cause of my condemnacion / for this was allwaies layd to me a fore the vice chauncelar before whom they haÌ„delyd this matter secretly in the commen scolys the dorys loked and in the vicehaunchelars chaÌ„ber for they knewe well that al men of lernynge were agenst them and to this I answered no nother thynge but that the bysshops dyd never vse to come to sermones wher fore yff we shulde never repreue their abhominable lyuinge but whan they were present / than shuld yt be to longe More over / though they were absent yet were there present of their counselle of their courte the which wolde telle them that that I had spoken / for I had spoken yt for that purposse but there was no man a monge them al that coulde euer say of hys consciens but that these thynges that I had spokeÌ„ agenst the bisshops were trewe / yee and a great deale more / And yet must I poore man be condempned for an heretyke They maye by cause they be lord lye bysshops lyue in al abhominable and mischevous lyuinge with out shame aÌ„d with out repreue / and I must be condemned for an heretyke by cause I speake yt They maye do it / but I may not speake it / but god shal shortly either make an ende of theÌ„ or els of al the worlde for suche abhominable lyuinge as they lyve / the father of heuyn for the love of hys blessed sone Christ Iesus be mercyful vn to vs Amen The fyrst artycle If thou beleue that thou arte more bound to serue god to morow which ys Christemasseday or of Ester day or off whytsonsunday for ony holynes that is in one day more than in a nother / than art thou no faythefulle christen man / but supersticions / aÌ„d S. Paule ys agenste the saynge yov do obserue dayes yeares / Galat. 4. monthes and tydes / for vn to a faythfull christenman euerye day ought to be christemasseday Esterday whitsoÌ„suÌ„day The which thynge the fathers considerynge that thou dydest not obserue yee and that thou woldst neuer obserue yf yt were lefte to thy iudgemet for thou arte geuen so moche to wordlye busynesses / for that cause they haue assigned the certayne days to come to the church / to pray to gether / to here the worde of god to gether / and to receyve the blessyd sacrament to gether / what faute fynd yov in this artycle by cause I saye that one day is not holyar than a nother I pray you what is the cause / or what nature is in one day that is not in a nother where bi that that shulde be holyar than the other By cause yov wyl say that we hallowe the remembraunce of christes byrthe of christes resurreccion in one day and not in a nother This thinge I saye must yov doo everye day for christ is everie day borne / everye day rysen / everye day asseÌ„ded vpp And this must you beleue stedfastly / that he was borne for you / and rysse to kylle youre dethe / ascendyd for youre iustificacion / thys must you sanctifye in youre hertes everye day / and not one daye Now varye we but in thys thynge yov say that we are bound to sanctifye but one Christemasday in the yeare / and that is supersticiousnes and heresy say I / not that I condemne youre one day / but that you sett yt to one daye alonly that we are bound to do euery day Breuely my lorde of Rochester a lowed this article saynge he wold not coÌ„deÌ„ne it for heresy for an C. li. this was a great some of mony but yt was folyshly sayd quod he to preache this a fore the bodchars off cambryge / as who saye they were all bochers that were at the sermon But the bisshop of bathe askyd me whether we myght labour on the holy days or not seyng yt is wrytten thou shalte obserue thy holy day I answered / that christen men were not bounde to abstayne from bodily labour by that commaundement / for it was so geuyn to the Iuys / and yff we were bounde to abstayne froÌ„ boddyly labour by that commaundement / thaÌ„ was the kynges grace and all his counsell / my lorde cardinall all his counsell in the way off damnacion / for they causse men to carrye their stuffe on the holy daye what day so ever yt be whan they wyll remeue / at this reson all mi lordes were a stonnyed / aÌ„d wyste not what to say they were loth to condemne my lorde Cardinals grace / seynge he was so holye a prelate of christes church / aÌ„d the facte they coulde not denye wherefore at the laste my lorde of Rochester rememberd him selfe he ys an olde man and his bloud is colde a boute his harte and answered of this maner A goodly reason I will make you a lyke reason / the bisshop of wynchester sufferth the stuys ergo the stuys be lawful / at this reason was I a basshyd and sore afraid durste not answer to yt / for I perceyved that it was as lawfull for oure nobyll prince to carry stuffe on the holy day which is not ageÌ„st the worde of god As it is for an harlote of the stuys to lyue in opeÌ„ whordom which is ageÌ„st the worde of god / And yet my lordes the bisshops of their great cheryte and of their innumerble sprituall treasur sufferth bothe Brevelye yt were to longe to recyte alle the madnes that they dyd vse wyth me I wylle not saye cruellnes and yet ernestly they condemned me / but I wyll recyte the sayng of doctours which I layde for me / but they were not regarded S. Hierom sayth Ad Ga. 4. Therfore be certen days assygned that we shulde come to gether / not that that day in the which we come to get her is holiar than a nother / but all days be lyke and equalle and Christ is not alonly crucifide in parasceven and rysen only on the sonday / but the day of resurreccyoÌ„ ys all ways / all ways may we eate of oure lordes fleshe Epâ— â—19 cÌ„ Here. s Hierom saythe the selfe word that I spake aÌ„d of these wordes was I moued to speake as god dothe know Also S. Austayne / we must obserue the sabboth day / not that we shuld rekkyn oure selfe not to labour / but that all thynge that we doo worke well / must haue an intencion to the euerlastinge rest / wherfore we must obserue the holly day not by corporall idyllenes / and vn to the letter / but spiritually must we reste from vices and concupiscensys where fore a monge all the ten commaundemeÌ„tes that of the sabboth day alonly is commaundid to be figuratlye obserued and not by corporall idyllnes Aduersus Iudeos cÌ„ Also TertuliaÌ„ The carnall circumcision ys put a way and extyncted at hys tyme / Solykwyse the obseruacion off the sabboth day ys declared to be for a tyme / for we must kepe
the sabboth day not allonly the seventh day / but at all tymes as Esai saith cÌ„ But here my lorde of Rochester sayd / fyrst that I vnderstode not Tertulian Secondarilye / that he was an heretike / but I passe over myne answere for this ys but a lordly worde he coulde on nother wyse saue hys honour / but yet stondeth my scripture fast / S. HieroÌ„ S. Augustyn / also their awne law whose wordes be these / De consecra di 3. c peruenit It ys come vn to me that certayne men whych be of an euill sprytte haue sowed sertyn euyll thynges a monge you and contrary to the holy faythe / so that they do forbyd that men shulde worke on the sabboth day / the whyche men what other thynge shall we call them but the prechers of Antychryst / the which antychryst shall make the sabboth day and the sonday to be kept from all maner of worke Thys lawe clearly declareth you to be Antychrystes / thys is more thaÌ„ I sayde I haue great meruell that the bysshop of bathe beyng so myghty a lorde in coÌ„demnynge of heretykis was not lernyd in thys lawe seynge yt ys hys awne facultye The seconde Article NOw dare no man preache the trewe and the very gospell of god and in especiall they that be feble and feare / but I truste / ye and I praye to god that yt may shortly come / that false and manyfest errours may be playnly shewed / There be sertyn men lyke coÌ„dicionyd to dogges / yff they here any man that is not their contrymaÌ„ or that they loue not nor knowe not / that say any thynge agenst them / than crye they an heretyk / an heretyk / ad Ignem ad ignem / These be the dogges that fere trew preachers Vvhat heresy fynd you in thys Artycle The thirde Artycle VVe make now a days many marters / I trust we shall haue many mo shortly for the veryte could neuer be prechid plainly / but persecutioÌ„ dyd follow Here dyd my lorde of bathe inquire of me / yf I rekkenyd theÌ„ for marters that were burnt at brusellis / I answerd that I knewe not their cause wherfore they deyd but I rekenyd as many men to be marters as were persecutyd aÌ„d deyd for the word of god / but he sayd he wolde make me frye for thys ¶ The .iiij. Artycle THese lawys / These lawyers / these Iusticiarys / that saye that a man may lawfully aske hys awne good a fore a Iuge / contend in iugement for they haue dystroyed all pacieÌ„s / deuocyon / and faythe in chrysten people ¶ The .v. Article THis pleatinge in Iudgement is manyfestly agenst the gospell â— Cor. 6 Luc. 12. Homo quis me coÌ„stituit iudicem / And coÌ„trary to S. paule / I am oâ—o delictuÌ„ est cÌ„ The some of these two articles is / that a chrysten man may not coÌ„tend in IudgemeÌ„t with hys brother for hys priuate welthe / how thynke you is thys heresy what say you to S. paul / whych sayeth Now ys there vtterlye synne a monge you by cause you go to lawe one wyth a nother why rather suffer you not wrong / why rather suffer you not youre selues to be obbid May not I speake these wordis / be they not of holy scrypture was not I a preacher and a doctour was not thys Auctoryte suffycyent Matt. 5. Also oure Master sayeth yf any man wyll sue the at the lawe and take thy cote from the / lett hym haue thy cloke also / wolde not oure master that we shulde rather suffer wronge / than to go to lawe for oure priuate welthe May not I say these wordes / wherfore were they wryttyn by the holy goost but that they shulde be lerned But lett vs goo to youre doctours / Athanasiê° ad cor 6. Athanasius on S. paulis texte / There is vtterly synne a mong you / that is to say yt ys to youre coÌ„demnacion and to youre ignominy that you do excercyse iudycialles a monge you / wherfore do you not rather suffer wronge S. HieroÌ„ ad cor 6 Also S. Hierom / yt ys synne vnto you that yow do agenste the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of christ / that you haue IudgemeÌ„tes a monge you that which ought all ways to kepe peasse / ye though it were with the losse of youre temporall goodes / where fore do you not rather suffer wronge where as you ought by the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of the gospel / and by the exampyll of the lorde pacyently to suffer / there do you the contrary / not allonly not suffer / but you do wronge vn to them that doo no wroÌ„ge cÌ„ Mark how S. Hierom callethe yt a precept aÌ„d a coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t and no couÌ„sell Also Haymo sayth / Haymo ad cor 6 yt ys offence and synne in you that you haue Iudicialles for accusacion ingenderth stryffe / Stryffe ingenderth discorde / Dyscorde ingenderythe hattryd And lest peradueÌ„ture they wolde say this is no syne to requyre myne awne / there fore sayth the apostyll / truly it is synne vnto you / for you do agenst the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of the lorde the whych saythe / Luc. 6. he that taketh a waye thy good aske yt not agayne / wherfore do yow not rather suffer wronge wherfore do you not rather suffer losse that you myght fulfyll the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of the lorde cÌ„ Mark how he callyth yt the commandemeÌ„t of god and it ys synne to aske oure awne with contencion / 14. Q. d his ita And youre awne lawe sayth They are forbydyn to contende in Iudgement / yt muste be thus vnderstonde that they may not stoÌ„de a fore a Iudge for them selfe but for other men cÌ„ Now what haue I sayd in myne artycle that holy scrypture / holy docturs and also youre awne lawe doo not saye / but vn to thys sayde my lorde off Saynt Asse that these scrypturs were but counselles aÌ„d no preceptes / alleggyd lira for him of this texte / si vis ê‘fectus esse / to whoÌ„ I did laye the auctoryte of S. paul that callyth it sinne which it coulde not be if it were but a counsell Also the auctorite of S. Hierom / which callyth it openly a precept but to this he answeryd shaking of his hed pytuously said / A good M. doctour if you were lernyd in duns you wolde saye other wyse / but the selfe bysshop could saye to a certayne doctor which had great meruell why thy haÌ„delyd me so that I had opyn vroÌ„g but he could not do therto but after this cam a doctour of law whoÌ„ I know not aÌ„d sayd that their lawe had condeÌ„nyd this opynion and declaryd those scripturs to be but couÌ„sells / but I denyed that and sayd I knewe no suche law and sodenly Doctour steuyn shewed me their lawe / whose wordes be these / Illud euangelij / 14. Q. 1. his ita si
dystynccyon inuentyd of hys awne brayne wyth out auctoryte of scrypture and wyll clearly / a voyde all scrypturs / and all the holle dysputacyon of Saynt Paul But my lorde / Say to me of youre conscyence how do yow rekkyn to a voyde the vengeauÌ„ce off god / syth yow thus tryfyll and dyspyse godys holy worde Thynke yow that thys vayne distinccyon / will be alowid afore Iesus christ for whose glory we do coÌ„tend aÌ„d stryue a fore whom we do haÌ„dylle this matter I do thynk verely / that youre awne consciens dothe sore accuse yow for thus blasphemynge the holy worde off god / wherfore my lorde for Chrystes sake remember that you be agyd and shall not longe tarry here / and these vayne dystinccions that yow haue inuentyd too the pleasure of men / And to the great peruertynge of godys holy worde shall be to youre euerlastynge damnacion And at the lest wais if you sere not the terribyll vengeauÌ„ce of god / remember the shame of this worlde / and thynke not that all men be so mad and so vnlerned / as for to be disseuyd by thys tryflyng distinctyon Seyng that the word of god is so playne ageÌ„st it / Ephe. 2. Doth not Saynt Paul say that oure iustifycacion is alonly of faythe / and not of workys How can you avoyd thys same / Non ex operibus / Not of workes yf that workis do make Iustificacion perfyt / thaÌ„ are not Saynt paules wordys trewe Also S. paul saythe / that we be the chylderne of god by faythe / and yf we be the chyldern we are also the heyres Now what imperfeccion fynde you in chyldern and in heyres Christen men desyer no more but thys / and all thys haue they by faythe only / and will you say that faythe dothe but begynne a Iustifycacyon Besydes that you know well that S. paule dothe proue in all the holle pistle ta the Romanys and also to the Galathyans / that fayth doth iustify / yee and that by contencyon agenst workes / Now how can you bringe in workis to make iustificacion perfyâ—t / and. S. paul hath excludyd them Moreouer / why did not the Iues agenst whose workis S. paul disputith / bryng in this distinccion for them / breuely what wyll yow saye to all the doctours that I haue here resytyd whiche saye that Sola fides / onlye faythe doth iustifye / but doutles if yow were not a lorde this distinction were not worthy off an answere A nother damnable reason haue yow that is an opyn and a playne lye / whiche is this Thow saiste that workes doo not iustifie / nor yet helpe to Iustificacion but faythe only Ergo thou dystroyest all good workes and wylt that no maÌ„ shall worke well / but alonly beleue I answere if ther were any shame in you / you might well be a shamed of these opeÌ„ lyes / Tell me one that is lerned / that euer dyd say or lerne / that men shulde do noo good workys Many there be that say workis do not Iustifye / As Saynt Paul and all his scolars / but no man denythe good workes / But I mervell not at you / for you do but the workis off youre father / which was a liare and a mutherar from the begenyng I pray yow what consequent ys this after youre awne logyke / workes do not Iustifye / Ergo we neade not to do them / but dyspysse them for they be off no value / Take a lyke consequent / yow say that the kyngis grace doth not Iustifi Ergo yow dysspyse hym / Ergo he is no longer kyng / Also the sonne and mone do not Iustyfye Ergo yow dystroye them / but such a damnable lye must Saynt Paule nedis suffer / whan he had provyd that faithe only dyd Iustyfy / ThaÌ„ came youre ouerthwaert fathers / and sayde Ergo thou distroyest the lawe / for thou lernest that yt Iustifieth not / God forbyd saythe Saynt Paule / for we doo lerne the very way to fulfylle the lawe / Roma 3. that ys faythe / where by the lawe alonly is fulfyllyd and wyth out the whiche / all the workis of the law be but synne / So doo we lykewise lerne the very trew waye where by that all good workes must be done As fyrst a man by faythe to be Iustifyed and than a Iust man / must nedes do good workes which a fore were but sinne / and nowe be all good / yee his eatinge / drinkynge and slepinge are good But by syde all these haue you sertyn scripturs Iaco. 2. First of Saint Iames / whose wordes be these Vvilte thou vnderstonde o thou vayne man / that faythe with out dedis is dede / was not Abraham oure father Iustified of his dedis whan he offeryd his sone Isaac on the Aultar / Lykewyse / was not Raab the harlot Iustyfyed whan she reseuyd the Mesengers / and sent theÌ„ out a nother waye I answere / if I denyed thys pystelle to be Saynt Iamys / yow coulde not proue yt by the auctoryte of the churche / for she hathe allways douted of yt / as yt ys open / In ecclestica hystoria More ouer / I haue invynsible scrypturs to proue that yt can not be Li. 2. cap. 23. Li. 3. Ca. 25. Saynt Iames. Fyrst where he bryngythe that Abraham was Iustyfyed by offerynge of hys sone Isaac / That is clene contrary / Fyrst vn to Moses / where as the very orygynall ys / For yt ys openly declared Gene the xv chapter where these wordys were spoken off AbrahaÌ„ / Iames pistle is improued Abraham dyd beleue / and yt was reputyd too hym for Iustyfycacyon where there ys noo worde of Isaac / for he was neyther borne / nor yet promysyd / and yet Abraham must nedys be Iustifyed for the holy gost saythe yt / and whan the wordys were spoken too hym of Iustyfycacyon he was at the most / but .lxxxvi. yearys olde / as yt is declaryd in the .xvi. chapter / But whan Isaac was promisyd him by name / Than was he .xcix yerys olde / as it ys opyn in the .xvij. chapter / And the yeare after was Isaac borne / and whan Isaac was borne / was Abraham an C. yeares olde as yt ys playne in the .xxi. chapter / Now wolde I know off yow that wyll defende thys Epystylle / where by that Abraham was Iustyfyed / from that he was .lxxxvi. yearys olde tyll he was an C. yeres olde yow can not say by offerynge off Isaac for yow se that he ys not borne Moreouer Isaac must be off lawfulle age a fore that hys father dyd offer hym / and at the lest he was seuen yearys olde / for he coulde speke perfyttly / and saye to his father / be holde / here is fyer and stykkys where is the oblacioÌ„ / as yt is open the .22 chapter / now how will you iustify Abraham in the mene tyme / froÌ„ lxxxvj yeris olde / tyll
