Iourney in the forth place of this commune wealth was Moses apoyntid as supreme head and prince next unto god in the fight place was appoyntyd the pristes then the princes inferiour and capitaynes Then the people then all thynges necessarys to mayntayne this commune wealth whetherit were in tyme of peace or tyme of warre Now he that consyderith the face of this coÌ„mune wealth May â—e many notable thinges and â—pecially for my purpose on which shall proue that princes susteyne wrong by â—ouch bishopes as be within there realmes Thowgh that Aron and his sones with the rest of the pristes had the ministery of te church committâ—d unto them yet were they neuer so bold to make ony law for the people conserning consciens or to bring ony ceremony into the church without the iudgment and knolege of godes word and Moses the prince As it may be well seyne by souch as could not celebrat Pesah in the tyme apoyntid because of certayne impedimentes reâ—ersid Nu. 9. this cause of religion was not browght unto the byshope and pristes to be definid But unto Moses who counselyd the lord and there upon wysid his subiectes what was to be don in souch acase Rede the place This declarith that no generall councell no prouinciall asâ—emble no byshopes of ony Realme or prouince may charge the subiectes therof with ony law or ceremony otherwice then the prince of the Land by the word of god can yeue accompt to be godd and godly For the people ar committid unto the prince to susteyne the right of them all and not only to defend there bodis but also there soules As it may be seen by the coÌ„playnt of Moses unto god Nu. 11. Curafflixisti seruum tuum quare non inueni gratiam in oculis tuis ut poneres onus uniuersi populi huius super me c. he was so care full that no law was among then But that he was able to assure euery of his subiectes that god was thauctor therof Now if we consider the commune wealth of Christes church in oure dayes is there ony prince that can warrant all the lawes of the church to be good and that god is the auctor therof No god knowith they can not do it And right well iam assuryd souch as make the princes belyue they ar good cannot Bringforth and mak good thauctor except the say the deuyll auctor of all yle is thauctor Now to remoue this petyfull and mâ—serable ruyne of the churche let all princes for the loue of god and for the restoring of there awne princely honor Take Moses and the Prophetes the Euangelistes and the Aposteles to iudge whether the yoke of there subiectes be tollera ble or not if it be not of gracious petye to remoue it and lik aprince warrant them from all other mennys subiection and lawes and let not abyshope be check mate and hayle felow welâ— met if the prince rule the body the byshope to sit in the quere an rule the soule as in deade there is more bishopes Decrees lawes and Statutes in the church for the soule then ciuile lawes in ony Realme for the body Where as euery commune whealth owght to haue but too goueruers God and the prince thone to make a law for the soule thother for the body all the kynges officers to be ministerâ— of the lawe made to the conseruacion of the commune wealthe and the byshopes to be ministers in techurch of the law that is prescribid by god as all iustice Meres Shereues constables and bayliffes Be ministers of the law made unto them to gouern the commune whealth So must the byshopes Pristes and all other preachers be ministers of Christ and gouerne the people in there uocation according unto the law prescribid by god As Paule willid the people to iudge of hym and of his companyous 1. Corint 4. Sic nos estimet homo ut ministros Christi dispensatores mysteriorum dei quod superest autem iâ—lud requiritur in dispensatoribus ut fid us ali quis reperiatur There is no more requirid of the byshope but that he be dâ—ligent and faythfull in thexecution of godes worde It is not requirid that he shuld make ony lawe for the people But to preache godes law with all diligens and study As they do must negligeÌ„tly The yere last past upon certayne occacious at my beyng in Inglond for lack of expedicion of myne affayrs I was compellyd to remayne in A towne longer then I would hauing communicacion with certayne of the citicus of many maters sowgh of my part only to haue occacion to healpe there poure consciens from the snare of ignorancy When I perceauyd I had optaynid there willing audiens Idemanudyd of them when there byshope for of the towne the byshope hathe his name prechyd among them And the contentes of his sermones They told me that he neuer preachyd sermon in the towne Iaskyd what deputes he had in the towne apayntid to