haue vowed that sauyng commeth of the Lord. For verely to confesse out of the hart that all benefites come of GOD euen out of the goodnesse of his mercie and not deseruing of our dedes is the onely sacrifice that pleaseth God And to beleue that all the Iewes vowed in their Circumcision as we in our Baptisme Whiche vowe Ionas now beyng taught with experience promiseth to pay For those outward sacrifices of beastes vnto which Ionas had happely ascribed to much before were but feble and childish thinges and not ordeined that the workes of them selues should be a seruice vnto the people but to put them in remembraunce of this inward sacrifice of thankes and of faith to trust and beleue in GOD the onely Sauiour whiche signification when it was away they were abhominable and deuilishe Idolatrie and Image seruice as our ceremonies and Sacramentes are become now to all that trust and beleue in the worke of them and are not taught the significations to edify their soules with knowledge and the doctrine of God When Ionas was cast vpon lande agayn then his will was free and had power to go whether God sent hym and to do what GOD bade his owne Imaginations layd a part For he had bene at a new schole yea and in a fornace where hee was purged of much refuse and drosse of fleshely wisedome whiche resisted the wisedome of God and led Ionasses will contrary vnto the will of God For as farre as we be blinde in Adam we can not but seke and will our owne profite pleasure glory And as farre as we be taught in the spirite we can not but seke and wil the pleasure and glory of God onely And as the iij. dayes iorney of Niniue whether it were in length or to go round about it or thorough all the stretes I commit vnto y t discretion of other men But I thinke that it was then the greatest Citie of the world And that Ionas went a dayes iourney in the Citie I suppose hee did it not in one day but went faire and easyly preachyng here a Sermon and there another and rebuked the sinne of the people for which they must perish And when thou art come vnto the repentauÌ„ce of the Niniuites there hast thou sure earnest that how soeuer angry God be yet he remembreth mercy vnto all that truly repent and beleue in mercy Whiche ensample our Sauiour Christe also casteth in the teeth of the indurate Iewes saying The Niniuites shall rise in iudgemeÌ„t with this nation and condemne them for they repented at the preachyng of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas here meanyng of him selfe At whose preachyng yet thoughe it were neuer so mightie to pearce the hart and for all his miracles thereto the hard harted Iewes could not repent when the heathen Niniuites repeÌ„ted at the bare preachyng of Ionas rebukyng their sinnes without any miracle at all Why For the Iewes had leuened the spirituall law of God with their gloses had made it altogether earthly and fleshly and so had set a vaile or coueryng on Moses face to shadow and darken the glorious brightnes of hys countenaunce It was sinne to steale but to robbe widowes houses vnder a colour of long praying and to polle in the name of offerynges and to snare y t people with intollerable constitutions agaynst all loue to catche theyr money out of theyr purses was no synne at all To smite father and mother was sinne But to withdraw helpe from them at theyr nede for blynde zeale of offring vnto the profite of y e holy pharises was then as meritorious as it is now to let all thy kinne chuse whether they wil sincke or swimme while thou buildest and makest goodly foundations for holy people whiche thou hast chosen to be thy Christ for to supple thy soule with y t oyle of their swete blessinges and to be thy Iesus for to saue thy soule from the purgatory of the bloud that onely purgeth sinne with their watching fasting wolward goyng rising at midnight c. wherwith yet they purge not themselues from their couetousnes pride lechery or any vice that thou seest among the lay people It was great sinne for Christ to heale the people on the sabaoth day vnto the glory of God hys father but none at all for them to helpe their cattell vnto their owne profite It was sinne to eate with vnwashed handes or on an vnwashed table or out of an vnwashed dishe but to eate out of that purified dishe that whiche came of bribery thefte and extortion was no sinne at all It was exceeding meritorious to make many disciples but to teach theÌ„ to feare God in hys ordinaunces had they no care at all The hye Prelates so defended the right of holy church and so feared the people with the curse of God and terrible paynes of hell that no man durst leaue the vilest herbe in his garden vntithed And the offeringes and thinges dedicate vnto GOD for the profite of his holy vicars were in such estimatioÌ„ and reuerence that it was a much greteâ— sinne to sweare truly by them then to forsweare thy selfe by God What vengeaunce then of God and how terrible and cruell damnation thynke ye preached they to fall on them that had stolen so the holy thinges And yet sayth Christ that righteousnes fayth in kepyng promise mercy and indifferent iudgement were vtterly troden vnder foote and clean despised of those blessed fathers whiche so mightelye maintained Aarons patrimony and had made it so prosperous and enuironed it and walled it about on euery side with the feare of God that no maÌ„ durst touche it It was great holines to garnish the Sepulchers of the prophetes and to condemne their owne fathers for slaying of them and yet were they themselues for blynde zeale of their owne constitutions as redy as their fathers to slea whosoeuer testified vnto them the same truth which the prophets testified vnto their fathers So y t Christ compareth al the righteousnes of those holy patriarckes vnto the outwarde beauy of a painted Sepulcher full of stenche and all vncleannes within And finally to beguile a maÌ„s neighbors in subtle bargaining to wrap and compasse hym in with cautels of the law was then as it is now in the kyngdome of the Pope By the reason wherof they excluded the law of loue out of their hartes and consequently all true repentaunce for how coulde they repent of that they could not see to be sinne And on the other side they had set vp a righteousnes of holy workes to cleÌ„se their soules with all as the Pope sanctifieth vs with holy oyle holy bread holy salte holy candels holy dome ceremonies and holy dome blessinges with whatsoeuer holines thou wilt â—aue with the holines of Gods worde which onely speaketh vnto the harte and sheweth the soule hys filthinesse and vncleannes of synne and leadeth her
nothing but as the father moueth it euen so hath God all tyrantes in hys hande and letteth them not do whatsoeuer they would but as much onely as he appoynteth them to do and as far forth as it is necessarye for vs. And as when the childe submitteth himselfe vnto hys fathers correction and nurture and humbleth himself altogether vnto the will of his father theÌ„ the rod is taken away euen so when we ar come vnto the knowledge of the right waye and haue forsaken our owne will and offer our selues cleane vnto the will of God to walke which way soeuer he will haue vs then turneth he the tyrantes or els if they enforce to persecute vs any further he putteth them out of the way according vnto the comfortable ensamples of the scripture Moreouer let vs arme our soules with the promises both of helpe and assistance and also of the glorious rewarde that followeth Great is your reward in heaueÌ„ sayth Christ Math. 5. And he that knowledgeth mee before men him will I knowledge before my father that is in heauen Math. 10. and Call on me in time of tribulation and I wyll deliuer thee Psal 65. and Beholde the eyes of the Lord are ouer them thet feare hym and ouer them that trust in hys mercy to deliuer theyr soules from death and to feede them in time of hunger Psal 46. And in Psal 47. sayth Dauid The Lorde is nygh them that are troubled in theyr hartes and the meeke in spirite will he saue The tribulations of the righteous are many and out of them all will the Lord deliuer them The Lord keepeth al the bones of them so that not one of theÌ„ shall be brused The Lord shal redeeme the soules of his seruauntes And of such like consolation are all the Psalmes full woulde to God when ye read them ye vnderstood them And Math. 10. When they deliuer you take no thought what ye shall say it shall be geuen you the same houre what ye shall say for it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your Father which speaketh in you The very heares of your heades are numbred saith Christ also Math. 10. If God care for our heares he much more careth for our soules which he hath sealed with his holy spirite Therefore sayth Peter 1. Pet. 4. Cast all your care vppon him for he careth for you And Paule 1. Cor. 10. sayeth God is true he wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your might And Psal 71. Cast thy care vpon the Lord. Let thy care be to prepare thy selfe with all thy strength for to walke which way he will haue thee and to beleue that he will goe with thee assist thee and strengthen thee agaynst all tyraÌ„tes deliuer thee out of al tribulatioÌ„ But what way or by what meanes he will do it that committe vnto him and his godly pleasure and wisedome and cast that care vpon him And though it seeme neuer so vnlikely or neuer so impossible vnto naturall reason yet beleue stedfastly that he will do it and then shall he according to his olde vse chainge the course of the worlde euen in the twinckling of an eye and come sodenly vpon our Gyantes as a theefe in the night and coÌ„passe them in their wyles and worldly wisedome when they crye peace all is safe then shall theyr sorrowes beginne as the panges of a woman that traueileth with childe and then shall he destroy them and deliuer thee vnto the glorious prayse of hys mercy and truth Amen ANd as pertayning vnto them that despise Gods worde counting it as a phantasie or a dreame and to them also that for feare of a little persecution fall from it sette this before thyne eyes how God since the beginning of the world before a generall plague euer sent his true prophetes preachers of his word to warne the people and gaue them time to repent But they for the greatest part of theÌ„ hardened theyr hartes and persecuted the worde that was sent to saue them And then God destroyed them vtterly and tooke them cleane from the earth As thou seest what followed the preaching of Noe in y â— olde world what folowed the preaching of Loth among the Sodomites the preachyng of Moses and Aaron among the Egiptians and that sodenly against all possibilitie of mans witte Moreouer as ofte as the children of Israell fel from God to the worshipping of images he sent his prophets vnto them and they persecuted and waxed harde harted and then he sent them into all places of the world captiue Last of all he sent his owne sonne vnto them and they waxed more hard harted then euer before And see what a fearefull example of his wrath and cruel vengeance he hath made of them vnto all the worlde now almost fifteene hundred yeares Vnto the olde Brittaines also which dwelled where our natioÌ„ doth now preached Gildas and rebuked them of theyr wickednes and prophesied both vnto the spirituall as they will be called and vnto the lay men also what vengeaunce would follow except they repented But they waxed hard harted and God sente his plagues and pestilences among them and sent theyr enemies in vppon them on euery side destroyed them vtterly Marke also how Christ threateneth theÌ„ that forsake him for whatsoeuer cause it be whether for feare eyther for shame eyther for losse of honour frendes lyfe or goodes â–ª He that denyeth me before men him will I deâ—y before my father that is in heauen He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me all thys he sayth Math. 10. And in Mark 8. he sayth Whosoeuer is ashamed of me or my wordes among this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with his holy Angels And Luk. 9. also None that layeth his hande to the plowe and looketh backe is meete for the kingdome of heauen Neuerthelesse yet if any man haue resisted ignorantly as Paule did let him looke on the truth which Paule wrote after he came to knowledge Also if any man cleane against his hart but ouercome with the weaknes of the flesh for feare of persecution haue denied as Peter did or haue deliuered his booke or put it away secretly let him if he repente come again and take better hold and not dispayre or take it for a signe that God hath forsaken him for God ofttimes taketh hys strength euen froÌ„ his very elect wheÌ„ they either trust in theyr own strength or are negligent to call to him for his strength And that doth hee to teach theÌ„ to make theÌ„ feele that in that fire of tribulatioÌ„ for his wordes sake nothing can endure and abide saue his word and that streÌ„gth onely which he hath promised For the which strength he will haue vs to praye vnto him night and day wyth all
and glory that we owe to God Therfore it foloweth in the same texte vnto hym that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the wicked is his faith imputed for righteousnes Now if our saluatioÌ„ come of fayth and not through our workes desertes then is Purgatory shut out of doore quite vanisheth away Christ sayth So hath God loued the world that hee would geue hys onely sonne that all whiche beleue in him should not perishe but that they should haue euerlasting life Iohn iij. TheÌ„ what néedeth Purgatory Thou wilt peraduenture say it is true they shall haue euerlastyng lyfe but they must first go through Purgatory I aunswere nay verely But Christ affirmeth and that with an oth that he which heareth his word and beleueth his father which sent him hath euerlastyng life Yea and that he is gone already from death vnto life Iohn v. wilt thou now say that hee shall into Purgatory forsooth if that were true and the fire also so hote as our Prelates affirme then went he not from death vnto lyfe but rather froÌ„ a small death vnto a greater death The Prophet sayth precious is in the sight of the Lord the death of his Saintes Psal C. xvi And S. Iohn sayth blessed are the dead whiche dye in the Lord. Apocal. 14. but surely if they shoulde goe into the paynefull Purgatory there to be tormented of fendes theÌ„ were they not blessed but rather wretched God sayth by Moses Exod. 33. I will shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy and will haue compassion on whom I haue compassioÌ„ Now if our saluation be of mercy and compassioÌ„ then caÌ„ there be no such Purgatory For y t nature of mercy is to forgeue but Purgatory will haue all payde satisfied so that they twayne bee desperate and can in no wise agrée And looke how many textes in Scripture commende Gods mercy euen so many deny this paynefull Purgatory The Prophet sayth hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes neither hath rewarded vs accordyng to our iniquities but looke how high heauens are aboue the earth eueÌ„ so high hath he made his mercy to preuayle ouer them that worshyppe him And looke how farre the East is from the Weast euen so farre hath he set our sinnes from vs. Psal Citj And before in the same Psalme y e Prophet exhorteth his soule to prayse the Lord saying Prayse the Lord O my soule whiche forgeueth thée all thyne iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Now if this be true that he ordereth vs not accordyng to our sinnes but powreth his mercy so plenteously vppon vs if also he forgeue vs all our iniquities why should there be any such Purgatory to purge and tormeÌ„t the sely soules specially sith all was for geuen them before Wilt thou not call him a shrewed creditour whiche after he hath fréely forgeueÌ„ his debtour will yet cast him in prison for the same debt I thinke euery man would say on this maner â–ª It was in his own pleasure whether hee would forgeue it or not and then of fauour and compassion he forgaue it But now he hath forgeuen it hee doth vnrighteously to punish his debtour for it And albeit man repente his forgeuyng and afterward sue for his debt yet God can neuer repeÌ„t him selfe of his mercyable gifts Roma xi And therefore will he neuer torment vs for our trespasses no nor yet once remember them Ezech. xviij Heb. x. Sith God forgeueth the greater offences why shal he not also forgeue y t lesse He forgaue fréely much greater offeÌ„ces vnto the Publicane which knowleged him selfe to bee a sinner Luke xviij then those be for whiche men fayne that we must be tormeÌ„ted in Purgatory For there is no soule as they graunt them selues that suffreth in purgatory for great crimes mortal sinnes But onely for litle pretie pecca duliaÌ„s if a maÌ„ may be bold to vse M. Mores word and for venial sinnes Dis xxv Cap. qualis He forgaue much greater enormities vnto the théefe to whom hee sayd this day shalt thou be with me not in Purgatory but in Paradise Luke 23. He forgaue much greater to Marie Magdalene Luke vij Is his hand now shortned Is not his power as great as it was Is he not as mercyfull as euer he was why leaue we y t cisterne of liuyng water and digge vs pittes of our owne which can hold no pure water Iere. â—j why forsake we Christ which hath wholly purged vs séeke an other Purgatory of our own imaginatioÌ„ If thou beleue that Christes bloud is sufficient to purge thy sinne why sekest thou an other purgatory S. Paul sayth I desire to be losed from this body and to be with Christ Phil. i. Verely if hee had thought to haue gone thorough Purgatory hee would not haue bene so hasty For there shoulde hee haue had an hote broth and an hartlesse and so might he rather haue desired long to haue liued And therefore I suppose that he knew nothyng of Purgatory but that he rather thought as y e truth is that death should finish all his euils and so rowes and geue hym rest in losing hym from his rebbellious members whiche were solde and captiue vnder sinne All ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ should desire death as Paule doth Phil. 1. not because of their crosse and trouble whiche they suffer in this present worlde for then they sought theÌ„ selues and their own profite and not the glory of God But if we will well desire death we must first consider howe sore sinne displeaseth God our father then our owne nature and frailtie and our members so bounde vnder sinne that we caÌ„ not doe nor yet thinke a good thought of our selues 2. Cor. 3. Then shall we finde occasion to lament our lyfe not for the troubles that we suffer in it but because we be so prone vnto sinne and so continually displease God our father What desireth he that would loÌ„g lyue but dayly to heape sinne vppon sinne And therefore should we haue a will to dye bycause y t in death our sinne is finished and theÌ„ shall we no more displease God our father Now if we should fayne a Purgatory it were not possible to imagine a greater obstacle to make vs feare flye from death For sith euery man must knowledge him self a sinner 1. Iohn 1. And not beleue that Christes death were sufficieÌ„t but that he must also go to Purgatory who should depart this world with a quiet mynde The wiseman sayth The soules of the righteous are in the hande of God They séemed to dye in the eyes of the foolish their end was thought to be payne and afflictioÌ„ but they are in peace Sapi. 3. There is no maÌ„ but he must néedes graunt me that euery faythfull is righteous in the sight of God as it