they to helpe them we ought not to depose a kinge though he be wyked How dare they be so bolde / as to depose a kyng / whyche is ordenyd of god / yee and by hys holy worde / hauyng none example / nor scripture for thē Be they aboue god and hys blessyd worde But they wyl saye / that the kyng was a wyked man / I answere / the cronycles / geue contrary wytnes / how that he was a very good man / ād ryght symple and by cause he was so symple / therfore Pipinus whyche had all the rule vnder hym / thought hym silfe better worthy to rule than the kynge / and so wrote vn to the pope and desyred hym to geue sentence / whether he was better worthy to be kyng that had all the paynes and labours / or he that had no laboure Now the pope / to make Pipinum his frende / gaue sentēce wyth hym / and deposed the other and made hym a monke Thys can I welle proue by good cronycles Now lett youre noble grace consyder / yff yt were ryght / not only to depose such a kinge but also to make hym a monke Thys haue they done wyth other noble kynges / and no doute / but that same or worse / wyll they attempte to doo vn to youre grace / yff you dysplease them / and at the leste they wyll doo their vtter most Lett all the hole rable off thē / tell youre grace / when a trewe preacher off chrystes gospell dyd suche a deade There is no officer that hathe nede to be a frayde off Chrystis gospell / nor yet of the preachers ther off / For they wyll geue them auctoryte tēporalle / But off these preuy traytours / can no man be to ware you may se by experience / how in a maner by their preuy treason they haue gotten in to their handes / halfe youre royalme But lett vs graunt thē / that the kynge was a wyckyd mā The scripture commaundeth vs / to obey to wyckyd princes / and geuyth vs none auctorite to depose thē / who was more wycked than Herode / and yet S. Iohan sufferyd deethe vnder hym who was wyckedder than Pylate And yet Christ did not put him doune but was crucified vnder hym Breuely whyche off all the princes were good in the appostles dayes and yet they deposed none So that gods worde / and the practyse off oure Master Chryst / and hys holy apostles are openly agenste them More over their owne glosse sayeth that he was not deposed / by cause he was vnsuffycient / but by cause he was wanton and lecherous wyth wemen O my lordes yff you be not afrayde of the vengeaunce of god / at the leste take a lyttle shame of the worlde vn to yov / that haue so longe tyme wyth so great tyrannye defendyd these lawes that be so opynlye agēst gods ordinaunce / agenst gods worde / and agenst the commen ordynaunce and consent of all the worlde And this thynge haue yov done / to the greate iniury off noble princes / to the intollerable subduynge off all noble bloude / to the oppressyon off their trew subiectes / to the dystruccyon off alle commen welthes And fynalle to the damnacion off many a Chrystened soule Tell me by youre faithe / doo you beleue that there is a lyuyng god / that ys myghtye to punysh hys enymyes yf yov beleue yt / saye vn to me can yov deuyse for to avoyde hys vengeaunce / whyche be so opynly cōtrayrye to hys worde what answere thinke yov to make to hym Thinke yov that he will suffer youre worde to be harde / lette hys godly worde be dyspysed Thynke yov that yt will be suffycient for yov to saye / that they be the lawes of holy churche Thynke you that he will be thus taught off yov Than were yt tyme to plucke hym downe / ād sett you vpp Naye my lordes he ys no chylde / nor you shalle fynd yt no chyldis game / thus to tryfle playe with hys holy word and hys blessyd ordinaunce / ye and that to the dyspysyng / of the maker bothe of heuyn and erthe Saye what yov wyll / ye are not able neyther by crafte / nor subtyltye and yet be you falce ynough to defende thys matter / neyther a fore god / nor yet afore oure noble prince / nor a fore any mā off lernyng that wyll be trewe to hys prince for whiche waye so ever you turne you / oure Master Christ / and all hys blessyd apostles be agenst you / and will openlye accuse you / that yov be contrarye to their worde / and to their dede Answere ye to them / answere not to me yff I holde my peace / they wyll speake Nor yt will helpe you but lyttle / to crye after youre olde maner heresy / heresy / a Traytour / a traytour for now you crye agēst youre selves / and off those thinges they doo accuse you Doo yov thinke yt with the ordinaunce of god / that you shall depose a kinge by cause he lyuyth in advoutrye / or ys a lecherous man If you thynke yt a lawfull cause / why doo you not preache yt opynly why doo you not laye yt to kingis charges why suffer you them to be kingis that lyue in aduouttry why do you not put youre lawes in execution you saye they be the lawes of holy churche / and there by may you depose princes But yff you will put them in execucion / than were yt moche better / to be a bysshop or a preaste / than to be a kinge / or a duke For you maye lyue in whordom / or in any other vngracious lyuyng / ye and that to the destruccyon off many mens soules / and yet no man so hardye to repreue you / as youre awne lawe dothe openlye commaunde in these wordes Di. 40. Si papa Iff the pope doo drawe wyth hym innumerable people on a hepe to the deuyll of helle / there to be ponyshed for euer / yet shall no mortalle man presume / to repreue hys synnes / for he muste iugde alle men / and may be iudged off no mā c̄ Lykewyse haue you an other lawe in your decretales / that no laye man maye repreue a preate c̄ How thinke yov by these lawys / De. here Cū exiniuncto et sicut in yff they be not off the deuylle / telle me what ys off the deuyll you wyll bothe repreue / yee and also depose princes / but yov wyll neyther be deposed / ner yet repreued off any mortall man what thynke you youre selues godes But how can you depose a kyng / and yt lyeth not in youre powre to make a kyng / For eyther he ys borne a kyng / or he cometh to yt by elecciō / or he wynnethe yt victoriously by swerde which way so euer he cometh by yt / you can not make hym And wyll you depose hym for fornicacion / how wolde
yov handyll kynge Dauid / Dauid SolomoÌ„ Nathan and kynge Solomon / wolde you depose them by cause of advoutrye / So doo yov more than the prophete Nathan durste doo But lett vs come to Herod / Herode that kept hys brothers wyffe / wolde yov depose hym therefore Than doo you more than S. Iohan durste doo For he durste no more do but repreue hys vyce / and dare yov depose hym But lett vs go forth wyth youre lawe / what auctoryte had the pope and you / to sett PipinuÌ„ in the roume And not rather to lett the kyngedom chose them a kynge Oure Master Christ sayd / hys kyngdoÌ„ was not off this worlde But you wyll be above kynges in thys worlde / and not allonly depose them / but also sett in newe at youre pleasure More ouer by what auctoryte dyd the pope dispence wyth the royalme off their othe youre lawe sayth / that the holy church of Roome / is wonte so to doo I pray yov off whome hath she lernyd thys same wonte who hath geuyn her thys auctoryte Can she dyscharge vs of oure obedience that we owe to oure prynces is not thys off the lawe of god Stondeth yt not also wyth the lawe of nature yee doo not turkes and infydels faythefully obey to theyr prynces Is not the prynces powre off god aÌ„d wyll you depose this powre or caÌ„ you dyspeÌ„ce wyth thys lawe Actu· 5 S. Peter lerneth yov that you are more bounde to obey god his lawe / thaÌ„ to maÌ„ / but yov lytle regarde s peters saynge wherfore what say yov to yo oure alone law whose wordes be these Therebe certayne men which saye / 25. q. 1. Sunt quidam that the pope may alle wayes make new lawes The whyche thynge we doo not allonly denye / but we doo stedfastly afferme / that where oure lorde / and hys appostles openlye / or els holy fathers folowyng them haue defyned any thyng / that there the pope maye make no new lawe But rather is bound / to confyrme the thynge that is a fore preached wyth hys bloude cÌ„ Vvhat saye yov to thys law my lordes / that taketh a way from yov all maner off power off those thyngis that be openly in holy scripture / and commandeth you also to dye for the defence of yt Nowe / ys not the prynces power openlye in holy scripture Are not we commaunded by godes word / to obey all maner off prynces Are not we bounde to kepe oure othe by the worde of god / that we haue made to oure prynce Thys may be proved by youre awne lawe / 23. q. 5. Regum officium saynge Vve must kepe vn to prynces and powers fayth and reuerens cÌ„ My lordes hereyâ—d not / fideÌ„ / and oportet / And how come yov wyth youre dispensacion for oure othe and saye non oportet / that we are not bounde to be obedient to oure prynces / yff you dispence wyth vs. How can yov dyspence wyth vs of oure othe / seynge yt ys agenste godes lawe But paraduenture yov wyll answere as youre glosse dothe / Glossa c. supra that ye may be defendyd that the pope maye dyspence in those thynges that be ageÌ„ste the appostle / but not in those thynges that pertayne to the artycles the faythe cÌ„ By thys lawe / the pope may dyspence / that euery man shall haue two wyues He may also geue vs licence to lyue in aduoutrye / and to robbe / and to kylle â–ª he maye also dyspence wyth vs / that we shalle owe none obedyence to oure prynce / nor kepe no faythefulnes towarde hym / but rebelle and be traytours agenste hym That ys the intent of youre glosse in this place for there ys none of these / that be artycles off the faythe Here may men se / what teachers yov haue byn / and also be toward god and hys holy appostles / aÌ„d towarde youre noble prynces The truth ys yov were neuer wonte lenger to holde with theÌ„ thaÌ„ they dyd maintayne youre carnalle desyers and doo those thynges that you commaunded them to doo Thys coulde I well prove both by auncient cronicles / and also by the practes off youre awne lawe / yff it were not to longe a processe But thys dare I well saye / and that vnder the payne off loosyng my lyffe / that yff yt shall chaunce oure moste noble prince aÌ„d off youre partye shalle he want none occasioÌ„s oure to displease yov / or els to restrayne youre carnall appytytes / whiche you call the lybertyes off the churche / or to dymynyshe youre wordly ryches / whych yov call the goodes of the churche / Than shall hys grace welle knowe / ye and also feale yt / that there is no faythefulnes in yov But that yov wyll be contrarye in all youre dedes / to youre fayned wordes that yov now speke I praye god that I maye be a lyer But I knowe youre lordeshyps so well / that you wyl not of youre honoure suffer me to be a lyer And yff hys grace beleue not me / lett hys grace reade all hys cronycles / and not allonly them / but all other noble princes cronicles And hys grace shall neuer fynde that they were trewe chylderne off obedyence / yff their prince dyd dyspleasse them I thynke thys be experyence ynough Almyghtye god forbyd / that euer they shulde lerne yov by any more experyence But lett vs returne to youre lawe / how are they able to defeÌ„d yt by fore your grace Are not they traytours / that will make any power with in youre royalme / not allonly so good as youres / but aboue youres Is yt not ageÌ„st youre prerogatiue Is yt not agenst the commen assent off the royalme who caÌ„ deny thys coÌ„meÌ„ proverbe / but they only On god / and on kyng But what signifyeth youre royall Croune / what the croune signifyeth that youre royalme geueth you Vvhiche ys vnderneth worthely and suffycientlye fulfylled wyth youre graces bed / And so fulfylled / that vnderneth can no manhed come in / so longe as youre graces ys there that ys / no man maye by ryght vsurpe any auctoryte that belongeth to youre grace wyth out treason Furthermore / your crowne ys close aboue / sygnifiyng / that in erth ys there no nother superior powre that belongeth to Englond Now where wyll my lordes the bisshops come in to this Crowne yff they come vnder / they must thruste out youre graces hed / for the Crowne ys to lyttle for bothe youre hedes yff they come aboue / so breke they the clossenes off youre Crowne / and lye also in youre graces necke / sygnifiyng / that they wyll oppresse youre grace Lett them answere to thys / as well as they can I wolde not gladly defende so evell a cause as theyrs is Vvhat wyll they saye to S. Paule / that was a bysshops as well as they / aÌ„d neuer the lesse
to defend the churche from yov For more contrary than yov be / can no man be But the very truth ys / that yov doo intende to make the kyngis grace but youre hangeman thys is a shamfull name for a prynce but the shame be vn to you that are not ashamyd / to geue hym the very offyce off this name / yee and by cause you will doo nothyng but shamfullye also to mock hym / with a glorious title For you make hym but a mynister of youre myschevous tyrannye so that so oftyn as yov haue condemned any man / agenst ryght and agenst godes law / for an heretyke so oftyn must he come and receyve thys man off youre hande for yov saye wyth the Iewes / that yov maye kylle no man and so put hym to dethe / and not once denye yt / nor yet aske yov what he hath done to deserue dethe / for yov are readye to answere hym / and saye as the Iewes did If he were not an evell doar we wolde not commytt hym to youre hondes More getteth he not of you / for you be spretualle men and may kylle no man / but he is bound to doo yt by youre lawe / vnder the payne of losyng his royalme So that he is bound / to crucifye chryst so oftyn as you crye Crucifige / Crucifige Lett euery Christen prynce consyder in hys conscience / whether that the Iewes dyd not procede even on thys maner agenst Christ or no / yee that was more indyfferent than thys ys / for there Pylate was iudge / and here be they Iudgis / and princes be but seruauntes But I pray yov my lordes / where haue yov gotten thys auctorite ouer princes / to coÌ„pelle them to swere to yov in ony cause / what and if the kynge wolde be an infidell / wolde yov expel hym what can you do more bi right than lay the worde of god to him / aÌ„d the daunger of hys infydelite yov haue no auctorite to deposse hym / for Christenyd men must obey to vnfaythefulle princes / did not Christ this did not Peter thys did not Paule thys dothe not the worde of god commaunde yov thys to do saynge 1. Petri. 