peradueÌ„ture the deuyll to yf he enteÌ„ded otherwyse But surely there was entended toward hym somwhat more good then his dealynge had byfore deserued And so mych the more fauour was there mynded hym in that he semed very penytent of his mysse vsynge of hym selfe in fallynge to Tyndales heresyes agayne For whyche he knowleged hym selfe worthy to be hanged that he hadde so falsely abused the kynges graciouse remissyon and pardon geueÌ„ hym byfore and hadde for all that in the whyle both bought and solde of those heretycall bokes and secretely set forth those heresyes wherof he shewed hym selfe so repentaunt that he vttered and dysclosed dyuers of hys companyoÌ„s of whom there are some abiured synnys and that he wyste well were abiured before namely Rycharde Necton whyche was by Constantynes deteccyon take and commytted to Newgate where except he happe to dye byfore in pryson he staÌ„deth in grete paryll to be ere it be longe for hys fallynge agayne to Tindales heresyes burned And thus it semed by the maner of George Constantyne whyle he was here in pryson that he so sore dyd forthynke hys errours and heresyes and so perceyued the pestylent poyson of them that he thoughte it better that such as were infecte therwyth myghte be by the meane of hys deteccyon amended and wyth the losse of hys body the soule cured then bothe twayne caste awaye or yf the man were peraduenture of hard herte and malycyouse mynde incurable he thought it were then better to sende hym to the deuyll alone then let hym lyue and drawe many other wyth hym Thys good mynde it semeth that Constantyne had then and therfore was there good hope of hys amendemeÌ„t And peraduenture the man hadde amended and standen styll in grace yf some euyll coÌ„sayle â—ad not comen at hym of which there was lefte vnsought no deuelyshe inuencyon or meane to sende hym in so mych that one of the letters I fortuned to intercepte my selfe wryten vnto hym by one IohnÌ„ Byrte otherwyse callynge hym selfe Adryane otherwyse IohnÌ„ bokebynder yet otherwyse now I can not tell you what Of trouth George constantyne after he hadde confessed vnto a faythfull seruaunt of myne to be declared to me that Necton had of his deliuery many of those heretycall bokes he sent worde forthwyth to Necâ—on that he sholde sende the bokes home to meâ— whyche yf he dyd that I myghte haue yet seen sure tokens of amendement in the man Constantyne perceyued well that he had ben yet lykely to haue had fauour shewed hym But when that Necton had ones made Byrte of hys counsayle they dyuysed bytwene them that Necton sholde not do so in no wyse affermynge to Constantyne that it coude not be done and happely it coude not in dede for peraduenture they were all solde all redy How be it Necton now syth he was taken sayed that hys wyfe had burned them But it is well knowen that Necton had hym selfe and a man of hys also solde many such bokes of heresye bothe in London in othey shyres syth his abiuracyon But how so euer the mater was Byrte by hys letter aduysed Constantyne yf he myghte possyble to call bakke hys coÌ„fessyon agayne wherin I thynke it good that ye here hys very letter it selfe Lo in these wordes he wrote The grace and peace of our sauyour Iesus be with you good brother CoÌ„stantyne Syr as for the mater that ye wold haue brought to passe will not be in no maner wyse the person is not at home that shold receyue the stuffe and delyuer it accordynge to vnto your mynde Therfore yf ye haue not spoken so farre in the mater that it maye be none preiudyall or hurte vnto you I wolde ye shold go no ferther in the mater but euyn as a man armed wyth fayth go forth in your mater boldely and put them to theyr proues As for one is none you knowe well by the law of god or man If there be any thynge that I can do sende word and ye shall fynde me redy to my power euen to dethe by goddes grace who I praye longe to preserue you and comforte you in your trouble to the confusyon of all tyrauntes Lo here haue ye herde an apostolycall pystle counsaylynge the man to go bakke wyth the trouth and arme hym selfe wyth fayth and make hym stronge to lye lowde and forswere hym selfe yf nede were for Byrt wyste well I were not lykely to leue and byleue hym at hys bare worde Here wyll Byrt peraduenture preche and brynge vs in the mydwyues of Egypt that saued the chyldren of Israell from Pharao for whych god gaue theÌ„ new howses wherin Byrt and I wyll not myche dyspute For all be it that god hath gyuen hym no howse â—et nor it is not all one wyth a lye to saue a yonge innocent babe and wyth periurye to defende an olde pestyleÌ„t heretyke and though saynt Austayn sayth that it is not lawfull to lye for nothyng yet I tell not my tale to lay a lye so hyghly to any suche mennes charge as these folke be whose hole secte is nothyng els but lyes but I reherse you his letter bycause ye shold se what trewth there is in suche folkes wordes How be it as for Constantyne as I sayed before semed in pryson here very penyteÌ„t and vtterly mynded to forsake suche heresyes and heretykes for euer In profe wherof he not onely detected as I sayd hys owne dedes his felowes but also studyed and deuysed how those deuelysshe bokes whyche hym selfe and other of hys felowes hadde brought and shypped myghte come to the bysâ—hoppes handes to be burned And therfore he shewed me the shypmannes name that had them and the markes of the ferdellys by whych I haue synnys hys escape receyued them And it maye be by goddes grace that though the man fledde hense for fere of suche harme as he wyste he hadde well deserued yet was nothynge towarde hym but peraduenture more good then he was ware of he is yet amended in hys mynde and hath in his harte forsaken all Tyndales heresyes and so I pray god it be for I wold be sory that euer Tyndale sholde glory and boste of hys burnynge How be it in the meane whyle tyll it maye well appere that he be surely turned to the catholyke fayth agayne I wyll aduyse all good crysten folke and specyally the kynges subiectes to forbere and estyew hys company For the englysshe man whyche shall be fouÌ„den to be famylyare wyth hym there byfore hys conuersyoÌ„ here knowen and proued maye therby brynge hym selfe in suspycyon of heresye and happely here therof at hys retournynge hyther I here also that Tyndale hyghly reioyceth in the burnyng of Tewkesbery but I can se no very grete cause why but yf he reken it for a grete glory that the man dyd abyde styll by the stake when he was faste bounden to it For as for the heresyes he wolde haue abiured them agayne wyth all hys harte
hym all theyr sacrameÌ„tes coude not for theyr fynall saluacyoÌ„ serue them But when they began lytell lytell to fall from that fayth and began to truste in the law the â—â—orkes of the law alone leuynge of thys poynt of fayth which was of the law sacramentes ceremonyes and all theyr bodyly workes the soule then went they wronge And that is â—he thynge whiche saynt Poule so sore reproueth in theyr tâ—ust coÌ„fydence to be saued by the workes of the law where as yf they had not lefte of the force strength of fayth both workes of the law and the ceremonyes to had stande them in â—tede of heuen And therfore thys nothyng toucheth the chyrch of Cryste when they put truste in the sacramentes for they do it not wythout the fayth that all the force and strength of them cometh of Crystes passyâ—n for thys they beleue and thys they teche And it is no dowte but that the iewes neuer knew the specyall sygnyfycacyoÌ„s of all theyr sacramentes sacryfyces ceremonyes other then grace remyssyon of synnes or peraduentuâ—â— that they were fygures tokeÌ„s of thynges that shold fall not yet perceyued by them as we know our sacramentes 〈…〉 sygnes of grace And it is vndowted that both they we â—hich in fayâ—h hope cheâ—yte do any such thyng as god 〈…〉 〈…〉 such fashyon as he byddeth vâ— all though we knowâ— not why he wyll be serued in suche wyse no more then Abraam knew why god bad hym to serue hym wyth the sacryfysynge of hys owne sonne yet is that doynge of that dede done in that wyse pleasaunt acceptable to god and profyte to maÌ„nes soule what so euer Tyndale tell vs and hys mayster Martine to frere Huskyn also and take theyr wyse wyues wyth them And therfore all thys tale of Tyndale agaynst the sacrament is not worth the leste fether of a wylde gose wynge But yet consyder one thynge by the way that ye mysse take hym not nor be not by a fayre word ledde out of your way He calleth the sacrament of the auter the sacrament of the bodye blode of Cryste in which wordes he calleth it well but yet meaneth he not so well therby as good crysten men do nor as hym selfe wolde seme to do For he meaneth not that there is the very body blode of Cryst in dede though he saye there is the sacrament therof For by that meaneth he nothynge ellys but onely a bare sygne and token and a memoryall therof For the great heretyke Thorpe in his examynacyon calleth the sacrament a ryght and by the same name that Tyndale now doth so that â— man wold at the fyrst heryng fynd no faute therin but mysse take hym for a good crysten man But afterward he declareth hym selfe well and clerely that he meaneth lyke a naughty heretyke as Tyndale doth also in sondry places of his boke For he saith the sacrameÌ„t sygne and token be but thre names of one thynge and that the sacrament of the auter is very brede styll And he mokketh at them that teache it to be the very body of our sauyour hym selfe and he is woode wyth them that do it any honour And so in this poynt concernynge the blessed sacrament of the auter Tyndale is yet a mych more heretyke then Luther is hym selfe in hys wrytynge all though in dede it appereth well that he ment as mych in the begynnâ—ng tyll he wythdrew hym selfe for enuye of other that hasted forward and set forth that heresye byfore hym And of trouth I am ryght credebly enformed by a very vertuouse man whom god hath of his goodnesse illumined called home agayn out of the darke Egypte of theyr blynd heresyes that at suche tyme as frere Barons and Tyndale fyrste mette talked to gether beyonde the see after that he fledde out of the fâ—eres where he was enioyned to 〈…〉 his penaunce after he hadde borne his fagot Tyâ—dale â—nd he were of sondrye sectes For frere Barons was of zwynglius secte agaynste the sacrament of the auter byleuynge that it is nothynge but bare brede But Tyndale was yet at that tyme not fully fallen so farre in that poynt but though he were badde inough bysyde was yet not coÌ„tent with frere Barons for the holdynge of that heresye But wythin a whyle after as he that is fallyng is sone put ouer the frere made the fole mad out ryght and brought hym blyndfelde downe into the depeste dongeon of that deuylysshe heresye wherin he sytteth now as faste bounden in the chayre of pestylence wyth the chayne of pertynacyte as any of hys vnhappy felowes And this I geue you knowledge of bycause I wolde not in any wyse that ye were deceyued wyth hym where he speketh well yet meaneth nought But now lette vs yet farther consyder well hys wordes Thus he sayth Tyndale All the ceremonyes and sacramentes that were from Adam to Cryste hadde sygnyfycacyons and all that are made mencyon of in the new testament More Uppon this he concludeth after that except baptysme the sacrament of the auter all the remanaunt be no trewe sacramentes for lakke of sygnifycacyons But ere he can so conclude he muste fyrste proue not onely that all the sacramentes and ceremonyes from Adam to Cryste hadde sygnyfycacyons but also that all those sygnyfycacyons were theÌ„ to the people knowen and vnderstanden For ellys though god dyd sette thynges to sygnyfye and to be done yet yf he commaunded them to do it and tolde them not the sygnyfycacyons but wolde leue them to be shewed and dysclosed at suche tyme afterwarde as it sholde lyke hym selfe it was no synne for them in the meane whyle to do the thynges that god bode them do but greate meryte to them though they vnderstode not what the thynges sygnyfyed that they dyd no more then my â—eruaunt that can no more but wryte is worthy rebuke and blame in the wrytynge of a latyn booke at my byddynge wherof he woteth not what any one worde meaneth Now that all the sygnyfycacyons of all the sacramentes and ceremonyes from Adam to Cryste were vnderstanden of the people that shall not Tyndale proue me though he shuld lyue as many yeres as were betwene the creacyoÌ„ of Adam the â—â—rth of Cryst And therfore as many yeres must he nedes haue alsoâ— ere euer hâ— make hys coÌ„clusion folow and hys argument good For yf god gaue them ceremonyes and sacrameÌ„tes wherof he gaue them not the sygnyfycacyons then so myghte he lykewyse gyue vs yf it so please hym to do And farther yf they by the doynge of those not vnderstanden ceremonyes and sacramentes in obedyence of his byddynge dyd not synne but deserued thanke all suche I saye as dyd them in dew fayth of saluacyon by Cryste that was to come then maye we also by the obseruynge of sacramentes and ceremonyes hauyng some sygnyfycacyons farther then we perceyue for one generall sygnyfycacyon of them all we knowe