the text declareth It is good for a man not to touch a woman Now doth blessed S. Paule aunswere to this holy hypocrisie on this maner To auoyde fornication sayth hée notwithstandyng your holynesse let euery man mary a wyfe Now if blessed Saynt Paule had thought it vnlawfull to marry for any Christen man then would not hée haue sayde Let euery man marry Marke also that it is not agaynst the perfection of any Christen man for to marry but hée is rather boūde to marry if hée haue not the gifte of chastitie Farthermore note that S. Paule neither biddeth them that thought it holynes to bée vnmaryed to fast or to labour or to weare héere But alonely to marry as who shoulde say God hath ordayned and approoued a lawful and a laudable remedy against your sicknes My doctrine is that you shall heare your God and vse to your comforte those creatures remedies with thankes géeuing that God hath appointed and therewith bée you cōtent and recken not your selues wyser then God in helpyng and curyng your diseases For nothing can bée vnlawfull that God doth allowe and prooue And for vsing of Gods creatures and his ordinaunces in tyme and place requisite can no man bée blamed béefore God But for refusing of Gods remedies whē they bée necessary let no man thinke that hée shall auoyde Gods daunger As for an example Hée that wyll not eate and drinke when hée is hungry and thirsty but excogitateth some other remedie of his owne brayne so long that hée bringeth himselfe in vtter destruction let no man doubte but in this case before God hée is a murtherer and an homicide I thinke there is no learning to the contrary Wherefore I woulde that mē should well remember themselues in thys case thinke not that they cā inuent a thyng more pleasaunt vnto God then hée can doe hym selfe His pleasure is best knowen vnto himselfe For this cause I iudge it lawfull for euery Priest that hath not the gift of chastitie to vse the remedy that God hath ordayned and also sanctified Blessed S. Paule saith that mariage is honorable and the bedde of them is vndefiled but fornicatours and aduoulterers God shal iudge Marke that S. Paule caulleth it honorable and a cleane thyng What presumption is therefore in vs that recken it a dishonour and vncleannesse for priestes to vse maryage God sayth hée shall iudge whorekéepers and aduoulterers but not them that bée maryed Wherefore yet agayne after y e doctrine of S. Paule I exhorte all Priestes that can not liue chaste to receiue Gods remedie with thankes This is S. Paules doctrine where hée sayth I woulde that all men were as I my selfe am But euery mā hath his proper gift of God one after this maner an other after that I say vnto the vnmaryed men and wydowes it is good for them if they abide as I doe But and if they can not abstaine let them mary For it is better to mary then to burne I can not deuise a clearer text for my purpose then thys is Saint Paule woulde that euery man had the gifte of chastitie But in as much as all men hath not one gift therefore sayth S. Paule must euery man vse himselfe after his gifts And hée that hath not the gifte of chastitie S. Paule wyll plainely that hée shall mary Hée sayth not that hée shal chastice himselfe wyth labour and wyth payne to remedye that weakenes though I woulde bée contente for my parte gladly that men shoulde prooue all maner of lawfull remedies to helpe them to lyue sole But then if they can not so continue I wyll in no wise that they shall refuse maryage as a thyng vnlawfull and filthy but rather vse it and prooue it at the least wise as they haue done other remedies that they haue inuented séeing that God hath iustituted this as a thyng that hée iudgeth for a lawfull and principall remedy But note that S. Paule sayth it is better to mary then to burne S. Paules meanynge is that if man hath not the gifte to extincte the burnyng and ardent desire of nature that then hée must mary rather then bée subiecte vnto such concupiscence S. Paule sayth not rather mary then to kéepe whores But hys will is that wée shoulde bée so farre from all whoredome that wée should not suffer our selues so much as to burne The whiche precéedeth all whoredome and is lesse in very déede then whoredome And yet S. Paule wylling vs to auoyde this lesse thing commaundeth vs to mary how much more to auoyde open whoredome abhominable and detestable vncleannes that is now vsed shamelesse in the worlde I doe not reprooue that Priestes doth lyue sole I had rather thereto exhorte them But this I detestate that men had rather suffer and allow priestes to liue in whoredome and in all abhominable fornication then for to vse that lawfull remedy that God hath both ordayned and sanctified Wée haue no mention in any storye that euer any Priest was burned for kéepyng of whores but for mariage we haue séene and doe sée dayly how cruelly and violently men doth persecute them as though Gods blessed ordinaunce were rather to bée extincted and abhorred then that thyng y e both God nature reprooueth Where is there one man in England that hath so great loue and reuerence to the holy state of Matrimony that hée should kéepe a maryed Priest in hys house But Priestes that lyue vnlawfully agaynst Gods law and mans law and agaynst all honesty and morall vertue bée in euery mans houses company and rulers and coūsellers and controllers Alas for pitie what shall I say to the affectiōs of mens hartes that thus can winke I will not say alow at such abhominable thynges Yea and the selfe same men shall bée most extreme and cruell vnto a poore simple Priest that of a good hart towardes Gods ordinaunce maryeth a lawfull wife This Priest I say shall neither haue meate nor drinke of thē nor yet no office of charitye But the other sort shalbée exalted and set vp in all honour and kept in reuerence and estimatiō And why Bycause as they say they bée good and cleane felowes and loueth a péece of flesh well These blasphemous woordes haue I heard diuerse tymes and many And men sit and laugh at them haue a great reioysing in them So sore is Gods holy ordinaunce a morall vertue goodnes extincted in mens hartes O Lord God and thy mercy were not how were this world able to cōtinewe that thus abhominably and shamefully iudgeth of thy halowed sanctified workes But oh Lord haue thou mercy and pitie on vs for the swéete bloud of thy sonne Christ Iesus Loke not on our synnes oh lord God for who is able to abyde in thy syght But Lord of thine infinite mercy send downe thy spirit into y e harts of thy people that they may bée taught better to iudge of thy heauenly and Godly
it impossible that thou shouldest loue Gods commaundementes If thou loue not the commaundementes so is Christes spirite not in thee which is the earnest of forgeuenesse of sinne and of saluation For Scripture teacheth first repentaunce then fayth in Christ that for his sake sinne is forgeuen to them that repent then good workes whiche are nothyng saue the comaundement of God onely And the commaūdements are nothyng elles saue the helpyng of our neighbours at their nede and the tamyng of our members that they might be pure also as the hart is pure thorough hate of vice and loue of vertue as Gods word teacheth vs which workes must procede out of the fayth that is I must doe them for the loue which I haue God for that great mercy which he hath shewed me in Christ or elles I do them not in the sight of God And that I fainte not in y t payne of the slaying of the sinne that is in my flesh myne helpe is the promise of the assistance of the power of God and the comforte of the reward to come which reward I ascribe vnto the goodnesse mercy and truth of the promiser that hath chosē me called me taught me geuen me the ernest therof not vnto the merites of my doynges or sufferynges For all that I do and suffer is but the way to the reward and not the deseruyng thereof As if the kynges grace shoulde promise to defende mee at home in myne owne realme yet the way thether is thoroughe the Sea wherin I might happely suffer no litle trouble And yet for all that if I might lyue in rest when I come thether I would thinke and so would other say that my paynes were well rewarded which reward benefit I would not proudly ascribe vnto the merites of my paynes takyng by the waye but vnto the goodnesse mercyfulnesse and constant truth of the kynges grace whose gifte it is and to whō the prayse and thanke thereof belongeth of duety and right So now a reward is a gift geuen freely of the goodnesse of the geuer and not of the deseruynges of the receauer Thus it appeareth that if I vowe what soeuer it be for any other purpose thē to tame my members and to be an ensample of vertue and edifying vnto my neighbour my sacrifice is vnsauery and cleane without salt my lampe without oyle and I one of the foolishe virgines and shal be shut from y t feast of the bridegrome whē I thinke my selfe most sure to enter in If I vow voluntary pouertie this must be my purpose that I will be cōtent with a competent liuyng whiche commeth vnto me either by succession of myne elders or whiche I get truly with my labour in ministryng doyng seruice vnto the common wealth in one office or in an other or in one occupatiō or other because that riches and honor shall not corrupt my mind and draw myne hart from God and to geue an example of vertue and edifying vnto other and that my neighbour may haue a liuyng by me as wel as I if I make a cloke of dissimulation of my vow laying a net of fayned beggery to catch superfluous aboundaunce of riches and hye degree and authoritie and thorough the estimatiō of false holynesse to feede maintaine my slouthful idlenes with the sweate labour landes and rentes of other mē after the example of our spiritualtie robbyng them of their faythes God of his honour turnyng vnto myne hypocrisie that confidence which should be geuen vnto the promises of GOD onely am I not a wily foxe and a rauenyng wolfe in a lambes skinne and a paynted sepulchre fayre without and filthy with in In like maner thoughe I seeke no worldly promotion thereby yet if I doe it to be iustified therewith and to get an hyer place in heauen thinkyng that I doe it of myne owne naturall strength and of the naturall power of my freewill and that euery man hath might euen so to do that they doe it not is their faulte and negligence so with the proude Pharisie in comparison of my selfe despise the sinnefull Publicanes what other thyng do I then eate the bloud and fat of my sacrifice deuouring that my self which should be offered vnto God alone and his Christ And shortly what soeuer a man doth of his naturall giftes of his naturall witte wisedom vnderstandyng reason will and good entēt before he be otherwise and cleane contrary taught of Gods spirite and haue receaued other witte vnderstandyng reason and will is fleshe worldly and wrought in abhominable blindnesse with whiche a man can but seeke him selfe his owne profite glory and honour euen in very spirituall matters As if I were alone in a wildernesse where no man were to seke profite or prayse of yet if I would seeke heauen of God there I could of myne owne naturall giftes seke it no other wayes then for the merites and deseruyngs of my good workes and to enter therin by an other way then by the dore Christe whiche were very theft for Christe is Lord ouer all and what soeuer any man will haue of God he muste haue it geuen hym freely for Christes sake Now to haue heauē for myne owne deseruyng is myne owne praise and not Christes For I can not haue it by fauour and grace in Christe and by myne owne merites also For free geuing deseruyng can not stand together If thou wilt vow of thy goods vnto God thou must put salt vnto thys sacrifice that is thou muste minister knowledge in this dede as Peter teacheth 2. Pet. 1. Thou must put oyle of Gods worde in thy Lampe and do it accordyng to knowledge if thou wait for the comming of the bridegrome to enter in with hym into his rest But thou peraduenture wilt hang it about the image to moue men to deuotion Deuotion is a feruent loue vnto gods commaundementes and a desire to be with God and with hys euerlastyng promises Now shall the sight of such riches as are shewed at S. Thomas shryne or at Walsingham moue a mā to loue the commaundements of god better and to desire to bee loosed from his flesh and to be with God or shall it not rather make his poore hart sigh because he hath no such at home and to wishe part of it in another place The priest shall haue it in Gods stead Shall the priest haue it If the Priest be bought with Christes bloude then he is Christes seruaūt not his owne and ought therefore to feede Christes flocke with Christes doctrine and to minister Christes Sacramentes vnto them purely for very loue and not for filthy lucres sake or to be Lorde ouer them as Peter teatheth 1. Pet. v. and Paul Acts. xx Beside this Christ is oures and is a gift geuen vs and we be heyres of Christ and of all that is Christes Wherefore the Priestes doctrine is oures and we heyres of it it
of them euen as a man would obtayne the fauour of worldly tyrauntes as they also fayne y e saintes more cruell then euer was any heatheÌ„ man and more wreakeful and vengeable then the Poâ—tes fayne their goddes or furies that torment the soules in bell if their euens be not fasted and their images visited and saluted wyth a pater noster which prayer onely our lippes be acquainted with our hartes vnderstandyng none at all and worshipped wyth a candle and the offring of our deuotioÌ„ in the place which they haue chosen to heare supplicatioÌ„s and make petitions of their clientes therin But thou reader thynke of the law of god how that it is altogether spirituall and so spirituall that it is neuer fulfilled wyth dedes or works vntill they flowe out of thyne harte wyth as great loue towarde thyne neighbour for no deseruyng of his yea thoughe he bee thyne ennemy as Christ loued thee and dyed for thee for no deseruyng of thyne but euen when thou wast hys ennemy And in the meane tyme through out all our infantie and childhoode in Christ till we be grown vp into perfect men in the full knowledge of Chrst and full loue of Christ agayne and of our neighbours for hys sake after the ensample of hys loue to vs remeÌ„bring that the fulfillyng of the law is a fast fayth in Christes bloude coupled with our profession submit ous selues to do better And of the gospell or promises which thou meetest in the scripture beleue fast that god wyll fulfill them vnto thee that vnto the vttermost iot at the repentance of thyne hart when thou turnest to hym and forsakest euill euen of hys goodnes and fatherly mercy vnto thee and not for thy flatteryng hym with hipocritishe woorkes of thyne owne fayning So that a fast fayth only without respect of all works is the forgeuenesse both of the sinne which we did in tyme of ignorance with lust and consent to sinne and also of that synne which we do by chaunce and of frailtie after y t we are come to knowledge and haue professed the law out of our hartes And all dedes serue only for to helpe our neighbours and to tame our flesh that we fall not to sinne agayne and to exercise our soules in vertue and not to make satisfaction to Godwarde for the synne that is once paste And all other stories of the Bible with out exception are y â— practising of y e law of the gospel are true and faythfull ensamples and sure earnest that God will euen so deale with vs as he did with them in all infirmities in all temtations and in all lyke cases chaunces Wherin ye see on the one side how fatherly and tenderly and with all coÌ„passion GOD entreateth hys elect which submit themselues as scholers to learne to walke in the wayes of hys lawes and to kepe them of loue If they forgate themselues at a tyme he would stirre them vp agayne with all mercy if they fell and hurt themselues he healed them agayne with all compassion and tendernes of hart He hath oft brought great tribulation and aduersitie vpon hys elect but all of fatherly loue onely to teach them and to make them see their owne hartes and the synne that there lay hid that they might afterward feele hys mercy For his mercy wayted vpon them to ridde them out agayne as soone as they wer learned and come to the knowledge of their own hartes so that he neuer cast man away how deepe so euer he had sinned saue them onely which had first cast the yoke of hys lawes from their neckes with vtter deâ—iaunce and malice of harte Which ensamples how comfortable are they for vs when we be fallen into sinne and God is come vpon vs with ascourge that we dispayre not but repent with full hope of mercy after the ensamples of mercy that are gone before And therfore they were written for our learnyng as testifieth Paule Rom. 15. to comfort vs that we might the better put our hope trust in god when we see how mercifull he hathe bene in tymes past vnto our weake brethreÌ„ that are gone before in al their aduersities nede temptations ye and horrible sinnes into which they nowe and then fell And on the other side ye see how they that hardened their hartes sinned of malice and refused mercy that was offered them and had no power to repent perished at the latter ende with all confusion and shame mercilessely Which ensaÌ„ples are very good and necessary to keepe vs in awe and dread in tyme of prosperitie as thou mayest see by Paul 1. Cor. 10. that we abide in the feare of God and waxe not wylde and fall to vanities and so sinne and prouoke God and bryng wrath vpon vs. And thirdly ye see in the practise how as God is merciful and long suffering euen so were all hys true Prophetes and preachers bearing the infirmities of their weake brethren and their own wrongs and iniuries with all patience and long suffering neuer casting any of them of their backs vntill they sinned against the holy ghost maliciously persecutyng the open and manifest trouth contrary vnto the ensample of the Pope which in sinnyng agaynst God and to quench the truth of his holy spirite is euer chiefe Capitaine and trompet blower to set other a worke and seketh only his own fredome libertie priuiledge wealth prosperitie profite pleasure pastime honour and glory with the bondage thraldom captiuitie misery wretchednes and vile subiection of his brethreÌ„ and in hys owne cause is so feruent so stiffe and cruell that he will not suffer one worde spoken agaynst hys false maiestie wily inuentions and iugling hipocrisie to be vnauenged though all christendome should be set together by the eares and should cost he cared not how many hundred thousande their lyues Now that thou mayest read Ionas frutefully and not as a Poetes fable but as an obligation betwene god and thy soule as an earnest penny geuen thee of God that he wyll helpe thee in tyme of nede if thou turne to him and as the worde of God the only foode lyfe of thy soule this marke and note First count Ionas the frend of God a man chosen of GOD to testify his name vnto the world But yet a yong scholer weake and rude after the fashioÌ„ of the apostles whyle Christ was with them yet bodily which thoughe Christ taught them euer to be meeke and to humble theÌ„selues yet oft stroue among theÌ„selues who should be greatest The sonnes of â—ebede would sitte the one on the right hand of Christ the other on the lefte They would praye that fire might descend from heauen consume the Samaritanes When Christ asked who say men that I am Peter aunswered thou art the sonne of the liuyng God as though Peter had bene as perfecte as an angel But immediatly after wheÌ„ Christ preached vnto them of hys death and
