by the way of repentance vnto the fountayne of Christes bloud to washe it away thorow faith By the reason of which false righteousnes they wer disobediēt vnto the righteousnes of god whiche is the forgeuenesse of sinne in Christes bloud and could not beleue it And so thorow fleshly interpretyne the law and false imagined righteousnes their hartes were hardened and made as stony as clay in an whot furnace of fire that they could receiue neither repentance nor fayth or any moysture of grace at all But the heathen Niniuites though they were blinded with lustes yet werin those two poyntes vncorrupte and vnhardened and therfore with the only preachyng of Ionas came vnto the knowledge of their sinnes and confessed them and repented truly and turned euery man from hys euil dedes declared their sorrow of hart and true repentaunce with theyr deedes which they did out of fayth and hope of forgeuenesse chastieing their bodies with prayer and fastyng and with takyng all pleasures from the flesh trustyng as God was angry for their wickednesse euen so should he forgeue them of his mercy if they repented and forsoke their misseliuing And in the last ende of all thou hast yet a goodly ensample of learnyng to see how earthy Ionas is still for all his trying in y t whales belly He was so sore displesed because the Niniuites perished not that he was wery of hys life and wished after death for very sorow that he had lost the glory of hys prophesiyng in y t hys prophecie came not to passe But GOD rebuked hym with a likenes saying it greueth thine hart for the losse of a vile shrub or spray wheron thou bestowedst no labour or cost neither was it thine handy work How much more then should it greue myne hart the losse of so great a multitude of innocentes as are in Niniue which are all mine hādes worke Nay Ionas I am God ouer all and father as well vnto the heathen as vnto the Iewes and merciful to all and warneere I smite neither threate I so cruelly by any prophet but that I will forgeue if they repent and aske mercy neither on the other side whatsoeuer I promise will I fulfill it saue for their sakes onely which trust in me submit themselues to keepe my lawes of very loue as naturall children ON this maner to read the Scripture is the right vse therof why the holy ghost caused it to be written That is that thou first seke out y t law that God wyll haue thee to do interpreting it spiritually without glose or couering the brightnes of Moses face so that that thou feele in thyne harte how that it is damnable sinne before God not to loue thy neighbour that is thine enemy as purely as Christ loued thee that not to loue thy neighbour in thyne hart is to haue committed already all sinne against him And therfore vntill that loue be come thou must knowledge vnfainedly that there is sinne in the best deede thou doest And it must ernestly greue thine hart and thou must wash all thy good dedes in Christes bloud ere they can be pure and an acceptable sacrifice vnto god and must desire God the father for his sake to take thy dedes a worth and to pardon the imperfectnesse of them to geue thee power to do thē better and with more feruent loue And on the other side thou must serch diligently for the promises of mercye which God hath promised thee again Which two poynces that is to witte the law spiritually interpreted howe that all is damnable synne that is not vnfayned loue out of the ground and bottome of the harte after the ensample of Christes loue to vs because we be all equally created and formed of one God our father and indifferently bought and redemed with one bloude of our sauiour Iesus Christ and that the promises be geuen vnto a repentyng soule that thursteth and longeth after thē of the pure and fatherly mercy of God thorow our fayth only with out all deseruyng of our dedes or merites of our workes but for Christes sake a lone and for the merites and deseruynges of hys workes death and passions that he suffered all together for vs and not for hymself which two poyntes I say if they bee written in thyne hart are the keyes which so open all the Scripture vnto thee that no creature can locke thee out with which thou shalt go in and out find pasture and foode euery where And if these lessons be not written in thyne hart then is all the scripture shut vp as a cornel in the shale so that thou mayest read it and commen of it and reherse all the stories of it and dispute wittily and be a profounde sophister and yet vnderstand not one iot thereof And thirdly that thou take the stories and lyues which are contained in the bible for sure and vndoubted ensamples that god so wil deale with vs vnto the worldes ende ¶ Herewith Reader farewell and be commended vnto God and vnto the grace of hys spirit And first see y t thou stoppe not thyne eares vnto the callyng of GOD and harden not thine hart beguiled with fleshly interpreting of the law and false imagined and hipocritish righteousnes least then the Niniuites rise with thee at the day of iudgement and condemne thee And secondarily if thou fynde ought amisse when thou seest thy selfe in the glasse of Gods worde thinke it necessary wisdome to amend the same betymes monished and warned by the ensample of other men rather then to tary vntill thou be beaten also And thirdly if it shall so chaunce that the wylde lustes of thy flesh shall blynde thee cary thee cleane away w t the for a tyme yet at y t latter end when the God of all mercy shall haue compassed thee in on euery syde with temtations tribulation aduersities and combrance to bryng thee home againe vnto thine owne harte and to set thy sinnes which thou wouldest so fayne couer and put out of mynde with delectation of voluptuous pastunes before the eyes of thy conscience then cal the faythfull ensample of Ionas and all like stories vnto thy remembrance and with Ionas turne vnto thy father that smote thee not to cast thee away but to lay a corosie and a fretting plaister vnto the pocke that lay hidde and fret inward to draw the disease out to make it appeare that thou mightest feele thy sicknes and the danger therof and come and receiue the healyng plaister of mercy And forget not that whatsoeuer ensample of mercy God hath shewed since the beginnyng of the world the same is promised thee if thou wylt in like maner turne agayne and receiue it as they did and with Ionas bee a knowen of thy sinne and confesse it knowledge it vnto thy father And as the law which fretteth thy conscience is in thine hart and is none
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
eÌ„nsample Mary that annoynted Christes feete Luke 7. When SimoÌ„ which bad Christ to his house had condemned her Christe defeÌ„ded her and iustified her saying Simon I haue a certayne thyng to say vnto thee And he sayd maister say on There was a certayne lender whiche had two detters the one ought v. C. pence and the other fiftie When they had nothing to pay he forgaue bothe Which of them tell me will loue hym most Simon aunswered and sayd I suppose that he to whome he forgaue most And he said to him thou hast truly iudged And he turned him to y â— womaÌ„ and sayd vnto Simon Seest thou this womaÌ„ I entred into thine house and thou gauest me no water to my fete but she hath washed my feet with teares wypte them with the heares of her head Thou gauest me no kisse but she since the tyme I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete My heade with oyle thou haste not annoynted And she hath annointed my feete with costly and precious oyntment Wherfore I say vnto thee many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much To whom lesse is forgeuen the same doth loue lesse c. Hereby see we that dedes and works are but outward signes of of the inward grace of the bounteous and plenteous mercy of God frely receyued without all merites of deedes ye and before all dedes Christ teacheth to know the inwarâ— fayth and loue by the outward deedes Deedes are the fruites of loue and loue is the fruit of fayth Loue and also the deedes are great or smal according to the proportion of fayth Where fayth is mighty strong there is loue feruent and dedes plenteous and done with excedyng mekenes Where fayth is weake there is loue cold the dedes few seldom beare flowers blossomes in winter Symon beleued and had fayth yet but weakly according to the proportion of his fayth loued coldly and had dedes therafter he had Christ vnto a simple and a bare feast onely receaued him not with any great humanitie But Mary had a strong fayth and therfore burning loue notable dedes done with excedyng profound depe mekenes On the one side she saw her selfe clearely in the law both in what daunger she was in her cruell bondage vnder sinne her horrible damnation and also the feareful sentence and iudgement of God vpon sinners On the other side she heard the Gospell of Christ preached and in the promises she saw with egles eyes the excedyng aboundant mercy of God that passeth all vtteraunce of spech whiche is set foorth in Christ for all meke sinners whiche knowledge their sinnes And she beleued the word of God mightyly and glorified God ouer his mercy and truth and beyng ouercome and ouerwhelmed with y t vnspeakeable yea and incomprehensible aboundat riches of the kyndnes of God did enflame burne in loue yea was so swolne in loue that she could not abide nor hold but must breake out and was so droÌ„ke in loue that she regarded nothyng but euen to vtter the feruent and burnyng loue of her hart onely She had no respect to her selfe though she was neuer so great and notable a sinner neither to the curious hipocrisie of the Phariseis whiche euer disdaine weake sinners neither the costlines of her oyntment but with all humblenes did run vnto his feete Washed them with the teares of her eyes and wyped them with the heares of her head anoynted them with her precious oyntment yea and would no doubt haue runne into the grouÌ„d vnder his feete to haue vttered her loue toward hym yea would haue descended downe into hell if it had bene possible Euen as Paul in the ix Chapter of his Epistle to the Romaines was dronke in loue and ouerwhelmed with the pleÌ„teousnes of the infinite mercy of god which he had receaued in Christe vnsought for wished hym selfe banished from Christ and damned to saue y t Iewes if it might haue ben For as a man feeleth God in hym selfe so is he to hys neighbour Marke an other thyng also We for the most part because of our grossenes in all our knowledge procede froÌ„ that whiche is last and hiâ—â—ost vnto that which is first begynnyng at the latter end disputyng and makyng our argumentes backeward We begyn at the effect and worke and procede vnto the naturall cause As for an ensample we first see the Moone darke and then search the cause and find that the puttyng of the earth betwene the Sunne and the Moone is the naturall cause of the darknes and that the earth stoppeth the light Then dispute we backeward saying the Moone is darkned therfore is the earth directly betwene the Sunne and the Moone Now yet is not the darkenes of the Moone the naturall cause that the earth is betwen the Sunne and the Moone but the effect therof and cause declaratiue declaryng and leadyng vs vnto the knowledge how that the earth is betwene the Sunne and the Moone directly causeth the darknes stopping the light of the Sunne from the Moone And contrarywyse the beyng of the earth directly betwene the Sunne and the Moone is the naturall cause of y t darknes Likewise he hath a sonne therfore is he a father and yet the soone is not cause of the father but contrarywise Notwithstandyng y t sonne is the cause declaratiue wherby we know that the other is a father After the same maner here many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much thou mayst not vnderstand by the word for that loue is the naturall cause of the forgeuyng of sinnes but declareth it onely and contrarywise the forgiuenesse of sinnes is the naturall cause of loue The workes declare loue And loue declareth that there is some benefite kindnes shewed or els would there bee no loue Why woorketh one and an other not Or one more then an other Because that one loueth and the other not or that the one loueth more then the other Why loueth one an other not or one more theÌ„ an other Because that one feeleth y â— exceding loue of god in his hart an other not or that one feeleth it more theÌ„ an other Scripture speaketh after y e most grossest maner Be diligent therfore that thou be not deceaued with curiousnes For meÌ„ of no small reputation haue bene deceaued with their owne sophistry Hereby now seest thou that there is great difference betwene beyng righteous and good in a mans selfe declaryng and vtteryng righteousnes and goodnes The fayth onely maketh a man safe good righteous and the frend of GOD yea and the sonne and the heyre of GOD and of all hys goodnes possesseth vs with the spirite of God The worke declareth the selfe fayth and goodnes Now vseth the Scripture the common maner of speakyng and the very same that is among the people As when a father sayth to his child go belouing mercyfull
spirite of the lyuing God not in tables of stone as the ten commaundementes but in the fleshy tables of the hart as who shuld say we writ not a dead law with inke and in parchemenâ— nor graue that which damned you in tables of stone but preache you that which bringeth the spirite of lyfe vnto your brestes which spirite writeth and graueth the law of loue in your hartes and geueth you lust to do the will of God And furthermore sayth he our ablenes coÌ„meth of God which hath made vs able to minister the new TestameÌ„t not of the letter y t is to say not of the law but of the spirite For the letter that is to say the law killeth but the spirite geueth life that is to say the spirite of God whiche entreth your hartes wheÌ„ ye beleue the glad tydinges that are preached you in Christe quickeneth your hartes and geueth you life lust and maketh you to do of loue and of your owne accorde without compulsioÌ„ that which the law compelled you to do and daÌ„ned you because ye could not doe with loue and lust and naturally Thus seest thou that the letter signifieth not the litterall sence and the spirite the spirituall sence And Rom. ij Paul vseth this terme Littera for the law And Rom. vij where he setteth it so playne that it the great wrath of God had not blinded them they could neuer haue stombled at it God is a spirite and all his wordes are spirituall His litterall sence is spituall and all his wordes are spiritual When thou readest Math. j. she shall beare a sonne thou shalt cal his name Iesus For he shall saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes This litteral sence is spiritual and euerlasting life vnto as many as beleue it And the litterall sence of these wordes Math. v. blessed are the mercyfull for they shall haue mercy are spirituall and life Wherby they that are mercyfull may of right by the truth and promise of God challenge mercy And like is it of these wordes Math. vj. If you forgeue othermen their sinnes your heauenly father shall forgeue you yours And so is it of all the promises of God Finally all gods wordes are spiritual if thou haue eyes of God to see the right meanyng of the text whereunto y â— Scripture perteyneth the final end and cause therof All the Scripture is either the promises and TestameÌ„t of God in Christ and stories perteining thereunto to strength thy faith either the law and stories perteining therto to feare thee from euil doing There is no story nor gest seme it neuer so simple or so vyle vnto the worlde but that thou shalt finde therein spirite and life and edifieng in the litterall sense For it is gods Scripture written for thy learnyng and comforte There is no cloute or tagge there that hath not precious reliques wrapt therein of fayth hope pacience and long sufferyng and of the truth of God and also of hys righteousnes Set before thee the storie of Ruben which defiled his fathers beo Marke what a crosse God suffered to fal on the necke of his elect Iacob CoÌ„sider first the shame among the heatheÌ„ when as yet there was no moe of the whole world within the Testament of God but he and his houshold I report me to our Prelates which sweare by their honor whether it were a crosse or no. Seest thou not how our wicked bylders rage because they see their bildynges burne now they are tryed by the fire of Gods word and how they stirre vp the whole world to quench the word of God for feare of loosing their honour Then what busines had he to pacifie his children Looke what a do he had at y â— defiling of his daughter Dina. And be thou sure that the brethren there were no more furious for the defiling of their sister then the sonnes heare for defiling of their mother Marke what folowed Ruben to feare other that they shame not their fathers and mothers He was cursed and lost the kyngdome and also the Priestdome and his tribe or generatioÌ„ was euer few in number as it appeareth in the stories of the Bible The adulterie of Dauid with Barsabe is an ensample not to moue vs to euill but if while we folow the way of righteousnes any chaunce driue vs aside that we despayre not For if we saw not such infirmities in Gods elect we which are so weake and fall so oft should vtterly dispaire thinke that God had cleane forsaken vs. It is therfore a sure and an vndoubted conclusion whether we be holy or vnholy we are all sinners But the differeÌ„ce is that Gods sinners consent not to their sinne They consent vnto the law that it is both holy and righteous and mourne to haue their sinne taken away But the deuils sinners consent vnto their sinne and would haue the law and hell taken away and are enemies vnto the righteousnes of God Likewise in the whomely gest of Noe when he was dronke and lay in his tente with hys priuy members open hast thou great edifyeng in the litteral sence Thou seest what became of the curied children of wicked Ham which saw his fathers priuie members and gested therof vnto his brethren Thou seest also what blessing fell on Sem and Iaphet which went backward and couered their fathers members saw them not And thirdly thou seest what infirmitie accompanieth Goâ—s elect be they neuer so holy which yet is not imputed vnto theÌ„ For the fayth trust they haue in God swalloweth vp all their sinnes Notwithstandyng this text offereth vs an apte and an hansome allegory or similitude to describe our wicked Ham Antichrist the Pope which many huÌ„dred yeares hath done all the shame that hart caÌ„ thinke vnto the priâ—ey meÌ„ber of God which is the word of promise or y â— word of faith as Paule calleth it Rom. x. and the Gospell and TestameÌ„t of Christ wherewith we are begotten as thou seest i. Peter i. and Iames. i. And as the cursed children of Ham grew into gyauntes so mightie and great that the children of Israell semed but greshoppers in respect of them so the cursed sonnes of our Ham the Pope his Cardinals Bysshops Abbots Monkes and Friers are become mighty gyauntes aboue all power and authoritie so that the children of faith in respect of them are much lesse then greshoppers They heape mountayne vppon mountayne will to heaueÌ„ by their own strength by away of their owne making not by the way Christ Neuer the latter those gyauÌ„tes for the wickednes abhominatioÌ„s which they had wrought did God vtterly destroy part of them by the childreÌ„ of Loth and part by the children of Esau and seuen nations of them by the children of Israell So no doubt shall he destroy these for like abhominations that shortly For their kyngdome is but the kyngdome of lyes and falshead which must needes perish at