in whyche as my lorde of Rochester sayed it appereth playne that saynt Poule sayth hym selfe that he taught thynges by mouth whyche he wrote not And what sayth Tyndale to it there he sayth nothyng ellys in this world but as he sayth here that the thynges whiche saynt Poule taught by mouth were the selfe same thynges that he wrote And then goeth he forth wyth a longe babelary parte to no purpose parte playne heresye and fareth as though hym selfe had standeÌ„ by all the whyle that saynt Poule taughte any thynge by mouth Now whyther hys wâ—rdes be to purpose or not I pray you consyder your selfe we saye that these sacramentes and many holy ceremonyes vsed in the chyrche in the masse and in other partes of dyuyne seruyce were taught by the spyryte of god and delyuered by hys blessed apostles Nay sayth Tyndale that coude not be for all necessarye thynges that they taught they wrote Proue that say we and take all But we wyll proue by saynt Poules owne wordes that he taught thinges that he wrote not For he byddeth the Thessalonicensis kepe and obserue well all that he had taught theÌ„ eyther by mouth or letters then that none of them were any necessary poyntes that poynt we byd Tindale proue His profe therin ye haue herd before that yf the apostles wrote not all suche thynges what coude it auayle that they wrote any thinges at all And that reason ye remember that we haue aâ—swered before and proued it a great foly to reken that in our owne realme no law byndeth that is vnwryten bycause there be many wryten or that theyr wrytynge were vnprofytable that wrote vs parte bycause they wrote vs not all But now in that place of the obedyence where the rude rybaude rayleth agaynste the reuerende father my lorde bysshop of Rochester he sayth styffely that none of those thynges whyche we speke of and specyally sacramentes or ceremonyes were any of those thynges that saynt Paule taught by mouth Then aske we hym wherby know you that Mary sayeth he for I shall tell you what he taughte He taughte the same that he wrote and hys tradycyons were the gospell that he preached and good maners and vertues and some good custumes to that be synnes for abuses chaunged as â—ysâ—ynge eche other And some he taught as preceptes and some as good counsayâ—es as virginite and wydolye chastyte not to â—ynne heuen therby For neyther cyrcumcysyon nor vncyrcumcysyon is any thynge at all but the kepynge of the commaundementes is all togyder but that they myghte be without trowble and the better wayte on goddys wordes and the frelyer serue theyr bretherne Here I passe by his heresyes that in these wordes appere bothe agaynst vyrgynyte and wydoly chastyte whyche he meaneth to be nothynge worth as touchynge any rewarde to be gyuen for them in heuyn For though he say no ferther here but that they wynne not heuyn whyche euery man agreeth yet meaneth he ferther as he declareth in many other places and as it here appereth by hys ensample of circumcysyon I let passe also hys heresye concernyng the cyrcuÌ„cysyon whyche wyth hys false vnderstandynge of saynte Poule he wolde haue taken â—o haue standen in no stede at all towarde heuen and by the same reason no more he wold that baptysme neyther as he hath oftentymes declared I let passe also that by those wordes of saynte Poule whyche hym selfe now bryngeth in that the kepynge of the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes is all togyther hys owne heresyes be ouer throwen For yf the kepynge of the coÌ„maundementes be all together then fayth alone is not all together But rather as he maketh cyrcumcysyon nothynge bycause the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes be all so myghte he make fayth nothyng bycause the coÌ„maundementes be all togyther But he maketh saynt Poules wordes to serue hym for hys iuglynge stykke For saynte Poule meaneth of cyrcumcysyon alone in the olde lawe wyth fayth and good workes as saynte Iamys speketh of fayth And in the new law now it is nothynge at all in dede These wordes also of saynt Poule destroye Tyndales heresye that mennys good workes be not rewarded in heuyn and that it is idolatrye to serue god wyth any bodyly workes or to do any of theÌ„ to come the rather to heueÌ„ For yf the kepyng of the coÌ„maundementes be all togyther and some of them be bodyly workes a man maye lawfully do them for goddys sake and to his worshyp to and haue his rewarde in heuen to But now lettyng these poyntes passe as I saye I wold aske Tyndale whyther amonge those poyntes that saynte Poule taught by mouth whyche he wrote not were any thynges necessarye to be byleued or done vppon parell of our soules helth If he say ne then destroieth he his whole reason that he made afore for the contrarye where he sayde that yf the apostles taught any suche thynges wrote them not what auayleth all those thynges that they wrote If he saye nay but that all the thynges that he taught by mouth were thynges of lytle weyght and not worth the wrytyng and that therfore he wrote vnto the Corinthyes that all the other thynges he wold dispose and ordayne hym selfe at his commynge bycause he rekened them not worthy to occupy place in hys pystle yf Tyndale tell vs thys we wyll aske hym who tolde hym so and wherby he knoweth that saynte Poule taught the people by mouth no mo thynges nor of none other kynde then Tyndale sayth he dyd was hym self at that tyme companyon to saynt Poule and that so coÌ„tynuall and so vnseparable that daye nor nyght he neuer departed from hym but euer watched hym so surely that he coulde neuer saye nothynge but Tyndale stode by and herd hym Tyndale in this poynt well perceyueth hym selfe howe harde a parte he hath to proue And therfore seynge that he hath entrede a mater that he can not ende hath sayd that he can neuer make good at laste he waxeth angry And bycause he can not tell all thynge that saynt Poule taught as he beganne to take vppon hym he coÌ„cludeth nothyng but that saynt Poule taught none of the sacramentes nor ceremonyes that Luther and he reproue And thus he sayth Tyndale But that the apostles gaue vs any blynde ceremonies whereof we coulde not knowe the reason that I denye and also defye More Forsoth saue for the ryme I wolde not geue a ryshe neyther for his denyeng nor for hys defyenge nor for any reason that he layeth forth therfore For where he sayth that yt is contrary to the lernynge of saynt Poule euery where I say that therein Tindale sayth not trew For saynt Poule reproued but the superstyciouse truste that the iewes hadde as well in theyr ceremonyes sacramentes as in the workes of theyr law wythout fayth and iustyce and dedes of cheryte and the superstycyon 〈◊〉 them also that thought theym selfe bounden of necessyte to kepe them styll after the new lawe promulgate and spred about wheÌ„
but yf our faute be mended to sende vs as sore punishemeÌ„t as he hath sent all redy into suche other places as wolde not be by lyke warnynge mended accordynge as he sayth in the .xxvi. chapyter of Leuiticus where he speketh in this wyse If ye wyll not geue eare vnto me nor fulfyll all my commaundementes but sette my lawes at naught despyce my iudgementes and leue those thynges vndone that are by me ordeyned and breake my pacte and couenaunt then wyll I agaynwarde do these thynges folowynge vnto you I wyll hastely vysyte you wyth penury and brennynge hete or feuer whych shall sore vexe and greue your eyes and consume you euen to the deth Ouer thys ye shall sowe your sede in vayne for your ennemyes shall deuoure it I shall also set my face agaynst you and ye shall fall byfore your aduersaryes and be made subiectes vnto them that hate you ye shall fâ—e where no man chaseth you And yf ye wyll not yet for all thys obaye me I shall for your synnes adde put to these plages seuenfolde more and I shall trede downe the pryde of your stobernes and so forth And who doth more properly fall in the daunger of this commynacyon and threte then they that dyspyse Crystes sacramentes whyche are hys holy ordynaunces and a great parte of Cristes new law and testament And who shall lesse set by hys commaundementes then they that vppon the boldenesse of onely fayth set all good workes at nought lytell force the daunger of theyr euyll dedes vppon the boldenesse that a bare fayth and sleyght repentaunce wythout shryfte or penauÌ„ce suffyseth and that no vow made to god can bynde a maÌ„ to lyue chast nor let a monke fro maryage all whyche thynges wyth many pestylent errours besyde these abomynable bookes of Tyndale and hys felowes teche vs. Of these bokes of heresyes there be so many made with in these few yeres what by Luther hym selfe and by hys felowes and afterwarde by the new sectes sprongen out of his whych lyke the chyldren of vippara wold now gnaw out theyr mothers bely that the bare names of those bokes were almoste inough to make a boke of euery sort of those bokes be some brought into thys realme and kepte in huker muker by some shrewd maysters that kepe them for no good Besyde the bookes of latyn french and douch in which there are of these euyll sectes an innumerable sorte there are made in the englysshe tonge Fyrst Tyndales new testament father of them all by reason of hys false translatyng And after that the fyue bookes of Moyses translated by the same man we nede not dowt in what maner wheÌ„ we know by what man and for what purpose Then haue ye hys introduceyoÌ„ into saynt Poules pystle wyth whyche he introduceth and bryngeth hys readers in to a false vnderstandynge of saynte Poule makynge them among many other heresyes byleue that saynt Poule were in the mynde that onely fayth were alway suffycyent for saluacyon and the mennys good workes were nothynge worth nor could no thaÌ„ke deserue nor no reward in heuen though they were wroughte in grace And these thynges teacheth Tyndale as the mynde of saynt Poule where saynt Poule sayeth hym selfe that they whyche so mysse constre hym to the deprauynge of mennys good workes be well worthye damnacyon Then haue we by Tyndale the wykked mammona by whyche many a man hath ben bygyled and brought into many wykked heresyes whyche thynge sauynge that the deuyll is redy to putte out mennes yien that are contente wyllyngly to wax blynde were ellys in good fayth to me no lytle wonder for neuer was there made a more folyshe frantyque boke Then haue we Tindales boke of obedience whereby we be taught to dysobaye the doctryne of Crystes catholyque chyrch and set his holy sacramentes at nought Then haue we fro Tyndale the fyrste pystle of saynte IohnÌ„ in suche wyse expowned that I dare say that blessed apostle rather then his holy wordes were in suche a sense by leued of all Crysten people hadde leuer his pystle hadde neuer ben put in wrytynge Then haue we the supplycacyon of beggers a pytuouse beggerly boke wherin he wolde haue all the soules in purgatory begge all about for nought Then haue we from George Iaye otherwyse called clerke a goodly godly pystle wherein he teacheth dyuerse other heresyes but specyally that mennys vowes and promyses made of chastyte be not lawfull nor can bynde no man in conscyence but he may wedd when he wyll And thys man consyderynge that when a man teacheth one thynge and doth hym selfe a nother the people sette the lesse by his preachynge determyned therfore wyth hym self that he wolde of his preachynge sheâ— hymselfe ensample And therfore beynge prestâ— he hath â—ygyled a woman and wedded her the pore woman I wene vnware that he ys preste How be yt yf yt be not done all redy yt is well lykely now that but if god be her speciall guyde he shall by laysore worke her and wynne her to his owne heresye Then haue ye an exposycyon also vppon the .vii. chapyter of saynt Poules pystle to the Corinthyes by whyche exposycyon in lykewyse prestes freres monkes nounes be taught that euangelycall lyberty that they may runne out a caterwawynge and so wow and wedde and lawfully lyue in lechery That worke hath no name of the maker but some wene yt was frere Roy whych when he was fallen in heresy then founde yt vnlawfull to lyue in chastyte and raÌ„ne out of hys order and hath synnes sought many a false vnlyefull way to lyue by wherin he made so many chaunges that as Bayfeld a nother heretyque late burned in smythfeld tolde vnto me he made a mete ende at laste and was burned in Portyngale Thâ—n haue we the examynacyoÌ„ of Thorpe put forth as it is sayd by George Constantine by whom there hath ben I wote well of that sorte grete plentye sent into this realme In that boke the heretyke that made it as a communycacyon bytwene the bysshoppe and his chapellayns and hym selfe maketh all the pattyes speke as hym selfe lyketh layeth nothyng spoken agaynst his heresyes but such as hym self wolde seme solempnly to soyle whose boke when any good câ—ysten man redeth that hath eyther lernynge or any naturall wytte shall not onely be well able to perceyue hym for a folysshe heretyke his argumeÌ„tes easy to answere but shall also se that he sheweth hym selfe a false lyar in hys rehersall of the mater wherin he maketh yâ— tother parte somtyme speke for hys commodyte such maner thynges as no man wolde haue done that were not a very wylde gose Then haue we Ionas made â—ut by Tyndale a boke yâ— who so delyte therin shall stande in parell that Ionas was neuer so swalowed vppe wyth the whale as by the delyte of that booke a mannes soule maye be so swalowed vppe by the deuyll that he shall neuer haue the grace to gete out
