wiles vttered When tyrāny and oppressiō is preached against When they heare how kynges and all officers should rule christenly and brotherly seke no other thyng saue the wealth of their subiectes and when they heare that they haue no such authoritie of God so to pylle and polle as they doe and to raise vp taxes and gatherynges to maynteine their phantasies and to make warre they wote not for what cause And therefore because the heades will not so rule will they
not What then saith me Lord of Caunterbury to a Priest that would haue had the new Testament gone forth in Englishe What sayth he wouldest thou that the lay people should wete what we do No fighter which I suppose is signified by the crosse that is borne before the hye Prelates and borne before thē in procession Is that also not a false signe What Realme can be in peace for such turmoylers What so litle a Parishe is it but they will picke one quarell or an other with them either for some syrplis cresome or mortuary either for one trifle or other and cyte them to the arches Traytors they are to all creatures and haue a secret conspiration betwene them selues One craft they haue to make many kyngdomes and small and to norish olde titles or quarels that they may euer moue them to warre at their pleasure And if much landes by any chaunce fall to one man euer to cast a bone in the way that he shall neuer be able to obteine it as we now see in y e Empeperour Why For as lōg as the kyngs be small if God would open the eyes of any to set a reformation in his Realme then should the Pope interdict his land and send in other Princes to conquere it Not geuen to filthy lucre but abhorryng couetousnes And as Peter sayth i. Pet. v. Takyng the ouersight of them not as though ye were compelled thereunto but willingly Not for desire of filthie lucre but of a good minde not as though ye were Lordes ouer the Parishes ouer the Parishes quoth he O Peter Peter thou wast to long a fisher thou wast neuer brought vp at the arches neither wast master of the Rolles nor yet Chaunceler of England They are not content to raigne ouer kyng and Emperour and the whole earth but chalenge authoritie also in heauen and in hell It is not inough for them to raigne ouer all that are quicke but haue created them a Purgatory to raigne also ouer the dead and to haue one kyngdome more then God him selfe hath But that ye be an ensample to the flocke sayth Peter And whē the chief shepheard shal appeare ye shall receaue an incorruptible crowne of glory This abhorring of coueteousnes is signified as I suppose by shauyng and sheryng of the of the heare that they haue no superfluitie But is not this also a false signe yea verely it is to them a remēbraunce to shere and shaue to heape benefice vpon benefice promotion vppon promotion dignitie vpon dignitie Byshopricke vppon Bishopricke with pluralities vnions and Tot quots First by the authoritie of the Gospell they that preach the word of God in euery Parish and other necessary ministreys haue right to chalenge an honest liuyng like vnto one of the brethren and therewith ought to be content Bishops and priestes that preach not or that preach ought saue Gods word are none of Christes nor of hys annoyntyng but seruauntes of the beast whose marke they beare whose worde they preache whose law they mainteine cleane agaynst Gods law and with their false sophistry geue him greater power then God euer gaue to his sonne Christ BUt they as vnsatiable beastes not vnmindfull why they were shauen and shoren because they will stand at no mans grace or bee in any mans daunger haue gotten into their owne handes first the tyth or tenth of all the realme Then I suppose with in a litle or all together the third foote of all the temporall landes Marke well how many personages or vicarages are there in the Realme which at the least haue a plow land a peece Then note the landes of Byshoppes Abbotes Pryors Nunnes knyghtes of Saint Johns Cathedrall Churches Colleges Chauntryes and Frechapels For though the house fall in decay and the ordinaunce of the foūder be lost yet will not they loose the landes What commeth once in may neuer more out They make a Frechapell of it so that he which enioyeth it shall do nought therefore Besides all this how many chaplaynes do Gentlemen finde at their owne cost in their houses How many sing for soules by testamentes Then the prouing of Testamentes the prising of goodes the Byshop of Caunterburies prerogatiue Is that not much thorough the Realme in a yeare Foure offeryng dayes and priuy tythes There is no seruaunt but that he shall paye somewhat of his wages None shal receaue the body of Christ at Easter be he neuer so poore a begger or neuer so younge a lad or mayde but they must paye somewhat for it Then mortuaryes for forgotten tythes as they say And yet what Parson or Vicar is there that will forget to haue a Pygin house to pecke vp somewhat both at sowing tyme and at haruest whē corne is ripe They will forget nothing No man shall die in their debt or if any mā do he shall pay it when he is dead They will loose no thing Why It is Gods it is not theirs It is Saint Cudberts rentes Saint Albans landes Saint Edmondes right Saint Peters patrimony say they and none of ours Item if a man die in an other mans parishe besides that he must pay at home a mortuary for forgotten tythes he must there pay also y ◠best that he there hath Whether it be an horse of twenty pound or how good so euer he be eyther a chayne of golde of an hundreth marke or fiue hundreth pounde if it so chaunce It is much verely for so little payne taking in confession and in ministring the Sacraments Then beadrolles Item chrysome Churchinges banes weddinges offering at weddinges offering at buriynges offering to Images offering of waxe lightes which come to their vauntage besides the superstitious wast of waxe in torches and tapers thoroughout the land Then brotherhoodes and pardoners What get they also by confessions Yea and many enioyne penāce to geue a certayne for to haue so many Masses sayde and desire to prouide a chappellayne themselues Soule masses diriges monethmyndes yeare myndes Alsoulday and trentals The mother Church and the hie altar must haue some what in euery Testament Offeringes at Priestes fyrst Masses Itē no mā is professed of what soeuer religion it be but he must bring somewhat The halowing or rather coniuring of Churches chappels altars superaltares chalice vestimēts belles Then booke bell cādlesticke organes chalice vestimentes copes altere clothes syrpleses towels basens ewars shepe senser and all maner ornaments must be founde them freely they will not geue a myte thereunto Last of all what swarmes of beggyng Friers are there The Parson shereth the Vicare shaueth the Parish Priest polleth the Frier scrapeth and the Pardoner pareth we lacke but a butcher to pulle of the skinne What get they in their spirituall law as they call it in a yeare at the arches in euery dioces what get the Cōmissaries and Officials with
an other mans wife in the hart But as he there forbad that which defileth matrimony euen so he forbiddeth here that which troubleth vnquieteth and destroyeth the temporall regimēt and that thyng which to forbid the temporall regiment was ordayned which is that no man aduenge himselfe Christ medleth not with the temporall regiment But in all this long sermon fighteth agaynst the Phareseyes false doctrine and salteth the law to purge it of the corruption of their filthy gloses and to bring it vnto the right taste and true vnderstanding agayne For the Phariseyes had so enterpret that lawe of Moses which pertayned onely vnto the rulers that euery priuate person might aduenge hymselfe do his aduersary as much harme againe as he had receaued of hym Now if he that is angry haue deserued that men pronounce death vpon hym and he that sayth Racha hath deserued that mē should gather a coūsell to determine some sondry and cruell death for so haynous a crime if he that calleth hys brother foole haue deserued hell what deserueth he that smiteth or aduengeth himselfe wyth his owne hand Here is forbidden therfore priuate wrath onely and that a man aduenge himselfe To turne the other cheeke is a mater of speaking and not to be vnderstand as the woordes sounde as was to cutte of the hand and to plucke out the eye And as we commaunde our children not onely not to come nie a brooke or a water but also not so hardy as once to looke that way either to looke on fier or once to thinke on fier which are impossible to be obserued More is spoken then ment to feare them and to make them perceaue that it is earnest that we commaunde Euen so is the meaning here y t we in no wise aduenge but be prepared euer to suffer as much more neuer to thinke it lawfull to aduenge how great soeuer the iniurie be for he himselfe turned not the other cheeke whē he was smitten before the Byshoppe nor yet Paule whē he was buffeted before the Byshop also But ye haue heard a little aboue Blessed are the meeke for they shall possesse the earth Let all the world studie to do thee wrong yea let them do thee wrong and yet if thou be meeke thou shalt haue foode and rayment inough for thee and thyne And moreouer if the worst come God shall yet set such a tyraunt ouer thee that if thou be meeke and canst be cōtent that he polle thee properly and euen as thou mayst beare shall defend thee from all other Who is polled intollerably that hys lite is bitter and euen death to hym but he that is impatient and cannot suffer to be polled Yea poll thy selfe and preuent other and geue the Baylife or like officer now a Capon now a Pigge now a Goosse and so to thy Landlord likewise or if thou haue a great Ferme now a Lambe now a Calfe and let thy wife visit thy Landladye three or foure tymes in a yeare wyth spised cakes and Apples Peares Cheries and such like And be thou ready with thyne Oxen or Horses three or foure or halfe a dosen dayes in the yeare to set home their wood or to plow their lād yea and if thou haue a good horse let them haue hym good cheape or take a worse for hym and they shal be thy shilde and defende thee though they be tyraūtes and care not for God that no man else shall dare polle thee And thereto thou maist with wisdome get of them that shall recompence all that thou doost to them All thys I meane if thou be patient and wise and feare God thereto loue thine neighbour and do none euill For if thou keepe thy selfe in fauour with hurting thy neighbour thine ende will be euill and at the last desperation in thys worlde and hell after But and if thou canst not polle thy selfe with wisdome and laugh beare a good countenaūce as though thou reioysedst while such personnes polle thee euery man shall polle thee and they shall mainteine them and not defende thee Let this therefore be a cōmon prouerbe be contented to be polled of some man or to be polled of euery man Ye must vnderstand that there be two states or degrees in thys worlde the kyngdome of heauen which is the regiment of the Gospell And y ◠kingdome of this world which is the temporall regimēt In the first state there is neither father mother sonne daughter neither master maystres mayoe manseruaunt nor husband nor wyfe nor Lord or subiect nor man or woman But Christ is all and ech to other is Christ himselfe There is none better then other but all like good all brethren and Christ onely is Lord ouer all Neither is there any other thyng to do or other law saue to loue one an other as Christ loued vs. In the temporall regiment is husband wyfe father mother sonne daughter maister maystresse mayde manseruaunt Lord and subiect Now is euery person a double person and vnder both the regimentes In the first regiment thou art a person for thyne owne selfe vnder Christ and his doctrine mayst neither hate or be angry and much lesse fight or aduenge But must after the ensample of Christ humble thy selfe forsake and deny thy selfe and hate thy selfe and cast thy selfe away and be meeke and patient and let euery mā goe ouer thee and tread thee vnder foote and do thee wrong and yet loue them and pray for them as Christ did for his crucifiers For loue is all and what is not of loue that is damnable and cast out of that kyngdome For that kyngdome is the knowledge of God and Christ But he that loueth not knoweth neyther God nor Christ therefore he that loueth not is not of that kingdome The minor is on this wise proued he that knoweth God and Christ seeth light for Christ is light But he that hateth hys brother is in darcknes and walketh in darcknes and wotteth not whether he goeth for darcknes hath blinded hys eyes 1. Ioh. 2. Ergo he that hateth his brother knoweth not what Christ hath done for hym and therefore hath no true fayth nor is of the spirituall kyngdome of God To hate thy selfe that shalt thou get if thou considerest thyne owne sinnes and the deepe dampnation that long thereto with due repentaunce And to loue that thou shalt obtayne if thou beholde the great and infinite mercy of God wyth strōg faith There is none so great an enemy to thee in this worlde but thou shalt lightly loue hym if thou looke well on the loue that God shewed thee in Christ In the temporall regiment thou art a person in respect of other thou art an husband father mother maister maistresse lord ruler or wife sonne daughter seruaūt subiect c. And there thou must do accordyng to thyne office If y u be a father thou must do the office of a father and rule or els
IN the viij he sayth the Saintes be more charitable now then when they liued I answere Abrahā was while he lyued as charitable as the best And yet dead he answered hym that prayed to hym they haue Moses and y ◠Prophetes let them heare them And so haue we not Moses and the prophets onely but a more cleare light euen Christ and the Apostles vnto which if we harken we be Saintes already And to proue that they in heauen be better then we in earth he alleageth a text of our Sauiour Luke vij that the worst in heauen is better then Ihon Baptist Now y e text is he that is lesse in the kingdome of God is greater thē he We that beleue are Gods kyngdome And he that is least in doyng seruice vnto hys brethren is euer the greatest after the doctrine of Christ Now Christ was lesse then Ihon and therfore greater then he And by theyr owne doctrine there was no Sainte in heauen before the resurrection of Christ but what care they what they say blynded wyth theyr owne sophistrye Moreouer cursed is he that trusteth in ought saue God sayth the text and therfore the Saintes would haue no man to trust in them whyle they were aliue As Paule sayth 1. Cor. 3. What is Paule saue your seruaunt to preach Christ Did Paule dye for you were ye baptised in the name of Paule Did I not mary you to Christ to put your trust in hym And agayne let no man reioyce or trust in man sayth he For all are youres whether Paule or Appollo or Cephas whether the world life death present thynges or thynges to come all are youres and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods If my fayth be stedfast in the promises that I haue in Christes bloud I néede but to pray my father in Christes name and he shall send me a legion of Angels to helpe me so that my fayth is Lord ouer the Angels and ouer all creatures to turne them vnto my soules health and my fathers honour and may be subiect vnto no creature but vnto Gods woorde in our Sauiour Christ onely I may haue no trust therefore in the Saintes If ye say ye put no trust in them but onely put them in remembraunce of their dutie as a man desireth his neighbour to pray for him remembring hym of hys dutie and as when we desire our brethren to helpe vs at our neede That is false for ye put trust in all your ceremonies all your holy deedes and in whosoeuer disguiseth hymselfe and altereth hys coat from the common fashion ye and euen in the coates of them that be not yet Saintes after your dortrine If a priest sayd masse in his gowne would ye not rise against hym and slea hym and that for the false fayth that ye haue in the other garmētes For what honour can those other garmentes do to God more then hys gowne or profite vnto your soules ▪ seyng ye vnderstand nought thereby And therto in the collectes of Saintes ye say saue me God and geue me euerlastyng lyfe for the merites of thys or that Saint euery man after his phantasie chusing hym one Saint singularly to be saued by Wyth which collectes I pray you shew me how standeth the death of Christ Paule woulde say that Christ dyed in vayne if that doctrine were true And therto in as much as ye say the Saintes merite or deserue not in heauen but in this worlde onely it is to be feared least their merites be sore wasted and the deseruynges of many all spent thorowe our holy fathers so great liberalitie Abraham and the Prophetes and y ◠Apostles and many since prayed to no Saintes and yet were holy inough And when he sayth they could helpe when they were aliue That was thorow their fayth in beleuing the promise For they had promises that they shuld do such miracles to stablish their doctrine and to prouoke vnto Christ and not vnto them selues And whē he proueth that y e Saintes be in heauen in glory wyth Christ already saying if God be their God they be in heauē for he is not the God of the dead There he stealeth away Christes argument wherewyth he proueth the resurrection that Abraham and all Saintes shoulde rise agayne and not that their soules were in heauē which doctrine was not yet in the worlde And wyth that doctrine he taketh away the resurrection quite and maketh Christes argumēt of none effect For when Christ alleageth the Scripture that God is Abrahams God addeth to that God is not God of the dead but of the liuing and so proueth that Abraham must rise agayne I deny Christes argument and say wyth M. More that Abraham is yet aliue not because of the resurrection but because hys soule is in heauē And in like maner Paules argument vnto the Corrinthians is nought worth For when he sayth if there be no resurrection we be of all wretches the miserablest Here we haue no pleasure but sorrow care and oppression And therfore if we rise not agayne all our suffering is in vayne Nay Paul thou art vnlearned ▪ go to Maister More and learne a new way We be not most miserable though we ryse not agayne for our soules go to heauen assoone as we be dead and are there in as great ioy as Christ that is risē againe And I maruell that Paule had not comforted the Thessalonians wyth that doctrine if he had wist it that the soules of their dead had bene in ioy as he did wyth the resurrection that their dead should rise agayne If the soules be in heauen in as great glorie as the aungels after your doctrine shewe me what cause should be of the resurrection And when hee sayth Whether the Saintes do it them selues or by intercession made to God it maketh no matter so we be holpe it appeareth by his doctrine that all is good that helpeth though a man pray vnto the deuill by whom many be holpe Now in Christ we haue promises of all maner helpe not in them Where then is our faith to be holpe by Christ when we hope to be holpe by the merites of Saintes So it appeareth that the more trust we haue in Saintes the lesse we haue in Christ And whē he bringeth in a similitude that we pray Phisitions though God can helpe vs and therefore we must pray to Saintes It is not like for they haue naturall remedies for vs which we must vse not tempt God But the Saints haue no natural remedies nor promise of supernaturall And therfore it can be but a false superstitious fayth And where no natural remedy is there god hath promised to helpe thē that beleue in hym And moreouer when I pray a Phisition or Surgion and trust to be holpe by them I dishonour God except I first pray to God beleue that he will woorke with their doctrine and medicines
stādeth neyther to pray to him nor yet to offer to him which offering would both helpe the poore man hys wyfe childrē and seruaunts But let them suffer you to take this wormye God into your handes agayne and then is hée Lord ouer all the world then maketh hée rych men and poore men then maketh hée men blynde blynde to see agayne then maketh hée lame men whole then maketh hée we men with childe yea and also bringeth them well to bed Then expelleth hée deuils then telleth hée thinges to come then ruleth hée in heauen and earth and in water brieflye hée defeneth both king and kingdome Is not here a sudden mutation and all is béecause hée hath got hym a new M. and a new place O ▪ you hypocrites thynke you that men bée so blynde y ◠they cā not sée this falsed You would make them blynde in déede the which would make them to honour stockes and stones yea and that in the name of an other thing the which also they know not Which of you all hath séen our Lady or any other saint where by you may lerne to make her similitude and if you haue nothing to lay for you but because shée was a woman then is your Image as much y e similitude of an harlot of the stues the which bereth all the shape y ◠belongeth to a naturall woman as wel as of our Lady Notwithstanding that our blessed lady is a vergin and the other a strumpet yet in exterior formes and shapes that may bée séene and iudged by senses bée they all one yea and your Image in all exterior signes is a great deale more lyker vnto an harlot then to a pure and a blessed méeke virgin And yet are you not ashamed w t these damnable shadowes both to priuate God of his honour and also compell your simple bretheren to this shamefull idolatry If you will looke your selfe and sée clearely your idole in a pure mirour reade the. vj. chapter of Baruch wherin you shall fynde these wordes Their stockes be polished of the carpenter and they bee gilded siluered but they be false cā not speake How thinke you haue not your Images these properties Their Gods haue golden crownes on their heades from whom the Priests doth take away golde siluer spend it on themselues They geeue also of it vnto their strūpets and decke their harlotes And whē they haue takē it away frō their harlots thē deck they there with their Gods againe Wherfore know that they bee no Gods Bée not all these thinges fulfilled on you doe not you take away their oblations therwith maintayne your pompe and pride decke also your harlotes say not nay for all the world will condemne you for opē lyers the matter is so plaine Their Gods haue a septer like a mā and like a Iudge of a land but they cā not sley hym that offendeth thē wherefore feare them not Doth not this agre with your Gods Note how bolde the prophet is which dare crake with your God sayth how y t they cā not hurte their enemies wherefore hée biddeth vs that we shall not feare them Now if you think that this bée not spoken of your Gods not with standing that none of these thinges they bée voyde of goe to them and cry but remember that you crye aloude for they bée very thicke of hearing or per aduenture they be gone forth a toune and occupied Therefore I say crye whoope aloud and byd them if they be Gods or will haue any honour y ◠they will now auēge themselues of their enemyes If they can doe nothing thē will we lay vnto them this mocke of the profyt and will not feare them They haue a sworde in their hande and an axe but they can not delyuer them selues from battel nor frō theeues therfore feare them not A righteous mā is better that hath none Images for he shall be free frō obprobriousnes How thinke you haue not your Gods all these tokens how many théeues haue you hanged for robbyng of your goods but your gods neuer saued thē self frō théeues Moreouer why make you so suer lockes so sure dores if your Gods bée able to kéepe your goods I thinke you feare not their runnyng away Farthermore why kéepe you so great bandogs if your Gods bée able to saue their Gods frō théeues But mée thinketh the bandogs bée mightier then your Goddes and also you trust more to them for they defende both you and your Goddes You dumme stockes where is all your reason where is all your wit where is all your wisdome where is all your policy where is all your godly faith that you ought to haue in the God of heauen Are you not ashamed thus groslye to deceaue men yea wyth those thynges which you can neither defende with scripture nor yet wyth any reason But paraduenture you will say that the Prophet speaketh here of Idols and not of Images I aunswere I pray you what call you Idolum is it not as much as Imago in Latin which wée call in inglishe an Image but wée will not varry for the name let vs goe to y ◠properties Haue not your Images all these properties that y e Prophet layeth to these thinges which you call Idols cā you say nay can you prooue the contrary Doth not experience learne vs that they bée all one Now what matter is it what name you géeue them when the properties and the very thyng is all one Moreouer the Prophet Dauid doth define an Idole wyth these properties First it hath eyes can not see it hath a nose and can not smell it hath a mouth and can not speake it hath eares and can not heare it hath handes and can not feele it hath feete and can not goe c. Now which of all these properties hath not your Idolles what will you make now of them The Prophet Dauid maketh an Idolle of y e thynge that hath these properties and wyll you make a God and a helper of thē will you pray to them will you offer to them will you runne from place to place to séeke them There is no distinction there is no subtiltie that can helpe you For more reuerence more seruice more honour more cultus dulie may you not doe to your Images then the Prophet woulde that wée should not doe to Idols for they bée one in all properties and conditions And as for your myracles that you defende them by they bée but illusions of the deuill inuēted of your owne imaginations and cōtrary to the woorde of God vnto the greate blaspheming of the omnipotent God of heauen For myracles bée neuer done of God that any man can prooue of surety but all onely to the magnifiing declaratiō of his blessed woorde As for all other myracles may bée suspected to bée done of the deuill by the sufferaunce of God to the probation of our fayth