goeth vnto God and vnto the inheritaunce of all his riches testifie all the Apostles and Prophetes all the Scripture with signes and miracles and all y t bloud of Martyrs And who soeuer goeth vnto God and vnto forgeuenesse of sinnes or saluation by any other way then this the same is an hereticke out of the rightway not of Christes Church For this knowledge maketh a man of y e Church And the Church is Christes body Collos i. and euery person of the Church is a member of Christ Ephes 5. Now it is no meÌ„ber of Christ that hath not Christs spirit in it Rom. viij as it is no part of me or member of my body wherein my soule is not present and quickeneth it And then if a man be none of Christes he is not of his Church ¶ How a true member of Christes Church sinneth not and how he is yet a sinner FUrthermore he that hath this fayth can not sinne and therfore can not be deceaued with damnable errours For by this fayth we be as I sayd borne of God Now he that is borne of God can not sinne for his seed dwel leth in him he can not therfore sinne because he is borne of God i. Iohn iij. which seede is the holy ghost that kepeth a mans hart from consenting vnto sinne And therfore it is a false conclusioÌ„ that M. More holdeth how that a maÌ„ may haue a right faith ioyned with all kyndes of abhomination sinne And yet euery member of Christes congregation is a sinner and synneth dayly some more and some lesse For it is written i. Iohn i. if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the truth is not in vs. And agayne if we say we haue not sinned we make hym a liar and his word is not in vs. And Paul Rom. vij sayth that good which I would that do I not but that euill which I would not that do I. So it is not I that do it sayth he but sinne that dwelleth in me Thus are we sinners and no sinners No sinners if thou looke vnto the profession of our hartes toward the law of God on our repentaunce and sorow that we haue both because we haue sinned and also because we be yet full of sinne still and vnto the promises of mercy in our Sauiour Christ and vnto our fayth Sinners are we if thou loke vnto the frail tie of our flesh which is as the weakenesse of one that is newly recouered out of a great disease by y â— reason wher of our dedes are imperfect And by the reason wherof also when occasions be great we fall into horrible dedes and the frute of the sinne which remaineth in our meÌ„bers breaketh out Notwithstanding yet the spirite leaueth vs not but rebuketh vs bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our profession so that we neuer cast of the yocke of God froÌ„ our neckes neither yeld vp our selues vnto sinne for to serue it but fight a fresh and begyn a new battaile ¶ How a Christen man can not erre and how he may yet erre ANd as they sinne not so they erre not And on the other side as they sinne so they erre but neuer vnto death and damnation For they neuer sinne of purpose nor hold any errour maliciously sinnyng against the holy ghost but of weakenesse infirmitie As good obedient childreÌ„ though they loue their fathers commaundements yet breake them oft by the reason of their weakenesse And as they can not yeld them selues bond vnto sinne to serue it eueÌ„ so they can not erre in any thyng that should be agaynst the promises which are in Christ And in other thynges their errours be not vnto damnation though they be neuer so great because they hold them not maliciously As now if some when they read in the new Testament of Christs brethren would thinke that they were our Ladyes children after the byrth of Christ because they know not the vse of speakyng of the Scripture or of the Hebrues how that â—ye kinsineÌ„ be called brethren or happely they might be Iosephes children by some first wife neither can haue any to teach him for tyraÌ„ny that is so great yet could it not hurte him though he dyed therein because it hurteth not the redeÌ„ption that is in Christes bloud For though she had none but Christ I am therfore neuer the more saued neither yet y e lesse though she had had And in such lyke an hundred that plucke not a mans faith from Christ they might erre and yet be neuerthelesse saued no though the contrary were written in the Gospell For as in other sinnes as soone as they be rebuked they repent euen so here assoone as they were better taught they should immediatly knowledge their errour and not resiste But they which maliciously maynteine opinions agaynst the Scripture or that y t caÌ„ not be proued by the Scripture or such as make no matter vnto the Scripture and saluation that is in Christ whether they be true or no and for the blind zeale of them make sectes breakyng y t vnitie of Christes Church for whose sake they ought to suffer all thyng and rise agaynst their neighbours whom they ought to loue as them selues to sleâ— them such men I say are fallen from Christ and make an Idole of their opinions For except they put trust in such opinions and thought them necessarie vnto saluatioÌ„ or with a cankred conscience went about to deceaue for some filthy purpose they would neuer breake the vnitie of fayth or yet slea their brethren Now is this a playne conclusion that both they y t trust in their own works and they also y t put confidence in theyr owne opinions be fallen from Christ and erre from the way of fayth that is in Christes bloud therfore are none of Christes Church because they be not built vpon the rocke of fayth ¶ Fayth is euer assayled and fought with all MOreouer this our fayth which we haue in Christ is euer fought agaynst euer assayled beaten at with besperation not when we sinne only but also in all temptations of aduersitie into which God bringeth vs to nurtour vs and to shew vs our owne hartes the hipocrisie false thoughtes that there lye hid our almost no fayth at all and as little loue euen theÌ„ haply when we thought our selues most perfect of all For when temptations come we can not stand when we haue sinned fayth is feeble when wrong is done vs we can not forgeue in sickenesse in losse of goodes and in all tribulations we be impatient when our neighbour needeth our helpe that We must depart with hym of ours then loue is colde And thus we learne and feele that there is no goodnes nor yet power to do good but of God onely And in all such teÌ„ptatioÌ„s our fayth perisheth not vtterly neither our loue and consent vnto the lawe of God But they
ensamples that are gone before And finally I haue better reasons for my feeling that the Pope is Antichrist then M. More hath for his endeuoring himselfe and captiuing his wits that h◠is the true Church For the church that was the true messenger of God hath euer shewed a signe and a badge therof eyther a present myracle or autentickescripture in so much that Moses when he was sent asked how shall they beleue me God gaue him a signe as euer before and since Neither was there any other cause of the writing of the new last euerlasting testamēt then that when miracles ceased we might haue wherwith to detende our selues against false doctrine and heresies Which we coulde not do if we were bound to beleue that were no where written And agayne if the Pope coulde not erre in his doctrine he coulde not sinne of purpose and profession abhominably and opēly aboue the Turkes and all the heathen that euer were and defend it so maliciously as he hath viij hundred yeares long and will not be reformed and maketh them his Saintes and his defenders y ◠sinne as he doth He persecuteth as the carnall church euer did Whē the scripture is away he proueth his doctrine with the scripture and assoone as the scripture commeth to light he runneth away vnto his sophistrie and vnto his sworde We see also by stories how your confession penaunce pardons are come vppe and whence your purgatory is sprong And your falshead in the sacraments we see by opē scripture And all your workes we rebuke with the scripture and therwith proue that the false beleife that ye couple to them may not stand with the true faith that is in our Sauiour Iesus The second chapter IN the end of y e secōd chapter he bringeth in Euticus that fell out at a window Act. 20. whō saith he S. Paules merites did recouer Verely Paule durst not say so but that Christes merites did it Peter sayth Act. 3. Ye men of Israell why gase ye and stare vppon vs as though we by our power and godlines had made this man go Nay the name of Iesus and faith that is in him hath geuen him strength made him sounde And euen here it was the name of Iesus thorow Paules fayth that did that miracle and not Paules merits though he were neuer so holy The third Chap. IN the iij. chapter he sayth that Bilneyes iudges which he yet nameth not for feare of sclaundering thē were indifferent Nay they that take rewardes be not indifferent For rewardes and giftes blinde the eyes of the seeing and peruert the woordes of the righteous Deut. 17. Now al they that be shoren take great rewardes to defende Pilgrimages Purgatory and praying vnto Saintes euen the third part I trow of all Christendome For all they haue they haue receaued in the name of purgatory and of Saintes on that foundation be all their bishopprickes Abbeyes colledges and Cathedrall churches built If they be indifferent Iudges they must be made seruaunts and do seruice as their dutie is And whē they haue done a quarters seruice then geue them wages as right is vnto euery mā that laboureth in Christes haruest a sufficient liuyng and no more and that in the name of his labour and not of Saintes and so forth And then they shall be more indifferent Iudges when there cōmeth no vauntage to iudge more on one side then an other The fourth Chap. IN the ende of the fourth he saith the man tooke an othe secretly and was dismissed with secret penaunce O ypocrites why dare ye not do it openly The fift Chapter IN the fift the messenger asketh hym whether he were present And hee denyeth and sayth euer hee heard saye Alas Sir why take you bribes to defende that you know not why suffer you not them that were present and to whom the matter perteineth to lye for themselues Then he iesteth out the matter with Wilken and Simken as he doth Hunne and euery thing because men shoulde not consider their falshead earnestly Wherein behold his suttle cōueiaunce He asketh What if Simken would haue sworne that he saw men make those printes Whereunto M. More aunswereth vnder the name of quod he that he would sware that besides the losse of the wager he had lost his honesty and hys soule thereto Beholde this mans grauitie how coulde you that do whē the case is possible You should haue put him to his proues and bid him bring recorde Then sayth he the church receaueth no mā conuict of heresie vnto mercy but of mercy receaueth him to open shame Of such mercy God geue them plenty that are so mercyfull Then he sheweth how mercyful they were to receaue the man to penaūce that abode still in periury and deadly sinne O shamelesse hypocrites how can ye receaue into the congregation of Christ an open obstinate sinner that repētet◠not when ye are commaūded of Christ to cast all such out And agayn O Scribes and Phariseis by what example of Christ and of his doctrine can ye put a man that repenteth vnto opē shame and to that thyng whereby euer after he is had in derision among his brethren of whom he ought to be loued not mocked Ye might enioyne honest thynges to tame his flesh as prayer and fasting and not that which should be to him shame euer after and such as ye your selues would not do The vij Chapter IN the vij chapter he maketh much to do about swearyng and that for a suttle purpose Notwithstandyng the truth is that no iudge ought to make a man sweare agaynst hys will for many inconuenients If a man receaue an office he that putteth hym in the rowme ought to charge him to do it truly and may and happly ought to take an oth of him If a man offer him selfe to beare witnesse the iudge may of some haply ought to take an othe of them but to compell a man to beare witnesse ought he not And Moreouer if a iudge put a man to an othe that he shall aunswere vnto all that he shal be demaūded of he ought to refuse How beit if he haue sworne and thē the wicked iudge aske him of thinges hurtfull vnto his neighbour agaynst the loue that is in Christ then he must repent that he hath sworne but not sinne agayne to fulfill his othe For it is agaynst Gods commaundement that a man should hurt his neighbour that hath not deserued it The viij Chapter VNto Church priest charity grace confession and penaūce is aunswered him in the beginning of the booke And when he sayth Tyndall was confederate with Luther that is not truth The ix Chapter THē his ix chapter is there nothing more foolish For if he would haue any wise man to beleue that my translation would destroy the Masse any otherwise then the Latine or Greeke text he should
2. To pray for all mē and all degrees saying that to bee acceptable vnto our Sauiour God whiche will haue all men saued and come to the knowledge of the truth that is some of al natiōs and all degrees not the Iewes onely For sayth hee there is one God and one mediatour betwene God and man the man Christ Iesus whiche gaue him selfe a redemption and full satisfaction for all men Let this therefore be an vndoubted Article of thy fayth not of an hystorie fayth as thou beleuest a gest of Alexander or of the old Romains but of a liuely fayth and belefe to put thy trust and confidēce in and to by and sell theron as we say and to haue thy sinnes takē away and thy soule saued thereby if thou hold it fast and to continue euer in sinne and to haue thy soule damned if thou let it slip that our Iesus our Saniour that saueth his people from their sinnes our Christ that is our kyng ouer all sinne death and hell annoynted with fulnesse of all grace and with the spirite of God to distribute vnto all men hath accordyng vnto the Epistle to the Hebrues all the scripture in the dayes of his mortall flesh with fastyng praying sufferyng and crying to God mightily for vs with shedyng his bloud made full satisfaction both a poena a culpa with our holy fathers leaue for all the sinnes of the world both of theirs that went before of theirs that come after in the faith whether it be Original sinne or actual not onely the sinnes cōmitted with consent to euill in tyme of ignoraunce before the knowledge of the truth but also the sinnes done of frailtie after we haue forsaken euill and cōsented to the lawes of God in our harts promising to folow Christ and walke in the light of his doctrine Hee saueth his people from their sinnes Math. 1. and that he onely So that there is no other name to be saued by Actes 4. And vnto hym beare all the Prophets recorde that all that beleue in hym shall receaue remission of their sinnes in his name Actes 10. And by him onely we haue an entring in vnto the father and vnto all grace Ephe. 2. 3. and Rom. 5. And as many as come before hym are theues murtherers Iohn 10. That is whosoeuer preacheth any other forginenesse of sinne then through fayth in hys name the same slayeth the soule This to be true not onely of originall but of actual and aswel of that we commit after our profession as before mayst thou euidently see by the ensamples of the Scripture Christ forgaue the woman taken in adulterie Iohn 8 and an other whom be healed Iohn 5 And he forgaue Publicanes and open sinners and put none to do penaunce as they call it for to make satisfactiō for the sinne which he forgaue through repentaunce fayth but enioyned them the lyfe of penaunce the profession of their Baptisme to tame the flesh in kepyng the commaundementes and that they should sinne no more And those sinners were for the most part Iewes and had their Originall sinne forgiuen them before through fayth in the Testament of God Christ forgaue his Apostles their actuall sinnes after their professiō which they committed in denyeng hym put none to do penaunce for satisfactiō Peter Actes 2. absolueth the Iewes thorough repentaunce and fayth from their actuall sinnes whiche they dyd in consentyng vnto Christes death and enioyned them no penaūce to make satisfaction Paul also had his actuall sinnes forgiuen hym frely thorough repentaunce and fayth without mention of satisfactiō Actes 9. So that accordyng vnto this present texte of Iohu If it chaūce vs to sinne of frailtie let vs not dispayre for we haue an aduocate and intercessour a true attorney with the father Iesus Christ righteous toward God and man and is the reconcilyng and satisfaction for our sinnes For Christes workes are perfect so that he hath obtained vs all mercy and hath set vs in the full state of grace and fauour of God and hath shade vs as welbeloued as the aungels of heauen though we be yet weake As the yoūg childrē though they can do no good at all are yet as tenderly beloued as the old And God for Christes sake hath promised that whatsoeuer euil we shal do yet if we turne and repent he will neuer more thinke on our sinnes Thou wilt say God forgiueth the displeasure but we must suffer payne to satisfie the righteousnes of God A then God hath a righteousnes whiche may not forgeue paine al y t the poore sinner shuld go skotfre without ought at all God was vnrighteous to forgiue the theefe his payne and all thorough repentaunce faith vnto whom for lack of laysure was no penasice enioyned And my faith is that whatsoeuer exāple of mercy God hath shewed one that same he hath promised all ye will he peraduenture forgiue me but I must make amendes If I owe you xx l. ye will forgiue me that is ye will no more be angry with me but I shal pay you the. xx poundes O Popishe forgiuenesse with whom it goeth after the common prouerbe no peny no pardon His fatherhode giueth pardō frely but we must pay money aboundantly Paules doctrine is Rom. 9. if a man worke it ought not to be sayd that his hyre was giuē hym of grace or fauour but of dutie But to hym that worketh not but beleueth in hym that iustifieth the vngodly his faith he sayth not his workes although he commaundeth vs diligently to worke and despiseth none that God commaūdeth his faith saith hee is rekened hym for hys righteousnes Confirmyng his saying with the testimonie of the prophet Dauid in the 32. Psalme saying Blessed is the man vnto whō God imputeth or rekeneth not his sinne that is to say which man although he be a sinner yet God layeth not it to his charge for his faithes sake And in the. xi hee sayth If it come of grace then it cōmeth not of works For then were grace no grace sayth he For it was a very straunge speakyng in Paules cares to call that grace that came of deseruyng of workes Or that deseruyng of workes whiche came by grace for he rekened workes grace to be contrary in such maner of speach But our holy father hath coupled thē together of pure liberalitie I dare say not for couetousnes For as his holynesse if hee haue a cause agaynst any man immediatly bretheth out an excommunication vppon hym and will haue satisfaction for the vttermost farthing and somwhat aboue to teach thē to beware agaynst an other tyme yet he will blesse agayne from the terrible sentence of his heauy curse euen so of that blessed complection hee describeth the nature of the mercy of God that God will remitte his anger to vs vppon the appointment of our satisfaction When the Scripture sayth Christ is our
it is the gift of God and commeth not of workes lest any man should bost him selfe But we are his workemanshyp created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes vnto whiche God ordeined vs before that we shuld walke in them The text is playne we were stone dead and without lyfe or power to do or consent to good The whole nature of vs was captiue vnder the deuill and led at his will And we were as wicked as the deuill now is Except that hee now sinneth agayne the holy ghost and we consented vnto sinne with soule and body and hated the law of God But God of his grace onely quickened vs in Christ and raysed vs out of that death and made vs sit with Christ in heauenly thynges That is he set our hartes at rest and made vs sit fast in the lyfe of Christes doctrine and vnmoueable frō the loue of Christ And finally we are in this our second byrth Gods workemāshyp and creation in Christ so that as hee which is yet vnmade hath no life nor power to worke no more had we till we were made agayne in Christ The preachyng of mercy in Christ quickened our hartes through faith wrought by the spirit of Christ which God poured into our hartes yer we wist Dearely beloued if God so loued vs then ought we loue one an other If we felt the loue of God in Chrisles bloud we could not but loue agayne not onely God and Christ but also all that are bought with Christes bloud If we loue God for the pleasures that we receaue then loue we our selues But if we loue hym to do hym pleasure agayne that can we no otherwise do then in louing our neighbours for his sake them that are good to continue them in their goodnes them that are euill to draw them to good Loue is the instrument wherewith fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes fashioneth vs lyke the image of God and certifieth vs that we so are And therfore commaundeth Christ Math. v. Loue your enemyes Blesse thē that curse you pray for them that persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your heauenly father whiche maketh his sunne rise ouer good and bad and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust ye whiche made the sunne of his mercy shyne vpō vs and sent the rayne of the bloud of his deare and onely child vppon our soules to quicken vs and to make vs see loue to loue agayne No man hath at any tyme sene God If we loue one an other God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Though we can not see God yet if we loue one an other we be sure that he abydeth in vs and that his loue is perfect in vs that is that we loue hym vnfaynedly For to loue God truly to giue him thankes is onely to loue our neighbour for his sake For vppon his person thou canst bestow no benefite And for as much as we neuer saw God let vs make no image of him nor doe hym any imageseruice after our own imagination but let vs go to the scripture that hath sene hym and there wete what fashion he is of and what seruice he wil be serued with Blind reason sayth God is a kerued post and wil be serued with a candle But Scripture sayth God is loue wil be serued with loue If thou loue thy neighbour thē art thou the image of God thy self and he dwelleth in the liuing temple of thine hart And thy louing of thy neighbour for hys sake is hys seruice and worshyp in the spirite and a cādle that burneth before hym in thyne hart and casteth out the light of good workes before the world draweth all to God and maketh his enemyes leaue their euill and come and worshyp him also Hereby we know that we abyde in him and he in vs. For he hath giuen vs of his spirite He that hath not Christes spirit the same is none of his Roma 8. If we haue the spirite of God then are we sure But how shall we know whether we haue the spirite Aske Iohn and he will say if we loue one an other And we haue sene and do testifie that the father hath sent hys sonne the sauiour of the worlde Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in hym dwelleth God and he in God And we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. First the Apostles taught no fables but that they saw and receaued of God by the witnesse of his spirite Secondaryly Iohn ascēdeth vp stepe higher from loue to fayth and sayth he that be leueth that Iesus is Gods sonne hath God in hym And I doubt not but the Pope and his defēders will aunswere Iohn and say then the deuil hath God in hym and is also in God For other fayth then such as the deuill hath felt they neuer any But Iohn preuenteth them we haue knowē and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. That is we beleue not onely with story fayth as men beleue old Chronicles but we beleue the loue and mercy that GOD shewed vs and put our trust and confidence therein And so taketh Scripture belefe we beleue that Iesus is the sonne of God made man and slayne for our sinnes which is a tokē of great loue And that loue beleue we trust therto Where Paule sayth i. Cor. xij No man can cal Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym But thorough the holy ghost he meaneth not with the mouth onely but in the hart with vnfayned fayth putting his hope trust in the Lordshyp which he hath ouer sinne damnation hell and death For so could no man call Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym as Christ saith Math. xvi flesh bloud shewed thee not that But yet how shall I see my fayth I must come downe to loue agayne thence to the workes of loue yer I can see my faith Not alway but sometime thou shalt fecle thy fayth without the outward deede as in great aduersitie and persecution when the deuil assaulteth thee with desperation and layeth thy sinnes before thee would beare the in hād that God had cast the away and left the succourles for thy synnes sake Then commeth fayth forth with her shielde and turneth backe agayne the dartes of the deuill and aunswereth Nay for Iesus is y ◠sonne of God yea and my very God and my very Lord and hath takē away my sinnes all dānation And this trouble aduersitie which is come vpō me by settyng of thee and on of thy lymmes is onely to make me feele the mercy of my father and his power and helpe within in my soule and to slay the rest of the poyson which remaineth in the flesh God is loue and he that abydeth in loue abydeth in God and God in hym This haue we heard aboue and it is easie to be vnderstand Herefore is loue perfect with vs