outward thing euen so seeke within thy hart the plaister of mercy the promises of forgeuenes in our Sauiour Iesus Christ accordyng vnto all the ensamples of mercy y t are gone before And with Ionas let them that wait on vanities and seke God here and there and in euery temple saue in their hartes go and seke thou the testament of God in thyne harte For in thyne hart is the word of the law in thine hart is the word of faith in the promises of mercy in Iesus Christ So that if thou confesse with a repentyng hart and knowledge and surely beleue that Iesus is Lord ouer all sinne thou art safe And finally when the rage of thy conscience is ceased and quieted with fast faith in the promises of mercy thē offer with Ionas the offring of prayse and thankesgeuyng and pay the vowe of thy Baptisme that God onely saueth of his onely mercy and goodnes that is beleue stedsastly and preach cōstātly that it is God onely that smiteth and GOD onely that healeth ascribyng the cause of thy tribulation vnto thyne owne sinne and the cause of thy deliuerance vnto y t mercy of god And beware of the leuen that sayth we haue power in our free will before the preaching of the Gospel to deserue grace to kepe the law of congruite or god to bee vnrighteous And say with Iohn in the first that as the law was geuen by Moses euen so grace to fulfill it is geuen by Christ And when they say our deedes with grace deserue heauen say thou with Paule Rom. vj that euerlastyng lyfe is the gift of GOD thorough Iesus Christe our Lorde and that we be made sonnes by fayth Iohn i. And therefore heires of GOD with Christ Rom. viij And say that we receaue all of God through faith that foloweth repentaunce and that we doe not our workes vnto God but either vnto our selues to slay the sinne that remaineth in the fleshe and to waxe perfect either vnto our neighbours which do as much for vs agayne in other thynges And when a man excedeth in giftes of grace let him vnderstand that they be geuen him as well for his weake brethren as for him self as though all the bread be committed vnto the panter yet for his felowes with him whiche geue thee thankes vnto their Lord and recompence the panter agayn with other kynde of seruice in their offices And when they say that Christ hath made no satisfaction for the sinne we do after our Baptisme say thou with the doctrine of Paule that in our Baptisme we receaue the merites of Christes death through repentaunce faith of which two Baptisme is y t signe And though when we sinne of frailtie after our Baptisme we receaue the signe no more yet we be renewed agayne through repentance and fayth in Christes bloud of which twaine y t signe of Baptisme euen continued among vs in Baptising our young childrē doth euer kepe vs in mind call vs backe again vnto our profession if we begon astray promiseth vs forgeuenesse Neither cā actual sinne be washed away with our workes but with Christes bloud neither can there be any other sacrifice or satisfaction to Godward for them saue christes bloud For as much as we can do no workes vnto God but receiue only of his mercy with our repenting faith through Iesus Christ our lord and only sauiour vnto whom and vnto God our father thorowe hym and vnto his holy spirite y t onely purgeth sanctifieth and washeth vs in the innocent bloude of our redemption be prayse for euer Amen The Prologue vppon the Gospell of S. Mathew by M. William Tyndall HEre hast thou mostdere reader the new Testamēt or couenaunt made with vs of GOD in Christes bloud Whiche I haue looked ouer agayne now at the last with all diligence compared it vnto the Greke haue weeded out of it many fautes which lacke of helpe at the begynning and ouersight did sow therein If ought seme chaunged or not altogether agreyng with the Greeke let the finder of the faute consider the Hebrue phrase or maner of speache left in the Greeke wordes Whose preterperfectence and presentence is oft both one the futuretence is the optatiue mode also the futuretence oft y t imperatiue mode in the actiue voyce in the passiue euer Likewise person for person number for number and interrogatiō for a cōditionall and such lyke is with the Hebruesa common vsage I haue also in many places set light in the margent to vnderstand the text by If any mā finde fautes either with the translation or ought beside which is easier for many to do then so well to haue translated it thē selues of their owne pregnante wittes at the beginnyng without an ensāple to the same it shal be lawfull to trāslate it them selues and to put what they lust thereto It I shall perceaue either by my selfe or by information of other y t ought be escaped me or might more playnly be translated I will shortly after cause it to be amended Howbeit in many places me thinketh it better to put a declaration in the margent then to runne to farre from the text And in many places where the text semeth at the first choppe hard to be vnderstād yet the circumstaunces before and after and often readyng together make it plaine inough Moreouer because the kyngdome of heauen which is the Scripture and word of GOD may be so locked vp that he which readeth or heareth it can not vnderstand it as Christ testifieth how that the Scribes and Phariseis had so shut it vp Math. xxiij and had taken awaye the keye of knowledge Luke xj that y t Iewes which thought them selues within were yet so locked out and are to this day that they can vnderstand no sentence of the Scripture vnto their saluation though they cā rehearse the textes euery where and dispute therof as subtely as the Popish Doctours of Dunces darke learnyng whiche with their sophistry serned vs as the Phariseis did y t Iewes Therfore that I might be found faith full to my father and Lord in distributyng vnto my brethren and felowes of one faith their due and necessary fode so dressing it and seasonyng it that the weake stomackes may receiue it also and be the better for it I thought it my dutie most deare reader to warne thee before and to shew thee the right way in and to geue thee the true keye to open it with all and to arme thee agaynst false Prophetes and malicious hypocrites whose perpetuall studie is to blind the scripture with gloses and there to locke it vp where it should saue thee soule to make vs shoote at a wrōg marke to put our trust in those thinges that profite their bellyes onely and slea our soules The right way yea and the onely way to vnderstand the Scripture vnto saluation is that we earnestly and aboue all thyng search
ther he looketh with what hart thou workest and not what thou workest how thou acceptest the degree that he hath put thee in not of what degree thou art whether thou be an Apostle or a shoemaker Set this ensample before thine eyes Thou art a kechinpage and washest thy masters dishes an other is an Apostle and preacheth the word of God Of this Apostle harke what Paule sayth in the. 2. Corinth ix If I preach sayth he I haue nought to reioyce in for necessitie is put vnto me as who should say God hath made me so woe is vnto me if I preach not If I do it willingly sayth he then haue I my reward that is then am I sure that Gods spirite is me and that I am elect to eternall lyfe If I do it agaynst my will an office is committed vnto me that is if I do it not of loue to God but to get a liuyng thereby for a worldly purpose and had rather otherwayes lyue then do I that office which GOD hath put me in and yet please not God my selfe Note now if this Apostle preach not as many do not whiche not onely make them selues Apostles but also compell men to take thē for greater then Apostles yea for greater thē Christ him selfe thē wo is vnto him that is his damnation is iust If he preach his hart not right yet ministreth he the office that GOD hath put him in and they that haue the spirite of God heare the voyce of God yea though he speake in an Asse More ouer how soeuer he preacheth he hath not to reioyce in that he preacheth But and if he preach willyngly with a true hart and of conscience to God then hath he his reward that is then feeleth he the earnest of eternall lyfe the woorkyng of the spirite of God in hym And as he feeleth Gods goodnes and mercy so be thou sure he feeleth his owne infirmitie weakenes vnworthynes and morneth and knowledgeth his sinne in that the hart will not arise to worke with that full lust loue that is in Christ our Lord. And neuertheles is yet at peace with God through faith and trust in Christ Iesu For the earnest of the spirite that worketh in him testifieth and beareth witnes vnto his hart that God hath chosen him and that his grace shall suffice him whiche grace is now not idle in hym In hys woorkes putteth he no trust Now thou that ministrest in the kechen art but a kechenpage receauest all thyng of the hand of God knowest that God hath put thee in that office submittest thy selfe to his wil and seruest thy master not as a man but as Christ him selfe with a pure hart accordyng as Paule teacheth vs puttest thy trust in God and with hym sekest thy reward Moreouer there is not a good dede done but thy hart reioyceth therein yea when thou hearest that the word of God is preached by this Apostle and seest the people turne to God thou consentest vnto the deede thyne hart breaketh out in ioy springeth and leapeth in thy brest that God is honored And in thyne hart doest the same that y ◠Apostle doth and happely with greater delectatiō and a more feruent spirite Now he that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shal receaue the reward of a Prophet Math. x. that is he that consenteth to the dede of a Prophet and maintaineth it the same hath the same spirite earnest of euerlastyng lyfe whiche the Prophete hath and is elect as the Prophet is Now if thou compare dede to dede there is difference betwixt washyng of dishes and preachyng of the word of God but as touchyng to please God none at all For neither that nor this pleaseth but as farforth as God hath chosen a man hath put his spirite in hym and purified his hart by fayth and trust in Christ Let euery man therefore wayte on the office wherein Christ hath put hym and therin serue his brethren If he be of low degree let him paciently therin abyde till God promote him and exalte hym hyer Let kyngs and head ofcers seke Christ in their offices ministre peace and quietnes vnto the brethren punish sinne and that with mercy euen with the same sorow and grief of mynde as they would cut of a finger or ioynte a legge or arme of their own body if there were such disease in them that either they must be cut of or els all the body must perish Let euery man of what soeuer craft or occupation he be of whether bruer baker tayler vitailer merchaunt or husbandman referre his craft and occupation vnto the commō wealth and serue hys brethren as hee would doe Christ him selfe Let him bye and sell truly and not set dice on his brethren so sheweth he mercy and his occupation pleaseth God And when thou receauest money for thy labour or ware thou receauest thy dutie For wherein so euer thou minister to thy brethren thy brethren are dettours to geue thee wherewith to mainteine thy selfe and houshold And let your superfluities succour the poore of whiche sort shall euer be some in all townes and cities and villages and that I suppose the greatest nūber Remēber that we are members of one body ought to minister one to an other mercifully And remember that whatsoeuer we haue it is geuen vs of God to bestow it on our brethren Let him that eateth eate and geue God thankes onely let not thy meate pull thine hart from God And let him that drinketh do likewise Let him y t hath a wife geue God thākes for his liberty onely let not thy wife withdraw thine hart from God and then pleasest thou God and hast the worde of God for thee And in all thinges looke on the worde of God and therein put thy trust and not in a visure in a disguised garment and a cut shooe Seeke the worde of God in all thinges and without the worde of God do nothing though it appeare neuer so glorious What soeuer is done without the worde of God that count idolatry The kingdome of heauen is within vs. Luk. xvij Wonder therefore at no monstrous shape nor at any outward thyng without the worde For the world was neuer drawen from God but with an outward shewe and glorious appearaunce and shining of hipocrisy and of fayned and visured fasting praying watching singing offering sacrificing halowing of superstitious ceremonies and monstrous disguising Take this for an ensample Iohn Baptist which had testimony of Christ and of the Gospell that there neuer rose a greater among wemens children with his fasting watching praying rayment and strāight liuing deceaued the Iewes and brought them in doubt whether Iohn were very Christ or not and yet no Scripture or miracle testifiyng it so greatly y ◠blinde nature of man loketh on the outwarde shining of workes and regardeth not the inwarde word which speaketh to the hart
miracles his wonders his mighty hand his stretched out arme and what he hath done for you hetherto He shall destroye them he shall take theyr hartes from them and make them feare and flye before you He shall storme them and stirre vp a tempest among them and scatter them and bring them to naught He hath sworne he is true he will fullfill the promises that he hath made vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob This is written for our learning for verely he is a true God and is our God as well as theyres and his promises are with vs as well as with them and he presente with vs as well as he was with them If we aske we shal obtain if we knocke he will open if we seeke wee shall finde if we thyrst his truth shall fullfill our lust Christ is with vs vntill the worldes ende Math. y ◠last Let this little flock be bold therefore for if God be on our side what matter maketh it who be against vs be they byshops cardinalles popes or what so euer names they will Marke this also if God sende thee to the sea and promise to goe with thee and to bring thee safe to lande he will rayse vp a tempest agaynst thee to proue whether thou wilt abide by his worde and that thou mayst feele thy fayth and perceiue his goodnes For if it were alwayes fayre weather and thou neuer brought into such ieoperdy whēce his mercy onely deliuered thee thy fayth should be but a presumption and thou shouldest be euer vnthanckfull to God and mercilesse vnto thy neighbour If God promise ritches the way therto is pouertie Whom he loueth him he chasteneth whome he exalteth he casteth downe whome he saueth he damneth first he bringeth no man to heauen except he send him to hell first if he promise life he slayeth first when he buildeth he casteth all downe first he is no patcher he can not builde on an other mans foundation he will not woorke vntill all be past remedy and brought vnto such a case y ◠men may see how that his hand his power his mercy his goodnesse and trueth hath wrought all together he will let no man be partaker with him of hys prayse and glorye his workes are wonderful and contrary vnto mans workes Who euer sauing he deliuered his owne sonne his onely sonne hys deare sonne vnto the death and that for his enemies sake to winne his enemye to ouercomme him with loue that he might see loue and loue againe and of loue to do likewise to other men and to ouercome them with well doing Ioseph saw the Sunne and the Moone and xj starres worshipping him Neuerthelesse ere that came to passe God layed hym where he could neither see sunne nor moone neyther any starre of the skye and that many yeares and also vndeserued to norture him to humble to meeke and to teach him Gods wayes and to make him apt and meet for the roome and honor against he came to it that he might perceiue and feele that it came of God and that he might be strong in the spirite to minister it godly He promised the children of Israell a lande with riuers of milke and honny But brought them for the space of fourty yeares into a land where not onely riuers of mylke and honny were not but where so much as a drop of water was not to nourture them and to teach them as a father doth his sonne and to do them good at the latter ende and that they might be strong in their spirite soules to vse his giftes and benefites godly and after hys will He promised Dauid a kingdome and immediatly stirred vp king Saule against him to persecute him to hunt him as men do hares with greyhoundes and to ferret him out of euery hole that for the space of many yeares to tame him to meeke him to kill his lustes to make him feele other mens diseases to make him mercifull to make him vnderstand that he was made king to minister and to serue his brethren and that he shoulde not thincke that his subiectes were made to minister vnto his lustes and that it were lawfull for him to take away from them life goods at his pleasure Oh that our kinges were so nourtured how a dayes which our holy byshops teache of a farre other maner saying Your grace shal take your pleasure yea take what pleasure you list spare nothing we shall dispence with you we haue power we are Gods vicars and let vs alone with the realme we shall take payne for you and see that nothing be well your Grace shall but defende the fayth onely Let vs therefore looke diligently whereunto we are called that we deceaue not our selues We are called not to dispute as the popes disciples do but to dye with Christ that we may liue with him and to suffer with him that we may raigne with him We be called vnto a kingdome that must be wonne w t suffring only as a sicke man winneth health God is he that doth all thing for vs and fighteth for vs we do but suffer onely Christ sayth Iohn xx As my Father sent me so sende I you and Iohn xv If they persecute me then shall they persecute you and Christ sayth Math. x. I send you forth as sheepe among wolues The sheepe fight not but the shepheard fighteth for them and careth for them Be harmeles as Doues therfore saith Christ and wise as serpentes The doues imagine no defence nor seeke to auenge themselues The serpentes wisedome is to keepe his head and those partes wherein his life resteth Christ is our head and Gods word is that wherin our life resteth To cleaue therfore fast vnto Christ and vnto those promises which God hath made vs for his sake is our wisedome Beware of men sayth he for they shall deliuer you vp vnto theyr counsels and shall scourge you and ye shall be brought before rulers and kinges for my sake the brother shall betray or deliuer the brother to death and the father the sonne and the children shall rise against father and mother and put them to death Heare what Christ sayth more The disciple is not greater thē his master neyther the seruaunte greater or better then his Lorde if they haue called the goodman of the house Beelzebub how much rather shall they call his household seruants so And Luke xiiij sayth Christ Which of you disposed to builde a tower sitteth not downe fyrst and counteth the cost whether he haue sufficient to performe it lest when he hath layd the foundation and then not able to performe it al that behold it begin to mocke him saying this man beganne to builde and was not able to make an ende so likewise none of you that forsaketh not all that he hath can be my disciple Whosoeuer therefore casteth not this aforehand I must ieoberd life goods honor worship and al that there