2 Fere God / honour youre kynge / be subiect not allonly vn to them that be good and easy / but vn to them that be evell Vvhat saye yov to these wordes how can you avoyde them how can yov auoyd the vengeaunce of god But now if yt pleasse youre grace / they wille laye to my charge / that I speke agenst the preuileges of holy churche / I will infringe the lybertyes of holy churche I answere I know no lybertyes nor preuyleges that holy churche hathe / but these that Christ hathe lefte here / Is thys libertye in his worde to do agenst christes holy worde and ordinaunce / and to folowe mens dremes Is Christes holye worde / of so lytle effecte why dyd not Christ than geue this lyberte in his worde to holy churche Did he leue that to yov to do Shewe youre commission Call yov thys a preuilege / to be agenst youre naturall prynce of the royalme / and to make him subiect vn to yov which haue no tytle of preheminence / but alonly of tyranny Than hathe holy churche gottyn a goodlye lyberte But what meane yov whan yov say / holy churche yf yow meane youre selues onlye / than the kynges grace is muche bound vn to yov / that yov do exclude his grace and al his commens out of holy churche / in to the whyche Christ hathe bought them with his most precious bloude And if yov vnderstond by holy churche the wholle congregacion / than are all Chrystenyd men aÌ„d alle there godes exemptyd from the kynges grace and vndernethe yov / So that bi this meanys yov wil make his grace a kynge with out a royalme / and he shal haue the name / and yov shal haue the auctoryte and the foolke But is thys Christes churche Is thys holy churche that is so contrary to the lorde of all holynes who hathe made her so holye why dyd she not clayme this liberte / in christes and his holy apostles dayes But now my lordis oure moste noble and gracious prynce commaundeth yov to answere / and to defende youre awne lawes / to defende youre libertyes / and to laye for yov by what tytle you do vsurpe his graces power / seynge that yow be but his subiectis He wille know by what auctorite yov do kepe any Courtes / or do execute any commaundementes with in his royalme what auctoryte yov haue to prove testamentes / and to take of euery pound a sertyn and to geue letters of mynystracion / ouer those godes / that yov neuer laboured for Vvhat tytle haue you there to The maÌ„ was not youre subiect / and how come yov by the mynistracion of his goodes Also what auctorite haue you to defende youre temporall goodes with bothe swerdes as yt is wrytten in youre lawe 15 q. 6 Auâ—toritateÌ„ 15. q. 6. Auctoritatem This is more than the kynges grace can doo / for he hathe but one swerde / and will you haue bothe But what auctoryte haue you to punysh them that stryke preastes And them that be bacbyters / and sclanderers Furthermore by what auctorite de you coÌ„maund / that preastes shal not appere before temporall iudges 23. q. 8 CoÌ„venior 33 q. 2. Inter hec As yt ys wrytten in youre lawe 23. q. 8. Conuenior in the glosse Also in a nother place 33. q. 2. Inter hec Also by what auctorite / haue yov made that princes shal make no statute as concernynge the goods of the church 23 q. 8 Conuenior in the glosse 23 q. 8 CoÌ„venior But yff ony thinge shal be geuyn vn to you / than the Emperoure and kinges haue sufficient power / but yff you shall paye any thynge to the mayntaynynge of the kynges grace and hys commen welthe / than no man hathe auctoryte wyth out youre consent Haue you not wytched the world this longe tyme But forthermore / the kyngis grace wolde knowe / by what auctorite you haue made that a preast shall not be sued afore a temporall iudge for whoredom These be the wordes of youre lawe Di. 28. c. CoÌ„sulenâ—m But vn to you that be laye men / is lefâ—e no power for to iudge off preastes / nor yet to serche ony thyng of their liuing cÌ„ My lordes maye no man iudge / of youre lyuyng but youre selues a lone not the kynges grace / who hathe geuyn yov this exempcyon who hathe geuyn you power to be iudges over bawdrie Is bawdrye a spirituall cause / Dothe bawdrye belonge to spyrituall men S. paul calleth yt the worke of the fleshe Gala. 5. and will you call yt a spirituall cause It may well be spyrytuall of youre spryte / but I am suer it is agenste the sprete of god But by thys meanys haue you
So that yff a man pleasse them / than promysse they hym heuyn and erthe wyth all the frutes in them / yee and also god hym selfe Cōtrarye wise yf a mā displeasse them and speake agenste their abhominable lyuynge / a thousande hellys are to lyttle for hym / and neyther frēd in heuyn nor erthe can helpe hym / no Chrystes bloud can not profite hym / but he must be dāpned with out recover I wyll passe ouer the labour that I made to doctour Steuen / And to D. Allyn For nothyng coulde helpe me / so that I am compelled by intollerable vyolence and opressyon to complayne vnto youre most noble grace / humbly and meklye beseching youre grace / for Christ Iesus sake / and in the honoure of god oure father in heuyn / that you wold call the matter a fore youre grace And yf the bysshops can yet proue any heresye in myne artycles / I wyll refuse no maner of payne that youre grace shall iudge me worthye Notwithstondyng with youre graces fauoure I haue bene sufficiently punished for one trespasse How be it / I call god to my recorde / that in my consciens I neyther intended heresy / nor yet lerned heresy in my sermone / and I doubte not / but their consciens will also testifye the same Moreouer yf yt plese youre grace / they know that I coulde bryng them good testimonye ād that to a great number out of the vniuersite / where I dyd preach and was continually .xx. yearis / that there was neuer man that harde by me any thyng lesse or more that was worthy after good cherite to be suspected for heresy And yet my lordes haue thus cruelly condemned me for one sermone / which they are never able to proue heresy by godes worde nor by holy doctours Notwithstondinge yff it were heresy / me thynketh christes word and his blessyd cheryte wolde moue suche holy fathers as they wyll be / not to caste a way a man for euer for once errynge / Seyng I offerd my selfe to be taught of them / and they are not abylle to make a man Moreouer most gracious prynce / youre daylye orator had good testimonie / of his sermone from the best of the vniuersyte / vn to certayne men in wryttynge As vn to D. Steuen a letter / from Master Iohan puergould / which harde my sermone / whose testimony D. Steuen can well reporte / vnto youre grace Also the vicechauncelar dyd wryte a letter vnto a marchaunt of londō whan the cause had bene a fore hym .vj. wekys testifiynge / that there coulde none heresy be proved agenste me / and that he durst say / that I dyd intend none heresy Furthermore yf it please youre grace / the bisshops knowe how the principal clerkes of the vniuersite were with me / yf they durst haue spoken for them But all my submissiō / all my wytnes / all my suertyes / all these lernyd men / and all the lerninge that I coulde speake coulde not helpe / but I must nedes be an heretike / for I had spoken so muche as they sayd agenste the holy church Vvherfore here be the articles followynge that were layd agenst me / and also the lerninge / that the bysshops layd agenst me / so nere as god hathe geuen me remembraunce This doo I not to gett any worldly vauntage or worldly promocion as god is my iudge for of all the worlde I cā make no more but meate and drynke / the which I doute not but god shal send me / for my dayly prayer ys / lorde geue me my dayly bred whych I stedfastly beleue that he shal do for hys wordys sake / where so ever I shall become Neuer the lesse where so ever I be I shall be a faythefull and a trewe bedeman of youre graces better seruice can I not do youre grace But this doo I that youre grace may know / what tyrānye the bisshopes vse vndernethe youre name / for the which your grace shal straytly answere a fore god where fore humbly I beseche youre grace that in tyme to come you may so over se them that they doo not opresse poore men by tyranny / as they haue done longe / and doo also dayly / and not alonly that / but they also lerne and compelle men to lerne / clearly and openly agenst Christes holly gospelle and the exposycion of doctours yee and agenst their awne lawe / to the euer lastynge damnacion off many a christen soule / of the which thinges I haue partly opened vnto youre grace in certayne artycles that here folowe / which I haue proued by the invyncibylle word of god / and that not wrōge after my sence / but after the exposycyon off their awne doctours / wherfore I doute not but that youre noble grace wyll defend this boke frō the tyranny of the bisshops tylle they be able to condemne yt with Christes holy word / and doute ye not but that the heuynly father and his mercyfull sone Christ Iesus / and the holy cōfortar / shall all ways defend youre most excelencie preserue you in his verite and kepe yov in all prosperite and honoure of this worlde / ād after this miserable lyffe shall they bring yov vn to an heuenly lyffe that neuer shall haue ende Amen Now most noble and excelent prynce / humblye / and with all mekenes of harte I desyre pardon of youre grace for that thynge that is eyther a mysse writen / or not with due ordre nor wyth due reuerence as yt ought to be to so noble a prince / for there is no faught in my harte / nor wyll / But allonly for want off lernyng / and experience in writinge vnto so noble a prynce / thus Iesus Christ kepe youre hyghnes euer Amen HEre folowe the articles which the bisshopes did condempne for heresye the yeare of oure lorde a thousande fyve hundred and fyve and twentye the ninthe daye of februarye / whiche articles were gathered out of a sermone that doctoure barnes made in saynt Edwardes churche in cambridge the .24 daye of december / ād were presentyd to the bysshops by a master off arte called Master Terelle / a man of no lernynge as al the bysshops do knowright well / and yet was he sufficient to accuse me of herisye for these articles which as god knowyth hathe neither Iudgement in faythe / nor yet in heresy / but as farre as I can coniecture and suspect the getherars of these artycles were doctour Rydley ād doctour Preston / chaplens to the bisshope off London / notwythstondynge none of them bothe / nor yet no nother man durste euer take apon them for to prove them heresy in so moche that doctour Rydley dyd saye that it was never his mynde that they shulde be presentyd as heresy / but as he sayde they were very evylle and vncherytablye spokē agenste the bysshops seynge there was none of them present This is the some and the fulle
haue why do they not put them bothe in vse for they must say as the Iuys sayd / we may kille noman This is the article that did byte yov for yov can not be content with the office of a bysshop but yov wille be also kynges but how that stondeth with godes lawe and with youre othe I haue declaryd yt to oure nobille prince I doute not but he wille put yov to the trial of these articles The .9 Article They saye they be the successors of christ aÌ„d of his apostles / but I can se them follow none but Iudas / for they bere the pursse / and yf they had not so greate possessions I am suer an C. wolde speke agenst them where now dare not one for losse of their promosyon As for this artycle I wil ouer come you with the witnes of alle the worlde yov may well coÌ„demne yt for heresy / but it is as trew as youre pater noster / Iudas solde oure master but once / and yov selle hym as oftyn as he cometh in youre handes The .10 Artycle THere is not the greatyst pharisye in thys churche / but I am suer I prycke him with these wordes and he knowithe that these thynges be trewe though he say the contrary aÌ„d that do I wel knowe This artycle dyd I speake by cause of doctour Rydle which on a tyme grauntyd in master doctour buttes house that the bysshops were clear out of order And therfore I say that I know yt The .11 Article THese ordynary bysshops aÌ„d prelattes do folow that false prophete balaaÌ„ for they wolde curse the people but by the prouisyon of god they are compellyd toblesse theÌ„ / that ys to say / to teache them to lyue wel though they theÌ„ selfe lyue most myschevously so the Assis whych they ryde a pon that is the commen people haue their lyuys in abhominacyon Thys ys the heresy for it speketh agenst the holy fathers which be almost as holy as Balams asse whych dyd ons speke the word of god to a good purposse and so do they neuer / but I graunt that I dyd offend in callyng you ordenary bisshops for I shulde haue callid yov inordinate buchers / and as for that that I coÌ„pare yov to balaam it is youre awne lawe .ij. q. vij Secutisunt / And .c. Nos si And as for youre lyuyng alle the world knoweth it The .12 Article THey sett vp an Idolle to dyseaue the people with alle whych is callyd Baal peor / Or baal phegor which is iÌ„terpretated gaspyng that is their lawes and constitucions that gaspe and gape to mayntayne their worldly honoure / they cause vs do sacryfyce by fayre wymeÌ„ that is by their carnall affeccyons and sweate wordes that god of Israell is for gottyn / aÌ„d so by theyr sweat wordes and benedyctyon they disseue simple people These be the false masters that 2. Pet. 2. S. Peter speketh of / these be the fovntayns with out watter for they geue no good doctryne to the people where ys the heresy in thys by cause I coÌ„pare youre lawys to baal / but loke whether the interpretacion of the word do a gre with the nature of youre lawes or not what do al youre lawes but mynyshe the auctorite of princes / and of al other lordes and exalte youres only calle yov not that a gaspyng Idolle let thys article stoÌ„d tyll yov be able to proue it heresy The .13 Article NOw they selle vs / they selle the people / they selle holy orders / they selle church halowyng / there ys no better marchandysse in chepesyde / wilt thow knowe what is the price of a church halowyng no lesse than .xl. shelinges / they sel pardoÌ„s remyssions of synnes as opeÌ„ly as a cowe and an oxe is solde for thei never graunt them with out monny The suffrigan of ely dyd aske of master Iohan pur golde .xl. shelinges and the offringe for halowynge of S. Edwardes in Cambrige / yee and he wolde not do it so good chepe / but bi cause he had a goddoughter buryed in the churche yarde / But this may be prouyd by exampillys ynow for bryng ye forth one churche in all Englond that yov haue hallowyd with out monny or with out hope of mony / and I wyll graunte my conclusyon false / and as for youre pardoÌ„s all the worlde knoweth youre handelyng I dare say yt is the best marchandyse in the worlde as yov handill yt The .14 article VVylte thou know what their benedictyoÌ„ is worthe They had rather geue the ten benediccions than one halfpeny Is not thys a sore heresy you ryde thorow streates and townys blyssynge man and stone but yov never geue halfpeny to man nor to chylde The .15 Article NOw is come a pardon wherby they say that they haue power to send an huÌ„dred soules to heuyn / and if they may so doo with out any further respect than may they lykewysse send a nother hundred to helle for yt followeth in the texte quodcunque ligaueris / that is what soeuer thou bindest Is not this a sore heresy to say that you may not rule thys matter at youre iudgement / but this is a meruelous texte / QuodcuÌ„que ligaueris / for yt bindeth in helle and losythe in heuyn / and openeth mens pursys and cofers in erthe / yt deposith prynces / yt interdyteth londes yt losyth a man out of his cote / yee oftyn tymes yt losethe a man from his wyffe / yee and the horsse out of the carte And all ys done by this text Quodcunque ligaueris / is not thys a mervelous texte that hathe so great power I know not such a nother in aâ— the hole Bible The .16 Article IT ys abhominable to here how they preache and teache that they may absolue a pena a culpa / which I am suer that yt is â—mpossible as they vnderstond it Make of this what yov can / and loke of youre awne scolasticall doctours The .17 Article VVhat ys the cause that they forbyd vs thou we shuld not dyscusse how great their power is but by cause that they wold make all meÌ„ foles holde vs in ygnoraunce / youre awne scole men saye that the popis power is so great that no man can nor maye dyscusse yt / but this ys for from herysy The .18 Article THey haue a law most abhominable and coÌ„trary to godes lawe and cheryte to excoÌ„munycate the people foure tymes in a yeare / that ys to saye the men that rayse the rent off an housse / that must you vnderstonde yff yt belonge not to the church / for yff yt belonge to the church / thou mayst rayse yt everye moneth once and no man shall cursse the. Also they cursse them that be not buryed in their parish church / that must be vnderstond yff that they be ryche men / for yf they be poore they may be buryed amonge the fryars The bisshope of bathe sayd there was