it or to read in it To beleue that Iesus is Christe is to beleue in Christ that is to beleue earnestly and to put all thy trust therein and to lay the price of thy soule therupon that the sonne of Marie whom the aungell coÌ„maunded to be called Iesus because he shuld saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes is that Christ that Messias and that annoynted whiche God promised the fathers should come and blesse all nations and annoynt them with the oyle of his spirite with mercy and grace and to deliuer them froÌ„ death of their soules whiche is the consentyng to sinne and to make them a lyue with consentyng vnto the law of God and in certifiyng theÌ„ that they be the sonnes of God And to put the whole trust in all that he suffred in his fleshe for thy sake and in all promises of mercy that are in hym and that thou be full persuaded that there is no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men to be saued froÌ„ sinne by or to purchase forgiuenesse of the lest synne that euer was coÌ„mitted An other conclusion is this whosoeuer loueth God loueth all that beleue in God For all that loue hym that begetteth loue them that are begotten of him and all that beleue in God are begotten of God through that belefe and made his sonnes theÌ„ al that loue God loue all that beleue in God An other conclusion is this When we loue God and his law theÌ„ we loue the sonnes of God Which is this wise proued The loue of God is to keepe the law of God by the text before and after the law of GOD is to loue our neighbours therfore if we loue God in kepyng his lawes we must needes loue the sonnes of God But Iohn should seme to be a very negligeÌ„t disputer to many men in that he here certifieth vs of the loue of our neighbours by the loue of God when aboue hee certifieth vs that we loue God because we loue our neighbours Hee semeth to doe as I heard once a great Clerke in Oxford stand halfe an houre in a pulpit to proue that Christ was a true Prophet by the testimonie of Iohn Baptist and an other halfe houre to proue Iohn y t Baptist a true Prophet by the authoritie of Christ as we say claw me claw thee and as euery these might lightly proue him selfe a true man in bearyng recorde to an other as false as he and takyng recorde of the same agayne Which kynde of disputyng schole men call Petitiâ— prâ—ncipij the prouyng of two certaine thynges eche by the other and is no prouyng at all as our holy father proueth the authoritie of Scripture by hys decrees for the Scripture is not autentike but as his decrees admit it to make his decrees shyne and appeare glorious and to obtaine authoritie he allegeth the Scripture after his iugglyng maner to make fooles starke mad But it is not so here for both the demonstrations are certaine both the proffe of the loue of God and his law by the loue of my neighbour and the proofe of the loue of my neighbour by the loue of God and his law For wheÌ„ ij thynges are so ioyned together that they can not be separated then the presence of the one vttereth the presence of the other whether soeuer thou first seest As if I see fire I am sure that some thyng doth burne And if I smell burnyng I am certified of fire Euen so the loue of God is the cause why I loue my neighbour and my loue toward my neighbour is the effect of the loue of God And these two loues are euer inseperable so that whether soeuer I feele first the same certifieth me of the other Iohn calleth the loue of a maÌ„s neighbour the deedes of loue after the Hebrue speach as to helpe at neede For the deede declareth what the man is within Neither can my loue to God fayth be sene to the world saue thorough the workes And by the workes doth Christ commaunde vs to iudge So that if a maÌ„ haue euill workes and continueth therin he loueth not God nor knoweth God no though he call hym selfe master doctour or Gods vicare Neither vnderstandeth he Gods word for all his high diuinitie but is in all hys preachyng an hypocrite a false Prophet and a lyer though hys preachyng please the world neuer so well Neuerthelesse a man is certified that he loueth God yer he come at the worke by the testimonie of the spirite which is giueÌ„ him in earnest The spirite sayth Paule Roma viij testifieth vnto our spirite that we be the sonnes of God and then it testifieth that we beleue in God for thorough fayth are we sonnes And then it certifieth me that I loue God For fayth and loue are inseparable The spirite thorough fayth certifieth my conscience that my sinnes are forgiueÌ„ and I receaued vnder grace and made the very sonne of God and beloued of God And theÌ„ naturally myne hart breaketh out into the loue of God agayne I seke how to vtter my loue and to do God some pleasure And because I can neither do seruice or pleasure vnto his owne person my neighbour is set before me to do God seruice and pleasure in him to be to him as Christ is to me because he is my brother bought with Christs bloud as I am And I consent vnto that law and loue it yer I come at the dede and long after the dede And then wheÌ„ I loue my neighbour in the deede accordyng to this law I am sure that I loue hym truly Or els if I examined not my loue by this law I might be deceaued For some loue their neighbours for pleasure profite glorie and for their doyng seruice onely as our spiritualtie loue vs and of that blessed loue do their busie cure to keepe vs in darkenes which loue is a signe that a man hateth God and hys neighbour therto and loueth him selfe onely But Gods law is that I should absteine from myne owne pleasure and profite and become my neighbours seruaunt and bestow lyfe and goodes vpoÌ„ hym after the example of Christ Wherfore if I loue my neighbour out of the loue of Christ and after the example of hys law I am sure that I loue him truly And his commaundementes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde and this is the victory that ouercommeth the world eueÌ„ our faith To loue is not paynefull the commaundementes are but loue therfore they be not greuous because loue maketh the commaundements easie The seruice that a mother doth vnto her child is not greuous because she loueth it But if she should do the tenth part vnto one that she loued not her hart would brast for impacience Vnto a maÌ„ that fetleth not the loue of Christ it is as impossible to keepe the commaundementes as for a Camell to enter through the eye of a nedle But
them but my merite is the fayth of Iesus Christ onely by whiche fayth such workes are good accordyng to the wordes of our Lord Mat. xxv I was hongry and thou gauest me to eate and it foloweth that ye haue done to the least of my brethrē ye haue done to me c. and euer we should cōsider the true sentēce that a good worke maketh not a good man but a good man maketh a good woorke for fayth maketh the man both good and righteous for a righteous man lyueth by fayth Rom. i. and what soeuer spryngeth not out of fayth is sinne Rom. xiiij And all my tēporall goodes that I haue not geuen or deliuered or not geuen by writing of mine own hand bearing the date of this present writyng I do leaue and geue to Margarete my wife and to Richard my sonne which I make mine executours witnes this myne owne hand the x. day of October in the xxij yeare of the raigne of kyng Henry the eight Tyndall NOw let vs examine the partes of this Testament sentence by sentēce First to commit our selues to God aboue all is the first of all preceptes the first stone in the foundatiō of our faith that we beleue put our trust in one God one all true one almighty all good all mercifull cleauing fast to his truth might mercy and goodnes surely certified fully persuaded that he is our God yea ours to vs all true without all falshead guile can not fayle in his promises And to vs almighty that his will can not be let to fulfill all y e truth that he hath promised vs. And to vs all good and all mercyfull what soeuer we haue done and how soeuer greuously we haue trespassed so that we come to hym the way that he hath appointed which way is Iesus Christ onely as we shal see folowingly This first clause then is the first commaūdement or at the least the first sentēce in the first commaundement and the first Article of our Crede And that this trust and confidēce in the mercy of God is thorough Iesus Christ is the secōd article of our Crede confirmed and testified throughout all scripture That Christ bringeth vs into this grace Paule proueth Rom. v. saying Iustified by fayth we are at peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom we haue an entryng in vnto this grace in which we stand And Ephes iij. By whom sayth Paule we haue a bold entring in thorough the fayth that is in him and in the second of the sayd Epistle By him we haue an entring in vnto the father and a litle before in the same Chapter he is our peace And Iohn in the first Chapter Behold the Lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinne of the world which sinne was the bush that stopped the entryng in and kept vs out the sword wherewith was kept the entryng vnto the tree of lyfe from Adam and all his ofspryng And in the second of the first of Peter which bare our sinnes in his body and by whose stripes we are made whole By whom we haue redemptiō through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of our sinnes Collos i. Ephes i. And Rom. iiij He was deliuered for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustifyeng And concernyng the resurrection it is an article of our fayth and proued there sufficiently and that it shal be by the power of Christ is also the open Scripture Iohn vj. This is the will of my father which sent me that I lose nothing of all that he hath geuen me but that I rayse it vp agayne in the last day and agayn I am the resurrectiō Iohn xi That this liuely faith is sufficient to iustification without addyng to of any more helpe is this wise proued The promiser is God of whom Paul sayth Rom. viij If God be on our side what matter maketh it who be agaynst vs he is thereto all good all mercyfull all true and all mighty wherfore sufficiēt to be beleued by his othe more ouer Christ in whom the promise is made hath receaued all power in heauen and in earth Math. the last He hath also a perpetuall Priesthode and therfore able perpetually to saue Heb. vij And that there is but one mediatour Christ as Paul i. Tim. ij And by that word vnderstand an attonemaker a peace maker and brynger into grace and fauour hauyng full power so to do And that Christ is so is proued at the full It is written Iohn iij. The father loueth the sonne and hath geuē all into his hand And he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe and he that beleueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God bydeth vpon hym All things are geuē me of my father Luke x. And all who soeuer call on the name of the Lord shal be saued Actes ij Of his fulnes haue we al receaued Ioh. i. There is no other name geuen to mā in which we must be saued Actes iiij And agayne vnto his name beare all the Prophets record that by his name shall all that beleue in him receaue remission Actes x. In hym dwelleth all the fulnes of God bodely Collos ij All what soeuer my father hath are myne Iohn xvj What soeuer ye aske in my name that will I do for you Iohn xiiij One Lord one fayth one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all through all and in you all Ephes iiij There is but one whose seruaunt I am to do his will But one that shall pay me my wages there is but one to whom I am boūde Ergo but one that hath power ouer me to dāne or saue me I will adde to this Paules Argument Balat iij. GOD sware vnto Abraham cccc yeare before the law was geuen that we should be saued by Christ Ergo the law geuen cccc yeares after can not disanull that couenaunt So dispute I Christ whē he had suffered his passiō and was risen agayne and entred into his glory was sufficient for his Apostles without any other meane or helpe Ergo the holynes of no Saint since hath diminished ought of that his power but that he is as full sufficient now for the promise is as deepely made to vs as to them Moreouer the treasure of his mercy was layde vp in Christ for all that should beleue yer the world was made Ergo nothyng that hath happened sence hath chaunged the purpose of the inunuariable God Moreuer to exclude the blynd imagination falsely called fayth of them that geue them selues to vice without resistence affirmyng that they haue no power to do otherwise but that God hath so made them and therfore must saue them they not entendyng or purposing to mende their liuyng but sinning with whole consent and full lust he declareth what fayth he meaneth ij maner of wayes First by that he saith who soeuer beleueth and is Baptised shal be
spite of all the enemies of his trueth There falleth not an heare till his houre be come and when his houre is come necessitie caryeth vs hence though we be not willing But if we be willing then haue we a reward and thanke Feare not threatning therfore neither be ouercome with sweete wordes with which twayne the hipocrites shall assayle you Neither let the perswasions of worldly wisedome beare rule in your hart No though they be your frendes that counsayle you Let Bilney be a warning to you Let not their visure beguile your eyes Let not your body saint He that endureth to the ende shall be saued If the payne be aboue your strength remember Whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name I will geue it you And pray to your father in that name and he will ease your payne or shorten it The Lord of peace of hope and of fayth be with you Amen William Tyndall TWo haue suffered in Antwarpe In die sancta Crucis vnto the great glory of the Gospell foure at Riselles in Flaunders and at Luke hath there one at the least suffered and all ni y e same day At Roan in Fraunce they persecute And at Paris are fiue doctours taken for the Gospell Sée you are not alone Be cherefull and remember that among the hard harted in England there is a number reserued by grace for whose sakes if neede be you must be ready to suffer Syr if you may write how short so euer it be forget it not that we may knowe how it goeth with you for our hartes ease The Lord be yet agayne with you with all his plenteousnes and fill you y e you flow ouer Amen If when you haue read this you may send it to Adrian doe I pray you that he may know how that our hart is with you George Ioye at Candelmasse being at Barrow Printed two leaues of Genesis in a greate forme and sent one Copy to the King and an other to the newe Quéene with a letter to N. for to deliuer them and to purchase liceÌ„ce y e he might so goe through all the Bible Out of that is sprong the noyse of the new Bible and out of that is the greate séeking for Englishe bookes at all Printers Booke bynders in Antwarpe and for an English Priest y e shoulde Printe This chaunced the ix day of May. Syr your wife is well content with the will of God and would not for her sake haue y e glory of God hindred William Tyndall An other notable and worthy Letter of maister William Tyndall sent to the sayd Iohn Frith vnder the name of Iacob ¶ The grace of our Sauiour Iesus his pacience mekenes humblenes circumspection and wisedome be with your hart Amen DEarely beloued brother Iacob myne hartes desire in our Sauiour Iesus is that you arme your selfe with pacieÌ„ce and be cold sober wise and circumspect that you keepe you alow by the ground auoydyng hygh questions that passe the common capacitie But expounde the law truly and open the vayle of Moses to condemne all flesh and proue all meÌ„ sinners and all deedes vnder the law before mercy haue taken away the condeÌ„nation ther of to be sinne and damnable And then as a faythfull Minister set abroch the mercy of our Lord Iesus and let the wounded coÌ„sciences drinke of the water of him And then shall your preachyng be with power and not as the doctrine of the hypocrites and the spirite of God shall worke with you and all coÌ„sciences shall beare recorde vnto you feele y t it is so And all doctrine that casteth a miste on those two to shadow and hyde them I meane the law of God and mercy of Christ that resist you withall your power Sacraments without significatioÌ„ refuse If they put significations to them receiue them if you see it may helpe though it bee not necessarie Of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament medle as litle as you can that there appeare no diuision amoÌ„g vs. Barnes will be whote agaynst you The Saxons be â—ore on the affirmatiue whether constant or obstiuate I omit it to God Philippe Melancton is sayd to be with the French king There be in Antwerpe that say they saw him come into Paris with an c. and l. horses and that they spake with hym If the Frenchmen receiue the worde of God hee will plant the affirmatiue in them George Ioye would haue put foorth a treatise of the matter but I haue stopt hym as yet what he will doe if he get money I wotte not I beleue he wold make many reasoÌ„s litle seruyng to the purpose My mynde is that nothyng be put forth till we heare how you shal haue spede I would haue the right vse preached and the presence to be an indiffereÌ„t thyng till the matter might be reasoned in peace at laysure of both parties If you be required shew the phrases of the Scripture and let them talke what they will For as to beleue y t God is euery where hurteth no maÌ„ that worshyp him no where but within in the hart in spirite and verity eueÌ„ so to beleue that the body of Christ is euery where though it can not be proued hurteth no man that worshippeth hym no where saue in the fayth of hys Gospell You perceiue my minde how beit if God shew you otherwise it is free for you to do as he moueth you I gessed long ago that God would send a dasing into the head of the spiritualtie to be catched theÌ„ selues in their owne subtiltie and I trust it is come to passe And now me thinketh I smel a counsayle to be takeÌ„ litle for their profites in time to come But you must vnderstand that it is not of a pure hart for loue of the truth but to aduenge theÌ„ selues and to eate the Whores flesh to suck the marow of her bones Wherfore cleaue fast to the rocke of the helpe of God commit the end of all things to hym and if God shall call you that you may then vse the wisedome of the worldly as farre as you perceiue the glory of God may come therof refuse it not and euer among thrust in that the Scripture may bee in the mother toung and learning set vp in the Vniuersities But and if ought be required contrary to the glory of God and hys Christ theÌ„ stand fast and commit your selfe to God and bee not ouercome of mens persuasions which happely shal say we see no other way to bryng in the truth Brother Iacob beloued in my hart there lyueth not in whom I haue so good hope and trust and in whoÌ„ myne hart reioyseth and my soule comforteth her selfe as in you not the thousand part so much for your learnyng and what other giftes els you haue as that you wil crepe alow by the ground and walke in those thinges that the conscience
