haue / that be agenst his holy verite / but let vs graunt that that translacion was so false / why did not yov there take a pone yov opynly for to amend it and to sett forthe truly the holy testament of christ yov must nedes graunt that there is an holy testameÌt of his in erthe except yov wille deny christ as I dought not but that yov wille in effect where is it whye haue we it not If that wer not it / whye do not yov sett the very trew testament out / yov were reddy to coÌdemne an other mans faithefulle labor aÌd diligence / but yov had no cheryte to amend it / yov thynke alle ways to disseue the worlde with youre holy hypocrysy / men be not so blynd but that they cane welle Iudge / If yov hade condemnyd that testament allonly by cause off errours / yet at the lest ways yov shulde bothe of cheryte / and also of dutye haue set forthe the trew texte / and than wolde men haue thought / that yov condemned the other by the resoÌ of errours But men may now euydently se that yov dyd not condemne it for errours sakes / for how shulde they iudge erroures that be soo vnlernyd but alonly by cause that the verite was ther in / the which yov coulde not abyde that men shulde knowe / and that dyd the processe of youre sermon and also youre tyranny that dothe folow wel proue / but mi lord I say to yov / aÌd to all youres if yov do not amend it shalle be to youre euerlastyng damnacyon / for god wille not take thys rebuke at youre honde / Esa 62. remember that he hathe sworne by the movght of his prophete hy his ryght honde aÌd by the might of his strengthe that he wille defende this cause / Be not these lordly wordes / of the eternalle god / thinke yov to make hym for sworne Heb. 10. Remember how the holygost thretyneth yov in another place saynge / yf a man dyd dysspysse the lawe of Moses / he must with out any mercy dye / howe muche more are they worthy of ponishement / that do trede the sone of God vndernethe their fete / and dyspise the bloud of hys testament / how thynke yov ys not this opynly agenst yov / That coÌdemne not alonly christ but also his blessed worde / and alle that longythe to hym / Take a way christes word / and what remanythe bi hynd of chryst nothyng at alle I pray yov my lorde to whome was thys worde fyrst preched to whome was it writtyn allonly to prystes not vn to lay men ye was it not writtyn to alle the worlde yes truly / where by wille yov conuerte a turke or an infidelle / not by holy scripture whan they be conuerted / what wille yov lerne theÌ what wille yov geue them to rede / any other thyng than holy scripture I thynke nay Now wille yov make youre awne cuÌtrymen / youre awne citysins youre awne subiectes yee youre awne brethern / redemed wyth christes blessed bloud worsse them Iuys / and infidelles But their is no reson nor no bretherhod / nor no chrysten cheryte that cane moue yov / or that cane helpe yov / for yov are so blynded and so obstinate agenste chryst / that yov had rather alle the worlde shulde peryshe / thane his doctryne shulde be brought to lyghte / but I do promisse yov / if god do spare me lyffe / aÌd geue me grace / I shalle so set it out / if yov do not revoke it that it shalle be to youre vtter sâame and confusyon / fynde the best remedy that yov cane / I do beleue stedfastly / that god is myghttyar than yov / and I doo rekkyn and faytheffully beleue / that yov are ten tymys worsse thane the grette Turke for he regardeth no more / But rule dominyon in this world And yov are not there with content / but yov wille also rule ouer mens consyens yee aÌd oppresse christ and his holy word / and blaspheme and condemne hys worde / was it not a holy covnselle / of the chanseler of london to conselle a sertyn merchaÌt / to by Robyn hoode for his seruaÌtes to rede what shulde they do with vitas patryÌ / and with bokes of holy scriptur Also the same Chanseler sayed to an other maÌ / what fyndest thou in the gospel but a story what good canst thou take there out O lorde god where arte thou why slepist thou why sufferst thou this blasphemy Thov hast defeÌded thy prophetes with wilde fier froÌ heueÌ / And wylte thov suffer thy wonly sone and thy heuynly worde / thus to be dyspysyd and to be rekenyd but as a story of Robyn hoode Rysse vpe good loorde / Rysse vpe / thy enemys do preuaylle / Thy enymys do multiplye / shewe thy power / defend thy glory It is thy conâumely and not oures what haue we to do with