haue vowed that sauyng commeth of the Lord. For verely to confesse out of the hart that all benefites come of GOD euen out of the goodnesse of his mercie and not deseruing of our dedes is the onely sacrifice that pleaseth God And to beleue that all the Iewes vowed in their Circumcision as we in our Baptisme Whiche vowe Ionas now beyng taught with experience promiseth to pay For those outward sacrifices of beastes vnto which Ionas had happely ascribed to much before were but feble and childish thinges and not ordeined that the workes of them selues should be a seruice vnto the people but to put them in remembraunce of this inward sacrifice of thankes and of faith to trust and beleue in GOD the onely Sauiour whiche signification when it was away they were abhominable and deuilishe Idolatrie and Image seruice as our ceremonies and Sacramentes are become now to all that trust and beleue in the worke of them and are not taught the significations to edify their soules with knowledge and the doctrine of God When Ionas was cast vpon lande agayn then his will was free and had power to go whether God sent hym and to do what GOD bade his owne Imaginations layd a part For he had bene at a new schole yea and in a fornace where hee was purged of much refuse and drosse of fleshely wisedome whiche resisted the wisedome of God and led Ionasses will contrary vnto the will of God For as farre as we be blinde in Adam we can not but seke and will our owne profite pleasure glory And as farre as we be taught in the spirite we can not but seke and wil the pleasure and glory of God onely And as the iij. dayes iorney of Niniue whether it were in length or to go round about it or thorough all the stretes I commit vnto y t discretion of other men But I thinke that it was then the greatest Citie of the world And that Ionas went a dayes iourney in the Citie I suppose hee did it not in one day but went faire and easyly preachyng here a Sermon and there another and rebuked the sinne of the people for which they must perish And when thou art come vnto the repentauÌ„ce of the Niniuites there hast thou sure earnest that how soeuer angry God be yet he remembreth mercy vnto all that truly repent and beleue in mercy Whiche ensample our Sauiour Christe also casteth in the teeth of the indurate Iewes saying The Niniuites shall rise in iudgemeÌ„t with this nation and condemne them for they repented at the preachyng of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas here meanyng of him selfe At whose preachyng yet thoughe it were neuer so mightie to pearce the hart and for all his miracles thereto the hard harted Iewes could not repent when the heathen Niniuites repeÌ„ted at the bare preachyng of Ionas rebukyng their sinnes without any miracle at all Why For the Iewes had leuened the spirituall law of God with their gloses had made it altogether earthly and fleshly and so had set a vaile or coueryng on Moses face to shadow and darken the glorious brightnes of hys countenaunce It was sinne to steale but to robbe widowes houses vnder a colour of long praying and to polle in the name of offerynges and to snare y t people with intollerable constitutions agaynst all loue to catche theyr money out of theyr purses was no synne at all To smite father and mother was sinne But to withdraw helpe from them at theyr nede for blynde zeale of offring vnto the profite of y e holy pharises was then as meritorious as it is now to let all thy kinne chuse whether they wil sincke or swimme while thou buildest and makest goodly foundations for holy people whiche thou hast chosen to be thy Christ for to supple thy soule with y t oyle of their swete blessinges and to be thy Iesus for to saue thy soule from the purgatory of the bloud that onely purgeth sinne with their watching fasting wolward goyng rising at midnight c. wherwith yet they purge not themselues from their couetousnes pride lechery or any vice that thou seest among the lay people It was great sinne for Christ to heale the people on the sabaoth day vnto the glory of God hys father but none at all for them to helpe their cattell vnto their owne profite It was sinne to eate with vnwashed handes or on an vnwashed table or out of an vnwashed dishe but to eate out of that purified dishe that whiche came of bribery thefte and extortion was no sinne at all It was exceeding meritorious to make many disciples but to teach theÌ„ to feare God in hys ordinaunces had they no care at all The hye Prelates so defended the right of holy church and so feared the people with the curse of God and terrible paynes of hell that no man durst leaue the vilest herbe in his garden vntithed And the offeringes and thinges dedicate vnto GOD for the profite of his holy vicars were in such estimatioÌ„ and reuerence that it was a much greteâ— sinne to sweare truly by them then to forsweare thy selfe by God What vengeaunce then of God and how terrible and cruell damnation thynke ye preached they to fall on them that had stolen so the holy thinges And yet sayth Christ that righteousnes fayth in kepyng promise mercy and indifferent iudgement were vtterly troden vnder foote and clean despised of those blessed fathers whiche so mightelye maintained Aarons patrimony and had made it so prosperous and enuironed it and walled it about on euery side with the feare of God that no maÌ„ durst touche it It was great holines to garnish the Sepulchers of the prophetes and to condemne their owne fathers for slaying of them and yet were they themselues for blynde zeale of their owne constitutions as redy as their fathers to slea whosoeuer testified vnto them the same truth which the prophets testified vnto their fathers So y t Christ compareth al the righteousnes of those holy patriarckes vnto the outwarde beauy of a painted Sepulcher full of stenche and all vncleannes within And finally to beguile a maÌ„s neighbors in subtle bargaining to wrap and compasse hym in with cautels of the law was then as it is now in the kyngdome of the Pope By the reason wherof they excluded the law of loue out of their hartes and consequently all true repentaunce for how coulde they repent of that they could not see to be sinne And on the other side they had set vp a righteousnes of holy workes to cleÌ„se their soules with all as the Pope sanctifieth vs with holy oyle holy bread holy salte holy candels holy dome ceremonies and holy dome blessinges with whatsoeuer holines thou wilt â—aue with the holines of Gods worde which onely speaketh vnto the harte and sheweth the soule hys filthinesse and vncleannes of synne and leadeth her
accordyng to the true doctrine of y t church of Christ And note this that as satisfaction or ameÌ„des makyng is counted righteousnesse before the world and a purgyng of sinne so that the world wheÌ„ I haue made a full mendes hath no further to complayne Euen so fayth in Christes bloud is counted righteousnesse and a purging of all sinne before God Moreouer he that sinneth agaynst his brother sinneth also against his father almighty God and as the synne committed agaynst his brother is purged before the world with makyng amendes or asking forgeuenes euen so is the sinne committed agaynst God purged thorow fayth in christes bloud onely For Christ sayth Iohn 8. Except ye beleue that I am be ye shal die in your sinnes That is to say if ye thinke that there is any other sacrifice or satisfaction to Godward than me ye remayne euer in sinne before God howsoeuer righteous ye appeare before the worlde Wherfore now whether ye call this Metonoia repeÌ„tance conuersion or turning agayne to god either amendyng c. or whether ye say repent be conuerted turne to god amend your liuing or what ye lust I â—n content so ye vnderstande what is ment therby as I haue now declared ¶ Elders IN the olde testament the temporall heads rulers of the Iewes which had the gouernaunce ouer the laye or common people are called Elders as ye may see in the foure Euangelistes Out of which custome Paule in his epistle and also Peter call the prelates and spirituall gouernours whiche are Bishops and priestes Elders Nowe whether ye call them elders or priests it is to me all one so that ye vnderstaÌ„d that they be officers and seruaunts of the worde of God vnto the which all men both hie and lowe that will not rebell against Christ must obey as loÌ„g as they preach and rule truely and no longer A Prologue made vppon the Gospell of S. Marke by M. William Tyndall OF Marke read Act. 12. how Peter after he was loosed out of prison by the Angell came to Markes mothers house where many of the Disciples were praying for hys deliueraunce And Paul and Barnabas tooke hym with them from Ierusalem brought hym to Antioche Act. 12. and Acts. 13. Paule and Barnabas tooke Marke with them when they were sente to preach from whome he also departed as it appeareth in y t said chapter and returned to Ierusalem agayne And Act. 15. Paule and Barnabas were at variaunce about hym Paule not willing to take hym with them because he forsoke them in their first iorney Notwithstanding yet when Paule wrote the epistle to the Collossians Marke was with hym as he sayth in y t fourth Chapter of whoÌ„ Paule also testifieth both that hee was Barnabas sisters sonne and also his fellowe worker in the kyngdome of God And 2. Timothie 4. Paul coÌ„maundeth Timothie to bring Marke wyth hym affirmyng that he was needefull to hym to minister to hym Finally he was also with Peter when he wrote hys first Epistle and so familiar that Peter calleth hym hys sonne whereof ye see of whom he learned hys gospel euen of the very apostles with whom he had hys continuall conuersation also of what authoritie his writing is and how worthy of credence A Prologue made vppon the Gospell of S. Luke by M. William Tyndall LVcas was Paules companion at the least way from the 16. of the Actes forth and with hym in all his tribulation and he went with Paule at hys last goyng vp to Ierusalem And from thence he followed Paul to Cesarea where he lay two yere in prison And from Cesarea he went with Paul to Rome where he lay ij other yeares in prison And he was with Paul wheÌ„ he wrote to the Colossians as he testifieth in the fourth chapter saying The beloued Lucas the Phisitian saluteth you And he was with Paul when he wrote the second epistle to Timothie as he sayeth in the 4. chapter saying Onely Lucas is with me Wherby ye see the autoritie of the man of what credence and reuerence hys writing is worthy of and thereto of whome he learned the story of his Gospell as he hymselfe sayth how that he learned it and searched it out with all diligence of them that saw it and were also partakers at the doyng And as for the Actes of the Apostles he himselfe was at the doyng of them at the least of the most parte and had his part therin and therefore wrote of hys owne experience A Prologue made vppon the Gospell of S. Iohn by William Tyndall IOhn what he was is manifest by the thre first euangelistes First christes Apostle and y t one of the chiefe Then christes nie kinsman and for his syngular innocency and softenesse singularly beloued and of singular familiaritie with Christ and euer one of y t thre witnesses of most secret things The cause of his writing was certaine heresies that arose in his tyme namely ij of which one denyed Christ to be very God and the other to be very man and to become in the very fleshe nature of man Agaynst the whiche ij heresies he wrote both his Gospell and also his first epistle and in the beginnyng of his gospell sayth That the worde or thing was at the beginning and was with God and was also very God and that all thinges were created by it and that it was also made flesh that is to say became very man and he dwelt among vs sayth he and we saw his glory And in the beginnyng of hys epistle he sayth we shewe you of the thyng that was from the beginnyng whiche also we heard saw with our eyes and our handes handled And agayne we shewe you euerlastyng lyfe that was with the father and appeared to vs we heard and saw c. In that he sayeth that it was from the beginning and that it was eternal lyfe and that it was with God he affirmeth hym to be very God And that he saith we heard saw and felt he witnesseth y â— he was very man also Iohn also wrote last and therefore touched not the story that the other had compiled But writeth most of faith and promises and of the Sermons of Christe This be sufficieÌ„t concernyng the foure Euangelistes and their authoritie and worthines to be beleued A Prologue vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romaines by M. William Tyndall FOrasmuch as this epistle is the principal and most excellent part of the new testament and most pure Euangelion that is to say glad ridings and that we call gospell and also a light and a way in vnto the whole scripture I thinke it meete that euery christen man not onely know it by roate and without the boke but also exercise himself therin euermore continually as with the daily bread of the soule No man verily can read it to oft or study it to well for the more it is studied the easier it is the more
y u shalt be iustified of thy wordes thou shalt be condēned Mat. xij That is thy wordes as well as other deedes shal testifie with thee or agaynst thee at the day of iudgemēt Many there are whiche abstaine from the outward dedes of fornication and adulterie neuerthelesse reioyce to talke therof laugh their wordes laughter testifie against them that their hart is vnpure and they adulterers fornicatours in the sight of GOD. The toung and other signes oftymes vtter the malice of the hart though a mā for many causes abstaine his hand from the outward dede or act IF thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundements Math. xix First remember that when God commaundeth vs to do one thyng he doth it not therfore because that we of our selues are able to do that he cōmaundeth but that by the law we might see know our horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder sinne and therfore should repēt and come to Christ receaue mercy the spirite of God to loose vs strength vs to make vs able to do Gods wil which is the law Now when he sayth if thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the cōmaundementes is as much to say as he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life for except a mā haue first the spirite of lyfe in hym by Christes purchasyng it is impossible for him to kepe the commaundements or that his hart should be loose or at libertie to lust after them for of nature we are enemyes to the law of God As touching that Christ saith afterward if thou wilt be perfect go and sell thy substaūce and geue it to the poore he sayth it not as who should say that there were any greater perfection then to kepe the law of God for that is all perfection but to shew the other hys blindnes which saw not that the law is spirituall and requireth y t hart But because he was not knowyng that he had hurt any man with the outward deede he supposed that he loued his neighbour as him selfe But when he was bydde to shew the deedes of loue and geue of hys aboundaunce to them that neded he departed mournyng Whiche is an euiēdt tokē that he loued not his neighbour as well as him self For if he had neede hym selfe it would not haue greued hym to haue receaued succour of an other man Moreouer he sawe not that it was murther theft that a man should haue aboundaunce of riches lying by hym and not to shew mercy therewith and kyndly to succour hys neighbours neede God hath geuen one man riches to helpe an other at nede If thy neighbour nede thou helpe him not beyng able thou withholdest his dutie from hym and art a thefe before God That also that Christ saith how that it is harder for a rich man who loueth his riches so that he can not find in his hart liberally and freely to helpe the poore and nedy to enter into the kingdome of heauen then a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle declareth that he was not entred into the kingdome of heauen that is to say eternall life But he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life he hath life and the spirite of life in him THis kinde of deuils goeth not out but by prayer fasting Math. 27. Not that the deuill is cast out by merites of fasting or praying For he sayth before that for theyr vnbelefes sake they coulde not cast him out It is faith no doubte that casteth out the deuils and fayth it is that fasteth and prayeth Fayth hath the promises of God wher unto she cleaueth and in all thinges thyrsteth the honour of God She fasteth to subdue the body vnto the spirit that the prayer be not let and that the spirite may quietly talke with God she also whensoeuer oportunitie is geuen prayeth God to fulfil his promises vnto his prayse glory And God which is mercifull in promising and true to fullfill them casteth out the deuils and doth all that fayth desireth and satisfyeth her thyrste COme ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde for I was a thirst and ye gaue me drincke c. Math. xxv Not that a man with works delerueth eternal life as a work man or labourer his hyre or wages Thou readest in the text that the kingdome was prepared for vs from the beginning of the worlde And we are blessed sanctified In Christes bloud are we blessed from that bitter curse damnable captiuitie vnder sin wherein we were borne and conceiued And Christes spirite is poured into vs to bring foorth good woorkes and our workes are the fruites of the spirite the kingdome is the deseruing of Christes bloud and so is fayth and the spirite and good workes also Notwithstanding the kingdome foloweth good workes and good workes testify that we are heyres thereof and at the day of iudgement shall they testify for the elect vnto theyr comfort and glory and to the confusion of the vngodly vnbeleeuing and faythlesse sinners which had not trust in the worde of Gods promises nor luste to the will of God but were caryed of the spirite of theyr father the deuill vnto all abhomination to worke wickednes with all lust delectation and gredienes MAny sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much Luk. vij Not that loue was cause of forgeuenes of sinnes But contrariwise the forgeuenes of sinnes caused loue as it foloweth to whō lesse was forgeuen y ◠same loueth lesse And afore he commended the iudgement of Simon which aunswered that he loueth most to whom most was forgeuen and also sayde at the last thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee safe goe in peace We can not loue except we see some benefite and kyndenes As long as we looke on the lawe of God onely where we see but sinne and damnation and the wrath of God vpon vs yea where we were damned afore we were borne we can not loue God No we can not but hate him as a tyraunt vnrighteous vniust and flee from hym as did Caine. But when the Gospell that glad tidinges and ioyfull promises are preached how that in Christ God loueth vs first forgeueth vs and hath mercy on vs then loue we againe and the deedes of our loue declare our fayth This is the maner of speaking as we say Sommer is nie for the trees blossome Nowe is the blossomyng of the trees not the cause y t sommer draweth nie but the drawyng ni◠of sommer is the cause of y e blossoms and the blossomes put vs in remembraunce that sommer is at hand So Christ here teacheth Simō by the feruentnes of loue in the outward dedes to see a strong faith within whence so great loue springeth As y ◠maner is to say do your charitie shew your charitie do a deede of charitie
Christ which fulfilled the lawe for vs may euery parson that repenteth beleueth loue-eth the law and mourneth for streÌ„gth to fulfill it reioyce be he neuer so weake a sinner The two pence therefore and the credence that he left behynde him to bestowe more if neede were signifieth that he was euery where mercifull both present and absent without fayning cloking complayning or excusing and forsoke not his neighbour as long as he had nede Which example I pray God men may followe and let opera supererogationis alone MAry hath choseÌ„ a good part which shall not be taken from her Luk. x. She was first chosen of God and called by grace both to know her sin and also to heare the worde of fayth health and glad tidinges of mercy in Christ and fayth was geuen her to beleue the spirite of God loosed her hart from the bondage of sinne Then consented she to the will of God againe and aboue all thinges had delectation to heare the worde wherein she had obtayned euerlasting health and namely of his owne mouth which had purchased so great mercy for her God chuseth vs first and loueth vs first and openeth our eyes to see his exceeding aboundaunt loue to vs in Christ and then loue we agayne and accept his will aboue all thinges and serue him in that office whereunto he hath chosen vs. Sell that ye haue and geue almes And make you bagges which waxe not olde and treasure which faileth not in heauen Luke xij This such like are not spoken that we shoulde worke as hyrelinges in respect of rewarde and as though we shoulde obtayne heauen with merite For he saith a little afore feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome The kingdome commeth then of the good will of almighty God thorough Christ And such thinges are spoken partly to put vs in remembraunce of our dutie to be kynde agayne As is that saying let your light so shine before men that they seyng your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heaueÌ„ As who shoulde say if God hath geuen you so great giftes see ye be not vnthankefull but bestow them vnto his praise Some things are spoken to moue vs to put our trust in God as are these Beholde the Lyllies of the fielde Beholde the byrdes of the ayre If your children aske you bread will ye proffer them a stone and many such lyke Some are spoken to put vs in remeÌ„braunce to be sober to watch pray and to prepare our selues agaynst teÌ„ptations and that we should vnderstand and know how that temptations and occasion of euill come then most when they are least looked for least we should be carelesse and sure of our selues negligent and vnprepared Some thinges are spoken that we should feare the wonderfull and incoÌ„prehensible iudgementes of God lest we should presume Some to comfort vs that we dispayre not And for lyke causes are all the ensamples of the old TestameÌ„t In conclusion the scripture speaketh many thynges as the world speaketh But they may not be worldly vnderstand but ghostly and spiritually yea the spirite of God onely vnderstandeth them and where he is not there is not the vnderstandyng of the Scripture But vnfrutefull disputyng and braulyng about wordes The scripture sayth God seeth God heareth God smelleth God walketh God is with them God is not with them God is angry God is pleased God sendeth his spirite God taketh his spirite away and a thousande such like And yet is none of them true after the worldlye manner and as the wordes sound Read the second chapter of Paule to the Corinthians The naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God but the spirite of God onely and we sayth he haue receaued the spirite whiche is of God to vnderstand the thynges which are geuen vs of God For without the spirite it is impossible to vnderstand them Read also the viij to the Romaines They that are led with the spirite of God are the sonnes of GOD. Now the sonne knoweth his fathers will and the seruauÌ„t that hath not the spirite of Christ sayth Paule is none of his Likewise he that hath not the spirite of GOD is none of gods for it is both one spirite as thou mayst see in the same place Now he that is of God heareth the word of God Iohn viij and who is of God but he that hath the spirite of God Furthermore sayth he ye heare it not because ye are not of God that is ye haue no lust in the word of God for ye vnderstand it not that because his spirite is not in you For as much then as the Scripture is no thyng els but that which the spirite of GOD hath spoken by the Prophetes and Apostles can not be vnderstand but of the same spirite Let euery man pray to God to send him his spirite to loose him from his naturall blindnes and ignoraunce and to geue him vnderstandyng and feelyng of the thynges of God of the speakyng of the spirite of GOD. And marke this processe First we are damned of nature so coÌ„ceaued and borne as a Serpent is a SerpeÌ„t and a tode a tode a snake a snake by nature And as thou â—eest a youÌ„g child which hath pleasure in many thynges wherein is present death as in fire water and so foorth would slea hym selfe with a thousand deathes if he were not wayted vpon and kept therfro Euen so we if we should liue these thousaÌ„d yeares could in al that tyme delite in no other thing nor yet seeke any other thyng but that wherein is death of the soule Secondarily of the whole multitude of the nature of man whom God hath elect and chosen and to whom he hath appointed mercy and grace in Christ to them sendeth he his spirite whiche openeth their eyes sheweth them their miserie and bryngeth them vnto the knowledge of them selues so that they hate and abhorre them selues are astonyed and amased and at their wittes endes neither wot what to do or wher to seeke health Then lest they should flee from God by desperation he comforteth theÌ„ agayne with his swete promises in Christ certifieth their harts that for Christes sake they are receaued to mercy and their sinnes forgeueÌ„ and they elect and made the sonnes of GOD and heyres with Christ of eternall lyfe thus through fayth are they set at peace with God Now may not we axe why GOD chuseth one and not an other eyther think that God is vniust to damne vs afore we do any actual dede seyng that god hath power ouer all hys creatures of right to do with theÌ„ what he lyst or to make of euery one of them as he listeth Our darknes can not perceaue his light God wil be feared and not haue his secret iudgementes knowen Moreouer we by the light of fayth see a thousand thynges which are impossible to
and therefore loueth agayne is glad to do his fathers will and studieth to be thankefull The spirit of the worlde vnderstandeth not the speaking of God neither the spirite of the wise of thys worlde neyther the spirite of Philosophers neither y ◠spirite of Socrates of Plato or of Aristotles Ethikes as thou mayest see in the first and second chapter of the first to the Corint Though that many are not ashamed to rayle and blaspheme saying how shoulde he vnderstand the scripture seing he is no Philosopher neyther hath sene his metaphisike Moreouer they blaspheme saying how can he be a deuine and woteth not what is subiectum in theologia Neuertheles as a man without the spirite of Aristo tell or Philosophy may by the spirite of God vnderstand scripture Euen so by the spirite of God vnderstandeth he that god is to be sought in all the Scripture and in all thynges yet wotteth not what meaneth Subiectum in Theologia because it is a terme of their owne makyng If thou shouldest say to hym that hath y e spirite of god the loue of god is the kepyng of the cōmaundements to loue a mans neighbour is to shew mercy he would without arguyng or disputyng vnderstand how that of the loue of God springeth the keping of his cōmaundementes and of the loue to thy neighbour spryngeth mercy Now would Aristotle deny such speakyng a Duns man would make xx distinctions If thou shouldest say as sayth Iohn the 4. of his Epistle how can he that loueth not his neighbour whom he seeth loue God whom he seeth not Aristotle would say loe a mā must first loue his neighbour and thē God and out of the loue to thy neighbour spryngeth the loue to God But he that feeleth the working of the spirite of God and also from what vengeaunce the bloud of Christ hath deliuered hym vnderstandeth how that it is impossible to loue either father or mother sister brother neighbour or his owne selfe a right except it spryng out of the loue to God and perceaueth that the loue to a mans neighbour is a signe of the loue to God as good frute declareth a good tree and that the loue to a mās neighbour accompanieth and foloweth the loue of God as heate accōpanieth and foloweth fire Likewise whē the Scripture sayth Christ shall reward euery man at the resurrection or vprisyng againe accordyng to his dedes the spirite of Aristotles ethikes would say loe with y t multitude of good workes mayst thou must thou obtayne euerlastyng lyfe also a place in heauen hye or low accordyng as thou hast many or fewe good workes yet wotteth not what a good worke meaneth as Christ speaketh of good workes as he that seeth not the hart but outward things onely But he that hath Gods spirite vnderstandeth it He feeleth that good woorkes are nothyng but frutes of loue compassion mercyfulnes and of a tendernes of hart whiche a Christen hath to his neighbour and that loue springeth of that loue which he hath to god to his will commaundements and vnderstandeth also that the loue whiche man hath to God springeth of the infinite loue and bottomlesse mercy◠which God in Christ shewed first to vs as saith Iohn in the Epistle and Chap. aboue rehearsed In this sayth he appeared the loue of GOD to vs-ward bicause that God sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue thorough hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs sent his sonne to make agreement for our sinnes In conclusion a Christē mā feeleth that that vnspeakeable loue and mercy which god hath to vs that spirite which worketh all thinges that are wrought accordyng to the will of God and that loue wherewith we loue God that loue whiche we haue to our neighbour and that mercy and compassion which we shew on him also that eternal lyfe which is layd vp in store for vs in Christ are altogether the gift of God through Christes purchasyng If the Scripture sayd alwayes Christ shall reward thee accordyng to to thy fayth or accordyng to thy hope and trust thou hast in God or accordyng to the loue thou hast to god thy neighbour so were it true also as thou seest 1. Pet. 1. receauyng the end or reward of your faith y ◠health or saluatiō of your soules But y t spirituall things could not bee knowen saue by theyr workes as a tree can not be knowen but by her frute How could I know that I loued my neighbour if neuer occasion were giuen me to shew mercy vnto hym how should I know that I loued GOD if I neuer suffered for hys sake howe should I know that God loued me if there were no infirmitie temptation perill and ieoperdy whence God should deliuer me THere is no man that forsaketh house either father or mother either brethren or sisterne wife or children for the kyngdome of heauēs sake which shall not receaue much more in this world and in the world to come euerlastyng lyfe Luke xviij Here seest thou that a Christen man in all his woorkes hath respect to nothyng but vnto the glorie of god onely and to the mainteining of the truth of god and doth and leueth vndone all thynges of loue to the glory and honor of god onely as Christ teacheth in the Pater noster Moreouer when he sayth he shall receaue much more in this world of a truth yea he hath receaued much more already For except he had felt the infinite mercy goodnes loue and kindnes of God and the felowshyp of the bloud of Christ and the comfort of the spirite of Christ in his hart he could neuer haue forsakē any thyng for gods sake Notwithstāding as saith Mark. x. Who soeuer for Christes sake the gospels forsaketh house brethren or sisters c. He shall receaue an hundred fold houses brethren c. that is spiritually For Christ shal be all thynges vnto thee The aungels all Christen and who soeuer doth the will of the father shal be father mother sister brother vnto thee and all theirs shall be thyne And god shall take the care of thee minister all thynges vnto thee as long as thou sekest but his honour onely Moreouer if thou were Lord ouer all the world yea often worlde 's before thou knewest god yet was not thyne appetite quenched thou thyrstedest for more But if thou seeke his honour onely then shall he slake thy thyrst and thou shalt haue al that thou desirest and shal be content yea if thou dwell among insidels and among the most cruelest nation of the world yet shall he be a father vnto thee and shall defend thee as he did Abraham Isaac and Iacob all Saintes whose lyues thou readest in the Scripture For all that are past and gone before are but ensamples to strength our fayth and trust in the word of god It