trew catholyke fayth with the grete fall ruyne at length of many scysmatycall sectes whose fall vndowtedly the remanaunt wyll in conclusyon folow wyth the playne open wrathe of god shewed vppon theyr false prophetes as it fell vppon the prophetes bothe of Beale and Baall now thys yere vppon zuinglius hym selfe â— that fyrst brought in to Swycherland the abomynable heresye agaynst the blessed sacrament of the awter and was as I say by the hande of god thys yere slayne in playne batayle agaynste the catholikes with many a thousand of his wreched secte beyng in nomber to the catholykes thre agaynst one and as prowdely and wyth as malycyâ—use purpose inuadynge them as euer dyd the Egypcyans pursew the chyldren of Israell But now sayth Tyndale and frere Barns bothe that I do them wronge in that I call theyr bokes sedycyouse For they counsayle they saye the people in theyr bokes to be obedyent vnto theyr souerayns rulers all though they shold suffer wronge and how can our bokes then saye they be sedycyouse Surely to make men heretykes and then byd them be meke when heresye spryngeth as saynt Austayne sayth of pryde standeth as well wyth reason as to make a man dronke and byd hym be sober make hym starke madde byd hym be well auysed make hym a starke thefe and byd hym se he stele not How be yt besyde the sedicion that euery scysine and dyuisyon muste nedes moue and prouoke amonge any people that are of dyuerse sectis all though they were all oâ—edient vnto one prynce and cause them therby though they rebelled not agaynste his person yet to breke the peace and quiete of his cuntre and tunne in to the daynger parelle of hys lawes let vs yet ferther loke and coÌ„syder in what maner fashyon they counseyle the people to obay theyr prynces They bydde the people for a couÌ„tenaunce to be obedient But they say therwyth that the lawys preceptes of they re souerayns do nothynge bynde the subiectes in theyr conscyencys but yf the thynges by them coÌ„maundede or forbeden were before coÌ„maunded or forbeden in scrypture And all yâ— wordes of scripture wherby they be coÌ„mauÌ„ded to obay theyr gouernours wold they restrayne vnto those thynges onely that are expressede all redy wythin the corps of scrypture So that yf they can begyle the lawys preceptes of theyr souerayns vnware to other men and therby fle fro the parell of outwarde bodely ponyshemeÌ„t theyr euaÌ„gely call lybertie sholde serue theym suffycyently for dyscharge of they re conscyence and inwardely make theym in they re soules clere angelycall hypocrytys Nowe whan they falsely tell theym that they be not bounden to obaye they re gouernours lawfull commaundementes and thenne holyly counseyle theym to obay theyr vnlawfull tyranny for by that name call they the lawys what effecte wene ye they wolde that theyr aduyce sholde haue They knowe theym selfe well ynough and the maner of the people to and be not so madde I warrauÌ„te yowe but that they perceyue full well that yf they can persuade the people to belyue that they be not in theyr conscyence bounden to obay the lawes and preceptys of theyr gouernours theym selfe be no such precyouse apostles that folke wolde forbere they re awne ease or pleasure for the faynt fayned counseyle of a few false apostatas And thus ys yt sure that by they re false doctryne they must yf they be belyued brynge the people in to the secrete contempte and spyrytuall dysobedyence inwarde hatered of the lawe wherof muste after folowe the outwarde brech and theruppon outwarde ponyshement parell of rebellyon wherby the pryncys sholde be dreuen to sore effusyoÌ„ of theyr subiectes blood as hath all redy mysse happened in Almayne and of olde tyme in Englande Let vs yet consyder ferther a poynt of theyr good holy counsayle concernynge the peoples obedyence Frere Barns in hys frantyke booke byddeth the people that they sholde not rebell in no wyse But he byddeth them therwyth that for all the kynges coÌ„maundemeÌ„t they shold not suffer Tyndales false translacyon of the scrypture go out of theyr hande but rather dye then leue it Now knoweth he well that the false malycyouse maner that Tyndale hath vsed in the translatyng therofâ—as I haue proued bothe in my dyaloge and synnes agayne in thys boke and as Tyndale doth hym selfe in hys owne answere openly confesse in the tytles of penaunce and preste was done to set forth hys false heresyes wythall And therfore it appereth well that Barns wold haue the people rather dye then obay theyr prynces in puttynge away that boke that is falsely translated for the mayntenaunce of many pestylent heresyes And thus ye se how fayne he wolde glorye in the peoples blode For he woteth very well that the kynges hyghnesse wyll in no wyse nor in no wyse maye yf he wyll saue hys owne soule suffer that false translacyon in the handes of vnlerned people whyche is by an open heretyke purposely translated false to the destruccyon of so many soules Now no man dowteth I thynke but that Tindale hym selfe wolde no lesse were done for the mayntenaunce of hys false translacyon of the euangelystes then wolde hys euangelycall brother Barns but that folke sholde agaynste the kynges proclamacyons kepe styll hys bokes rather then leue them dye in the quarell for the defence of his glory where as I byfore in my dyaloge dyd say that Luthers bokes be sedycyouse as I now say that Tyndales be to mouynge people to theyr owne vndoyng to be dysobedyeÌ„t and rebellyouse to theyr souerayns in affermyng that they be not nor can not be bounden by any law made by men Tyndale answereth me for Luther that I say vutrewly and then sayth he ferther in thys wyse A crysten man is bounden to obay tyranny yf it be not a gaynste his fayth nor the law of god tyll god delyuer hym therof Now let I passe myche raylynge that he consequentely maketh vppon prynces and shall for thys tyme onely couÌ„sayle you to consyder these few wordes of hys whyche he layeth forth for a rule of peoples obedyence to theyr prynce For hys rule is that they shall obay theyr tyranny tyll god delyuer them therof And in thys poynt wyll I not be Tyndals interpretor he may meane dyuerse wayes but whych way he meaneth in dede he shall hym selfe declare at his ferther â—eysore for me thynketh he meaneth not very well sauynge that I wyll not take hym to the wurste But in the tother poynt I may be bolde to say that no good man may take hym well where he sayth that a crysten man ys bounden to obay they re pryncys tyraÌ„ny yf it be not agaynste hys fayth nor the lawe of god And yet wyll I well agre that yf these wordes were spoken of a good faithfull maÌ„nys moutheâ— and where any nede requyred yt they were very well sayed as they were when the apostles sayed we muste rather
folke wolde so clere haue caste all heresyes out of remembraunce that neyther theym selfe shulde haue neded to wryte therof nor other folke to rede the parte of they re bokes And therfore as I wolde aduyse any man neither to rede these heretykes bokes nor myne but occupy theyr myndes better and standynge fermely by the catholyke faith of this xv C. yere neuer onys muse vppoÌ„ these newe fangled heresyes so vn the tother syde yf it mysse happe any man to fall in such a fonde affeccyon vayne curiouse mynde that neither parell temporall in brech of hys pryncys proclamacyon the lawes of the realine nor the parell spyrituall in hurtynge of his owne soule nor they both to gether by puttynge hym selfe in daynger to burne both here and in hell can hold his ycchynge fyngers frome they re poysened bokes then wold I couÌ„sayle hym in any wyse to rede therwith such thynges as are wrytten agaynste theym and way theym both at the leste wyse indyfferently and not to fall sodenly so dronke in the newe muste of they re neweâ—angled neweltyes that the olde holsome wyne with whych good folke haue lyued now this fyften hundred yere offend theyr dronkeÌ„ taste bycause yt is not so walow swete but drynketh more of the verder Forthermore for as mych as accordynge to the wordes of Cryst Lucae .17 It wyll none otherwyse be but that some stuÌ„blyng blokkys wyll allway be by malycyouse folke layed in good peoples way though beste were to stoppe your â—aris vtterly and gyue none herynge to any false euchauntors that wold bywych you wylyly to make you delyte in those bokes yet sith some that be playne symple may fortune to be secretly mysse lede by false wyly shrewes excepte they be well armed before I doute not by godes grace but yf they rede fyrste the thynges that are wrytten agaynste theym they shall theym selfe be able to reiecte and confouÌ„de any deuyll that wolde drawe theym to them And therfore as I am sure that euyl and vngracyouse folke shall euer fynde the meanys that suche bookes shall neuer in some corners lakke wherby good people may be deceyued and corrupted yt ys more thenne necessary that men haue agayne at hande suche bookes as may well arme them to resyste and confute them Of which kynde of good bokes all be it I knowe well there may and dowte not but there shall be many better made then myne and that some such I se alredy yet haue I not so sieyghtly seen vnto myn owne nor shoffled it vp so hastely nor let it so passe vnloked ouer by better men and better lerned also then my selfe but that I truste in god it maye amonge the better stande yet in some good stede And that it so maye to goddes honour and the profyte of some good folke I hertely byseche our lorde wythout the adspiracyon and helpe of whose especyall grace no labour of man can profyte and to whom therfore be all thanke referred whyche lyueth and regneth in eternall glorye To whych as he hath all redy brought many a blessed saynt so mote his mercy brynge with spede the soules that are in purgatory and gyue vs the here lyue in this wretched worlde ayde and helpe of grace by trewe fayth and good workes to folow them the rather by the intercessyon and prayours of all his holy sayntes that are all redy wyth hym A MEN. The preface of Tyndall wyth thâ— answere vnto the same Tyndall THe grace of our lorde the lyght of his spyryt to se and to iudgâ— trew repentaunce toward goddes law a fast fayth in the mercyfull ê“mises that are in our sauyour Cryste feruent loue toward thy neybour after then sample of Cryste and hys sayntes be with the O reder and with all that loue the trouthe and lâ—nge for the redempcion of goddys elect Amen More TIndall here begynneth wyth an holy salutacyon and so doth Luther to and so doth freâ—e huskyne to and id doth euery fonde felow of any of theyr sectys They begynne theyr pystles in suche apostolycall fashyon that a man wold wene yt were wryten from saynt Paule hym self But wolde god they wolde onys rather folow hym truly in fayth and good workes then in symulacion of lyke sancryte wyth theyr holy salutacyons For yf men coÌ„syder that where Tyndal here prayeth holy +ly for the lyghte of the spyryt to see trew repentauÌ„ce he then