preach they sayde none And Ibelyue it the better for aslong as I was in that towne there was neuer sermon â—amentyd the people for I sound a great many apt and redy by inspiracion of godes sprit to hyre the truith if they had à preacher For at one talke and communicacion as mouche as they could comprehend they belyuid the rest they stode in dout of Then I willid them diligently to lern the gospell to auaynce it in word and to set it forte with thexaÌ„ple of all honest liefe And told theÌ„ that there were too generall rules to lern and know god by the first by his worde wherby oure fathers before thowsandes of yers knew hym The second was to know god by his dere sonne openid and declarid in Hierusalem unto the worold and that god can nor will beknowen none other wais then by his word and by hâ—s sonne Christ Iesus Ioan. 10. Here in this towne the byshope of the dioces from the tyme that he was appoyntid by the Kynges maiestatie unto that moost paynfull office he preachid nether god nether the deuill But let his floke wander as shepe without à sheperd They say yet all that there diaeceses be well instructid and gouernyd and they do according unto there â—ffices For south as mouche there diligens is correspondent and there factes agreyng with there name for they ar callyd diaecesani Of diaeceo that signifith to gouern and to defend As Absolom factes agreyde with his name His name signifieth the peace and tranquillite of his father But his factes was the affliction of his father and bauyshyd him out of his realme 2. Samuelis 17. so dooth the byshopes gouern the churches committyd unto there charges and defend tem from false doctrine They be in structyd in the pater noster The crede and the coÌ„maundementz and hath the sacrameÌ„tes ministrid unto them would to god aryght what all this It is noti nowgh the may haue all these thinges and yet nothing the
the hyghe prist delyuerid unto the kynges secretarie Saphan the booke of the law that he had found in the Temple and Saphan Rede the contentes of the booke before the kyng Mouid with à wounderfull sorow and heuinis of hart for wo rent his clothes and sayd unto those that were present â—o pray ye to the lord for me for the people and for Iuda For great is the furor and angrâ— of ihe lord agaynst us because oure fathers hard not the wordes of this booke and lyuid not theraâ—ter Declaring by these wordes that all the captiuites misery and troble that his predicessours susteynid was for the contempt and neglectyng of godes worde The obseruacion wherof is the preseruacion of all puplicke and coÌ„mune wealthes The uiolacion of it to be the subuersion and destruction of the commune wealthe As it may be secne by those too kynges Achas and Ezechias 4. Reg. 16. 18. Ezechias was fortunat in his râ—ygne because he was ayedyd by god Achas unâ—ortunat because he wantyd the ayed of god To auoyd godes di pleasure to instruct his subiâ—ctâ—s in the word of the lyuing god and for the preâ—â—ruacion of his Realme Callid assemblannce of all the wysyst of Iuda and Hierusalem came into the temple and being present all the Cyticince of Hierusalem the pristes Prophetis with all other great and smale Rede himselfe unto the people the coÌ„tentes of the booke that was found in the temple Which declarith that he would assure his subiectes himselfe of godes trewe word that no false preachere shuld aâ—ter ward seduce there conscience with ony false doctrine So I dout no but oure moost uertewes and noble king will deliuer unto his subiectes the only bible to be pÌ„chid in the coÌ„gregacion and suffre none other mannis wrytiges to be preachid there to seducehis faythfull suâ—iectes And say with this noble kyng Iosâ—â—ahu unto all the byshopes and pristes of his moost noble Realme auferte de teÌ„plo dnÌ„i cuÌ„cta uasa quae facta fueraÌ„t ê“ Baal pro lucis ê“ uniuersa militia coeli Cast out all uesselles uestemeÌ„tes holy water bocket with placebo and dilexi for the ded with prayng to ded saynct all other souch trinketes as hath blasphemid the name of the god And use the testameÌ„t and souche sacrameÌ„tes there prescribid and as thei be there prescribid by the word Oh how great shall the kinges maiestes and the conselles reward be for there thus doing they shall triumphe for euer with god in souch Ioys as neuer can be expressid with tong or penne with out end in heauen with Dauid Ezechias and Iosâ—â—ahu The trew preaching of godes word hathe byn so long out of use that it shall be uery difficile to restore it agayne except mâ—n knowe the maner of speache usidâ—in the scripture What hathe browght this blindenis â—nd Idolatrye into te châ—â—che but ignorancie