damnation to rewarde Briefly her meditations and her thoughtes are heauenly and all that shée doth is spirituall For shée can not erre shée cleaueth so fast to the worde of God that is the veritie And for this cause S. Paule calleth her the piller and grounde of truth not that shée is so sure of and in her owne strength but that shée sticketh so fast to the lyuyng God and to hys blessed worde that is the very true Church that is scattered thorow all the worlde and is neyther bounde to person by the reason of dignitie nor yet to any place by the reason of fayned holynes but shée is a frée thynge thorow all the worlde as S. Augustine doth witnesse in these wordes The holy Church are wée but I doe not say as one should say wée that bée here alonely that heare mée now but as many as be here faythfull Christened mē in this Church that is to say in thys Citye as many as bée in thys region as many as bée beyonde the sea as many as bée in all the worlde for from the rysing of the sunne till the goyng down is the name of God praysed so is the holy Church our mother c. Here haue you playnely that the holy Church is the congregation of faythfull men wheresoeuer they bée in the worlde And neyther the Pope nor yet hys Cardinalles bée more this Church or of thys Church then the poorest man in earth For this church standeth alonely in the spirituall faith of Christ Iesus and not in dignities nor honours of the worlde as Liranus doth declare in these wordes The Church doth not stand in men by reason of spirituall power or secular dignities For many Princes and many Popes and other inferiour persons haue swerned frō the fayth Wherfore that Church doth stand in those persons in whome is the true knowledge and confession of fayth and of veritie c. O my Lordes what will you say to Lyra I haue great maruayle that you burne hym not It is hye tyme to condemne hym for an heretike for hée speaketh agaynst your lawe xxiiij q. 1. Quodcunque Where as your glose declareth that God suffereth not the church of Rome for to erre And Lyra sayth playnely that many popes haue erred and also that the Church standeth not in dignitie but in confession of Christ and of hys blessed veritie But now here wyll bée obiected that I fayne such a Church as our Logitions doe intentionem secundam that is a thyng y t is no where Where shall a man finde a Church that is so pure and so cleane that hath neyther spot nor wrinckle in her and that is wythout all sinne séeyng that all men must of trueth saye forgéeue vs our trespasse And if any man say bée hée neuer so righteous that hée hath no sinne thē is hee a lyer and there is no veritie in hym To thys I aunswere that thys holy Church hath sin in her yet is shée pure and cleane Marke S. Paules wordes Christe hath geuen hymselfe for her that hée might make her glorious So that the cleannes of this holy church is the mercy of God toward her thorow Christ for whose sake he layeth nothing to her charge yea and if any other person woulde hée is ready to géeue her his cleanes and to let her by fayth clayme of right hys purenes for her owne For betwéene them all is common as betwéene man and wyfe So that if the Church looke on her owne merites and of her owne workes shée is full of sinne and must néedes say demitte mihi debita The which shée néeded not to say if shée had none But if shée referre her selfe vnto the merites of her blessed husbande Christ Iesus and to the cleanes that shée hath in hys bloud thē is shée without spotte For by the reason that shée sticketh by fayth so fast vnto her husband Christ and doth abyde in confession of her sinne requireth mercy for them therfore is there nothing layde to her charge but all thyng is forgéeuen her And therefore sayth S. Paule there is no damnation vnto them that bée in Christ Iesu And that this may bée the playner I wyll bryng you S. Augustines wordes the which was vexed of the Donatistes wyth thys same reason that is layd agaynst mée hys wordes bée these The whole Church sayth forgéeue vs our sinnes wherefore shée hath spottes and wrinckles but by knowledging of them her wrinckles bée extended and stretched out by knowledging her spottes are washed away The church abydeth in prayer that shée myght bée clēsed by knowledging of her sinnes As lōg as we liue hereso standeth it and when wée shall departe out of thys bodye all such thynges bée forgéeuen to euery mā wherfore by thys meane y ◠church of God is in the treasures of God wythout spotte and wrinckles and therefore here doe wée not lyue wythout sinne but wee shall passe from hence wythout sinne c. Here haue you clearely that the church of God is clensed and purified by Christ for knowledgyng of her sinnes and not by her owne purenes Wherefore such a church there must néedes bée though that y e carnall eye can not sée her nor fleshly reason can iudge of her Wherefore wée beléeue thys article by fayth that holy church is a communion or felow shyp of holy men and know it not by séeyng or féelyng as wée doe the felowshyp of Drapers or mercers for then were it none article of the faith And it is playne that all your exterior signes wyth all your holy ornamentes as your holy myters your holy crossestaues your holy pyllers polaxis your holy red gloues your holy ouches and your holy rynges your holy annoynted fingers your holy vestmentes your holy challices and your holy golden showes yea take also to helpe you S. Thomas of Canterburyes holy showe wyth all the holy bootes of holy Monkes and all these togither can not make one crumme of holynes in you nor helpe you one pricke forward that you may bée wythin thys church For if these thynges coulde helpe then were it no mastery to make an Asse to bée of the church of God But our holy mother the Church hath an other holynes that commeth from God the father thorough the swéete bloud of his blessed sonne Iesus Christ in whom is all her confidence and trust Vnto whom she sticketh onely by sted fast fayth by whose purenes shee is also pure in that that she doth confesse her vnclennes for shee beléeueth stedfastly that she hath an aduocate for her sinne to y e father of heauen which is Christ Iesus and hée is the satisfaction for her sinnes hée of his mercy not of her merites hath chosen her for to bée his and because she is his therfore must she bée cleane so long as she abideth in him This is well declared in S. Iohn where our master Christe is
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
bée thou content with their expositions serch thou no further it doth not become thée to know it But now if hée wyll laye to your charge that this thyng is opeÌ„ly writin scripture and the wordes of Moyses and of Paule bée playne therfore you must aunswere to them And it shall bée as lawful and as necessary for hym to know the minde of holy scripture as the expositioÌ„ of S. Hierome or of M. Duns Scripture saith plainly that God doth indurate Pharaos hart and not Pharao his owne hart It is a new exposition to say I will indurate Pharaos hart that shall bée as much as Pharao shall indurate himselfe thorough my softnes and patience By this rule shal Anaragoras Philosophy come in place that shall make of euery thing what hée wyll And where as scripture sayth Saul Saul why dooste thou persecute mée Shall bée as much to say as why sufferest thou mée to bée persecuted Also the father of heauen sent hys onely sonne into the worlde shall bée as much to say as hée suffered his sonne to bée sent So that wée shal expounde all places of Scripture to our owne purpose and not to looke what is the sentence of holy Scripture nor yet what the mynde of the holy ghost is but what expositioÌ„ will please vs best and what will best serue to our carnall minde Furthermore if God doe harden mens hartes when hée suffereth and when hée is softe and sheweth mercy then did hée harden the hartes of the Iewes wheÌ„ he brought them out of Egypt into wildernesse then did hée harden them when hée brought them out of the captiuitie of Babylon then hardeneth hée all the worlde whom hée suffereth in great softnes and mercy Also after your exposition hée was mercifull to Israell when hée sent them into BabyloÌ„ For there dyd hée chasten them and by afflictions prouoked them to repentaunce Likewise the father of heauen had no mercy on the worlde wheÌ„ hée sent his sonne for of that hée gaue mâ—n an occasion of induratioÌ„ But when hée hée damneth the sinners then by your rule hath he mercy on them for he chasteneth and punisheth them for their sinnes This is your rule of induration and no maÌ„ may say against it Miserere may not signifie to geeue grace nor to remitte sinne but to chastice and to scourge and by paines prouoke to repentaunce And indurare shall not signifie to harden but to suffer and to bée patient and to bée merâ—â—ull and not to chastice But maisters how was God mercifull vnto Pharao by softenes by sufferaunce whome hée chastened so sore with ten plagues and wyth such plagues as Moyses marueyled of Call you that softnes was that suffering of Pharao was that an occasion of induratioÌ„ by patience easines by sufferauÌ„ce God send his aduersaries of that patience and of that sufferaunce I pray you how coulde God chastice hym more and yet at euery plague he sayth I will indurate Pharaos hart Wherefore Pharao had none occasion of induration by sufferaunce and patience of God but rather by his scourging Wherfore there must bée an other sence in these wordes then you doe make and wee must séeke out an other waye to know how God doth worke induration in mens hartes such wordes doth the holy ghost vse therfore dare wée speake them And how hée is y â— doer both of good and euil and yet all thynges that hee doth is well done Fyrst you must néedes graunt that after the fall of Adam the pure nature of man was corrupted by sinne whereby wée bee all wicked and borne as S. Paule sayth by nature the children of wrath and as Dauid sayth wee are all conceiued in sinne Notwithstanding of this corrupt nature doth God make all meÌ„ both good and bad Those that bee good be good by hys grace Those that bée badde bee badde of corrupted nature and yet God hath made them Neuerthelesse by nature they are of the same goodnes and no better theÌ„ nature is that is to say euill but yet the creation of God and his workemanship is good thouth the thyng bee euill in it selfe yet is Gods worke before hymselfe good though all the worlde say naye Nowe God of hys infinite power doth rule and guide all maner of men both good and badde and all meÌ„ by his infinite power are moued vnto operations but euery man after his nature As after your owne philosophy Primum mobile by the reasoÌ„ of his swifte motioÌ„ caryeth all the inferiour thinges with him suffereth nothing to bee vnmoued notwithstaÌ„ding hee moueth all thynges after their owne naturall course So likewise God of his infinite power letteth nothyng to bée exemted from hym bâ—t all thynges to bee subiecte vnto his action and nothing can be done by them but by his principall motion so that hee worketh in all maner of thynges that bee eyther good or bad not chaunging their nature but mouinge them alonely to worke after their nature so that god worketh good and euill worketh euil and God vseth them both as instrumentes and yet doth hee nothynge euill but euill is done alonely thorowe the euill man God working by hym but not euill as by an instrument Take an example A man doth sawe a blocke with an euil sawe The which is nothyng apte for to cut wel and yet must it néedes cut at the mouing of the man though it bée neuer so euill for the man in mouing doth not chaunge the nature of the sawe Neuerthelesse the action of y e man is good and cunningly done but the cutting of the sawe is after his nature So likewise God moueth these euyll instrumentes to working and by his common influence geuen to all creatures suffereth them not to bee idle but he chaungeth not their nature Wherfore their operation is a fruite conuenient for their corrupted nature but yet there is no faulte in Gods mouinge Here haue you now howe God workes all thynges in all men both good and bad But now let vs goe to the induration of them that bée euill Thus is it First they bée euill by nature and can abyde nothyng that is good nor yet suffer any good to bée done Wherefore when God the author of goodnesse doth any thyng or sayth any thyng vnto them then are they more and more sorer and sorer contrary vnto God and to all hys workes for of their nature they are so corrupted and can not agrée to the will of God nor to any thynge that is good but when it is offered them either in word or déede theÌ„ blaspheme they then withstaÌ„d they with all theyr might with all their power then are they prouoked of their corrupted nature to more mischief and more and alwayes harder and harder As for an example when the blessed word of God is preached vnto them that bée wicked to whom God hath geuen no grace to receiue it then are they nothyng amended but more indurated and alwayes harder
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
and God deliuered you and hath brought you vnto a land where ye bee at home Loue the straunger therefore for his sake In the xj he exhorteth them to loue and feare God and rehearceth the terrible dedes of God vpoÌ„ his enemyes on them that rebelled agaynst hym And he testifieth vnto them both what wil folow if they loue and feare God and what also if they despise hym and breake his commaundement In the xij hee commaundeth to put out of the way all that might be an occasion to hurt the fayth and forbiddeth to do ought after their owne myndes or to alter the word of God In the xiij he forbiddeth to herken vnto ought saue vnto Gods word no though he whiche counseleth contrary should come with miracles as Paule doth vnto the Galathians In the xiiij the beasts are forbidden partly for vncleannesse of them and partly to cause hate betwene the heathen and them that they haue no conuersation together in that one abhorreth what the other eateth Vnto this xv chapter all pertaine vnto faith and loue chiefly And in this xv hee begynneth to entreate more specially of thinges pertainyng vnto the common welth and equitie and exhorteth vnto the loue of a mans neighbour And in the xvj among other he forgetteth not the same And in the xvij he entreateth of right and equitie chiefly in so much that when hee looketh vnto faith and vnto the punishment of Idolaters hee yet endeth in a law of loue and equitie forbiddyng to condemne any man vnder lesse then two witnesses at the lest and commaundeth to bryng the trespassers vnto the open gate of the citie where all men go in and out that all men might heare the cause and see that he had but right But the Pope hath founde a better way euen to oppose him with out any accuser and that secretly that no man know whether hee haue right or no either heare his Articles or aunswere for feare lest the people should searche whether it were so or no. In the xviij hee forbiddeth all false and deuilish crafts that hurt true faith Moreouer because the people could not heare the voyce of the law spoken to them in fire he promiseth them an other Prophet to bring them better tydynges whiche was spoken of Christ our Sauiour The xix and so forth vnto the end of the xxvij is almost altogether of loue vnto our neighbours and of lawes of equitie and honesty with now and theÌ„ a respect vnto faith The xxviij is a terrible Chapter and to be trembled at A Chrisren maÌ„s hart might well bleed for sorrow at the readyng of it for feare of the wrath that is like to come vpon vs accordyng vnto all the curses which thou there readest For accordyng vnto these curse hath God delt with with all nations after they were fallen into the abhominations of blindnesse The xxix is like terrible with a godly lesson in the end that we shold leaue searchyng of Gods secrets geue diligence to walke accordyng to that hee hath opened vnto vs. For the keepyng of the commaundementes of God teacheth wisedome as thou maiest see in the same Chapter where Moses saith keepe the commaundementes that ye may vnderstand what ye ought to doe But to search Gods secretes blindeth a maÌ„ as it wel proued by the swarmes of our sophisters whose wise bookes are now when we looke in the Scripture founde but full of foolishnesse The Prologue of the Prophete Ionas made by William Tyndall AS the enuious Philislines stopped y e welles of Abraham and filled them vp with earth to put the memoriall out of mynde to the entent that they might chalenge the grounde euen so the fleshly minded hipocrites stoppe vp the vaynes of life which are in the scripture with the earth of their traditions false similitudes and lying allegories that of lyke zeale to make the Scripture their owne possession and merchaundice and so shut vp the kyngdome of heauen which is Gods worde neither entring in themselues nor suffering them that would The Scripture hath a body without and within a soule spirite lyfe It hath without a barke a shel and as it were an harde bone for the fleshlye mynded to gnaw vpon And within it hath pith cornell mary and all swetenes for Gods elect which he hath chosen to geue them hys spirite to write hys law and the fayth of hys sonne in their hartes The scripture conteineth iij. thinges in it First the lawe to condemne all flesh Secondarily the Gospel that is to say promises of mercy for al that repente and knowledge theyr sinnes at the preachyng of the lawe and consent in their hartes that the lawe is good and submit themselues to bee scholers to learne to kepe the law and to learn to beleue the mercye that is promised them and thirdly the stories lyues of those scholers both what chaunces fortuned them also by what meanes their scholemaister taughte them and made them perfect and how he tried y e true from the false When the hipocrites come to the law they put gloses to and make no more of it theÌ„ of a worldly law which is satisfied with the outwarde worke and whiche a Turke may also fulfill When yet Gods law neuer ceaseth to condemne a man vntil it be written in hys harte and vntill he keepe it naturally without compulsion and all other respect saue onely of pure loue to God and his neighbour as he naturally eateth when he is an hungred without compulsion and all other respect saue to slake hys hunger onely And when they come to the Gospell there they mingle their leuen and say GOD now receiueth vs no more to mercy but of mercy receueth vs to penaunce that is to witte holy deedes y â— make them fatte bellies and vs their captiues both in soule and body And yet they fayne their Idole the Pope so mercifull that if that thou make a litle money glister in hys Balaams eyes there is neither penance nor purgatory nor any fastyng at all but to flye to heauen as swift as a thought at the twincklyng of an eye And the liues stories and giftes of men whith are contayned in the bible they reade as thinges no more pertaining vnto them then a tale of Robin hood as things they wot not wherto they serue saue to faine false discant and iuglyng allegories to stablishe their kyngdome with all And one of the chiefest and fleshliest studies they haue is to magnifie the â—aintes aboue measure and aboue the truth with their Poetry to make them greter theÌ„ euer God made them And if they find any infirmitie or sinne ascribed vnto the sayntes that they excuse with all diligence diminishyng the glory of the mercy of god and robbyng wretched sinners of all theyr comforte thinke therby to flatter the saintes and to obtayne their fauour and to make speciall aduocates