into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued He that beleueth on him shall not be damned but he that beeleeueth not is damned alreadye Iohn iij. Paule Rom. 5. sayth Because we are iustifyed through fayth we are at peace with God through our lord Iesus Christ that is because that God which can not lye hath promised and sworne to be mercyfull vnto vs and to forgeue vs for Christes sake we beleue and are at peace in our consciences we run not hither and thither for pardon we trust not in thys fryer nor that monke neyther in any thing saue in the woord of God onely As a childe when his father threateneth him for his faâ—t hath neuer rest til he heare the worde of mercy and forgeuenes of his fathers mouth againe but assone as he heareth his father say Goe thy wayes do me no more so I forgeue thee this fault then is his hart at rest then is he at peace then runneth he to no man to make intercession for him Neyther though there come any false marchant saying what wilt thou geue me and I will obtayne pardon of thy father for thee Will he suffer him selfe to be beguiled No he will not buy of a wilie fox that which his father hath geuen him freely It foloweth God setteth out hys loue that he hath to vs. that is he maketh it appeare that men may perceiue loue if they be not more then stocke blinde In asmuch sayth Paule as while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Much more now sayth he seeing we are iustifyed by hys bloud shall we be preserued from wrath thorough him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of hys sonne much more seeing we are reconciled we shall be preserued by hys life As who should say If God loued vs when we knew him not much more loueth he vs now we know him If he were mercifull to vs while we hated his Lawe how much more mercifull will he be now seeing we loue it and desire strength to fulfill it And in the viij he argueth If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shall he not wyth him geue vs all thinges also Christ prayed Iohn xvij not for the Apostles onely but also for as many as should beleue through theyr preaching and was heard whatsoeuer we aske in his name the Father geueth vs Iohn xvi Christ is also as mercifull as the saintes Why go we not straight way vnto him Verely because we feale not the mercy of God neyther beleue his truthe God will at the least way say they heare vs the sooner for the saintes sake Then loueth he the saintes better then Christ and his own truth Heareth he vs for the saintes sake so heareth he vs not for his mercye For merites and mercye can not stand together Finally if thou put any trust in thine owne deedes or in the deedes of any other man of any saint then minishest thou the truth mercy and goodnes of God For if God looke vnto thy workes or vnto the workes of any other man or goodnes of the saint then doth he not all thinges of pure mercy and of his goodnesse and for the truthes sake which he hath sworne in Christ Now sayth Paule Tit. 3. Not of the righteous deedes which we did but of his mercy saued he vs. Our blinde disputers will say If our good deedes iustify vs not if God looke not on our good deedes neither regard them nor loue vs the better for them what need we to do good dedes I aunswer God looketh on our good deedes and loueth them yet loueth vs not for their sakes God loueth vs first in Christ of his goodnes and mercy and poureth his spirit into vs and geueth vs power to do good dedes And because he loueth vs he loueth our good deedes yea because he loueth vs he forgeueth vs our euill dedes which we do of frailtie and not of purpose or for the nonce Our good dedes do but testifie onely that we are iustifyed and beloued For except we were beloued and had Gods spirite we could neyther do nor yet consent vnto any good deed Antichrist turneth the rootes of the trees vpwarde He maketh the goodnes of God the braunches and our goodnes the rootes We must be first good after Antichristes doctrine and moue God and compell him to be good againe for our goodnesses sake so must Gods goodnesse spring out of our goodnes Nay verely Gods goodnesse is the root of al goodnes and our goodnes if we haue any springeth out of his goodnes Prayer OF Prayer and good deedes and of the order of loue or charitie I haue aboundantly written in my booke of the iustifying of fayth Neuer the later that thou maist see what the prayers and good workes of our monkes and friers and of other ghostly people are worth I will speake a woord or two and make an end Paule sayth Gal. 3. All ye are the sonnes of God through fayth in Iesu Christ for all ye that are baptized haue put Christ on you that is ye are become Christ himself There is no Iew sayth he neither Greeke neither bond nor free neither man nor woman but ye are all one thing in Christ Iesu In Christ there is neither french nor english but the frenchman is the englishmans owne selfe and the english the frenchmans owne self In Christ there is neither father nor sonne neyther maister nor seruaunt neyther husband nor wife neither king nor subiect but the father is the sonnes selfe and the sonne the fathers owne selfe and the king is the subiects owne self and the subiect is the kinges own self and so fourth I am thou â—hy selfe and thou art I my selfe and can be no nearer of kyn We are all the sonnes of God all Christes seruauntes bought with hys bloud and euery man to other Christ his owne selfe And Col. 3 Ye haue put on the new man which is tenned in the knowledge of God after the image of him that made him that is to say Christ where is sayth he neyther Greke nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision barbarous or Scithian bond or free but Christ is all in all thinges I loue thée not now because thou art my father and hast done so much for me or my mother and hast borne me and geuen me sucke of thy brestes for so do Iewes and saracens but because of the greate loue that Christ hath shewed me I serue thee not because thou art my maister or my king for hope of rewarde or feare of payne but for the loue of Christ for the children of fayth are vnder no law as thou seest in the Epistles to the Romanes to the Galathians in the first to Timothe but are free The spirit of Christ hath writteÌ„ the liuely law of loue in their hartes whiche driueth theÌ„ to worke of theyr owne
childe Euen so if we were not thus drowned in blindnesse we should easely see that we cannot do the thousand parte of our dutie to God no though there were no life to come If there were no life to come it were not right that I should touch any creature of God otherwyse then he hath appoynted Though there were no life to come it had neuerthelesse bene right that AdaÌ„ had abstayned from the forbiddeÌ„ apple tree and from all other to if they had bene forbid Yea though there were no life to come it were not the lesse right that I loued my brother and forgaue him to day seing I shall sinne agaynst him to morrow Because a father cannot geue his children heauen hath he no power to charge them to loue one another and to forgeue and not aduenge one an other And hath he not right to beat them if they smite ech other because he cannot geue them heauen A bondman that hath a master more cruell then a reasonable man would be to a dogge if there were no heauen might this bond seruaunt accuse God of vnrighteousnes because he hath not made hym a master Now then when we cannot do our dutie by a thousand partes though there were no such promises and that the thyng commaunded is no lesse our dutie though no such promise were it is easie to perceaue that the reward promised commeth of the goodnes mercy truth of the promiser to make vs the gladder to do our dutie and not of the deseruing of the receauer When we haue done all we can we ought to say in our hart that it was our dutie and that we ought to do a thousand tymes more and that God if he had not promised vs mercy of his goodnesse in Christ he might yet of right damne vs for that we haue left vndone And as touching forgeuenesse of sinne though forgeuenesse of sinne be promised vnto thee yet chalenge it not by thy merites but by the merites of Christes bloud and heare what Paule sayth Phil. iij. Concerning the righteousnes of the law I was faultlesse or such as no man could rebuke But the thinges that were to vauntage I thought domage for Christes sake ye I thinke all thing to be dammage or losse for the excelleÌ„t knowledges sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whose sake I let all go to losse and count theÌ„ as chaffe or refuse that is to say as thinges which are purged out and refused when a thyng is tryed and made perfect that I might wynne Christ might be found in him not hauyng my righteousnes y t coÌ„meth of y t lawe But y â— which coÌ„meth of faith in Christ Iesu which righteousnes commeth of God through fayth and is to know him and the power of his resurrection how he is Lord ouer all sinne the onely thyng that slayeth and vanquisheth sinne and to know also the felowshyp of his passions that I might be made like vnto his death So that when righteousnesse and true merites be tryed we must be content that ours be the chaffe Christes the pure corne ours the scome and refuse and Christes the pure gold And we must fashion our selues lyke vnto Christ and take euery man his crosse slea and mortifie the sinne in the fleshe or els we cannot bee partakers of hys passion The sinne we doe before our conuersion is forgeuen clearely thorough fayth if we repent and submit our selues to a new lyfe And the sinne we doe agaynst our willes I meane the will of the spirite for after our conuersion we haue two willes fightyng one agaynst the other that sinne is also forgeuen vs through fayth if we repent and submit our selues to ameÌ„de And our diligence in workyng kepeth vs froÌ„ sinnyng agayne and minisheth the sinne that remaineth in the flesh maketh vs pure and lesse apte and disposed to sinne and it maketh vs mery in aduersities and strong in temptations and bold to go into God with a strong feruent sayth in our prayers and sure that we shal be heard wheÌ„ we cry for helpe at nede either for our selues or our brethren Now they that be negligent and sinne are brought in temptation vnto the point of desperation and feele the very paynes of hell so that they stand in doubt whether God hath cast them away or no. And in aduersitie they be sorowfull and discouraged and thinke that God is angry punisheth them for their sinnes When a child taketh payne to do hys father his pleasure and is sure that he shal haue thaÌ„ke a reward for his labour he is mery reioyseth in worke and paine that he suffreth and so is the aduersitie of them that keepe them selues from sinnyng But a child wheÌ„ he is beaten for his faute or wheÌ„ he thinketh his father is angry loueth hym not is anone desperate and discouraged so is the aduersitie of them that are weake and sinne oft A child that neuer displeaseth his father is bold in his fathers presence to speake for hym selfe or his frend But he that oft offeÌ„deth and is correct or chidde though the peace be made agayne yet the remembraunce of hys offences maketh him fearefull and to mistrust and to thinke hys father would not heare him so is the fayth of the weake that sinne oft But as for them that professe not a new liuyng how euer so much they dreame of faith they haue no faith at all for they haue no promise except they be conuerted to a new lyfe And therfore in aduersities temptation and death they vtterly dispayre of all mercy and perish And when thou prayest thou shalt not be like the hipocrites For they loue to stand and pray in the Sinagoges and in corners of the streates that they might be sene of men Verely I say vnto you they haue their reward Thou therfore when thou prayest goe into thy chamber and shut thy doore and pray to thy father whiche is in secret And thy father which seeth in secret shall reward the openly After almose foloweth prayer For as it is a Christen mans part to helpe his neighbour and to beare with hym when hee is ouer charged and suffer with him and â—o staÌ„d one by an other as long as we lyue here on this earth Euen so because we be euer in such perill combraunce that we caÌ„not rydde our selues out we must dayly hourely cry to God for aide succour as wel for our neighbours as for our selues To geue almose to pray to fast or to do any thing at all whether betwen thee and God or betwen thee and thy neighbour caÌ„st thou neuer do to please God therewith except thou haue the true knowledge of Gods word to season thy deedes with all For God hath put a rule in the Scripture without which thou caust not moue an heere of thyne head but that it is damnable in the sight of God
despised and haue translated the Scripture purely and with good consciēce submittyng them selues and desiryng them that can to amend their trāslation or if it please thē to trāslate it themselues after their best maner yea and let them sow to their gloses as many as they thinke they can make cleaue thereto and then put other mens translation out of the way Howbeit though God hath so wrought with them that a great part is translated yet as it is not inough that the father and the mother haue both begotten the child brought it into this world except they care for it and bryng it vp till it can helpe it selfe Euen so it is not inough to haue translated though it were y e whole Scripture into the vulgare common toung Except we also brought agayne the light to vnderstād it by and expell that darke cloude which the hypocrites haue spread ouer the face of y e scripture to blind the right sense and true meanyng thereof And therfore at their diuers introductions ordeyned for you to teach you the professiō of your Baptisme the onely light of the Scripture one vppon the Epistle of Paule to the Romains and an other called The pathway into the Scripture And for the same cause haue I taken in hand to interpret this Epistle of S. Iohn the Euangelist to edifie the lay mā and to teach him how to read the Scripture and what to seke therein that he may haue to aunswere the hypocrites and to stop theyr mouthes with all And first vnderstand that all the Epistles that the Apostles wrote are the Gospell of Christ though all that is the Gospell bee not an Epistle It is called a Gospell that is to say glad tydinges because it is an open preachyng of Christ and an Epistle because it is sent as a letter or a bill to them that are absent ¶ Here begynneth the first Epistle of S. Iohn Chapter 1. THat which was from the begynnynge declare wee vnto you which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes which we looked vppon and our handes haue handled of the worde of lyfe For the lyfe appeared and we haue sene and beare witnesse and shewe vnto you that euerlastynge lyfe which was with the father and appeared vnto vs. In that S. Iohn sayth The thyng which was from the begynnyng and the euerlastyng lyfe that was with the father he witnesseth that Christ is very God as he doth in the begynnyng of his Gospel saying The word or the thyng was at the begynnyng and the thyng was with God and that thyng was God and all thinges were made by it And whē he sayth which we heard saw with our eyes our hands handled hym he testifieth that Christ is very man also as he doth in the begynning of his Gospell saying The word or that thyng was made flesh that is became man And thus we haue in playne and opē wordes a manifest Article of our fayth that our Sauiour Christ is very God and very man Which Article who soeuer not onely beleueth but also beleueth in it the same is the sonne of God hath euerlasting lyfe in him shall neuer come into condemnation as it is written Iohn i. He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued in his name And Iohn iij. He that beleueth in the sonne hath euerlastyng life And a litle before in the sayd Chapter He that beleueth in hym shall not be condēned And to beleue in the wordes of this Article is y t eatyng of Christes flesh and drinkyng his bloud of which is spoken Iohn vj. The words which I speake are spirite and lyfe the flesh profiteth not at all meanyng of y e fleshly eatyng of his body and fleshly drinkyng of hys bloud There is therefore great difference betwene beleuing that there is a God and that Christ is God mā and to beleue in God and Christ God and man and in the promises of mercy that are in hym The first is cōmune to good and bad and vnto the deuils thereto and is called the fayth beleue of the hystory The secōd is proper vnto the sonnes of God is their lyfe as it is written The righteous liueth by fayth that is in puttyng hys trust confidēce and whole hope in the goodnes mercy and helpe of God in all aduersities bodely and ghostly and all temptations euen in sinne hell how depe so euer he be fallen therin But as he which feeleth not hys disease can long for no health euen so it is impossible for any man to beleue in Christs bloud except Moses haue had hym first in cure with his law haue robbed hym of his righteousnes and cōdemned him vnto euerlastyng death haue shewed hym vnder what dānation they are in by birth in Adā how all their deedes appeare they neuer so holy are yet but damnable sinne because they cā referre nothyng vnto the glory of God but seke thē selues theyr owne profite honour and glory So that repentaunce toward the law must go before this belefe and he which repenteth not but cōsenteth vnto the life of sinne hath no part in this fayth And when Iohn calleth Christ the euerlastyng life that was with the father hee signifieth that Christ is our lyfe as after in the Epistle and in the first also of his Gospel saying In him was lyfe For vntill we receaue lyfe of Christ by fayth we are dead and can be but dead as saith Iohn iij. He that beleueth not in the sonne can see no lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth vppon him Of which wrath we are heyres by byrth sayth Paule Ephe. ij Of whiche wrath we are ignoraunt vntil the law be published and walke quyetly after our lustes loue God wickedly that he should be content therwith mainteine vs therin cōtrary vnto his godly and righteous nature But assoone as the lawe whose nature is to vtter sinne Roma iij. and to set man at variaunce with God is preached thē we first awake out of our dreame and see our damnatiō and haue the law which is so contrary vnto our nature and grudge agaynst God therto as young children do agaynst their elders when they first commaūde and count God a cruell tyraūt because of his law in that he cōdemneth vs for that thyng which we can not loue nor of loue fulfill But when Christ is preached how that God for his sake receiueth vs to mercy forgiueth vs all that is past hencefoorth rekeneth not vnto vs our corrupt and poysoned nature taketh vs as his sonnes and putteth vs vnder grace and mercy promiseth that he will not iudge vs by the rigorousnes of the law but nourture vs with all mercy and patiēce as a father most mercyful Onely if we will submit our selues vnto his doctrine and learne to kepe his lawes Yea
vse of the Masse to ours and see whether the Masse be not become the most damnable Idolatrie image seruice that euer was in the world We neuer reconcile our selues vnto our brethren which we haue offended we receaue vnto our Masse open sinners the couetous the extorcioners the adulter the backbiter the common whore and the whore keper whiche haue no part in Christ by y t Scripture ye such are suffred to say the Masse as the vse is now to speake ye such are we coÌ„pelled with the sword to take for our pastors and Curates of our soules and not so hardy to rebuke them Neither do they repeut and confesse their sinnes and promise amendement or submit them selues to holesome iniunctioÌ„s for the aduoyding of such sinnes and tamyng of their flesh We say Confiteor and knowledge our selues to be sinners in Latin but neuer repent in English The Priest prayeth in Latin and saith euermore a still Masse as we say For though he sing and streine his throate to cry â—onde vnto them that be by him yet as long as no man woteth what he prayeth or whether he blesse or curse he is doute and spechles And so in that part we abide frutelesse and vntaught how to pray vnto God And the Gospell is song or sayd in Latine onely and no preachyng of repentauÌ„ce toward the law fayth toward Christ had And therfore abide we euer faythles and without studieng to ameÌ„d our liuinges And of the ceremonies of the Masse we haue no other imagination then that they be an holy seruice vnto God which he receaueth of our hands and hath great delectation in them and that we purchase great fauour of God with them as we do of great men here in the world with giftes and preseÌ„tes In so much that if y â— Priest sayd Masse without those vestimentes or left the other ceremonies vndone we should all quake for feare thinke that there were a sinne coÌ„mitted inough to sinke vs all and that the priest for his labour were worthy to be put in the Popes purgatory there to be brent to ashes And of the very Sacrament it selfe we know no other thyng then that we come thether to see an vnseable miracle which they affirme the aungels in heauen haue no power to do Sed solis Presbyteris quibus sic congruit vt sumaÌ„t nec dent caeteris how that bread is turned into the body and wine into the bloud of Christ to mocke our seyng sinellyng feelyng and tasting which is a very strong fayth and more a great deale I thinke then the text compelleth a man to Neuerthelesse it were somewhat yet if they had bene as lonyng kinde carefull and diligent to teach the people to repent and to beleue in the bloud of Christ for the forgeuenes of their sinnes vnto the glory of the mercy of God of his excedyng loue to vs and vnto the profite of our soules vpon that preachyng to haue ministred the Sacrament as a memoriall remembraunce signe token earnest the seale of an obligatioÌ„ and clappyng of handes together for the assuraunce of the promise of God to quiet stablish and certifie our conscieÌ„ces and to put vs out of all waueryng doubt that our sinnes were forgeuen vs and God become our father at one with vs for which cause onely Christ ordeined it as they were zelous and feruent to mainteine the opinion of so turning bread and wine into the body bloud of Christ that it ceaseth to be bread and wine in nature vnto their owne glory and profite without helpe of Scripture but with sutle Argumentes of sophistrie and with crafty wiles First with taking away halfe the sacrameÌ„t lest if the people should haue dronke the bloud of Christ they should haue smelled the sauour and felte the tast of wine and so haue bene to weake to beleue that there had bene no wine And secondarily when they durst not robbe the people of all the Sacrament they yet tooke away common bread and imagined maunchetes which may not be handled and in sight haue no similitude of bread and in eatyng very litle â—ast if there be any at all And thyrdly whom they could not catch with those craftes against him they disputed with the sword For when they had taken away the signification and very intent of the Sacrament to stablish the eare confession their merites deseruynges iustifieng of workes and like inueÌ„tion vnto their own glory and profit what had the SacrameÌ„t bene if they had not made of that opinion an article of the fayth But now when they haue destroyed for the nonce that fayth which profited and haue set vp with wiles sutiltie falsehead guile and with violeÌ„ce that fayth which profiteth not we haue good cause to iudge and examine the doctrine of the spirites whether it be grounded vpon Gods word or no. But I aske wherfore we beleue that Christes body and his bloud is there preseÌ„t verely as many heades as many wittes euery man hath his meaning We take paynes to come thether to see straunge holy gestures wherof say they to their shame who knoweth the meanyng ye or of the other disguising and to heare strauÌ„ge holy voyces wherof say I also that no man knoweth the vnderstanding and to looke vppon the Sacrament and all to obteine worldly thinges for that seruice Why may not a man desire worldly thinges of God Yes we ought to aske of God onely sufficiency of all worldly things as we do spirituall thinges yet not for bodily seruice when God is a spirite but for the goodnesse and mercy of our father and for the truth of his promise and deseruinges of his sonne And so when we do men bodily seruice we ought to looke for our wages of God lest if hee moue not the hartes of our masters we be shrewdly payed like wise when we lende or bargen we ought to desire God for payment lest through our negligence he forget vs the appointementes be not truly kept Some there be yet that aske heauen but for bodyly seruice whiche is lyke abhomination But who commeth thether with repentaunce and faith for to obtaine forgeuenesse of his sinnes and with purpose to walke in the life of penauÌ„ce for the taming of the flesh that he sinne no more and to stablish his hart in that purpose and to arme his soule agaynst all that moue to the contrary and wheÌ„ he goeth home is certified in hys coÌ„science through that signe and token that his sinnes are forgeuen him as Noe was certified by the signe of the rayne bow that the world should no more be ouerrunne with water and as Abraham was certified by the signe of CircumcisioÌ„ that God would fulfill to him and his ofspring all the mercies that he had promised and as Abraham Genesis xv when he asked a signe to be sure that he should possesse that land of Canaan was certified through the signe that God gaue