when the bible and trew preachers therof be restoryd into the churche god shall restore like wyse souch light as shall decern euery thing aright what god is what à sacrameÌ„t is what saynct is and what honor is to be yeuen unto them Where now is souche confusion as thone thing confoundith the other Prayng unto saynctes as well as to god Attributing unto the sacramentes and externall signes that that only shuld be attributid unto the promese of god ratified by the signes Thowgh the sacramâ—tes godly usid be holy and godly thinges yet be they nâ—ther god nor godes promises which thing men shuld use as confirmacions of godes promises and gyue only thonor unto god for the graces that they confirme as they do that inherit there fathers right and possession usith to kepe well there Euidens and wrytinges leste un to them for the coÌ„fimacion of there land yet dooth they nether honor the wax printid annexid with the wrytinges as thowgh it were there naturall fathers nor attribut the yeffâ—e and donacion of the land unto the wryting and seale but unto the yeuer of the lond that consirmid the donacion or purchesse of the lond with the seale The preaching of godes word is of all thinges in this worold moost necessary ffor the people and Paule calâ— lith the gospell the uertew of god to the saluacion of all that belyue Ro. 1. yet is the word of god of no souch effi cacie for the wordes can do nothing but signifie and coÌ„ firm the conscience of him that beliuid And when I say the word of god is the poure of god unto the saluacion of those that byliue trew it is when it is preachid undrestond and folowid Hoc est mâ—ns medulla uerbi This is tawgh daily in oure Pater noster When we say sanctificetur nomen tuum yeue grace that the knolege of thy name may be preachid in the hole worold Then folowith the second peticion Adueniat regnum tuum the which speakith of nothing but of theffect of the first peticion Lord when thow hast dispersid the uoyce of thy gospell into the worold So gouern us with thy holy sprit that we may belyue and receaue the gospell He re se we quod spiritus sanctus operatur salutem median te uerbo quod est ipsa mens sententia uoluntas dei quam sententiam diuine uoluntatis tunc capit humanuÌ„pectus quando trahitur à patre As ye may Rede Act. 13. 16. Ioan. 6. thowghe it pleace god to send his holy sprit into oure haâ—tes by this menis yet is not the worde the grace yeuin ner the holy goost that yeuith it let us reuerently use the meanes and honor the yâ—uer of the grace onlyeâ— Lerne good reader to know god from his sacrameÌ„tes that thow make not of hony gall and of à profetable medicine ordeinid for thy healt à necessarie poâ— son to thy destruction Remembre the wordes of Epiphanius lib. 3. contra here To. 2. There were to sortes of people thone as he wrytith contemnid the blessid uirgine to mouch the other extollid here to mouche Equale est â—nim in utrisque his â—â—ctis detrimentum quum illi quidem uilipendant sanctam uirginem Hi uero rursus ultra decorum glorificent Reuera sanctum erat corpus Mariae noÌ„ tamen deus Mark wâ—ll how he takyth away â—from the blessid uirgine souch honor as she shuld not haue and yet yeuithe her dew reuerence Reuera inquit uirgo â—rat honorata sed non ad adorationem nobis data sed ipsa adorans â—um qui ex ipsa carnâ— genitus est de coelis uero ex sinibus patris aceâ—ssit Agayne sit in honore Maria. Pater filius spiritus sanctus adoretur Mariam nemo adoret non dico mulierem imo neque uirum Deo debetur hoc mysterium The saynctes ar to be remembryd to folow there humilite and paciens to preache the word of god as they dyd to dy ffrom doing of yle as they did to contemne the worold as they dyd they ar not tobe prayed unto nor
stablyshe his opinion with all He saith that it is the Fyrst and Cheiffe poynt of sophistry to make euery man thynk of hymselfe farther then is in deade in hym These wordes may haue diuerse undrestonding and be referryd unto diuerse endes If ony man unlernyd or meanely lernid would say hewere as Able to interpretat the scripture to shew the art therof open the frase the rof declare the wryters intent and purpose And refer all the sentences ad Argumentes to the same purpose that thauctor meÌ„t them And say he can defend and â—en â—e the proposityon that the Prophet and EuaÌ„gelist with souch other places of the scripture as may serue to the purpose to coÌ„fute all thargumentes ofhis contrarie and say he is able by disputacion to warraunt boothe hym selfe and the mater he takythe in hand what so euer his contrary may obiect as well as à lernyd man exercise of â—oÌ„g tyme in the scripture it were not only