takyn from the aulter Now did I saye that Christ was oure aulter / but this myne aduersaryes vnderstod not / But I haue meruell what this artycle dothe a monge the other heretycalle artycles / I thynke they do not rekkyn it heresy The .25 Article HE dyd not praye for the thre estates of holy churche / neither made he his prayers in the begynynge of the sermon accordyng to the olde custom but at the laste ende / and for the true knowlege of all christeÌ„ men makynge no prayer to oure ladye / nor for the soules in purgatory / nor for grace expedient If the bysshops had had any indyfferencye in them or any wysdom or lernynge they wolde haue byn a shamyd that suche articles shulde haue be brought a fore them / what is this to the purposse of heresy that I dyd not praye for the thre estates of holy churche and yet they gravnt that I prayd for al true christen men and that men myght come to the trew knowlege is not al the churche conteynyd in this But they be mad men with out all consyderacion / they be so blyndyd in theyr worldly honour that God doth al ways send them suche shame And that I dyd not pray to oure lady nor for the soules in purgatory / what ys that to heresy for than were the apostles heretykes / for they dyd not pray in theyr sermons to oure ladye nor yet for the soules in purgatorye And as for praynge for grace expedyent that is not the preacher bound to do opynly But my thynketh by these artycles that god gaue me a great grace / that I durst so boldly repreue the abhominable lyuynge of the bysshops not feryng the danger that shulde come there of / but this I leue to others mens Iudgement / and I dare say boldy that if I had spokyn tentymys as muche ageÌ„st the auctorite of oure noble prince / and agenst al his dukes and lordes / and had takyn all power / both temporall and spirituall from them and geuyn it to oure ydyll belligodes the bysshopes / than had I byn a faythefull christen man for I had defendyd the lybertis of the holy churche / yee and if the kynges grace wolde haue put me to dethe I doute not but thei wolde haue made of me an holy stinckynge marter as they haue donne of meny other for suche causys but God send them his grace Amen NOw if youre grace do not take vppon you / to heare the disputacion and the probacion of thys artycle out of the very grounde of holy scriptur / my lordys the bysshops wille condemne yt a fore they reade yt as their maner is to do with al thyngis that pleasse them not / and whyche they vnderstond not / and than Crye they herese / heresy / an heretyke / an heretyke / he ought not to be harde for his matters be condemned by the churche / and by holy fathers / and bi alle longe customs and by alle maner of lawys Vn to whom / with youre graces fauour I make this answere I wolde know of them / if all these thyngis that they haue here rekenyd can ouercome christ and hys holy worde / or sett the holygost to scole / and if they can not / why shulde not I be harde / that do require it in the name of christ / aÌ„d also bryng for me hys holy worde / And as for the holy fathers they haue vnderstonde Godis worde as I do / There fore though they wille not here me / yet must they nedys here them / Neuerthe lesse if it pleasse youre grace it wâ—re no ryght to bynde vs all ways to the IudgemeÌ„t / of our olde fathers for than what nede we the gyfte of wysdom what nede we the gyfte of vnderstondyng but let vs vse their wysdom / and their vnderstondynge / what nede we to studdy / to make any new thyngys for the fathers haue made all Breuely what nede we ony syngulare gyftes of god For we can de nothyng that is syngular with them / for the fathers haue done all / But what ryght were yt / thus to bynd vs more to oure fathers / than oure fathers were bounde to theirs why did they not all beleue the first father ye why dyd they not all beleue christ the master of al fathers 1. Tess v. Breuely why dothe S. Paule commauÌ„de vs that we shuld proue al thyngis / and a byde by that that is good / what nede we to proue that thyng / whyche we are bound to reseue our Iudgement is not lokyd for in the thyng whych we are bouÌ„d to reseue / and than what nede S. Paule to saye / holde that thyng that is good / for alle the fathers be good / and none bad / and whether they be good or bad we must reseue them after the bysshops lernyng / but than how shall we folow Sayn IoaÌ„s counsell / that biddeth vs to be ware of Antichrist for he shalle be in al agys / and wyth out doute he shal be no dyspysyd parson in the world / nor no fole / nor vnlernyd / nor with out the coloure of holynes / nor with out the name of a father / no nor vn to mans Iudgement / with out a good spiryte And therfore / that men shulde not be dysseyuyd with these exterior dysgysynges / as with holy hyprocrisy / with the name of lernyng / with the name of fatherhod ye with the name of christ / he byddythe men prove of whence the spritys be / whether they deny chryst or none for he that denyeth that Iesus christ is come in the fleshe / is aÌ„tichrist / 1. Ioan. 4. Now if these lordis or ony off the fathers do deny / that christ is come in the fleshe than are they aÌ„tichristes / But my lordis wille say that they do not deny / nor none off their fathers do deny that christ is come in the fleshe / for they do graunte that christ is borne of a vyrgyn / and is very god and man / and dyd here lyue on erthe and preachid thaught aÌ„d did many great miracles / afterward dyed and assended vp to heuyn and there sytteth on the ryght hond of the father wyth many other thinges more / which they do not allonly graunt but are also ready to dye in the cause wherfore they wyll say / that this is nothing agenst them nor yet agenst their fathers My lordes I pray god yt be not / but geue vs the lyberte that the apostylle geuythe vs here / to prove youre spretys / than shall we know off whence you are First all those thinges be trew that you haue graunted of christ / but. S. IohaÌ„ wyl that we must prove you nerare than thus / for in thys is no probacion of the spretys / for the deuylls graunt all or the moste parte of these / and if there shulde come one that wolde deny with open wordes any of these
bewraye him selfe But shortlye / yt the deuill wolde come in his awne ê‘son disgysyo / Tel me how it were possible that he could be more coÌ„trarie to christ his holy apostillis / thaÌ„ those meÌ„ that call theÌ„ selfe the holy church / yee take a waye the name off the church / set in her stede the name of the deuyll how wil you thaÌ„ knowe a bisshop froÌ„ the deuyll By their workis nay trewly / for they be all one yet wyll ye be the hedys of chrystis church / ye the holy church here selfe / not so ye wyked not so Vvherefore that this blessyd spouse of christ / maye be knowyn froÌ„ the opyn abhominable whores harlatis / therefor wil I bi godis grace set out what holy church is where bi meÌ„ shal know her This worde Ecclesia / bothe in the new testament and the olde / is takyn oftyntymys for the hole congregacion and the holle multitude of the people bothe good and bad / as it is in the boke of numeri / Nume 20 why haue yov brought the congregacion or churche of god in to wildernes also in a nother place / 3. ReguÌ„ 8 The kynge turnyd his face and blessid the holle congregacion or churche of Israell / â— Corin. 4 and alle the churche of Israell stode lykewysse in the newe testament S. Paule to the CorynthiaÌ„s / I haue sent vn to yov Tymothe the whyche shalle lerne yov my ways / that be in christ Iesu / 1. Corin. 11 as I do lerne euery where in alle coÌ„gregacions Also in an other place do yov dispisse the congregacion of god aÌ„d shame them that haue not In alle these placis and in many mo is it opyn that this greke worde ecclesia is takyn for the hole congregacion bothe of good aÌ„d bad / where fore this is not the church that we wille greatly speke of / for in this churche are Iuys and Sarasens / Murtherars aÌ„d theuys / baudys and harlotes though we knowe them not Ephesi 5. But there is a nother holy churche of the which S. paule spekyth yov men loue youre wiuys / as christ hathe louyd the churche / and hathe geuyn hym selfe for hyr / that he myght santyfye hyr / And clense hyr in the fovntayne off watter thorow the word of liffe / to make her to hym selfe a glorious churche with out spot or wrynkille / or any suche thynge / but that she myght be holy and with out blame Here haue yov the very trewe churche of christ / that is so puer and so clene with out spot But whereby is she puer and clene not by hyr awne meritis nor by hir awne myght / not by exterior araye / not by golde nor syluer nor yet by precious stonys / neither by myters nor crosestaues / nor by pillers nor polaxis / but whereby than by Chryst only whiche hathe geuyn hym selfe for that intent that he wolde make her clene and there fore saithe S. Paule / He gaue him selfe that he myght santifie hyr / that he might clense hyr make hyr to hym selfe a glorious churche Also in a nother place yov are wasshid / yov are sanctifyde / yov are iustifyde in the name of Iesus christ / and in the sprete of god Se my lordes / howe the churche is washed bi christ aÌ„d bi his holy sprete / and not by youre blessingis / 1. Corin. â— not by youre sprytualle ornamentis / nor by youre spritualle holy watter / for these thynges caÌ„ not helpe the holy churche for she is holy in sprytte aÌ„d not in outward hypocrysye / she is also clensyd by christes blessyd bloud / and not by outward disgysyngis This dothe S. Augustine well prove sayinge Of christ is the churche made faire / first was she fylthy in synnys / Augustinê° de verbis dnÌ„i ser 50 afterwarde by pardon and by grace was she made fayre cÌ„ here S. Augustine saithe that christ hathe made his churche fayre / and that by his grace and his pardon / And not by youre pardons / nor by youre grace for thys churche / stondythe by Christis eleccion / and not by youres and if Christ haue not wasshid yov and chosyn yov than be yov none of this churche though yov ryde with a thousande spretualle horses / aÌ„d haue alle the spretual tokyns in erth / Ioan. 6. for aÌ„d if the sone of god haue dylyuerd yov thaÌ„ are yov trewly deliuerd / ye can not make by al youre powre and holynes that we shalle al ways fynde good ale or wyne where there hangyth out a grene sygne / And wille yov with youre sprituall sygnes aÌ„d tokins make the church of god to followe yow / or by them assigne out where the church shall be nay nay my lordis / yt wyll not be but they that beleue that Chryst hath wasshed them from their synnes / and styke fast vn to his meryttis and to the promysse made too them in him only / they be the churche of god / aÌ„d so puer and so clene that yt shall not be lawfull no not for Peter to say that they be vnclene / but where they be Iue or greke / kynge or subiect / Carter or cardinalle / bucher or bisshop / TaÌ„cardeberar or caÌ„nâ—lcater / fre or bouÌ„d / fryer or fydler / Monke or Miller if they beleue in Christis worde / and styke faste to his blessed promysys / trust only in the meryttis of hys blessed bloude / they be the holy church of god yee and the very trew church a fore god / and yow with all youre spirytuall tokyns / and with all youre exteryor cleÌ„nes / remayne in youre fylthynes of synne / from the whyche all youre blessynges / all youre pardons / All youre spiritualyte / all youre holynes / caÌ„ not clense you / nor bryng you in to this church Boste / Crake / Blaste / Blesse / Curse tille youre holly yies starte out of youre hed yt wyll not helpe you / for Christ chousythe hys church / at his iudgemeÌ„t not at youres The holy gost ys fre / and in speryth where he wyll / he wil neyther be bound / to Pope nor Cardynall / archebysshop nor Bysshop / Abbot nor Pryor / Deken nor Archedeken / Parson nor Vyckar / too Nunne nor Frear Breuelye come all the holâ— tabbylle of yow to gether that call youre selfe the holy churche and exclude all other yee and take sonne / mone / and stars to helpe yow with all the frendes yow haue in heuen and erthe and yet shall yow not be of holy churche except that you haue the sprite of christ and be wasshid in his blessed bloud / For the holy churche of christ is nothyng els but that congregacion / that is sanctifyed in sprete / redemed with Christis bloud / and stykkyth fast and suer alonly to the promissis that be made theryn So that the
youre exterior sygnes / with alle youre holye ornamentes / as youre holy myters / youre holy crossestauys / youre holye pyllers and polaxis / youre holy red gloues / youre holy ouches / and poure holye rynges / youre holye anoynted fyngers / youre holy vestmentis / youre holly challisys / youre holy goulden showys / yee take also to helpe yov S. Thomas of Canterberys holy showe wyth alle the holy botys of holye monkys all these to gether can not make one crumme of holynes in yov / nor helpe yov one prycke forward / that yov may be wyth in this churche For if these thynges coulde helpe / than were yt no mastery to make an asse to be of the church of god But oure holy mother the church hathe a nother holynes / that cometh from god the father thorow the sweat bloud of his blessed sonne Iesus Christ / in whome is alle hyr confidens trust Vn to whome she stycketh onlye by stedfast faith / by whose purenes she ys also puer in that that she dothe confesse hyr vnclennes / for she beleueth stedfastly that she hathe an aduocate for hyr synne to the father of heuen / which is christe Iesus 1. Ioan. 2. And he is the satisfaccioÌ„ for hyr synnes And he of his marcye not of hyr merites hathe chossen hyr for to be his / and by cause she ys hys / therfore must she be clene so loÌ„ge as she abyâ—eth in hym This is well declared in Ioan. 15 S. Iohan where oure Master Christe is coÌ„pared to the vyne and all the members of holy churche to the branches / that as the branches / can brynge forth no frute of them selfe / so can holy churche of hyr felfe brynge forth no goodnes excepte she remayne in christ by perfyt faithe This is wel proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / therfore is the churche holy / by cause she beleueth rightwyselye in god cÌ„ De coÌ„ Di 4. c. prima igitur Here yov not the cause wherefore the church is holy by cause she beleueth rightwyselye in god / that is she beleueth in nothynge but in hym / and she beleuethe nor hereth nor worde but hys / as oure Master Chryste berythe wytnes / my shepe here my voyce / and a nother mans voyce doo they not knowe / also in a nother place / he that is of god / herythe the wordes of god / how commythe this that the church of god hathe so suer a iudgement / that she knowythe the voyce of Christe from other voycis and can not erre in hyr iudgement By cause that Christ hath chosen hyr / and by cause she ys lerned of god as oure master Christ saith / and by cause she hath as 1 Iohan. 2. S. Iohan saith the inward oyntement off god / that techyth his alle maner of verite / so that she can not erre / but why can she not erre by cause she may do what she wille By cause that all thynge that she dothe / is well done by cause she maye make newe rules and newe lawes at hir plesure By cause she may invent a newe seruice of god that is not in scripture at hir wille Nay nay my lordes For she is but a woman must be ruled by hyr husbonde / yee she is but a shepe and must here the voyce of hyr sheppard / and so longe as she dothe / so longe can she not erre by cause the voyce of here shepperd can not be false De pene Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1 A recta et in Glossa This maye be proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / the whole churche can not erre / also in a nother place / the congregacioÌ„ of faith fulle men must nedes be which also can not erre cÌ„ These wordes be playne what churche yt is that can not erre / that is the congregacion of faithfulle men that be gethered in christes name / which haue christes spret which haue the holy oyntement of god / whiche abyde faste by christes worde / and here no nother mans voyce but his Now my lordes gather yov alle to gether with alle the lawes that you can make / and all the holynes / that yov can deuysse / Crye / the church / the church / the counsels / the counsels that were lawfully gathered in the power of the holye gost alle this may yov say and yet lye and yf yov haue not in dede the holly goste with in yov / and iff yov do heare any other voyce than christes / thane are yov not of the church / but of the deuylle / and theuys and murtherars as christ saith For yov come a fore him / that is yov come in to the foulde of Christe wyth out him / yov brynge not his voyce / but yov come with youre awne voyce / with youre awne statutis / with youre awne worde / and with youre awne mandamus / mandamus / precipimus / precipimus / excommunicamms / excommunicamus These be the voyces of murtherars and Theuys and not of Christ / therfore yov can not but erre / for yov be not taught of god / you haue not the holy oyntement yov haue not the worde of god for yov / yov here not the voyce of the trewe shepperd / there fore must yov nedes erre in alle youre counselles This is a nother maner of rule thane my lorde of iochester dothe assine to examen youre counselles by / for he saith / where that the pope and the counsell dothe not agre alle in one there wylle he susspect the counselle not to be ryght who did euer here suche a rule of a christenyd man yee and of a bishop yee and of a doctor of diuinite / where hathe he lerned this diuinite to recken a counselle to be trewe / by cause that the pope aÌ„d so many men do agre in one / yee that suche men as haue so oftyn tymes erred in their counsels / as he dothe declare hym selfe rekenynge the counselle of Constantinople that had .330 bisshops and yet did erre / and he knew no nother cause / but by cause the pope dyd not agre to them / is not thys a resonable cause can not the pope erre lett hym redâ— his awne lawe Dis 19. Anastasius / Dis 40. Si papa and also .24 q. 1. A recta in the glosse / there shall he finde that the pope hathe erred wherfore than shulde the matter stonde in hys iudgement Now how wille he by this rule saue the counselles of constance / and of basel where in both counsels the popes were condemned for heretykes as the same counsels make mencion / also that the counsels haue erred that graunteth he hym selfe / but paraduenture he wyll say / that they were not fulle counsels Now is yt well a mended / what dysticcionis as consernynge the veryte in a