instance THat thou mayst perceyue how that y â— scripture ought to be in the mother tounge and that the reasons which our sprites make for the contrary are but sophistry and false wiles to feare thee from the light that thou mightest follow them blindfolde and be theyr captiue to honor theyr ceremonies and to offer to theyr belly First God gaue the children of Israell a law by the hande of Moses in their mother tounge and all the prophetes wrote in theyr mother tounge and all the Psalmes were in the mother tongue And there was Christ but figured and described in ceremonies in riddles in parables and in darck prophecies What is the cause that we may not haue the olde Testament with the new also which is the light of the olde and wherin is openly declared before the eyes that there was darckly prophesied I can imagine no cause verely except it be that we should not see the woorke of Antechrist iugglyng of hipocrites what shoulde be the cause that we which walke in the broad day should not see as well as they that walked in the night or that wee shoulde not see as well at noone as they did in y â— twylight Came Christ to make the world more blinde By this meanes Christ is the darknes of the world and noâ— the light as he saith him selfe Iohn 8. Moreouer Moses saith Deut. 6. Heare Israell let these wordes which I coÌ„maunde thee thys day sticke fast in thine hart whet theÌ„ on thy children talke of theÌ„ as thou sittest in thine house as thou walkest by the way when thou lyest downe when thou risest vp binde them for a token to thyne hand let them be a remembraunce betwene thine eyes write theÌ„ on the posâ—es gates of thine house This was commauÌ„ded generally vnto all men How cometh it that gods word pertaineth lesse vnto vs theÌ„ vnto the Yea howe commeth it that our Moysesses forbid vs and commaund vs the contrary threaten vs if we do will not that we once speake of Gods worde How can we whette Gods word that is to put it in practise vse exercise vpoÌ„ our children houshold wheÌ„ we are violently kepte from it and knowe it not How can we as Peter commaundeth geue a reason of our hope when we wot not what it is that God hath promised or what to hope Moyses also commaundeth in the sayd chapter If the sonne aske what the testimonies lawes and obseruaunces of the Lorde meane that the father teach him If our childreÌ„ aske what our cerimonies which are moe then the Iewes were meane no father can tell his sonne And in the xj chapter he repeteth all againe for feare of forgetting They will say happely the scripture requireth a pure minde and a quiet minde And therefore the lay man because he is altogether combred with worldly busines can not vnderstand them If that be the cause then it is a plaine case that our prelates vnderstand not the Scriptures them selues for no lay man is so tangled with worldly busines as they are The great thinges of the worlde are ministred by them neyther do the lay people any great thing but at their assignement If the Scripture were in the mother tongue they will say then would the lay people vnderstande it euery man after his owne wayes Wherfore serueth the Curate but to teach him the right way Wherfore were the holy dayes made but that the people shoulde come and learne Are yee not abhominable scholemaisters in that ye take so great wages if ye will not teach If ye would teach how could ye do it so well and with so great profite as when the lay people haue the scripture before them in theyr mother tongue for then should they see by the order of the text whether thou iugledest or not and then woulde they beleue it because it is y â— scripture of god thoughe thy liuyng be neuer so abhominable Where now because your liuing your preaching are so contrary and because they grope out in euery sermon your open and manifest lyes and smell your vnsatiable couetousnes they beleue you not when you preach truth But alas the Curates them selues for the most part wot no more what the new or olde Testament meaneth then do the Turkes neither know they of any more then that they read at masse mattens and euensong which yet they vnderstande not neyther care they but euen to mumble vp so much euery day as the Pye and Poymgay speake they wot not what to sill vp theyr bellies withall If they will not let the lay man haue the woorde of God in hys mother tounge yet let the priests haue it which for a great part of them do vnderstand no latine at all but sing and say and patter all day with the lips onely that which the hart vnderstandeth not Christ commaundeth to search the scriptures Iohn 5. Though that miracles bare recorde vnto hys doctrine yet desired he no fayth to be geuen eyther vnto hys doctrine or vnto hys miracles without recorde of the scripture When Paule preached Act. 17. the other searched the scriptures dayly whether they were as he alleaged them Why shal not I likewise see whether it be the scripture y â— thou alleagest yea why shall I not see the scripture and the circumstaunces and what goeth before and after that I may knowe whether thine interpretation be y â— right sence or whether thou iuglest and drawest the scripture violently vnto thy carnall and fleshlye purpose or whether thou be about to teache me or to disccaue me Christ sayth that there shall come false prophets in his name and say that they themselues are Christ that is they shall so preache christ that meÌ„ must beleue in theÌ„ in their holines and thinges of their imagination wtout gods word yea that agaynst Christ or Antechrist that shall come is nothyng but suche false prophetes that shall iuggle with the scripture and beguile the people with false interpretatioÌ„s as all the false prophetes scribes pharisies did in y t old TestameÌ„t How shall I know whether ye are agaynst Christ or fals prophetes or no seing ye will not let me see how ye alleage the scriptures Christ sayth By theyr deedes ye shall know them Now when we looke on your deeds we see that ye are all sworne together and haue seperated yourselues from the lay people and haue a seuerall kingdome amoÌ„g your selues and seuerall lawes of your owne making wherewith ye violently binde the lay people that neuer consented vnto the making of them A thousand thinges forbidde ye which Christ made free and dispence with them agayne for money neyther is there any exception at all but lacke of money Ye haue a secret counsell by your selues All other mens secretes counsels know ye and no man yours ye seek but honour riches promotion authoritie and to
vpon them till they be vtterly brought to nought as thou readest most terribly euen in the same place Neither may the inferior person auenge hymselfe vpon the superior or violently resiste hym for what so euer wrong it be If he doe he is condemned in the deede doyng in as much as he taketh vpon hym that which belongeth to God onely which sayth Vengeaunce is mine and I will rewarde Deut. xxxij And Christ sayth Mat. 26. All they that take the sworde shall perishe with the sworde Takest thou a sworde to auenge thy selfe so geuest thou not rowme vnto God to auenge thee but robbest hym of his most hye honour in that thou wilt not let hym be iudge ouer thee If any mā might haue auenged him selfe vpon his superior that might Dauid most righteously haue done vpon kyng Saul which so wrongfully persecuted Dauid euen for no other cause thē that God had annointed him kyng and promised him the kyngdome Yet when God had deliuered Saul into y t handes of Dauid that he might haue done what he would with him as thou seest in the first booke of kynges the xxiiij Chapter how Saul came into the caue where Dauid was And Dauid came to hym secretly and cut of a peace of his garment And as soone as he had done it his hart smote him because hee had done so much vnto hys Lord. And when his mē couraged him to slea him he aūswered the Lord forbid it me that I should lay myne hand on him Neither suffered he his men to hurt him When Saul was gone out Dauid folowed and shewed hym the peece of his garmēt and sayd why beleuest thou the wordes of men that say Dauid goeth about to do thee harme perceaue and see that there is neither euill nor wickednesse in my hand and that I haue not trespassed against thee and yet thou layest awayte for my lyfe God iudge betwene thee and me and auenge me of thee but myne hand be not vpō thee as the old prouerbe sayth sayd Dauid out of the wicked shall wickednesse proceede but myne hand be not vpō thee meanyng that God euer punisheth one wicked by another And agayne sayd Dauid GOD be iudge and iudge betwen thee and me and behold pleate my cause geue me iudgement or right of thee And in the. xxvj Chapter of the same booke when Saul persecuted Dauid againe Dauid came to Saul by night as he slept and all his men and tooke away his speare and a cuppe of water from his head Then sayd Abisai Dauide seruaūt God hath deliuered thee thine enemie into thine hand this day let me now therfore nayle hym to the ground with my speare and geue hym but euen one stripe and no more Dauid forbad him saying Kill hym not For who sayd he shall lay handes on the Lordes annoynted be not giltie The Lord liueth or by the Lordes life sayd he he dyeth not except the Lord smite him or y ◠his day be come to dye or els go to battaile there perish Why did not Dauid slea Saul seyng he was so wicked not in persecutyng Dauid onely but in disobeying Gods commaundements and in that he had slayne lxxxv of Gods priestes wrongfully Verely for it was not lawfull For if he had done it he must haue sinned agaynst God For God hath made the kyng in euery Realme iudge ouer all and ouer him is there no iudge He that iudgeth the kyng iudgeth God he that layeth handes on the king layeth hand on God and he that resisteth the kyng resisteth God and damneth Gods law and ordinaunce If the subiectes sinne they must be brought to y t kynges iudgement If the kyng sinne he must be reserued vnto y t iudgement wrath and vengeaunce of God And as it is to resiste the kyng so is it to resiste his officer whiche is set or sent to execute the kynges commaundement And in the first Chapter of the secōd booke of Kings Dauid commaunded the young man to be slayne whiche brought vnto him the crown bracelet of Saul and sayd to please Dauid with all that he hym selfe had slayne Saul And in the fourth Chapter of the same booke Dauid commaunded those two to be slayne whiche brought vnto hym the head of Isboseth Sauls sonne by whose meanes yet the whole kingdome returned vnto Dauid accordyng vnto the promise of God And Luke xiij When they shewed Christ of the Galileans whose bloud Pilate mingled with their owne sacrifice he aūswered suppose ye that these Galileās were sinners aboue all other Galileās because they suffred such punishment I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall lykewise perish This was told Christ no doubt of such an entent as they asked him Math. xxij Whether it were lawfull to geue tribute vnto Cesar For they thought that it was no sinne to resist an Heathē Prince as few of vs would thinke if we were vnder the Turke that it were sinne to rise agaynst him and to ryd our selues from vnder his dominion so sore haue our Bishops robbed vs of the true doctrine of Christ But Christ cōdemned their dedes and also the secrete thoughtes of all other that consented thereunto saying except ye repēt ye shall likewise perish As who should say I know that ye are within in your hartes such as they were outward in their dedes and are vnder the same damnation except therfore ye repent betimes ye shall breake out at the last into lyke deedes and likewise perish as it came afterward to passe Hereby seest thou that the kyng is in thys worlde without lawe may at his lust doe right or wrong shall geue acomptes but to God onely An other conclusion is this that no person neither any degree may be exempt from thys ordinaunce of God Neither can the profession of Monkes and Fryers or any thyng that the Pope or Byshops can laye for themselues except them from the sworde of the Emperour of kings if they breake the lawes For it is written let euery soule submitte hymselfe vnto the aucthoritie of the hyer powers Here is no man except but all soules must obey The hyer powers are the temporall kynges and Princes vnto whom God hath geuen the sword to punishe who soeuer sinneth God hath not geuen them swordes to punishe one and to let an other goe free and sinne vnpunished Moreouer with what face durst y ◠spiritualtie which ought to be the light an example of good lyuing vnto all other desire to sinne vnpunished or to be excepted frō tribute toll or custome that they would not beare paine with their brethrē vnto y ◠maintenaunce of kings and officers ordayned of God to punishe sinne There is no power but of God by power vnderstand the aucthoritie of kynges and Princes The powers that be are ordayned of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth power resisteth god Yea though he be Pope Byshoppe Monke or Fryer They
them whiche with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quenche the true doctrine of Christe And as thou canst heale no disease except thou begyn at the roote euen so canst thou preach agaynst no mischief except thou begyn at the Byshops Kinges they are but shadowes vayne names and thynges idle hauyng nothing to do in the world but when our holy father nedeth their helpe The Pope contrarie vnto all conscience and agaynst all the doctrine of Christ which sayth my kyngdome is not of this world Iohn xviij hath vsurped the right of the Emperour And by policie of the Byshops of Almany and with corruptyng the Electours or chosers of the Emperor with money bryngeth to passe that such a one is euer chosen Emperour that is not able to make his partie good with the Pope To stoppe the Emperour that he come not at Rome he bringeth the French kyng vp to Milane and on the other side bryngeth he the Venetians If the Venetiās come to nye the Byshops of Fraunce must bryng in the French kyng And the Socheners are called and sent for to come and succour And for their labour he geueth to some a Rose to an other a cappe of mayntenaunce One is called most Christen king an other defender of the fayth an other the eldest sonne of the most holy seate He blaseth also the armes of other and putteth in the holy crosse the crown of thorne or the nayles and so forth If the Frēch kyng go to hye and crepe vp other to Bononie or Naples then must our English Byshops bryng in our kyng The craft of the Byshops is to entitle one kyng with an others Realme He is called kyng of Dennemarke and of England he kyng of England and of Fraunce Then to blinde the Lordes and the commons the kyng must chalenge his right Then must the lande be taxed and euery man paye and the treasure borne out of the Realme and the land beggerde How many a thousand mens liues hath it cost And how many an hundred thousand poundes hath it caried out of the Realme in our remembraunce Besides how abhominable an example of gatheryng was there such verely as neuer tyraunt sence the world began did yea such as was neuer before heard or thought on neither among Iewes Saresens Turkes or Heathen sence God created the Sunne to shyne that a beast should breake vp into the Temple of God that is to say into the hart and consciences of men and compell them to sweare euery man what hee was worthe to lende that should neuer be payd agayne How many thousandes forsware thē selues How many thousandes set them selues aboue their habilitie partly for feare lest they should be forsworne and partly to saue their credence When the pope hath his purpose then is peace made no man woteth how and our most enemy is our most frend Now because the Emperour is able to obteine his right French English Venetians and all must vpō him O great whore of Babylon how abuseth she the Princes of the world how dronke hath she made them with her wyne How shamefull licences doth she geue them to vse Nichromancy to hold whores to diuorse them selues to breake the fayth and promises that one maketh with an other that the confessours shall deliuer vnto the kyng the confession of whom he will and dispēceth with them euen of the very lawe of God whiche Christ him selfe can not do ¶ Agaynst the Popes false power MAthew xxvj Christ sayth vnto Peter put vp thy sword into his sheth For all that lay hand vpon the sword shal perish with the sword that is who soeuer without the cōmaundement of the temporall officer to whom God hath geuē the sword layeth hand on the sword to take vengeaunce the same deserueth death in the deede doyng God did not put Peter onely vnder the tēporall sword but also Christ him selfe As it appeareth in the fourth Chapter to the Galathiās And Christ sayth Math. iij. Thus becommeth it vs to fulfill all righteousnes that is to say all ordinaunces of God If the head be then vnder the tēporall sword how can the members be excepted If Peter sinned in defendyng Christ against the temporall sword whose authoritie and Ministers the Byshops then abused agaynst Christ as ours do now who can excuse our Prelates of sinne which will obey no man neither Kyng nor Emperour Yea who can excuse from sinne either the Kynges that geue either the Byshops that receaue such exemptions contrarie to Gods ordinaunces and Christes doctrine And Math. xvij both Christ and also Peter pay tribute where the meanyng of Christes question vnto Peter is if Princes take tribute of straungers onely and not of their children then verily ought I to be free whiche am the sonne of God whose seruaūtes and Ministers they are and of whom they haue their authoritie Yet because they neither knew that neither Christ came to vse that authoritie but to bee our seruaunt and to beare our burthen and to obey all ordinaunces both in right and wrong for our sakes and to teach vs therfore sayd he to S. Peter Pay for thee and melest we offend thē Moreouer though that Christ Peter because they were poore might haue escaped yet would he not for feare of offendyng other and hurtyng their consciences For he might well haue geuen occasion vnto the tribute gatherers to haue iudged amisse both of him and his doctrine yea and the Iewes might happely haue bene offended thereby and haue thought that it had not ben lawful for them to haue payd tribute vnto Heathen Princes and Idolaters seyng that he so great a Prophet payd not Yea and what other thyng causeth the lay so litle to regarde their Princes as that they see them both despised disobeyed of the spiritualtie But our Prelates whiche care for none offendyng of consciences and lesse for Gods ordinaunces will pay nought but when Princes must fight in our most holy fathers quarell and agaynst Christ Then are they the first There also is none so poore that then hath not somewhat to geue Marke here how past all shame our schole Doctours are as Rochester is in his Sermon agaynst Martin Luther which of this text of Mathew dispute that Peter because he payd tribute is greater then the other Apostles and hath more authority and power then they and was head vnto thē all cōtrary vnto so many cleare textes where Christ rebuketh them saying that is an Heathenish thyng that one should clyme aboue an other or desire to be greater To be great in the kingdome of heauē is to be a seruaunt and he that most humbleth hym selfe and becommeth a seruaunt vnto other after the ensample of Christ I meane his Apostles and not of the Pope and his Apostles our Cardinals and Byshops y e same is greatest in that kingdome If Peter in paying tribute became greatest how
commeth it that they will pay none at all But to pay tribute is a signe of subiectiō verely the cause why Christ payed was because he had an houshold and for the same cause payed Peter also For he had an house a shippe and nettes as thou readest in the Gospell But let vs go to Paul agayne Wherfore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience That is though thou be so naughty as nowe many yeares our Pope and Prelates euery where are that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall sword for feare of vengeaunce yet must thou obey because of consciēce First because of thine owne conscience For though thou be able to resiste yet shalt thou neuer haue a good cōscience as lōg as Gods word law and ordinaunce are against thee Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or priuilege to be free from all maner dueties yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seeke for any such thing neither yet admit or accept if it were profered lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge rebell in that he seeth thee go emptie and he him selfe more ladē thy part also layd on his shoulders Seest thou not if a man fauour one sonne more then an other or one seruaunt more then an other how all the rest grudge and how loue peace and vnitie is broken What Christenly loue is in the to thy neighbour ward when thou canst finde in thyne hart to go vp and down empty by him all day long and see him ouer charged yea to fal vnder his burthen and yet wilt not once set to thyne hand to helpe him What good conscience cā there be among our spiritualtie to gather so great treasure together and with hypocrisie of their false learnyng to robbe almost euery man of house and landes and yet not therewith content but with all craft and wilenes to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all maner bearyng with their brethren seekyng in Christ nothyng but lucre I passe ouer with silence how they teach Princes in euery lande to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subiectes more and more dayly neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iugglynge and bryng their falshode to light and lay a medecine to thē to make their scabbes breake out Neuerthelesse this I say that they haue robbed all Realmes not of Gods word onely but also of all wealth and prosperitie and haue driuen peace out of all landes withdrawen them selues from all obediēce to Princes and haue separated them selues from the lay men countyng thē viler thē dogges and haue set vp that great Idole the whore of Babylō Antichrist of Rome whom they call pope and haue conspired agaynst all common wealthes haue made them a seuerall kyngdome wherin it is lawfull vnpunished to woorke all abhomination In euery Parish haue they spyes and in euery great mans house and in euery tauerne and alchouse And thorough confessions knowe they all secretes so that no man may open his mouth to rebuke what soeuer they do but that he shal be shortly made an hereticke In all Coūcels is one of them yea the most part and chief rulers of the Councels are of them But of there Councell is no man Euen for this cause pay ye tribute that is to witt for consciences sake to thy neighbour and for the cause that foloweth For they are Gods Ministers seruyng for the same purpose Because God will so haue it we must obey We doe not looke if we haue Christes spirite in vs what is good profitable glorious and honorable for vs neither on our owne will but on Gods will onely Geue to euery man therefore his dutie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whō feare belongeth honour to whom honor perteineth That thou mightest feele the workyng of the spirite of God in thee and lest the bewtie of the deed should deceaue thee and make thee thinke that the law of God whiche is spirituall were contēt and fulfilled with the outward and bodyly dede it foloweth Owe nothyng to any mā but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the law For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaūdement are all comprehended or contained in this saying loue thy neighbour therfore is loue the fulfillyng of the law Here hast thou sufficient agaynst all the sophisters workeholy iustifiers in the world which so magnifie their dedes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart is neuer fulfilled with the dede in the sight of god With y e dede thou fulfillest the law before the world liuest thereby that is y ◠enioyest this presēt life and auoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the death and punishment which the law threatneth to them that breake it But before God thou keepest the law if thou loue onely Now what shal make vs loue Verely that shall fayth do If thou behold how much God loueth thee in Christ and from what vengeaunce he hath deliuered thee for his sake and of what kyngdome he hath made thee heyre then shalt thou see cause inough to loue thy very enemie without respect of reward either in this lyfe or in the lyfe to come but because that God will so haue it and Christ hath deserued it Yet thou shouldest feele in thyne harte that all thy deedes to come are abundantly recompensed all ready in Christ Thou wilt say haply if loue fulfill the lawe then it iustifieth I say that that wherewith a man fulfilleth the law declareth hym iustified but that which geueth him wherewith to fulfill the law iustifieth hym By iustifiyng vnderstande the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the fauour of God Now sayth the text Roma x. the ende of the law or the cause wherfore the law was made is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is the law is geuen to vtter sinne to kill the consciences to damne our deedes to bryng to repentaunce and to driue vnto Christ in whō God hath promised his fauour and forgeuenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and consent to the law that it is good If thou beleue the promises then doth Gods truth iustifie thee that is forgeueth thee and receaueth thee to fauour for Christes sake In a suretie wherof and to certifie thine hart he sealeth thee with the spirite Ephe. i. and. iiij And. ij Cor. v. sayth Paul whiche gaue vs his spirite in earnest How the spirite is geuen vs through Christ read the viij chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines and Gallat iij. and. ij Cor. iij. Neuerthelesse the spirit and his frutes