more when the Sacrament is sene with the eyes the bread broken the wine poured out or looked on and yet more when I tast it and smell it As ye see when a man maketh promise to an other with light wordes betwene them selues and as they departed hee to whom the promise is made beginneth to doubt whether the other spake earnestly or mocked and doubteth whether he will remember his promise to bide by it or not But when any man speaketh with aduisement and deliberation the wordes are thē more credible but yet if he sweare it confirmeth the thyng more and yet the more if he strake handes if he geue earnest if he call record if he geue his hād writing and seale it so is the promise more and more beleued for the hart gathereth Lo he spake with aduisement deliberation and good sadnes he clapped hands called recordes and put to his hand and seale the man cannot be so faynt without the feare of God as to deny all this Shame shall make him bide by his promise though he were such a man that I could not compell him if he would deny it If a young mā breake a ryng betwene him and a mayde doth not the fact testifie make a presumption to all men that his hart meant as his wordes spake Manoha Sampsones father when he had sene an aungell Iud. 13. he sayd to his wife we shal surely dye because we haue sene the Lord. But his wife gathered other comfort of the circumstaunces and sayd if the Lord would kill vs he would not haue receaued such offerings of our hands nor shewed vs such thynges as he hath nor told vs of thynges to come Euen so our harts gather of the circūstaunces protestatiōs and other miracles of God good argumentes and reasons to stablish our weake fayth with all such as we could not gather at bare woordes onely And this we dispute God sent his sonne in our nature made him feele all our infirmities that moue vs to sinne and named him Iesus that is to say Sauiour because he should saue his people from their sinnes Math. 1. And after his death he sent his Apostles to preach the thynges or tydynges and to thrust it in at the eares of vs set vp a Sacrament of it to testifie it to be a seale of it to thrust it in not at the eares onely by the rehearsing of the promises and Testament ouer it neither at our eyes onely in beholdynge it but beate it in through our feelyng tastyng and smelling also and to be repeated dayly to be ministred to vs. He would not thinke we make halfe so much a do with vs if he loued vs not or if he would not haue vs fayne come and be as mercyfull to vs as he was to his frēdes in the old tyme that fell and rose agayne God so then vsed the Iewes to whom all ceremonyes were first giuen and from whom they came to vs euen such fashions as they vsed among them selues in all his promises and couenauntes not for his necessitie but for ours that such thynges should be a witnes and testimonie betwene him and vs to cōfirme the fayth of his promise that we should not wauer nor doubt in them when we looke on the seales of his obligations wherwith he hath bound him selfe And to keepe the promises and couenauntes better in mynde and to make them the more deepe sinke in our hartes and to be more earnestly regarded and that we should aske what such thynges ment and why God cōmaunded them to be obserued that ignoraunce should not excuse if we know not what we ought to do beleue for naturall reason ought to teach vs that y t outward corporall bodily thyng can not helpe the spirituall soule and that GOD hath not delectation in such fantasie Now if we were diligent to search for the good will of God and would aske what such ceremonies meant It were impossible but then God which hath promised Math. 7. If we seeke we shal finde would send vs true interpreters of his signes or Sacramentes And he that beyng of a lawfull age obserueth a ceremonie and knoweth not the entent to him is the ceremonie not onely vnprofitable but also hurtfull and cause of sinne In that he is not carefull and diligent to search for it and he there obserueth them with a false fayth of his owne imagination thinking as all Idolaters do and euer haue done that the outward woorke is a sacrifice and seruice to God The same therfore sinneth yet more deeper and more damnable Neither is Idolatrie any other thyng then to beleue that a visible ceremonie is a seruice to the inuisible God whose seruice is spirituall as he is a spirite and is none other thyng then to know that all is of hym and to trust in hym onely for all thynges and to loue him for his great goodnes and mercy aboue all and our neighbours as our selues for his sake vnto which spirituall seruyng of God and to leade vs to the same the old ceremonies were ordeined These be now sufficient concernyng the entent and vse of the ceremonies how they came vp Now let vs consider the wordes of this Testament and promises as they be rehearsed of the three Euangelistes Mathew Marke and Luke of the Apostle Paule For Iohn whiche wrote last touched nothyng that was sufficiently declared of other Math in the 26. thus sayth when they were eatyng Iesus tooke bread gaue thankes and brake and gaue hys Disciples and sayd take eate this is my body And he tooke the cup and thanked and gaue it them saying Drinke ye all of this for this is my bloud whiche is of the new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes First ye see by these wordes that the body was giuen to death and the bloud shed for the remiūiō of sinnes and that for many But who are these many Verely they that turne to GOD to beleue in hym onely and to endeuour them selues to keepe his law from hence forth Which many yet in respect of thē that loue not the law are but very few and euen that little flocke that gaue them selues wholy to follow Christ wherfore if any man thinke hee beleue in Christ and haue not the law written in his hart to consent that his dutie is to loue hys brother for Christ sake as Christ loued him and to endeuour him selfe so to do The fayth of that same man is vayne and built vppon sand of of his own imagination and not vpon the rocke of Gods word for his worde vnto which he hath bound himselfe is that they onely which turne to God to keepe his lawes shall haue mercy for Christes sake Drinke of it all for it is my bloud of the new Testament for it is that is to say the drinke that is in the cup or if ye list the cup
where one I pray ye but also done by the commoÌ„ course of nature here in earth If they be done by the common course of nature so be they no miracles And some thynges made also by mans hand As one face beholded in diuers glasses and euery peece of one glasse broken into twenty c. Lorde how this pontiâ—icall Poete playeth his part Bicause as he saith we see many faces in many glasses therefore may one body be in many places as though euery shadow and similitude representing the body were a bodely substauÌ„ce But I aske More when hee seeth hys owne face in so many glasses whether all those faces that appeare in the glasses be his owne very faces hauing bodely substaunce skynne fleshe bone as hath that face which hath his very mouth nose eyen c. wherewith he faceth vs out the truth thus falsely with lyes And if they be all his very faces then in very deede there is one body in many places and he him selfe beareth as many faces in one hode But accordyng to his purpose eueÌ„ as they be no very faces nor those so many voyces sownes and similitudes multiplied in the ayre betwene the glasses or other obiect the body as the Philosopher proueth by naturall reason be no very bodyes no more is it Christes very body as they would make thee beleue in the bread in so many places at once But the bread broken and eaten in the Supper monisheth and putteth vs in remembraunce of his death and so exciteth vs to thankes giuyng to lande and prayse for the benefite of our redemption and thus wee there haue Christ present in the inward eye and sight of our fayth We eate his body and drinke hys bloud that is we beleue surely that hys bodye was crucified for our sinnes and hys bloud shed for our saluation At last note Christen reader that M. More in the third booke of his confutation of Tyndall the. CCxlix side to proue S. Iohns Gospell vnperfit and insufficient for leauing out of so necessary a point of our faith as he calleth the last Supper of Christ his MauÌ„dy sayth that Iohn speake nothyng at all of this SacrameÌ„t And now see againe in these his letters agaynst Frith how him selfe bringeth in Iohn the vj. chap. to impugne Frithes writyng and to make all for the Sacrament eueÌ„ thus My flesh is verely meate my bloud drinke Belike the man had there ouer shotte hym selfe foule the young man here causing him to put on his spectacles and poore better and more wisely with his old eyen vpoÌ„ S. Iohns Gospel to finde that thing there now written which before he would haue made one of his vnwritten verities As yet if he looke narowly hee shall espy that him self hath proued vs by Scripture in the xxxvij leafe of his Dialogue of quoth he and quoth I our Ladies perpetuall virginitie expoundyng non cogâ—osco id est non cognoscam whiche now written vnwritten veritie hee numbereth a litle before among his vnwritteÌ„ vanities Thus may ye see how this old holy vpholder of the popes church hys woordes fight agaynst him selfe into his own confusion in findyng vs forth his vnwritten written vanities verities I should say But returne we vnto the exposition of S. Iohn When the Iewes would not vnderstand the spirituall saying of the eating of Christes flesh and drinkyng of hys bloud so oft and so playnely declared he gaue them a strong stripe and made them more blynd for they so deserued it such are the secrete iudgementes of God addyng vnto all hys sayinges thus who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him These wordes were spoken vnto these vnbeleuers into their farther obstinatioÌ„ but vnto the faithfull for theyr better instruction Now gather of this the contrary say who so eateth not my fleshe and drinketh not my bloud abydeth not in me nor I in him and ioyne this to the foresayd sentence Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of maÌ„ drinke hys bloud ye haue no lyfe in you let it neuer fal froÌ„ thy minde Christen reader that faith is the lyfe of the righteous and that Christ is this lyuyng bread whom thou eatest that is to say in whoÌ„ thou beleuest For if our Papistes take eatyng drinkyng here bodely as to eate the naturall body of Christ vnder the forme of bread and to drinke hys bloud vnder the forme of wyne theÌ„ must all young children that neuer came to Gods borde departed all laye men that neuer drancke hys bloud be damned By loue we abyde in God and hee in vs loue foloweth faith in the order of our vnderstanding and not in order of succession of tyme if thou lookest vpon the selfe giftes and not on their fruites So that principally by faith wherby we cleaue to Gods goodnes and mercy we abide in God and God in vs as declare his wordes folowyng saying as the liuyng father sent me so liue I by my father And euen so he that eateth me shall lyue bycause of me or for my sake My father sent me whose will in all thinges I obey for I am his sonne And euen soverely must they that eate me that is beleue in me forme and fashion them after my exaÌ„ple mortifying their flesh chaunging their liuing or els they eate me in vayne and dissemble theyr belief For I am not come to redeme y t world onely but also to chaunge theyr lyfe They therefore that beleue in me shall traÌ„sforme their life after my example doctrine not after any mans traditioÌ„s This is the bread y t came froÌ„ heaueÌ„ as the effect it selfe declareth whoÌ„ who so eateth shall lyue euer But he y t eateth bodely bread lyueth not euer as ye may see of your fathers y t eate MaÌ„na yet are they dead It is not therfore any materiall bread nor bodely foode that may geue you life eternall These wordes did not onely offende them that hated Christ but also some of hys Disciples They were offended sayd the text and not merueyled as More trifleth out the truth which said This is an hard saying who may here this These Disciples yet stoke no lesse in Christes visible fleshe and in the barke of his wordes then did the other Iewes and as doth now More beleuing him to haue had spoken of his naturall body to be eaten with their teth Which offence Christ seyng sayd doth this offend you what then will ye say if ye see the sonne of maÌ„ ascend thether where he was before If it offend you to eate my flesh while I am here it shal much more offend you to eate it when my body shal be gone out of your sight ascended into heauen there sittyng on the right hand of my father vntill I come again as I weÌ„t that is to iudgement Here might Christ haue instructed his disciples in the truth of the
towardes God 22. b. of ignoraunce 277. a Fulnes of all goodnes Christ 424. a Fulfillyng the law what 240. b. obtayned by fayth 44. b Foundations of man feeble 92. a Foundation of loue 416. a. of the old Testament 9. b. of Abbeyes and Purgatory 309. a Fury of the Popish Clergy 93. a G. GAine ioyned with payne easeth the same 361. a Gainefull Gospell loued of shaue lynges 406. b Geldyng of Priestes 317. b Generation of two sortes 415. b Generation of Serpentes 340. b George Ioy writeth to the kyng for licence to traÌ„slate the Bible 454. b Gildas 28. a. a preacher and a Prophet 101. a Gift what it is 42. a Giftes of grace our brothers aswell as ours 384. b Giltles nede no pardon 318. b Glory 200. b Glorious names of the Popes Clergy their estimation 140. b Gloses 200. a. Pharisaicall 264. b God described 431. a. what he is 104 a spirite 294 b. inuisible 417. a. what he requireth 26. a. onely to be beleued 22. b. geueth all thyngs 24. b. alwayes most gracious 119. b. defendeth his doctrine hym selfe 97. a. teacheth vs if man wil not 103. b. seeketh vs. 294. a. pardoneth vs of his mercy 74. b. draweth vs to Christ 458. a. heareth prayer at all tymes 20. b. receiueth the humble 85. b. worketh by grace in vs before repentauÌ„ce come 321. b. biddeth vs be bold with hym 297. b. rewardeth all obedience 110. a. mercyfull to the ignoraunt 377. a. forgeueth our frailty 293. b. reserueth a litle flocke 298. a. what worke he requireth 457. a. maketh vs blessed in Christ 90. b God is light 392. a. the chief Phisitian 297. a. can not lye 170. b. in whom dwellyng 417. b. how rightly serued 86. a. how truly worshypped 180. a. whoÌ„ he receiueth 101. a God who he will plague 35. b. poureth vengeaunce vpon the vnrepeÌ„taunt 28. a. aduengeth his doctrine 106. b. aduengeth disobedience 107 b. and 110. a. plagueth hys enemies and helpeth his seruauÌ„tes 7. b. will not be tempted 171. a God forbyddeth Images 8. b. lyke him selfe euery where 282. a God who he reiecteth 25. a. taketh away the wicked 111. a. warneth before he strike 105. a. destroyeth one wicked by an other 110. b. punisher of secret sinnes the kyng of open 122. b God worketh backward 98. a. no lyer 462. a God worketh vppon all creatures as he will 80. b. respecteth not persoÌ„s 122. a. a iust iudge ouer kyng all degrees 142. a. onely taketh vengeaunce on the kyng 111. a. how he is at one with vs. 72. b. burdened with his promises 4. b God sometymes weakeneth his elect and why 101. a. scourgeth whom he loueth 8. a and 186. a. trieth hys childrens fayth 98. a. is fatherly to his elect 293. b. kepeth a litle flocke 268. a God first loued vs. 88. b. and 333. b. fighteth for vs. 98. b. receiueth vs for Christes sake 42. a. worketh in vs by faith 415. b. loueth vs not for our works sake 162. b. to vs as we shuld be to our neighbour 73. b. stroÌ„ger theÌ„ all his enemyes 98. a. defeÌ„der of all estates 341. b. pardoÌ„neth all simple for Christes sake 346. a God in the name of Iesus must be called vpon in all aduersities 425. b. reioyceth in an acceptable receiuer asmuch as in a liberall geuer 244. b Gods will is we shoulde doe good workes 75. a Gods childreÌ„ cannot sinne 423. b. his loue howe to be vnderstode in vs. 89. a. his promise reacheth to all Abrahams posterity 437. b. his promises are all comfort 100. a. his fauour at what tyme from vs. 34. b. his two Testamentes 9. b Gods spirite 392. a. where it is 41. a his word may not be altered 23. a. his gentle correctioÌ„ 287. b. his children vnder chastising 100. a. hys forgiuenes 395. a. his goodnes to mankynd 234. a. his glory set forth by true miracles 475. a. his kyndnes moueth vs to loue hym 67. b. his mercy styrreth vp fayth in vs. 45. a. his generall couenaunt with vs. 33. b. his word pith of all goodnes 290 â—a not the cause of euill 105. b. ought to iudge 14. a. how to vnderstand the same 142. a. must season all thynges 121. b. must be heard and done 75. a Gods spirite hath spoken the Scriptures 80. a. his truth worketh woÌ„ders 97. b. fighteth for vs. 98. a Gods grace must be exercised in vs. 68. a. his Sacramentes preach his promises 162. a. his promise saueth vs. 52. a. his mercy saueth vs. 45. a. his mercy toward the penitent 22. a Gods promises iustifie 51. b. his promises in Christ belong onely to the penitent 31. a. his will sought out onely of a true Christian 102. a Gods worde sighteth agaynst hypocrites 97. b. persecuted 97. a. hys Churche called heretickes 291. a. his true church who are 268. a. his true seruice 217. a Gods workes supernatural 21. b. his omnipotency not to curiously to be dealt withall 462. b. his presence in all places alike 287. a. his wonderfull care for his 164. a Goods 212. b Good woorkes where 78. a. where true fayth is 45. b. and 55. b Good woorkes how farre forth they please God 54. a. significations of true fayth 44. b. fruites of fayth 45. b Good men may erre and not be damned 300. a Goodnes must be shewed to euill persons 71. a Gospel 36. b. 387. a. what it signifieth 127. a. comforteth 77. b. promised by the Prophetes 378. a. a true touchstone 3. a. the ministration of of righteousnes 62. a. why writteÌ„ of the Apostles 288. b Gospell and the Popes doctrine differ 475. b. slaundered by Papistes 320. b Gothes 351. b Gouernement of Gods Ministers 344. a Goyng to law 212. b Grace what 157. b. how to be vnderstode 42. a Grace truth come through Christ 199. b. receiued onely by fayth 45. b. continueth by keepyng the law 185. b Grammarians vnderstand not Latin 268. b Grecians 303. a. refuse the Popes tyranny 347. b Gregory 325. b Gregory the fifth ibidem Greuous sinne not rebuked 426. b Grosse worshyppyng of God 424. b H. HAm and the Pope like 170. a Handy craftes commaunded by God 244. a Hatred 204. a. and 404. a Hart must ioyne with prayer 239. a. worshyppeth God 284. a Hart of man Gods true temple 87. b Hart containeth the word of the law and Christes promises 31. b Headynes â—90 b Heathen repent at Ionas preachyng 30. b. moued by miracles to know God 27. a Hearyng the word causeth repeÌ„tance 321. b Hearyng Gods worde prouoked by true miracles 284. a Heauen commeth by Christ 112. b Heires of God by sayth 257. b Helizeus 281. b Helpe commeth al from aboue 433. a Helpe towarde our neighbour must be in a readynes 78. b Hell foloweth euill workes as good workes folow fayth 70. a Henry the second 190. a Henry the fourth set vp 28. b Henry the fifth 28. b. a great conquerour 366. a Henry the vi 28. b. and 366. b Heresie