techeth hym selfe a sodayne sleyghte repentauÌ„ce forbedyng both confessyoÌ„ all doynge of penauÌ„ce they shall yf they be good men sett lytle by hys holy salutacyon And when they coÌ„syder that where he prayeth god sende theym a fast fayth hym selfe techeth a false fayth agaynst the sacrameÌ„tys and meneth that they shulde be fast in the same there wyll no good crysten man can hym thank for that holy prayour And where he prayeth here â—o holyly for the loue of yâ— neygh +bour yf men loke on the loue that ys vsed amonge all the maysters of that hole holy secte coÌ„syder they re lyuyngys and loke vppon frere Luther the very father of theyr hole secte and se hym ronne out of relygyon fallen to flesshe and caryn and lyue in lechery wyth a nuÌ„ne vnder name of wedloke and all the cheyfe heddys of then late monkys freres and now apostatas lyuynge wyth harlotes vnder the name of wyues he that lokyth on thys and then secth theym and theyr scolers as Tyndale here and suche other come forth and speke so holyly wolde he not wene that yt were a sorte of freres folowynge an abbote of mysrule in a Christemas game that were prykked in blankettes and theÌ„ sholde stande vp and preche vppon a stole and make a mowynge sermon And as lewd sermoÌ„s as they make in such noughty games wold god that these meÌ„nys ernyst sermons were not yet mych wurse But surely as euyll as the tother be yet is there more harme more dedely poyson to in this one sermone of Tyndalys as ye shall here or yt come at the ende then in an hundred sermons of frere Frappe that fyrste gapeth and then blessyth and loketh holyly and precheth rybauldrye to the peopell that stande aboute For there is not the worste thynge that frere Frappe precheth in a lewde sporte but fader Tyndall here wryteth mych worse in very great ernest mych worse then doth the tother abusyth the scrypture vnto yt The tother when he precheth that men may lawfully go to lcchery he maketh commenly some fonde textes of his owne hed and dare not in such madde matters medle wyth the very scrypture yt selfe But Tyndall teacheth vs in good ernest that freres may walke out and wedde nunnes and is neyther aferd nor ashamed to draw the holy scripture of god vnto the mayntenauÌ„ce of abhominabyll synne and seruyce of the deuyll The tother rybawde in hys fonde sermon medleth but with fleshly vyces and worldly wantonnes But Tyndall here with an ernest hyghe professyon of godly
in the blessed sacrament of the autre nor put any fayth therin Put ye no dowte but he wyll saye the same by hys soule within a whyle sone after that by hys godhed to and at the laste by the godhed of the father and the holy ghoste bothe and vttrely deny all thre God is good lorde whyche maketh thys blasphemouse fole speke in the ende of hys blasphemy a few trew wordes wyth whyche hym selfe destroyeth all hys whole abomynable doctryne For he coÌ„fesseth as ye haue herd that though he maye not byleue in Crystes chyrche as though the chyrche were hys sauyour yet he muste byleue Crystes chyrch that the doctryne which they preche of Cryste is trew And with these wordes of hys owne will I strayne hym faste sure For I aske no more but these few wordes of his owne to the confoundyng of all that euer he techeth agaynst our fayth For now hath he wyth these wordes destroyed theffecte of hys heresye wherwyth he wolde draw all to an vnknowen chyrche of electes For syth we muste byleue the doctryne the prechyng of the chyrche of Cryste as Tyndale sayth hym selfe and that can we neuer do but yf we know them whom we byleue and who be electys we can not knowe farewell the force of all that heresye by Tyndales owne tale And now syth he hath bounden hym selfe to confesse that the chyrche of Cryst is muste nedys be a chyrche knowen here to men and none suche can he name but onely the catholyke knowen chyrche of all Crysten nacyons froÌ„ whych he hath and doth labour to flyt and fle vnto a darke unknowen chyrche of electes the strength of whyche heresye hys owne wordes here haue coÌ„founded he must nedys confesse that Crystes chyrche is the chyrche that we be of and out of whyche hym selfe is downe fallen by vnfaythfulnes in to the depe dongeon of the deuyll And now syth of hys owne confessyon he must byleue the doctryne of the chyrch of Cryste and of the same confessyon of hys owne it foloweth that the chyrche of Cryste is thys comon knowen chyrche that hath from Crystes dayes hytherto contynued and that it is euydent also that by the doctryne of that chyrche the doctryne of Tyndale concernynge the blessed sacrament is false for euer hath it ben by that chyrche of Cryste taught that the blessed sacrament shold be worshypped and fayth to be put therin wherof Tyndale techeth the contrary it is ineuytably concluded vppon Tyndales owne wordes that Tindale is agaynste Crystes owne blessed person a dedly deuelâ—she heretyke Now syth ye playnely perceyue good crysteÌ„ reders that thys malycyouse man entendeth to tourne pore symple soulys out of the very fayth and of the .vii. holy sacramentes wolde take fyue awaye and the other twayne that he wolde seme to leue he handeleth yet in such wyse as men may well se that he leueth them as frutelesse as the other and fynally in effecte beleueth neyther nother there wyll no good man loke that we sholde now nede to proue these holy sacramentes to be trew which all crysteÌ„ peple haue this .xv. C. yere beleued bycause that now a fonde felow and a folyshe heretyque denyeth them excepte that any man were so madde to dowte whyther there were any god at all yf he happed to here any man so madde to say nay And surely there was neuer secte of heretyques yet that there was so great madnes to beleue as these For of other heretyques that haue bene of olde euery secte had some one heresye or ellys very few Now these heretyques come in wyth almoste all that euer all they held and yet mo to All the other heretyques hadde some pretexte of holynes in theyr lyuyng these shamelesse heretiques lyue in opeÌ„ shamfull incestuouse lechery and call yt matrymony The olde heretyques dyd stykke vppon scrypture wheÌ„ yt was yet in a manner new receyued and they contended vppon the vnderstandynge at such tyme as there had few crysten wryters expowned the scrypture byfore them so as they myght the better say to the catolyque chyrch why may not we perceyue the scrypture as well as you but these new heretyques be so farre fro shame that in the vnderstandynge of scrypture and in the affyrmynge of all theyr heresyes they wolde be byleued by theyr onely worde agaynste all the old holy doctours that haue bene synnys the deth of Criste vnto this daye and that in those roten heresyes to whych they fynde condemned to the deuyll by the generall counsayles of all crystendome a thousande yere afore theyr dayes and moost madde of all in denyeng the sacramentes whych they fynde receyued byleued vsed honoured so clerely from the begynnynge that neuer was there heretyque that durst for very shame so boldely barke agaynst them tyll that now in these latter dayes the deuyll hath broke his chaynes and of all extreme abomynacyon hathe set his poysoned barell a broche froÌ„ the dreggy draught wherof god kepe euery good crysten man and such as hath dronkeÌ„ therof geue theÌ„ grace to vomyte yt out agayne by tyme. This longe dygressyon haue I made you to lette you playnly se the sommary purpose and effecte of Tyndales doctryne touchynge the holy sacramentes whych knowen vnto good meÌ„ne suffyseth to make theyr hertes abhorâ—e his dyuelyshe doctryne wythout any ferther argumeÌ„t And as for them that at the bare herynge therof abhorre yt not they be surely so sore infected that excepte the meruelouse mercy of god neuer shall there eyther reason or authorite make them sauour the trouth But nowe that Tyndale hath commended vnto you the hygh spirytuall wysedome of vnfaythfull heretiques he begynneth on the tother syde to rebuke and reproue the trew fayth of all good faythfull people Tyndale But the world captyâ—ateth his wyt and aboute the law of god maketh hyâ— wonderfull ymagynacyons vnto whyche he so faste cleueth that tâ—Ì„nâ— Iâ—hnÌ„ Baptistes were not able to dyspute them out of his hed More Now that Tyndale hathe done with his owne spyrituall parte hath as ye haue herd holyly declared how hygh spyrytuall wysedome they vse in serchynge the very botome of the cause in euery commauÌ„dement that god geueth and accordynge to the thynge whych they take for the cause so order them selfe eyther kepe the commaundement or breke yt now commeth he to thoter parte that is to all that are no heretykes whom he before called naturall and not borne agayne nor renewed with the spyrtie all which folke he calleth here the worlde and sayth that the worlde captyuateth hys wyt about the law of god maketh hym wonderfull ymagynacyons vnto whych he so faste cleaueth that teÌ„ne IohnÌ„ Baptystes were not able to dyspute them oute of his hed Here he meaneth that hym selfe and his felowes spyrytuall heuenly men be not captyuate vnto the lawe of god as we pore worldely meÌ„ of mydle erth be For they be no ferther bounden to the law but as the cause of the
serued for hys heresyes muste nedys be not suspected but manyfestley dedected and perceyued to haue vsed them beynge suche so many and so often not of any chaunce or good intent but of very playne purpose to gyue hys heresyes in the earys of vnlerned men some coloure of profe in the texte of the new testament And so myghte I now passe ouer .vi. or .vii. of the fyrst chapyters of his booke as thynges that serue hym of ryght noughte But yet to the entent ye maye the better perceyue how wysely the man defendeth the mater in suche wyse as he sheweth bothe lakke of lernyng and more lakke of wytte moste lakke of grace he doeth at the last confesse hym selfe that he made the chaunges for the settynge forth of hys heresyes whyche was the poynt that I layed to hys charge as the very thynge for whyche hys translacyon was very well worthy to be burned Now let vs fyrst consyder how he defendeth hys chaūge of thys worde chyrche in to thys worde congregacyon Fyrste to enduce the mater as though he went aboute to make euery thynge very open and playne he telleth vs a longe tale of lytell weyghte that thys worde chyrche hath dyuers sygnyfycacyons And then he maketh as though he wolde telle how many wherin when he hath all done he leueth out one of the very chyefe For he telleth vs that a chyrch sygnifyeth a place or a howse where crysten men were wont to resorte in olde tyme to here the word of god and he sayth not to praye but to lerne how and what to pray Then he sayth it hath a seconde sygnyfycacyon but that is he sayth but mysse taken and abused by whyche it sygnyfyeth the clergye whom it pleaseth to hym in hys raylynge maner to call a multytude of shauen shorne and oyled in mokkage and reprefe not so mych of the prestes as of the holy order of presthode A thyrde sygnyfycacyon he sayth it hath by whych it betokeneth a cōgregacyon a multytude or a company gathered to gyther in one as a man may call the chyrche of London meanyng not the spyrytualtye onely but the hole body of the cytye of all kyndes condycyons and degrees And in thys thyrde sygnyfycacyon he sayth that though it be lytell knowē amonge the comon people now a dayes yet in this sygnyfycacyon is he sayth the chyrch of god or Cryst taken in the scrypture for the hole multytude that receyue the name of Cryste to byleue in hym And for the profe of this he layeth many places of saynt Paule Fynally yet he remēbreth hym selfe at laste and addeth vnto this as it were a note sayth Tyndale Not wythstandynge yet yt is some tyme taken generally for all that embrace the name of Criste though theyr faythes be nought or though they haue no fayth at all And sometymes yt is taken specyally for the electe onely in whose hartes god hath wryten his law wyth his holy spyryte and geuen them a felynge fayth of the mercy that is in Cryste Iesu our lorde More Lo now ye haue herd how many maner of wise Tyndale teacheth vs that this word chyrch is takē In whych yet he hath lefte oute one sygnyfycacyone or twayen that this worde playnely sygnyfyeth One is that this worde chyrch besyde all the sygnyfycacyons that Tyndale hath here shewed vs doth syginfye that parte of the chyrch that in synodis coūsayles do represent the whole chyrch As when we saye that there is a law made by the chyrch that heretikes shall not be sufferd to preach lyke wise as a parliamēt