it but alonly to thy glory venge this cauâe or thy enymys shalle rekkyn yt not to be thy cause / O thou eternalle God though oure synnes haue deseruyd thys / yet loke on thy name / yet loke on thy veryte / Se howe thov arte mockkyd Se how thou arte blasphemid / ye and that by them / that haue takyn on theÌ to defend thy glory / But now heuynly father / Seynge that thou haste / so suffered it / yet for the glory of thy name / geue some man strengthe to defend it / or els shalt thou be clearly takyn out of the hartes off allemen where fore most gracious lorde / of thy mercy and grace I besech the / That I may haue the strengthe to defend thy godly worde to thy glory and honour / and to the vtter confusyon of thy mortalle enymys / helpe good lord helpe / and I shalle not fere a thovsand of thyne enymys / In thy name wille I begyn to defend thys cause Fyrst commyth thy faythfulle seruant Moses / trewe and Iuste in alle thy workes / and he commandythe faythefully and trewly / and with grett thretnynges that man / woman and chylde shuld dilygently rede thy holy worde / Sayng / Sett youre hartes on alle my wordes the whych that I do testyfye vn to you thys day / That yov may commaÌde them vn to yovre chyldern / to kepe / to doo / and to fulfylle alle thynges that be wryttyn in the boke of thys lawe / Marke howe he commauÌded them / to lerne their chyldern alle thynges that be wryttyn in thys boke / Deu. 32. and so to lerne them that they myght kepe and fulfylle alle thynges that were wryttyn in the boke / Moses maâe nothyng of secretnes / and wille yov make secretes ther in how shalle men fulfille those wordes that they know not how cane men know the very trewway of god and haue not the worde of god is not alle oure knowlege ther in The prophete saith / thy
that we must come to hys sonne / ThaÌ taketh he away oure stony harte / aÌd geueth vs a fleshely harte / by this menys he makyth vs the childern of êmys the vessellis of mercy / whyche he hath pÌparid to glory But wherfore doth he not lerne al meÌ to come to christ By cause that those that he lerneth / he lernyth of mercy / and those that he lerneth not of his iudgemeÌt doth he not lerne them cÌ Mark yt. S. Augustine saythe That there is no hardnes of harte that can resyst grace and Duns saythe / That there may be an obstakill in maÌs harte S. Augusti saith that grace fyndeth the hart in hardnes aÌd obstinacye / And Duns saith that there is a mollifyng that precedythe grace which he callith attricioÌ S. Augusti saith whaÌ thou father lernith vs with in / thaÌ takith he away oure stony hartis / duns saith that we caÌ do it by the coÌmeÌ naturall influeÌs that is we can disposse oure selfe of coÌgrueÌs / Mark also how all meÌ / be not taught to come to christ / but allonly they that be taught / of marcy be taught yf it be of mercy / than it is not of congruens by attricion Breuely A greter heresy / more contrary to christ his blessyd word can no maÌ lerne / aÌd yet must he be takeÌ for a gret clarke / a subtill doctour by cause he plesithe the fleshe / but shortly here haue I openly proued by inuincible scriptur and by doctours of gret auctorite that frewyll of hys naturall strength with out a speciall grace can do nothing but a byde in synne / Fayne Inuent / Excogitate / dreame / as meny holy purposys as you can / as meny subtylle distyncions as meny good attricions / as meny good applycacions as you can aÌd all they be but synne / tyl grace come / ye youre sleping / youre eating / youre drinkyng / youre almes / youre prayers / youre singing / your ringing / your coÌfessing / your muÌbling / youre murning / youre wayllinge / breuely all that you caÌ do is but hyppocrisy / dubbille sinne a fore god tyll the tyme / that he of hys mercy chousyth you / for as he saith / you haue not chosyn me but I haue chosyn you Now wyll I declare a scripture or two that yow brynge to proue youre conatum and youre bonum studium / The fyrst place ys thys / God from the begenyng dyd ordyn man / and lefte him in the hondis of his awne couÌselle / he dyd geue him his coÌmaÌdemeÌtis / his preceptis / yf thou wilt kepe the coÌmaÌdemeÌtis / aÌd also kepe pesable faith / for euer thei shal kepe that I haue set afore the water fyer strech thy hond to whych thou wilt / Of this place gether you / that maÌ may haue a good purpose a god inteÌt / a good mynd / to apolye him selfe to god of his naturall powre But