they had blynded y ◠Scripture whose knowledge as it were a keye letteth into God with gloses and traditions Likewise findest thou Math. xxiij As Peter aunswered in the name of al so Christ promised him the keyes in the person of all Math. xvj And in the. xx of Iohn he payed them saying receaue the holy Ghost who soeuers sinnes ye remitte they are remitted or forgeuen who soeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained or holden With preachyng the promises loose they as many as repent and beleue And for that Iohn sayth receaue y t holy ghost Luke in his last Chapter sayth then opened he their wittes that they might vnderstand the Scriptures and sayd vnto them thus it is written And thus it behoued Christ to suffre and to rise agayne the thyrd day And that repentaunce remission of sinnes should be preached in his name amōg all nations At preachyng of the law repent men and at the preachyng of the promises do they beleue are saued Peter in the second of the Actes practised his keyes and by preachyng the law brought the people into y t knowledge of them selues and bound their consciences so that they were pricked in their hartes and sayd vnto Peter and to the other Apostles what shall we doe Then brought they foorth the keye of the swete promises saying repent and be Baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receaue the gift of the holy ghost For the promise was made vnto you and vnto your children and to all that are a farre euen as many as the Lord shal call Of like examples is the Actes full and Peters Epistles and Paules Epistles and all the Scripture neither hath our holy father any other authoritie of Christ or by the reason of his predecessor Peter then to preach Gods word As Christ cōpareth the vnderstandyng of Scripture vnto a keye so compareth he it to a net and vnto leuen and vnto many other thinges for certeine properties I maruell therfore that they boast not them selues of their nette and leuen as well as of their keyes for they are all one thyng But as Christ biddeth vs beware of y ◠leuē of the Phariseis so beware of their counterfeted keyes and of their false nette which are their traditiōs and ceremonies their hipocrisie false doctrine wherewith they katch not soules vnto Christ but authoritie and riches vnto them selues Let christen kynges therefore keepe their fayth and truth and all lawfull promises and bondes not one wyth an other onely but euen wyth the Turke or whatsoeuer infidell it be For so it is right before God as the scriptures and exāples of the Bible testifie Whosoeuer voweth an vnlawful vow promiseth an vnlawfull promise sweareth an vnlawful oth sinneth against God and ought therfore to breake it He nedeth not to sue to Rome for a licence For he hath Gods word not a licēce onely but also a commaundement to breake it They therefore y ◠are sworne to be true vnto Cardinals Byshops that is to say false vnto God the king and the realme may breake their othes lawfully without grudge of conscience by the aucthoritie of Gods worde In makyng them they sinned but in repētyng and breakyng them they please God hyghly and receaue forgeuenes in Christ Let kynges take their dutie of their subiectes and that is necessary vnto y t defence of the realme Let them rule their Realmes them selues wyth the helpe of laye men that are sage wyse learned and expert Is it not a shame aboue all shames a monstrous thing that no man should be founde able to gouerne a worldly kyngdome saue byshops and prelates that haue forsakē the worlde and are taken out of the worlde and appoynted to preach the kyngdome of God Christ sayth y t hys kingdome is not of this world Iohn 18. And Luk. 12. vnto y ◠young mā that desired hym to bid his brother to geue hym part of the inheritaunce he aunswered who made me a iudge or a deuider among you No man that layeth his hand to the Plowe and looketh backe is apt for the kingdome of heauen Luke ix No man can serue two maisters but he must despise the one Math. vj. To preach Gods worde is to much for halfe a man And to minister a temporall kingdome is to much for halfe a man also Either other requireth an whole man One therfore can not well do both He that auengeth himselfe on euery trifle is not mete to preach y t pacience of Christ how that a man ought to forgeue and to suffer all thynges He that is ouerwhelmed with all maner riches and doth but seeke more dayly is not meete to preach pouertie He that will obey no man is not mete to preach how we ought to obey all men Peter saith Act. vj. It is not meete that we should leaue the word of God and serue at the tables Paule sayth in the ix chapter of the first Corinthe Wo is me if I preach not a terible saying verely for Popes Cardinals and Byshoppes If he had sayd wo be vnto me if I fight not moue Princes vnto warre or if I encrease not S. Peters patrimonie as they call it it had bene a more easy saying for them Christ forbiddeth hys disciples and that oft as thou mayst see Math. xviij And also xx Mark ix and also x. Luk. ix and also xxij Euen at his last supper not onely to clime aboue Lordes kynges and Emperours in worldly rule but also to exalt themselues one aboue an other in y e kingdome of God But in vayne for the Pope would not heare it though he had commaunded it tenne thousand tymes Gods worde should rule onely and not Byshoppes decrees or the Popes pleasure That ought they to preach purely and spiritually and to fashion their liues after wyth all ensample of godly liuyng long suffering to draw all to Christ and not to expounde the Scriptures carnally and worldly saying God spake thys to Peter and I am his successour therefore thys aucthoritie is myne onely and then bring in the tyranny of their fleshly wisdome in praesentia maioris cessat potestas minoris that is in the presence of the greater y ◠lesse hath no power There is no brotherhod where such philosophy is taught SVch philosophy and so to abuse the scriptures and to mocke with Gods word is after the maner of the Byshop of Rochesters diuinitie For he in hys Sermō of the condemnation of Martin Luther proueth by a shadow of the olde testament that is by Moyses and Aaron that Sathan and Antichrist our most holy father the Pope is Christes vicare head of Christes cōgregation Moyses sayth he signifieth Christ and Aaron the Pope And yet the epistle vnto the Hebrues proueth that the hye Priest of the olde lawe signifieth Christ and his
offering and hys going in once in the yeare into the inner temple signifie the offering wherewyth Christ offered hymselfe and Christes goyng in vnto the father to be an euerlasting mediator or intercessor for vs. Neuerthelesse Rochester proueth the contrary by a shadow by a shadow verely For in shadowes they walke with out all shame and the light will they not come at but enforce to stoppe and quench it with all craft and falshod lest their abhominable iugling shoulde be sene If any man looke in the light of y e new testament he shal clearely see that that shadow may not be so vnderstād Vnderstand therfore that one thing in the Scripture representeth diuers thynges A Serpent figureth Christ in one place and the Deuill in an other And a Lyon doth lykewise Christ by Leuen signifieth Gods worde in one place and in an other signifieth thereby the traditions of y t Phareseis which sowred altered Gods word for theyr auauntage Now Moyses verely in y ◠sayd place representeth Christ and Aaron which was not yet hye Priest represēted not Peter onely or hys successour as my Lord of Rochester woulde haue it for Peter was to litle to beare Christes message vnto all the world but signifieth euery disciple of Christ euery true preacher of Gods worde For Moyses put in Aarons mouth what he should say and Aaron was Moyses Prophet and spake not hys owne message as the Pope and Byshoppes doe but that which Moyses had receaued of God and deliuered vnto hym Exod. 4. and also 7. So ought euery preacher to preach Gods worde purely and neither to adde nor minish A true messenger must doe his message truely and say neither more nor lesse then he is commaunded Aaron when he is hye priest and offereth and purgeth the people of their worldly sinne which they had fallē in in touching vncleanly thynges and in eating meates forbidden as we sinne in handling the chalice and the Alter stone are purged wyth the Bishops blessing representeth Christ which purgeth vs from all sinne in the sight of God as the epistle vnto the Hebrues maketh mentiō When Moyses was gone vp into the mounte and Aaron left behynde and made the golden Calfe there Aaron representeth all false preachers and namely our most holy father y ◠Pope which in like maner maketh vs beleue in a Bull as y t Bishop of Rochester ful wel alleageth the place in hys sermon If the Pope be signified by Aaron and Christ by Moyses why is not the Pope as well content with Christes law and doctrine as Aaron was with Moyses What is the cause that our Bishops preach the pope and not Christ seyng the Apostles preached not Peter but Christ Paul ij Cor. iiij sayth of hym selfe and of his felowapostles we preache not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lord and preach our selues your seruauntes for Iesus sake And. i. Cor. iij. Let no mā reioyse in men For all thynges are yours whether it bee Paul or Apollo or Peter whether it be the world or life or death whether they be present thinges or thynges to come all are yours ye are Christes Christ is Gods He leueth out ye are Peters or ye are the popes And in the Chapter folowyng he sayth Let men thus wise esteme vs euē the ministers of Christ c. And. ij Cor. xj Paul was gelous ouer his Corinthians because they fell from Christ to whom he had maried thē did cleaue vnto the authoritie of men for euē then false Prophetes sought authoritie in the name of the hye Apostles I am sayth he gelouse ouer you with godly gelousie For I coupled you to one mā to make you a chast virgine to Christ but I feare lest as the Serpent deceaued ◅e through his suttiltie euen so your wittes should be corrupt from the singlenesse that is in Christ And it followeth If he that commeth to you preached an other Iesus or if ye receaue an other spirite or another Gospell then might ye well haue ben content that is ye might haue well suffered him to haue authoritie aboue me But I suppose sayth he that I was not behynd the hye Apostles meaning in preaching Iesus his Gospell and in ministring the spirite And in the said xj Chapter he proueth by y ◠doctrine of Christ that he is greater then the hye Apostles For Christ sayth to be great in the kingdome of God is to do seruice and take payne for other Vpon which rule Paul disputeth saying if they be the ministers of Christ I am more In labours more aboundaunt in stripes about measure in prison more plenteously in death oft and so forth If Paul preached Christ more then Peter and suffered more for hys congregation then is he greater then Peter by y e testimony of Christ And in the xij he sayth In nothing was I inferior vnto y ◠hye Apostles Though I be nothing yet the tokēs of an Apostle were wrought amōg you with all pacience with signes wōders mighty dedes So proued he his authority not with a bulle frō Peter sealed with cold lead either with shadowes of the old Testament falsly expounded Moreouer the Apostles were sent immediatly of Christ and of Christ receaued they their authoritie as Paul boasteth him selfe euery where Christ sayth he sent me to preach the Gospell i. Corint i. And I receaued of the Lord that which I deliuered vnto you i. Cor. xi And Gal. i. I certifie you brethrē that the Gospell which was preached of me was not after the maner of men that is to witte carnal or fleshly neither receaued I it of man neyther was it taught me but I receaued it by y t reuelation of Iesus Christ And Gal. ij He that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship ouer the circumcision was mighty in me among the Gētiles And 1. Timoth. 1. Readest thou lykewyse And Iohn xx Christ sent them forth indifferently and gaue them lyke power As my father sent me sayth he so send I you that is to preach and to suffer as I haue done and not to conquer enemyes and kyngdomes and to subdue all temporall power vnder you wyth disguised hypocrisie He gaue thē the holy Ghost to bynde and loose indifferently as thou seest And afterward he sent forth Paule wyth like authority as thou seest in the Actes And in the last of Mathew sayth he all power is geuen me in heauē and in earth goe therfore and teach all naciōs baptising them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue whatsoeuer I commaunded you The authoritie that Christ gaue thē was to preach yet not what they would imagine but what he had commaunded Loe sayth he I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world He sayde not I goe my way and loe here is Peter in my stede But sent them euery man to
the commyng of the truth of Gods word as the night vanisheth away at the presence of day The childrē of Israell slew not those gyauntes but the power of God Gods truth promises as thou mayst see in Deut. So it is not we that shal destroy those gyauntes as thou mayst see by Paule ij Thess ij speakyng of our Ham Antichrist Whom the Lord shall destroy saith he with the spirite of his mouth that is by the wordes of truth and by the brightnes of his comming that is by the preachyng of his Gospell ANd as I haue sayd of allegories euen so it is of worldly similitudes which we make either whē we preach either when we expound the Scripture The similitudes proue nothyng but are made to expresse more playnly that which is contayned in the Scripture and to lead thee into the spirituall vnderstanding of the text As the similitude of Matrimony is taken to expresse the Mariage that is betwene Christ and our soules and what excedyng mercy we haue there wherof all the Scriptures make mention And the similitude of the members how euery one of them careth for other is taken to make thee feele what it is to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe That preacher therfore that bringeth a naked similitude to proue that which is contayned in no text of Scripture nor foloweth of a text count a deceauer a leader out of the way and a false Prophet and beware of his Philosophie and persuasions of mās wisedome as Paul i. Corinth ij sayth my wordes and my preachyng were not with entysing wordes persuasions of mans wisedome but in showyng of the spirit and power that is he preached not dreames confirming them with similitudes but Gods word confirmyng it with miracles and with working of the spirite the which made them feele euery thing in their hartes That your fayth sayth he should not stand in the wisedome of man but in the power of God For the reasons and similitudes of mans wisedome make no fayth but waueryng vncertaine opiniōs onely one draweth me this way with his argumēt another that way of what principle thou prouest blacke an other proueth white and so am I euer vncertaine as if thou tell me of a thyng done in a farre land and an other tell me the contrarie I wote not what to beleue But fayth is wrought by the power of God that is when Gods word is preached the spirite entereth thyne hart and maketh thy soule feele it and maketh thee so sure of it that neither aduersitie nor persecution nor death neither hell nor the powers of hell neither yet all the paynes of hell could ones preuayle agaynst thee or moue thee frō the sure rocke of Gods word that thou shouldest not beleue that which God hath sworne And Peter ij Pet. i. sayth we folowed not deceauable fables when we opened vnto you the power and commyng of our Lord Iesus Christ but with our eyes we saw his maiestie And agayne we haue sayth he a more sure word of prophesie wherunto if ye take hede as vnto a light shynyng in a darke place ye do well The word of prophesie was the old Testamēt which beareth record vnto Christ in euery place without which recorde the Apostles made neither similitudes nor argumēts of worldly witte Hereof seest thou that all the allegories similitudes persuasions argumentes which they bryng without Scripture to proue praying to Saintes Purgatory care confession and that God will heare thy prayer more in one place thē in another and that it is more meritorious to eate fish then flesh and that to disguise thy selfe put on this or that maner cote is more acceptable then to go as God hath made thee and that widowhode is better then matrimony and virginitie then widowhode and to proue the Assumption of our Lady and that she was borne without originall sinne yea with a kisse say some are but false doctrine Take an example how they proue that widowhode and virginitie excede matrimony they bryng this worldly similitude He that taketh most payne for a man deserueth most and to him a man is most bound so likewise must it be with God and so forth now the widow and virgine take more payne in resisting their lustes then the maryed wife therfore is their state holier First I say that in their owne sophistry a similitude is the worst and feblest argument that can be and proueth lest and soonest deceaueth Though that one sonne doe more seruice for hys father then an other yet is the father free and may with right reward thē all a like For though I had a thousand brethren and did more thē they all yet do I not my dutie The fathers and mothers also care most for the lest and weakest and them that can doe lest ye for the worst care they most and would spend not their goodes onely but also their bloud to bryng them to the right way And euen so is it of the kyngdome of Christ as thou mayst well see in the similitude of the riotous sonne Luke xv Moreouer Paul sayth i. Cor. vij It is better to marie then to burne For the person that burneth can not quietly serue God in as much as hys mynde is drawē away the thoughts of his hart occupyed with wonderfull and monstrous imaginations He can neither see nor heare nor read but that his wittes are rapt and he cleane from him selfe And agayne sayth he Circumcision is nothyng vncircumcision is nothyng but the kepyng of the cōmaundementes is all together Looke wherein thou canst best kepe the commaundemētes thether get thy selfe and therin abyde whether thou be widow wife or mayde and then hast thou all with God If we haue infirmities that draw vs from the lawes of God let vs cure them with the remedyes that God hath made If thou burne mary For God hath promised thee no chastitie as long as thou mayst vse the remedy that hee hath ordeyned no more then hee hath promised to slake thine honger without meate Now to aske of God more then he hath promised commeth of a false faith and is playne Idolatry and to desire a miracle where there is naturall remedy is temptyng of God And of payne takyng this wise vnderstand He that taketh payne to kepe the commaundementes of God is sure therby that he loueth God and that hee hath Gods spirite in hym And the more paine a man taketh I meane paciently and without grudgyng the more he loueth God and the perfecter hee is nearer vnto that health which y ◠soules of all Christen mē long for the more purged from the infirmitie and sinne that remaineth in the flesh but to loke for any other reward or promotion in heauen or in the life to come then that which God hath promised for Christes sake and which Christ hath deserued for vs with his payne takyng is abhominable in the sight of
vttered the wickednes of the spiritualtie the falshead of the Byshops and iugglyng of the Pope and how they haue disguised them selues borowyng some of their pompe of y e Iewes and some of the Gentiles and haue with suttill wyles turned the obedience that should be geuen to Gods ordinaunce vnto them selues And how they haue put out Gods Testament and Gods truth and set vp their owne traditions and lyes in which they haue taught y e people to beleue there by sit in their consciences as God and haue by that meanes robbed the world of landes goodes of peace and vnitie and of all temporal authoritie and haue brought the people into the ignoraunce of God haue heaped the wrath of God vpon all realmes namely vpon the kings Whom they haue robbed I speake not of worldly thinges onely but euen of their very natural wittes They make theÌ„ beleue that they are most Christen wheÌ„ they lyue most abhominably and will suffer no man in their Realmes that beleueth on Christ and that they are defenders of the fayth when they burne the Gospell promises of God out of which all fayth springeth I shewed how they haue ministred Christ Kyng and Emperour out of their rowmes how they haue made them a seuerall kyngdome which they gote at the first in deceauyng of Princes and now peruert the whole scripture to proue that they haue such authoritie of God And lest the lay men should see how falsely they alledge the places of the Scripture is the greatest cause of this persecution They haue fained confession for the same purpose to stablish their kyngdome with all All secretes know they therby The Bishop knoweth the confession of whom he lusteth throughout all his Dioces Yea and his Chaunceler commaundeth the ghostly father to deliuer it written The pope his Cardinals and Byshops know the confession of the Emperour Kyngs of all Lordes by confession they know all their captiues If any beleue in Christ by confession they know him Shriue thy selfe where thou wilt whether at Sion charterhouse or at the obseruaÌ„ts thy confession is knowen wel inough And thou if thou beleue in Christ art wayted vppon Wonderfull are the thinges that therby are wrought The wife is feared and compelled to utter not her own onely but also the secretes of her husband and the seruaunt the secretes of his master Besides that thoraugh confession they quench the fayth of all the promises of God and take away the effect and vertue of all y e Sacramentes of Christ They haue also corrupted y â— Saintes liues with lyes and fayned miracles haue put many thinges out of the sentence or great curse as raysing of â—ente and fines and hyring men out of their houses and whatsoeuer wickednes they them selues do haue put a great part of the stories and Chronicles on t of the waye lest their falshead shoulde be sene For there is no mischieues or disorder whether it be in the temporall regiment or els in the spiritual wherof they are not the chief causes and eueÌ„ the very fountayne and springes and as we say the wel head so that it is impossible to preach agaynst mischief except thou begyn at them or to set any reformation in the world except thou reforme them first Now are they indurate and tough as Pharao and will not bow vnto any right way or order And therefore persecute they Gods word and the preachers therof and on the other side lye awayte vnto all princes stirre vp all mischief in the world and send them to warre and occupy their myndes therewith or with other voluptuousnes lest they should haue laysure to heare the word of God and to set an order in their realmes By them is all thing ministred and by them are all kynges ruled yea in euery kynges conscience sit they â—re he be king and persuade euery king what they lust and make theÌ„ both to beleue what they will and to doe what they will Neither can any kyng or any realme haue rest for their businesses Behold kyng Henry the v. whom they seÌ„t out for such a purpose as they sent out our kyng that now is See how the Realme is inhabited Aske where the goodly townes and their walles and the people that was wont to be in theÌ„ are become and where the bloud royal of the Realme is become also Turne thine eyes whether thou wilt thou shalt see nothing prosperons but their suttle pollyng With that it is flowyng water yea and I trust it wil be shortly a full see In all their doynges though they pretend outwardly the honour of God or a common wealth their entent and secret Councell is onely to bryng all vnder their power and to take out of the way who soeuer letteth them or is to mighty for them As wheÌ„ they send the Princes to Hierusalem to coÌ„quere the holy land and to fight agaynst the Turkes What soeuer they pretende outwardly their secret entent is while the Princes there conquere them more Bishoprikes to conquere their landes in the meane season with their false hipocrisie and to bryng all vnder them which thou mayest easely perceaue by that they will not let vs know y â— fayth of Christ And when they are ones on hye then are they tyrauntes aboue all tyrauntes whether they be Turkes or Saracenes How minister they prouyng of testamentes How causes of wedlocke or if any man dye intestate If a poore man dye and leaue his wiâ—e and halfe a dosen young children but one cow to finde them that will they haue for a mortuary mercylesse let come of wife and children what will Yea let any thyng be done agaynst their pleasure and they will interdite the whole realme sparyng no person Read the Chronicles of England out of which yet they haue put a great part of their wickednesse thou shalt finde them all wayes both rebellious and disobedient to the kinges and also churiish and vnthankeful so that wheÌ„ all the Realme gaue the kyng somewhat to maynteine him in his right they would not geue a myte Consider the story of K. Iohn where I dout not but they haue put the best fayrest for them selues the worst of kyng Iohn For I suppose they make the Chronicles them selues Compare the doings of their holy Church as they euer call it vnto the learnyng of Christ and of his Apostles Did not the Legate of Rome assoyle all the Lordes of the realme of their due obedieÌ„ce which they ought to the king by the ordinaunce of God would he not haue cursed y â— king with his solemne pompe because he would haue done that office whiche God commaundeth euery kyng to do and wherfore God hath put the sword in euery kynges hand that is to wete because kyng Iohn would haue punished a wicked Clerke that had coyned false money The lay men that had not done halfe so great fautes must dye but
And therefore is he comforted and thou tormented Blessed are the meeke for they shall enherite the earth By the earth vnderstand all that we possesse in this world which all God will keepe for vs if we be softe and meâ—ke And whatsoeuer trouble arise yet if we will be patient and abide the end will go on our side as it is writteÌ„ in the 36. Psal The wicked shall be weded out but they that abide the Lordes laysure shall enherite y â— earth And agayne within a while the wicked shall be gone thou shalt beholde the place where he was and he shal be away but the meeke or softe shall enherite the earth Euen as we say be still haue thy will and of little medling commeth much rest for a patient man shall weare out all his enemies It is impossible to dwell in any place where no displeasure should be done thee If it be done vnwillingly as wheÌ„ thy neighbours beastes breake into thy corne by some chaunce against his will then it is reason that thou be softe and forgeue If it be done of malice and selfe wil then with reuenging thou doost but with pottering in the fire make the flame greater and geuest an occasioÌ„ of more euill to be done thee If any man rayle on thee and rebuke thee answere not agayne and the heat of his malice shal die in it selfe and goe out immediatly as fire doth when no more woode is laide theron If the wrong that is done be greater then thou art able to beare trust in God and complayne with all meekenesse vnto the officer that is set of God to forbid such violence And if y e Gentlemen that dwell about thee be tyrauntes be ready to helpe to fet home their woode to plow their land to bring in their haruest and so forth and let thy wife visit my Lady now and then with a couple of fat Hennes or a fat Capon and such like and then thou shalt possesse all the remnaunt in rest or els one quarell or other may be picked to thee to make thee quite of all together Chuse whether thou wilt with softnesse and suffering haue God on thy side euer to saue thee and to geue thee euer inough and to haue a good conscience and peace on the earth or wyth furiousnesse and impatiencie to haue God agaynst thee and to be polled a littel and little of all together and to haue an euill conscience and neuer rest on earth and to haue thy dayes shortened thereto God hath promised if thou be meke and softe and suffer a little persecution to geue thee not onely the life to come but also an hundred folde here in this life that is to say to geue thee his owne selfe and to be thy protectour and minister to thee euer inough which may of right be called an huÌ„dred folde and is a treasure passing the treasure of all Princes Finally Christ teacheth here how euery maÌ„ must liue for him selfe amoÌ„g them to whom he is a neighbour in priuate matters in which he is but as a neighbour though he be a king and in which thou canst not be to soft But and if thou be an officer theÌ„ thou must be good kynde and mercifull but not a milkesoppe and negligent And to whom thou art a father them must thou rule and make obedient and that with sharpnesse if softnesse will not be heard and so in all other offices Blessed are they that honger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shal be fulfilled Righteousnes in this place is not taken for the principall righteousnes of a Christen man thorow which the parson is good accepted before God For these viij pointes are but doctrine of the frutes and workes of a Christen man before which the fayth must be there to make righteous wythout all deseruing of workes and as a tree out of which all such fruites and workes must spryng Wherefore vnderstand here the outward righteousnes before the word and true and faythfull dealing ech with other and iust executing of the offices of all maner degrees and meke obedience of all that are vnder power So that the meaning is happy are they which not onely do their duties to all men but also study and helpe to the vttermost of their power with worde deede counsell and exhorting that all other deale truely also according to the degree that euery man beareth in the world and be as desirous to further good order righteous dealyng as the hungry thirsty be desirous to eate and drinke And note that it is not for naught that he saith hunger and thirst For except thy soule hunger thirst for this righteousnes of her new nature as the body doth for meate and drinke of hys olde nature the deuill the children of this world which cannot suffer that a man either deale truely himselfe or helpe other will so resist thee plague thee and so weary thee that thou haddest leuer of very mystrust desperation that thy state should be better to forsake all make thy selfe a MoÌ„ke or a Fryer yea to ruÌ„ne into a strauÌ„ge couÌ„try leaue all thy frends then to abide in the world and to let it chuse whether it wil sinke or swimme But to comfort vs that we faint not or be weary of well doing Christ promiseth that all that haue this thyrst and honger shall haue their lust satisfied and be traÌ„slated into a kingdome where none vnrighteousnes is besides that thou shalt here at length see many come to the right way and helpe with thee and many thinges that cannot be all together mended yet somewhat bettered and more tolerable so that all righteousnesse shall not be quenched And contrariwise cursed be all they that are full as Luke in the vj. sayth that is to say the hypocrites which to auoyde all labour sorrow care combraunce and suffring wyth their brethren get them to dennes to liue at rest and to fill their bellies the wealth of other meÌ„ not regarded No it were a grief to them that other were better that they alone may be taken for holy and that whosoeuer will to heauen must buy it of them yea they be so full that they preferre them selues before poore sinners and looke as narowly on them as the Pharisey did on the Publicanâ— thanking God that he alone was good and the other euyll Cursed are they yet for all their fulnesse for they shall hunger wyth euerlasting hunger where none shall geue them to eate nor they haue any refreshing of their paynes Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy To be mercifull is to haue compassion and to feele an other maÌ„s disease and to mourne with theÌ„ that mourne and suffer with them that suffer and to helpe and succour them that are in tribulation and aduersitie and to coÌ„fort them with good counsell wholsome instruction and louing wordes And