counselle that hathe a thousande bisshopes and in a nother that hath fyve thousande can the multitude helpe to the veryte Than had the turke the veryte and we the falsed / 3. Reg. 2 3. Reg. 18. than had the prophete Micheas the worsse parte for he was a lone agenst .iiij. hundred / so was the veryte by the prophetes of Baale / and not by Elyas / for they were foure hundred and fiftye and he was but one man Breuely Christis flocke is all ways the smallyste number in this worlde / but yet yt ys the best / not that the smallest number maketh christis flocke / but that christes churche stondeth neyther by the grettest number nor yet by the smallest / nor by the iudgemeÌ„t or numberynge of man / but by the callynge and eleccion of god / wherefore lett my lorde bryng forthe / what counselle that he will and yf they haue not the worde of god / I wylle not alonly say they may erre / but also that they do erre in verye dede And the wylle I proue by the grettest lawyar that they haue called Panormitanê° whose wordes be these / De â—ectio â— sâ—gnifica that counselle may erre as it hath erred / as coÌ„sernynge the coÌ„tracte of matrimony / inter raptoreÌ„ et raptaÌ„ / The counsell of mel delci did â—rre and the saynge of S. Hierom was afterward preferred a â—oue the statute of the counselle as yt ys proued 36. q. 2. Tria / for in thynges consernynge the faith ys the saynge of a pryuate persone to be prefarred a fore the saynge of the pope yf he haue better resons and scripturs of the newe and the olde testament for hym than the pope / nor yt caÌ„ not helpe to say that the counselle can not erre by cause that Christ dyd pray for his church that her faythe shulde not faylle / for I answere to this / that though the generalle counsell doo represent the wholle vniuersalle church / neuerthelesse in very dede there is not the very vniuersalle church / but representatiue For the vniuersalle church stondeth in the electâ—on of alle faithfulle meÌ„ all faith fulle meÌ„ of the worlde make the vniuersalle church / whose hed spouse ys christ Iesus the pope is but the vycker of Christ not the very hed of the church / this is the church that can not erre cÌ„ Here it is open that the counselle may erre / aÌ„d that a priuate person hauynge scriptures for hym is to be harde a fore the pope and also the conselle hauynge no scriptures for them / yov haue also what is the very trew church which can not erre / whiche thinge caÌ„ not be veryfyed of youre counselles for they be neyther wyth out erroure nor yet the holye churche but that they doo represent the church as a legate representeth a kynges person but of the followeth not that he is the kynge or hath as muche power as the kynge / or ys a bove the kynge or that he may rule the kynge / Augustinê° de bap Ki. 2. c. 3. contra donaâ—as this maye also be proued by S. Augustine whose wordes be these / those couÌ„selles that be gethered in everie ê“uince must with out geue place to the auctorite of the full couÌ„sellis which be gethered of all chrystendoÌ„ / aÌ„d also those ful couÌ„sellis oft timis must be a mendyd by the full counsellys that come after / yf any thynge be openyd by any experience that was a fore shyt / and yf any thyng be knowen that was hyddyn And this may be done with out any shaddow of supersticious pryde / with out any bostyd Arrogancye with out any contencyon of malyciê° envye / but with holy meknes / wyth holy peasse / and with chrystened cheryte cÌ„ Here it is playne that youre full couÌ„selles may be a mendyd and reformyd / the whyche thynge nede not / yf they coulde not erre yee and if they did not erre in dede Moreouer you must nedes grauÌ„t that there is a rule where by youre counsellys must be exaÌ„mynyd / and where by sentens must be geuyn whyche of youre counsellys be trewe and which false / by the whych rule yf youre couÌ„sellys be not ordered / they must nedys erre and be false / and of the deuyll wherefore gather all youre counsellys too gether and yet of them can you not make holy churche / But peraduenture there may be many in youre counsellys good and perfyte men and of holy churche / But they and you to gether make not the vniuersall holy churche that can not erre / Neyther haue yow any auctoryte ouer holy churche / further than the holy scrypture off god / But as sone as you for sake Chryst aÌ„d his holy worde / so sone are you the congregacyoÌ„ of the deuyll / and theuys and murtherars / aÌ„d yet for all thys there must nedis be an holy churche of chryst in erthe that ys neyther bounde to Ierusalem nor to CouÌ„staÌ„tinopill / nor yet to Rome as though she were lyke vn to / the Asse and the foolle But now wyl there be obiected / that oure Master Christe commandeth / Maâ— 1â— yff my brother offend me that I shuld complayne to the church / Now ys this church that I haue sett out spretualle no man knoweth hyr but God onlye / she is also scattered thorow out the world / wherefore how can a man complayne to that church I answere oure master Christ dothe playnly speake of a man that hathe wronge / the which must nedes be a perticuler and a serten man / and therfore lyke wysse he byddythe hym complayne not to the vniuersalle churche / but to the perticular church Now this particular church / if she be of god / and a trew member of the vniuersalle churche / she wyll iudge ryghtwysly after Christes words / and after the probacions brought a fore hyr / neuer the lesse oftyn tymes comyth yt that this particular church doth fully and holly erre and iudgeth vnryght and excommunycateth hym / that is blessed of god / 24. q. 3. Si quis et c. cuÌ„ aliquis as yt is open in youre awne lawe / whose wordes be these / oftyn tymes he that ys cast out ys with in / and he that is with out ys kept with in cÌ„ Here haue yov playnlye that the particular church may erre / wherefore that church that can not erre is alle only the vniuersalle church which is called the communion and the felowshyppe of saynctis / the whiche addicion was made by holy fathers for in Ciprians tyme was there no mencion of yt by alle lyklyhod to declare the presumpcion of serten men / and of serten congregacions that rekened them selfe to be holy church wherefore my lordes se welle to lest the holye goste haue prykkyd yov with this addicion / for yov haue alle wayes made youre selfe holy churche / yee and that
the worlde scattered for and longe / in hyr trewe hed Christ Iesus taught / hath lerned not to fere the contumelys of the crosse nor yet of dethe but more and more ys she strengthed not in resystinge but in sufferynge cÌ„ Now my lordes compare youre selfe to this rule of S. Augustine / and lett vs se how yov caÌ„ brynge youre selfe in to the churche or els to proue youre selfe to be holye The churche sufferth persecucions for as S. Paule saith / they that wylle lyue deuoutly in christe must suffer persecusion and yov withstond all thynges aÌ„d suffer nothynge / â— Timo. 3. yov oppres every man aÌ„d yov wyll be oppressed of no man / yov persecute everye man and no man may speke aworde agenst yov / no though yt be neuer so trewe / you cast everye man in preson / and no man may touche yov but he shall be cursed / yov compelle euerye man to say as yov say / and yov wylle not once saye as Christe saith / and as for youre holynes all the worlde knoweth what it is / for yt stondeth in clothyng in dekkynge / in watchynge slepynge / in etynge and in drynkynge this meate or that meate / thys drynke or that drynke / in patterynge and numblynge these Psalmys or that Psalmys wyth out deuocyon Breuely alle youre holynes ys in bokes / belles / candelles / challeses / oyle creame watter / horses / houndes pallycis / and alle that is myghty and glorious in the worlde there on hange yov / there in glorie yov / there on crake yov / there on boste yov / ther vppon bylde yov Is this the natures of the church is this holynes of whome haue yov lerned these maners yov can not denye but these be truth / and yf yov wolde denye yt / alle the world ys wyttnes agenst you / yee also youre awne factes and dedes / of whome haue yov lerned this holynes Hilarius cont Arianos not of christe nor yet of his holy churche / but yov haue lerned yt of the Arians / that were the seruantes of the deuylle / as Hylarius wryteth in these wordes / the church dothe threten / with banyshementes aÌ„d presonmentes / and she compelleth men to beleue hyr / whych was exiled and cast in preson / no whangeth she / on the dignite of hyr fellyshyp the which was consecrated / by the thretnynges of persecuters / she causeth prestes to flye that was in cressed by the chassynge away of prestes / she gloryeth that she is loued of the world / the which coulde neuer be christes except the world dyd hatte hyr cÌ„ How thynke yov my lordes doo not yov alle these thynges that be layd to the Arians charge youre awne frendes / ye youre awne coÌ„sciens must nedes accuse yov of alle these thynges / and yet wyll you be called christes childern I lay nothynge to yov / but the holye doctours lay vn to yov But lett vs se what Barnardê° suê‘ can s 33 S. Barnarde saith on yov / they call them selue the mynysters of christ but they serue Antichriste / they goo gorgiously a rayed of oure lordes goodes / vn to whome they geue none honoure / and of these goodes coÌ„mythe / the harlottes deckyng that thou seyst daylye / the game players dysgysynge / and kynges aparrelle / of this commeth goulde in their brydylles / in their sadylles / and in their spurres so that their spurs be bryghtter than the aultres of this coÌ„meth their plentuous wyne pressys and their fulle sellers / bolkynge from this vnto that / of this commeth their tonnes of swete wynys / of this be their baggys so fyllyd / for suche thynges as these be / wyll they be rulers of the churche / as dekyns / arche dekyns / bysshops / and arche bysshops cÌ„ My lordes I had thought / to haue added cardinalles and legates abbottes and pryors / to haue made the company more holly / but I durste not How thynke yov / of whome dothe he speake whane he saith bisshops and archebisshops what holynes dothe he repreue / whane he speketh of gorgius araye / of harlottes dekkynge / of game players dysgysyng / of goulden spurs / saddylles and brydylles yf there were an C. that dyd vse yt more than yov yet must yov nedes graunt that he spekyth of yov / he passyth me sore / in condemminge of youre holy ornamentes / for he calleth yov the seruantes off Antichrist / and youre holy ornamentes harlottes deckynge and game players dysgysynge / he saith that yov are neyther the churche nor ol the churche / but the seruaÌ„tes of Antichrist / how thynke yov by S. Barnarde yt is tyme to condemne hym / for he speaketh agenst holy church and all hyr holy ornamentes / this dare I wel saye / that yf the beste christen man with in the royalme shulde preache these wordes of S. Barnarde yov wolde not stycke to condeÌ„ne him for an heretyke / but yov were wonte to call hym swett Bernarde / but my thynketh that he ys soure I nough in thys thynge / wherefore dispute the matter wyth hym that yov may come in to the churche / and not wyth me Finis ☜ Vvhat the keyes of the churche are and to whome they be geuyn TO declare this matter oure scole men haue wrapped them selfe in suche doutes that they were neuer abylle to come out of them / nor yet to satisfye them seluys nor no good Christenmans consciens for alle that they wryte ys but dremys off their awne invencion / and as paule callythe them the doctryns of the deuille agenst the holy word of god / 1 Timo. 4 wringynge aÌ„d wrestyng the blessed word of god to ther purposse / alonly consyderinge how they myght / by right or by wronge stablishe the auctorite of miserable men / not consyderinge the intent of the holy gost which intendyd nothynge els in alle places of scriptur / but to opyn vn to vs christ / aÌ„d the losynge froÌ„ oure synne by him onlye The which thynge oure dremers / and inventers of alle subtille lyes dyd neuer perseue / nor neuer sought for / but by dispysynge the holy word of god / and stykkyng so fast to their awne corruptyd resons / dyd they faulle in to innumerable heresyes dyssencions and contencions / and brawlinges of wordis / aÌ„d scolding lyke harloâ—tes / so that none of them coulde agre with a nother where fore that saynge of the holy prophete may welle be veryfyed of them Psal 80. My people haue not hard my voyce and Israell hathe takyn no hede vn to me / and there fore haue I lett them passe after the desyeres of their awne hertes / and therfore they shalle folowe their awne inveÌ„cioÌ„s / thys is always the sore veÌ„geaÌ„ce of God / whane we wil not beleue and reseue alonly his word / than dothe he lett vs passe / so that we cane do
by him as bi an instrumēte take an exampel A mā doth sawe a bloke with and euyll sawe / The whiche ys nothyng apte for to cutte well / yet must yt nedis cutte at the mouyng of the mā though it be neuer so euyll for the mā in mouing dothe not chāge the nature of the sawe neuer the lesse the accion of the mā is good ād cōningly done but the cutting of the sawe is after his natur / solikewise god mouith these euil īstrumētis to workyng suffereth thē not to be ydyll / but he chāgithe not their nature wherfore their operaciō is a frute cōuenyēt for their corruptid natur but yet there is no faute in godis mouīg Here haue you now how god workis all thingis in al mē both good bad but now let vs go to the induraciō of thē that he euyll thus is it / first they be euyll of nature can abyde nothynge that ys good nor yet suffer any good to be done wherfore whan god the auctor of the goodnes dothe ony thynge or saythe ony thynge vn to them / than ar they more and more / sorar and sorar contrary vnto god and to alle his workes / for of their nature they are so corrupted / and can not agre to the wylle of god nor to ony thynge that is good / but whan it is offered them eyther in worde or dede / than blaspheme they / thā withstonde they with alle their myght with alle their power than ar they provoked of their corupted nature / to more myschyffe and more / and alle ways herder ād herder as for an example / whane the blessed worde off god is preched vnto them that be wykked / to whome god hathe geuen no grace to reseue yt / thane ar they nothing a mended / but more indurated and alle ways harder and harder / and the more the worde of god is preched the more obstinate are they / the more myschyffe intende they / than alle their studdy / than alle their wysdum / than alle their labour / than all their myght / thā alle their power / than alle their crafte and subtylty / than alle their fryndes that they cane make in heuen and erthe / is nothynge elles but to oppresse the worde of god / yee and they thynke alle to lyttylle for the more yt is preched / the more they grudge and the wodder be they / after this maner was the harte of Pharao indurated whane that the worde of god was declared vn to hym by Moyses / and he had no grace to reseue yt / than the more that Moses labored in the worde / the more sturdyar was he in withstondinge of yt and alle ways harder and harder / this is also euidently sene in the corrupt nature of mā for the more a thynge is for bydden hym / the more desyerth he to do yt / but what nede me to goo in to Egypt too fetche an exampylle to proue thys / loke of oure bysshops / yf they be not opynly induratyd and blyndyd / ād so blyndyd that no man ys abyle too defende them by any reason or lawe / and therfore they take them selfe to violence / and oppression as pharo dyd whych be the ryght sygnes and tokyngis of induracyon / for the more the worde of god ys preched and the veryte ys declared vn too them the more sturdyar and obstynat be they agenste yt / and all theyr studdy / all theyr wyttys / all their counsellys / all theyr crafte and myschefe / with all glosyngis and lyinge / ād wyth blaspheminge of god and hys prechers / ys nothyng ellys / but to kepe the worde of god vnder / ād to with stonde that veryte / whyche they knowe in their consyens must nedys goo forthe / though alle the world wold say nay / And therfore wil they here no mā / nor reason with ony mā / but euen say as pharo dyd / I wyll not lette the popylle goo / but yf they were not induratyd / and the very enimys vn to the verite they wold at the leste ways here theyr poure brothern of cherite and know what they coulde say / and yf they coulde prove theyr sayng to be trewe / than yf they had the loue of the veryte as they haue but the shadowe / they wolde geue Immortal thankis to god and with great mekenes and with a lowe spret reseue the heuenly veryte and thanke theyr brethern hartely / that they warnyd them of suche a damnable waye nowe in good tyme and seson / but they haue noo loue too the veryte nor yet fere off god nor regard too the danger off theyr soule / For they be chyldern off induracy on and off blasphemy / and there fore the more yt ys preched the more are they obstynate Thys ys the very induracyon that god worketh in mennes hartes where bye they be the chyldern of darkenesse ¶ Finis ¶ It ys lawfulle for all maner of men to rede holy scrypture It is lawfulle for alle maner of men to reade holy scriptur HOw cane antichryst be better knowyn / than be this tokyn that he condemnithe scripturs and makythe it heresy and hye treason agēst the kynges grace for lay men to rede holy scripture As thovgh it were alōly a possession and an heritage of sertyn men that be markyd allonly with exterior sygnys / and the trouth to say with the tokyn of the beste / as with shauyn crovnys / longe gownis / and baners a boute their nekkys / thei that haue these tokyns be the heyres of holy scripture / and maye rede it at their plesur / though they vnderstonde as muche there of as a popengaye / but holy scriptur / that is sent vs from heuyn / yee and that by the sone of god / to dystroye alle heresys / This holy scripture shalle ingēder in laye men heresy / If this be not the doctryne of Antichrist I knowe not his doctryne Telle me what cane be more contrary to christ / thā by violence to oppresse holy scriptures / and to condemne them as vn lawfulle yee and as heresy / for sertyn men to rede / and to say that there be sertyn secrettes in them that belonge not for lay men to knowe / And that this thynge shalle not be denyde for I know they be slyber that I haue to do with there is no holde of thē therfore wille I recyte an opyn Acte that alle the worlde dothe remēber My lorde of london Opynly at paulis crosse was not a shamid with intollerable blasphemys to condemne the holy testamēt of christ Iesus hauyng for hym / but a damnable collour ād a dedly reson of the devyl / That was how there were in the transelacyon so meny heresys that alle the worlde knoweth that it was abhomynable and a dedly lye / though it were a lordly lye / but suche probacions doth god alle ways lette thē