this can yow not proue of this texte / for here is neuer a worde / of inteÌdynge / of studying / or of applyyng well / for yf yow wylle take the wordes off the texte as they sunde they rather proue that we may kepe the commandementis of god / ye aÌd also beleue in god / than ony other thynge / the whyche I am suere yow wyll not graunte / for than how coulde yow a voyde but that the phylosophers be sauyd / for no man caÌ deny / but that they dyd as much / as lay in their naturall power to come to god Moreouer the palagyons brynge thys texte / too proue that man may do good of his natural streÌgth / Now how wyll yow avoyde them For yf yow deny that yt prouythe theyr opynyon for the whiche the wordis sound most than wyll they deny that yt prouythe youre conatum / and youre bonum studiuÌ / of the which that texte spekyth neuer a word where for this text maketh nether for them nor yet for you / Playne it is / that the wordes of the texte sounde of kepyng and of beleuinge yf we will / not of inteÌdinge / nor of studying wherfore it maketh not for your purposse / but let vs go to the text / God froÌ the begeninge dyd make maÌ / thes wordis be opyn of the creacion / of the first maÌ Eccle. 16. he lefte him in the hondis of his awne counselle / These wordis / make nothyng for frewill for here ys nothynge coÌmandyd hym to do but allonly here ys sygnifyde that maÌ ys made Lorde ouer all inferior creatours / to vse them / at hys plesur / as yt is opyn Genesys 2. where that alle thynges were brought a fore Adam to reseue their namys / sygnyfiyng that they wer alle left vn to his vse and to his wille / and he was lorde ouer them alle / and none ouer hym / this was his kyngduÌ in the whyche he did rayne / and gouerne alle thyngis after his coÌmandimentes / but yet was it by the generalle influence / geuyn hym firste of god he dyd adde hys commandimentes and hys preceptes / In these wordes is there no powre geuin vnto him / but here be geuyn hym commandimeÌtes / wherby he must be orderyd and ruled / And not rule after hys awne counselle / but after the counselle / and commandimentes of God / where fore bi these commandimentes / was there parte of hys fre dominacyon / and lordeschyp / that he had ouer the inferior thynges takyn a way / as where god commanded hym that he shulde not eate of the tre of knoulege both of good evil / Now was it not fre for him to vse this tre after hys awne wille but after the commaÌdemeÌt of god / and what power he had / by hys frewille / to kepe this commandimeÌt the effect dyd declare If thow wilt kepe the commandimentes here begynythe the doute but yet of these wordes cane you not gether / that he had power to kepe them / nor yet that he might inteÌd to kepe theÌ / For it foloweth not / if thou wilt / ergo thou mayst / or thou maist intend / As it foloweth not If I wold / ergo I culde deposse yov / for yov wille lett this consequent / Also yov haue a general rule / Condicionalis nihil ponit / where fore these wordes If thov wilte kepe the commaÌdimentes geuithe no power nor strength to frewille / But this alonly followeth of this text / if man wille kepe the commaÌdimeÌtes / August de li. arb c. 16 thaÌ they shalle kepe hym / but now where shalle he haue this wylle / that is not in his power / but loke of S. Augustine above resyted / aÌd there shalle yov fynd how maÌ coÌmithe bi this wille / Also the wordes of the texte be not / yf thov wilte thou maist kepe theÌ or inteÌde to kepe theÌ / Nor they
culde they no nother wysse doo / but varaye from christ no they wold nor desyeryd no nother wyse but to swarve from hym / But wherfore they wer blyndyd and wherfore they wer hardenyd that must yov inquier of the inscrutable wil / that plesyd hym so to leue theÌ the cause ther of I am suer he cane telle yov if he wolde / I am suer it is ryghtwyselye done / But now commitâe the blynde and fleshely reson and murmureth at this and asketh / why are we coÌdeÌned for this why dothe god punish vs for this / seyng we cane wylle no nother wysse / also he blyndeth vs / he maketh oure hartes hard that we caÌ not amend vs / and yt lyeth not in ouâe power with out his wyll / now why complayneth he of vs why layeth he it to oure charge here is nothing done but his will / we be but instrumeÌtes of his wylle / and if we do not well why geuethe he vs not strength to doo better Thou damnable reason who can satisfye the which rekeneste nothing