rep̄senteth the hole reame is by the comen speche so called to as whē we say that the realme hath made a law that heretikes shal be burned The chyrch also sygnifyeth sometyme a mych lesse nomber that is to wyt the onely rulers or hedes of the chyrche as where we be commaunded to complayne to the chyrch yt is not ment to all the whole towne nor to all the clergy therof of but to rulers and gouernours Syth Tyndale hath taken vppon hym to shew vs here his hygh doctryne how many manner of wyse this worde chyrch is taken yt bylonged rather vnto hym to haue taken in these sygnifycaciōs then some of them that he hath taken as ye shall se anon But fyrst I meruaile me mych that Tyndall hath eyther clene lefte out or ellys put in so darkely that he wold not haue yt perceyued that sygnyfycacyon of this worde chyrch that is one of the pryncypall sygnyfycacyons therof and wherupon the greteste wayght of all our mater depēdeth And that is that sygnifycacyon by whych◠the chyrch sygnyfyeth not as Tyndale taketh yt in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon for all a multitude gathered to gether in one of all kyndes condycyons and degrees of people but of such onely people as be crysten people and them not in one cytye onely but that hole nomber of euery cytye towne and village thorow out all the hole world this sygnifycacyon Tyndale leueth out clene bycause yt toucheth moste the mater For as for that he saith in his fore remembred note he semeth but to set a specifycacyon of his thyrde sygnifycacion as though he wolde meane yt for the hole nōber of cyteseyns or ellys for the onely nōber of the electys wyth in some one cytye as he there putteth London for his example And yf he wold there name in his note the hole catholyque chyrch I meruyle why he sayth that yt is called so sometyme as though that sygnifycacyon were very rare and selde where as of trouth there is of the chyrch no sygnifycacyon neyther more great nor more comen then that by whych yt is ment and taken for the catholyque chyrch and vnyuersall How be yt of trouth Tyndale handeleth his thyrde sygnyfycacyon very secundely and fareth as one that wolde fayne walke in the darke For the places of scrypture seme to speke of onely crysten people in this place and that But his descrypcyon of the chyrch in that sygnifycacyon goeth far otherwyse For when he sayth that yt sygnifyeth not onely the clergye but the hole congregacyon multitude or company gathered in to one as a man wold saye the chyrch of London meanynge not the spyrytualty onely but the hole body of the cytye and all that parteyne vnto the towne generally of all kyndes condycyons and degrees of this sygnyfycacyon surely few folke haue herd For though he name a crysten cytye for a sample yet may there be some cytyes and haue bene and yet be some such in some other places that of the cyteseyns and of the hole bodye of the cytye and of such as pertayne vnto the towne generally not onely be there crysten prestes and crysten laye people but open caste oute heretykes also ye and peraduenture Iewes Turkes and Saracens to that be not crystened and all And in some cytyes few crysten people and the remanaunt infydeles and suche were the cytyes to whome the apostle wrote And then
Hierome founde some fautes in his workes he muste remember agayne that many a good man and among those saynte Pamphilus the blessed martyr founde in Origenes doctrine so mych erâ—dycyon deuocyon vertue bysyde that they veryly thought those errours none of his nor neuer were there any such faâ—tes founden in his wrytynge whyle hym self lyued nor no man offended with hym many places in his bokes playne that seme to saye the coÌ„trary And therfore many good men thought and yet thynge all be yt saynt Hierome thought otherwyse as he myght well inow whyle that poynte no thynge perteyneth to the fayth that chose heresyes were put in to hys bokes after his deth by some that were heretyques in dede and wolde for the great estymacyon that Origeneâ— was in thorough all the chyrch anaunce theyr owne heresyes forwarde vnder the name and standard of his famouse authoryte But graunted nowe that those faâ—tes were his whyche were imputed vnto hym yet is this none of theÌ„ But saynte 〈…〉 so 〈…〉 Tyndales scoldyng accepted and taken 〈◊〉 all 〈…〉 wyll I brynge in with hym some other that I haue named and yet other mo bysyde that shall as I sayd testyfye with me before this boke be done that god hath taught his chyrche many thynges wherof in the scrypture his worde is yet vnwrytem But now wyll I for the meane while touchyng this poynt wheruppoÌ„ the great wayghte of all the mater hangeth go nerer vnto Tyndale a nother waye It is ye wote well agreed bytwene vs or yf he wold be so madde to say naye ye wyll yet your selfe agre this in his stede that ones of olde tyme Cryste hym selfe and his apostles dyd teache and preache mâ—ny wordes of god vnwryten Now thus I say syth many thynges were tought fyrst vnwryten yf any of them be yet lefte vnwryten then saye I that Tyndale is at the leste wyâ—e temerariouse ouer bolde so certaynely to affyrme that any sacrament that the chyrch vseth and so longe hath vsed or ceremony eyther is idolatrye for as mych as if we lakked sure profe vppon our syde whyche in dede we lakke not by reason of goddes spyryte by Crystes owne promyse euer abydynge wyth his chyrch and teachyng it all trewth but yf we lakke I say that profe for our parte yet were he to presumptuousely bowe so precysely to affyrme the contrary syth he can not say naye but that they myght be some of those that were sometyme toâ—ghte vnwryten and yet remayne obserued vnwryten as the other that now be wryten were tought kept wythout wrytynge before To this wyll Tyndall answere that syâ—â—â—â— that tyme all goddes wordes promyses sacramentes that he wold haue kepte and byleued in crysâ—â—ndome he hath caused to be wryten by his euangelistes and apostles and lefte nâ—ne vnwryten to 〈…〉 that his chyrch shall not stande in any dâ—wte nor fall into any errour of any necessary poynt for lakke of wrytynge but moâ—e â—knowâ— by that he hath caused all to be wryten that all be false and fayned and â—â—ennys madde inâ—encyons that they byleue and obserue vnwryteÌ„ For wâ—y sholde he â—â—â—se some to be wryten and suffer some lefte vnwryten to make men sure of some and to leue some in 〈◊〉 〈…〉 cause for he seeth why well inough and therfore I wyll gyue no rekenynge why god hath caused some to be wryten and some to be lefte vnwryten But thys wyll I be bolde to saye that he was not of any necessyte compelled to wryte any one sacrameÌ„t or ceremony or weyghty poynt of byleue for any fere leste it sholde fall awaye and that he coude not wyth hys owne spyryte kepe it in mennys hertes and vsage wythout wrytynge as well as he kept in the good generacyons the knowledge of his promyses and his lawes longe and many ages before the lawe was wryten and yet wrote them not all therin neyther but the people had a fayth of Cryste amonge them more large then was wryten in theyr lawe whyche went from hande to hande I thynke from Adams dayes to whom it is lykely that god made after his fall some larger promyse and reuelacyon of hys redempcyoÌ„ agayne than we fynde made vnto hym wryten in any place of scrypture But we shall not nede mych profe for thys mater for that god was able to kepe all hys sacramentes and artycles of the fayth wythout wrytynge Tyndale I wene wyll not deny me Now to say that yf he sholde haue lefte some vnwryten it wolde haue made dowtes and debates and be occasyons of errours and heresyes and the writyng doth put all thynges oute of dowte and therfore god hath lefte none vnwryten we se that thys maketh neyther more sure nor lesse For as well dyd men byleue before the wrytyng those thynges that are now wryten as euer they dyd synnys and we beleue now the promyses as well that are vnwryten as any that are wryten And the wrytynge taketh not away all the dowtes but as many ryse thereuppon and many mo then vppon those thynges that we byleue vnwryten For fyrste the credence to be gyuen to the hole boke in whyche they be wryten hangeth all vppon the same fayth vppon whyche dependen the thynges that are vnwryten For as I byleue the tone so byleue I the tother And as one maye by hys owne frowardnes lakke the grace to byleue the thynges vnwryten so maye a nother by his owne malyce lakke the grace to byleue any parte of the hole boke of holy scrypture that is wryteÌ„ and take it all for fantasyes And in good sayth I am aferd yâ— so do they whych saye they byleue nothynge els but it For as for parte of the boke they brynge in queâ—â—yâ—Ì„ 〈◊〉 boke of the Machabees by cause it maketh questyon as agaynst theyr purpose concernyng purgatory And parte they let not mych to deny as Luther doeth the epystle of saynte Iamys bycause it speketh playnely agaynst hys idle workelesse fayth Now in that partes whyche they graunte for scrypture yet taketh it not awaye all the dowtes But vnto such folke as Tyndale is and Luther that be so contencyouse it mynystreth rather mych mater of dowte and of debate that mych more then do the thynges that are obserued wythout wrytynge For fyrst they refuse to obserue them bycause they saye they fynde them not there wryten so ryseth that questyon fyrst vppon the wrytynge Then yf it be founden there then dyspute they whyther it be fully founden there as whyther we fynde there bothe the token and the thynge betokened For the sacrament take they but for a bare sygne and the thynge that is sygnyfyed they call no thynge but Crystes onely promyse And here make they vppon the wrytynge many greate batayles to bete downe allmoste all the sacramentes sauyng scant one and an halfe Then vppon the letter rayse they many greate errours and saye the scripture is playne vppon theyr syde And thys say not onely Luther Tyndale and
he sayth that Cryste and his apostles dyd coÌ„fyrme euery sermone with a sondry miracle For tyll he proue me that by scrypture I denye yt playnely For syth neyther scrypture teacheth yt nor the catholyke chyrch preacheth yt nor any reason proueth yt I maye well and boldely denye yt and so I do For I se well his falsed for whych he fayneth yt He seeth miracles wrought by god plentuousely in hys chyrche and that thereby his chyrche and the fayth therof is confermed and therfore to brynge at the lestewyse some parte therof in questyon he wold saye that we fynde not specyall miracles done for euery poynte But I say no more dyd the apostles neyther nor Tyndale shall neuer proue yt For yf he wyll proue me that he muste proue me trew not onely the thyng that hym selfe sayth whych is more then euer he shall proue trew that is to wyt that they proued euery sermon wyth a sondry miracle but also that eyther they neuer preched but one artycle in one sermone Or yf they preached many he muste then proue me two thynges one that they coÌ„fyrmed that sermon wyth as many miracles as they preached poyntes a nother that they shewed the people that the miracles whyche they then dyd was so many miracles for so many poyntes for ellys myght all those myracles be done for the profe of one of those poyntes and all the remanaunt vnproued For yf Tyndale wyll say that thinge neded not for as mych as any one miracle suffysed to proue them all syth yt proued hym a trew preacher then shall Tyndale say â—o the thynge that I wolde haue hym saye for then hym selfe proueth that it neded not that they sholde proue euery sermone wyth a seuerall myracle made amonge one people nor peraduenture any one sermone neyther otherwyse then as by miracles shewed at other occasions bysyde theyr sermons they proued them selfe holy men and goddes messengers For we fynde many miracles done by them at suche tymes as they were not makynge of sermons And yet when they dyd them in Crystes name we finde not alway that they added a specyall artycle of oure faith whyche specyaltye they wolde haue by that miracle confermed And thus ye se that hâ—re he affermeth one thinge that he shall neuer proue whych thynge yet I wolde not vouche safe to speke of sauynge that he doth it of an euill purpose For hys mayster Martyne Luther when Erasmus layed agaynste hym for mannys fre wyll the doctryâ—e of the olde holy saynts whose fayth was approued by miracles layed agaynst hym agayne that though they dyd myracles Erasmus yet coulde not proue that any of them dyd a myracle specyally for that artycle and therfore he wolde haue that artycle seme vnproued