be we come vnto the seueÌ„th reason which is in the. xiiij chap. The argumeÌ„t is this God is the very owner of all and thy neighbour hath no propertie but as a seruauÌ„t to God as but to make accompt to God Therfore when thou doest an offence to God and to thy neyghbour wheÌ„ God forgeueth it thou nedest no other satisfactioÌ„ vnto thy neighbour And to stablish his reasoÌ„ hée bringeth in a stmilitude which is nothing to y e purpose The similitude is this I put case thou haue a seruaunt whom thou puttest in trust to occupy for thee to make bargaynes chaunge and sell to thy vse to take bondes and agayn to make acquitaunces and releases in hys own name If this seruaunt sell part of thy ware and take an obligation for the payment of xx pounde if thou afterward knowyng of this either for loue or some other cause wilt make vnto the sayd debtour a cleare release I suppose no maÌ„ will deny but that this debtour is fully discharged of this xx pounde and is not bounde by any iustice to make any satisfaction either vnto thy seruaunt or to any other man For thou art the very owner therof and thy seruaunt had but the occupation as to geue the accoumptes therof This similitude can not well be applyed vnto God man For albeit it is true that all our substaunce pertaineth vnto God as it is writteÌ„ Agge ij Gold is myne and siluer is myne yet hath not God geuen it vs to occupy it for his profite and vse as the seruaunt doth for his master but onely that we should vse his giftes for y e profite of our neighbour and to y e vse of the coÌ„gregation i. Cor. xij And where as he induceth that when God forgeueth vs whiche is the principall part y t thou néedest no other satisfaction to â—hy neighbour I aunswere that God forgeueth no maÌ„ which had offended his neighbour vnlesse that he make satisfaction vnto his neighbour if he be able but if he be not able yet is he bound to knowledge his faulte vnto his neighbour and then is hys neighbour bound vnder the payne of damnatioÌ„ to forgeue him so that God neuer forgeueth vntyll thy neyghbour be pacified in case the cryme extende vnto thy neighbour This soluteth â—oth the reason and also improueth the similitude Now let vs declare his solution God of him selfe hath two powers One is an absolute power and an other is an ordinary power The absolute power is the authoritie that God hath ouer all thing in the world by that he may geue to euery creature what pleaseth him and also forgeue euery offence done by any creature at his pleasure without any cause And by this may he forgeue both the crime done towardes him selfe and also towards my neighbour But by his ordinary power hee doth euery thyng by order of iustice and equitie And by this can he not forgeue the offence done to him and my neyghbour without satisfaction Now would I fayne wete whether Rastel imagine y e God by his absolute power may saue y e vnfaithful daÌ„ne the faithfull If he say nay then may I coÌ„clude y e Rastels diffinition is false where he saith that god by his absolute power may geue to euery creature what pleaseth him and also forgeue euery offence done by any creature at his pleasure without any cause If he say yea theÌ„ must I coÌ„clude that God hath power to do contrary to hys Scripture for the Scripture saith that he that beleueth and is Baptized shal be saued but â—e that beleueth not shal be condemned Mark xvi Now if he graunt me that he hath power to do against his scripture â—â—th his Scripture is the truth his own word then must it néedes folow y e he hath power to doe agaynst his truth consequeÌ„tly he hath power to be false and so to sinne And sith â—â—th hee hath power agaynste hys owne word and that word is his sonne theÌ„ must we graunt hym power agaynst hys sonne euen to make hym a lyer where he sayth in the foresayd texte Mark xvi And sith hys sonne is God then hath God power to doe agaynst God and so can not his kingdome indure Math. xij Furthermore if I might be bold w t Rastel I wold aske him this questioÌ„ whether God haue not an absolute iustice as well as an absolute power If God haue also an absolute iustiee then can not his absolute power preuayle vntil his absolute iustice be fully counterpesed And so is it false that Rastell begynneth withall that God by his absolute power may forgeue euery offence at his pleasure without any cause For as I sayd his absolute iustice must néedes be satisfied fully counterpesed If Rastell dare say that God hath an absolute power and no absolute iustice then taketh he his pleasure in déede For if he make one Nocionall in God greater then an other by this word Nocionall which y e Scholemen vse I would you should vnderstand the goodnes wisedome power iustice and mercy of God c. then shall he make a dissentioÌ„ in God and imagine that one Nocionall subdueth an other yea and besides that sith eche one of these Nocionals is very God for the power of God is nothyng but God hym selfe and the iustice of God is nothyng but God hym selfe so forth of all the other then if his power were greater then his iustice it shuld folow y e God were greater theÌ„ God consequeÌ„tly we should haue a great God and a litle God and moe Gods then one such reuell maketh Rastel with his Turke But the Christen beleue that one power of God is no greater then an other and that hys power is not aboue hys iustice neither hys iustice aboue hys mercy c. And so may you sée that Rastels imagination of Gods absolute power is but very childish and vnsauery For he hath no power agaynst his Scripture and hym selfe Thus finish his seuen reasons with their solutions But yet that his worke should loÌ„g indure all tempestes and stormes he addeth a batelment and weather stone to auoyde and shote of the rayne for feare it should soke in and make his buildyng decay And ther with concludeth his booke To beleue sayth hee that there were no Purgatory to purge and punish our sinnes after we be departed should put away that drede of God from the most part of the people and geue them boldnes to commit offences and sinnes And agayne if the people should beleue that they neuer neede to make any satisfaction nor restitution to their neighbours for the wronges done vnto them they should neuer force nor care what iniuries extortions theftes robberies and murthers they did Finally if they beleued that such a light repeÌ„taunce should be sufficient without any other satisfaction to be made it should be an occasion to destroy all
no place euen so is he not addict to any age or person but enspyreth where he will when he will and bring in for an example that he enspyred yong Timothy prouing thereby that the youth of it selfe is not to be despised but according to the learning which it bringeth and that therfore they may not despise my youth but first read what doctrine I bring and therafter to iudge it No more in this I proue not that I am enspyred and haue the spirite of God as Timothie had but onely proue that God may enspyre youth as he did Tymothe and that therefore ye ought first to read before you condemne for you know not who is enspyred and who not vntill you haue read theyr workes or séene theyr factes Thus you may sée that my wordes define not that all youth is enspired although some may be but I exhort that no man despise prophesies but proue all and approue that is good And to make the matter more playne I shall bring you an example out of Paule to the Hebrues which exhorteth them to hospitalitie for by that some men vnwares haue receaued Angels to harbour be not therefore vnmindfull of it Here Paule exhorteth you to hospitalitie and shewing you that by those meanes some men haue receaued angels into their house he would not haue you thinke y t all the gestes that you shall receaue shall be angels but some shall be leud losels And likewise I in exhorting you to read my booke and not despising my youth because that sometime God enspireth the yong would not haue you thinke that the bookes made of yong men which ye shall receaue shall be holesome doctrine but some men be lewd and vnfruitfull neuerthelesse euen as if they receaued not those gests they should also put away angels if any came So if you despise to read such bookes as be written by young men you may also fortune to despise them which are written by the inspiration of Christes spirit and therefore ye ought to read But be it in case I had indéed praised my selfe as I haue not and that I had sayd that I had the Spirite of God what inconuenience should folow thereof would you therof argue that my doctrine were false If that were a good argument then were Christes Doctrine false then were Paule a false prophet and our fayth nothing for Christ said to the Iewes that he was the light of the worlde And againe he sayd It is my Father that glorified me whome ye call your God Now if it had bene a sufficient argument to condemne hys doctrine because the world calleth it boasting thē should we haue beleued no truth at all Besides that Paul séemeth not a little to boast him selfe if men looke on it with a carnall eye for he sayth that he thincketh not him selfe inferiour vnto y t hyest Apostles and sayth againe that if they glory to be the ministers of Christ though he speake vnwisely he is more copious in labours in stripes aboue measure in prison more often often at the poynt of death c. Should we for these words thinke that his doctrine were not right Nayverely that doth not improue the doctrine but that it may be good holesome for a man may boast him selfe do well so he referre y t prayse to God from whom all goodnes commeth but be it in case that I should say that God of hys mere mercy and for the loue that he oweth me in Christ and hys bloud had geuen me hys spirite that I might be to his laude prayse to whom be thankes for euer Amen would you thinke that this were so greate a boastyng that the doctrine should be impayred therby Ah blinde guides I pray God geue you the light of vnderstandyng I beseche you brother Rastell be not discōtent with me if I aske you one question be ye a Christen man or no I am sure you will aunswere yes then if I brought you the text of Paule which sayth he that hath not y t spirite of God is none of his I pray you how will you auoyde it notwithstādyng if you wold auoyde y t text yet will I lay an other blocke in the way that you shal not be able to remoue and that is the saying of Paule 2. Corin. 13. Know ye not your selues that Christ is in you except ye be reprobate persons now how soeuer you would iudge of your selues I thinke verely that I am no such therfore whereas before I dyd not so write Now I certifie you that I am Christes cōclude what ye wil the day shall come that you shall surely know that so it is albeit in meane season I be reputed a laughyng stoke in this world for I know in whom I trust and he can not deceaue me Then bryngeth he against me that I say we haue bene long secluded frō the Scripture and also that our fore fathers haue not had y t light of Gods word opened vnto them I maruell what Rastell meaneth by bryngyng this for his purpose for I thinke it no boastyng of my selfe but if ye thinke that it be vntrue I thinke he is very blynde For what Scripture hath the poore commons bene admitted vnto euen til this day It hath bene hid and locked vp in a straunge tounge and from them that haue attayned the knowledge of that toung hath it bene locked with a thousand false gloses of Antichristes makyng and innumerable lawes And where I say our forefathers haue not had the light of Gods worde opened vnto them I meane that they haue not the Scripture in their owne mother toung that they might haue conferred these iugglyng mistes with the light of Gods word as the processe of my wordes can testifie which he hath holy left out but I besech the Christē reader once to read the place for my discharge and his confusion ye shall finde it in the secōd leafe of my booke And now he alledgeth agaynst me that I should say this iudge Christen reader what reasons Rastell hath brought and how he hath soluted thē for in my minde both his reasons and solutions are so childish and vnsauery so vnlearned and baren so full of faultes and phantasies that I rather pitie the mans déepe ignoraunce and blyndnes which hath so deceiued him selfe through Philosophie and naturall reason then I feare that he by his vayne probations should allure any man to consent vnto hym I thinke Rastell layeth not this agaynst me because I boast my selfe in these wordes And verely as touchyng the truth of those woordes I will adde thus much more vnto thē that I neuer wyst man y t was coūted wise whiche hath brought so slender reasons except he entended to destroy a thing which ye séeme to haue build And finally where as I exhorte all men to iudge and conferre the Scriptures which Syr Thomas
Lorde of Rochester and all his scholers glory vnto this same day But let vs sée how S. Augustine aunswereth them The Pelagians sayth hée thinke that they know a wōderous thing when they say God will not commaunde that thyng the whiche hée knoweth is impossible for man to doe Euery mā knoweth this but therfore doth hée commaunde certeine thyngs that we can not doe because we might know what thyng we ought to aske of him Fayth is shée which by prayer obtaineth that thyng that the law commaundeth Briefely hée that sayeth If thou wilt thou mayest kéepe my commaūdementes In the same booke a litle after sayth Hée shall geue me kéeping in my mouth Playne it is that we may kéepe the commaundementes if we will but because our will is prepared of God of him it must bée asked that we may so much wil as wil suffice vs to doe thē Truth it is that we will whē we will but hée maketh vs to will that thyng that is good c. Here haue you playne that my Lord of Rochesters opinion and the Pelagiās is all one for they both doe agrée that the commaundementes of God bée not impossible to our natural strength But S. Augustine sayth they bée impossible And therefore bée they geuen that we should know our weakednes also aske strēgth to fulfill them For faith by prayer doth obteine strength to fulfil the impossible commaundementes of the law Here haue you also that God moueth vs and causeth vs to bée good willers geueth vs a good will for els we wold neuer will but euill Here is also to bée noted that y t Pelagians our Duns mē agrée all in one for they both say that y e grace of God doth helpe mās good purpose so that man doth first intende purpose well And as Duns sayth disposeth hym selfe by attriciō to receiue grace thē God doth helpeth hym But the truth is contrary for there is no good purpose in man no good disposition nor good intent but all is agaynst goodnes cleane cōtrary against all thing that agréeth with grace vntill that God of hys méere mercy commeth geueth grace chaungeth a mās will vnto grace and geueth hym will to will goodnes yea and that when hée thought nothing of goodnes but doth clearely resist all goodnes This doth S. Augustine proue in these wordes The Pelagians say y t they graunt how that grace doth help euery mans good purpose but not y ◠hée geueth the loue of vertue to hym that striueth agaynst it This thyng doe they say as though man of hym selfe without the helpe of God hath a good purpose and a good mynde vnto vertue by the whiche merite procedyng afore hée is worthy to bée holpen of the grace of God that foloweth after Doubtles that grace that foloweth doth helpe the good purpose of man but the good purpose should neuer haue beene if grace had not preceded And though that y t good study of man when it begynneth is holpen of grace yet dyd it neuer begyn without grace c. Here it is open that the Pelagiās graunt as much of grace as my Lord of Rochester doth and all his Duns men whiche learneth that man may haue a good purpose bonum studium and a good mynde a loue to grace of his owne naturall strēgth The Pelagians graunt euen the same But here you sée how Saint Augustine is cleare agaynst them But now let vs here M. Duns wordes A sinner may by the naturall and by the commō influence of God consider his sinnes as a thyng that hath offended God as a thing cōtrary to the law of God and letteth hym from reward bringeth hym to payne by this meanes may hée hate and abhore his sinne this calleth hée attriciō wherby there is a disposition sayth hée or a merite in a man of congruence to take away mortal sinne and this attrition is sufficient for a man that shall receiue the Sacramentes quod non ponat obicem that is that hée haue no mortall sinne actually in his will this is sufficient and also a necessary way to receiue grace c. This is ten tymes worse then the Pelagians sayinges for they graunt that man must néedes haue a speciall grace to performe his good purpose And M. Duns sayth that man may performe his attrition of his naturall power yea and this attrition of congruence is a disposition to take away mortall sinne without any speciall grace I pray you M. Duns of what congruence is it ▪ What hath attrition deserued that mortall sinne should bée taken awaye for his pleasure what hath hée deserued that grace must folow hym Infidels may haue this attrition for you graunt that it cōmeth of naturall strength and yet shall it not folowe of congruence that they inust receiue grace and also remissiō of their sinnes Also had not Iudas this attrition when hée sayd I haue sinned and was sory for his sinne also repēted him and knew well that hée had offended God and also deserued payne and was no more willyng I thinke so to doe and had all y t properties that belongeth to your attrition and yet sée how hée dyd deserue of congruence grace and remission of his sinnes Yea dyd not this attritiō bryng hym to extreme desperation Howe can a man without a speciall grace abhorre his sinne It is not possible but hée must loue sinne so longe as hée is the enemy of God yea hée woulde there were no God to punishe sinne such a pleasure hath hée vnto sinne This is the nature of our hartes and that doth euery one of vs féele though these men teacheth the contrary but I say to them the words of the Prophete redite ad cor preuaricatores grope in your bosomes there finde you the mortal enemy of God which neither careth for Gods displeasure nor yet for his sinne And you say that hée may haue a good attritiō of his naturall strēgth and if this attrition bée good then may hée doe good before grace so that we shall gather grapes of thornes and figges of briers But what sayth S. Paule to your good attrition He sayth that all thing without fayth is nothyng Is not this man a fleshly man and hath nothyng of the spirit of God for by your own learnyng hée hath but the commō influence and yet shall hée bée sory that hée hath offended God Shall hée abhorre his sinne Shall hée depose hym selfe of congruence to grace S. Paul sayth The flesh lusteth cōtrary to the spirite and the workes of the fleshe bée aduoultry fornication vnclennes idolatry witchcraft hatred wrath zeale sedition enuying with such other I pray you how doe these workes agrée with your attrition Call you this abhorryng of sinne Call you this heauines for offēdyng God Bée these good dispositions Bee these our good preparatiōs vnto God Thinke you that these workes doe deserue of congruence