to be well done but that that thou doste that is doÌne at thy couÌsell Thinkest thou not / that thou arte good perfytt in thyne awne nature / all that is in that is bothe well ryghtwysly made to this thou wylte answer yee / for thou wilt not coÌdemne thy selfe nor nothyng that is thyne / but now answere me to this / what hath made that so well / geue the all this ryghtwysnes all this goodnes that thou haste thou must nedes say god / but what was the cause that thou arte so well / so ryghtwyse so good made / seyng that thou deserued nothing / yee alle these thinges / be done so welle so ryghtwysly / that thou canste not complayne / nor amende theÌ / no nor yet devysse whiche way to a mend theÌ / now why dooste thou not murmur agenst god seyng that all thynge is done with out thy knowlege / aÌd also with out thy deseruyng / why dost thou not inquier a cause of hym why murmureste thou not that he hathe made the so good and so ryght / seyng thou hadste nothyng deserued / but here wylte thou graunte / that god did all thing for the beste / why dooste thou not lyke wysse in other thinges / forthermore / thou must nedes graunt / that god thy maker / and the governer of alle thinges is most wyse / moste ryghtwyse / and most mercifulle and so wyse / that nothing that he doth cane be a mended / so ryghtwyse that there cane be no suspycion in hym of vn ryght wysenes / âo mercyfulle is he that he cane do no thing with out mercie / how thinkeste thou / wilte thou graunt these thynges off thy maker thou must nedes graunt them Now coÌpare vnto thys rule / thy blyndnes that is wyth in the / thy induracion that is in the / thy peruerse wyll toward goodnes / and what cause haste thou to complayne thov hast graunted that he doth all thynge ryghttusly / ergo thou haste no wronge / he dothe alle thynge mercifully / ergo thou arte in thy blyndnes and in thy hardnes better intreted than thou haste deserued Moreouer / thou beleuest that god is ryghtwyse / that god is wysse / and that god is mercyfulle / now faith is of those thynges that do not apere / nor that cane be proued by exterior causys / holde the faste to this faithe / than alle thy fleshely reasons be asoyled / for whan god saueth so fewe men / and dammeth so meny / thou knowest no cause why / yet must thou beleue that he ys mercyfulle and ryghtwyse / this is faithe whiche yf yt coulde be proued by exterior causys / than were yt no nede to beleue yt / now yf thou beleue that he is mercyfulle good ryghttus vn to the / wherfore murmurste thou But yet woldest thou know wherfore he indurateth the and blyndeth the and geueth the no grace to a mend / and vn to thy brother / that hathe no better deserued than thou haste / yee he hathe lykewysse evylle deserued as thou haste and yet he geueth hym grace / and taketh awaye hys hardnes / and geueth hym a wylle to wylle alle goodnes / thys is not indifferently done as thou thynkest Fyrst I say to the thou haste no cause to complayne / for thou haste no wronge / thov hast alle thynge that ys thyne / and nothynge ys taken from the / that belongeth to the / why doste thou complayne of this ryght yee but yet saist thou that he geueth the one marcy aÌd geueth thother none / I answere what is that to the / is not his mercy his awne Is yt not lawfulle for hym to geue yt to whome he wylle is thy yie evyll by cause he is good Mat. 20 Take that that is thyne and goo thy waye / for iff yt be his wylle to shewe hys wrathe / and to make hys powre knowen / over the vesseles of wrath / ordened to damnacion / Rom. 9. and to declare the Ryches of his glory / vn to to the vessels of mercy which he hathe prepared and elected vnto glory / what haste thou there with to doo what cause haste thou there off to complayne yt is the wylle of god which can not be but welle and ryghtwyse / the which as thou sayst thou beleuest / wherefore leue of thy murmurryng and thy disputacion agenst god / and rekken that he is of his nature mercifulle / and hathe no delytte nor no plesure in thy damnacion / but beleue thou stedfastly / that if he she we his mercy / but vn to one maÌ in all the worlde that thou shalt be that same one man / though an Angelle wolde make the beleue that alle the worlde shulde be damned / yet stycke thou faste to his mercy / and to his iustis that iustifye the / and beleue that the swete bloude of his blessed sonne can not be shed invayne / but it must nedes