as for any myracle And this way taketh Tyndale now for the selfe same â—â—tâ—nt therfore fayneth that the apostles confermed euery sermone wyth a sondrye myracle But I dowte not but that yf we sholde bydde Tyndale here or Luther hym selfe proue vs euery artycle of his fayth whych he wolde we sholde wene were the fayth that the apostles preached yf we sholde I say dyd them proue vs that the apoâ—â—les confâ—â—med euery artycle therof by a sondry myracle they shold seeke in scrypture tyll theyr eyen were â—â—â—ete they â—â—â—â—de it Moreâ—â—er Tyndales wordes fyghte to gether and one 〈◊〉 can not agre wyth an other For yf these wordes â—â— trew that they preued euery sermon with a sondry myracle 〈…〉 false that he sayth here also that is to wyt of â—â—racles 〈…〉 be wryten as nedeth 〈…〉 that Tyndale sayâ—h that thapoâ—â—le◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 miracle yt foloweth that euery necessary poynte that they preached they dyd proue by miracle Then ferther yf euery necessary poynte that they preached they preued by miracle bycause yt was nedefull that yt sholde be for credence to be geuen to that point for our soules helth it was nedefull then for the coÌ„seruacion of the same credence yf the credeÌ„ce coulde not be kepte wythout wrytynge that of euery suche necessary poynt of fayth and necessarye doctryne of theyrs wythout whych byleued we canne not be saued there were one miracle wryten at the leste But there ys not of euery suche artycle one miracle wrytyn ergo yt is not trewe that Tyndale goth aboute to proue that the miracles as many be wryten as nede and that euery necessary thynge is wryten And veryly yf euery thynge that we sholde necessaryly byleue had ben th entent of god to haue it put in wrytynge and that yt hadde ben also necessary that euery poynt were preued by one miracle and not suffycyent that the prechers were proued by miracles them selfe therby their doctrine to be byleued yt were very probable then both that the wryters wolde haue wryten some thinges mych more open and playne theÌ„ they â—aue done and also that of euery necessary poynte of fayth they wolde haue wryten one miracle at the leste But now syth god entended not to gyue his new lawe by bokes but specyally by the necessary poyntes therof wryten in mennys hartes wherof hym selfe wolde be the specyall inwarde mayster he hath prouyded that scrypture to serue for parte but not to serue alone for all And syth suche myracles as be wryten therin suffyse to proue the apostles goddes trew preachers and therfore neded not myracles to be wrytenâ—for euery poynte of theyr preachynge no more neded there to be myracles done for euery poynt of theyr preaâ—â—â—ge And for farther profe therof hew many thynges preacâ—ed the apostles by theyr pystles wyth whyche we rede not that they sente by the messengere for euery poynte a myracle And thus good readers here ye se fyrste that thys poynâ— of Tyndales preachynge muste be better proued whyche poynt thus reproued answereth and reproueth clerely dyâ—â—â—â— other places of hys boke hereafter But yet is i◠〈◊〉 â—o â—e consydered wayed in hys wordes that he sayth 〈…〉 substauâ—ce in generall of euerythynge â—â—â—â—ssary to 〈◊〉 soules hesth both of what we ought to byleue and what we ought to do 〈◊〉 wryten So that what so euer we ought to byleue or do that same is wryten expressely or drawen of that whyche is wryten More In these wordes though I fynde lakke of trouth yet I sumwhat alow hys wyt as our sauyour sayed by the wykked bayly Lucae 15 whyche though he played the false shrewe for hys mayster prouyded yet wylyly sumwhat for hym selfe And so playeth Tyndale here For now that he playnely perceyueth that the doctryne is playnely false whyche hys mayster Luther hym selfe to haue taught so playnely bytwen them all thys whyle that is to wyt that there is no necessary trouth to be byleued but yf it be proued by playne euydent scrypture now cometh Tyndale and seeth that they shall be put to flyghte and fayne to runne awaye and therfore wylyly prouydeth a startynge hole steppynge from playne and euydent scrypture theyr old specyall playne euydent wordes vnto darke
out of the scrypture wherein he may as well byleue what he wyll and take what he lyste not of yâ— tradycyon of Crystes catholyque chyrche but of the tradycyon of Martyne Luthers lemman as frame hym selfe a fayth by a deduccion of scripture deduced in such a fashion In the same manner he draweth out of scrypture in hys boke of obedyence and in thys boke also that a frere may marye a nonne by the authoryte of saynt Poule For beyng asked where he fyndeth yt in scrypture he sayth yt is wryten in these wordes to Timothe 1. Timoth. 3 a byshoppe muste be vnreprouable and the husbande of one wyfe And in the wordes of saynte Poule 1. Timoth. 4. there shall come false prophetes that shall forbede maryage And in this texte also 1. Corinth 7. yt is better to may then to burne Is not this conclusyon trow ye well deduced In the fyrst bycause saynte Poule dyd putte in this word one to forbyd and exclude any mo then one Tyndale deduceth that a bysshoppe muste nedes haue one and thereby maketh saynte Poule false in a nother place where he counsayleth wysshyth that he sholde rather haue none In the seconde texte bycause saynt Poule condeÌ„neth theÌ„ that wolde saye yt were not lawfull for any man to mary Tyndale deduceth that euery maye mary though hym self haue made vnto god a contrary promyse byfore myght as well deduce that no man maye be forbode to mary though he haue a wyfe all redy For the frâ—re is as well and as clerely forboden to mary by the scryptures that forbedeth hym the breche of his vowe as is the man forbodeÌ„ to mary that hath a wyfe all redye And vppon the thyrde texte bycause saynt Poule sayth that yt is better to mary theÌ„ to burne Tyndale deduceth that it is better for a frere to marye then to forbere lechery coÌ„sydereth not that when he breketh his vow and weddeth an harlot then he burneth both bodye and soule fyrste hete in fyre of foule fylthy luste and after thys worlde in euerlastynge fyre of hell Is not thys conclusyon worshypfully deduced vppon scrypture It is meruayle that he deduceth it not rather vppon the texte that he speketh of here Loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe and vppon thys texte also Do to another as thou woldest be done to thy selfe These haue yet some better colour for Luther and hys leÌ„man and I doute not but he wyll fynde them at laste and saye that hys maryage is grounded there bycause he loueth her wyth suche a lewde lousy loue as the lewde lousy louer in lechery loueth hym selfe and is so ryghtuousely dysposed that he wyll neuer desyre that she shall lye wyth hym but wheÌ„ he is euen as well content that hym selfe shall lye wyth her Thys that we saye now in sporte he wyll saye ones in erneste I warraunt you Now for the declaracyon of hys purpose in drawynge deducynge of thartycle of theyr faythlesse fayth out of scrypture of god these ensamples suffyse and therfore I shall procede farther Now nexte he coÌ„meth to the purpose to proue you that euery necessary thyng that we be bounden eyther to byleue or to doâ— is wryten in scrypture And now harke I praye you how properly the good man proueth it These are hys wordes Tyndale For yf that I were bounden to do or byleue vnder payne of losse of my soule any thyâ—ge that were not wryten nor depended of that whyche is wryten what â—olpe me the scrypture that is wrytâ—n More Lo here is hys fyrste argumeÌ„t that he setteth forth in the fore fronte of the feld as a specyall stronge bande whyche argument who so wâ—ll aduyâ—e and consyder yf hym selfe haue wyt shall playnely saye that it commeth out of a mad mannâ—s mouth For by thys â—â—afon tyll the gospellys were wryten euery man myghtâ— haue refused all the doctryne of Cryst in euery poyâ—t that was not wryteÌ„ in the scrypture before his day nor drawen out therof by a lytell streyghter lyne then Luther draweth his And when Cryste taught them the counsayle of virgiâ—â—tâ— and â—any other holesâ—â—â— thynges aboue the perfeccyon of theyr olde lawe they myght haue sayd shew me tâ—ys in wrytyng And then yf he had answered that hym selfe beynge suche as he was and for suche testyfyed by wrytyng and by the worde of hys father and by hys owne wonderouse workes owed to be byleued of them in euery thyng vppon payne of the losse of theyr soules they myghte haue sayed agayn as Tyndale sayth now yf we be bouÌ„den vppoÌ„ the payne of losse of our soules to beleue any thynge that is not wryten nor dependeth of that whyche is wryten what holpe vs the scrypture that is wryten Thys tale of Tyndales myghte they haue tolde vnto Cryst hym self agaynst the sacrament of baptysme the sacrament of the awter to 1. Corinth 11. Now when saynt Poule in his pystle to the Corynthyes sayed I wyll order the remanaunt when I come my selfe they sholde by Tyndales reason haue sent hym hys pystle agayne and saye If we shall be bounden to do any thynge vnwryten what auayleth vs all that euer thou wrytest But there nedeth no places of scrypture to thys blasphemouse foly of Tindale spoken agaynst the scripture bycause god hath taught left some parte of hys pleasure wythout scrypture For yf a man wryte certayne rules to hys howsholde seruauÌ„tes and yet gyue them certayne besyde by his owne mouth such as peraduenture shold nede no warnyng in wrytynge bycause the coÌ„tynuall vse and excerâ—yse of theÌ„ coude not suffer them to bâ— forgotten in whych kynde of coÌ„maundementes be the blessed sacramentes so dayly vsed in Crystes chyrch that forgoten they can not be nor lefte they shall not be for all the besynesse that these heretykes the deuyls doctours can make yf thys lordes seruauntes were so wyse to lerne thys lesson of Tyndale and saye naye syr and ye leue these thynges vnwryten then a strawe for all that ye haue wryten myghte not the mayster saye that hys menne were a sorte of malaperte folysshe knauys And thys is as ye se Tyndales fyrst reason wherwyth he full properly proueth vs that the apostles wrote alâ— togyther that euer we sholde be bounden to byleue whyche reason ye se your selfe is not worth one â—ysshe but râ—â—her a playne â—nreasonable blasphemy folysshely spoken agaynst the â—criptuâ—â— of god whych he sayth serueth for nought yf god bynâ—â— vs to byleue any worde of hys bysyâ—e Now let vs procede to the seconde whyâ—â— is I promyse you very seconde foâ— any frute that ye shall fynâ—â— therin These are hys wordeâ— Tyndale In as mych as Cryste and all his apostles warned vs that false prophetes shold come with false myracles euen to deceyue the electes yf it were possible wherwyth sholde the trew precher confouÌ„de the false excepte he brought trew myracles to confounde the false or ellys autentique scrypture of full authoryte all redy