working of the spirit of God in them Last of al exhorteth he to vnitie peace and sobernes to auoyde braulinges sectes opinions disputing and arguing about wordes and to walke in the plaine and single fayth and feeling of the spirite and to loue one an other after the ensample of Christ euen as Christ loued vs and to be thankefull and to walke worthy of the Gospell and as it becommeth Christ and with the ensample of pure liuing to draw all to Christ Christ is Lord ouer all and euery ChristiaÌ„ is heyre annexed with Christ and therefore Lord of all euery one Lord of whatsoeuer an other hath If thy brother or neighbour therfore nede and thou haue to helpe hym and yet shewest not mercy but withdrawest thy handes froÌ„ him then robbest thou hym of his owne and art a thiefe A Christian man hath Christes spirite Now is Christ a mercifull thing if therefore thou be not mercifull after y â— ensample of Christ then hast thou not his spirite If thou haue not Christes spirite theÌ„ art thou none of his Ro. 8. nor hast any part wyth hym Moreouer though thou shew mercy vnto thy neighbour yet if thou do it not with such burning loue as Christ did vnto thee so must y â— knowledge thy sinne desire mercy in Christ A Christian man hath nought to reioyce in concerning his deedes His reioycing is that Christ dyed for hym and that he is washed in Christes bloude Of his deedes reioyceth he not neither counteth his merites neither geueth pardons of them neither seeketh an hyer place in heauen of them neither maketh himselfe a sauiour of other men thorough his good workes But geueth all honour to God and in his greatest deedes of mercy knowledgeth himselfe a sinner vnfainedly and is aboundauntly content with y â— place that is prepared for him of Christ and his good deedes are to him a signe onely that Christes spirite is in him and he in Christ and thorow Christ elect to eternall life The order of loue or charitie which some dreame the Gospell of Christ knoweth not of that a man should beginne at himselfe and serue him selfe first and then discend I wot not by what steppes Loue seketh not her own profite ij Cor. xij but maketh a man to forget him selfe and to turne his profite to an other man as Christ sought not him selfe or his owne profite but ours This terme my selfe is not in the Gospell neither yet father mother sister brother kinsman that one should be preferred in loue aboue an other But christ is all in all things Euery Christen man to an other is Christ him selfe and thy neighbours nede hath as good right in thy goods as hath Christ him selfe which is heâ—re and Lord ouer all And looke what thou owest to Christ that thou owest to thy neighbours nede To thy neighbour owest thou thine hart thy selfe all that thou hast canst do The loue that springeth out of Christ excludeth no man neither putteth difference betwene one and an other In Christ we are al of one degree without respect of persous Notwithstandyng though a Christen mans hart be open to all meÌ„ and receaueth all men yet because that his habilitie of goodes extendeth not so farre this prouision is made that euery man shall care for his owne houshold as father and mother and thine elders that haue holpen thee wife children and seruauntes If thou shouldest not care prouide for thyne houshold then were thou an infidele seyng thou hast taken on thee so to do and for as much as that is thy part committed to thee of the congregation When thou hast done thy dutie to thyne houshold and yet hast further aboundance of the blessyng of GOD that owest thou to the poore that caÌ„ not labour or would labour can get no worke and are destitute of freÌ„des to the poore I meane which thou knowest to them of thyne owne parish For that prouision ought to be had in the coÌ„gregation that euery parish care for there poore If thy neighbours whiche thou knowest be serued and thou yet haue superfluitie and hearest necessitie to be among the brethren a thousand myle of to theÌ„ art thou detter Yea to y â— very infidels we be detters if they nede as farforth as we maynteine theÌ„ not agaynst Christ or to blaspheme Christ Thus is euery man that nedeth thy helpe thy father mother sister and brother in Christ euen as euery man that doth the will of the father is father mother sister and brother vnto Christ Moreouer if any be an infidele and a false Christen and forsake his household his wife childreÌ„ and such as can not helpe them selues then art thou bound to them and haue wherewith euen as much as to thyne owne houshold And they haue as good right in thy goodes as thou thy selfe And if thou withdraw mercy from them and hast wherewith to helpe them then are thou a thefe If thou shew mercy so doest thou thy dutie and art a faythfull minister in the houshold of Christ and of Christ shalt thou haue thy reward and thanke If the whole world were thyne yet hath euery brother his right in thy goodes is heyre with thee as we are all heyres with Christ Moreouer the rich and they that haue wisedome with them must see the poore set a worke that as many as are able may feede them selues with the labour of their owne handes accordyng to the Scripture commaundemeÌ„t of God Now seest thou what almes deede meaneth and wherefore it serueth He that seketh with his almes more then to be mercyfull to a neighbour to succour his brothers nede to do his dutie to his brother to giue his brother that he oweth him the same is blind and seeth not what it is to be a Christen maÌ„ and to haue felowshyp in Christes bloud As pertaining to good workes vnderstand y t all workes are good which are done within the law of GOD in fayth and with thaÌ„kesgeuyng to God and vnderstand that thou in doing theÌ„ pleasest God what so euer thou doest with in the law of God as when thou makest water And trust me if either winde or water were stopped thou shouldest feele what a preciouse thyng it were to do either of both and what thankes ought to be geuen God therfore Moreouer put no difference betwene workes but what soeuer commeth into thy handes that do as time place and occasion geueth and as god hath put thee in degree hie or low For as touchyng to please God there is no worke better then an other GOD looketh not first on thy woorke as the world doth as though the bewtyfulnes of the worke pleased hym as it doth the world or as though he had nede of them But God looketh first on thy hart what fayth thou hast to his wordes how thou beleuest hym trustest him and how thou louest hym for his mercy that he hath shewed
Saint was great wyth God when he was aliue as it appeareth by the myracles which God shewed for him he must therfore be great now say they This reaâ—oÌ„ appeareth wisdome but it is very folishnes wyth God For the myracle was not shewed that thou should put thy trust in the Saint but in the worde which the saint preached which worde if thou beleuest would saue thee as God hath promysed and sworne would make thee also great wyth God as it dyd y e Saint If a maÌ„ haue a matter wyth a great man or a kyng he must goe fyrst vnto one of hys meane seruauntes and theÌ„ hyer and hyer till he come at the kyng This entising argumeÌ„t is but a blinde reason of mans witte It is not like in the kingdome of the worlde and in the kingdome of God and Christ With kynges for the most part we haue none acquaintaunce neither promise They be also most coÌ„monly mercilesse Moreouer if they promise they are yet meÌ„ as vnconstant as are other people as vntrue But with God if we haue beliefe we are accompted and haue an open way in vnto hym by the dore Christ which is neuer shutte but through vnbeliefe neither is there any porter to keepe any man out By him saith Paul Ephe. ij that is to say by Christ we haue an open way in vnto the father So are ye now no more straungers and forreiners sayth he but citizens wyth the Saintes and of the housholde of God God hath also made vs promises and hath sworne yea hath made a testament or a couenaunt and hath bounde hymselfe and hath sealed his obligation wyth Christes bloud and confirmed it wyth miracles He is also mercifull and kinde and coÌ„playneth that we wyll not come vnto hym He is mighty and able to performe that he promiseth He is true and can not be but true as he can not be but God Therefore is it not lyke with the kyng and God We be sinners say they God wyll not heare vs. Beholde how they flee from God as from a tyraunt mercilesse Whom a maÌ„ counteth most mercifull vnto hym he sonest flyeth But these teachers dare not come at God Why For they are y e childreÌ„ of Caine. If the Saintes loue whome God hateth then God and his Saints are deuided When thou prayest to y e saintes how doe they know except that God whom thou countest mercilesse tell them If God be so cruell and so hateth thee it is not likely that he wyll tell the Saintes that thou prayest vnto them When they say we be sinners I answere that Christ is no sinner saue a satisfaction and an offering for synne Take Christ froÌ„ the saintes and what are they What is Paule wythout Christ is he any thing saue a blasphemer a persecuter a murtherer and a shedder of Christen bloude But as soone as he came to Christ he was no more a sinner but a minister of righteousnes he went not to Rome to take penaunce vpon him but went preached vnto his brethren the same mercy which he had receaued free wythout doing penaunce or hiering of Saintes or of Monkes or Fryers Moreouer if it be Gods worde that thou shoulde put thy trust in the saintes merites or prayers then be bolde For Gods worde shall defend thee and saue thee If it be but thine owne reason then feare For God commaundeth by Moyses Deut. xij saying what I coÌ„maund you that obserue and do and put nothing to nor take ought therefro yea and Moses warneth straitly in an hundred places that we do that onely which God commaundeth and which seemeth good and righteous in hys sight and not in our owne sight For nothing bringeth the wrath of god so sone and so sore on a man as the idolatry of his owne imagination Last of all these arguments are contrary to the argumentes of Christ and of his Apostles Christ disputeth Luk. 11. saying If the sonne aske the father bread will he geue him a stone or if he aske him fish will he geue him a serpent and so forth If ye then saith he which are euill can geue good giftes to your children how much rather shall your heauenly father geue a good spirite vnto them that aske him And a little before in the same chapter he sayeth If a man came neuer so out of season to his neighbour to borow bread euen when he is in his chamber the dore shut and all his seruantes wyth him neuerthelesse yet if he continue knocking and praying he will rise and geue him asmuch as he nedeth though not for loue yet to be rid of him that he may haue rest As who should say what will God do if a man pray him seing that prayer ouercommeth an euill man Aske therfore sayth he and it shall be geuen you seeke and ye shal finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you And Luke 18. he putteth forth the parable or similitude of the wicked Iudge which was ouercome with the importunate prayer of y e widow And concludeth saying Heare what the wicked Iudge did And shall not God aduenge his elect which cry vnto hym night and day Whether therefore we complaine of the intollerable oppression and persecution that we suffer or of the flesh that combreth resisteth the spirite God is mercifull to heare â—s to helpe vs. Seest thou not also how Christ cureth many and casteth out deuyls out of many vnspoken too how shall he not helpe if he be desired and spoken to When the old pharisies whose nature is to driue sinners from Christ asked Christ why he did eat with publicanes and sinners Christ aunswered that the whole neded not the phisition but the sicke that is he came to haue coÌ„uersation with sinners to heale theÌ„ He was a gift geueÌ„ vnto sinners and a treasure to pay theyr debtes And Christ sent the complayning and disdayning pharisies to the Prophet Oseas saying Go and learne what thys meaneth I desire or require mercy and not sacrifice As who should say Ye pharises loue sacrifice and offring for to feed that God your bellies withall but God commaundeth to be mercifull Sinners are euer captiues and a pray vnto the Pharises and hypocrites for to offer vnto theyr bellies to buy merites pardons and forgeuenes of sinnes of them And therefore feare they them away from Christe with argumentes of theyr belly wysedome For he that receaueth forgeuenes free of Christ wil buy no forgeuenes of them I came sayth Christ to call not the righteous but the sinners vnto repentaunce The pharisies are righteous and therefore haue no part with Christ neitheâ— need they for they are Gods themselues sauiours But sinners that repent partaine to Christ If we repent Christ hath made satisfaction for vs already God so loued the world that he gaue hys onely sonne that noue that beleue on him should perish but should haue euerlasting life For God sent not hys sonne
to be merciful is louingly to forgeue them that offended thee assoone as they knowledge their misdoyng aske thee mercy To be mercifull is patiently long to abide the conuersion of sinners with a lusty courage and hope that God will at the last conuert them and in the meane tyme to pray instantly for them and euer when he seeth an occasion to exhort theÌ„ warne them monishe theÌ„ and rebuke them And to be mercifull is to interpret all to the best and to looke thorow the fingers at many thynges and not to make a greuous sinne of euery small trifle and to suffer and forbeare in his owne cause the malice of them that wil not repent nor be a knowen of theyr wickednesse as long as he can suffer it and as long as it ought to be suffred and when he can no lenger then to complayne to them that haue auctoritie to forbidde wrong and to punishe such euill doers But the hypocrites cleane contrary condemne all meÌ„ for greuous sinners saue them onely that buy their holynesse of them And because they wyll suffer wyth no man they get them to silence And because they will helpe no man all that they haue say they pertayneth to the Couent and is none of theirs And if they be offended they wyll be auenged immediatly And to clooke that they should not seeme to adueÌ„ge theÌ„selues the matter say they pertayneth to God and holy Church or to some Saint or to one or other holy thyng as if thou smite one of them on the one cheke he will turne to thee the other yer he will aduenge himself But the iniury of the holy oyle wherwith he was annointed that must he aduenge and that with a spirituall punishmeÌ„t that thou must be accursed as blacke as a Colyer and deliuered to Sathan And if thou come not in and aske absolution and to offer thy selfe to penaunce and to paying thereto they wyll not suffer till the Deuil fetch thee But will deliuer thee to the fyre in the meane tyme. And all for zeale of righteousnes say they O hypocrites the zeale of righteousnes is to hunger and thyrst for righteousnes as it is aboue described that is to care and study and to do the vttermost of thy power that all thynges went in the right course and due order both thorow all degrees of the temporaltie and also of the spiritualtie and to ieoparde lyfe and goodes thereon All the worlde can beare recorde what payne ye take and howe ye care for the temporall common wealth that all degrees therein dyd and had their dutie how ye put your liues in aduenture to preach the truth and to informe Lordes and Princes and to cry vpon them to feare God to be learned and to minister their offices truly vnto their subiectes and to be mercyful an example of vertue vnto them And howe helpe ye that youth were brought vp in learnyng and vertue y â— the poore were prouided for of foode and rayment c. And how prouide ye that your Priestes be all learned and preach and do their duties truly euery maÌ„ in his Parish how prouide ye that sectes arise not to polle the people and leade them out of the way â–ª vnder a colour of long praying and hypocritish holynesse liuyng them selues idle and beyng vtterly vnto the commoÌ„ wealth improfitable who smelleth not y â— swete odoure of chastitie that is among you What righteousnes is in your saÌ„ctuaries and what indifferent equitie is in all your exemptions priuiledges and liberties By your workes we iudge you and your zeale to righteousnes not by your sophisticall suttle reasons with which ye would claw our eares bleare our eyes beguile our wittes to take your tyrannous couetous crudelitie for the zeale of righteousnes Finally he that will not be mercyfull to be blessed of God to obtayne mercy of him both heare and in the life to come let him be accursed with the vnmercyful and to him be iudgement without mercy according to y â— wordes of S. Iames in the second chapter of his Epistle Blessed be the pure in hart for they shall see God That which entreth into a man defileth not a maÌ„ But y â— thyngs that defile a man procede first out of his hart as â—hou mayst see Math. xv Thence come out euill thoughtes saith Christ as murther adulterie fornicatioÌ„ theft false witnessynges and blasphemyes These are the things that make a man foule A man then is not foule in the sight of God till his hart be foule And the filthinesse of the hart are thoughtes that study to breake Gods coÌ„maundementes Wherfore the purenesse of the hart is the consenting studious purpose to keepe the law of God and to meane truly in al thy words works and to do them with a true intent It foloweth then that thou mayst be pure harted and therewith do all that God hath commaunded or not forbidden Thou mayst be pure harted and haue a wife and get childreÌ„ be a iudge and condemne to death them that haue deserued it hang or behead euil doers after they be by a iust processe condeÌ„pned Thou mayst be pure harted do all the drudge in the world Lot was pure harted amoÌ„g the Sodomites Nicodemâ—s beyng in the councell among them that conspired the death of Christ was pure harted consented not with them to the death of that innocent If the law be written in thyne hart it will driue thee to Christ which is the end of the law to iustifie all that beleue Rom. x. And Christ will shew thee his father For no man seeth the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne will shew him Luke x. If thou beleue in Christ that he is thy Sauiour that faith wil leade thee in immediatly and shew thee God with a louely amiable countenaunce and make thee feele and see how that he is thy father al together mercyfull to thee at one with thee and thou his sonne and highly in his fauour and grace sure that thou pleasest him when thou doest an hundred thinges whiche some holy people would suppose them selues defiled if they should but thinke on theÌ„ And to see God is the blessing of a pure hart Impure and vncleane harted then are all they that study to breake Gods commaundementes Impure harted are all that beleue not in Christ to be iustified by him Impure harted are all hypocrites y t do their worke for a false purpose either for prayse profite or to be iustified thereby which paynted sepulchres as Christ calleth them can neuer see God or bee sure that they be in the state of grace and that theyr workes be accepted because they haue not Gods word with them but cleane agaynst them Blessed are the peacemakers for they shal be called the children of God To inherite this blessing it is not onely required that
sawest workes also sawest the entent meaning of y e worker least hipocrisie deceaue thee Our deedes are the effect of righteousnesse and thereto an outward testimonie and certifiyng of the inwarde righteousnes as sourenes is of Leauen And when I say fayth iustifieth the vnderstanding is that faith receaueth the iustifiyng God promiseth to forgeue vs our sinnes and to impute vs for full righteous And God iustifieth vs actiuely that is to say forgeueth vs and reckoneth vs for full righteous And Christes bloud deserueth it and faith in the promise receaueth it and certifieth the conscience therof Faith chalēgeth it for Christes sake which hath deserued all that is promised and cleaueth euer to the promise and truth of the promiser and pretendeth not the goodnes of her worke but knowledgeth that our works deserue it not but are crowned and rewarded with the deseruinges of Christ Take an ensample of young children when the father promiseth them a good thing for y t doing of some trifle and when they come for their rewarde delayeth with them saying What that thou hast done is not worth halfe so much should I geue thee so great a thing for so little a trif◠▪ They will aunswere ye did promise me ye sayd I should haue it why did ye promise and why then did ye say so And let him say what he will to driue them of they will euer say agayne ye did promise me so ye did ye sayd I should haue it so ye did But hirelinges wyll pretend their woorke and say I haue deserued it I haue done so much and so much and my labour is worth it Now at the first couenaunt making with God and as oft as we be reconciled after we haue sinned the righteousnes commeth of God altogether But after the attonement is made and we reconciled then we be partly righteous in our selues vnrighteous righteous as farre as we loue and vnrighteous as farre as the loue is vnperfect And faith in y e promise of God y t he doth reckē vs for full righteous doth euer supply y t vnrighteousnes imperfectnes ▪ as it is our whole righteousnes at the beginning Finally our workes which God commaundeth and vnto which he annexed his promises that he will reward them are as it were very sacramētes and visible and sensible signes tokens earnest obligations witnesses testimonies and a sure certifiyng of our soules that God hath and will do according to his promise to strēgth our weake fayth and to keepe the promise in mynde But they iustifie vs not no more then the visible workes of the sacramentes do As for an example the worke of baptime that out ward washing which is the visible facramēt or signe iustifieth vs not But God onely iustifieth vs actiuely as cause efficient or workeman God promiseth to iustifie whosoeuer is baptised to beleue in Christ and to keepe the law of God that is to say to forgeue them their foresinnes and to impute righteousnesse vnto them to take them for his sonnes and to loue them as well as though they were full righteous Christ hath deserued vs y ◠promise and that righteousnes And faith doth receaue it God doth geue it impure it to faith not to y ◠washing And the washing doth testifie it and certifie vs of it as the Popes letters do certifie the beleuers of the Popes pardons Now the letters helpe not or hinder but that the pardōs were as good without them saue onely to stablishe weake soules that could not beleue except they reade the letters looked on the seale and saw the print of Saint Peters keyes O a mercifull God and a most louing father how careth he for vs first aboue all and beside all his other benefites to geue vs hys owne sonne Iesus and with him to geue vs hymselfe and all and not contēt therewith but to geue vs so many sacraments or visible signes to prouoke vs to helpe our weake fayth to keepe hys mercy in mynde as baptime the sacramēt of his body and bloud and as many other sacramentes as they will haue if they put significations to them for we destroy none but they destroy which haue put out the significations or fayned some without as wedlocke to signifie that Christ is the husband and we his wife and partakers wyth hym as the wife with her husband of all his riches c. And beyond all those visible sacramentes to geue vs yet more sensible and surer sacramentes suraunces of his goodnes euen in our owne selues as if we loue and geue almose to our neighbour if we haue compassion and pray for him if we be mercifull and forgeue him if we deny ourselues and fast and withdraw all pleasures from the flesh for loue of the life to come and to keepe the cōmaundemētes of God For whē such things beyng before impossible and now are easie and naturall we feele and are sure that we be altered and of a new creature shapen in righteousnesse after the image of Christ and God our father seing his lawes of righteousnes are written in our hartes When ye fast be not sad as the hipocrites are For they fashion them a new countenaunce that it might appeare vnto men how they fast Verely I say vnto you they haue their rewarde Thou therefore when thou fastest annointe thine head washe thy face that it appeare not vnto men how thou fastest But vnto thy father which is in secrete And thy father which seeth in secrete shall rewarde thee openly As aboue of almose and prayer enē so here Christ rebuketh the false entent and hipocrisie of fasting That they sought prayse of that worke that was ordayned for to tame the fleshe and vsed such fashions that all the worlde might know that they fasted to prayse them and to say O what holy mē are these how pale and pitifull looke they euen like death hanging downe their heades and beholding the earth as mē cleane out of the world If these come not to heauen what shall become of vs poore wretches of the worlde If these be not great in the fauour of god and their prayers be heard whatsoeuer they aske in what case are we laye people Happy is he that may be a brother among them partaker of their prayers and fastinges and other holy liuing In an vnhappy in an happy I woulde say houre was he borne that buildeth them a cell or a cloysture or geueth them a portion of his land to comfort them good men in this painfull liuing and straite penaunce which they haue taken vpon them Blessed were he that might kisse the edge of the coate of one of thē Oh he that myght haue his body wrapped in one of their olde coates at the houre of death it were as good to him as his Christendome c. It appeareth also by that they asked Christ why his disciples fasted not as well as