the fyrstpoynâ— of Sophistrye But the â—yrst and Cheyffe poynt of folie I haue hard but of ffew men that laboryth with that uice But the unlernid glad to lern of hym that is lernyd if my lordmeÌ„t à redresse of souch an ille and tell the unler nyd that it is not possible to be as à good adyuine as Augustine as good An oratour as Demostenâ—s or as well know how to gouâ—rn the commune welt as Cicero my lordes wordes were trew How be it they meane an other thing to say he that is unlernid cannot know nor comprehend the trew use of the sacramentâ—s in Christes church and what they be as well as the lernid man and say it shalbe suffâ—cient for them to trust untoother mennes iudgmentes This opinion of my lordes is not trew As the commune lawes of eueuery Cytie must be knowen of euery man that wilbe à good Citicyne so must the commune lawes of Christes church be knowyn of euery one that wilbe à good Christiane It is not sufficient for à commune wealth thowghe he that pleadythe at the barr in westemynster haule know there is nor aught to be in ony Monarchy more then on kyng and all other to be subiectes But that the moost unlernid of the Realme must know the same or else he shuld be iud gid for à treatour to gyue souche honor as is dew only to the kyng unto an other person that is not king and is not god in the church as well to be knowen ffrom à saynct or sacrament of euery Christiane man as à kyng in his Realmeâ—yes doutles and as he that would make à subiect the kyng and so with toouth and nayle procleame hym to be kyng agaynst the hynges honor and agaynst all the lawes of his Realme ignorancie could not excuse this transgressour from Treason doutles Nome re shall these that procleame and fyght so sore for the God of Breade whych is à creature and no God be excusyd from â—dolatry the kyng of equite is bound to kyll the body of thes treatur and god can do nolesse of his iu stice then kyll booth body and soulle of this ydolater if he repent not And as noman is permittid to by or sell or to mak ony other coÌ„tractes in ony Realme for his commodite except in the doyng therof he obserue the law of the land nomore can noman use to bargayne or contract with god for his commoditâ— in te churche of Chrâ—stes except he obsâ—rue the lawes prescribid by god As in à commune wealth all men cannot be princes and go uerners nor all men lernid Yet for asmouche as the commune wealth is the societe an coniunction of the prince with all his subiectes be they of noble parentayge or of basse lynayge Lernid or unlernid it is nâ—cessary that as well the lowyst as the highest the unlernid as the lernid know how to lyue lyke à trew subiect and not to runne allwayes unto à man of lawe to aske whether it be lawfull to yeue the same honor unto the kynges subiect that is dewe only unto the kyng So the church of Christe ia not the assemblance of princes byshopes and lernid men only but of all kind and degrees of people in the worold and the moost inferiour person of te church he that lackyth his senses is bound to know what god and his sacrameÌ„tes be and the differeÌ„ce betwene the one and the other as well as the best byshope of the church for as the commune proclamacions of princes Conseruing ffaythe subiect on and obedience is not yeuing to one sort of his subiectes but unto all and singuler persones of his Realme so is the gospell of Chtist conserning the articles of oure ffayth and the use of sacramentes proclemid unto all the membres of Christ as well as unto one god sayd not unto Moses and Aron alone Ego dominus deus qui eduxi te de terra Egypti Et noÌ„ erâ—nt tibi dij alieni coraÌ„ facie mea Exo. 20. he would not Moses and Aron alon tobe ware of Idolatrie But all the church Not that they alone shuld know the word of god but to make all the church to know the word Conserning the sacrameÌ„tes euery man wos bound to know the use of them as well as Moses and to teache there chyldre to know what à sacrament was and how to use it Exod. 12. Gen. 17. What was the commaundement of Christ unto his Aposteles to teache the lernid to cum to heauen onâ—y No he sayd Facite mihi discipulos omnes gentes Mar. ult he that belyuithe and is baptiâ—id shalbe â—auid he that belyuith not shalbe damnyd How can he belyue well that knowith not god ffrom à sacrament à trew body of Christ ffrom the sacramente of his body Mark all the sermones of the prophetes and the Apostelles and they appertaynid unto all the churche and not unto one lernid man of the churche What lerning is this to say it is the deuilles sophistrie that à simple and unlernid man shuld not and is not bound to be ascertay ne and sure to know god