necessitie For out of the inwarde beleue of the hart sloweth â–ª the outward conuersation of the members He that beleueth that hee ought to loue hys enemy shall neuer cease fightyng agaynst his owne selfe till he haue weeded aâ—… raÌ„cour and malice out of his hart But he that beleueth it not shall put a visor of hypocrisie on his face till he got oportunitie to aduenge him selfe And here he beginneth to teach them to be that light and that salt of whiche he spake and sayth Though the Scribes and Phariseis beare the people in hand that all I do is of the deuill and accuse me of breakyng the law and the Prophetes as they afterward rayled on the Apostles that they draue y â— people from good workes through preaching the iustifying and righteousnesse of fayth yet see that ye my Disciples â–ª be not of that belefe For heauen and earth shall sooner perish then one â—oâ—â— or tâ—…e of the law should be put out I come not to destroy the law but to repayre it onely to make it go vpright where it halteth and eueÌ„ to make croked strayght rough smoth as Iohn the Baptist doth in the wildernes and to teach the true vnderstandyng of the law Without me the law caÌ„not be fulfilled nor euer could For though the law were geuen by Moses yet grace and veritie that is to say the true vnderstandyng and power to loue it and of loue to fulfill it commeth and euer came through fayth in me I do but onely wype away the filthie and roten Gloses wherewith the Scribes and the Phariseis haue smered the law and the Prophetes rebuke their daÌ„nable liuyng which they haue fashioned not after the law of God but after their owne sophisticall gloses fayned to mocke out the law of God and to beguile the whole world and to leade them in blyndnesse And that the Scribes and Phariseis falsly belye me how that I go about to destroy the law and to set the people at a fleshly libertie and to make them first disobedient and to despise their spirituall Prelates and then to rise agaynst the teÌ„porall rulers and to make all coÌ„mon to giue liceÌ„ce to sinne vnpunished coÌ„meth only of pure malice hate enuie and furious impaciencie that their visures are plucked froÌ„ their faces and their hypocrisie discouered Howbeit what I teach and what my learnyng is concernyng the law ye shall shortly heare and that in few wordes Who soeuer breaketh one of these least commaundements and teach men so shal be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But he that doth them and teacheth theÌ„ the same shal be great in the kyngdome of heauen Whosoeuer studieth to destroy one of the commaundementes folowing which are yet the least and but childish thynges in respect of the perfect doctrine that shall hereafter be shewed of the misteries yet hid in Christ and teach other men euen so in woorde or ensample whether openly or vnder a colour and thorow false gloses of hypocrisie that same doctour shall all they of the kyngdome of heauen abhorre and dispise and cast hym out of their company as a sething pot doth cast vp her fome and scome and purge her selfe So fast shal they of the kingdome of heauen cleaue vnto the pure law of God without all mens gloses But whosoeuer shall first fulfill theÌ„ himselfe and then teach other and set all his studie to the furtheraunce and mayntaining of them that doctour shall all they of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ haue in price and folow hym and seke hym out as doth an Egle her pray cleaue to hym as burres For these commaundementes are but the very lawe of Moses the draffe of the Phareseis gloses clensed out interpreted according to the pure word of God and as the open text compelleth to vnderstand them if ye looke diligently thereon The kyngdome of heauen take for the congregation or church of Christ And to be of the kyngdome of heauen is to know God for our father and Christ for our Lord and sauiour from all sinne And to enter into this kingdome it is impossible except the hart of men be to kepe the commaundements of God purely as it is written Iohn vij if any man will obay his will that is to say the will of the father that sent me sayth Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of myne owne head For if thyne hart be to do the will of God whiche is his commaundementes he will geue thee a pure eye both to discerne the true doctrine from the false the true Doctour froÌ„ the howlyng hypocrite And therfore he sayth For I say vnto you except your righteousnesse excede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen The righteousnes of the Scribes Phariseis can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen The kyngdome of heauen is the true knowledge of God Christ Ergo the righteousnesse of the Scribes Phariseis neither knoweth God nor Christ He that is willyng to obey the will of God vnderstandeth the doctrine of Christ as it is proued aboue the Scribes and the Phariseis vnderstand not the doctrine of Christ Ergo they haue no wil nor lust to obey the will of God To obey the will of God is to seeke the glory of God for the glory of a master is the meeke obedience of his seruauntes the glory of a Prince is the humble obedience of his subiectes the glory of an husbaÌ„d is the chast obedience of his wife the glory of a father is the louyng obedience of his children the Scribes and the Phariseis haue no lust to obey y â— wil of God Ergo they seeke not the glory of God Furthermore the Scribes the Phariseis seke their owne glory they that seeke their owne glory preache their owne doctrine Ergo the Scribes and the Phariseis preach their owne doctrine The maior thou hast Math. xxiij the Scribes and Phariseis do all their workes to be sene of men they loue to sit vppermost at feastes and to haue y e chief seates in the Synagoges and salutations in the open markets and to be called Rabbi And y e minor foloweth the text aboue rehearsed Iohn vij he that speaketh of himselfe or of his own head seketh his owne glory that is to say he that preacheth hys owne doctrine is euer knowen by seekyng hys awne glory so that it is a generall rule to know that a maÌ„ preacheth his own doctrine if he seke his owne glory Some maÌ„ will haply say the Scribes and Phariseis had no other law then Moses the Prophetes nor any other Scripture and grounded their sayinges theron That is truth how theÌ„ preached they their owne doctrine verely it foloweth in the sayd seuenth of Iohn He that seeketh the glory of him that sent him the same is true and there is
As it is of y ◠Iewes though as Paul beareth them record they haue a feruent zeale to God yea and haue the Scripture therto yet because they haue not the true vnderstādyng all is dānable that they do Hypocrites with scrappes of almose get an hundred fold And with prayer they get prayse as thou seest here and pray therto and robbe widowes houses as thou readest Math. xxiij And with fastyng they get fat belyes full dishes euer more then inough And yet there is none almose praying or fastyng among them in the sight of God With their prayers they exclude all true prayers and make it impossible that there should be any amōg them For prayer is either a longyng for the honour of the name of God that all men should feare him and kepe his preceptes and beleue in him And contrary to that they seke their owne honour that men should feare them and keepe their ordinaunces and beleue in their swete blessings prayers pardons and what soeuer they promise If they byd fast thou must doe it or be damned and be an hereticke and rebellious to holy Church If they dispēce and geue thee cleane remission for to eate fleshe on good friday though thou be neuer so lustie thou must obey or els thou art damned and an hereticke because thou doest not beleue in holy Church Either prayer is to geue God thākes for the benefites receaued Contrary to which they will first haue thankes of the world for their prayers and robbe not onely widowes houses But also Lord Prince Emperour and all the world of house and land yea of their wittes to And then they bynde God to thāke them and to geue them Beside the thankes which they haue gotten in the world not onely heauē and an hygher place but that he geue heauen to no other man saue thorough their merites Either prayer is a complaynyng a shewyng of thyne owne miserie and necessitie or of they neighbours before God desiring hym with all the power of thine hart to haue compassion and to succour Coutrary to this they haue excluded with their prayers all necessitie miserie from among them They be Lordes ouer all and do what they will through the whole world Kyng and Emperour are their seruauntes they neede but say the word and their wil is fulfilled And as for their neighbours they haue no compassion vpon them to bryng their complaintes before God But with theyr prayers robbe them of that litle they haue and so make them more miserable Of enteryng into the chamber and shuttyng the doore to I say as aboue of that the lift hand should not know what the right hand doth the meanyng is that we should auoyde all worldly prayse and profite and pray with a single eye and true entēt accordyng to Gods word and is not forbidden therby to pray openly For we must haue a place to come together to pray in generall to thanke and to crye to God for the common necessities as well as to preach the word of God in Where the Priest ought to pray in the mother toung that the name of God may be halowed and his word faithfully taught and truly vnderstode and fayth and godly liuyng encreased and for the kyng and rulers that God will geue them his spirite to loue the common wealth and for peace that God will defend vs from all enemyes for wederyng and frutes that God will kepe away pestilence and all plagues And the Priest should be an example to the people how they should praye There be of such things as the Priests and other bable and not pray many good Collectes that should much edifie the people if they were spokē in the mother tounge And then while the Priestes sing Psalmes let euery man pray priuatly and geue God thankes for such benefites as his hart knoweth he hath receaued of God commende to God his priuate necessities and the priuate necessities of his neighbours which he knoweth is priuie to Neither is there in all such any ieopardie of vayne glory But and if God haue geuen any man the spirite of praying as all men haue not like giftes that he pray oft and when other do not thē to haue a secret place to pray in both for the auoydyng of vayne glory speach of people and that thou mayst be free to vse thy wordes as thou lustest and what soeuer gestures and behauiours do moue the most to deuotiō is necessarie and good And finally what soeuer necessitie thou hast though thou feele thy selfe a great sinner yet if thyne hart be to amend let not that discourage thee But go boldly to thy father seing thou hast his commaundemēt euer to pray and promise that he will heare thee not for thy goodnesse but of his goodnesse for his truth Moreouer when ye pray bable not much as the heathen do For they thinke that they shal be heard for theyr much bablinges sake Be not therfore like vnto them For youre Father knoweth of what thynges ye haue neede before ye aske hym Of this maner therefore pray ye O our father which art in heauen honoured be thy name thy kingdome come Thy will be fulfilled euen in earth as it is in heauen Geue vs this daye our dayly bread And forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue our trespassers And leade vs not into temptation But deliuer vs frō euill For thine is the kingdome the power the glory for euer Amen As before he rebuked their false entent in praying that they sought praise and profite of that worke which ought to be direct to God alone ether to geue him thākes that is to say to be a knowen and to confesse in the hart that al we haue commeth of hym or to call vpon hym for ayde and succour in tēptations and all necessitie Euen so here he rebuketh a false kynde of praying wherin the toung and lippes laboure and all the body is payned but y ◠hart talketh not wyth God nor feeleth any sweetnes at all nor hath any confidēce in the promises of God But trusteth in the multitude of wordes and in the payne and tediousnes of the length of the prayer as a coniurar doth in his circles Characters and superstitious wordes of his coniuration As ye see now to be amōg our Fryers Mōkes Chanons and Nunnes and euen thoroughout al the spiritualtie Which as I haue proued aboue haue with their false entent of praying excluded all occasions and the whole matter of true prayer haue turned it into a bodely labour to vexe the toung lippes eyes and throate with roaring and to weary all the members so that they say may truely sweare it that there is no greater labour in the world then prayer for no labour whatsoeuer it be when the body is compelled and the hart vnwilling can be other then greuous and painefull But true prayer if they complayned and
Gospell declare And when he sayth he neuer founde nor heard of any of vs but that he would forsweare to saue his lyfe Aunswere the more wrath of God wil light on them that so cruelly delite to torment them and so craftely to beguile the weake Neuerthelesse yet it is vntrue For he hath heard of Sir Thomas Hitton whō the Byshops of Rochester and Caunterbury slew at Maydstone and of many y t suffered in Braband Holand at Colen and in all quarters of Dutchland and do dayly And when he sayth that their Church hath many Martyrs let hym shewe me one that dyed for pardons and Purgatory that the Pope hath fayned and let him take the mastrie And what a do maketh he that we say there is a Church that sinneth not that there is no man but that he sinneth whiche are yet both true We read i. Iohn iij. he that is borne of God sinneth not And Ephes v. men loue your wiues as the Lord doth the Churche and gaue him selfe for her to sanctifie her and to clense her in the fountaine of water through the word and to make her a glorious Church vnto hym selfe without spot or wrincle And i. Iohn i. If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and make him a lyer and hys word is not in vs. M. More also wil not vnderstand that the Church is some time taken for the elect onely whiche haue the law of God written in their hartes fayth to be saued through Christ written there also Which same for all that say with Paule that good which I would that do I not But that euill which I hate that do I so it is not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in my flesh And Gala. v. the flesh lusteth cōtrary to y e spirit the spirit cōtrary to y ◠flesh so that these two fightyng betwene thē selues ye can not do what ye would For they neuer consent that sinne is good nor hate y ◠law nor cease to fight against the flesh but assoone as they be fallen rise and fight a fresh And that the Church is some tyme taken for the cōmō rascal of all that beleue whether with the mouth onely carnally with out spirite neither louyng the law in their harts nor feelyng the mercy that is in Christ but either runne all together at riot or keepe the law with cautels and expositions of their owne faynyng and yet not of loue but for feare of hell as the theues do for feare of the galowes make recompence to God for their sinnes with holy dedes He also will not vnderstand that there be two maner faythes one that is the fayth of the elect which purgeth them of all their sinnes for euer As ye see Iohn xv ye be cleane sayth Christ by the reason of the word that is thorough beleuyng Christs doctrine And Iohn i. he gaue them power to be the sonnes of God through beleuyng in his name And Iohn iij. he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe a thousand like textes And an other of them that be called and neuer electe As the faith of Iudas of Symon Magus of the deuill and of the Pope In whose hartes the law of God is not written as it appeareth by their workes And therfore when they beleue many thynges of Christ yet whē they come vnto the saluation that is in his bloud they be but Iewes and Turkes forsake Christ and runne vnto the iustifying of ceremonies with the Iewes Turkes And therefore they remayne euer in sinne within in their hartes Where the elect hauing the law written in their brestes leuyng it in theyr spirites sinne there neuer but without in the flesh Agaynst whiche sinne they fight continually and minishe it dayly with the helpe of the spirite thorough prayer fasting and seruing their neighbours louyngly with all maner seruice out of the law that is writtē in their harts And their hope of forgeuenesse is in Christ onely through his bloud and not in ceremonies The v. Chapter ANd vnto hys v. Chapter I answere by the Pope the scripture is hid and brought into ignoraunce the true sence corrupt And by thē that ye call heretickes we know the scripture and the true sence thereof And I say that the Pope keepeth the scripture as did y e Phariseis to make marchaundise of it And agayne that the heretickes become out of you as out of the Scribes and Phariseis came the Apostles and Christ himselfe Iohn Baptist and that they be plucked out of you and graffed in Christ and built vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes And in the end when he sayth that the heretickes be fallen out of Christes misticall body which is the Pope and hys I aunswere that ye be a misticall body and walke in the mist and wyll not come at the light and the heretikes be departed out of your mist and walke in the cleare light of Gods worde The vj. Chapter IN the vj. he sayth that the heretikes be all nought for they all periure and abiure He yet saith vntrue Many abyde vnto the death Many for theyr weakenesse are kept out of your hāds Many for their ouer much boldnesse in their owne strength be deliuered into your handes and fall in the fleshe their hartes abiding still in the truth as Peter and thousandes did after repent and be no lesse Christen thē before though ye haue them in derision vnto your owne damnation And many because they come to Christ for fleshly liberty and not for loue of the truth fall as it becommeth them vnder your handes as Iudas and Balam which at the beginning take Christes parte but afterward when they fynde eyther losse or no vauntage they get them vnto the contrary part and are by profession the most cruell enemyes and subtellest persecuters of the truth Looke Maister More and reade and marke well The vij Chapter IN the vij he sayth that he hath holy Saintes and holy counsels on hys side Name the Saintes proue it Name the counselles and the holy Prelates thereof Thou shalt shew me none other Popes or Cardinals then such as we haue now that will obey neyther God nor mā or any law made by God or man but compell all men to follow them strengthning their kyngdome wyth the multitude of all misdoers He sayth also that good and bad worship Saintes the good well and the bad euill How cōmeth it then that ye shew not the difference and teach to do it well I see but one fashion among all the popishe And finally he sayth he is not boun◠to answere vnto the reasons and scriptures that are layde agaynst them It is inough to proue their part that it is a common custome and that such a multitude do it and so by his doctrine the Turkes are in the right way The viij Chapter
Realmes and common wealthes but they that do wickedly and namely high Prelates and mighty Princes which walke without the feare of God and lyue abhominably corrupting the common people with their example They be they that bryng the wrath of God on all Realmes and trouble all common wealthes with warre dearth pouertie pestilence euill lucke and all misfortune And vnto all subiectes be it sayd if they professe the law of God fayth of the Lord Iesus wil be Christes Disciples then let them remember that there was neuer man so great a subiect as Christ was there was neuer creature that suffred so great vnright so paciently and so mekely as he Therfore what soeuer they haue bene in tymes past let them now thincke that it is their partes to be subiect in the lowest kynde of subiection and to suffer all thynges paciently If the hyghe powers bee cruell vnto you with naturall crueltie then with softenesse and pacience ye shall either wynne them or mitigate theyr fiercenesse If they ioyne theÌ„ vnto the Pope and persecute you for your fayth and hope whiche ye haue in y e Lord Iesus then call to mynde that ye be chosen to suffer here with Christ that ye may ioy with hym in the lyfe to come with ioye euerlastyng that shall infinitely passe this your short payne here If they commaunde that God forbiddeth or forbyd that God commaundeth then aunswere as the Apostles did Actes v. that God must be obeyed more then maÌ„ If they compell you to suffer vnright then Christ shall helpe you to beare and his spirite shall comfort you But onely see that neither they put you from Gods worde nor ye resiste them with bodely violence But abyde paciently a while till the hypocrisie of hypocrites be slayne with the sword of Gods word and vntill the word be openly published witnessed vnto y e powers of y e world that their blyndnesse may be with out excuse And theÌ„ wil god awake as a fierce Lyon agaynst those cruell Wolues whiche deuoure his Lambes and will play with the hypocrites and compasse them in their owne wyles send them a dazing in the head and a swimming in their braynes destroy them with theyr own counsell And then those malicious and wilfull blynd persecuters whiche refusing mercy when they were called thereto chose rather to haue theyr part with hypocrites in sheddyng of innocent bloud shal bee partakers with them also in hauyng theyr owne bloud shed agayne God geuyng an occasion that one wicked shall destroy an other And as for wickednesse whence it springeth and who is the cause of all insurrection and of the fall of Princes the shortenyng of theyr dayes vpon the earth thou shalt see in the glasse folowyng which I haue set before thyne eyes not to resiste the hypocrites with violence whiche vengeaunce pertayneth vnto God but that thou mightest see their wicked wayes and abhominable pathes to withdraw thy selfe from after them and to come agayne to Christ and walke in hys light and to folow hys steppes and to committe the keepyng both of thy body and soule also vnto him and vnto the father thorough hym whose name bee glorious for euer Amen ¶ Prelates appointed to preach Christ may not leaue Gods worde and minister temporall offices But ought to teach the lay people the right way and let them alone with all temporall businesse OVr Sauiour Iesus Christ answered Pilate Ioh. 18. that his kindome was not of thys worlde And Mathew x. he sayth The Disciple is not greater then his master but it ought to suffice the Disciple that he be as hys master is Wherfore if Christes kyngdome be not of this worlde nor any of his disciples may be otherwise then he was then Christes Vicars which minister his kingdome here in his bodely abseÌ„ce haue y e ouersight of his flock may be none Emperours kinges Dukes Lords Knightes temporall iudges or any teÌ„poral officer or vnder false names haue any such dominion or minister any such office as requireth violeÌ„ce And Math. 6. No maÌ„ caÌ„ serue two masters Where Christ coÌ„cludeth saying Ye can not serue God MaÌ„mon that is riches couetousnes ambicion and temporall dignities And Math. xx Christ called his disciples vnto him and sayde ye know y â— the Lordes of the heathen people haue dommion ouer them and they that be great do exercise power ouer them How be it it shall not be so among you But whosoeuer will be great among you shall be your minister and he that will be chiefe shal be your seruaunt euen as the sonne of man came not that men shoulde minister vnto hym but for to minister and geue his life for the redemption of many Wherfore the officers in Christes kingdome may haue no temporall dominion or iurisdiction nor execute any temporall auctoritie or lawe of violence nor may haue any like maner among them But cleane coÌ„trary they must cast themselues downe vnder al and become seruauntes vnto all suffer of all and beare the burthen of euery mans infirmities and go before theÌ„ fight for them against the world with the sworde of Gods word eueÌ„ vnto y e death after the ensample of Christ And Math. xviij WheÌ„ the disciples asked who shoulde be greatest in the kingdome of heauen Christ called a young child vnto hym and set him iâ— y â— middes among them saying Excepte ye turne backe and become as childreÌ„ ye shall not enter in the kingdome of heauen Now younge children beare no rule one ouer an other but al is felowship amonge them And he sayde moreouer whosoeuer humbleth himselfe after the ensample of this childe he is greatest in the kingdome of heauen that is to be as concerning ambition and worldly desire so childishe that thou couldest not heaue thy selfe aboue thy brother is the very bearing of rule to be great in Christes kingdome And to describe the very â—ashion of the greatnesse of his kingdome he sayd He that receaueth one such childe in my name receaueth me What is y t to receaue a childe in Christes name Verely to submitte to meeke and to humble thy selfe and to cast thy selfe vnder all men to consider all mens infirmities and weakenesses and to helpe to heale their diseases wyth the worde of truth and to liue purely that they see no contrary ensample in thee to whatsoeuer thou teachest them in Christ that thou put no stumblinge blocke before them to make them falle while they be yet youÌ„g and weake in the fayth But that thou absteine as Paule teacheth 1. Thes 5. Ab omni specie mala from all that might seeme euill or wherof a man might surmise aâ—iste and that thou so loue them that whatsoeuer giâ—t of god in thee is thou thinke the same theirs and their foode and for their sakes geuen vnto thee as the truth is and that all their infirmities be thine and that