elles fynally muste he confesse hym selfe for a fole in sayenge that goddys holynesse stryue not one agaynst another but yf he saue hym selfe and saye that perpetuall vyrgynite and the worke of wedlokke be not repugnaunt the tone to yâ— tother and then he shall not nede to confesse hym selâ—e a fole for the hole worlde wyll confesse it for hym Now maketh he another ly where he sayth that wedlok defyleth prestehed more then horedome thefte murder or any synne agaynst nature For yf he say this as of hym self it is a folysshe lye But yf he saye it as he doeth in the person of the catholyke chyrche to make men byleue that the chyrche techeth so then is it a very malycyouselye For it is not trew nor the chyrche techeth not so For the chyrche playnly techeth that horedome thefte murder and synne agaynste nature coude neuer be lawfull neyther to preste nor lay maÌ„ But the chyrche bothe knoweth and confesseth that wedlok and prestehed be not repugnaunt but compatyble of theyr nature and that wedded men haue ben made prestes and kepte styll theyr wyues But syth perpetuall chastyte and yâ— forberynge of the worke of wedlokke is more acceptable to god then the worke of wedlokke in matrymony therfore yâ— chyrche taketh none to be prestes but suche as promyse and professe neuer to be maryed but kepe perpetuall chastyte And then doth maryage after yâ— promyse made not by reasoÌ„ of the presthed taken vppon them but by reason of the promyse made vnto god and broken defyle the preste I wyll not dyspute whyther as mych as thefte murder or yâ— synne agaynst nature but I am sure as mych as horedome doth For syth the maryage is no maryage it is but horedome it selfe And I am sure also that it defyleth the preste more then dowble and treble horedome syth that hys maryage â—eynge as it is vnlawfull and therby none other but horedome doth openly rebuke and shame two sacrameÌ„tes there at ones that is both presthed matrimony besydes that not onely commytteth horedom but also sayth openly that he wyl lcommytte horedome and as a bolde beste and a shamelesse whoremaster playnely professeth afore the face of god and all crysten people that in stede and dyspyght of his professed chastite he coÌ„meth there to bynde hym self to shamelesse perpetuall horedom And thus good crysten reders ye se how well this wyse argument serueth hym And now putteth he after yt his great solemne questyon where he fyndeth in scrypture that women may crysten chyldren whyche ioyneth to his wordes byfore nere inough in the boke but in reason as farre of as the scrypture that he layeth therfore is farre of from the mater as I haue touched before And surely thorow all his boke and almoste euery thyng that he maketh sometyme the chapyters sometyme the paragraphes and reasonynges wythin the chapyter haue so euyll dependence one towarde a nother that yt semeth yâ— mater to be gathered by dyuerse folke and as they come to hym in dyuerse papers so he wythout order and at aueÌ„ture patcheth in hys peces nothynge lyke to gether wyth great sakke semys and some seme rent bytwene And in lykewise ioyneth he now the fynall clause of thys chapyter vnto the remanaunte so that who so consyder what and how many thynges go betwene yt and the thynge wheruppon he concludeth yt shall surely wene yt were a poysened stynkynge tayle of some stynkynge serpent that were quyte cutte of after layed a syde farte from the poysened body For this is hys fynall clause and hys hole conclusyon Tyndale And fynally though we were sure that god hym selfe hadde geuen vs a sacrament what so euer yt were yet yf the sygnifycacyon were ones loste we must of necessite eyther seke vppe the sygnyfycacyon or put some other sygnyfycacyon of goddes worde thereto what we ought to do or byleue therby or ellys put yt downe For yt is impossyble to obserue a sacrament wythout sygnyfycacyon but to oure damnacyon If we kepe the fayth purely and the lawe of loue vndefyled whyche are the sygnyfycacyons of all ceremonyes there ys no ieobardye to alter or chaunge the fashyon of the ceremonye or to putte yt downe yf nede be More Lo good readers here ye se finally how well and how wâ—sely and thereto how vertuousely Tyndale fynysheth thâ—s chapyter For the whole effecte of all these wordes is in thâ— worlde nothynge ellys but that yf god bydde you do a thynge and he tell you not what he meaneth thereby and for what cause he wyll haue you do it ye must nedes leue yt vndone bydde hym do it hym selfe wolde Tyndale wene you be well contente wyth hys owne seruauÌ„t that wolde serue hym of the same fashyoÌ„ not do what he byddeth hym tyll he tell hym why he byddeth hym wold it not haue bycome Adam well when god forbode hym the tre of knowledge to haue asked god agayne why he dyd so saye tell me god lorde wherfore and what thou meanest therby and why sholde I more dye for etynge thereof then of a nother tre tell me thys good lorde ere thou go for ellys be thy bakke turned onys I wyll ete therof whyther thou wylte or no. when god taught Moyses the makynge of the tabernacle the temple all thynges bylongynge therunto wold yt not haue done well in Moyses mouth to haue sayed vnto god Tell me what yt meaneth that thou wylt haue the tabernacle made of thys maner or ellys yt shall lye vnmade for me when our sauyour hym selfe sent out hys dyscyples and bade them in the confyrmacyon of theyr doctryne lay theyr handes vppon syke folke and they sholde be hole and that they sholde anoynt some wyth oyle wolde yt not wene ye haue done very well that they sholde haue sayd nay but yf he wolde tell them why laye theyr handes more then speke theyr bare worde why anoynt them wyth oyle rather then smere them wyth butter Surely the deuyll hath made this man madde he wolde ellys neuer saye as he sayth For yf it were impossyble to vse a câ—remonye but vnto damnacyon yâ— obedyence to goddes byddyng be euer more dedely synne but yf the sygnifycacyon be knowen then lyued the chosen people of god in the olde law in a straung perplexite whych what so euer Tyndale say shall neuer be proued to haue vnderstanden the sygnyfycacyoÌ„s of all the ceremonyes which god expressely commaunded them to fullfyll and obserue though he wolde not that they sholde wene that the obseruyng of them wythout fayth and other good workes shuld suffyse them as Tyndale and Luther saye that fayth alone shall saue vs wythout good workes as they sayed of olde and as he sayeth now wythout sacramentes to For this ys his fynall conclusyon of all that yf we kepe the fayth and yâ— law of loue â—â—defyled there is no parell at all to alter and chaunge the fashyon of the ceremonyes to put theÌ„
downe to meanyng as yt semeth that yf we kepe the fayth and beleue wyth Luther that there nedeth no more but fayth and then therwyth kepe the lawe of loue after Luthers louynge maner in lodgynge louers freres and nonnes louyngly to gether then we shall neuer nede to care whether we chaūge or put downe ceremonyes and sacramentes and all And surely very soth he sayth For when we fall ones to be contente wyth that there wyll but yf we chaunge that mynde and mende neyther any ceremony nor any sacramēt serue vs. And yet yf fayth and loue be as Tyndale here sayth the sygnyfycacyons of all the ceremonyes what parell is there to kepe all the ceremonyes with them twayne wythout any other sygnyfycacyons And thus by Tyndale hys owne tale we shall neyther nede to put thē downe alter nor chaūg them where he sayth afore we muste seke the sygnyfycacyons agayne or put downe the ceremonyes vppon payne of damnacyon And here haue ye now sene all that euer he sayth for the profe of the thyng that he hath in this chapiter takē in hāde to proue that is to wyt that the apostles haue lefte wryten in scrypture all thynges that of necessyte perteyne to the soule helth both in thynges to be done thynges to be byleued And now perceyue ye perfitely also y◠all that euer he sayth there is not any one thynge that to the profe of his purpose serueth hym worth a rysh Here myght I now well leue ye se well as for thys mater syth I haue suffycyently confuted and auoyded clerely all that Tyndale hath alledged for hys parte in thys chapyter in whyche he wold proue that the apostles haue lefte wryten in holy scrypture euery thynge necessarye to be byleued or done for the saluacyon of our soules and that so fully that what so euer is not wryten in scrypture nor deduced theruppon by whyche deducyng what he meaneth◠I haue by his owne example shewed you that thynge is not as he sayth to be byleued nor to be done of necessyte but mē be at theyr lybertie in all such maner thynge to do yt or do yt not byleue yt or byleue yt not or rather in synne to byleue yt or do yt though all the catholyque chyrche of Cryste both do byleue and many hundred yeres haue byleued that the thyng is of necessyte to be done or byleued In whyche mate◠〈◊〉 ◠saye syth Tyndale hath fayled of his profe I myght here make an ende sauynge that I haue though◠yt conuenyēt for his more vtter confusyon to brynge in by and by suche thynges as I fynde writen by hym for his parte in this mater bysyde that ye maye se wythout farther sekynge for yt all that he can saye at ones I shall therfore shew you his answeres to suche thynges as I in the .xxv. chapyter of the fyrst boke of my dyaloge alledged for the profe that all necessarye thynges were not wryten in scrypture but some suche onely taught and delyuered vnto the chyrch by mouth And when ye shall here haue herde Tyndales answeres vnto those thynges ye shall then the more clerely perceyue how foule a fall he hath in thys mater vppon whyche the greate parte of all hys heresyes dependeth and ouer that ye shall ryght easely iudge what pyth and substaunce is in his boke of answeres wherwyth he wolde fayne seme clerely to confute my dyaloge I shewed there in my dialoge by the authorite of saynte Iohn̄ the euāgelyste in the laste chapyter of hys gospell that all thyng was not wryten For there he sayth hym selfe Iohn̄ 21 Many thynges dyd Iesus whyche yf they were all wryten the worlde wold not receyue the bokes To thys answereth Tyndale thus Tyndale He iugleth For Iohn̄ meaneth of the myracles whyche Iesus dyd and not of the necessarye poyntes of the fayth More ye se well now that Tyndale well feleth that syth y◠euāgelystes dyd not go togyther by appoyntement to wryte theyr gospels nor when they hadde wryten them conferred theyr bokes togyther to se whyther euery necessary poynte were wryten in amonge them all or ellys at that collacyon to put it in some one as we fynde that saynt Poule had conference wyth Peter and other of the apostles Galathas 2 to come and speke of the fayth amonge them but not to wryte it all out in bokes but euery euangelyste of occasyō offred vnto hym selfe as god put in hys mynde and remembraunce wrote hys owne gospell seuerally by hym selfe and theyr epystles in lyke wyse and peraduenture one of them in all theyr lyues neuer redde the gospell that the tother wrote thys I saye beynge thus excepte that god besyde theyr purpose prouyded ◠amonge them all euery necessary poynte sholde be wryten whyche thynge Tyndale neyther doth nor can by reason or scrypture proue ellys yf any of them lefte vnwryten any poynt necessary to be byleued Tyndale can not saye but that euery of the other apostles myghte do y◠same and then hath Tyndale no surety that euery suche thynge was wryten And therfore Tyndale feleth full well how nere this place of saynt Iohn̄ prykketh hym yf in those wordes of saynte Iohn̄ myghte be vnderstanden that he had not wrytē euery necessary poynt of our bylefe And therfore to auoyde this pynche Tyndale sayth that I iugle For saynte Iohn̄ he sayeth ment onely of Crystes myracles and not of any necessary poynt of the fayth I iugle not For I saye not nay but the saynt Iohn̄ ment of myracles And in the tone place of the twayne he speketh of myracles by name sayenge Iesus wroughte many other myracles in the presence of hys dyscyples that be not wrytē in thys boke In the tother place in the very ende he sayth the Cryste dyd many other thynges whyche yf they shold be all wryten all the worlde coude not receyue the bokes that sholde be wryten In whyche wordes I denye not but that saynte Iohn̄ ment of Crystes myracles to therfore I iugle not But Tyndale that in that seconde place where saynte Iohn̄ meneth no myracles there excludeth hys doctryne wolde make vs wene that saynt Iohn̄ lefte not vnwryten any necessary point of fayth he iugleth goth about to begyle vs I thynke he taketh not so grete hold◠vppon this word dyd in that saynt Iohn̄ sayth Cryste dyd many other thynges and sayth not Cryste taughte many other thynges For thys worde doynge includeth techynge talkyng spekyng and all As yf a man wolde saye Cryst prayed preched and taught this dyd he daye and nyght And therfore syth saint Iohn̄s hole boke was made not onely of Crystes myracles but also of hys doctryne as well worde as dede and then he sayth in the very ende of hys boke that Cryste dyd many thynges mo wherof yf all were wrytē the worlde coude not receyue the bokes why maye not thys be vnderstanden of wordes and dedes and all but yf Tyndale wene that the bokes wolde be