there bée a playner example what meaneth Paule in these words when they weare neyther borne nor had done neyther good nor bad but that the election of God myght stand Doth hée not clearely take away all manner of merites both de congruo also de condigno and declare the wyll of God to bée the cause onely But heare will subtyll blyndnes say that God sawe béefore that Iacob should doe good and therefore dyd hée chuse hym Hée sawe also that Esau should doe no good and therefore hée repelled hym Alas for blindenes what will you iudge of that that God saw How know we that God sawe that And if hée sawe it yet how know we that that was the cause of Iacobs election These children bée vnborne and they haue done neyther good nor bad and yet one of them is chosen the other is refused S. Paule knoweth none other cause but the will of God and will you discuse an other And where you say that God did sée afore that one of them should doe good I praye you what was the cause or whereby saw hée that hée should doe good you must néedes say by that that hée would geue hym his grace Ergo the will of God is yet the cause of election for because y e God would geue hym his grace Therefore God saw that hée should doe good and so should also y e other haue done if God woulde haue geuen hym that same grace Wherefore you gyauntes that will subdue heauen and earth leaue your searching of this cause and bée content with the will of God doubt not but the will of God is as righteous and as lawfull a cause as your merites can bée And doubt you not but S. Paule that toke so great labours in this matter dyd sée as farre in mans deseruing as we can doe yet hée concluded with these wordes of scriptures I will shew mercy to whom I shew mercy I will haue cōpassion of whom I haue compassion So lyeth it not in mans will or cunnyng but in the mercy of God Hée sayth not I will haue mercy on hym that I sée shall doe good but I will shew mercy to whom I wil. Hée saith not I will haue compassion of hym y ◠shall deserue it de congruo But of him of whom I will haue cōpassion This doth S. Augustine well proue in these words The disputatiō of thē is vain y ◠which doe defend y e presēce of God agaynst the grace of God and therfore say that we were chosen afore y e making of the world because y e God knew afore that we should bée good not béecause hee should make vs good But hée that sayth You haue not chosen mée sayth not that For if hée dyd therefore chose vs béecause that hée knew before that wée should bée good thē must hee also knowe béefore that wée should fyrst haue chosen hym c. Here is it playne that the election of God is not because hée sawe afore that we should doe well but all onely the cause of election is his mere mercy and the cause of our doing well is his election And therefore S. Paule sayth not of workes but of callynge Now goe to you subtill Duns men with all your carnall reasons search out a cause of his secrete will If you dyd beléeue that hée were good righteous and mercyfull it were a great comfort for you that the electiō stoode all onely by hys will for so were you sure that it should bée both righteously done and mercifully but you haue no fayth therfore must you nedes mystrust God and of that fall you to inuent causes of election of your own strength As one should say béecause God will not of his righteousnes or of his mercy choose vs we will be sure that we shall bée elected For fyrst will we inuent that the election commeth of deseruyng and then will we also dreame certayne workes that shall thereunto bée appoynted of vs and those will we doe at our pleasure so that the election and reprobacion shall stande all in your hands let God doe what that pleaseth him But now béecause there bée certayne open places of scripture that geue onely the cause to God all onely of election also of reprobation therefore are these men sore troubled and can not tell no other remedy but all onely to studye how they may wring wrest the open scriptures to the fortifiing of their errour and to the satisfyinge of their carnall reason so that where the holy Ghost sayth I will obdurate the hart of Pharao they will take vpon them to learne and to teach the holy Ghost to speake better and to say of this maner I will suffer Pharao to bée indurated but I will not doe it but my easynes my softnes whereby that I shall suffer him shall bring other men to repentaunce but Pharo shal it make more obstinate in malice So that God doth indurate as you say when hée doth not chastice a synner but sheweth softnes and easynes and sufferaunce to hym Hée is mercifull when hée doth call a sinner to repentaunce by affiction and scourging So that induration after your exposition is nothing els but for to suffer euyll by softnes and by goodnes To haue mercy is nothing els but to correcte to scourge and to punyshe men for their synnes This is the exposition of induration after S. Hierome and after your common glose S. Hieromes wordes bée these God doth indurate when hée doth not by and by castigate a synner Hée hath mercy when hée doth call a synner by and by vnto repentāce by afflictions c. This is auctoritie inough as you thinke what shoulde you search any farther Dyd not these men vnderstand scripture Is not this exposition playne This taketh away all inconueniēces By this exposition God is not the auctor of euell This is a clarkely exposition Briefly this this must néedes bee the true expositiō Wherfore it weare better for you to erre with S. Hierome and with our oulde schoolemen then for to say true with these newe heretykes so call you all them that will reproue oulde errours Now haue you well defended the matter Now is your cause well proued Now must the holy Ghost chang his wordes For hée hath new schoolemaysters And wheare hée was wont to say I haue hardened Pharos hart Now must hée say Pharao hath hardened hym selfe by my softnes and by my easines but I haue not done it But yet I pray you how woulde you satisfie a weake conscience that stickes faste to the worde of God and reckeneth that the holy Ghost knoweth well what hée shal speake and wil speake nothing without a great cause but that that hée speaketh shall bée so well spoken that you can not amende it How thynke you is it sufficient to say to this poore man S. Hierome and all schoole men say so holde thou thy peace
hée but by me bée not all saintes all your fayned mediatours with merites all other thinges cleane excluded in this word but wherfore it is plaine that what so euer hée bée y t maketh any other mediatour or goeth about by any meanes séeme it neuer so holy but by Christ onely to come to the father of heauē first he despiseth Christ if he despise Christe hée despiseth also hys father whiche hath alowed him onely to bée our mediatour way to him as it is writtē I am the way onely in the father therefore let thē bée sure y t séeke any other waye or any other mediatour but Christ alonely to heauē that they accordyng to the word of y t veritie which cā not lye shall neuer come there but as many as trust in him onely let thē not doubt but they shall not onely obteyne to come to heauen but also what soeuer they desire bée side in his name according to his own promise word which cā not deceiue vs What soeuer saith hée you aske in my name the father shall geue it you Marke these woordes what soeuer that we should runne to no other hée addeth also in my name Here is nothing excluded but all thinges fréely bée geuen vs and that for his names sake not for no sainctes name not for none of our holynes or merites but for Christes name Now what is it to runne from thys swéete promise of our most louing Sauiour redemer and onely mediatour Iesus Christ to saintes to other workes but a playne and an euydent token of our infidelity of our vnthankefulnes yée that we thinke hym vntrue and will not fulfill hys promise yée that he is not able to do it and to make hym a lyar vntrue in his worde Also S. Paul sayth He hath geuen his onely sonne for vs how can it bee y t hée shall not geue all things with him Marke he sayth with hym not with saints he sayth all thinges and not certaine things hée that faith all excludeth not the tooth ake leaueth it to S. Appolyne c. but hée excludeth nothing Now you Infidelles and mistrusters of Christ what will you haue of the father of heauen or what cā your hartes desire that Christ is not able to obtaine for you if you béeléeue him able It is his office and thereunto onely appointed of y t father none other yea all other bée excluded w t manifest scriptures Moreouer will you or bée you so foolish to aske a thing of one y t hath it not to géeue nor cā not geue it yea hath néede of it hymselfe leaue hym that hath aboundaunce yea and that hath made an open proclamation that fréely without goulde or siluer or any marchandise hée will géeue the selfe same thing to as many as come and aske of him whatsoeuer they bée Now the Lord hath not alonely goodnes but hée is all goodnesse himselfe and all Saintes haue sinned and néede of his goodnes and he hath made this proclamation by his blessed and euerlasting worde that whosoeuer commeth vnto hym shall haue of his goodnes aboundauntly now will you leaue him and goe to the saintes the which if they euer had any goodnes they receaued it of the father as S. Iames sayth All good giftes cōmeth from the father of lyght Marke how hée sayth all good giftes But here haue you a distinction y t onely God is good of his own nature and Saintes are good by receauinge goodnesse of him Well to doe you a pleasure I will allow your distinctiō to bée good for of it can you make no more with all your subtiltie but that Saintes haue no more goodnes then they haue receaued Now the goodnes that they haue receaued was for thēselues onely yea and they can géeue none of it to you for they receaued it not for you but for themselues yea and no more then was necessary for them and that but alonely of mercy as it is open in Mathewe in the parable of the fiue wise virgines and the fiue foolishe where as the wyse vyrgins had not so much oyle to lend the foolishe virgins as would kindle their lampes finally they had nothing at all that they coulde spare them and yet were they wise virgins and yet were they Saints and yet were they admitted to enter into heauen Farthermore doe you not openly against God when you desire any thing of saintes whether it bée prosperitie wealth health remission of sinnes or in aduersities consolatiōs or comfortes or any other thyng séeing that Scripture onely knowledgeth all these thynges to bée receaued of him and that hée is the onely géeuer of them yea and that all the prophets and fathers in all their tribulation cryed alonely to hym as Dauid testifieth of him selfe in these wordes When I am troubled I will cry vnto the Lord and hee will helpe me Hée cryed not to any Saint to speake to God for him but sayth I will cry vnto the Lord yea and hée doubted not that hée woulde not heare hym béecause hée was a man and a sinner but faithfully said hée will helpe mée as hée testifieth in an other place saying my helpe is of God that hath made heauen and earth Now will you runne from God and aske of Saints comforte prosperitie health or wealth or any other thyng séeing it béelongeth alonely to God to géeue seing hée alonely is the fountayne and auctor of all goodnes and not Saintes which haue no more but their parte and that that is géeuen vnto them Also our M. Christ teaching al creatures to pray biddeth them not to goe to any other thynge but alonely to the father of heauen hée maketh no mention of Saintes no not so much as to bée a meane betwéene them and the father but commaundeth them that pray to pray thē selues to the father The which thing I doubt not but hée would haue done if hée would that there shoulde haue béene other mediatour or géeuers of any goodnes Moreouer is not this a madde manner of prayer that men vse to our Lady O our father which art in heauē halowed be thy name c Thus doe you learne men to mocke our Lady when you learne them to say our Ladyes Psalter You infidels and mockers both of God man are you not ashamed of these open blasphemies Doubt you not if you call not for grace to y t Lord that you may amēde yea and that shortly but God shall straitly auēge this blasphemy on you hée hath suffered long no doubt but of his infinite mercy Notwithstādyng I wil neuer béeleue that hée wil much lēger suffer séeyng that hée hath brought so graciously his glorious veritie into the world and that so openly and so clearely that you can not deny it nor withstand it neither by reason nor by learnyng but your owne consciences bée confounded and marked with hote yrons notwithstādyng
is the author of all goodnes whiche if hée were away I would spit at them and despise thē But I doe not make them Christ that is my Sauiour my redéemer my cōforter my trust my hope bycause y t Christ of his mercy of his grace dwelleth in them but I séeke alonely to him y t hath made thē holy hath also alonely power both me and all men likewise to make Wherfore deare brethren if you wyll bée Christes make hym alonely your mediatour and your intercessour to the father of heauen and all thynges that you desire desire them in hys name onely Make hym first your frende and then haue you all Saintes on your side For they can not chuse but bée your frends Wherfore set all your trust hope and confidence in Christ onely and directe all your desires all your petitions all your prayers vnto hym onely And as for Saintes you shall loue them fauour them and magnifie them praise them for Gods sake and to Gods honour and where they liued well after Christes worde therein shall you folow them but in no wyse shall you béeléeue hope or trust in them or make any prayers vnto thē or desire any petition of them nor their lyuing shall bée any rule to lyue by farther then they folowed y t word of Christ for you bée cauled Christen men of Christ and not of Saintes But now will I answere to their carnall reasons First they haue a lawe whose wordes bee these Christen men doe not call worshipfull Images Gods nor they doe not serue them as Gods nor they set no hope of their saluation in them nor they doe not looke for of them the iudgement that is to come but they doe worship them and effectually pray vnto them in remembraunce and recordation of the first fruits but they doe not serue them nor yet any other creature with godly honour c. Let euery Christen man consider well in his conscience the wordes of this lawe and call also to remembraunce what God is hymselfe that is to say how omnipotent hée is how liberall hée is how mercifull hée is how gracious hée is vnto vs and thē I thinke hée shall well perceaue that this decrée is neyther made wyth faith with learning nor yet with reason but an open blasphemy agaynst God and a great mistrusting of our mercifull maister Christ Iesus Briefly there is nothing but an heape of blinde and vnfaithfull wordes inuēted to béeguile simple men thereby To the firste worde venerabiles what faith what learning what reason will that Images shoulde bee iudged worthy veneration this doth y t lattin worde venerabiles signifie séeing they bée but deafe dumme and dead what reason is it then to call them venerabiles Maister Doctour Rydley will say that no mā is so mad to worship and to honour the stocke and the stone and yet his owne law caulleth them venerabiles that is as much to say as worthy to bée worshipped honoured Call you them one thing by name and recken them vnworthy in déede It foloweth Christen men call them no Gods what néede these wordes All the worlde knoweth that they bée no Goddes in déede But then why call you them venerabiles Farthermore I would knowe of all my maisters y t lawyers why they bée such blasphemers of God such infidelles and such mortall enemyes vnto God as fo suffer yea and to compell simple men to géeue to those stockes and stones such exteriour honour as béelongeth onely to God séeing you call them no Goddes What maketh it matter for y e name so long as you géeue them the very thynge Assigne you what exteriour worshipping and honouring béelongeth to God or that wée may doe or can doe to God and I will prooue that yee compell men to geeue that same to stocks and stones and yet you thinke your selues sufficiently discharged because that men call them no gods It foloweth they set no hope in thē Then what neede men to pray vnto them what néede men to aske petitions of them what néede men to offer vnto them what neede men to vowe to them what néede men to runne to them barefooted and barelegged and to kisse them and licke them doe they aske that thyng of them which they haue no hope to receaue by them then doe they mocke them It foloweth but they pray vnto thē and worship them how thinke you by this You say they be no Godes yet men pray vnto them worship them adde to this that the Latine word signifieth as much as to aske forgeuenes of them and fully and effectually to pray to them If this stād with fayth and with the honour of God let euery Christen mā iudge But how standeth it with your decrée where in you call them no Godes this is as much to say as you bée very hypocrites and dissemblers with God and man for you say one thing in wordes and compell the people to doe the contrary in déedes that is to honour them as Godes ▪ Is not this contrary to these woordes of Scripture thou shalt honour thy Lorde God and serue hym onely Marke the holy ghost sayth Thou shalt serue God onely Here is the selfe Latin word adorare that your decrée hath Scripture will it shall all onely bée geuen to God and you will geue it to your worshypfull Images Marke also the occasion that our M. Christ spake these wordes The deuil required that hée should fall downe and honour him hée required no faith nor no hope on him nor yet that hée should make any prayers or desire any petition of him or licke or kisse his foote or make any oblation to him but alonely to fall downe and so with exteriour seruice to honor him but our maister sayd that y t belongeth alonely to God neither to the deuill nor yet to your woorshipful images Now say of your conscience doe not you that same thing to your stockes stones that the deuil required of our maister Christ how can you auoyde thys but now commeth your glose wyth a distinction and will learne our mayster Christ how that hée shall honour the deuill and excuse hym with an idle and a damnable distinction whose woordes bée these there is cultus latriae which includeth thrée things in him loue multitude of sacrifice and veneration this béelongeth onely to God saith hée There is an other worshipping which is cauled dulia thys hath but one thing in him that is veneration and it hath neither loue nor multitude of sacrifice in it and thys béelongeth to all creatures c. What bée these but an heape of idle wordes without any sentence inuented of the deuill to deceaue simple men Here saye you that Cultus Latriae which includeth loue multitude of sacrifyce and veneration belongeth to God onely Tell mée of your cōsciēce are you not ashamed of these wordes Fere you not the vengeance of God that thus