thou feâ—e theÌ„ and that thine hart mourne for them and that with al thy power thou helpe to amende them and cease not to crye to God for theÌ„ neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be founde in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoeuer thou teachest them that â—e thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skinne as our holy â—ather y e Pope is which commeth vnto vs in a name of hypocrisie and in the â—…e of curssed Cham or Ham calling hymselfe Seruus seruorum the seruaunt of all seruauntes and is yet founde tyrannus tyraâ—norum of all tyrauntes y e most cruell This is to receaue young children in Christes name and to receaue young children in Christes name is to beare rule in the kingdome of Christ Thus ye see that Christes kingdome is all together spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleane coÌ„trary vnto the bearing of rule temporally Wherfore none that beareth rule in it may haue any temporall iurisdiction or minister any temporall office that requireth violence to compell withall ¶ Peter was not greater then the other Apostles by any authoritie geuen him of Christ THey saye that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles verely as Appeâ—â—â—s was called chief of Painters for his excellent cunninge aboue other euen so Peter may be called chiefe of the Apostles for his actiuitie and boldnes aboue the other but that Peter had any auctoritie or rule ouer his brethren and felow Apostles is false and contrary to y e scripture Christ forbad it the last euen before his passion and in diuers tunes before and taught alway the contrary as I haue rehearsed Thou wilt say thou caust not see how there should be any good order in that kyngdome where none were better then other and where the superior had not a lawe and authoritie to compell the inferior with violeÌ„ce The worlde truely can see no other way to rule then with violence For there no man absteineth from euil but for feare because the loue of righteousnes is not written in their hartes And therefore the Popes kingdome is of the world For there one sorte are your grace your holines your fatherhode An other my Lord Byshop my Lord Abbot my Lord Pryor An other master Doctour Father Bachelar mayster Parson maister Vicar and at the last commeth in simple syr Iohn And euery man raigneth ouer other wyth might and haue euery ruler his prison his iayler his chaynes his tormentes euen so much as the Fryers obâ—eruauntes obserue that rule and compell euery man other with violeÌ„ce aboue the cruelnesse of the heathen tyrauntes so that what commeth once in may neuer out for feare of telling taâ—es out of schole They rule ouer the bodye with violence and compell 〈◊〉 whether the harte will or not to obserue thinges of their owne making But in the kingdome of God it is contrary For the spirite that bringeth them thether maketh them wilâ—ing and geueth them lust vnto the law of God loue coÌ„pelleth them to worke and loue maketh euerty maÌ„s good all that he can do coÌ„mune vnto his neighbours nede And as euery maÌ„ is stroÌ„g in that kyngdome so loue compelleth him to take the weake by the hand and to helpe hym and to take him that can not go vppon his shoulders and beare him And so to do seruice vnto the weaker is to beare rule in that kingdome And because Peter did excede the other Apostles in ferueÌ„t seruice toward his brethren therefore is â—e called noâ— in the Scripture but in the vse of speakyng the chiefest of the Apostles not that he had any dominion ouer them Of which truth thou mayst see also the practise in the Actes of the Apostles after the resurrection For when Peter had bene and preached in the house of Cornelius an heathen maÌ„ the other that were Circumcised chode him because he had bene in an vncircumcised mans house had eaten with him for it was forbidden in the law neither wist they yet that the heathen should be called And Peter was fayne to geue accountes vnto them which is no token of superioritie and to shew them how he was warned of the holy ghost so to do Actes xj And Actes xv when a CouÌ„cell was gathered of the Apostles and disciples about the Circumcision of the heatheÌ„ Peter brought forth not his commauÌ„dement and the authoritie of his Vicarshyp but the miracle that the holy ghost had shewed for the heathen how at y â— preachyng of the Gospell the holy ghost had lighted vppon them and purified â—heir hartes through fayth and therefore proued that they ought not to be Circumcised And Paule and Barnabas brought soorth the miracles also that God had shewed by them among the heathen through preachyng of saith And then Iames brought soorth a prophecie of the olde Testament for the sayd part And therewith the aduersaries gaue ouer their hold and they coÌ„cluded with one assent by the authoritie of the scripture and of the holy ghost that the heathen should not be Circumcised not by the commaundement of Peter vnder payne of cursing excommunicatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 interditing and like bugges to make fooles and children afrayed withall And Actes viij Peter was sent of the other Apostles vnto the Samaritanes whiche is an euident token that he had no iurisdiction ouer them for then they could not haue sent him But rather as the truth is that the congregation had authoritie ouer him ouer all other priuate persones to admitte them for ministers and send them forth to preach whether so euer the spirite of God moued them and as they saw occasion And in the Epistle vnto the Galathians thou seest also how Paule corrected Peter when he walked not the straight way after the truth of the Gospel So now thou seest that in the kingdome of Christ and in his Churche or congregation and in his couÌ„sels the ruler is the Scripture approued through the miracles of the holy ghost and men be seruauntes onely and Christ is the head and we all brethren And wheÌ„ we call men our heades that we do not be cause they be shorne or shauen or because of their names Parson Vicare Byshop Pope But onely because of the word whiche they preach If they erre froÌ„ the word theÌ„ may whosoeuer God moueth his hart play Paule and correct hym If he will not obey the Scripture then haue his brethren authoritie by the Scripture to put hym downe and send hym out of Christes Church among the heretickes whiche preferre their false doctrine aboue the true word of Christ ¶ How the Gospell punisheth trespassers and how by the Gospell we ought to go to law with our aduersaries THough that they of Christes coÌ„gregation be all willyng yet because that the most paâ—t is alway weake because also that the occasions of the world be euer many and great in so much that
Christe which wist all thyng before hand sayth Math. xviij Wo be vnto the world by reason of occasions of euill and sayth also that it caÌ„ not be auoyded but that occasions shall come therfore it caÌ„ not be chosen but that many shall ouer fall when a weake brother hath trespassed by what law shall he be punished verely by the law of loue whose properties thou readest in the 1. Cor. xiij If the loue of God whiche is my professioÌ„ be written in myne hart it will not let me hate my weake brother when hee hath offended me no more then natural loue wil let a mother hate her child when it trespasseth agaynst her My weake brother hath offended me he is falleÌ„ his weakenesse hath ouerthroweÌ„ him it is not right by the law of loue that I should now fall vpon hym and treade him downe in the myre and destroy him vtterly But it is right by the law of loue that I runne to him helpe him vp agayne By what processe we should go to law with our trespassers Christ teacheth vs Math. xviij Tell him his faulte betwene him and thee with all mekenesse remembring thou art a man and mayst fall also If he repent and thou loue him ye shal soone agree and then forgeue him And when thou forgeuest thy neighbour theÌ„ thou art sure that God forgeueth thee thy trespasses by his holy promise Math. vj. If hee heare thee not then take a neighbour or two If he heare them not then tell the congregation where thou art and let the preacher pronounce Gods law against him and â—et the sad and discrete men rebuke him and exhorte him vnto repentaunce If he repent and thou also loue him accordyng to thy professioÌ„ ye shall soone agree If he heare not the congregation then let him be taken as an heathen If he that is offended be weake also theÌ„ let them that be stroÌ„g go betwene and helpe them And in lyke maner if any sinne agaynst the doctrine of Christ and the profession of a Christen man so that he be a dronckard and an whore keper or what soeuer open sinne he do or if he teach false learnyng then let such be rebuked opeÌ„ly before the congregation and by the authoritie of Scripture And if they repent not let them be put out of the congregation as heathen people If they theÌ„ be not ashamed we haue no remedy but pacieÌ„tly to abide what God wil do and to pray in the meane tyme that God will open their hartes and geue theÌ„ repentaunce Other law then this Christes Gospel knoweth not nor the officers therof It is manifest therfore that the kingdome of Christ is a spirituall kingdom which no man can minister well and a teÌ„porall kingdome to as it is sufficieÌ„tly proued because that no man whiche putteth his hand to the plow and looketh backe is apt for the kyngdome of heauen as Christ aunswered Luke ix vnto him y t would haue folowed hym but would first haue take leaue of his houshold If a man put his haÌ„d to the plow of Gods worde to preach it and looke also vnto worldly businesse his plow will surely go awry And therefore sayth Christe vnto an other that would likewise folow him but desired first to go and bury his father Let the dead bury the dead but come thou and shew or preach the kyngdome of God As who should say he that will preach the kingdome of god which is Christs Gospell truly must haue his hart no where els What officers the Apostles ordeined in Christes Church and what their offices were to do WHerfore the Apostles folowyng and obeyng the rule doctrine commaundement of our Sauiour Iesus Christ their master ordeined in his kyngdome and congregation two officers One called after the Breeke worde Byshop in English an ouersear which same was called Priest after the Greeke Elder in English because of his age discretioÌ„ and fadnesse for he was as nigh as could be alway an elderly maÌ„ as thou seest both in the new and old Testament also how the officers of the Iewes be called the Elders of the people because as thou mayst well thinke they were ouer old men as nigh as could be For vnto age do men naturally obeye and vnto age doth God commauÌ„de to geue honour saying Leuâ— xix Rise vp before the horehead and reuerence the face of the old man And also experience of things and coldnesse without whiche it is hard to rule well is more in age theÌ„ in youth And this ouersear dyd put hys handes vnto the plow of Gods worde and fed Christes flocke and tended theÌ„ onely without lookyng vnto any other businesse in the world An other officer they chose and called him Deacon after the Greke a minister in English to minister the almes of the people vnto the poore and nedy For in the coÌ„gregation of Christ loue maketh euery mans gift goods commoÌ„ vnto the necessitie of his neighbour Wherfore the loue of God beyng yet hoate in the hartes of men the rich that had the substauÌ„ce of this worldes goodes brought of their aboundaunce great plentie vnto the sustentation of the poore deliuered it vnto the haÌ„ds of the Deacons And vnto the helpe of the DeacoÌ„s were widowes of lx yeare old holy vertuous and destitute of frendes chosen to tende wayte vpon the sicke and to wash the Saints fete that came from one congregation vnto an other whether for any businesse or for feare of persecution And those common goodes of the Churche offered for the succour of the poore grew in all Churches so excedyngly that in some congregation it was so much that it was sufficient to mayntaine an host of men In so much that tyrauntes did oft tymes persecute the Christen for those common goodes as thou seest in the life of S. Laurence the Deacon of Rome And moreouer the couetousnes of the Prelates was the decay of ChristeÌ„dome and the encreasing of the kyngdome of Mahomete For by the first springing of the empyre of Mahomete the Emperours Kynges and great Lordes of Christendome had geuen their treasure so mightely vnto the Church what after great victories what at their deathes that their successours were not able to maintaine battell against the Saracenes Turkes for the world was not yet in such captiuitie that they coulde make theyr subiectes sweare on bookes what they were worth rayse vp taxes at their pleasure so that a certayne writer of stories sayth â–ª The prelates gaped wheÌ„ the laye meÌ„ would take the warre vppon them agaynst the Turkes the laye men looked when the Prelates woulde lay out their money to make the warre withall and not to spend it in worse vse as the most part of them were wont to do spending the money that was gotten with almose bloude of martyrs vppon goodly plate and great vesseles of golde
not commauÌ„ded to care for hys flocke as well as Peter Moreouer if to fede Christes shepe is to be greatest as no doubt to fede Christes flocke is to be great and most to fede is to be greatest in which office though Peter was great yet Paule was greater how commeth it that the pope by that authoritie chaleÌ„geth to be greatest yet this viij hundred yeares fedeth not at all but poysoneth their pasture with the venemous leuen of hys traditions and with wrestyng the text vnto a contrary sense Then came he to this text Math. xvj Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my congregation or Church Lo saith Antichrist the carnall beast Peter is the rocke whereon the Church of Christ is built I am his successour and therfore the head of Christes Church When Christ ment by the rocke the confession that Peter had confessed saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the lyning God which art come into this world This fayth is the rocke wheron Christes Churche is built For who is of Christes Churche but he onely that beleueth that Christ is Gods sonne come into this worlde to saue sinners This faith is it against which hell gates caÌ„ not preuaile This fayth is it which saueth the congregation of Christ and not Peter TheÌ„ he goeth forth vnto that which foloweth Vnto thee I will geue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and what soeuer thou byndest in earth it shal be bound in heauen c. Loe sayth he in that he sayth what soeuer thou bindest in earth he excepteth nothyng therfore I may make lawes and binde both King Emperour When Christ as he had no worldly kyngdome euen so he spake of no worldly bindyng but of bindyng of sinners Christ gaue hys Disciples the keye of the knowledge of the law of God to binde all sinners and the keye of the promises to loose al that repent to let them into the mercy that is layed vp for vs in Christ Then coÌ„meth he vnto an other text which Christ rehearseth Mathew last saying All power is geuen me in heauen and earth go ye therfore and teach all natioÌ„s Baptising them in the name of the father and the sonne of the hely ghost teachyng them to kepe all that I commauÌ„ded you And behold I am with you vnto the worldes end Loc sayth the Pope Christ hath all power in heauen and earth without exceptioÌ„ and I am Christes Vicare wherfore all power is myne and I am aboue all kynges and Emperours in temporall iurisdiction and they but my seruauÌ„tes to kisse not my feete onely but my N. also if I list not to haue them stoupe so low When Christ as I sayd because he had no temporall kyngdome euen so he ment of no temporall power but of power to saue sinners which the processe of y e text declareth by that he sayth go ye therfore and teach and Baptise that is preach this power to al natioÌ„s and wash of their sinnes through fayth in the promises made in my bloud Then hee commeth vnto an other text Heb. vij which is The priesthode beyng translated the law must needes be translated also Now saith the pope the Priesthode is translated vnto me wherefore it pertayneth vnto me to make lawes and to binde euery man And y â— Epistle meaneth no such thyng but proueth euidently that the ceremonies of Moyses must ceasse For the Priestes of the olde Testament must nedes haue bene of the tribe of Leâ—i as AaroÌ„ was whose duty for euer was y e offeryng of sacrifices Wherfore when that Priesthode ceased the sacrifices ceremonies ceased also Now y t Priesthode ceased in Christ whiche was a Priest of y e order of Melchisedeke not of the order of Aaron for then he must haue bene of the tribe of Leâ—i and that he was not but of the tribe of Iuda of the seede of Dauid Wherefore they that are vnder Christes Priesthode are vnder no sacrifices or ceremonies And of this maner iuggle they with all the Scripture whiche falshed lest the laye men should perceaue with reading the processe of the text is all their feare what soeuer they pretend Moreouer that thou mayst perceaue the Popes falshed marke Christ sayd vnto Peter I will geue not I geue neither sayd he I will geue vnto the onely Therfore looke in the. xx chapter of Iohn where hee gaue them the keyes after his resurrection and thou shalt see that he gaue them vnto all indifferently saying As my father sent me so send I you Whether sent he theÌ„ into all the world and vnto all natioÌ„s What to do to preach the law that the people might repent and the promises that they might beleue in Christ for the remission of sinnes saying receaue the holy ghost who soeuers sinne ye forgeue they shall be forgeuen By which holy ghost he gaue them vnderstaÌ„dyng of the Scripture and of all that they should preach as thou mayst see Luke last where he opened their wittes to vndestand the Scripture and sayd that repentauce and forgeuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name to all nations and that they were witnesses to preach it Whereby thou seest that to bynde and to lose is but to preach to tell the people their faultes to preach mercy in Christ to all that repent And when he sayth all power is geuen me he sayth not go thou Peter preach but saith vnto all indifferently go ye and preach this power geuen me of my father to saue all that repent and to damne them that repent not but folow the lustes of their flesh with full desire to lyue beastly beyng enemyes vnto the law of God And Math. xviij Peter asked Christ howe oft hee should forgeue hys brethren whether seueÌ„ tymes And Christ sayd seuentie tymes seuen tymes As who should say as ost as he repenteth and asketh forgeuenesse Now though this were spokeÌ„ vnto Peter onely because Peter onely moued the question yet pertaineth it not vnto vs all as well as vnto Peter Are not we as much bound to forgeue our neighbours that repeÌ„t and aske forgeuenesse as Peter Yes verely But because Peter onely asked the question therfore did Christ teach vs by Peter If an other had asked he would haue taught vs by that other And in lyke maner when Christ asked who say ye that I am if any other of the Apostles which beleued it as well as Peter had sayd as Peter did thou art Christ the sonne of the lyuyng God whiche art come into the world of sinners to saue them vnto him would Christ haue auÌ„swered as he did to Peter that vppon the rocke of that his coÌ„fession he wold haue built his church and would haue promised him keyes as well as he dyd Peter Yea and in the xviij chapter of Mathew Christ sayth to all the Apostles yea and to all congregatioÌ„s
captaine at Calice Hāmes Gynes Iarnsie and Gernsie or sent them to Ireland and into the North and so occupyed them tyll the kyng had forgot them and other were in theyr rowmes or till hee had sped what he entended And in like maner played he wyth the Ladyes and gentlewemen Whosoeuer of them was great wyth her was he familiar and to her gaue he giftes Yea and where Saint Thomas of Canterbury was wont to come after Thomas Cardinall went oft before preuenting his Prince and peruerted the order of y ◠holy man If any were suttill witted mete for hys purpose her made he sworne to betray the Queene likewise to tel him what she sayd or did I know one that departed y e Court for no other cause thē that she would no lenger betray her mastresse And after the same example he furnished the Court with Chaplaines of his owne sworne Disciples and children of his owne bringing vp to be alway present and to dispute of vanities and to water what soeuer the Cardinall had planted If among those cormoraūtes any yet began to be to much in fauour with the kyng to be somewhat busie in the Court and to drawe any other way then as my Lord Cardinall had appointed that the plowe should go anone he was sent to Italy or to Spayne or some quarel was picked agaynst him and so was thrust out of the Court as Stokesly was He promoted the Byshop of Lyncolne that now is his most faythfull trend and old companion made him confessour to whom of what soeuer the kynges grace shroue him selfe thinke ye not that hee spake so loude that the Cardinall heard it and not vnright for as Gods creatures ought to obey God and serue his honor so ought the Popes creatures to obey the pope and serue his Maiestie Finally Thomas Wolfsey became what he would euen porter of heauen so that no mā could enter into promotion but through him ¶ The cause of all that we haue suffred this xx yeares ABout the beginnyng of the kinges grace that now is Fraunce was mighty so that I suppose it was not mightyer this v. hundred yeares King Lewes of Fraunce had wonne Naples and had taken Bonony from S. Peters see Wherefore Pope Iuly was wroth cast how to bring the Frenchmen downe yet soberly lest while he brought him lower he should geue an occasion to lift vp y ◠Emperour higher Our first viage into Spayne was to bryng the Frenchmen lower For our meynye were set in the forefront and borders of Spaine toward Gascoyne partly to kepe those parties and partly to feare the Gascoynes and to kepe them at home whyle in the meane time the Spanyardes wanne Nauerne When Nauerne was wonne our men came to house as many as dyed not there and brought al their mony with them home againe saue that they spent there Howbeit for all the losse of Nauerne the Frenchmen were yet able enough to match Spayne the Venetians and the Pope with all the souchenars that he could make so that there was yet no remedy but we must set on the Frenchmen also if they should be brought out of Italie Then pope Iulie wrote vnto hys deare sonne Thomas Wolfse that he would be as good as louing and as helping to holy church as any Thomas euer was seeing he was as able Then the new Thomas as glorious as the old tooke the matter in hand perswaded the kinges grace And then the kinges grace tooke a dispensation for his oth made vpon the appointmēt of peace betweene him and the french king and promised to helpe the holy seat wherein Pope Peter neuer sate But the Emperor Maximilian might in no wise stand still least the Frenchmen should mony him and get ayd of him since the Almaines refuse not mony whence soeuer it be proffered then quod Thomas Wolfse Oh and like your grace what an honour should it be vnto your grace if the Emperour were your souldiar so great honour neuer chaunced any King christened it should be spoken of while the world stood the glory and honour shall hyde and darken the cost that it shall neuer be seene though it shoulde coste halfe your Realme Dixit factum est It was euen so And then a Parlament and then pay then vpon the French dogs with cleane remission of all hys sinnes that slew one of them or if he be slain for y ◠pardons haue no strēgth to saue in this life but in y ◠life to come only then to heauen straight without feeling of the paynes of purgatory Then came our king with all hys might by sea and by land and the Emperour with a strong army and the Spaniardes and the Pope the Venecians al at once against king Lewes of Fraunce Assoue as the Pope had that he desired in Italy then peace immediatly And Frenchmen were christen men and pitie yea and great sinne also were it to shed their bloud the French King was the most Christen king againe And thus was peace concluded and our Englishmen or rather sheep came home against winter and left their flecces behind them Wherefore no small number of them while they sought them better rayment at home were hanged for their labour Why the kinges sister was turned vnto Fraunce WHen this peace was made our holy Cardinalles and Bisshops as their old guise is to calke and cast xl l. yea an hundred yeare before what is like to chaunce vnto their kingdome considered how the Emperour that now is was most like to be chosē emperour after his graundfather Maximilian for Maximilian had already obtayned of diuers of the Electours that it should so be They considered also how mighty he shuld be first king of Spaine with all that perteyneth thereto which was wont to be v. vj. or vij kingdomes then duke ot Burgaine erle of Flaunders of Hollonde Zelande and Braband with all that pertaine therto thē Emperour and his brother Duke of Austrie and his sister Quene of Hungrie Wherfore thought our prelates if we take not heed betimes our kingdome is like to be troubled and we to be brought vnder y t feet for this mā shall be so mighty that he shall with power take out of the French kinges handes out of the hands of the Venetians and from the pope also whatsoeuer pertaineth vnto the Empire and whatsoeuer belongeth vnto his other kingdomes and dominions thereto and then will he come to Rome be crowned there and so shall he ouerlooke our holy father and see what he doth and then shall the old heretikes rise vp againe and say that the pope is Antichrist and stir vp againe bring to light that we haue hid and brought a sleep with much cost payne bloudshedding more then this hundred yere long Considered also that his Aunte is Queene of England and his wife the King of Englands