but eyther Tyndales owne testament or the testament of hys mayster Antechryste And therfore that boke is coÌ„demned as it is well worthy and the condemnacyon therof is neyther openly nor pryuyly directely nor indirectely agaynst the worde of god nor tendeth not to the destruccion of the fayth but very coÌ„sonaunt wyth the worde of god auferte masum ex vobismet ipsis and greatly tendyng to the mayntenaunce of the fayth And concernynge that testament I haue both in my dialoge and in the secuÌ„de boke of thys wurke well proued this poynte wherunto when Tyndale weneth to fynde any farther defence let hym lay yt forth There is also no statute made by the chirch to forbyd any man to preache the worde of god hauyng no cause agaynst hym but theyr owne malycyouse suspycyon Nor god I dowte not wyll neuer suffer hys chyrche to fall so madde as to make suche a law If frere Barns fynde any law made of suche materâ— let hym reherse it and I waraunt you he shall fynde no suche wordes in it There is in dede a law made bothe by the chyrche and in thys realme by the parlyament to that no man shall be suffred to preache in any dyocyse agaynste the bysshoppes wyll And I wene that law be not agaynst goddes law nor agaynste reason neyther excepte eyther goddys lawe or good reason sholde suffer that one man sholde medle wyth another mannes charge magry his teeth to whom the charge bylongeth or ellys shold be suffred to sow shrewd seed of heresyes scysmes sedycyoÌ„s among the people fyrstâ— then be burned vp after at leysour Such folke I suppose were better prohybyted bytymes ere they be suffred longe to go forwarde to the parell of other mennes soules theyr owne to Such haue we had some prohybited here of late of whyche one was yet so sore set vppon euyll prechyng that after the prohybycyon abiuracyoÌ„ to yet wold he preche heresyes styll vntyll at the last god caused hym to be taken Tindals bokes with hym to both two burned togyder wyth more profyte vnto his soule theÌ„ had ben happely to haue lyued lenger after dyed in his bedde For in what mynde he sholde then haue dyed our lorde knoweth where as now we know well he dyed a good crysten man And when he wyste well his reuocacyon coude not saue his body yet reuoked he his heresyes and abhorred Tyndals bokes for to saue hys soule Now here serue well the wordes of saynte Austayne agaynst Barns whyche wordes Barns bryngeth for hym For when we here such a merceÌ„nary precher as these heretykes be for the tyme that we here them yf they say aught well and accordynge to the catholyke fayth as they can not for shame saye all nought at ones then take it But when we here them preache theyr owne heresyes for the rewarde of worldely prayse or delyte of theyr owne syngulare pryde and so seke theyr owne and not Crystes then here them not but putte them to sylence and prohybyte them to preache any more Thys allegorye wyll agre wyth the sayd wordes of saynt Austayne of Crystes wordes to And yet so mych the better in that these heretyques maye properly be called not onely mercennaryes of whom saynt Austayne speketh but also very scrybes and pharisees of wurse kynde then were those of whom Criste in that gospel speketh For these be false scribes that is to wytte wryters not wrytyng any trew bokes of scrypture but false gloses and contrary commentes vppon scrypture and erronyouse bokes of dyuelyshe heresyes dyuysed of they re owne frantyque braynes to the coloure wherof they abuse the scrypture and when they lyste they also denye the scrypture These be also the worst kynde of pharysees For these haue dyuyded them selfe not from the other people by any professyon of a more honest more vertuous lyuynge but haue dyuyded them selfe from the catholyque chirche of Cryste by abomynable heresyes and from all honeste people by the coÌ„tempte of all good wurkes and by the bestely professyon of freres nonnes lyuyng to gether in lechery preachyng theyr horedome foâ— honeste matrymony These be the thynges whyche we sholde not vouchsaufe to here these scrybes and theâ—e false pharysees preache For these be the deuyls deuyces and theyr owne For as for all that is preached consonaunte to the catholyque fayth ys very goddes law whyther yt be wryteÌ„ or not Nor saynt Austayn sayth not Here them in preachynge onely the scripture but goddes law he sayth wherein is comphended all that euer we be bouÌ„den to do or byleue wherof saynt Austayn doth hym selfe confesse that dyuerse thynges are vnwryten as for ensample the perpetuall virgynyte of our blessed ladye whyche who so byleueth not bycause yt is not wryten saynt Austayne calleth a falsâ— heretyque in hys boke wryten vnto Quod vult deus And so doth saynte Hierome to in hys boke agaynste Eluidius And all such thynges be therfore partes of the plantes whyche the father of heuen planteth by hym selfe hys apostles his holy spiryte and his owne sonne abydynge in hys chirche whyther they be wryten or not And thus ye se good reders that neyther those wordes of Cryste nor of saynt Austayne neyther do proue that the apostles haue lefte all necessarye thynges in wrytynge And therfore though Barns was so fonde to brynge in that text for this purpose yet Tyndale perceyued well that yt wold not serue and therfore lefte yt out yet layeth frere Barns a nother texte for thys purpose the wordes of saynt Poule wryten vnto Timothe the .iii. chapyter of the .ii. pystle where saynte Poule wryteth vnto hym in thys wyse Abyde thou in those thynges that thou hast lerned and that are betaken to the knowynge of whoÌ„ thou haste lerned them and that from thyn infancye thou haste knowen holy scrypture whyche maye instructe the to helth by the fayth that is in Cryste Iesu. All scrypture inspyred of god is profytable to teche to reproue to correcte to teache men in iustyce that the man of god maye be perfayte instructed to euery good worke I haue rehersed you saynt Poules wordes more full theÌ„ doth frere Barns bycause ye maye haue some gesse why he lefte the remanauÌ„t out For he reherseth no more but that the chyrche muste neyther make law nor statute nor nothynge do but onely preache and mynyster the worde of god and that nothynge addynge nor mynysshynge but as Poule sayth to Timothe abyde in those thynges that they haue lerned and that be commytted vnto them Now se ye well that saynte Poule speketh nothynge to Timothe agaynst addynge oâ— any good order or statute in hys chyrche but byddeth hym abyde faste by those thynges that he hath lerned of hym and that he hath lerned in scrypture ioynynge to the scrypture alwaye the ryght fayth of Cryste whyche he had lerned of saynt Poule And therfore agaynste makynge of any law thys texte serueth frere Barons a strawe
all the thre byfore remembred that the apostles wryte of grace geuen wyth the puttynge vppon of the handes And therein when Tyndale seketh an euasyon in his boke of obedyeÌ„ce sayenge that the puttyng of the handes was but a maner of menne in that coâ—tre as yt was to stretche oute the arme in prechynge or to laye an hande vppon a boyes hed call hym good sonne this euasyon is noâ—e euasyoÌ„ For in the syxte chapyter of saynt Poule vnto the Hebrewes saynte Poule wolde not haue made so seryouse ernest remembrauÌ„ce of the puttynge vppon of the handes whyche he reherseth as ernestly as baptysme yf yt were but such custumable maner that men maye do and lyue vndone as they lyste Nor yf yt were but suche a thynge he wolde not so expressely saye to Tymothe that he had grace geuen vâ—to hym by yâ— puâ—â—yng of his handes vppon hym These places of scryptuâ—â— and many mo to be for this mater so playne agaynste Tâ—ndale and so â—uydent that when he wrestleth with them and wold fayne scape away wyth some gay glose of his owne diuyse he fareth lyke a butter flye falleÌ„ on a lyme twygge whych yâ— more yt stryueth and flotereth euer the faster yt hangeth Now yf he meane in the thyrd fasshyon that is to wytte that the apostles of those fyue sacramentes do not besyde the comen sygnyfycacyon of grace wryte any specyall and proper sygnyfycacyons of the outwarde tokens to whyche sygnyfycacyons the same outwarde tokens hadde suche resemblans and lykenesse that they were therfore appropred vnto them as water in baptysme hath by the wessynge of bodye a resemblauns vnto the clensynge of the soule yf Tyndale meane in this manner as yt semeth that he dothe for when Luther and he and all the sorte of them hadde longe labored agaynste the blessed sacramentes and hadde fyrste assayed to saye that fyue of them were not in scrypture spoken of at all and whan that wolde not be bydden by then that there was at the leste wyse no grace promysed wyth them when they se them selfe shamfully conuycted and reproued in that poynte to then fell they fynally to the thyrde poynt and wolde not wythstandynge that the scrypture make mencyon of them of grace also graunted wyth them yet wold the wise meÌ„ make vs so madde as to take theÌ„ all for nought but yf we fynde in scrypture what other specyall sygnyfycacyon euery outwarde token hath and preache that sygnyfycacyons to the people as the specyall thynge and the hole effecte of the sacrameÌ„t lettyng the grace go by whych these men wolde were clene forgoten in no wyse byleued But where as in all theyr wryâ—ynges they rayle vppon allegoryes crye out vppon such holy doctours as preache them yet the holy sacramentes selfe they wolde shold serue for allegoryes onely and for nothynge ellys Now then I saye syth Tyndale meaneth thys wyse and therfore sayth in his wordes afore remembred that otherwyse preached they do no good but hurte all to gether for yt maketh he sayeth the audyence to put confydence therin that the dede yt selfe iustyfyeth a man whyche is the denyenge of Cristes blood syth Tyndale I saye sayeth thus I wolde wyt of Tyndale whether the sacramentes and the ceremonyâ—s of the olde law were by god prouyded to be well and with theyr profyte delyuered taught by Mâ—yses vnto the Iewes I thynke â—â—â—t Tyndale wyll not be so madde to say that god dyd by Moyses teche them to serue hym wyth those sacrameÌ„tes sacryfyces ceremonyes dyspleasauÌ„t to hym selfe thankles toward them selfe also to theyr hurte wherfore yf he haue eyther wytte or grace he muste nedys grauÌ„te agre that they were by Moises taught vnto the iewes very well and agreable to goddys pleasure theyr welthe But then say I that those specyall and proper sygnyfycacyons of euery sacrament sacryfyce and ceremonye were not taught them nor they vnderstode them not wherfore it foloweth that Tyndale sayeth false in that he sayth that the knowledge of them was so necessary for the soule helthe that wythout that knowledge the vse of them muste nedes be noyfull and not lawfull vnto them For but yf Tyndale teche false in thys god had taught hys people in the begynnynge to serue hym wyth damnable ceremonyes hym selfe Now yf Tyndale wyll at thys clappe turne hys cheke a syde and say that bycause that ellys all theyr seruyce to god done wyth those sacramentes and ceremonyes hadde bene dampnable therfore it appâ—reth well that all the sygnyfycacioÌ„s of them were taught them and so the minor of myne argueÌ„mt false yet in turnynge the to cheke for me he tourneth the tother very fayre to me so that he wyll haue a clap on the tone cheke or the tother make what skyfte he can For then say I thys vnto hym that yf the knowledge of all these sygnyfycacions was so necessary to them that with out that knowlege the doynge of those thynges whyche without synne they myghte not leue vndone were synne as ofte as they dyd them and that therfore lest we sholde be so wretched to wene god had on â—ueâ—y syde so bywrapped hys people in synne hym selfe by hys owne specyall prouysyon that they coude not by no meane escape we muste nedys perceyue that god caused theÌ„ to be by Moyses taught all those sygnyfycacyons Then say I that syth they were not wryteÌ„ vnto them in the scrypture they were yf Tyndale tolde vs trew taughte them but onely by mouth and so fro mouth to mouth taught and contynued amonge them tyll men by theyr foly and slougth fell to forgeâ—â— them or lytell to force of them and then to not byleue them as these heretyques fare by the ryght fayth at thyâ— dâ—ye And then saye I that therupâ—onâ— it very well foloweth ferther that Tyndale sayeng that Mâ—yses receyuâ—â— all â—â—cessary thynges in wrytynge sayed very false 〈…〉 fole for the knowlege and vnderstandynge of those sygnyfycacyons of all theyr sacryfyces and ceremonyes he confesseth to be necessary vppon parell of theyr soulys and yet he confesseth that they were not wryten in the scrypture And yf Tyndale wene to wry asyde and skape by that he sayth that those sacramentes ceremonyes serued them for bookes that they â—ed all the sygnyfycacyons in them as in bookes I aske hym whyther the ceremonyes were tokens so lyke the sygnyfycacyons that they were able to teche the sygnyfycacyons and kepe them by the beholdyng of the ceremonyes or not If they were they had not ben forgotten If they were not and yet the sygnyfycacyons so necessary then yet agayne was not euery thynge necessary delyuered Moyses in wrytynge But lettyng Tyndale with his foly passe the trouth is that the iewes had necessary thynges taught them besyde the wrytynge had an expectacyon of Cryst and of redempcyon by hym before the law wryten in that tyme and after and the iewes loke for it yet they knowe that wythout