haue / that be agenst his holy verite / but let vs graunt that that translacion was so false / why did not yov there take a pone yov opynly for to amend it and to sett forthe truly the holy testament of christ yov must nedes graunt that there is an holy testameÌ„t of his in erthe except yov wille deny christ as I dought not but that yov wille in effect where is it whye haue we it not If that wer not it / whye do not yov sett the very trew testament out / yov were reddy to coÌ„demne an other mans faithefulle labor aÌ„d diligence / but yov had no cheryte to amend it / yov thynke alle ways to disseue the worlde with youre holy hypocrysy / men be not so blynd but that they cane welle Iudge / If yov hade condemnyd that testament allonly by cause off errours / yet at the lest ways yov shulde bothe of cheryte / and also of dutye haue set forthe the trew texte / and than wolde men haue thought / that yov condemned the other by the resoÌ„ of errours But men may now euydently se that yov dyd not condemne it for errours sakes / for how shulde they iudge erroures that be soo vnlernyd but alonly by cause that the verite was ther in / the which yov coulde not abyde that men shulde knowe / and that dyd the processe of youre sermon and also youre tyranny that dothe folow wel proue / but mi lord I say to yov / aÌ„d to all youres if yov do not amend it shalle be to youre euerlastyng damnacyon / for god wille not take thys rebuke at youre honde / Esa 62. remember that he hathe sworne by the movght of his prophete hy his ryght honde aÌ„d by the might of his strengthe that he wille defende this cause / Be not these lordly wordes / of the eternalle god / thinke yov to make hym for sworne Heb. 10. Remember how the holygost thretyneth yov in another place saynge / yf a man dyd dysspysse the lawe of Moses / he must with out any mercy dye / howe muche more are they worthy of ponishement / that do trede the sone of God vndernethe their fete / and dyspise the bloud of hys testament / how thynke yov ys not this opynly agenst yov / That coÌ„demne not alonly christ but also his blessed worde / and alle that longythe to hym / Take a way christes word / and what remanythe bi hynd of chryst nothyng at alle I pray yov my lorde to whome was thys worde fyrst preched to whome was it writtyn allonly to prystes not vn to lay men ye was it not writtyn to alle the worlde yes truly / where by wille yov conuerte a turke or an infidelle / not by holy scripture whan they be conuerted / what wille yov lerne theÌ„ what wille yov geue them to rede / any other thyng than holy scripture I thynke nay Now wille yov make youre awne cuÌ„trymen / youre awne citysins youre awne subiectes yee youre awne brethern / redemed wyth christes blessed bloud worsse them Iuys / and infidelles But their is no reson nor no bretherhod / nor no chrysten cheryte that cane moue yov / or that cane helpe yov / for yov are so blynded and so obstinate agenste chryst / that yov had rather alle the worlde shulde peryshe / thane his doctryne shulde be brought to lyghte / but I do promisse yov / if god do spare me lyffe / aÌ„d geue me grace / I shalle so set it out / if yov do not revoke it that it shalle be to youre vtter sâ—ame and confusyon / fynde the best remedy that yov cane / I do beleue stedfastly / that god is myghttyar than yov / and I doo rekkyn and faytheffully beleue / that yov are ten tymys worsse thane the grette Turke for he regardeth no more / But rule dominyon in this world And yov are not there with content / but yov wille also rule ouer mens consyens yee aÌ„d oppresse christ and his holy word / and blaspheme and condemne hys worde / was it not a holy covnselle / of the chanseler of london to conselle a sertyn merchaÌ„t / to by Robyn hoode for his seruaÌ„tes to rede what shulde they do with vitas patryÌ„ / and with bokes of holy scriptur Also the same Chanseler sayed to an other maÌ„ / what fyndest thou in the gospel but a story what good canst thou take there out O lorde god where arte thou why slepist thou why sufferst thou this blasphemy Thov hast defeÌ„ded thy prophetes with wilde fier froÌ„ heueÌ„ / And wylte thov suffer thy wonly sone and thy heuynly worde / thus to be dyspysyd and to be rekenyd but as a story of Robyn hoode Rysse vpe good loorde / Rysse vpe / thy enemys do preuaylle / Thy enymys do multiplye / shewe thy power / defend thy glory It is thy conâ—umely and not oures what haue we to do with it but alonly to thy glory venge this cauâ—e or thy enymys shalle rekkyn yt not to be thy cause / O thou eternalle God though oure synnes haue deseruyd thys / yet loke on thy name / yet loke on thy veryte / Se howe thov arte mockkyd Se how thou arte blasphemid / ye and that by them / that haue takyn on theÌ„ to defend thy glory / But now heuynly father / Seynge that thou haste / so suffered it / yet for the glory of thy name / geue some man strengthe to defend it / or els shalt thou be clearly takyn out of the hartes off allemen where fore most gracious lorde / of thy mercy and grace I besech the / That I may haue the strengthe to defend thy godly worde to thy glory and honour / and to the vtter confusyon of thy mortalle enymys / helpe good lord helpe / and I shalle not fere a thovsand of thyne enymys / In thy name wille I begyn to defend thys cause Fyrst commyth thy faythfulle seruant Moses / trewe and Iuste in alle thy workes / and he commandythe faythefully and trewly / and with grett thretnynges that man / woman and chylde shuld dilygently rede thy holy worde / Sayng / Sett youre hartes on alle my wordes the whych that I do testyfye vn to you thys day / That yov may commaÌ„de them vn to yovre chyldern / to kepe / to doo / and to fulfylle alle thynges that be wryttyn in the boke of thys lawe / Marke howe he commauÌ„ded them / to lerne their chyldern alle thynges that be wryttyn in thys boke / Deu. 32. and so to lerne them that they myght kepe and fulfylle alle thynges that were wryttyn in the boke / Moses maâ—e nothyng of secretnes / and wille yov make secretes ther in how shalle men fulfille those wordes that they know not how cane men know the very trewway of god and haue not the worde of god is not alle oure knowlege ther in The prophete saith / thy
god / nor practys of christen men / nor exposycion of doctors / nor youre awne lawe / nor yet any statute of counselles that wylle hold agenst yov yov be meruelus giantes / how shall a man behaue hym selfe to handylle wyth yov / yt is not possible to ouer come yov / for yov wylle admytâ— nothynge that is agenst yov But yet wyll I not so leue yov / but I wylle fyrst declare yt manifestly / that yov be contrary to christe / In prohe In Epist ad Ephes Li. 1. and to alle holy doctours S. Hierom / repreueth yov very sore in these wordes O Paula and Eustochium / yf there be any thyng in this lyffe that dothe preserue a wyse man and dothe persuade hym to abyde wyth a good wylle in the oppressions and the thravlledoms of the world I do rekken that specially yt is the meditacioÌ„s and the studdy of holy scripture seyng that we doo dyffer from other creaturs specially in that that we be resonable and in that that we cane speke / now is reason and alle maner of wordes conteyned in godly scriptur / where by that we may lerne to know god and also the cause wherfore we be created / wherfore I doo sore marvelle / that there be certen men the whiche geue theÌ„ selfe / to slouthefullnes / and sluggyshnes aÌ„d wille not lerne those thinges / that be good / but rekken those men worthy to be reproued / that haue that good mynd cÌ„ Marke how that this was wrytten to two wemen / that were lerned Also he rekneth nothyng better / than to studdy holy scriptures / he also meruelyth / that serten wylle neyther studdy scriptures them selfe nor yet lett other men studdy them / It is well knowen / that these wordes prycke no men but yov / and yov be so slothefulle and so geueÌ„ to voluptuousnes / that yov youre selfe wyll not studdy scriptures nor yet suffer other meÌ„ to studdy theÌ„ but yf yov doo studdy them / it is to diffene youre symple pore brother there by / and to mayntayne youre abhominable lyuynge / with wrestyng and wryngynge of them other profite coÌ„meth there none of youre studdy / as all the worlde knoweth For you may not preche / but whaÌ„ yov haue damnablye coÌ„demned christes blessed worde or els by vyolence / made some of youre poore brethern heretikes / than come yov wyth alle youre gorgius estate / pompe and pryde / to out face christ and youre symple brother / wyth youre outward damnable pryd a fore the face of the world / but my lordes / leve of youre fasynge and youre brasyng / for oure lorde whose cause we defend agenste yov / wylle at length not be out fased Remember how the holy gost prayth agenst yov saynge / iudge them lorde / Psal 5 that they may falle from their cogitacions / expelle them lorde for they haue prouoked the / dought yov not but this holy sprett wylle prevaylle agenste yov / though god suffer yov for a sesonne yet hathe he tyll this day defended hym selfe his godly wordes agenst all the proude crakynges of the world / and thynke yov that he wylle nowe take a faulle at youre honde nay nay / he shall fyrste thrust yov out hedlynges that alle the worlde shall take example by yov / this is my beleue For that word that yov haue condemned doth thus lerne me / wherefore iff yov do not reuoke the condemnacion of the newe testament / and ordeyne that alle christen men may rede holy scriptur yov shalle haue the grettest shame that ever men hade in this worlde for yov ar neuer abylle to defend yt by no menys / nor by no power that is in erthe / and if alle power in erthe wylle withstonde yt / he shalle rather bryng theÌ„ alle to duste and raysse vpp of stonys newe rulars yov wormys meat / yov stynkyng carrion yov nurryshement of helle fyer / how dare yov thus presume agenste youre god omnipotent whether wyll yov flye to a voyd his danger heuen and erthe / watter and fyer / sone / mone / and starrys / saynctes and angelles / man and childe / be agenst yov and holde yov a cursed what though the deuylle laffe on yov for a seson / Rememâ—er the ende / but god geue yov his grace / that I losse not my labour a boute yov But now lett me a soylle youre carnalle reasons that yov bryng for yov The fyrst is this euyll men doo take an occasion of heresy out of scripturs / wherefore yt is best they haue yt not / I answere lyke wyfe good men doo take an occasion of goodnes there of ergo the people ought to haue yt / but wylle yov condemne alle thynges where by men doo take occasion of evylle Than must yov fyrste put out youre awne yies for by them take yov occasyon to see meny idylle thynges yov must also dystroy youre hondes youre fette youre tonge / and alle that yov haue for these do yov mysse vse very often / yov must also distroy youre awne hartes wherby yov haue not alonlye occasion of evylle / but yov doo thinke evylle in very dede / yov must also destroye alle fayre wemen / for of them take yov sore occasions of evylle / yov must also burne alle your goodes and destroy alle youre richys / for of them meÌ„ take occasion to be theuys and yov to be proude / yov must also distroye all winys / for of them men take occasion to be drunken / yov must distroy alle mettes / for they geue men occasion of gluttyny / yee yov must distroye the marcy of god / of the which evylle men take boldnes in their myschyffe / breuely what is there soo good a thynge but that evylle men cane take an occasion of evylle / yee and that of Christe him selfe / as 1. Corin. 1. S. Paule saith which vnto to the Iuys is offence / and vnto the gentylles occasioÌ„ of folyshenes / and yet for alle this yov maye not dystroye Christ / but he must remayne stylle and so lyke wyse the gospelles / for though that the evylle man which wyl neuer be good reseue of it occasioÌ„ of evyll / yet there be meny thousandes that reseue there by their saluacion Now be cause the spyder gethereth poyson of the good herbis / it were no reason therfore to dystroy alle good herbys Mar. 1â— A nother of youre reasons / there be serteÌ„ sentences in scripture that do not beloÌ„ge for everye maÌ„ to know / as oure M. Christ faith / vnto yov is it geueÌ„ to know / the mysterys of the kyngdoÌ„ of heueÌ„ / vnto theÌ„ is it not geueÌ„ I aÌ„swere whome mene yov whaÌ„ yov say / vnto yov it is geueÌ„ / yf yov mene the aposles alonly their successors thaÌ„ may not yov rede holy scriptur / for yov be not the successors of the appostles / by my lorde of
Rochestes auctoryte / but yff yov mene the christen people / that haue the sprete of god / as oure Master Christ ment than be yov excluded for yov haue not the sprytte of god as the effect dothe declare / ergo yov may not rede scripturs marke also that oure Master saithe vn to yov yt ys geuen / as who saith if yt were not geuen yov shulde no more haue yt thane other men Now howe cane yov proue that the vnderstondinge of scriptur is geuen to yov but now to the texte oure master Christe speketh here of the sprytualle / and the ryght vnderstonding of holy scripturs / which is the gyfte of god wonly / and he speketh not of studyyng or redynge of holy scripture / for yov haue in that same place / howe that meny dyd followe hym / and heare his prechynge but yet they vnderstonde hym not / therfore this texte maketh derectly agenste you aÌ„d youre workes doo declare that yov be the herars and reders of the worde of god but the vnderstondynge is not geuen yov But now wyll my lorde of Rochester say / that yov haue the very vnderstondyng as holy doctours had yt / for though that scripturs in them selfe and of their awne nature be playnest / aÌ„d beste to be knoweÌ„ yet be the holy doctours playnest vn to vs / wherefore he that wyll vnderstonde scripture must fyrst lerne to vnderstonde the doctours / they shall brynge hym to the trew vnderstondynge of holy scripture / or els he must erre I answere o my lorde doo yov wryte this with a saffe consyens thynke yov that yov cane discharge youre consyens a fore the dredfulle face of Christe with this tryflynge distynccyon / Quedam sunt nociora nobis / et quedaÌ„ nociora natura / I pray yow yf yow wylle proue that god were wyse / wold yov be gyne to proue yt at youre wysdoÌ„ yf yow wolde proue that god were a lyue wold yov proue yt by that that yov be a lyue if yow wolde persuade a man to beleue that there is a gode / wolde yov lerne hym / that he must nedes beleue yt / by cause that there be creaturs these thinges be best knowen vnto yow / and yf yow wold proue that a man hath a trew sens of scripturs / wylle yov proue yt / by that that he hath the sense of the doctours what if the doctors had takeÌ„ a false a contrary sense / this case is possible wold yov therfore saye that the sense which the maÌ„ hathe takeÌ„ out of scriptur is false But I pray yov my lorde / after this rule / how culde meÌ„ / vnderstond scripturs / in Peter and Paules days whane there were no doctours Scotê° â—â— Sent. di 3 q. 3 But after youre awne lernyng / that same sciens which must proue the principylles of other scieÌ„ces is fyrst knowen / actualiter / dystynkly / now be all the pryncipalles of alle other doctours proued trew by holy scriptur / ergo there is no saynge nor exposicion of holy doctoures that cane be perfytly knowen except that scripture be fyrst knowen / this is youre awne dyumyte ye cane not deny yt / wherefore if yov wille proue that yov haue the verite you must proue yt / by cause yov haue the sence of holye scriptur / and not the sence of holye doctoures but douteles I haue grete mervelle / that my lorde of Rochester / is neyther ashamed of man / nor yet afrayd of the vengeance of god that thus tryfylythe with holy scripture Besides this yov haue an other baulde reason / the Cytye of London hathe serten previleges and secret counsels / yt were no reason that alle men shulde know them / this was my lorde of Londons reason at Paulys crosse / whane he condemned the newe testament I Answere my lorde say of your consciens / dyd yov not speke these wordes to plesse my lord that mayre of London and his brethern / but I praye yov is thys a lyke symylitude of the serten counsels of men the which must be kept secrett by cause they be counsels / And of the holy scripturs the whiche were brought in to this world not to be kept secrett but to be preched openly / as oure Master Christe commandeth / preche the gospelle to alle creaturs / heare yov to alle creaturs Mar. vlt. lett these men haue yt for alle these be of the counsell aÌ„d kepe yov yt from the ressydue / furthermore oure Master saithe in a nother place / that that I haue shewed yov in secretnes / preche yt on the tope of the housse Also S. Paule saith / the gospell is declared openly thorow prechyng and in an other place god hathe brought lyffe and immortalyte / Ti. 1. 