to light that it can no lōger be hid get thē vnto the elders of the people the Lordes gentlemen and temporall officers and to all that loue this worlde as they do and vnto whosoeuer is great wyth the kyng and vnto the kyngs grace himselfe and after the same ensample and wyth the same perswasions cast them into like feare of losing of their worldly dominions and rore vnto them saying ye be negligent and care nothing ot all but haue a good sport that the heretickes rayle on vs. But geue thē space a while till they be growen vnto a multitude and then ye shall see them preach as fast against you and moue the people agaynst you and do their beste to thruste you downe also and shall cry hauocke and make all common O generation of serpentes how well declare ye that ye be the right sonnes of the father of all lyes For they which ye call heretickes preach nothing saue that which our Sauiour Iesus Christ preached and his Apostles adding nought therto nor plucking ought therfro as the Scripture commaundeth and teach all men repentaunce to God and his holy lawe and fayth vnto our Sauiour Iesus Christ and the promises of mercy made in hym and obedience vnto all that God commaundeth to obey Neyther teach we so much as to resiste your most cruell tyranny with bodely violence saue wyth Gods worde onely entending nothing but to driue you out of the temple of Christ the harts consciences and soules of mē wherein with your falshead ye sit and to restore agayne Iesus our Sauiour vnto his possession and inheritaunce bought with his bloude whence ye haue driuen him out with your manifolde wyles and subtiltie Take heede therefore wicked Prelates blynde leaders of the blynde indurat and obstinate hypocrites take heede For if the Phariseis for their resisting the holy Ghost that is to say persecuting the open and manifest truth and sleying the preachers therof escaped not the wrath vengeaunce of god how shall ye scape which are farre worse thē the Phariseis For though the Phariseis had shut vp the Scripture and set vp theyr owne professions yet they kept theyr owne professions for the most part But ye will be the chiefest in Christes flocke and yet wyll not keepe one iot of the right way of his doctrine Ye haue therto set vp wonderfull professions to be more holy therby thē ye thinke that Christes doctrine is able to make you and yet keepe as little thereof except it be with dispensations in so much that if a man aske you what your maruelous fashioned playing coates and your other popatrye meane and what your disfigured heades all your Apishplay meane ye know not and yet are they but signes of thinges which ye haue professed Thyrdly ye will be Papistes and holde of the Pope and yet looke in the Popes lawe and ye keepe thereof almost nought at all but whatsoeuer soundeth to make for your bellyes and to maintaine your honour whether in the Scripture or in your owne traditions or in the Popes lawe that ye compell the laye people to obserue violently threatening them with your excommunications and cursses that they shal be damned both body and soule if they keepe them not And if that helpe you not then ye murther them mercilesly with the sworde of the temporall powers whom ye haue made so blinde that they be ready to sley whom ye cōmaūde and will not yet heare his cause examined nor geue him roome to aunswere for himselse And ye elders of the people feare ye God also For as the elders of the Iewes which were partakers with the Scribes and Phariseis in resisting the holy Ghost and in persecuting the open truth and sleying the witnesses therof and in prouoking the wrath of God had their parte with them also in the day of wrath and sharpe vengeaunce which shortly after fell vppon them as the nature of the sinne against the holy Ghost is haue her damnation not onely in the worlde to come but also in this life according vnto all the ensamples of the Bible and autenticke stories since the worlde beganne euen likewise ye if ye will wincke in so open cleare light and let your selues be led blyndfold and haue your part with the hypocrites in lyke sinne and mischief be sure ye shall haue your part with them in lyke wrath and vengeance that is like shortly to fall vpon them And concernyng that the hypocrites put you in feare of the rising of your commons agaynst you I aunswere if ye feare your cōmōs so testifie ye agaynst your selues that ye are tyrauntes For if your consciences accused you not of euill doyng what neede ye to feare your commons What commons was euer so euil that they rose against their heads for well doyng Moreouer ye witnesse agaynst your selues also that ye haue no trust in God For he hath promised the temporall officers assistence if they minister their offices truly and to care for the keepyng of thē as much as they care for to kepe his lawes The hypocrites happly byd you take an example of the Vplanoish people of Almany which they lye that Martin Luther styrred vp For first what one sentence in all the writyng of Martin Luther finde they that teacheth a mā to resist his superiour Moreouer if Martin Luther and the preachers had styrred vp the common people of Germany how happened it that Martin Luther other like preachers had not perished likewise with them whiche are yet all alyue at this houre Ye will aske me who styrred thē vp them I aske you Who styrred vp the commōs of the Iewes to resiste the Emperour after that the Scribes and Phariseis with the Elders of the people had slayne Christ his Apostles Verely the wrath of God And euen so here the wrath of God styrred them vp partly to destroy the enemyes and persecutours of the truth and partly to take vengeaunce on those carnall beastes whiche abused the Gospell of Christ to make a cloke of it to defend their fleshly libertie and not to obey it and to saue their soules therby If Kynges Lordes and great men therfore feare the losse of this worlde Let them feare God also For in fearyng God shall they prolong their dayes vpon the earth and not with sightyng agaynst God The earth is Gods onely his fauour and mercy doth prolong the dayes of kynges in their estate not their owne power and might And let all men be they neuer so great hearkē vnto this and let this be an aunswere vnto them Wicked kyng Achab sayd vnto the Prophet Elias Art thou he that troublest Israell And Elias aūswered it is not I that trouble Israell but thou and thy fathers houshold in that ye haue forsaken the commaundementes of the Lord and folow Idoles Euen so the preachers of the truth which rebuke sinne are not the troublers of
and he will therto consider our mekenes and what soeuer chaunceth neuer taketh away hys mercy till we cast of the yoke of our profession first and runne away with vtter defiaunce that we will neuer come more at schole Then our stubburne and hard hartes mollifie waxe soft and in the confidēce and hope that we haue in Christ and his kindnes we go to God boldly as vnto our father and receaue life that is to say loue vnto God and vnto the law also That whiche we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that ye may haue felowshyppe with vs and that our felowshyppe may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ And these thynges we write vnto you that your ioye may be full To bryng vnto the felowshyp of God and Christ and of them that beleue in Christ is the finall intent of all the Scripture why it was giuen of God vnto man and the onely thyng which all true preachers seke wherby ye shall euer know and discerne the true word of God from all false and counterfayted doctrine of vayne traditions the true preacher from the wylie hypocrite We preache vnto you sayth Iohn y t euerlastyng lyfe which we haue heard and in hearyng receaued through fayth and are sure of it to draw you to vs out of the felowshyp that ye haue with the damned deuils in sinnefull lustes and ignoraunce of God for we seeke you and not yours as sayth Paul ij Cor. xij We loue you as our selues in God therfore wold haue you felowes and equall with vs build you vpon the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes which is Christ ▪ Iesus and make you of the houshold of God for euer that ye and we felowes and brethren and coupled together in one spirit in one fayth and in one hope might haue our felowship thereby with God and become his sonnes heyres with Iesus Christ beyng his brethren and coheyres and to make your ioy ful through that glad tydinges as the aungell sayd vnto the shepheardes Luke ij Behold I shew you great ioye that shal be vnto all the people how that there is a Sauiour borne vnto you this day whiche is Christ the Lord. And these tydinges we bryng you with the worde of God onely which we receaued of his spirit and out of the mouth of his sonne as true messengers We preach not our selues but Christ our Lord and vs your seruauntes for hys sake we do not loue our selues to seke yours vnto vs that after we had with wiles robbed you of all ye haue we should exalte our selues ouer you separate our selues frō you and make our selues a seuerall kyngdome free and frāke raygnyng ouer you as heathen tyrauntes holdyng you in bondage to serue our lucre and lustes tanglyng your conscience with doctrine of man whiche draweth from God and Christ and fearing you with the bugge of excommunication agaynste Gods word Or if that serued not shakyng a sword at you And this is the tydinges whiche we haue heard of hym and declare vnto you that God is lyght and in hym is no darknes at all If we say that we haue felowshyp with hym and yet walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth But and if we walke in light as he is in light then haue we felowshyp together and the bloud of Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne As the deuill is darknes and lyes so is God light and truth onely and there is no darknes of falshead consentyng to wickednes in hym And the brightnes of his light is his word and doctrine as the. C. and. xix Psalme sayth Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete a light to my pathes And Christe is the light that lightneth all men And the Apostles are called the light of the world because of the doctrine And all that knowe truth are light Ye were once darkenes sayth Paule Ephes v. but now light in the Lord walke therfore as the children of lyght And good workes are called the frutes of light And all that lyue in ignoraūce are called darknes as he sayth afterward he that hateth his brother walketh in darknes For if the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe dyd shyne in his hart he could not hate his brother By walking vnderstande consenting doing and working If then we walke in darcknes that is consent and worke wickednes and say we haue felowship with God we ly For to haue felowship with him is to knowe and consent and professe his doctrine in our hartes Now if the commaundementes of GOD bee written in our hartes our members can not but practise thē shew the fruite So whether light or darknes be in the hart it will appeare in y t walking For though our members be neuer so dead vnto vertue yet if our soules knowledge the truth consent vnto righteousnes we haue the sprite of life in vs. And Paule sayth Rom. viij If the spirite of him y t raysed vp Iesus from death be in you thē wil he y t raised vp Iesus frō death quicken your mortall bodies by the reasō of the spirit that dwelleth in you So that it is not possible for him that knoweth the truth consenteth thereto to continue in sinne And then finally if we haue the light in our harts and walke therein then we haue fellowship with God and are his sonnes and heires and are purged from all sinne through Christes bloud If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and trueth is not in vs. If we think there is no sinne in vs we are beguiled and blinde and the light of Gods word is not in vs and eyther folow sinne as beastes without consciēce at all Or if we see the grosse sinnes as murther theft and adultery yet we haue hanged a vayle of false gloses vpon Moses face and see not the brightnes of the law how that it requireth of vs as pure an hart to God and as great loue vnto our neighbours as was in our sauiour Iesus ceaseth not before to condemne vs as sinners If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrigh teousnes If we confesse our sinnes not in the preistes eare though that tradition restored vnto the right vse were not dānable but in our hartes to God with true repentaunce and fast beleife then is he faythfull to forgeue and to purge vs because of his mercifull truth and promise For he promised Abraham that in his seede all the worlde should be blessed from the curse of sinne And hath aboundantly renued his euerlasting mercy vnto vs in the new testament promising that our sinnes shall be forgeuen vs in Christes bloud if we repent and trust thereto If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyer and hys woord is not in vs. For his
worke And that Christ hath done this seruice in his flesh deny all the members of Antichrist And hereby thou shalt know them All doctrine that buildeth thee vpon Christ to put thy trust and confidence in his bloud is of God and true doctrine And all doctrine that withdraweth thyne hope and trust froÌ„ Christ is of the deuill and the doctrine of Antichrist Examine y â— Pope by this rule and thou shalt finde that all hee doth is to the destructioÌ„ of this article He wresteth all the Scriptures setteth them cleane agaynst the woll to destroy this article He ministreth the very Sacramentes of Christ vnto the destruction of this article and so doth he all other ceremonies and his absolution penaunce purgatorie dispensations pardoÌ„s vowes with all disguisings The Pope preacheth that Christ is come to do away sinnes yet not in the flesh but in water salt oyle caÌ„dles bowes asshes friers coates and monkes cowles and in the vowes of theÌ„ that forâ—were matrunonie to keepe whores and swere beggerie to possesse all the treasure riches wealth pleasures of the world and haue vowed obedience to disobey with authoritie all the lawes both of God and man For in these hypocritish and false sacrifices teacheth he vs to trust for the forgiuenes of sinnes not in Christes flesh Ye are of God litle childreÌ„ and haue ouercome them For greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world He that dwelleth in you and worketh in you through fayth is greater then he whiche dwelleth and worketh in them through vnbelefe And in hys strength ye abyde by your profession and coÌ„fesse your Lord Iesus how that he is come in the flesh and hath purged the sinne of all that beleue in his flesh And through that fayth ye ouercome them in the very tormentes of death So that neither their iugglinges neither their pleasures neither their thretnynges or their tormentes or the very death wherewith they slay your bodies can preuayle agaynst you They be of the world and therfore they speake of the world and the world atteÌ„deth vnto them We bee of God and hee that knoweth God heareth vs. And he that is not of God heareth vs not And hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirite of errour There be and euer shal be two generations in the world one of the deuill which naturally hearken vnto the false Apostles of the deuill because they speake so agreable vnto their naturall complection And an other of God which hearken vnto the true Apostles of God consent vnto their doctrine And this is a sure rule to indge spirites with all that we indge them to haue the spirite of truth which hearkeÌ„ vnto y t true doctrine of Christes Apostles them to haue the spirite of errour which hearken vnto worldly and deuilish doctrine abhorryng the preathing of the Apostles And looke hether the Popes doctrine bee worldly or no if pride and couetousnes be worldly yea and secherie to For what other is all his doctrine then of benefices promotions dignities byshoprikes cardinallshyps vicarages parsonages prebendes chaunge of bishoprikes and resignyng of benefices of vnions pluralities totquots and that which coÌ„meth once into their handes may not out agayn yea and of whores and concubines and of captiuyng of consciences for couetousnes all that hearken to that doctrine abhorre the doctrine of the Apostles and persecute it and them that preach it Dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue is of God And all that loue are borne of God and knowe God And he that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Iohn singeth his old song agayne and teacheth an infallible and sure token which we may see and feele at our fingers endes and therby be out of all doubt that our fayth is vnfayned and that we knowe God and be borne of God and that we hearkeÌ„ vnto the doctrine of the Apostles purely and godly not of any curiositie to seke glorie and honour therein vnto our selues to make a cloke therof to couer our couetousnes and filthy lustes Whiche token is if we loue one an other For the loue of a mans neighbour vnfaynedly spryngeth out of the vnfayned knowledge of God in Christes bloud By which knowledge we be borne of God loue God and our neighbours for his sake And so he that loueth hys neighbour vnfaynedly is sure of him selfe that he knoweth God and is of God vnfaynedly And contrarywise he that loueth not knoweth not God For God in Christes bloud is such a loue that if a man saw it it were impossible that he should not breake out into the loue of God agayne of his neighbour for his sake Herein appeared the loue of God vnto vs warde because God seÌ„t his onely sonne into the world that we should liue through hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent hys sonne a satisfaction for our synnes If a man had once felt within in his conscience the fierce wrath of God towarde sinners and the terrible most cruell damnation that the law threatneth and then beheld with the eyes of a strong fayth the mercy fauour and grace the takyng away of the damnation of the law and restoryng agayne of life frely offred vs in Christs bloud he should perceaue loue and so much the more that it was shewed vs when we were sinners and enemies to God Roma 5. and that without all deseruyngs without our endeuouryng enforcyng and preparyng our selues and without all good motions qualities properties of our frewill But when our hartes were as dead vnto all good workyng as the meÌ„bers of him whose soule is departed whiche thyng to proue and to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all our aduersaries I will of innumerable textes rehearse one in the beginnyng of the second chapter to the Ephes where Paule sayth thus Ye were dead in trespasse sinne in which ye walked accordyng to the course of the world and after the gouernour that ruleth in the ayre the spirite that worketh in the children of vnbelefe amoÌ„g which we also had our conuersation in tyme past in the lustes of our flesh and fulfilled the lustes of the fleshe and of the mynde so that the fleshe and the mynde were agreed both to sinne and the mynde consented as well as the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath as well as other But God beyng rich in mercy through the great loue wherwith he loued vs euen wheÌ„ we were dead in sinne hath quickened vs with Christ for by grace are ye saued and with hym hath raysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sit in heauenly thynges through Iesus Christ for to shew in tyme to come the exceding riches of his grace in kyndnes to vs ward in Iesus Christ For by grace are ye saued through fayth that not of your selues for