ffrom an Idoll and Christes body ffrom à sacrament of his body as the best byshope of the worold Was not â—oseph and the blessid uirgine as well lernid troo ye in tharticles of therfaythe as Anna and Cayphas they had bynne well assurid incase they had led ther fayth after the iudgment of the holy churche of the Pharises and not knowen god and his sacramentes themselfes by the scripture But I will put the Christiane in mind of the ffyrst word of his crede Whiche is credo Isay I beliue in god whiche is asmouche to say as it profetith nothing me that Abraham Isaac and Iacob or that the Aposteles with other holy and lernid men belyue But I must be lyue the promeses of god and Imust lyue godly therafter Now poore wrecchyd man and coÌ„fortles person how canst thow belyue the thing thow knowist not thy conscience is à Iaques for euery deuillyshe byshopes decrees and as
they change there law now for Auarice now for fere and now for placebo so thy fayth chayngithe as inconstannt as the wind And yet baryth the in hand that the moder and nest of abhominacion there uniuersall church caÌ„not lye WheÌ„ all hystorijs declarithe that thone byshope neuer stablishyd the others decrese Rede platina and let those ffew byshopes that I repet yeue the occacioÌ„ to lern thy ffayth out the law of god and let there holy churche goo in the yer of our lord 900. Stephene the sixt was byshope of Rome and for à priuate hattred he had unto his predecessour and benefactor fformosus abrogatid all the lawes and statutes that he made in the time of his being byshope pluckyd the ded body out of his sepulchre cut of too fingers of his right hand and cast them into the â—flud Tyber After the death of Stephene succedid Romanus primus and after him too orher Theodorus secundus Ioannes decimus These thre disanullid all the decrees of Stephyne and restoryd the actes and statutes of fformosus Sthephanes Ennymie Alitle aâ—ter was leo the ffyghe made byshope and within xl dayes of his inauguracion is uery ffrend Christopher cast hym in to pryson And he occupied the see and chayre tn Rome for the space of 7. monethes and then glad to ffle unto Amonastery as abanyshid man as platina sayth Then came Sergius Tercius who so abrogatyd the lawes made by fformosus that souche as were made pristes in the time of fformosus were compellyd to receaue orders agayne And toke the ded body of fformosus out of his sepulchre and causid it to be cast into Tybre Ileaue Ioan the xi and Ioan xiij amore wyckid person neuer ocopyed that Rome It were à hole booke mater to Name theÌ„ all and there detestable actes By these men we may see how litle authorite there decrees shuld haue in conscience of à Christiane man And cause euery person to syke the truithe only in the scripture and not at the hand of ony byshope or byshopes lawes ffor doutles they haue deceauid them selfes and other this many yers god yeue theÌ„ grace to amend AccoÌ„pt it not apoynt of Sophistrie god Christiane reader to what à sacrameÌ„tis by the scripture know it is thy bound on dewty for if thow ar with thy preacher in the use of Sacramentes thow shalt be an Idolatre with thy preacher and Godes Ennymye Thy preacher was commaundyd to preache nothyng unto the but the word of god as Christ towghteâ— Docete â—os seruare quecuÌ„que prae cepiuobis Matth. 28. And whether thow be lernyd or uulneryd as thow louyst thy saluation see thow be able to satiffye thy selfe in a trew knolege of the sacramentes like wyse be able to declare the same openly apertly and trewly unto thy famyly and howshold Remembre the commaundement of God unto all and singuler of the Israelitis Erit quoque cum dixerint ad uos filij uestri quis est hic cultus uester Dicetis Est oblatio pesah Ddmini qui transendit domos filiorum Israel in Aegypto cuÌ„ per cuteret Aegyptios domos nostras liberauit The ffathers knew not only themselfes what the lambe ment but were bount to teache ther infantes the knolege therof as theydyd by the word of God would tho our lord Christiane men would study to do the same ffyrst to know them selfes and theÌ„ to teache there ffamilie by the Testament And not to say unto there Chyldren see thy God knele downe serea and hold upp thy handes the scriptures reprouith that idolatrye theach the lordes super by the scriptures and suffre not thy familie to blaspheme God before they know what god is And beliue not this persuacioÌ„ that it is not à Christiane manÌ„es of fice to know what à sacrament is as well as the pryst for if thow do thow makyst thy selfe gilty of godes yre and displeasure and declaryste thy selfe to be none of Christes rede the 10. chap. of IoaÌ„ and he that will