2. Timo. 2 Ioan. 3 Mat. 5. vnto lyght thorow the gospelle / also oure master calleth yt the lyght of the worlde / now who will sett as he sayth a lyght vnder a busshell / and not rather openly that alle men there by may be lyghtened wherefore my lorde youre symylytude ys verye for vn lyke / and iff yov were not a lorde yt ware worthy to be dyspised / but douteles yt may be welle thoughte that yov ware at a sore exigent / whan yov were coÌ„pelled to proue this thinge with so baulde a reason / who wolde haue loked for so symple a reason in so ernyst a matter of so wyse a man / of so grete a doctour / of so worshypfulle a father / and of the bysshop of London / yee and of hym that ys called a nother Solomon / nor withstoÌ„dinge suche an haltyng symilytude dyd he neuer lerne in the prouerbes of Salomon / but yt had byn a better symylytude / of the kynges proclamacioÌ„ / which is proclaymed that all meÌ„ myght know yt and also kepe yt and noo man ys bounde to kepe yt / tylle yt be proclamed / lyke wysse the gospelle was geuen for to be proclamed / and everye man is bound to kepe yt / wherfore yt must nedes be proclaymed to everye man / and vn to yov my lord I be seche god that yov may be won of them of whome yt ys spoken To yov ys yt geuen to knowe the mysteryes of god Amen ☜ Finis ¶ Mens constitucions which be not grounded in scripture bynde not the consciens of man vnder the payne of dedly synne ☜ TO this article we must note that there be two maner of mynysters or powers won ys a temporalle power / the other is called a spritualle power / the temporalle power ys commytted of god to kynges / Dukes / Erlys / Lordes / Barrons / Iudges / mayrys / shryuys / and to alle other mynystres vnder them / these be they that haue wonly the temporalle swerde / where by they must order alle the commen welthe with alle wordly thynges longynge there vnto / as the disposicioÌ„ of these wordly goodes / who shal be ryght owner and
men shulde haue yt / and that he wold defend it / and be enymy vn to all them that wold ouerpresse it wherfore lett theÌ„ that be cappitall enymys vn to his grace bothe in harte and in dede susspect that of his grace moue him vnto it / for doutles I wil neuer do it for I dare boldly say / That the deuyll of helle whych is enymy vn to his grace / bothe of body and soule wyll moue him vn to no nother thing but allonly so to condemne godes worde / and Thys thyng dothe hys grace know well / and therfore I dought not but that he hath aÌ„d also wyll a voyde the danger theroff Neuer the lesse yt may pleasse god to take so gret vengeance for oure abhominable synnes that after hys gracis days / he may send vs such a tyraÌ„t / That shall not allonly for byd the Newe testament / but also all thynges that may be to the honour of god yee and that peraduentur vnder suche a collour of godes name / That all men shall rekkyn none other but that he is godes frende Thys wyll be a gret scorge / aÌ„d an intollerable plage / the father off heuyn off hys infynyte mercy defende vs froÌ„ suche a terryble vengeaÌ„ce Roma 1. for yt ys the grettyst plage that can come in erthe as Saynt Paule dothe declare to the Romans whan that godis veryte ys condemnyd in godys name and men be so blynde that they can not perseue yt / for they be geuyn in to a peruerse sens / this plage neuer coÌ„mith / but yt is a tokyn off euerlastynge reprobacion / our moste marcifulle redemer Christ Iesus / defend vs froÌ„â—t amen But if it come that we must nedes suffer this plage / how shalle christen men vsse theÌ„â—elfe to this Prince that wille so condemne godes worde My lordes the bisshops wolde deposse him with shorte deliberacion / and make no consyens of it / They haue deposyd prynces for lesser causys than this is a gretdell But ageÌ„st them wille I alle ways laye Christes facte / and his holy Apostles / and the worde of god / whome christen men must alonly folowe / Therfore the kynges commandiment muste be consyderid on this maner / yf the kynge forbyd The new testameÌ„t / Or any of christes sacramentes / Or the prechyng of the worde of god or any other thyng that is agenst christ vnder a temporalle payne / Or els vnder the payne of dethe meÌ„ shalle fyrste make faithefulle prayers to god / aÌ„d then diligent intercession vn to the kinges grace with alle due subieccioÌ„ / That his grace wolde relese that commandimeÌ„t If he wille not do it / They shalle kepe their testament with alle other ordinance of christ / and lett the kyng exercysse his tyranny if they can not flye and in no wisse vnder the payne of damnacioÌ„ shalle they withstonde hym with violence but suffer paciently alle the tyranny that he layth on theÌ„ bothe in theyr boddys aÌ„d goodes / aÌ„d leue the veÌ„gance of it vn to their heuynly father which hathe a scorge to tame those bedlams with whane he seyth his tyme. But in no wisse shalle they resyste violentlye / nor they shalle nor deny christes verite / nor yet for sake it a fore the prince lesâ— they ruÌ„ne in the danger of these wordes / he that denyithe me and mi worde a fore men / I shalle deny hym a fore my father in heuyn / And lett not men regarde this matter lightly and thynke that they may geue vp their testamentes aÌ„d yet not denye christ / for what so ever he be that geuithe vp his testament as a thyng worthy to be condemnyd / he doth a fore god deny chryst / Though his testameÌ„t be peraduenture he not knowyng false and vn truly princyd / or vntruly transelatyd / yet vnto hym is it a trew testament / and therfore shalle he not delyuer it to any that wille condemne it as vnlawfulle But this shalle he do / If any man that is lernyd do fynde any taute there in he shalle be glade to a mend that faute / but not to suffer in any wysse for that or for those fautes the holle testament to be condemned as vnlawfulle for if that shulde be sufferd / than shulde we haue no testament for there is no testament that is so trew / but eyther there be fautes in dede / orels meÌ„ by cauylacyons may invent that there be fautes / for this dare I say boldely / That the new testament in ynglyshe is tentymys truar / thane the oolde translacyon in lattyn is / in the which be meny places that do want whole sentensys / 1. Cor. 15. Mat. 20. Act. 20. 1. Tim. 6. and meny places / that no man cane defend with out heresy / as this texte / Non omnes immutabimur / Also this / Sedere ad dexteram meam vel sinistram non est meuÌ„ dare vobis / Also thes places wante / Commorati sumus trogilij / Seiungere ab is qui huiusmodi sunt / with meny other places more / that noman can say but they be euydently false / and yet we may not burne oure bokes for alle that / but kepe them and a mend theÌ„ Nor they shalle not goo a bought / to deposse their prince / as mi lordes the bysshops were wonte to do / but they shalle boldely confesse / that they haue the verite wille there by abyde / and aloÌ„ly shalle they pray to their heuynly father to change the harte of their prynce / that they may lyue vnderneth hym / after christes word / in quietnes as paule exhortithe vs saynge / 1. Tym. 1. I exhorte that prayers supplicacioÌ„s / peticions aÌ„d geuyng off thaÌ„kes / be had for alle men / for kynges for all that are in prehemineÌ„s that we may lyve a quiet aÌ„d a pesable lyffe in alle goodnes honesty Thus shalle men be haue theÌ„ selfe towarde their prynce in no wisse shalle they denye christes worde / or graunte to the burnynge of their testameÌ„tes / but if the kynge wille do it bi violence they mvst suffer it / but not obey to it by a gremeÌ„t / Thys may be prouyd by the exaÌ„ples of the apostles whaÌ„ the hye prystes of the teÌ„ple coÌ„maÌ„dyd Peter aÌ„d Iohan / Act. 4. 5 that they shuld no more preche teche in the name of Iesus / But they made them answere it was more ryght to obey god thaÌ„ maÌ„ Also the pharisys came and coÌ„manded oure master Christ / in herodes name / That he shulde departe from thens / or he wold kylle hym / but he wolde not obey but made them answere to Herod with a gret thretnyng / Go telle the wolfe / be holde I caste out deuylles and I make men holle thys day to morrow / Luce. 13. And the thryd day am I consumed / neuer the lesse I must
signifiynge and teacheynge that christes ordinance is not to reseue the bloude in the boddy wonly / but to reseue the bloude after his institucion by it selfe out of the cuppe / lest they shulde be found corectours and blasphemers of the holy institution and coÌ„mandymeÌ„t of the lorde / Of whom S. paule reseuyd this coÌ„mandemeÌ„t / and of no counselles Now what christen man can dought but oure Master christ to whom all thing is bare and opyn bothe thingis present and also to come knew that there was bloud in hys awne boddy / Also Saynt paul his scolare which lerned this lesson of him was not ingnorant that there was bloud in his body / And yet firste oure M. christ geuithe his bloud a lone by it selfe out of the cupp / aÌ„d his diligeÌ„t scolar knowing that doctrine of his M. dyd the same regarding his masters doctrine pÌ„ferryng it by fore his carnall reson which knew that there was bloud in euery body / but his M. doctryne taught him that his M. kepte not his blud in his bodi / but for vs / lost daÌ„ned parsons for oure innumerable detestable aÌ„d a boue all capassyte to declare daÌ„nable and abhominable sinnes / Brake his boddy shed his bloud there out pleÌ„tuusly there with made sacrifice aÌ„d satysfaccioÌ„ for all our synnes as S. IohaÌ„ saithe / The bloud of Iesus chryst clenseth vs from alle sinne / also we are santifyde by the offerynge off the body off Iesê° christ wons for all / now that all christeÌ„ meÌ„ whych be santifide by the offering of thys boddy / 1. Ioan. 1· aÌ„d by sheding the bloud out of this boddy / shuld all ways haue bothe those partes in remeÌ„brance / Hebre. 10. he accordyng as the bloud was deuyded froÌ„ the body for all sinners indifferently that wil come vn to christ And a cordynge to hys masters institucyon and coÌ„mandement / ministerde thys sacrament and also ordened yt to be ministred to all men / The body / by it selfe and the bloud by it selfe / That they might all way not remember aloÌ„ly that oure sauyour christ offerd his boddy for vs / but also shed out of that same body his most precius bloud and therfore sayth S. paule as his Master chryst taught him As often as you shall ette thys brede and drink this cuppe / you shall shew the lordes dethe tylle he come Now my lordys come to youre counselles Christ and Saynt Paull defendythe thys thynge partinacyter as yow calle yt that ys stytfy and strongly wyll they a byde by it and wyll nott reuoke it / wherefore after the decre of youre Counselle they be condemned for heretykes I can no more say but god helpe them for there is no remedy with theÌ„ but they must nedis to the fyer / for they wyll not be abiured in nowisse / it is a pittyus case that .ii. so good men as these be / wyll be thus openly agenst the decre of the holy counsel ye and agenst so meny and so noble fathers / aÌ„d so gret clarkis the which knew this matter as ye saye as wel as they / it is not to be thoughe that the holy gost wolde leue so menny excelent and holy fathers / and gret doctours of dyuinite / and so meny noble prynces and wisse men of the world / And be wyth these .ij. poore meÌ„ whych be of no reputacyon in thys worlde / wherefore my lordes procede agenst them after the holy decreys that he inuentyd agenst heretykys / styck not for their namys for it is neyther christ nor paulle that can hurte you / yow haue also coÌ„demned ther lernyng and preuaylyd agenst theÌ„ why shulde you not coÌ„demne them as well / you be lordes / and you haue the streÌ„gthe aÌ„d the wysdum of the worlde wyth you and as a sertyne doctor of lawe sayde / they haue no man to holde wyth them but a sorte of begers and dyspysyd persons of the world / wherfore spare them not / be bolde / Implete numerum patruÌ„ vestrorum / All tyrans be not yet deede But now whaÌ„ you haue coÌ„demned them / yet haue you as muche to doo as euer you had De consecia di 2. â— câ—perimê° for youre awne law is opeÌ„ly agenste yow in these wordes Vve vnderstoÌ„de that sertyn men reseuyng alonly the porcion of the blessyd boddy / do abstayne from the chalys of the holy bloude the whych doughtles seynge I can not telle by what superstycyon they are lerned to abstayne lett them eyther reseue the whole sacrament or elles let them be forbyddyn from the whole sacrament / for the dyuision of won and of the same mystery cane not be done wyth out grett sacrylege cÌ„ How thynke you by these wordes be they not playne that all men shall eyther reseue both kyndes or none / here haue you a nother heretyke / for he Iudgeth and sayth that it is sacrilege which is openly agenst youre counsell to reseue yt in won kinde But peraduenture you will say this law was wryten to pristes I answere To whom so euer it was wryten it maketh noo matter for these wordis be playne / The diuysyon of won mistery caÌ„ not be done with out gret sacrilege / These wordis be not spoken of the persons that shall reseue yt / but of the deuydynge of the sacrament / who so euer shall reseue yt / yt is sacrylege to deuyde this thing / answere yow to that Marke also that youre awne law callythe yt supersticion to reseue but won kynde aÌ„d no dought they that dyd reseue yt so wher blindyd by this damnable reason of youres that there ys no boddy wyth out bloude / and yet he calleth yt supersticion But let vs see what youre glosse sayth on this texte / yt ys not superfluusly sayth he reseued vnder bothe kyndes / for the kind of bred ys referryd vn to the fleshe / aÌ„d that kynd of wyne vn to the bloud / The wyne is the sacrament of bloud in the which is the seatte of the solle / and therfore it is reseuyd vnder bothe kindes to sygnifie that Christ did reseue bothe boddy and soule / and that the pertakynge there off dothe profyte both boddy and soule wherefore if it wer reseuyd alonly vnder won kynd it shulde signifie that it dyd profyte allonly but won parte cÌ„ How thynke you dothe this glosse vnderstonde it of pristes wonly haue lay men no soules May not this sacrament profite theÌ„ bothe body and soule Marke also that he saythe it is not superfluusly nor with out a cause reseuyd vnder bothe kyndes Also an other lawe / De coÌ„secÌ„ di 2. c. cum fraÌ„gimus Vvhan the hoste is brokyn and the bloud shed out of the chalys in to the mouthys of faithfull men / what other thynge is there signyfid but the immolacyoÌ„ off oure lordes boddy on the crosse / aÌ„d the sheddyng of his bloud out of his side cÌ„