cogis auri sacrafames What doth not that holy hunger compell them that loue this world inordinatly to committe might that deuils belye be once full truth should haue audience and wordes be constcued a right and takeÌ„ in the same sence as they be ment Though it seme not impossible haply that there might be a place where the soules might be kept for a space to be taught and instruct yet that there should be fitch a Iayle as they Iangle and such fashions as they fayne is playne impossible and repugnaunt to the Scripture for when a man is traÌ„slated veterly out of the kyngdome of Sathan and so confirmed in grace that he can not sinne so burnyng in loue that his lust can not be plucked from Gods will and beyng partaker with vs of all the promises of God and vnder the commaundemeÌ„tes what could be denyed hym in that deepe innocencie of hys most kynde father that hath left no mercy vnpromised and askyng it thereto in the name of his sonne Iesus the child of his hartes lust whiche is our Lord hath left no mercy vndeserued for vs namely when GOD hath sworne that he will put of righteousnes and be to vs a father and that of all mercy and hath slayne his most deare sonne Iesus to confirme hys othe Finally seyng that Christes loue taketh all to the best and nothing is here that may not be wel vnderstanded the circumstances declaryng in what sence all was ment they ought to haue interpreted in charitably if ought had bene founde doubtefull or seemyng to sound amysse Moreouer if any thyng had ben therin that could not haue ben taken well yet their part had bene to haue interprete it as spoken of idlenes of the head by the reason of sickenesse for as much as the man was vertuous wise and well learned and of good fame and report and sounde in the fayth whyle he was a lyue But if they say he was suspect when he was a lyue then is their doyng so much the worsse and to bee thought that they feared hys doctrine when hee was a lyue and mistrusted their owne part their conscieÌ„ces testifyeng to them that he held no other doctrine theÌ„ that was true seyng they then neither spake nor wrote agaynst him nor brought hym to any examinatioÌ„ Besides that some mery felowes will thinke that they ought first to haue sent to him to wyt whether he would haue reuoked yet they had so despitefully burnt the dead body that could not aunswere for it selfe nor interprete his wordes how he ment them namely the man beyng of so worshypfull and auncieÌ„t a bloud But here will I make at end desiryng y t reader to loke on this thing with indifferent eyes and iudge whether I haue expouÌ„ded the wordes of this TestameÌ„t as they should seme to signifie or not iudge also whether the maker therof seme not by his worke both vertuous and godly whiche if it so bee thinke that he was the worsse bycause the dead body was burnt to ashes but rather learne to know the great desyre that hypocrites haue to finde one craft or other to dase the truth with cause it to be counted for heresie of the simple and vnlearned people whiche are so ignoraunt they can not spye theyr sutteltie it must nedes be heresie that toucheth any thyng their rotten byle they wil haue it so who soeuer say nay onely the eternall God must be prayed to night day to amende them in whose power it onely lyeth Who also graunt theÌ„ once earnestly to thirst his true doctrine contained in the sweete and pure fountaines of hys Scriptures and in his pathes to direct their wayes AMEN Here endeth the Exposition of Master Tracies will by William Tyndall ¶ A frutefull and godly treatise expressing the right institution and vsage of the Sacramentes of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesu Christ Compiled by William Tyndall TO vnderstaÌ„d the pith of y â— SacrameÌ„tes how they came vp the very meanyng of them we must consider diligently the maners fashions of the Hebrues which were a people of great grauitie sadnesse and earnest in all their doynges if any notable thyng chaunced among them so that they not onely wrote but also set vp pillers and markes diuers signes to testifie the same vnto their posteritie and named the places where the thynges were done with such names as could not but keepe the dedes in memorie As Iacob called the place where he saw God face to face Pheniell that is Gods face And the place where the Egyptians mourned for Iacob seueÌ„ dayes the people of the countrey called Abell Miram that is the lamentation of the Egyptians to the intent that such names should kepe the gestes and stories in minde And likewise in all their couenaunts they not onely promised one to another and sware theron but also set vp signes and tokens therof and gaue the places names to keepe the thyng in minde And they vsed therto such circumstaunces protestations solemne fashions and ceremonies to confirme the coâ—enauÌ„tes and to testifie that they were made with great earnest aduise and deliberation to the intent that it should be to much shame and to much abhomination both before God and man to breake them euer after As Abraham Genes 21. when he made a couenaunt of peace with Abimeleck kyng of the Philistines after they had eaten and dronke together and sworne hee put seuen Lambes by them selues and Abimelecke receiued them of his hand to testifie that he there had digged a certaine well and that the right therof pertained to hym And he called the well Beer Seba the well of Swearyng or the well of seneÌ„ because of the oth of the seueÌ„ lambes and by that title did Abraham his children chalenge it many hundred yeares after And when Iacob Laban made a coueâ—aunt together Genes 31. they cast vp an heape of stones in witnesse and called it Giliad the heape of witnesse and they bound ech other for theÌ„ and their posteritie that neither part should passe the heape to the others countreyward to hurt or conquer their land and Laban bouÌ„d Iacob also that he should take no other wiues besides his daughters to vexe them And of all that couenaunt they made that heape a witnes calling it the witnesseheape that their children should enquire the cause of the name their father should declare vnto them the history And such fashions as they vse among them selues did God also vse to themward in all his notable dedes whether of mercy in deliueryng them or of wrath in punishing their disobedience and traÌ„sgression in all his promises to them and couenauntes made betwene them and hym As when after the generall floude God made a couenaunt with Noe and all mankind also withall liuing creatures that he would no more drowne the world he gaue them the
sinnes 95. b Phocas an Emperour 347. b. hys priuiledge to the see of Rome ibid. Phrases of speach expounded 77. b Pilgrimages 282. a. how lawfull 20 a. not needefull to a ChristiaÌ„ for his saluation 155 a Pilgrimages true what they be 272 a Pitie 282. b Pipinus 348. a Places of Scripture shewing Christes departure hence as touchyng his naturall body 470. b Places hauing prerogatiue for prayer 283. a Plerophoria how knowen 414. a Pluralitie of benefices 373. b Poetry Scripture to Popish schole men 168. a Pollaxes borne before high Legates what they signifie 142. b Pope with his Prelates set foorth 53. b. a God on earth 349. a. Antichrist 262. a 289. a. 308. a. the deuilles vicare 359. a. persecuteth Gods word 25. b. 290. a. a deniâ—…h blasphemer ibid. hath no Martyrs 294. a. a peacebreaker 365. b. a tyrauÌ„t 318. a. a breaker of bondes of Matrimony 350. a commaundeth murder 106. a. cause of great periury 115. a Popes haue ben bloudsheders aboue this 700. yeares 351. a Pope a mercyles tyraunt 362. b. curseth his enemyes 395. b. wilnot be rebuked 364. b. onely forbyddeth mariage 127. b. halfe a God 461. b aloft ouer all Byshops and Kings 353. a. aduaunceth his in worldlynes 353. b. hath moe kyngdomes then God 135. b. a maker of lawes 356. a. selleth Gods free gift 151. a. chalengeth authoritie ouer God and man 159. a. commauÌ„deth God to curse 151. b. may doe all at his pleasure 364. b. wilnot obey Princes 286. a. made a God for his dispensations 230. a. coÌ„meth in Christes name with miracles 301. b. sayth he cannot erre 264. a. distributeth his fathers kyngdome 354. a thrusteth downe Christ 292. a. lycenseth all thynges to bee read sauyng the truth 21. a. forbiddeth that God commaundeth 21. a Pope how hee remitteth and retayneth sinnes 306. b. maketh heretikes of true preachers 134. b selleth all thynges 289. b. receiueth hys possessions of the deuill 354. a. howe he raigneth vnder Christ 151. a. expoundeth Scripture contrary to Christ and his Apostles 173. b. byndeth that Christ louseth 102. a Pope not to be beleued why 304. b. lonseth all honesty 123. a. more mercyfull for money then God for Christes death 151. a. deuideth poore people and how 354. b chosen without consent of the Emperour 360. b. purposed to be Emperour 349. made two Empyres of one 349. b Pope Pipine put downe the right French kyng 348. a Pope and Cardinals their opinions concernyng kyng Henry the eight 288 b Pope Iuly 369. a Pope his fast 229. b. his traditions are wicked and breake Gods commaundements 108. a. his authoritie improued 12. 4. b. his clergy subtill 1. a. his doctrine corrupt 24. a. his doctrine doth persecute 97. a. his sect not of Christes church 261 b. his doctrine bloudy 106. b. his saying of the scripture 306. b. his authoritie is onely to preach Gods word 123. b. his false authority defended by kynges 114. b. his false workes 289. a. his iugglyng 114. b. his widowes 354. b. his priests ibideÌ„ his law 355. a. his fayth 410 b. his Church 292. b. his practise with all Princes 365. a. his Deacons 354. b. his Prelates taught of Caiphas 122. b Popish tyranny 475. b. ceremonyes more obstinate mo in nuÌ„ber then the Iewes 101. b. forgiuenes 395 a. Purgatory not feared of a true ChristiaÌ„ 434. b. Prelates would be highest 341. a. superstition 425 b. doctrine 447. a. hath caused the truth to be set forth more playnely 476. a. woorkes 396. a. oyle more feared then Gods commaundementes 131. a. confirmation 277. a Pope holy woorkes a cloke for the wicked 27. a Possessed with deuines fled from Christ 285. a Poore meÌ„ 408. a. in spirite who 189 a. must be cared for next our owne houshold 84. a. called of Paule Gods Churche 473. b. pouertie 242. b Pouertie wilfull 16. b. her vow 19. a Power good and euill whence 321. b Poyson of our byrth resisteth the spirite 165. a A prayer 228. a Prayer 22. b. 242. b. 219. b. defined 81. b. of how many sortes 220. a. a commaundement 238. b. heard in all places of God 282. b. the fruite of fayth 93. a. heard of God at all tymes 20. b. winneth the victory 238. b. of fayth doth miracles 152. b vayne without hart and toungue 221. a. of shauelynges breaketh Gods commaundement 139. b. of Monkes robbeth 201. a. not sold in old tyme. 139. b. to Saintes superilitious 296. a. without fayth nothyng 274. b. to Saintes not before Christes tyme. 296. a Practises 371. a. of Parliamentes 315. a. of Prelates 363. a. of Popish Prelates in these dayes 340. b. with poore Priestes 367. b. of fleshly spiritualitie 249. a Prayers and our deedes accepted accordyng to our fayth 154. b Prayers of all good women accepted aswell as our Ladyes 326. a. to Saintes damnable 433 b. all in Latin 151. b. commaunded to the ignoraunt 135. a Prayse sought of hypocrites 373. b Prayse of Paule Epistle to the Romanes 39. a Preacher his office 206. a. may not preache vnlesse he be sent of God 156. why accused of heresie treason 202. 〈◊〉 Preachers who are sent and who not how to knowe 156. a. of Gods word their miracles 302. a. neede no miracles 301. a. must preach repentaunce 86. b. why not beleued wheÌ„ they preach truth 101. b. must haue a competent lyuyng allowed them 133. b. must not be violent 214. b. who ought to be 198. b Preachyng is byndyng and lousing 359. a. of Christ 391. the authoritie of Peter his successour 173. b. the chief authoritie that Christ gaue his Apostles 126. a. extinct with ceremonies 278. a Predestination 306. a. in Gods haÌ„d 48. b. not rashly to be disputed vppon 48. b. how farre to be proceded in ibidem Presbyter 144. b Priestes 310. b. must be vertuous 314. b Priestes how truly annoynted 133. a ought not to bee annoynted with oyle 144. b. tell the confessions of the rich to the Officials and Commissaries and why 136. b. may haue whores but no wiues 311. b. must haue wiues for two causes 133. b Prieste disguiseth hym selfe with Christes passion 132. a Priestes vnderstand no Latin 103. a Prelates why so wicked 118. b. Courtiers 347. a. vnderstand not Scriptures and why 287. b. why clothed in red 142. b Pride 405. b. of the Pope 363. a. of the Cardinals 372. b Princes why ordained 117. a. not to be resisted though they be infidels 111. a. whether they may be resisted or no. 213. a Principles of Scriptures 386. b Processions abused 299. b Profession of our Baptisme 388. b. first to be learned 387. a Profession of newe lyfe procureth Christes mercy 219. b Promise how we may chaleÌ„ge 218. b Promise of God fulfilled for Christes and not for Saintes merites 160. a. left out in all thynges by the Pope 154. a Promises of the Gospell comfortable to a sinner 378. a Promise commeth of the promisers goodnes 196. a Promises of
Lord Cardinall were myne ordinarye iudge or not wyth other lyke captious interogations at the last they came to my first article and inquyred of mée if all dayes were alyke I sayde after the mynde of S. Hierome that all dayes were equall Then asked they mée if wée shoulde kéepe any holy dayes I sayde yes And in this matter wée had a great disputation till at the last my Lord of Rochester came And hée asked mée if this commaundement Sabatum sanctifices were a ceremoniall or a morall precepte I answered that it was a ceremoniall alleaging for mée S. Augustine ThaÌ„ sayd hee that I was not learned But alwayes when they had asked of mée a question and I had assoyled it so that they neyther woulde nor coulde abiecte any thyng agaynst mée than was I commauÌ„ded alwayes to stand a parte And they layde their heades togither till they had inuented an other captious question Than was I called agayne and myne answere geuen I was coÌ„maunded backe agayn Thus they continued with me thrée dayes in the which space their Notary wrote a reuocation of all my articles before the tyme that myne aunswere was heard And on the thyrde day after noone about iij. of y e clocke was there a greate long rolle offered vnto me for to read word by word as it there stode and commaundement was geuen me by y e Byshop of Bath â–ª that I should not speake one word afore the people more or lesse theÌ„ was written in the rolle for if I did hée would handle me well inough So I required first to sée what was writteÌ„ in the rolle or I would grauÌ„t vnto it Aunswere was made that if I would read it as it was written well good if not I should stand to the ieoperdy So I desired them to know if they had condemned any of my articles for heresie They sayd yea I asked theÌ„ which it was They sayd they would not tell me more then was writteÌ„ I aunswered Alas my Lordes y e truth is that to my iudgement I haue spoken nothyng but that standeth with S. Augustine with S. Hierome and with other Doctours of holye Churche Wherfore if it shall chaunce me thus to bée coÌ„deÌ„ned and not to bée taught wherein I can not tell what I should preach in tyme to come The Byshop of Bathe aunswered that I shoulde take no care for that for as for preachyng hée would prouide for me But I should alonly aunswere if I would read this rolle or not I desired that they would first pointe with their finger if they wold not speake it which article they had condemned for heresie and I would bée bounde to proue it true by S. Augustine or els by S. Hierome or I would bée takeÌ„ for an hereticke To this said the Byshop of Bathe that if S. Augustine and S. Hierome were here they should staÌ„d to the determination of the Church Vnto whom I sayd that the Church had so determined of S. Augustine S. Hierome that if any other church determined agaynst them I would suspect it Well sayth hée If you will stand vnto them doe We are conteÌ„t alonely tell vs whether you will read this rolle or not Then sayd I. My Lordes I beséech you in the way of charitie and for Christes sake deale charitablye with me doe me no wrong For S. Paule sayeth that you haue power geuen to edifiyng and not to destruction Very well sayd the Byshop of Bath ye néede not to feare Here bée to many witnesses that we should oppresse you wrongfully But sayd hée tell vs whether you will read this rolle or not This is the thyrd tyme the last Then sayd I. I will not grauÌ„t to it except I may first sée it Doe as it shall please you At this they sat all still wone looking on the other Then the Bishop of Bath commaunded me to departe aside So tooke they their counsell togithers And at the last I was called agayne and this was sayd to me Syr ye shall haue a man that shall read it vnto you afore Well said I. I am content And so one of their Notaries a lay maÌ„ was assigned vnto me and we departed a litle aside there hée began to read The yeare of our Lord such a day of the moneth was one Doct. Barnes conuented before the byshops in Westminster for certeine articles which were gathered out of a Sermonde that hée preached in Cambridge of the whiche some of them bée sclaunderous some bée erronious some bée contentious some bée seditious some bée foolishe and some bée hereticall When that hée came to this worde hereticall I asked hym which of them were hereticall Hée answered mée agayne yée haue heard what my Lordes sayth I can make you no answere Alas sayd I shall I bée thus condeÌ„ned for an hereticke and can not tell what is myne heresie Then sayd hée it belongeth not to me speake vnto them Well said I. Read no more So went I agayne before the Byshops And â—ell downe on my knées and desired them for the better passion of Christ that they would shewe vnto me whiche article they condemned for heresie and then if I would not bée taught they should handle me after the forme of law But to this the Byshop of Bath auÌ„swered sayd I should chose whether I would read y e rolle or els bée burned y e one of both I should doe TheÌ„ sayd I Iesus haue mercy on me I wil surely not read it And so I deliuered it to them againe Then the other Doctours cryed vppon me the one here the other there that I shoulde remember my selfe and not to cast my selfe awaye after this manner For to read the rolle said they was but a small thing and I was neuer the worse maÌ„ And I should sée that my Lord Cardinall should bée good gracious vnto me and they would all speake for me so that I supposed in very déede that they would haue required no more of me but for to haue read the rolle afore y e face of the world that I should not séeme to haue the victory agaynst them all which thing I did not greatly regarde But in very déede and if I had knowen that there had beene so mischieuous poyson tyranny and cruelnes in them as I founde afterward I would neuer haue read it to haue dyed for it But God bryngeth all thinges to passe at his pleasure Now vpon this opinion that I had in them and by the reason of theyr good wordes and pituous that they spake vnto mée I graunted to reade the roolle But than when I woulde haue read it the Byshoppe of Bathe sayd it was to late so was there a great disputation betwéene them vppon the matter Till that Doctour Quarton sayd my Lorde it is not to late for it is all in one session and in the tyme of one iudgement But the Byshop of Bathe our Lord forgéeue him sought all y e meanes y e hée