minister the sacrament unto the let hym say as Paule sayd to the cor Ego accepâ— Ã domino quod tradidi uobis and know by the scripture that he sayth trewthe trust not his word if thow canst not rede desire some other to rede unto the institution of Christ and know whether he saythe truythe or not Euery man is bound to know the commaun dementes of god and the workes there of Now the sacramentes be all conteynid in this coÌ„maundement Memomento ut diem sabbati sanctifices How canst thow honor the lyuing god and if thow be ignorant of his law Was this precept yeuin unto the pristes alon that they shuld only kepe holy the sabbot no but as they by the word of god ar bound to preache the gospell and minister the sactamentes with knolege and reuerence so ys euery Christiane man bound to use them with knolege and incase he knowithe not what à sacrament is and why it is usid refrayne ffrom the use of them for godes promese and godes sacramentes must be receauid one way with knolege and faithe This reason ofmy lordes is not godly for doutles he that goithe to plowghe all the weke is bound to know trewly what à sccrament is and how and why and to what end it shuld be usid as well as my lord And my lord withe all the byshoppes and pristes in Inglond shall Lament ffull sore there ignorancye and there blud requirid at there handes and yet the poure ignorauÌ„t persones excusid ffrom thyre of god nothâ—g the rathere The secoÌ„d reson to stab lyshe thalteracion of bread he takyth of the Nature of ffayth Who beliuithe thinges coÌ„trary unto reason and the iudgment of carnall senses It is trew that faythe so doothe As it beliuithe the worold to be made of nothyng the sonne of God to be made man in the bely of the uirgine This we belyue because the scripture commaundith us to belyue it But my lord cannot infer there by that faythe belyuithe euery canterbury ta le ffaythe is not à light opinion groundid upon maâ— but afirme persuacion and constant assurance stablysâ— hid in the scripture Ebre 11. it signifiyth not only knolege But also firme confidence in the thing knowyn Aâ— the Ebrew frase usithe maÌ„ny times the word belyue for trust Asre col hose bo Psalm 2. blyssid ar all that trust in hym Paul citi h à place out of Esay 18. ca. hammaemin lo â—a hish qui credit noÌ„ festinet Likwice Dan. 6. Psal 78. duo synonima coniunguntur quia non crediderunt deo non confusi sunt in salutare suo the examples of the testament likwyce declarithe that fayth signifithe coÌ„fidence in the promesse of god O mulier magna est fi des tua Item fides tua te saluam fecit Thus doothe emeneh in the Ebrew and pistis in the greace signifie There for Laurentius Vall. and budeus in Pandct Iuris ciuilis callith pistis
time as ye may se when ye confer there doctrine unto the doctrine of the Aposteles The malice of man could not utterly destroye the truith in our fathers time nomore shall it do in oure time Christ hathe prayed for his churche and his prayer is hard Ioan. 17. it shall be upon the erth till he cum to iudgment Matt. ult thowgh allwayes afflictid and persequutid by souch as contemne boothe god and hit word But it shall suffice the seruaunt to be as his master was we reade how he entryd with many afflictions so must euery man that wilbe sauid Ebre 11. Rom. â— the churche of Christ may welbe comparid unto daniell setting Among the lyons destitute of all humayne ayede and defense deliuer it out of the caue yet shall it wander upon theâ—th as à contemptible thing of no Estimacion not knowing where to rest here â—ed pacience must suffre this opprobrie and abiection and when she can not be receauid as she is worthy into the palyce of the ryche she must be coÌ„tent to lodge in the stable with Christ among the brute bestes Yet god Manie times dooth resuscitat of his great Mercy diuerse princes and godly mindyd kynges for the defense of the church as he dyd Cyrus and Constantinus with many other And in my dayes it pleacid god to moue the hart of the moost noble and uictorious prince Henrye theight of à blessid memorie to deliuer his subiectes ffrom the Tyrannie of the wyckid Antechrist the byshope of Rome with many other godlye and diuine actes which browght the light of godes worde into manie hartes Beseching the eternall and lyuing god That this oure moost gracious and uertewes Souerayne lord Kyng Edward is successor may godly performe the thing that is yet to be desirid and leaue nomore doctrine in the churche of inglond nor other booke to instruct his subiectes with all Then the moost godly yong prince Iosijahu leste in the land of Iuda an Hierusalem His moost noble actes be wroten 4. Reg. 23. heremouid