iustify synners and so meny as stycke fast vnto yt / though they be neuer so blynded and neuer so hardened / for yt was shed alonly for them / yf thou canste thus satisfye thy selfe / thaÌ dost thou welle / and thou arte doutles out off iuperdy / but if thou wyllte not be content / but wyllte dispute and inquier causis of godes inscrutable wylle / than wylle I stond by / and loke on and se what vycterdomme thou shalt get I doute not but yt wylle repent the / and that he wyll conclude with the / on this maner maye not I doo what I wyll Now here haue I answered / to an intricable doute / that oure scolle men are wrapped in which wold knowe what is the cause of predestinacion / and of reprobacion / Scotus â sent Di. 41. Duns beynge wrapped by twene carnalle reason / and the inuincible
worde of god Also yov haue an other reason / god sheweth myrakles in this place and in that place to the honouringe of this saynct and that saynt / ergo we must lykewyse honour them I answere as to youre myrakles though I haue answered to them afore / yet wille I adde this vn to yt / that god is no god of supersticion nor that fauoreth won place more than an other / or that hath any affection to this place more than to that / wherefore this is youre supersticion invented of the devylle / for god wille neyther be honoured in the mountayne nor yet in Iherusalem / Iohan. 4 but in mens hartes / and as to youre myrakles the grete godes diana did also myrakles as yov maye rede in scriptur / Act. 19. coÌsyder hare honour that scriptur speketh of / coÌpare it to the honoure of youre ymages yov may se they do agre Furthermore Apollo / Castor / Aesculapius aÌd such other did also grete myracles as storys do make mencion / and also manye men whiche were bothe wysse welle lerned and also men of as grete reputacion and honour as yov be / ye and men of grete holynes doo bere wyttnes of the same / ergo by thys reson we must also honour them Also an other reson you haue out of Iob / CoÌverte thy selfe vn to some of the saynctes / Iob. 5. of this yov conclude that we must pray vnto saynctes I answere of this yov maye conclude that yov be blynde and dulle assys and vnlernyd stockes / peruerters / terars / rentars of holy scripture / I praye yov what sayntes dyd the olde fathers know a fore Christes cummynge whome did they rekkeÌ to be in heuen afore Chrystes assencion why dyd they desyer so sore his cummyng if they beleued that they shulde haue assended vppe to heuen But this is the sentence of that place / Elephas reproued Iob and saithe that he is not godes seruant / and therfore god ponysshed hym saithe he / and to proue this he biddeth Iob call to memorye alle holymen and seruantes of god and rekken won yf he cane amonge them alle whome god dyd so ponishe / wherefore he concludeth that Iob is not the seruant of god but a folishe maÌ which in scriptur is the enymye of god whome god shalle slee in his wrath / thys is the sentence of that place Psal 150 Fynallye yov haue an other reason / yov shalle prayse god in hys sayntes / ergo saynctes must be honoured I answere is not thys a good consequente I must praysse god in berys and apys ergo berys and apys must be worsshypped adde that it foloweth in the texte yov must praysse god in timbrelles in orgens and in pypys / Ergo after youre consequent Timbrelles orgens and pypes must be worshypped / but if you wer lerned in scripturs / yov shulde fynde an other sentence in the holy psalme than thys is for the very trewe texte is Laudate dominum in sanctitate sua / Preyse god in hys holynes / but lett vs graunt that he saithe preysse god in hys sayntes do not you knowe that scripturs saye blissed is god in all his gyftes / out of thys can not follow that we shall worsshyp and pray to godis giftes but god shall be praysyd and honoured in all hys gyftes / as in saynte man and Angell A nother reson yov haue of a similitude Lyke as a man can not come to the speche of a kynge but that he must haue serten mediators as dukes Erlys aÌd suche men as be in fauour betwene hym and the kyng that may intret hys matter / So lykewysse a fore god / I answere / you infydellis aÌd mystrusters of god / what will you make of god / wyll you make him a fleshely and a carnall stocke fulle of passyons and off affecions Vnto a mortall prince you make mediatours be cause he knewe not youre harte aÌd by cause he ys more affeccionat to won maÌ thaÌ to an other / and by cause he Iudgeth after the syghte of his yie / and after the percyalnes and affeccyon of his harte / But so dothe not god / but alonly of mere marcy and grace / But to youre similitude / you can not haue no dukes to speke for you except you geue them rewardes or excepte they haue a carnall affeccion to you / Ergo by youre similitude you moste lyke wysse doo too sayntes But Saynt Ambrose answereth clearly to thys daÌnable reason of youres Sayinge / ad ro c. 1. Men are vonte to vse this myserable excusacioÌ / that by these thiÌges may we come to god as we may come to the kynge by Erlys I answere we doo covme vnto the kynge by the menys of dukes and Erles by cause that the kyng is a man and knoweth not to whome he maye committe the commen welthe / but vn to god from whome nothinge cane be hydde / he knoweth alle mens merites we nede no spokeseman nor no mediator but alonlye a devoute mynde cÌ Here are yov clearly answered of saynct Ambrose to youre carnalle reson De consec Dis 3. c. êlatum Item an other reason out off youre law / that ymages be vnto vnlerned men that same thinge that letters and wryttynges be vnto them that be lerned / that they may there by lerne what they ought to folowe cÌ Iff youre ymages be no more to vnlerned men than wryttynges be to lerned men ergo they maye no more doo to them thane lerned men doo to their letters / wolde yov suffer lerned men to come and knele / and offer to my boke and sette vpp candels a fore yt and make vowys to come yearlye there vnto and to desyer peticions a fore my boke of those sayntes that be wrytten therin Se how youre awne example maketh agenste yov and alle thinge that I cane bringe wherfore if there be any grace in yov / or if there be any shame in yov of the world / for christes sake leve of this false lernynge and collorynge of ydolatrie For yov do not wonlye dysseue youre symple brethern / but yov doo also blaspheme the in mortalle god of heueÌ / whych doughtles wylle avenge shortly this rebuke on yov yff yov doo not amende whosse violence and myght yov are not abylle to withstond / wherfore I exhorte yov in the blessed name of Christe Ihesus that yov repent in tyme / and take apone yov to lerne the verite / whyche is / how god is wonly to be honoured / wonlye to be sacrifysed vn to / he is wonly to be prayd vnto / of hym wonly must oure peticions be asked / yt is he wonly that geueth welthe and prosperyte / and he wonly must delyuer and comforte vs in alle aduersytes / 1. Timo. 1. and he wonly must helpe vs out of alle dystresse vnto whome as S. Paule saithe be allonly glorye and honour for ever Amen Now
not him selfe good / and now that he is evill shall he saye I make my selfe good cÌ 83. Austyne sayth he that fedeth with out christ / fedâth agenst hym 85. Austi sayth on this text if yov mortefye the flesh cÌ Thou wilt saye that can my will do that can mi frewill do what wil what maner of frewill excepte that he gyde the thou fallest / excepte he lifte the vp thou lyest stil / how canst thou than do it by thy sprete / seynge that the apostle sayth / As many as be led by the sprete of god / be the childern of god / wilt thou do of thy selfe wilt thou be led of thyne awne selfe to mortefye the dedes of the flesh what wil it profite the for if thou be not voluptuous with the epicure thow shalt be proude with the stoikes whether thou bean epicure or a stoike Thou salt not be amoÌge the children of god for they that be gyded of the sprete of god be the children of god / not they that lyue after their awne flesh / not they that lyue after their awne spirite / not they that be led of their awne sprete / but as many as be led of the sprete of god / they be the children of god / But here a man will saye / Ergo than are we ruled aÌd we do not rule / I answere thou both rulest and arte ruled / but than dost thou well rule if thou be ruled of the good sprete / vtterlye if thou want the sprete of god thou canst doo no good Thou doest trulye with out his helpe by thy frewyl but yt is but evill done / vnto that is thy will which is called frewill and by evell doynge is she made a damnable bonde seruant whan I saye with out the helpe of god thou doste nothinge / I vnderstonde by yt no good thynge / for to doo evyl thou hast frewill with out the helpe of god though that be no fredome Vvherfore you shalle knowe that so do you goodnes yf the helpinge sprete be youre gyder / the