swete water and bloud of very agonie conceiued of his passioÌ„ so nighe at hand The bloud stricken on the postes saued theÌ„ that they were not plagued with the Egyptians deliuered them out of the captiuitie of Pharao And the bloud of Christ strickeÌ„ on the postes of our consciences deliuereth vs from the captiuitie of Pharao the deuill and smitting of his auÌ„gels c. There might not a bone thereof be broken no more were there of Christes though the ij that were hanged with him had either of them his legges his armes brokeÌ„ Moreouer that it was a very prophecie of y e death of Christ of the vertue of his passion it is made the more manifest by the woordes of Christ himselfe Luke 22. for the night before hys passion when he had eaten Pesah with his Disciples he sayd I will no more â—ate of it henceforth till it be fulfilled in the kyngdome of GOD. As who should say This memoriall which we yearely haue hetherto obserued was once fulfilled in the kyngdome of this world when your fathers were deliuered out of bondage and seruitude of the Egyptians But it hath yet an other signification hetherto vnknowen vnto you which must be fulfilled spirituallie in the kingdome of God by my passion that is at hand and bloud that now shall shortly be shed by the which ye shal be deliuered out of the power of Sathan sinne and hell made heyres of the kyngdome of heauen Neither was it the lambes bloud that deliuered you then For what regarde hath God in the bloud of shepe and calues but the bloud of Christ whom that lambe figured and described his innocencie purenes and obedience to hys father and compassion to mankynde ward whose feble nature he had put on with all the infirmities of the same saue sinne did then deliuer you to bryng you to the fayth of this deliueraunce and to make you through faith partakers therof Many things there be in the Scripture whiche haue a carnall fulfillyng euen there where they be spoken or done and yet haue an other spirituall signification to be fulfilled long after in Christ and his kyngdome and yet neuer knowen till the thyng be done As the Serpent of Brasse which Moses haÌ„ged vp in the wildernes though it tooke effect carnally in the wildernes yet it so describeth the liftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse the vertue of his passion that no touÌ„g could better declare it to make the hart feele it If ye aske why they may not be knowen till they be done and what prophecie may helpe I aunswere If men dyd vnderstand them before they were done they would endeuour to let the fulfillyng of them and when the significatioÌ„ is fulfilled then to see how playnly it was described in the Scripture doth excedyngly coÌ„firme the fayth thereof and make it better to be vnderstand And when this Pesah was fulfilled spirituallie in the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ by the death and bloud â—heddyng of Christ it ended there And in y t roome therof coÌ„cernyng that spirituall significatioÌ„ came the signe of the SacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ as Baptisme came in stede of CircuÌ„cision thyngs more easie lesse paynefull and tedious to be obserued and more gentle to prouoke and entise the Heathen For as the lambe describeth the death of Christ to come and the maner of his passion by which we should be deliuered euen so doth the ceremonie of the body and bloud of Christ testifie vnto vs that he hath giuen him selfe to death for vs and redemed vs already if we beleue and cleue 〈◊〉 to the profession of our Baptisme 〈…〉 thâ—â—in or will if any tempest had 〈◊〉 vs out of the right course returne to the right way agayne This to be so the wordes of the Instituâ—â—d declare which are these 1. Cor. 11. The Lord Iesus the night that he was betraâ—ed tooke bread and gaue thankes and brake it and sayd Take eate this is my body that shal be giuen for you this doe in remembraunce of me And likewise he tooke the cup wheÌ„ Supper was done saying This cup is the new TestameÌ„t in my bloud this do as often as ye shall drinke it in the remembraunce of me Here ye see by these woordes that it was ordeined to kepe the death of Christ in minde and to testifie that his body was giueÌ„ and his bloud shed for vs. And Luke 22. This is my body that is giueÌ„ for you do this in remembraunce of me And this cup is the new Testament in my bloud whiche shal be shed for you Loe here ye see agayne that it was instituted to kepe y t death of Christ in minde and to testifie wherfore he dyed eueÌ„ to saue vs from sinne death and hell that we should seeke none other meanes to be deliuered with for there is none other name for vs to be saued by but onely by the name of Iesus Actes 4. And as the children of Israell stong of the firie Serpents could haue none other remedy to saue them from present death then to go and behold the brasen Serpent hanged vp by Moses in the wildernes whiche lookyng on onely healed them Euen so if the styng of death whiche is sinne haue wounded their soule with the workyng of the law in the consciences there is none other remedy then to runne to Christ which shed his bloud hangyng vpon the Crosse and to his euerlastyng Testament and mercyfull promise that it was shed for vs for the remissioÌ„ of our sinnes If thou be stong with conscieÌ„ce of sinne the Cockatrice of thy poysoned nature hath beheld her selfe in the glasse of the righteous law of GOD there is none other salue for remedie theÌ„ to runne to Christ immediatly and to the father through him And to say father I haue sinned agaynst thee and thy godly holy and righteous law agaynst my brother whom I ought of all right to loue for thy sake as well as my selfe forgeue me O father for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake accordyng to thy most mercyfull promises Testament I will aske my brother forgiuenes if the peace I meane be not made already and will make to my power such satisfaction to hym as shall seme right in his eyes if he be reasonable or as the congregatioÌ„ shall assigne or faythfull men thereunto appointed by the congregation or such as I and he will agree vpon and will endeuour my self to do so no more with the helpe of thy grace And will submit my selfe to the wholesome ordinaunce of the coÌ„gregation accordyng the doctrine of thy sonne Iesus and of his faithful Apostles For there is none other name giuen vnder heauen wherby we shal be saued but onely the name of Iesus Hereof ye see that the SacrameÌ„t is an absolutioÌ„ of our sinnes as often as we receiue it where it is truly
to aduenge and no man els 136. b. onely ought to punish open sinne 137. a Kyng geuen to the Israelites 118. a Kinges why chosen 109. b Kinges and Emperours once elected the Pope onely 352. b. throwen downe by Papistes 127. a. how instructed of Byshops 98. b. captiues through flatterers 137. a. become hangmen to Antichrist 138. a in subiection to the Clergy 140. b. sinne in geuyng and Prelates in reuyng exemptioÌ„s 115. b. wayt on the Popes pleasure 114. b. defeÌ„ded the Popes false authoritie 114. b. sworne to Byshops and not Byshops to kynges 155. b Kinges must make their accompt to to God onely 111. b. must kepe law-promise with all men 124. a. must execute their office them selues and commit the same to wicked Popish Byshops 138. a Kinges law is Gods law 137. b Kinges must be learned 198. a. may not rule after their owne Imagination 179. a. must folowe Gods word in all their doynges 222. a Kinges and subiectes one afore God 224. b Kingdome of heauen what 235. a. of Christ spirituall 343. a. of heauen of this world not alyke 160. a Kingdome of the pope of this world 343. b Kingdome of Lombardy deuided 349. a Knauery in shrift 147. b Knowledge of God 408. b. of the true way 298. b. of Scriptures pertayneth to all men 138. a Knowledge of Christ not taught vs by Papistes 159. a Knowledge al darke saue harty knowledge of Christes bloudshedyng 197. b Knowledge why vsed and not coÌ„fession 254. a L. LAdders sold of Papistes to clime to heauen 123. b Lambes 187. a Landes why first geuen to spirituall officers 134. a Landes temporall small in respect of the spirituall landes 135. b Landlordes should not rayse rentes 121. b. shoulde not suffer their tenauntes to be damaged 122. a Last farthyng expounded 204. b Latine seruice 151. b Latin toung onely vsed to all 134. b Latin text coÌ„demned of More 251. b Latria 299. a Lawes of Papistes seuerall 102. a Law spirituall of the Arches how it spoyleth 136. b Law condeÌ„neth 77. b. bringeth death 62. a. how geuen 117. b. what it requireth 47. a. a marke to see how we are purged 165. a. must be in â—ight and why 379. a. requireth impossible thynges of vs. 378. b. driueth to desperation 442. a Law her office 186. a. how fulfilled 186. a. accuseth the holyest of all 120. a. cannot iustifie 64. a. leadeth to Christ 184. a. cannot geue lyfe 9. b. fulfilled with loue 22. a. fulfilled with Christes mercy 31. b. geueÌ„ by Moses 184. b. 378. how read of hypocrites 24. a Law walkyng 74. a. requireth all our hartes 39. b. condemneth and why 389. a. must be fulfilled spiritually 41. a. byndeth the Gospell lowseth 383. b. is spiritual 26. a. and 40. b. fulfilled by Christ onely 40. a. condemneth Christ geueth pardoÌ„ 378. b. how satisfied 40. a. wholly conteined in the x. commaundementes 33. b Law her subiection what 46. b Law and sinne wordes to be noted 39. b Law vttereth what sinne is 47. b. encreaseth sinne 40. b Lawes temporall 10. b. not executed no law 311. a Law of nature byndeth vs to helpe our neighbour 72. a Law kepyng and breakyng what foloweth 206. b Law breakers cursed of God 23. b Layty why they rule not 131. a. kept from halfe the Sacrament 428. a. must néedes now haue the Gospell 148. a Leadyng in darknes 310. a Learned men haue doubted of Paule his Epistle to the Hebrues who is author therof 56. a Leauen of many sortes 225. a. of the Pope 307. b Lechery 267. a. 405. b Lechery and couetousnes no sinnes with Papistes 267. b Legend of Popish lyes 301. a Left hand 141. a Leo the iij. Pope 349. b Leper a good example 15. a Lesser ceasseth in presence of the greater 358. b Lesson very frutefull 31. b. godly 309. b. good for ministers 477. a. tellyng vs when we haue Gods spirite 92. b Leude Cardinall and a false Pope 371. b Lewes the milde 350. b Libertie 105. b. commeth through patience 119. a Liberties graunted by Papistes to all maner malâ—factours 179. a Liberalitie to our brethren 425. a Light continuaunce therein what 404. a Litle flocke 292. b. receiueth the promises 292. a. goeth to wracke 293. a Litle master Parson hys practises 362. b Life of Gods elect Scripture 389. b Life not geuen by the law 9. b Litterall sense is spirituall 169. a. proueth an allegory 167. b Litterall seÌ„se of More dashed 466. a Loafe of bread signifieth one body in Christ 472. a Loane forgeuen of the Clergy 374. a and by the temporaltie ibidem Losing and bindyng 357. a. the ryght maner thereof 150. a. signification therof 174. b Losse for Christes sake a C. tymes restored 89. a Lottes castyng lawfull 27. a Lone 10. b. 205. a. 225. b. and 246. b. office therof 188. a. diuersly vnderstode 253. b. is righteousnes 225. a. prayeth 201. b. expelleth feare 419. a. causeth boldnes 418. b. maketh vs Gods sonnes 417. a. maketh all thynges common 40â— a. helpeth at neede 201. a. careth for our brethreÌ„ 418. b Loue of the world 97. a. 405. a. of our neighbour 211. a. towardes god and our neighbour how to be tryed 22. b. must woorke in all thynges 281. a Loue of God and the contrary what they be 23. a Loue to the law is coupled with true fayth 187. a Loue fulfilleth the law 49. a. 22. a. 50 keepeth the lawe 203. a. fulfilleth Gods will 419. a Loue towardes God fruites therof 22. b. seketh not her owne 84. a Loue of our selues â—90 b. of our neighbour Gods commaundement 419. b Loue is not charitie generally econtra 253. b Loue vnderstandeth the lawe 36. b. breaketh the law 411. a Loue towardes God what 78. a. among ChristiaÌ„s maketh all things commoÌ„ 83. a. beautifieth all things 248. b. not paynfull 418. b. signified to vs by Gods correction 25. a Loue of God to vs before ours to hym 416. b Loue both frend and foe 216. b Louers of God loue their neighbour 332. b Lucretia the Romane Lady 113. b Lucifer 353. a. his broode iustifie theÌ„ selues 224. a Lustes euill how purged 186. b. diuerse in one man 113. a Luther his submission to kyng Henry the viij 375. a M. MAgistrates reuengers of temporall causes 191. a Mahomet waxed great how 348. b. his doctrine and continuaunce therof 301. a Mahomet and the pope began at one tyme. 348. a Mayd of Ipswich 284. b Mayd of Kent inspired 285. a. receiued small pleasure of our Lady 285. a Maister in Gods stede to hys seruaunt 109. a Malice of the Iewes toward Christ 459. b Malicious blindnes in More Mammon what it is 71. b. 233. a. a God ibidem his seruaunt who and how knowen 233. b. disguiseth meÌ„ 233. a. his seruauÌ„t no true preacher 233. b. may purchase frendes for vs. 71. 〈◊〉 Man is first good 412. a. first euill ibidem cannot helpe the dead 13. b. Lord ouer all creatures 248. a.
restreynt with the Lubeckes After this he went agayne to Whittembergh to the Duke of Saxson and to Luther and there remayned to set forth his workes in Print that he had begonne And from thence shortly after he returned agayne into England in the tyme of Quéene Anne Boleyn and continued a faythfull preacher in this Citie of London all the time that shée remained Quéene And was well enterteyned and promoted After this by the meane of the Lord Cromwell he was sent Ambassadour from K. HeÌ„ry the viij to the Duke of Cleue for the mariage of y t Lady Anne of Cleue betwéene the king and her and was well excepted in that Ambassade and in all his doinges vntill the tyme that Stephen Gardiner came out of Fraunce But after he came neither Religion prospered nor the Quéenes maiestie nor Cromwell nor the preachers who after the mariage of the Lady Anne of Cleue neuer ceased vntill he had graffed the mariage in an other stocke by the occasion whereof he began his bloudy broyle For not long after the dissolution of y t sayd mariage betwéene king HeÌ„ry y t viij and y t Lady Anne of Cleue y t sayd Doctour Barnes with two of his brethreÌ„ felow preachers named Iherome and Garret were apprehended and caried before the kynges maiestie to Hampton court and there were examined where the kynges maiestie séeking the meanes of Barnes safetie to bring Winchester and him agréed at Winchesters request graunted him leaue to goe home with the Byshop to conferre with hym and so he did But as it happened they not agréeing Gardiner his comparteners sought by all subtile meanes how to entangle and intrappe them into farther daunger which not long after was brought to passe For by certayne complayntes made to the king of them they were enioyned to preach iij. SermoÌ„s the next Easter folowing at the Spittle beside London At the which Sermons besides other reporters which were thither sent Stephen Gardiner Byshop of Winchester was there present sitting wyth the Maior either to beare recorde of their recantation or els as the Phariseys came to Christ to trippe them in their talke if they had spoken any thing awry When the aforesayd thrée had preached their Sermons among whom Barnes preaching the first SermoÌ„ and hée séeing Stephen Gardiner there present humbly desired him in the face of all the audience to forgéeue him and that if he forgaue hym to holdâ—… vp his hand and the sayd Gardiner thereupoÌ„ helde vp his finger Yet notwithstaÌ„ding by the meanes of y t said reporters they all iij. immediatly after they had preached were sent for to Hampton court and from thence caryed to the Tower by Syr Iohn Gostwyke and there they remayned vntill the xxx day of Iuly next folowing TheÌ„ ensued processe against them by the kynges counsaile in the Parliament to the which Gardiner confessed himselfe to be priuy among the rest Whereupon all the aforesayd thrée Saintes and true Martyrs the xxx day of Iuly not comming to any auÌ„swere nor yet knowing any cause of their coÌ„demnation without any publique hearing were drawen on herdelles from the Tower to Smithfield where they preparing them selues to the fier had there at the stake diuerse sondry exhortations amongest whome Doctour Barnes first beganne with this protestation folowing I am come hither to be burned as an heretike and you shall heare my beliefe wereby you shall perceaue what erronious opinions â–ª I holde God I take to record I neuer to my knowledge taught any erronious doctrine but onely those thinges which the Scripture leade me vnto and that in my sermons I neuer mainteyned any errour neither moued nor gaue occasioÌ„ of any insurrection Although I haue béene slaundered to preache that our lady was but a Saffron bagge which I vtterly protest before God that I neuer ment it nor preached it But all my study and diligence hath beene vtterly to confound and confute all men of that doctrine as are the Anabaptistes which denie that our Sauiour Christ tooke any fleshe of the blessed virgine Mary which sectes I detest and abhorre And in deede in this place there hath beene burned some of them whom I neuer fauoured nor mainteyned but with all diligence I did studie euermore to set forth the glory of God the obedience to our soueraigne Lord the King and the true and sincere religion of Christ And now harken to my fayth I beléeue in the holy and blessed Trinitie three persons and one God that created and made all the world And that this blessed Trinitie sent downe the second person Iesu Christ into the wombe of the most blessed purest virgin Mary And heare beare me recorde that I doe vtterlye condemne that abhominable and detestable opinion of y e Anabaptistes which say that Christ tooke no fleshe of the blessed virgine For I beléeue that without the consent of mans will or power he was conceaued by the holy ghost and tooke fleshe of her and that he suffered hunger thirst colde and other passions of our body sinne except according to the saying of S. Peter he was made in all things like to his bretheren except sinne And I doe beléeue that he liued here among vs and after he had preached and taught his fathers will he suffered the most cruell and bitter death for me and all mankinde And I doe beléeue that this his death and passion was the sufficient price and ransoÌ„e for the sinne of all the world And I beléeue that through his death he ouercame the deuill sinne death and hell and that there is none other satisfaction vnto the father but this his death and passion onely and that no worke of man did deserue any thing of God but onely his passion as touching our iustification For I knowledge the best worke that euer I did is vnpure and vnperfect And here withall he cast abroad his handes and desired God to forgeue him his trespasces For although perchauÌ„ce said he you know nothing by me yet I doe confesse that my thoughtes and cogitations be innumerable Wherefore said he I beséech the o Lorde not to enter into iudgmeÌ„t with me According to the saying of the Prophet Dauid Non intres in iuditium cum seruo tuo domine And in an other place Si iniquitates obseruaueris domine quis sustinebit Lord if thou straightly marke our inniquitie who is able to abide thy iudgment Wherefore I trust in no good worke that euer I did but onely in y e death of Christ I doe not doubt but through him to inherite y e kingdome of heauen Take me not here that I speake against good workes for they are to bée done and verely they that doe them not shall neuer come to the kingdome of God We must doe them because they are commauÌ„ded vs of God to shewe and set forth our profession not to deserue or merite for that is onely the death of Christ I beléeue that there is a holy Church
By this word doe we receiue lyfe as the prophet sayth Thy speach shall quicken mée Also the secreates of our hartes be opened by this word S. Paule declareth saying if there come one that doth not beléeue hée is reproued by the word of all men and the secreates of his harte are opened By this worde also is declared vnto vs grace and euerlasting lyfe as S. Paule sayth Christ hath put away death and hath brought lyfe and immortalitie vnto the light through the Gospell This is the thing onely where by that our conscience is losed and made frée from synne Therefore sayth the holy Prophet there is much peace vn to them that loue the lawe of God there is no sclauÌ„der vnto them Much peace is nothyng els but remission of sinnes yea that without any doubt for hée that is loosed by the worde of God that is hée that hath the open word of God for hym that his sinnes bée forgeueÌ„ him hée can not bée sclauÌ„dered that is there is nothyng can make him to doubt but though heauen and hell life and death doe threaten him hée is not offended hée is not sclaundered but hydeth fast knoweth surely that all these thynges must perishe but the word of God bydeth for euer Wherefore this is the very keye that iudgeth the thoughtes and the intentes of the hart as S. Paule sayth By this haue we also the very knowledge of our sinne as S. Paule declareth to the Romaines by this is also declared vnto vs grace also remission of our sinnes if we beléeue it Wherefore this must néedes bée the very true keye as you may sée euidently thoroughout all Scripture and not your boasted and craked power for there is no such thynge nor yet can bée in man that can loose the soule of man from hys sinne Wherefore it is damnable and deuillishe learning and commeth of the presumptuous pride of maÌ„ to learne that man hath a power in hym by the which power mans soule is bounde or loosed from sinne But this is all that man hath hée is a minister and a dispensator of the heauenly worde of God for whose sake our sinnes bée remitted when we beléeue it and our sinnes bée retained when wée doe de spise it Therfore the blessed word of God is the very keye and in that is all the might and power to loouse our sinnes and man is but a minister and a seruaunt vnto this worde This may bée prooued by our Maister Christes wordes where hée sayth Goe your wayes into all the worlde and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures and hée that doth beléeue and is baptised shal be saued but hée that doth not beléeue shall bee damned Here may you playnely sée that the Apostles bée but ministers and seruauntes and haue no power but alonely ministration The keyes that they haue whereby they must loose men and bynde is the very worde of God And therfore sayth our Maister Christ hée that beléeueth shall bée saued and hée that doth not beléeue shal bée damned By this worde did the holy Apostles declare grace thorough Christ and learned meÌ„ to set all their hope of saluation in Christ onely By this worde did they learne men to knowledge their sinne and to séeke for grace fully and wholly to hope for remission forgéeuenes of theyr sinnes in Christ onely Briefely by these keyes is opened all goodnes if they bée receaued And all goodnes is shutte from vs if wée receaue them not Now where this keye is receaued by faith there is all things â—wsed that is all sinnes bée forgéeuen and the consciences bée made frée And where it commeth not in nor is receaued by faith there all thynges bée shutte and bounde Of this maner did the holy Apostles bynde and loose when they preached this holy worde of God vnto y â— people As wée haue an open example of S. Peter that preached this holy worde and at his preaching y e hearers were pricked in their hartes and asked Peter what they myght doe and hée aunswered them repent and bée baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus for remission of your sinnes and you shall receaue the gifte of the holy Ghost wherfore as many as receaued his word were baptised Here you haue playnely the very true maner of loosing from sinnes as y e holy Apostles vsed it that is when the people beléeued the worde that they preached theÌ„ they declared how their sinnes were remitted for Christes sake and not thorow any power that they had for they were but ministers But the very power was in the word of God whereby they were deliuered from their sinnes This is well proued by our maister Christes word where hée sayth vnto them goe and preach saying That the kyngdome of heauen is at hande What is this the kyngdome of heauen not any power that is in man but remission of sinnes shall bée geuen to them that receiue either your power or your persons and therfore followeth it In what house you enter say first peace bée with you and if the house bée worthy your peace shall come vppon the same that is to say if they reciue your word and beléeue it than shall your peace that is the peace of the Gospel which you bring with you geue them quietnes of conscieÌ„ce and lose them from all synne But if the house bée not worthy your peace shall returne to you agayn and whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor will heare your preaching when you depart out of that house shake of the dust from your féete I say vnto you it shal be easyer for Sodom and Gomorra in the day of Iudgment then for that Cytie What is this your peace shall returne agayne nothing els but that they shall not bée pertakers thereof but shall remaine bound in their sinne And why because they receiue not your persons or your power nay trewlye but because they heare not your preaching It is not to bée doubted but that many men by hearing the Apostles preaching the word of God were losed from their synnes and yet neuer spake with the Apostles Wherefore the receauyng of the word not the Apostle loseth vs from our sinnes for that cause the Apostle did declare by their departing froÌ„ theÌ„ that would not beleue the word y e they remained still in their sinnes for as S. Marke sayth your departyng shal bée a testimonie agaynst them that is to say a token of their condemnation We haue also an open practise of S. Paule how hée dyd bynde theÌ„ that did not receiue his preaching to whoÌ„ hée sayth these wordes Your bloud vpon your heades I will departe froÌ„ hence in clennes vnto the Gentiles Now haue you playnely how the holy Apostle dyd bynde and loose and with what keye they did it that is by preachyng of the holy word of God And because this thyng shoulde
virginitie agaynst his will nor hée would not make virginitie a thyng of necessitie Wherefore it must néedes folow First that the Pope byndyng men to virginitie doth lay a snare for them both nothyng els except they haue the gift of chastitie but bryng men in daunger of damnation Secōdarily hée maketh a thyng of necessitie that y e holy ghost in blessed s Paul durst not nor would not doe Thyrdly that thyng that S. Paule reckened onely to conduce and helpe to quietnes in this present lyfe that same thyng maketh the Pope a Sauiour and a helper to heauē the which is a great blasphemy to Christes holy bloud and also a peruerse vsing of Gods blessed creatures Now let euery Christen mā iudge if this bée charitably done of the pope yea whether hée hath authoritie this to doe or not Let no man I beseche hym iudge in this matter after parcia litie but euen as hée will aunswere béefore God After this blessed S. Paule goeth farther as cōcernyng them that haue a purpose a promise between God and them to kéepe their charitie hys woordes bée these Hée that purposeth surely in hys hart hauyng no néede but hath power ouer his owne wil hath so decréed in his hart y t hée will kéepe hys virginitie doth well Here note first that S. Paule compelleth no man to vow but hée letteth euery man stand to his owne will Farthermore blessed S. Paul willeth what soeuer hée bée that decréeth in his hart to kéepe virginity that bée must first consider whether it lyeth in his power to kéepe his decrée or not If it bée in his power then sayth S. Paule doth hée better to kéepe his virginitie thē to marry But if it lye not in his power to bée chast doth body soule then willeth S. Paule that hée marry Note here that S. Paul notwithstandyng mans decrée and purpose which hée made to kéepe virginity willeth that hée doe marry if hée cā not kéepe his decrée purpose How cōtrary is this to the popes doctrine whiche rather suffereth his Priestes to liue in all vnclennes by y t reason of their foolish promise made vnto hym then hée would suffer them to marry wyues after S. Paules holy doctrine Yea the Pope is not ashamed more cruelly to punishe a poore woman for marying then hée doth if shée were a whore For a Nunne if shée marry sayth hée shall neuer bée admitted to receyue the blessed Sacrament of Christ But if shée bée an whore then sayth hée may shée after penaunce bée admitted to the Sacramēt What is abhorryng of Mariage if this bée none For to compare it yea and to make it worse thē whoredome what if shée haue vowed chastitie hath shée not also vowed to flye fornication Now is shée bounde vnto virginitie but by mans law But for to auoyde fornicatiō and whoredome is Gods commaundement Wherfore sée how hygh that the Pope will set hym selfe aboue God and his holy ordinaunce Furthermore S. Paule sayth that the will of God is that we should abstayne from fornicatiō and that euery one of vs should know to kéepe his vessell in sanctifiing and honour Marke S. Paules saying First that it is the will of God that we should abhorre fornication Who will now resiste the will of God not regarde the thyng that God will haue done I trust no Christen man Furthermore the will of God is y t euery man should kéepe his vessell in honour Now if Priestes bée men and haue not the gift of chastetie then are they bounde to regard this commaundement For hée sayth euery man Marke also that blessed S. Paule calleth the vessell of maryed men honorable and sanctified Wherfore thē shuld it bée vnlawful for a priest to vse a sanctified an holy vessell To possesse other mens vessels in vnclennes is agaynst God and man But it is lawfull for any man here by this text to possesse a vessell of hys owne the which God hath sanctified and honored How can man now for any occasion curse that thyng that God hath sanctified or make it vncleane that God hath purified S. Paule hauing y t spirite of God did prophecie that there should come men in the latter dayes which should forbid men to marry and these men should speake lyes in holy hipocrisie Nowe marke the texte Men shall forbyd maryage and that in the latter dayes The trueth is that no mā hath forbidden any certayne state of men to marry but the Pope onely Wherefore this texte must néedes touch his kingdome séeing that hée is also in the latter dayes There were certayne heretickes called Taciani which did condemne fully and wholy all maner of maryage And though Saynt Paule speaketh against them yet in very déede the Popes doctrine is not excepted séeing it is contayned in these latter dayes For though there were twenty heresies more thē Taciani yet must the texte bée applied agaynst them all that doth cōdēne or els despise mariage in the whole or in the parte For the text is against them all that doth forbid maryage and specially in the latter dayes But hée that doth forbid his priests to marry doth forbid for so much mariage therefore the texte maketh agaynst the Pope Note also that these men that shall forbid mariage shall haue an holy colour of hypocrisie Now hath the Pope forbidden hys Priestes to marry vnder the colour of holynes béecause as hée sayth that his Priestes must bée pure and cleane As who shoulde say that maryage were vncleane and vnpure for priestes to vse What can bée holy hypocrisie if this bée not hypocrisie Here is the holy and pure institution of God condemned as a thyng vncleane for his holy Priestes to vse Moreouer the Taciani did not forbid mariage vnder the colour of holynes but they said it was fully wholy an vnlawfull thynge The which doctrine had no maner of colour But the Pope sayth that mariage is good and laudable in it selfe but his priests bée to pure and to holy for to vse that simple thyng For it is not a thynge sayth hée that doth become y t state of perfecte mē but it belōgeth to weake vnperfect men Now iudge good reader which of these heresies eyther Taciani or Papacy doth pretende y t greatest colour of holynes And yet I am sure y t the holy Ghost in S. Paul did speake both against the greatest also smallest hypocrisie For hée alloweth no maner of fayned holynes There were other certayne heretikes called Marciani These did receiue no man to bée a Christen man excepte hée woulde refuse mariage Marke what diuersitie is betwéene these heretickes and the Popes learning The Pope receiueth no priests except they forsweare maryage The Marcianites they receiue no man to bée a Christen man excepte hée forsweare maryage So that there is no diuersitie betwéete the heretikes and the Pope but that these heretikes doth excepte a greater number then y