all false doctrine and Idolatrie out of the churche and restoryd the booke of the lawe into the temple bound himselfe and all his subiectes to honor and obey god only as that booke tawght Manasses for the time of many yers conspirid nothing but the abolycion and destruction of godes word killid the prophetes of god and many other godly persones in that time of persequucioÌ„ some godd man hid in the temple an Exampler of godes law which by deuine operacion was found in the raygne of Iosijahu Agod act of him that hyd the booke and à godly act of the king to bind his subiectes unto that booke He that had sawght all te churches in inglond before 16. yeres shuld not haue found one bible but in euery church souch abhominacion and Idolatrie as the like was not sith the time of Iosijahu euery where Idoles with all abhominacion and as I perceaue by à frindes letter of mine of late in à Certayne churche in Inglond was an inquisicion made for the bible by the kynges maiestes officers that in stede of the bible found the leffte arme of one of those chartechouse Monkes that died in the defense of the byshope of Rome Reuerently hyd in the hygh aulter of the church with à wryting conteyning the day and cause of his deathe Doutles à uery sacrament and opyn signe that they be hypocrites and desemblers and not perswadyd of the truith in there hartes And I trust to hyre that the Kynges maiestie neuer put his officers to great payne to bring them to Tiburn But put them to death in the churche upon the same aulter wherin this relique was hyd and burnt there the bones of the treterous ydolatraes with the relique as Iosijahu did all the false pristes 4. Reg. 23. And the doyng therof shuld not haue suspendid the churche at all but haue byn à better blissing therof then all the blissins of the byshopes of the worold for god louithe those that be zealous for his glorie But what the cause shuld be now that the littell ydoles be cast out of the churche thowgh the moder of them all be there yet and yet people be ydolatres It is easi to be perceauid The wannt of the word of god diligently preachid Rede the 33â— chapiter of the 2. bok of Paralip Where as the good king Manasses aâ—ter his captiue in Babylon was returnid ffrom his wyckid lieffe and restoryd unto his Kyngdom with great diligence he destroyd souch Idolatrie as be fore he stablyshid in his Kyngdom ouer trew all the aulters of Idoles with great diligens How be it in the 55. yere of his Reygne he departid out of his mortall lieffe before he could conueniently restore the booke of the lawe and the trew word of god unto the people so that not withe stonding the kynges godly pretence and destroing all â—dolles Populus immolabat in excelso domino deo suo 2. Paralipp 33. Amaniâ—est Argument that it sufficith not to remoue thoccacion ofyle but there must be gyuen occacion of goddâ— when ydoles be cast out of the churche the word of god solye and only must be browght into the church and so preachid unto the people that there false conceuid opinion may be taken out of there hartes and taugh te to abhorre ydolatry by knolege or else will they return agayne to there supersticion as many times as they haue occacion yeue them The trew word and souch as can preach it treuly unto then them will they swere in there conscience neuer to serue other then the lyuing god of heauen as ye may se 4. Reg. 23. by kyng Iosâ—â—ahu and his subiectes Stans rex iuxta columnam percussit foedus coram domino quod ambularent post dominuÌ„ obseruarent praecepta eius testimonia eius atque statuta eius toto corde atque tota anima â—t exequerentur uâ—r ba soederis huius quâ— scripta erantin libro illo Stabaâ—quecunctus populus consenciens soederi illi When they were perswa did by the word of god that ydolatrye was naught it was no nede to bid them beware of ydolatrie in the time of Manasse graunt father unto this uertewes Kyng Iosâ—â—ahu it was no meruell thowghe the people leste not there Idolatrie because the kyng being preuen tid by death could not with the taking awaye of the uice plant uertew as he would haue don doutles But the mercifull lord â—ouche sauid to performe this old kynges godly intencion by the yong uertewes and holy seruaunt of god that was cronid kyng in the viiâ— yere of his ayge Whois exemple I dout not but that our moost gracious Kyng will ffolow Hauing so godly agouernoure and uertewes consolers whois yeys cannot be darid with these manifest and open abhominacions To haue à god of bread or the holy and moost blyssyd supper of the lordes deathe thus abusid There is one no table thing tobe markid in this yong kyng losiahu When that Hilkiâ—ahu