Here is it playne that the bloud is geuyn out of the chalys and not out of the boddy / and in to faythefulle meÌ„s mowthis and not allonly in to pristes mowthis De coÌ„secÌ„ di 2. c. Siquocienscumê™ Also an other lawe / if that the bloud of christ be shed for remyssion of syns as oftyn as it is shede thane ought I lawfully for to reseue it I which do alle ways synne muste alle ways reseue a medecyn cÌ„ Here youre awne lawe saythe / that the reseuyng of the bloud is a medycinealle ways to be reseuyd of theÌ„ that synne yov wille not denye but that laymen synne where fore shulde they not than reseue a medecyn for their synne yov may perseue that this is not alonly spokyn of pristes but of synners Ad CorneliuÌ„ PapaÌ„ Furthermore S. Ciprian saythe Howe do we reache or howe cane we provoke men to shed their bloud for the confessyoÌ„ off christes name if we do deny them the bloud off chryst whan they shalle go to batylle Or how dare we able them vn to the victordum of marterdum / if we do not fyrst by ryght admitt theÌ„ to drincke the Cuppe of oure lorde in the coÌ„gregacyon c. Here is Cyprian opynlye agenst yov which wille that as meny shalle reseue the bloud of christ as do confesse the name of christ yee aÌ„d that out of the cuppe not out of the boddy Also S. Ambrose sayth to the Emperor Theodosyus / Ecclesiastica hist how shalte thow lyfte vpe they hondes out of that which dothe yet droppe vn ryghtwise bloud how shalte thov with those hoÌ„des reseue the boddy of god with what boldnes wilte thou reseue in to thy mought the Cuppe of the prâ—cius bloude seyng that thorow the wodnes of thy wordes so gret bloud is shed wrongfully cÌ„ Marke that the maner was in S. Ambrose tyme that lay meÌ„ shulde reseue the blessid bloude of christ ye and that out of the cuppe seuerally / and not out of the boddy wonly / where fore my lordes se to youre conscyens how yov cane discharge youre selfe a fore the dredfulle trone of christ Iesus / for makyng this detistable and damnable statute agenste the heuynly worde of god / aÌ„d agenste the vsse of holy churche aÌ„d contrary to the exposycion of alle holy doctours / It were to gret a thyng for yov so pÌ„umtuously to breke the statute of youre mortalle prince how muche more of youre immortale god whiche wille not be a voydyd with a carnalle resuÌ„ nor with condeÌ„nacyoÌ„ of heresy / nor yet with sayng there be Iuperdes perrelles and sclandres / for these proude crakes cane not there excuse yov nor yet helpe yov for I dought not but the grett Turke hath as good resons for hym as these be also as provd crakes as yov haue / thovgh peradueÌ„ture he vsythe theÌ„ not so hipocritly ageÌ„st god omnipoteÌ„t as yov do / but yet it wille not helpe hym / where fore now moste excelent and gracious prince I do with alle meknes / with all due subyeccyon admonyshe and exhorte youre moste noble grace / ye and the father of heuyn dothe opynly commaund yov vnder the payne of hys displesur / and as yov wille a voyde the danger of eternalle damnacyon / and also by the vertu of christes blessyd bloud aÌ„d as yov wille reseue remissioÌ„ froÌ„ al yovre synnes thorow the merittes of his glorious bloud / That you do defend with alle youre myght Christes blessyd worde aÌ„d hys swet bloude / his holy ordinaÌ„ce / suffer theÌ„ not so lyghtly to be oppressyd trodyn vnder the fote / youre grace may not consyder in this cause the multitude / nor the dygnite of meÌ„ / for yow be as good as the beste of theÌ„ / but youre grace must consider that it is god omnipotentes cause / it is christes cause / it is the worde of god / it is the bleued bloude of Chryst that is ouer trodyn / it is the ordynance that commyth out of heuen / and not out of couÌ„sellys ye aÌ„d geuyn by god hym selfe / and not by mans auctoryte / And now shall youre grace suffer this thyng so lyghtly to be broken by cause men do invente a carnall reason agenste it the devylle was neuer wyth out a reson / but that prouythe not the cause agenste godes worde Kynge Saul had no smalle reson for hym / 1. Reg. 15 whan he dyd saue Kinge Agag and the best shepe and oxen to offer to god / was not thys a resonable cause / to saue the bestys to godes honoure and to offer theÌ„ vp vn to god was it not a goodly shyne to saue the kinge rather than to kylle hym / what man wil rekyn it euyll to saue a maÌ„ what maÌ„ can iudge it evyll to saue bestis / ye and that the best to offer them to god was not god best worthy was not thys a good consyderacion was not this a good intent Fynallye yt ys ten tymys better than the reson of the counselle ys / aÌ„d yet Saull wyth all his good reson / with all his good deuocyon / wyth all hys good purposse / wyth all hys â—atte bestys ys repellyd of god for euer and alle by cause he stucke to his good inteÌ„cion and left the coÌ„mandement of god / Sum men wyll think it but a lyghte thyng whether they reseue the blessyd bloud by yt selfe or ellis with the boddy / but as lyghte as they thynke yt yet ys it godes worde yet is it Chrystis ordynaunce / yet did the apostles obserue yt / yet dyd the holy church so fulfyll yt / And yf the worde of god were awaye by reson yt were but a lyghte thyng to baptyse in watter or in wine / but the worde of god ys open that it must be done with watter and not in wyne and yet there is no cause why but the worde of god Moreouer by reson it was but a light thyng to say / zacha 9. Mat. 20. Be glad thou doughter of Syon be holde they kyng coÌ„myth to the syttyng on an asse aÌ„d on hare foole this saing by reson is not alonly Symple / but also foolyshe to say that a kynge shall come rydyng on an Asse yee and on a borowyd asse and there of to make so muche a doo as though yt were a notable thynge / who wold not now mocke a kyng yf he dyd soo ryde / not with stondynge all thys these be the wordis of god / ye and also fulfyllyd in very dede of oure Master Chryst in hys awne proper parson Luc. 2. Moreouer by reson / yt was but a mad tokyn that the sauyour of the worlde christ Iesus was borne / to say you shall fynde a younge chylde wrappyd in clouttes and layde in a crybbe / what ys thys to purposse what ys thys to proue that the sauyoure of the worlde ys borne wyll not reson mocke thys whan
cryyd not to no saynt neyther yet desiered any sainte to speke to god for him / but saith I wyll crye vnto the lord / yee he doughttyd not that he wold not here him by cause he was a maÌ„ a synner but faithefully said he will helpe me / as he testifyth in a nother place sayng / Psal 120. my helpe is of god that hath made heueÌ„ erth Now wil yov runne froÌ„ god aske of sayntes coÌ„fort ê“sperite / helth or welth or other thyng seynge it belongythe a lonly to god to geue / seyng he alonly is the fountayne and auctor of all goodnes and not sayntes whych haue no more but theyr parte and that that is geuen vn to them Also oure Master christ techyng all creaturs to pray bydoythe them not to goo to any oâ—her thyng / but allonly to the father of heuen / he makythe no mencion of sayntes / no not soo muche as to be a meane by twene them and the father / but coÌ„mandythe them that pray to pray them selfe to the father / The whyche thynge I dought not but he wolde haue done yf he wolde that there shulde haue byn other medyatours or geuers of any goodnes Moreouer ys not thys a mad maner of prayer that men vse to oure lady / O oure father which arte in heuen halowed be thy name cÌ„ Thus do you lerne meÌ„ to mocke oure lady whan yow lerne theÌ„ to saie oure ladys sauter you Infydelles and mokkers both of god and maÌ„ are you not a shamed of these open blasphemys Doute you not yff you call not for grace to the lorde that you may a mend yee and that shortly but god shall straytly a venge this blasphemy on you / he hathe suffered longe and no dought but of his infynyte marcy / Not with stondyng I wyll neuer beleue that he wyll muche lenger suffer seynge that he hathe brought so graciously his glorious verite in to the worlde and that so openly / and so clearly that you can not deny yt nor withstonde it neither by reason nor by lerninge but youre awne consciences be confunded and marked with hott yerens / not with stonding you persecute it by tiranny to the incresse of your damnacion / oure lord be mercifull vnto you But now that you may be knowen what you be whane yov disseue the people with these wordes fathers fathers holy doctours holy doctous I shalle resyte sertyne of youre fathers aÌ„d doctours saynges that yov may be knoweÌ„ not allonly oppyn lyars and blasphemers of god and his blessed aÌ„d eternal worde / but also of his holy sayntes aÌ„d fathers vn to whome he hathe reuelated by the scripturs his verite August de vera relig cap. vlti First S. Augustine saythe these wordes / let vs haue no deuocioÌ„ in honouryng of deed men / for if they lyuyd welle they may not be countyd for suche men as to desyer suche honours / but they wille that god shalle be honouryd of vs by whose lyghtnyng they reioysse that we ar made companyons of there glory / wherfore sayntes must be honouryd by followyng them / but not honouringe them of deuocyon cÌ„ Be not these playne wordes S. Augustyne was a father and a doctoure / And he saythe that sayntes wylle not be honoured of vs / but that god shalle be wonly honouryd Secondarylye we may folow their good lyuyng and so honour them / but in nowyse to pray to theÌ„ or honoure them of deuocyon / It foloweth in S. Augustyne where fore we do honour them by love or cheryte but not by seruyce / nor we bylde no teÌ„pilles vn to them / for they wille not so be honoured of vs / for they know welle that we if we be good be the tempilles of god / wherefore it is welle wryttyn / that man was forbyddyn of the Angell to worshyp hym but allonly to worsshyp won god vnder whome the angelle was also a seruant c. Apoca. 19. 22. Cane yov desyer any playner wordes than these we can no more do but love sayntes of cheryte but in no wysse to serue them / we may also bylde no tempilles to the honoure of theÌ„ / Marke also how he bryngeth scripture for hym how the angelle of God woldâ— not be honoured of man / how cane yov avoyd this sayng of S. Augustyn and his example of scripture Also Chrisostomus saythe on this texte / Mat. 15. tom 6. ho. de profec eâ—ange woman thy faythe ys grett / doste thou see this woman which was vn worthy / but by hare perseuerance was made worthy wilte thou lerne also that we praiynge vn to God in oure awne persons do more profyte than whan other men doo pray for vs / Thys woman dyd crye / and the dyscipilles came and prayd hym that he wolde spede hare for she cryythe on vs / but to them he answeryd I am not sent but vnto the shepe which ar peryshed of the house of Israel But whan she came hare selfe and dyd perseuer cryyng and saynge / yes lorde / for the whelpes doo ette the crummys that falle from their masters tabylles / Thane dyd he geue hare the benyfyte and sayd be yt vnto the as thow wilte Duste thov not see how he dyd repelle hare whane other men prayd for hare but whane she came her selfe and cryyde / he dyd graunte hare Vn to them he sayd I am not sent but vn to the shepe / But vn to the woman he saythe be yt vn to the as thou wylte cÌ„ Here yov not playnly how we doo soner obteyne oure peticyon of God oure awne selfe than by any other mydlers marke also how the apostylles dyd pray for thys woman and they were repelled / Chri. To. 6. ho. de ê“fectu euaÌ„gelioruÌ„ and she was harde Also the same doctor writteth these wordes / we have no nede of patrons a fore god / nor nede of muche prossys to speke fayre vn to other men but though thou be a lone and wantest a patrone / but prayst god by thy selfe yet for alle that shalte thov haue thy desyer / God dothe not so lyghtly gravnt whane other men praye for vs / as whane we pray oure selfe yee though we be fulle of synnes cÌ„ / be not these wordes playne / that we haue no nede of patrons but God hearyth vs soner whan we pray in oure awne persons / than whan othermen praye for vs / wherfore they that make other mediators than onlye Christ / dothe mustruste Christ and beleuithe that he is not omnypotent God / nor mercyfulle lorde / and there fore flye they vnto thys sayncte and vn to that saynct trustynge to fynd more mercy at their handes than they coulde fynde at Chrystes / but a trewe Chrysten man leuythe hys fantesye / Exod. 20. and remembereth these wordes of holy scryptur Heare thou man I am thy God / and therfore he setteth alle his truste
too youre stockes and stonys / and yet you thynke youre selfe suffycyently dyschargyd / by cause that men calle them noo goodes It foloweth / They sett noo hope in them Than what nede men too praye vn to them what nede meÌ„ to aske peticyons off them what nede men to offer vnto theÌ„ what nede men to vowe to theÌ„ what nede men to runne to them barefottyd an bareleggyd / and to kysse them and lycke them do they aske that thing of theÌ„ which they haue no hope to reseue by them / than doo they mocke them / It foloweth but they praye vn to them worsshypp them / how thinke yov by thys yov saye they be no godes and yet men praye vnto them and worsshyp them / adde to this that the lattyn worde sygnifith as muche as to aske forgeuenes of them / and fullye and affectuallye to pray to them / iff this stond with faith / and with the honour of god / lett everye Christen maÌ„ iudge / but how stondeth yt with youre decre where in yov calle them no godes this is as muche to saye as yov be very hypocrytes and dyssemblers with god and man / for yov say won thinge in wordes and compelle the people to do the contrary in dedes / that is to honour them as godes / is not this contrary to these wordes of scripture / thou shalte honour thy lorde god and serue him wonly Marke the holy gost saithe thou shalte serue god wonly Matt. 4. Here is the selfe lattyn worde / adorare / that youre decre hath / scripture wylle yt shall alle wonly be geuen to god / aÌ„d yov wylle geue yt to youre worsshypfulle ymages / marke also the occasion that oure Master Christ spake these wordes / the deuylle requyered that he shulde falle dovne and honour him / he requyered no faith / nor no hope on hym nor yet that he shulde make any prayers or desyer any peticion of him or lycke or kysse his fote / or make any oblacion to him / but allonly to faulle dovne / and so with exterior seruyce to honour him / but oure master said that that belongeth alonly to god and neyther to the deuyll nor yet to youre worsshyppfulle ymages / now saye of youre consciens doo not yov that same thynge to youre stockes and stonys / that the devylle rerequyred of oure master Christe how cane yov avoyd this but now coÌ„meth youre glosse with a distinccion and wille lerne oure Master christ how that he shall honour the deuyle and excusse him with an idylle and a damnable distinccioÌ„ whose wordes be these / there is cultus latrie / Glossa de conse Di. 3. c. venerabiles which includeth .iij. thinges in him loue / multitude of sacrifice / and veneracyon this belongeth wonly to god saith he / ther is an other worsshippinge which is called dulia / and this hathe but won thing in him that is veneracion / and it hathe neyther loue nor multitude of sacrifice in yt and this belongeth to alle creatures cÌ„ Vvhat be these but an hepe of ydylle wordes wyth out any sentens invented of the devylle to dysseue symple men by Here say yov that cultus latrie which includeth loue / multitude of sacrifice / and veneracion belongeth to god wonly / tell me of youre consciens are yov not a shamed off these wordes Fere yov not the vengeance off god that thus mocke and tryfylle bothe wyth god and man There cane be nothing more ageÌ„ste yov than these wordes be / for fyrst doo yov not loue youre images and youre sayntes Secondarilye doo yov not offer to them calle yov that no sacryfyce ye it is so muche that yov cane haÌ„ge no more on them / Thyrdly do not yov geue veneracion vnto them yee and that with alle youre hartes / or els be yov hypocrites and dyssemblars / so that yov geue to youre stockes stones cultum latrie / which by youre awne distynccyon be longeth to god wonly / how cane yov now avoyd idolatry Now to the seconde parte of youre dystynccion / yov say that yov do to saynctes and to alle creaturs the worshuppyng of dulya / which is with out loue / and with out the multytude of sacrifice / what call yov thys what mene yov by this what worshyppyng is thys that is with out love / and with out sacrifice / is not this open hipocrisy to honour a thinge outwardly and neyther to loue yt nor to fauor it inwardly / nor yet to offer any sacrifice vn to it / Matt. 27. this is nothing els but open mokkynge I may well compare yov vnto the wykkyd Iuys that chrouched and kneled vnto christe / but they dyd yt neyther of love nor fauoure but of mokkage as yov doo honour youre sayntes aÌ„d ymages This commeth all ways to them that wylle mocke and tryfylle with godes holy worde / that whane they thynke to a voyde yt with a damnable distynccion / than is yt most agenste them so that alle christen men may see / that the hande of god is here De media vâ—la 4. seÌ„t Also an other bald reason yov haue which is of Master Rychard / yf sayntes whane they were here and not confyrmed in grace did of their cheryte praye for vs / ergo now must they pray muche more seyng they are now confermed in cheryte cÌ„ Is not this a goodly baulde reason to caste at a bisshoppes cure Howe cane he proue this what scripture hathe he for hym I heare welle his carnalle reason but I heare no probacion I wylle make hym lyke reason The saynctes whane they were here dyd of their cheryte clothe naked men and fede the hungery and gaue drinke to the thursty / and vysytted them that were in preson / ergo much more nowe for they be confyrmed in cheryte and these be dedes of cherite Lykewyse S. Paule whane he was here dyd of his cherite wryght pystylles to declare the veryte / ergo now must he muche more wryght / so that where a fore he wrotte but won pystylle now muste he at the lest wryte thre / or els he is not confyrmed in cheryte / and I thinke he dyd neuer a greter dede of cherite / than now to write a pistle and to declare his awne pystilles for alle the world is at variaunce / for vnderstondinge of them yov blynde gydes who hath lerned yov to declare where in the cherite of saynctes dothe stonde who hathe geuen yov auctorite to geue a dede of cherite vnto sayntes that scripture dothe not geue / wherefore is it a dede of cherite for won to praye for an other is there any other cause than that the holie goste so declared it in his worde / wherefore that is cherite in this lyffe that the worde of god byddeth yov do and as for the workes that cherite shall haue in an other lyffe yt belongeth not to yov to iudge forther than the