they â—oâ— NegligeÌ„ce 〈◊〉 doyng â—…ed brynâ—…th vs to desperation Two apte similitudes 〈◊〉 well and â—…l doings Promise He that professeth not a newe lyfe hath no promise of mercy in Christ Prayer Workes must be seasoned with Gods worde if they shall please God Prayer What it is and how many wayes it may be named prayer Chamber To shut thy chamber doore what it meaneth Prayer Gods commaundement and promise shuld moâ—â— vs to pray The Pater noster That prayer is vayne wherein y t hart is not ioyned with the toung False prayer is painefull True prayer to pleasaunt Sion Shenâ—… Not the multitude of thy â—ordes but thy fayth 〈◊〉 praying God doth respect The Dater noster is expounded To honour Gods name what it is Kinges must commaunde nothyng nor forbid to do any thing contrary to Gods worde When we request any thing at Gods haÌ„d we must pray that his will be done not ours Dayly breade whereby is vnderstoode all that pertaineth vnto the necessitie of this lyfe A surer way then pardons How thou mayst bee sure of pardon for thy sinnes We cannot of our selues but â—all into 〈◊〉 Small occasions drâ—… vs to 〈…〉 〈◊〉 we are 〈◊〉 ly prone Who shuld thinke hym selfe to be without sinne were as euill as Lucifer Kynges 〈◊〉 subiectes are all one afore God A couenauÌ„t where with God is bounde to forgeue vs and we to forgeue ech other Gods couenaunt is a sure absolution to all that keepe Leauen how many wayed it is taken Faith what power it is of and the fruites that spring thereof Loue is righteousnes Faith bringeth loue Workes Loue. Fayth As Leauen can not be seene in a â—oafe without smell or tast so cannot saith in vs without good workes and y â— intent of the same be seene or appeare That fayth iustifieth what iâ— meaneth Fayth Workes are sacramentes Baptim Christ Fayth Fast If fasting be vsed to any other and then to tame the fleshe that thereby we may be the more prone to serue God it is abused To annoint the head what it meaneth Fastyng The heape of inconueniences that spring by â—…rate superfluous 〈◊〉 and drinking Fastyng dayes or dayes of abstmence are to be ordained for common weales sake Almose Prayer Fasting Almose prayer and fasting how necessary Almose prayer and fasting are inseperable Fasting is not in eating and drinking onely Workes make hipocrites 〈◊〉 y â— true entent be away Rulers be ordained for theÌ„ that cannot rule theÌ„selues Preacher The office of a true preacher Note this well ye temporall magistrates Prophets Priestes yea and Kynges of the old TestameÌ„t zealous Preachers Papistes haue often bene called to the Popes couenaunt but seldome to the Lords Obiection Solution Payne How God delueth in our payne takyng Fast The intent of fastyng what â—…s Fast How the Iewes did fast Fast The popes fast A feasâ—yng fast Faslyng The true intent is away from the Popes fastyng Monkes made the Pope a â—…od for his dispensations Couetousnes 〈◊〉 at a 〈…〉 〈◊〉 is 2. Pet 〈◊〉 Couetousnes cannot but erre More Couetousnes blinded the eyes hardened y e hart of Sir Thomas More The coÌ„modities that folow couetous and worldly rich men â—uke xij Luke xiiij Couetousnes maketh the salte of Godes worde vnsauery Couetousnes maketh a false Prophet Darckenesse Couetousnes causeth darcknesse Darckenesse The daâ—â—nes of the Popes doctrine here plainely appeareth Fayth in workes is darcknesse Darcknes Mammon what it is Mammon is a God Mammon maketh meÌ„ disguise theÌ„ selues The seruauntes of Mammon are not oâ— Chriâ—â—es Church The seruaunt of Mammon to no true preacher To bee MammoÌ„s seruaunt what it is MammoÌ„s seruaunt how he is knowen The goodnes of god towarde mankynd Byrdes beastes teache vs to put away care Care Mammon Actes 〈◊〉 ConenauÌ„t keepe couenaunt with God and he shal keepe promise wyth thee Kingdome of heauen what Righteousnes of the kingdome of heauen what it is Iâ— thou folow Christ thou canst not 〈…〉 sufficient liuing Care What we ought châ—â—â—â—est to care for Tempte Why God letteth hys children be tempted with aduersitie What care is forbiddeÌ„ Care whâ—… care euery man ought to haue Gods commaundement is mans lyfe Exod. xx Why God suffereth tirauntes to prosper Iudgyng What iudgyng is to be rebuked All dayes are indifferent to do good dedes to y â— prayse of God the profite of our neighbore The beame Ceremonies hee that breaketh vnitie for zeale of ceremonies vnder slandeth not Gods law Ceremonies Measure â–ª Dogges who they be what is signified therby Swyne truly described Praâ—er is a commauÌ„dement Belefe To beleue in God what Luke 18. Prayer By prayer we wynne the victory onely and therefore is it of all thyngesâ— most necessary False Prophetes what their wickednes 〈◊〉 Mark xiij Math. 24. Thy hart must be ioy ned with thy prayer The riche must pray for dayly bread To thinke our selues saued or preserued by any other meanes then by Gods â–ª is Idolatry Faith must be ioyned to our prayer Though God differ thy request yet must thou not saynt Doubtes How to â—oyle doubtes Note Note Law what the fulfillyng therof is The end of all y â— lawes betwen mâ— and man is to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Strayte gate The narrow way Few finde the narrow waâ— and whâ— Peter Paule â–ª Christ The false prophetes who Sheepes clothing what it meaneth â–ª 〈◊〉 Thess 2. Sheepes clothing Rauening wolues The obedience pouertie and wilfull chastitie of our spiritualtie Pouertie Chastitie Charitie Fasting Prayer Thornes beare no Figges The aunswere of cloysterers to such as shall desire â—elefe at theâ— haÌ„ds A corrupt tree beareth no good â—â—ute Fayth is the kernell of all our good frutes Faith maketh the â—oorke â—oâ—d and acceptable An example howe thy workâ— or deede may be pleasaunt and acceptable before God â–ª Handy craftes are the commaundement of God The Iewes Turkes geâ—r almes as we doe yet for lacke of fayth it is abhominable God is aswell pleased when we thankefully receaue his benefites as when we do geue for his sake Hipocrites exâ—oll their owne workes to destroy the workes of God The holynes of hypocrites wherein it is Aske the 〈◊〉 steÌ„ Friâ—is why they murthered one of their felowes at London Who is y â— spiritualty IgnoraÌ„ce 〈◊〉 not if we wâ—â— notâ—câ— False prophetes how to 〈◊〉 â—here they be Beleuers without 〈◊〉 workers without fayth are built on 〈◊〉 The 〈…〉 〈…〉 the◠〈…〉 in Iesus Christ Fayth what it breedeth Loue. The word of God 〈…〉 〈◊〉 a man into 〈◊〉 parts 〈…〉 y t fleâ—â—e to hold one â—ay and 〈◊〉 spirite to draw an other Iohn 16. The holy ghost shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement 〈◊〉 Cor. 2. The spiritual iudgeth all thynges spiritually Math. 22. Rom. 13. Math. 22. The spirituall man searcheth 〈◊〉 the cause why 〈◊〉 ought to loue hys neighbour â–ª Man is Lord ouer all the creatures of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reg. â—1 Circumâ—…oÌ„ not trequented in 〈◊〉
spirite of the lyuing God not in tables of stone as the ten commaundementes but in the fleshy tables of the hart as who shuld say we writ not a dead law with inke and in parchemenâ— nor graue that which damned you in tables of stone but preache you that which bringeth the spirite of lyfe vnto your brestes which spirite writeth and graueth the law of loue in your hartes and geueth you lust to do the will of God And furthermore sayth he our ablenes coÌ„meth of God which hath made vs able to minister the new TestameÌ„t not of the letter y t is to say not of the law but of the spirite For the letter that is to say the law killeth but the spirite geueth life that is to say the spirite of God whiche entreth your hartes wheÌ„ ye beleue the glad tydinges that are preached you in Christe quickeneth your hartes and geueth you life lust and maketh you to do of loue and of your owne accorde without compulsioÌ„ that which the law compelled you to do and daÌ„ned you because ye could not doe with loue and lust and naturally Thus seest thou that the letter signifieth not the litterall sence and the spirite the spirituall sence And Rom. ij Paul vseth this terme Littera for the law And Rom. vij where he setteth it so playne that it the great wrath of God had not blinded them they could neuer haue stombled at it God is a spirite and all his wordes are spirituall His litterall sence is spituall and all his wordes are spiritual When thou readest Math. j. she shall beare a sonne thou shalt cal his name Iesus For he shall saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes This litteral sence is spiritual and euerlasting life vnto as many as beleue it And the litterall sence of these wordes Math. v. blessed are the mercyfull for they shall haue mercy are spirituall and life Wherby they that are mercyfull may of right by the truth and promise of God challenge mercy And like is it of these wordes Math. vj. If you forgeue othermen their sinnes your heauenly father shall forgeue you yours And so is it of all the promises of God Finally all gods wordes are spiritual if thou haue eyes of God to see the right meanyng of the text whereunto y â— Scripture perteyneth the final end and cause therof All the Scripture is either the promises and TestameÌ„t of God in Christ and stories perteining thereunto to strength thy faith either the law and stories perteining therto to feare thee from euil doing There is no story nor gest seme it neuer so simple or so vyle vnto the worlde but that thou shalt finde therein spirite and life and edifieng in the litterall sense For it is gods Scripture written for thy learnyng and comforte There is no cloute or tagge there that hath not precious reliques wrapt therein of fayth hope pacience and long sufferyng and of the truth of God and also of hys righteousnes Set before thee the storie of Ruben which defiled his fathers beo Marke what a crosse God suffered to fal on the necke of his elect Iacob CoÌ„sider first the shame among the heatheÌ„ when as yet there was no moe of the whole world within the Testament of God but he and his houshold I report me to our Prelates which sweare by their honor whether it were a crosse or no. Seest thou not how our wicked bylders rage because they see their bildynges burne now they are tryed by the fire of Gods word and how they stirre vp the whole world to quench the word of God for feare of loosing their honour Then what busines had he to pacifie his children Looke what a do he had at y â— defiling of his daughter Dina. And be thou sure that the brethren there were no more furious for the defiling of their sister then the sonnes heare for defiling of their mother Marke what folowed Ruben to feare other that they shame not their fathers and mothers He was cursed and lost the kyngdome and also the Priestdome and his tribe or generatioÌ„ was euer few in number as it appeareth in the stories of the Bible The adulterie of Dauid with Barsabe is an ensample not to moue vs to euill but if while we folow the way of righteousnes any chaunce driue vs aside that we despayre not For if we saw not such infirmities in Gods elect we which are so weake and fall so oft should vtterly dispaire thinke that God had cleane forsaken vs. It is therfore a sure and an vndoubted conclusion whether we be holy or vnholy we are all sinners But the differeÌ„ce is that Gods sinners consent not to their sinne They consent vnto the law that it is both holy and righteous and mourne to haue their sinne taken away But the deuils sinners consent vnto their sinne and would haue the law and hell taken away and are enemies vnto the righteousnes of God Likewise in the whomely gest of Noe when he was dronke and lay in his tente with hys priuy members open hast thou great edifyeng in the litteral sence Thou seest what became of the curied children of wicked Ham which saw his fathers priuie members and gested therof vnto his brethren Thou seest also what blessing fell on Sem and Iaphet which went backward and couered their fathers members saw them not And thirdly thou seest what infirmitie accompanieth Goâ—s elect be they neuer so holy which yet is not imputed vnto theÌ„ For the fayth trust they haue in God swalloweth vp all their sinnes Notwithstandyng this text offereth vs an apte and an hansome allegory or similitude to describe our wicked Ham Antichrist the Pope which many huÌ„dred yeares hath done all the shame that hart caÌ„ thinke vnto the priâ—ey meÌ„ber of God which is the word of promise or y â— word of faith as Paule calleth it Rom. x. and the Gospell and TestameÌ„t of Christ wherewith we are begotten as thou seest i. Peter i. and Iames. i. And as the cursed children of Ham grew into gyauntes so mightie and great that the children of Israell semed but greshoppers in respect of them so the cursed sonnes of our Ham the Pope his Cardinals Bysshops Abbots Monkes and Friers are become mighty gyauntes aboue all power and authoritie so that the children of faith in respect of them are much lesse then greshoppers They heape mountayne vppon mountayne will to heaueÌ„ by their own strength by away of their owne making not by the way Christ Neuer the latter those gyauÌ„tes for the wickednes abhominatioÌ„s which they had wrought did God vtterly destroy part of them by the childreÌ„ of Loth and part by the children of Esau and seuen nations of them by the children of Israell So no doubt shall he destroy these for like abhominations that shortly For their kyngdome is but the kyngdome of lyes and falshead which must needes perish at
ye haue brought in besides the Scripture nor any that dyed for it But ye persecute and â—lea whosâ— euer with Gods woorde doth rebuke it And as for your owne miracles of which ye make your boast ye haue fayned them so grosly throughout al your Legendes of Saintes that ye be now ashamed of them and would fayne bee rid of theÌ„ if ye wist how with honestie and so would ye of a thousand thinges which ye haue fayned And the cause why heretickes fayne no miracles as ye doe is that they walke purely and entend no falsehead And why the deuill doth none for them is that they cleaue fast to Gods word whiche the deuill hateth and can do no miracles to further it But to hinder it as he doth with you Read the stories of your Popes and Cardinals see whether the deuill hath not holpe them vnto their highe dignities And looke whether your holy Byshoppes come any otherwise vnto their promotions then by seruing the deuil in setting all Christendome at variaunce in sheddyng bloud in bringyng the common wealth to tyraÌ„ny and in teaching Christen Princes to â—ule more cruelly then did euer any heathen coÌ„trary vnto the doctrine of Christ And as for the Turkes and Sarasenes that ye speake of I auÌ„swere that they were ChristeÌ„ once at the lest way for the most part And because they had no loue vnto the truth to liue their after as ye haue not God did send them false miracles to cary them out of the right waye as ye be And as for the Iewes why they hyde out is onely because they haue set vp their own righteousnesse as ye haue and therfore can not admit the righteousnesse that is in Christes bloud as ye can not and as ye haue forsworne it And when he sayth in that they haue miracles and the heretickes none it is a sure signe that they be the true Churche and the heretickes not Had ye Gods word with your miracles and the heretickes doctrine were without then it were true But now because ye haue miracles without Gods word to confirme your false imaginatioÌ„s and they whiche ye call heretickes haue Gods word coÌ„firmed with miracles fiue huÌ„dred yeares together it is a sure signe that they be the true church ye not in as much also as Christ saith that y â— deceauers shall come with miracles ye in his name therto as ye do For wheÌ„ christ saith there shal come in my name y t shal say he him selfe is Christ who is that saue your Pope that wil be Christes Vicare and yet maketh men to beleue in him selfe in his Bulles Calues skinnes and in what soeuer he listeth And who be those false annoynted that shall come with miracles to deceaue the elect if it were possible saue your Pope with his gresiamus And when he repeteth his miracles to proue that the olde holy Doctours were good men in the right belefe I aunswere agayne that the Doctours which planted Gods word watered it with miracles while they were alyue And wheÌ„ they were dead God shewed miracles at their graues to confirme the same as of Heliseus And that continued till the Scripture was full receaued and autenticke But ye can not shew nor shal any Doctour which beyng aliue preached your false doctrine confirmyng it with miracles as God doth his Scripture Then sayth hee God had in the olde TestameÌ„t good meÌ„ ful of miracles whose liuing a man might be bold to folow and whose doctrine a man might beleue by reason of theyr miracles and then iuggleth saying if God should not so now in the new TestameÌ„t haue Doctours with miracles to confirme their doctrine and liuynges but contrarywise should bryng to passe or suffer to bee brought to passe with false miracles that his church shuld take hypocrites for Saintes which exposided the Scripture falsly then should hee deceaue his Church and not haue his spirite present in his Church to teach them all truth as he promised them I aunswer God suffereth not his Church to be deceaued But he suffereth the popes Church because they haue no loue vnto the truth to lyue after the lawes of God but consent vnto all iniquitie as he suffered the Churche of Mahomet Moreouer y â— gift of miracles was not all way amoÌ„g the preachers in the old Testament For Iohn Baptist did no miracle at all The miracles were ceased longyer Christ And as for you in the Popes kingdome had neuer maÌ„ that either confirmed Gods doctrine or your owne with miracles All your Saintes be first Saints when they be dead and then do first miracles to confirme tithes and offeringes the Poetrie which ye haue fayned and not true doctrine For to confirme what preachyng doth S. Thomas of Canterbury miracles He preached neuer nor liued any other life then as our Cardinall and for his mischief dyed a mischieuous death And of our Cardinall if we be not diligent they will make a Saint also and make a greater relique of his shew then of the others And of your dead Saintes let vs take onâ— for an example Thomas de Aquino is a Saint full of miracles as Friers tell And his doctrine was that our Lady was borne in original sinne And Dunce doyng no miracle at all because I suppose no man wotteth where he lyeth improueth that with his sophistrie and affirmeth the contrary And of the contrary hath the Pope for the deuotioÌ„ of that the gray Friers gaue him ye may well thinke made an Article of the fayth And finally as for the miracles they are to make a man astonied to wonder and to draw him to heare the word earnestly rather then to write it in his hart For whosoeuer hath no other felyng of the law of God that it is good then because of miracles the saâ—…e shall beleue in Christ as did Symon Magus and Iudas and as they that came out of Egypt with Moyses and fell away at euery temptation shall haue good workes like vnto our Popes bishops and Cardinals And therfore when the Scripture is fully receaued there is no nede of miracles In so much that they which will not beleue Moses and the Prophetes when the Scripture is receaued the same wil be no true beleuers by the reason of miracles though one arose from death to lyfe to preach vnto them by the testimonie of Christ And agayne how doth S. Hierome Augustine Bede and many other old Doctours that were before the Pope was cropt vp into y e consciences of meÌ„ and had sent forth his daÌ„nable sectes to preach him vnder y t name of Christ as Christ prophesied it should be expounde this text thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my Church and this text Peter feede my sheepe and all power is geuen me in heauen and in earth and innumerable such textes cleane contrary vnto all those
new old holy doctours that haue made the Pope a God They knew of no power that man should haue in the kyngdome of Christ but to preache Christ truly They knew of no power that the Pope shoulde haue to send to Purgatory or to deliuer thence neither of any Pardon 's nor of any such confession as they preach and teach neither were many that are articles with you Articles of their faith They all preached forgeuenesse of sinnes thorough repentaunce toward the law and fayth in our Sauiour Christ as all the Scripture playnly doth and can no otherwise be taken and as all the hartes of as many as loue the law of God do fele as surely as the finger feeleth the fyre hoate An aunswere vnto Master Mores third booke IN his third boke he procedeth forth as before to proue that the opinions which the Popish teach without Scripture are of equal authoritie with the Scripture He asketh what if there had neuer bene Scripture written I aunswere God careth for his elect therfore hath prouided them of Scripture to trie all thynges and to defend them from all false Prophetes And I say moreouer that if there had ben no scripture written that God for his mercy fatherly loue and care toward his elect must haue prouided that there should neuer haue bene heresies or against all tymes when sectes should arise haue styred vp preachers to coÌ„found the he resies with miracles Take this example the Grekes haue the Scripture serue God therin much more diligently theÌ„ we Now let vs geue that there were no Scripture but that we receaued all our fayth by y e authoritie of our elders the Grekes by y e authoritie of their elders WheÌ„ I shall dispute with a Greke about the articles of the fayth which my elders taught me and his elders deny as eareconfession the holy pardons of the Pope and all his power that he hath aboue other Bishops many other thynges beside the Scripture which we hold for articles of our faith they deny If there be no other proofe of either part then to say my elders which caÌ„ not erre so affirme that he should aunswere his Elders which can not not erre so deny what reason is it that I should leaue the authoritie of my elders and goe beleue his or that he should leaue the authoritie of his elders and come and beleue myne none at all verely But the one partie must shew a miracle or els we must referre our causes vnto auteÌ„ticke scripture receaued in olde tyme confirmed wyth myracles and therewith trie the controuersie of our Elders And when he asketh whether there were no true fayth from Adam to Noe. I answere that god partly wrote their fayth in their sacrifices and partly the Patriarkes were ful of miracles as ye may see in the Bible And when More to vtter his darcknes and blynde ignoraunce sayth that they which were ouerwhelmed wyth No yes floud had a good faith and bringeth for hym Nicolaus de Lira I answere that Nicolaus de Lira delirat For it is impossible to haue a fayth to be saued by except a man consent vnto Gods law with all his hart and all his soule that it is righteous holy good and to be kept of all men and thereuppon repent that he hath broken it and sorow that his flesh moueth vnto the contrary and then come and beleue that god for his mercy will forgeue him all that he hath done agaynst the lawe wyll helpe hym to tame his flesh and suffer his weakenes in the meane season till he be waxed stronger which fayth if they that perished in Noyes floud had had they coulde not but haue mended their liuinges and had not hardened their harts thorow vnbeliefe and prouoked the wrath of God and waxed worse and worse an hundred twenty yeares which God gaue theÌ„ to repent vntill God could no loÌ„ger suffer theÌ„ but washed their filthines away with y e floud as he doth y e Popes shamefull abhominacions with like invndacions of water destroyed theÌ„ vtterly And wheÌ„ he asketh whether AbrahaÌ„ beleued no more theÌ„ is writteÌ„ of him I aske him how he will proue that there was no writing in Abrahams time that AbrahaÌ„ wrot not And againe as for Abrahams person he receaued his faith of God which to coÌ„firme vnto other myracles were shewed dayly And when he fayneth forth that they beleued onely because they knew their elders coulde not erre How could they know that without myracles or wryting confirmed wyth myracles more theÌ„ the Turke knoweth that hys elders so many hundred yeares in so great a multitude can not erre teach false doctrâ—ne to damne the beleuers And y e contrary doth M. More see in all y e Bible how after all was receaued in scripture confirmed with myracles though miracles ceased not but were shewed dayly yet y e elders erred fell to idolatry an huÌ„dred for one y t bode in the right way and led the younger in to errour wyth them so sore that God to saue the younger was faine to destroy the elders and to begin his testameÌ„t a freshe with the new generatioÌ„ He seeth also that y e most part were alway Idolaters for all the scripture and true myracles therto and beleued the false miracles of the deuill because his doctrine was more agreable vnto their carnall vnderstanding then the doctrine of Gods spirit as it now goeth wyth the Pope did not y â— Scribes Phariseis and Priestes which were the elders erre And when he asketh who taught the church to know the true scripture from false bookes I answere true miracles that confounded the false gaue authoritie vnto the true scripture And therby haue we euer since iudged all other bookes and doctrine And by that we know that your legendes be corrupt wyth lies As Erasmus hath improued many false bookes which ye haue fayned and put forth in the name of S. Hierom Augustine Ciprian Dionise and of other partly wyth autenticke stories and partly by y e stile and latine and like euident tokens And when M. More â—ayth vnto theÌ„ that beleue nought but y e scripture he will proue with y e scripture that we be bounde to beleue the church in thinges wherefore they haue no scripture Because God hath promised in the scripture that the holy ghost shall teach hys church all truth Nay that text wil not proue it For the first Church taught nought but they coÌ„firmed it with myracles which coulde not be done but of God till the scripture was autentickly receaued And the Church folowing teacheth nought that they will haue beleued as an article of the fayth but that which the scripture proueth and mainteineth As S. Augustine protesteth of his workes that men should compare them vnto the scripture therby iudge them and cast away whatsoeuer the scripture