which yf he be absent can do no good at all / cÌ lxxxv Austyne sayth / if man doo perceyue that in the commandementes is any thynge impossible or els to harde / let him not remayne in hym selfe / but let hym runne to god hys helpe the whych hath geuen his commandimentes for that entent that oure desyer might be sturred vp and that he myght geue helpe lxxxvij Austayne saith / The pelagianes thinke that they knowe a woÌders thynge whaÌ they saye / God wil not commaunde that thinge the which he knoweth that is iÌpossible for maÌ to do / euerie maÌ knoweth this / but therfore coÌmauÌdeth he certeÌ thynges that we can not do / because we myght knowe what thynge we ought to aske of hym / fayth is she which by prayer optayneth that thynge that the lawe commaundeth Breuelye he that saith yf thou wilt thou mayst kepe my commaundimentes / In the same boke a lytle after sayth / he shal geue me kepinge in mi mouth / Playne it is that we maye kepe the commaundmeÌtes if we wyl / but because oute wil is pÌpared of god / of him must it be asked that we may so moch will / as wil suffice vs to do them trouth it is that we will whan we will / but he maketh vs to will that thinge that is goode lxxxvij Austyne sayth the pelagianes saye that they graunt how the grace doth helpe every maÌnes good purposse / but not that he geueth the love of vertue to him that striueth agenste it This thinge doo they saye as though maÌ of him selfe with out the help of god hath a good purpose a good minde vn to vertu / by that which merite precedinge a fore / he is worthye to be holpeÌ of the grace of god that foloweth after Doutles the grace that foloweth doth helpe the good purposse of man / but the good purposse shulde never haue bene if grace had not pÌceded And though that the good studye of man whan it beginneth is holpen of grace / yet dyd it never beginne with out grace lxxxviij xcj. Austyne sayth / the grace which is geuen of the largenes of god prevelye in to mennes hartes / can not be dispysed of no maner of hard harte For therfore is it geuen that the hardnes of the harte shuld be taken awaye wherfore when the father is harde with in and doth lerne that we muste come to his sonne / than taketh he awaye oure stonye harte and geueth vs a fleshye harte / and by these meanes he maketh vs the children of promisse the vessels of mercie whiche he hath prepared to glory But wherfore doth he not lerne all men to come to christ Because that those that he lerneth / he lerneth of mercye / and those that he lerneth not of his iudgement doth he not lerne them cÌ lxxxix Austyne saith / the law was geuen that maÌ might finde him selfe / and not to make his sicknes hole / but that by his preaching the sickenes encresed / the physicyon mighte be sought wherefore the lawe thretenynge and not fulfyllynge that thinge that he commaundeth maketh a man to be vnderneth him But the lawe is good if a maÌ vse yt welle By the lawe to knowe oure sicknes and to seke godes helpe to helpe vs xcj. Austyne saythe / the disputacion of them is vayne which defende the prescience of god agenst the grace of god / whiche saye that we were chosen a fore the makynge of the worlde because that he knewe a fore that we shulde be good not be cause he shulde make vs good but Christ / that sayeth yov haue not chosyn me / saith not that For if he dyd therfore chose vs because that he knewe a fore that we shulde be good / than must he also knowe afore that we shulde fyrst haue chosyn him cÌ xcvj Austyne sayeth / my brothren reade holie scripture in that which yov shalle fynde what you ought to holde and what yov ought to flye what is a man reputed with out lernyng / what is he Is he not a shepe or a goote Is he not an oxe or an asse Is he anye better thaÌ an horse or a mule the whyche hath no vnderstondynge cÌ C.vij Austyne vppon this texte Matthewe .xxiij. the scribes and pharises sytte in Moyses sete cÌ sayth / by syttinge in the chayre is vnderstonde lernynge of the lawe of god / and therfore god doth teach by them but if they wyll teach their awne doctrine / heare it not / doo it not / for such men seke that that is theirs and not christes cÌ C.xviij. Austine vppoÌ the wordes of the apostle / touch not handel not cÌ Col. 2 saithe / because that those meÌ by such obseruacions were led from the verite by the whiche they were made fre / wherof yt is spoken / the veryte shal delyver yov IoaÌ viij It is a