persecutour 250 Church truely declared 253. 254. 256 Counsailes haue erred and may erre 255 Councell of Constance forbad the Sacrament in both hyndes 302 Coūcell of Nice thought it meete for a Byshop to haue a wife 320 D. DAyes are no one better nor higher then an other 206 Doctours of the law geue euill counsayle 208 E. ENemy to a true mā is a theef 189 Extreme law is extreme miustice 208 F. FAyth onely iustifieth 226. 235 Fayth without workes iustifieth 228 Fayth is accompted for righteousnes 231 Fayth in Christ attayneth saluation 231 Fayth bryngeth forth good workes 236 Fayth that bryngeth forth frute is the fayth that iustifieth 238 Fayth iustifieth before God good workes declare our iustification to the world 239 Faythes are of two sortes 241 Fayth that iustifieth is geuen vs frely of God 241 Faythfull beleeuers in Christes merites are the right holy Churche of God 244 Faythfull congregation cannot erre 247 Fayth is the mere gift of God 277 Fisher Bishop of Rochester sworne to the Pope 197 Flocke of Christ is litle 247 Fleshly reason refoned frowardly 270 Fridericke the Emper our deposed 191 Freewill of man without Gods grace can doe no good 266. 267. 268 Freewill without grace is sinne 269. 270 Freewill wherein it consisteth 276 Frutes of fayth 235 G. GErmayne a Popes Sainte a straunge hystory 190 George Stafford a learned man 221 God onely is omnipotent and almightie 351 God is to bee obeyed before men 295 God doth wōderfully worke to saue his flocke ibidem Gods commaundements are impossible to our nature to bee kept 272 Gods mercy is the onely cause of our saluation 179 Good counsaile geuē to the Bishops 215 Good workes what goodnes is in them 229 Good workes cannot deserue remission of sinnes 235 Good workes are to be done though they iustifie not 237 Good workes are the frutes of good fayth 249 God disposeth his mercy to whom it pleaseth him 278 Gospell preachyng is no cause of insurrection 184 Gospell profitable to England 194 Grace without deseruyng 224 Grace findeth our hartes stony 273 H. HErode kept his brothers wise 188 Hipocrisie abhominable 189 Holy dayes why they were ordeyned 205 Holy Church truely defined 243 Holy church that is the true church of God is to the worlde inuisible 244 Holy Church is the grounde and piller of trueth 245 Holy Church is built vpon the Apostles and Prophetes 250 I. IAcob is elected and Esau reiected 178 Idols and Images described 344 Idols Images are all one ibidem Ignoraunce made vs worshyppe stockes and stones 341 Images are neither to bee honored nor worshypped 340 Image of God is thy poore Christian brother 345 Images or Idols are not the workers of any miracles 345 Insurrections whereof they came 192 Indifferent thynges are to bee obeyed 298 Iohn kyng of Englād cruelly handled by the Clergy of England 189 Iustification is not by the lawe of of workes but by the law of fayth 234 Iustification how it commeth 236 Iustified personnes cannot abstayne from doyng of good workes 240 K. Kynges ought not to bee deposed though they bee wicked 187 Kyng Iohn was cruelly handled of the Clergy of England 189 Kyng Iohn poysoned 189 Kynges brought by violence vnder the Popes foote 195 Kynges of the kyngdome of heauen what they are 257. 258 Keyes of Christ abused by the Byshops 262. 263 L. LAw why it was geuen 275 Liberties of holy Churche may not bee impugned 217 Losing and byndyng what it is 259 M. MAn is Lord ouer all creatures 274 Mans dominion restreyned 275 Man is the lyuely and true Image of God 346 Mariage of Priestes is allowed of God 317 Mariage hath a greater crosse then virginitie 313 Mariage of Priestes is neither agaynst Gods law nor mans law 328 Mariage is all one beefore Priesthode and after Priesthode 336 Masse made of many patches 357 Masse welbeloued of the Papistes for gaynes sake ibidem Ministers of the Churche ought to bee no Lordes 262 Money is the popes best marchaūt 265 Monkes of the Charterhouse and their superstition 299 Mores holy Church are the Pope Cardinals and Byshops 252 Moses chayre what it is 297 N. NAturall reason is a blynde iudge of the Scriptures 307 Naturally all men desire Mariage 323 O. OBedience to the higher powers taught by Christ and his Apoles 185 Obedience to the Prince wee owe with our bodyes and to God with our soules 300 Officers are Byshops hangmē 211 Offendours of the common weale may not breake prison but paciently suffer that the law doth determine 293 Orders in the Clergy hath two significations 202 Othe the Byshoppes made to the Pope 195 Othe to the Pope last made by the Byshops 200 P. PApistes and Schoolemen peruert the Scriptures 180 ▪ Papistes charge the Preachers of Gods word with heresie 185 Papistes teach disobedience to Princes 185. 186 Papistes shamelesse doynges 186 Papistes and Protestantes wherin they differre 191 Papiste is an vnnaturall subiect agaynst hys soueraigne Lord and Lady 202 Papistes are arrogant and proude 209 Papistes are craftie iugglers 223 Papistes crueltie 225 Papistes are trappers of innocents 223 Papistes are tyrantes 224 Papistes are blasphemers of Gods holy word 286 Papistes preach lyes 287 Papistes and S. Paule are contrary 285 Papistes are the norishers of ignoraunce and darknes 290 Papistes finde faulte with gnattes and swalow Camelles 308 Papistes make blynd reasons 308. 309 Papistes carnall reasons 351 Papistes worshyppers of stockes and stones 352 Papistes blynd and malicious 353 Papistes foolish arguments soluted 354 Paule dispenseth with vnlawfull vowes 314 Peter the Apostle had a wife 325 Petition of Doct. Barnes to kyng Henry the viij 205 Philip the Euangelist was maryed 325 Popes depose kynges 186 Popes shamelesse arrogancy and tyranny ibidem Popes dispense with othes that subiectes make of obedience to theyr Princes 188 Popes procurers of warre and destruction of people 193 Pope agaynst Pope one cursing an other ibidem Popes alter the Byshops othes as semeth best for their purpose 195 Popes and their lewdenes truely described 197 Pope how hee cōmeth by the name of Lord. ibidem Pope Clement excōmunicated kyng Henry the viij 198 Popes what maner of men they are that are chosē to that dignitie 199 Pope Clement the sonne of a Curtisan ibidem Pope a monstruous hypocrite 198 Pope and hys lawes agree not 199 Popes are not chosen after Sainte Paules rule ibidem Power of kynges is immediatly of God 202 Popes Saintes worke straūge miracles 190 Pope absolueth all rebellion agaynst Princes but pardoneth none that hath beene agaynst hym selfe 201 Popes regalles ibidem Pope calleth Councelles as it pleaseth hym 202 Pope hath libertie to say do◠what hee list 204 Popes pardōs haue beene good marchaundise in England 212 Pope may not bee controlled of any man 213 Popish law is tyrannous 218. 219. 220 Pope and the true holy church how farre they differre 242 Pope and his maners agreeth nothyng with the holy Church ibidē Pope
Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Luke The Prologue of W. Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Iohn The epistle to the Romaynes to the excellentest part of the new Testament Here you must note these wordes law sinne c. Law how it is to be vnderstand The law of God requireth the bottom of our hartes S. Paul was a great persecutor of the christians If we be not willing to do good then doth sinne raign in vs. No man can fulfill the law but Christ onely The pâ—â—e and perfect kepyng of the law is to do the â—aâ—e of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 but oâ— inward loue The law encreaseth sinne The law is spiritual The spirite of god maketh a maÌ„ spirituall The law is good righteous and holy Workes of the law the fulfilling of the law are two things By the workes of the law no man can be iustified As the law is spiritual so it must be fulfilled spiritually Where true fayth is there is the spirit of God Our iustification is by fayth in Christ Out of true fayth springeth all good workeâ— Oâ—synne Sinne what it is Sinne in y â— scripture is chiefly called vnbe liefe Grace how it is vnderstand in the scriptures Gift what it is God for Christes sake receaueth vs. There is no damnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Faith what it is False and fained faith True faith is liuely Fayth is not idle The true definition of fayth Good workeâ— cannot be separate from true fayth Righteousnes how it is to be vnderstaÌ„d Flesh spirite what they are â—ow to vnderstand them How this word fleshe is to be vnderstand in the Scripture Increduâ—â—tie is the chief of all sinnes Fleshe is here well described What soâ—euer procedeth of faith is spirituall A necessary and profitable instruction for all preachers The maner of S. PauÌ„les doctrine Nature is so blinde that we caÌ„not see nor vnderstand the goodnes of God hys mercy shewed vnto vs in Christ Iesu hys â—owne S. Paule coÌ„demneth all hipocrisiâ— How S. Paul rebuketh hypocrites The difference betwene the Iewe the Gentile All men are sinners The waye howe wee must bee made righteous Faith obteineth the fulfillyng of the law S. Paule auÌ„swereth to the caueling question that our Papistes vse agaynst iustificatioÌ„ of faith onely Good workes are ouâ— ward signes of true fayth Wee are first iustified theÌ„ foloweth good workes Gods mercy moueth vs to fayth in his promises so that God in al things worketh our iustification Gods mercy saueth vs and not we our selues If we lack Abrahams fayth we cannot be Abrahams children Fayth onely receaueth the grace that coÌ„meth by Abraham The frutes workes of fayth Fayth before all workes iustifieth Good workes are the fruites of fayth Where true fayth is there are good workes Where fayth lacketh there is all euill workes As by â—â—aÌ„ came sinne so by Christ came saluation The principall work of faith and the battaile betwen the spirite and the flesh What it is not to be vnder the law What it is to be vnder the lawe The right fredome libertie froÌ„ sinne and from the law Example Our consciences bound and in daunger to the lawe by olde Adam so loÌ„g as he liueth in vs. The law requireth of vs that which we cannot pay The law doth vtter and declare what sinne is What wâ— may do of our selues and what we may not do Where feare and shame is away there all wickednes is committed The fleshe is contrary to the sprite The sprite lusteth contrary to the flesh There is no daunger to theÌ„ that are in Christ The right worke of fayth is to mortify the flesh Predestiâ—… cion is in the handes of God How farre we may proceede in predestination Predestinâ—tion is not rashly to be disputed of Which are good workes mete to be done Loue is y â— fulfilling of the law We must deale louingly with our weake brethren The weaknes of our brethren is to be considered In the epistle to the Romaines is conteyned a sufficient doctrine for a Christen man Beware of the traditious of men This epistle declareth it self Weake and yong consciences as to be stubborne for the last shal receiue the equall reward with the first Loue fulfilleth the law It is the parte of a good shepherd to veÌ„ture hys lyfe for hys sheepe tribulatioÌ„ for the Gospell sake maketh vs sure of eternall lyfe All that repent are iustified thorough saith by Christ and not by workes The law condeÌ„neth but the beleuyng of Gods promises iustifieth In sekyng any other satisfaction theÌ„ Christ we beceauâ— our selues Hereby are we warned that workes saue vs not but the word that is the promise Mannes righteousnes zeale or imagination without Gods worde is odious For fayth when it is preached bringeth y e spirite and power to fulfill the law Who so hath a pure fayth can not but abouÌ„d with good workes Not the receauyng of the Gospel but the coÌ„tinuaunce to the latter ende maketh vs blessed He meaneth therby lest they should fall from the worde they had already receaued PatieÌ„ce in persecution for Christs sake rewarded with y â— crowne of euerlasting ioy and felicitie Hereby haue we euident signes that the latter day is at hand The office of a bishop The Pope his Prelates are here playnly set forth for what Christ loosed freely the Pope did bynd it to lose it agayne for money Vertuous Byshops are worthy double honor Byshops must be vigilant in their vocationâ— This hath already ben fulfilled in our spiritualtie What maner a man a Byshop or Curate ought to be Good deedes please god so farre foorth as they are applied to the kepyng of the commaundements but Christ onely iustifieth Christ is all to a Christen man MeÌ„ ought to rule theyr wiues with godâ— word To watch is not onely to abstaine from slepe but also to auoyde all occasions that may drawe vs to sinne As god reioyceth not in the dede it selfe â–ª so doth he not in â—…dle faith without works Good workes are a shew of our fayth as the fruit is of the tree He prophesieth of the popes spiritualtie The condition of the worlde shall waxe worse and worse Where 〈◊〉 true fayth is there are also good workes Christes bloud purchaseth forgeuenes of sinnes and not mans workes Whether this were Paules epistle or no great learned men haue doubted Some deny it to haue bene written by anye Apostle and refuse it as not Catholike A solution of the former doubts This not to be denied to be Paules Epistle Mercy is locked vp from hym which wilfully yeldeth his body 〈◊〉 soule to sinne No place in the scripture so plainly describeth the significations figures of the olde testament as this epistle doth This epistle for that it agreeth with the rest of the scripture ought to be of equal authoritie with the other This epistle is to be taken as holy scripture The papistes alleage this text for their purpose thorough misunderstandyng the same Fayth only
remission for our sinnes 5. There is no satisfaction for sinne but Christes death 6. 1. Why temporall paynes are ordeined 2. Worldly paynes can not sufficiently punish sinne Scripture maketh no mention of Purgatory Rastels first argument Frith A fond argument The Maior of Rastels argument is a lye Rastell Frith Christes death onely is the cause of the forgâ—â—enes of our sinnes Rastell Rastels fond argument beaten to the ground Frith Three lyes at once What folye is in naturall reason to reason agaynst the Scripture A good conclusion Gods honour consiâ—teth not in our seruice Why man was made God made vs not for his pleasure but that we should receaue pleasure by him Gene. 19. Exod. 14. Math. 8. Rastell An other of Rastels foolish argumentes Frith Repentaunce is no satisfactioÌ„ for our sinne but Christes death onely Rastell Frith God forgeueth for Christes â—ake not otherwise Rastell groundeth hym vppon lyes imaginations 8. Heb. 10. Christes merites vtterly setteth aside Purgatory 9. There is no meane to purge vs but onely the death of Christ 10. Christ is hable fully to saue all that commeth to God by him Roma 5. Rastell Frith Rastels similitude is not good Rastell Frith Maior Minor CoÌ„clusio Rastels similitude clearely coÌ„founded Our doynges can maâ—… God neither better nor worse 11. Ezech. 33. 12. Ezech. 36. If Christ haue purged vs cleane wâ—…deth an other Purgatory 13. â—erem 33. 14. Ierem. 32. The second argument Rastell Frith Rastels second argument confuted Anyppyng conclusion Rastell Frith Rastell Rastelles fond argument to proue a Purgatory Frith Rastels second argument clearly coÌ„futed An aunswere to an obiection 15. 1. Iohn 2. If we fall into sinne We haue no remedy but Christ our aduocate 16. Iohn 13. 17. Math. 11. Purgatory â—icke purse 18. Esay 43. Broylyng in Purgatory putteth not away sinne 19. Those whom God calleth he iustifieth 〈◊〉 glorifieth Roma 8. 20. 1. Thess 4 â–ª Purgatory is but a phansie of mans imagination The thyrde argument Rastell The solution of Rastels thyrd argument Frith Rastell Frith Rastels naturall reasoÌ„ doth fouly deceaue both hym his Turke Gingeâ—…in The iiij argument Ephes 5. Cant. 4. Rastell Rastelles aunswere to his iiij argument Rastell Frith Rastell 21. Frith Hebr. 9. Sinne can not be takeÌ„ away but by y t bloud of Iesu Christ Rastell Frith A mery coÌ„clusion of Iohn Frith 22. Iohn 1. Heb. 1. Ephe. 1. 1. Iohn 1. Rom. 4. No nede of Purgatory The v. argument Rastell Frith How Rastel proueth that Purgatory is vpon the earth 23. Rastelles fond conclusioÌ„ of his v. argument We may not absteine from sinne for feare but for loue The law of God the law of man doth greatly vary The law of God requireth the hart and mynde The law of man requireth the body and outwarde deedes Rastels foolish solutioÌ„ of his fifth argument Rastelles solution Psal 143. Rastels reason fayleth hym Frith Rastell doth to much abuse him selfe Rastell Frith Rastell is contrary to hym selfe Rastell hath here a foule ouerthrow Rastels solution confuted Luke 16. A true and good conclusion Rastell Frith Rastell can not tell where purgatory is whether on the earth or els where Rastell proueth all the scholemen to be double fooles Rastell Purgatory is not in one place onely but in many diuers plates Rastels vi argument Frith Rastell Frith There can bee no cause in vs that may deserue the forgeuenes of sinne Luke 23. There is no Purgatory Roma 5. God of his mere mercy reconciled vs when we were hys enemyes 25. The shedyng of Christes bloud is our saluation Heb. 1. Rastell Frith Roma 3. Rom. 11. Gene. 12. Gallat 4. God for his truthes sake is mercyfull vnto vs. 1. Cor. 1. Roma 3. and 26. Phil. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Christ onely submitted himselfe to death for our sinnes Rastels ignorauncy Rastell A foolishe example set foorth by Rastell There is no way to pacifie the wrath of God agaynst our sinnes but fayth in Christ Frith Hebr. 7. Math. 6. Math. 18. There are two maner of satisfactions one to God and the other to our neighbour Except we be ready to forgeue theÌ„ that offend vs God will not forgeue vs. Rastelles seueÌ„ argument This similitude is not proper betwene God and man as it is betwene man and man Frith Agge 2. 〈◊〉 Cor. 12. God forgeueth no maÌ„ that offendeth hys neighbour except he first reconcile him self to his neighbour Rastell Rastelâ—… solution to his seuen argument Frith A perfect definition of Gods absolute power Marke â—6 God caÌ„ not be agaynst hym selfe Math. 1â— Whether God haue an absolute iustice There is no one power in God greater then an other Rastels imaginatioÌ„ of Gods absolute power is childish The conclusion of Rastels booke Frith The feare of Purgatory cannot kepe vs froÌ„ sinne but rather y â— fearâ— of hell and euerlastyng damnation Such as feare not God but for Purgatory and helles sake shall neuer come in heauen All the penaunce and repentauÌ„ce in y e worlde without fayth in Christes bloud can not saue vs. 27. 2. Cor. 5. Contradictories How two contradictories may be both true 28. We are recoÌ„ciled to god by y e death of Christ therefore neede not to booke for any other Purgatory The â—…th 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Purgatory although there were one 29. Iohn 3. â—…e â—…oÌ„ to say there is a Purgatory 30. Roma 8. Wâ—… dâ—… that God 〈…〉 〈…〉 Râ—… Christ hath purged ouâ— sinnes Roma 8. Math. 24. There is no Purgatory 33. Roma 〈…〉 34. Purgatory is a vayne imaginatioÌ„ Obiections Good workes we must do good workes because God hath so commauÌ„ded vs. Ephe. 2. Math. 5. An aunswere to an other obiection 1. Cor. 1. Roma 8. Ephe. 〈◊〉 We must worke with a single eye 35. Ephe. 2. Our saluatioÌ„ is y t gift of God and coÌ„meth not by workes 36. Roma 11. Rom. 4. Faith in Christ is our righteousnes Fayth is imputed for righteousnes 37. Iohn 3. Purgatory is nedelesse Iohn 5. I forged famed Purgatory 38. Psal 116. Apoca. 14. 39. Exod. 33. Mercy and Purgatory cannot agree 40. God is mercyfull forgeueth vs our sinnes Psal 103. 41. God hath forgeueÌ„ vs our sinnes and therfore wil not punish vs in Purgatory Rom. 11. Ezech. 18. 42. Luke 18. Luke 23. Luke 7. The thefe went not to Purgatory but to Paradise 43. Phil. 1. S. Paule knewe of no Purgatory Howe a Christen man should desire death 2. Cor. 3. Because dayly we offeÌ„d God therfore we should pray to be dissolued as Paul dyd 1. Iohn 1. 45. Sapien. 3. Abacuc 2. Roma 5. It is mere foolishnes to thinke there is a Purgatory 46. Rom. 10. The Pope sendeth no preachers into Purgatory M. More my Lord of Rochester can not agree 47. Prou. 23. Roma 7. we haue a will and minde to obey the law of God but our sinfull flesh will not consent thereunto Example God accepteth our good will if we do that in vs is to obey his