of workes is excluded and yet will you boaste your workes Heare you not playnely S. Paules sentence that iudgeth clearely wyth fayth and agaynst all workes How can this bée auoyded Is it not cleare What can bée aunswere to it Is not thys Paules proposition that hée tooke to prooue faith onely iustifieth It were but lost labour for Paule to proue that workes did helpe to iustification For that the Iewes did graunt and required no more but that workes might not bée clearely excluded They were Christened and content to receiue Christ for their sauiour but not onely and alonely This was the contentation In so much that they gloryed agaynst the Gentiles which had no maner of workes and for that dispised them as people vnworthy to bée iustified But paraduenture here wyll bée sayde that Paule condemneth the workes of the olde lawe but not the workes of the newe lawe Are you nowe satisfied in your conscience Thinke you that you haue well assoyled S. Paules argumeÌ„t Thinke you that this is sufficient to auoyde Saint Paule that hath takeÌ„ so great labour to prooue this cause Thinke you that you shall bée thus discharged afore God If you doe then goe boldly into the straite iudgement of God with this euasion and doubt you not but there shall you finde S. Paule as stifly and as strongly against you and your newe workes as euer hée was agaynst the Iewes and theyr olde workes And if hée did condemne the works of the law that were instituted by the mouth of God and the best workes that euer were Thinke you that those workes that you haue inuented shal be there alowed Briefely what workes can you doe or excogitate that bée good which bée not in the olde lawe and of the olde lawe Ergo hée speaketh of all maner of workes for the lawe includeth all workes that euer God instituted The highest and the best and most of perfection of all workes bée Opera decalogi the workes of the ten Commaundementes And these bée the workes of the olde lawe and can not iustifie after your owne saying Nowe what workes haue you of the nowe lawe other then these or better then these Our mayster Christ sheweth that in fulfilling ij of these Commaundementes bée all workes included What workes then bée of the newe lawe that were not commaunded in the olde Paraduenture you will say All those workes that Christ speaketh of in the v. of Math. bée of the newe lawe and not of the olde For Christ sayth I say vnto you He that calleth his brother foole or that looketh on a woman to desire her and such like doth offend These séeme to bée workes of Christ and not of Moyses Ergo there bée works of the newe lawe that were not coÌ„maunded in the olde and against theÌ„ disputeth not S. Paule say yée To this I aunswere that our maister Christ doth there reprooue y t false interpretation that the Scribes and Pharysies did set to the lawe but hée teacheth no newe workes nor is no geuer of any newe lawe For Saint Iohn sayth The lawe is geuen thorough Moyses but grace and veritie came by Iesus Christ Hée is the géeuer of grace and mercy as all the prophetes testifieth and not an other Moyses And therfore to purchace vs fauour hée dyed on the crosse and so did not Moyses But hée commaundeth vs to doe this and doe that But Christ sayth hange thou on my doing beléeue thou that I haue done for thée for thée and not for mée Now to our purpose Christ I say doth interprete and declare the olde lawe agaynst the Scribes and Pharyses which learned that the lawe was fulfilled and content wyth outwarde workes and that was their iustification This false doctrine doth our mayster Christ reprooue And sayth that the lawe doth require a pure and a cleane hart and will haue hys workes fulfilled out of the hart and not alonely wyth hand and séete and toothe and nayle as the Pharyses sayth and teacheth So that our mayster Christ teacheth no new workes but alonely expresseth the vertue of the olde lawe And thus doth holy Doctours declare this v. chapiter of Math. and specially S. Augustine Wherfore out of that place caÌ„ not bée prooued that there bée certayne workes of the new law that were ueuer commaunded in the olde Moreouer looke in the olde lawe whether these thinges bée forbidden or commaunded and you shall finde that the wordes of the law and Christes exposition doth agrée So that our mayster teacheth no newe thyng nor yet any newe workes But now graunt that there bée certayne workes of the new lawe which bée not of the olde yet haue you not nor caÌ„ not prooue that those shall iustifie For there can bée no more goodnesse in workes then were in workes of the olde lawe for they were to Gods honour and to the profite of our neighbour What goodnes can works haue more And yet you graunt that they can not iustifie How then shall your newe workes iustifie Blessed Saint Paule disputeth agaynst them that were Christened and had both workes of the olde lawe and also of the newe And yet concludeth hee that Christ alonely was their iustifier Marke his argument if righteousnes coÌ„meth of the law then is Christ dead in vayne As hée woulde say if the lawe helpe to iustifie for that was the opinion of the Iewes then is not Christ alonely your iustifier If hée be not your iustifier alonely then is bée dead in vayne How will S. Paule proue this consequent On this maner Eyther Christ doth thys thyng alone or els hée is dead in vayne for hée will haue no helper Thys must néedes bée the meaning of hys argument there Now will I take this argument of S. Paule and likewise dispute agaynst your newe woorkes If newe woorkes doe helpe to iustifie then is Christ deade in vayne But Christ is not dead in vayne Ergo new workes doe not helpe to iustify The first part is Paules The second you graunt Therfore the third must â—â—edes folow But let vs sée how S. Paule proueth this preposition by an example not of the olde lawe as though hée disputed alonely agaynst the works of the ould lawe But by that holy and excellent Patriarch Abraham whoÌ„ no maner of workes coulde iustifye but fayth onely Thynke you y t S. Paule doth speake here of the workes of the ould lawe nay doubtles For how could AbrahaÌ„ doe y t works of lawe there was no lawe geueÌ„ 400. 30. yeares after wherefore S. Paule constrayneth you to conclude that no maner of good workes though they bée soe good as Abrahams workes can helpe to iustificacion Note also S. Paules argument AbrahaÌ„ was instified so many yeares before y t lawe was geuen Ergo saith hée the lawe doth not iustifie So like wise dispute I agaynst your newe workes Men were sufficiently and perfectly iustifyed alonely by fayth afore any new workes were geuen or
byshopryke of the kinges grace How will you bée able by your workes to deserue heauen and iustification before the king of all kynges When you haue aunswered to this before the kinges grace then come and dispute with God the iustification of your workes and yet shall they bée farre vnlike Wherfore I conclud of these scriptures and of these doctours that the fayth that we haue in Christ Iesus and his blessed bloude doth onely and sufficiently iustifie vs béefore God without the helpe of any workes And though y e all scripture bee no thing els but a holle probacion of this article that is alonely a perfect commeÌ„dation and a prayse of Christ and of his blessed merites that hée hath deserued for vs yet will I passe ouer to bryng in any moe places For they y e are not coÌ„teÌ„t with these scriptures wyll not bée satisfied nor yet content to geue al onely glory to God though I brought in all the newe testament Yea Christ hym selfe could not satisfie them if hee were here no nor yet though heauen and earth and all creatures therin were nothyng els but probations of this article it would not helpe Wherefore I let such infidels passe and leue them to the iudgement of God alonely certifieng them of this one thyng that is infallible how the day shall come that it shall repent them yea and that sorer then I can either write or thinke that they did not beléeue the lest pricke of this holy article But vnto our purpose The very true way of iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christe Iesus alonely of his mere mercy and geueth vs fréely the gift of fayth wherby we doe beleeue God his holy word and sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to nought yet God shall bée founde true in his promises for this faythe 's sake bée we the elect children of God This is not such a fayth as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that hée is eternall beléeue also that hée made the worlde of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all thing that God speaketh must bée true and fulfilled with other such thynges This I say is not the fayth that wée bée iustified by for deuils and infidels haue this fayth â—and also wée may attayne to these thynges by strength of reason But the fayth that shall iustifie vs must bée of an other maner of strength for it must come from heauen and not from the strength of reason It must also make mée beléeue that God the maker of heauen and earth is not alonely a father but also my father yea and that thorow the fauour that Christ hath purchased mée from the whiche fauour neither heauen nor earth tribulation nor persecution death nor hell can deuide mée But to this sticke I fast that hée is not alonely my father but also a mercifull father yea and that vnto mée mercifull and so mercifull that hée will not impute my sinnes vnto mée though they bée neuer so great so long as I hang on the blessed bloud of Christ Iesus and sinne not of malice but of frailtie and of no pleasure Hée is also a lyberall father yea and that vnto mée liberall which will not alonely promise mée all thynges but also géeue them me whether they bée necessary to the body or to y e soule Hée is also not alonely lyberall but myghty to performe all thynges that hée promyseth vnto mée Briefely this fayth maketh mée to hang clearely of God and of his blessed promyses made in Christ and in his swéete and precious bloud and not to feare death nor any affliction nor persecution nor tribulation but to despise all these thynges and not alonely these but to despise also myne own lyfe for Christes sake Finally of a fleshely beast it maketh mée a spirituall man of a damnable child it maketh mée a heauenly sonne of a seruaunt of the deuill it maketh mée a frée maÌ„ of Gods both deliuered from the lawe from sinne from death from the deuill and from all myserie that might hurt mée My Lordes this is the fayth that doth iustifie and that wée do preach And because it is geuen from heauen into our hartes by the spirite of God therfore it can bée no idle thing But it must néedes do all maner of things y e bée to the honour of God and also to the profite of our neighbour In so much that at all tymes necessary it must néedes worke well also bryng forth all good workes that may bée to the profite and helping of any man But these workes bée not done to iustifie the man but a iust man must néedes doe them Not vnto his profite but alonely to other mens profites euen as our maister Christ suffered hunger and thyrste and persecution and tooke great labours in preaching of his worde yea and also suffered death All these thinges I say did hée not to further or to profite himselfe but for our merites and for our profite So likewise doth a iust man his workes And as a good trée in tyme of the yeare bryngeth forth good Apples not to make hym good for hée is good afore nor yet this apple is not to his profite but vnto other mens notwithstanding y e good nature that is in hym muste néedes bring it forth So likewise the iust man must néedes doe good workes not by them to bée iustified but alonely in them to serue his brother for hée hath no néede of them as concerning his iustification Wherfore now here haue you the very true cause of iustification that is fayth alonely And also the very true way and maner of doynge good workes And how that no man can doe good workes but a iustified man as our maister Christ sayth Eyther make the trée good and then his fruite good or els the trée euill and his fruit euill for a good trée must néedes bring forth good fruite and a badde euyll fruite But now let mée aunswere to the Scriptures and to the reasons that they bring to prooue that workes doe iustifie First commeth the fleshly and dampnable reason and shée sayth If wée bée iustified alonely by fayth what néede wée to doe any good workes what néede wée to crucifie or mortifie our fleshe for all these wil not profite vs and wée shall bée saued though wée doe none of theÌ„ all Thus did blinde reason dispute with Saint Paule when that hée had proued that God of his mercy had deliuered vs fréely from the damnable bondage of the law Anone hée iudged that he might do what hée would for hée was no loÌ„ger vnder the law To this S. Paule auÌ„swereth y â— if wée obey vnto y â— workes of sinne then are we the seruauntes of sinne if we obey to the workes of iustice
haue charitie but y e iustified mā hée is a frée seruaunt vnto God for the loue y e hée hath vnto him The which loue séeketh not in God his owne profit nor his owne aduaūtage for then were hée wicked but séeketh alonely the wyll of God and the profite of other men and worketh neyther for loue of heauen nor yet for feare of hell For hée knoweth well that heauen wyth all the ioyes thereof is prepared from the begynnyng of the world not by hym but by hys father And it must néedes folow as contrariwyse the Infidell and the wicked man doth not worke hys wicked déedes because hée woulde haue hell or euerlasting dampnation to hys rewarde but hée woulde rather the contrary Notwithstandyng hell and euerlasting dampnation must néedes follow his wicked déedes Finally a righteous man is a frée seruaunt of Gods and worketh not as an hyerelyng For if it were possible that there were no heauen yet woulde hée doe no lesse good for his respecte is to the maker of the worlde and the Lord of all rewardes There is also an other argument and that is thys Fayth is a worke but workes doth not iustifie Ergo fayth doth not iustifie Aunswere Truth it is that we doe not meane how that fayth for his owne dignitie and for hys owne perfection doth iustifie vs. But the Scripture doth say that fayth alonely iustifieth because that it is that thyng alonely whereby I doe hange of Christe And by my faith alonely am I partaker of y e merites and mercy purchased by Christes bloude and fayth it is alonely that receaue the promyses made in Christ Wherefore wée say with blessed S. Paule that fayth onely iustifieth imputatiue that is all y e merites and goodnes grace and fauour and all that is in Christ to our saluation is imputed and reckoned vnto vs because wée hange and beléeue of hym and hée can deceaue no man that doth beléeue in hym And our iustice is not as the schoole men teacheth a formal iustice which is by fulfillyng of the lawe deserued of vs for then our iustification were not of grace and of mercy but of deseruing and of duty But it is a iustice that is reckened imputed vnto vs for y e fayth in Christ Iesus and it is not of our deseruyng but clearely and fully of mercy imputed vnto vs. Now most honorable gracious Prince I haue declared vnto your highnes what faith it is that doth iustifie vs before God and also brought for my sentēce not alonely the blessed word of God the which were sufficient in this cause but the exposition of holy Doctours that your grace might sée that I am not moued to this opinion of a light cause nor that this doctrine of myne is so new as men hath noted it Moreouer I haue declared vnto your grace how that I woulde haue good workes done would not haue a Christen mans life to bée an idle thyng or els a life of vncleannes but I would haue them to bée chaunged into all vertue and goodnes and to liue in good workes after the commaundement will of God So that your grace may well perceiue that myne aduersaries hath not reported truely on me when they haue sayd how that I would that men should neither fast nor pray nor geue almes nor yet bée penitent for their sinnes I haue neuer sayd it nor yet taught no lyke sentence I take God to recorde my workes and my déedes and all my writynges that euer I wrote or made Wherfore I doubt not if it please your grace graciously to here me but that I wil proue them vntrue in this cause many other mo This doth almighty God know to bée true Who euer preserue your moste royall maiestie in honour and goodnes Amen What the Church is and who bee therof and whereby men may know her THe name of the holy church haue those mē of long tyme vsurped presumptuouslye and w t out all shame they were the greatest enemyes that holy church could haue in earth For they did no more agrée w t the maners of holy church then darknes and light then God and y t deuyll For where holy church hard no man but Christ onely They would heare all manner of men sauing Christ and neuer heare him except it weare to to their profit or glory Where as holy church was ruled in this world they would rule all the world where as holy church would bée holy by Christ onely they would bée holy by their owne helpe And where as holy church was allwayes despised and persecuted of the world They would bée honored of y t world and persecuters of all men And where as holy church was inwardly decked with spiritual vertues they would bée outwardly shinyng in spirituall araye And where as holy church would bée chaste in spryte they would with their mouthes vow chastite and spend all their liues in whore dome And where as holy church dyd allwayes shew méekenes in the worlde they would bée so proude y t hart could deuise no more Breifely whatsoeuer thing y e was agreable with the church of that had they neuer a crumme but allonely by violence vsurped the name of holy church So that if a man had had a crowne or a long goune and a white smock ouer his gowne thē was there no remedy but hée must nedes bée of the church yea and holy church her self So y e if a Barber had made a Bul a crowne a Taylor Iack napes a lōg gowne brought an Asse forth in a white rochet thē no mā might dout but y e there were holy church euerye man must fall downe to receyue clene remission a poena and a oulpa toties quoties for there came the successours of Peter Paule and they that haue the despensatiō of Christes bloud and the merites of holy saints and y e suffrages of holy church to distribute and the key bearers of heauē and hell Who can denye but this is truth It is to opē to néede an probation for wee sée it dayly before our eyes So that if a man will compare our M Christ y t is y e very head of holy church vnto these Prelates that call them selues his viccars hée shall finde but smale agréement betwéene the person and the vicar and hée that will consider S. Peter and S. Paule withall other Apostels shall think that eyther they were none of holy Church or els our prelals for they agrée in nothing Yea hée may reckē that S. Peter S. Paule were starke fooles ryght mad men that liued so despectuous a lyfe What néede me to make many wordes or to tell their names that I speake of There is no doubt but that galde horse will béewray hym selfe But shortly if the deuyll would come in his owne person disguised tell me how it were impossible that hée could bée more contrary to Christ and hys apostels
cause therof I am sure hée caÌ„ tel you if hée woulde I am sure it is rightteously done that is inough for mée But now commeth the blynde and fleshlye reason and murmureth at thys and asketh why are wée coÌ„demned for this why doth God punishe vs for this séeing wée can wyll no otherwyse Also hée blyndeth vs hée maketh our harts harde that wée can not amende vs and it lieth not in our power wythout his will Nowe why complayneth hée of vs why layeth hée it to our charge Here is nothynge done but hys will wée bée but instrumentes of hys will And if wée doe not well why geeueth hée vs not strength to doe better Thou dampnable reason who can satisfie thée which reckonest nothyng to bée well done but that thou dooste and that is done wyth thy counsell Thynkest thou not that thou art good and perfecte in thyne owne nature and all that is in thée is both wel and righteously made To this thou wilte aunswere yea for thou wiâ—t not condemne thy selfe nor any thing that is thine But now aunswere mee to this What hath made thée so well and geuen thée all thy righteousnes and all thys goodnes that thou hast Thou must néedes say God But what was the cause that thou art so well so righteous and so good made séeyng that thou deseruest nothyng Yea â–ª and all these thynges bée done so well and so righteously that thou canst not complayne nor ameÌ„de them no nor yet deuise which way to amende them Now why doest thou not murmur agaynst God séeyng that all thynges is done without thy knowledge and also without thy deseruing why doest thou not inquire a cause of hym why murmurest thou not that hée hath made thée so good and so rightfull séeyng thou haddest nothyng deserued But here wilt thou graunt that God dyd all thyng for the best Why doest thou not lykewise in other thynges Furthermore thou must néedes graunt that God thy maker and the gouernour of all thyngs is most wise most righteous and most mercyfull so wise that nothyng that hée doth can bée amended so righteous that there can bée no suspition in hym of vnrighteousnes so mercyfull is â—ée that hée caÌ„ doe nothyng without mercy Howe thinkest thou wilt thou graunt these thynges of thy maker Thou must néedes graunt them Now compare vnto this rule thy blindnes that is within thée thy induratioÌ„ that is in thée thy peruers will toward goodnes and what cause hast thou to complayne Thou hast graunted that hée doth all thynges righteously Ergo thou hast no wrong Hée doth all things mercyfully Ergo thou art in thy blyndnes and in thy hardnes better intreated theÌ„ thou hast deserued Moreouer thou beleuest that God is righteous that God is wise and that God is mercyful Now fayth is of those thynges that doe not appeare nor that can bée prooued by exteriour causes Hold thée fast to this fayth then all thy fleshely reasons bée assâ—iled For wheÌ„ God saueth so few men and damneth so many and thou knowest no cause why yet must thou beléeue that hée is mercyful and righteous This is fayth which if it could bée prooued by exteriour causes then were it no néede to beléeue it Now if thou beléeue that hée is mercyfull good righteous vnto thée wherefore murmurest thou But yet wouldest thou know wherfore hée in durateth thée and blyndeth thée and geueth thée no grace to amende and vnto thy brother that hath no better deserued then thou hast yea hée hath likewise euill deserued as thou hast and yet hée geueth hym grace and taketh away his hardnes geueth him a will to will all goodnes This is not indifferently done as thou thinkest First I say to thée thou hast no cause to complayne for thou hast no wrong thou hast all thyng that is thyne and nothyng is taken froÌ„ thée that beloÌ„geth to thée Why doest thou complayne of this right Yea but yet sayest thou that hée geueth the one mercy and geueth the other none I aunswere what is that to thée is not his mercy his owne Is it not lawfull for him to geue it to whom hée will is thy eye euil because hée is good Take that that is thyne and goe thy way For if it bée his wil to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne ouer the vessels of wrath ordeined to damnation and to declare the riches of his glory vnto the vessels of mercy which hée had prepared elected vnto glory What hast thou therewith to doe what cause hast thou therof to coÌ„playne it is the will of God which can not bée but well righteous the which as thou sayest thou beléeuest Wherefore leaue of thy murmuryng thy disputation agaynst God and recken that hée is of his nature mercyfull and hath no delite nor no pleasure in thy damnatioÌ„ but beléeue thou stedfastly that if hée shewe hys mercy but vnto one man in all the worlde that thou shalt bée that same one man though an aungell would make thée beléeue that all the world should bée damned yet sticke thou fast to his mercy and to his iustice that iustifieth thée and beléeue that the swéete bloud of his blessed sonne can not bée shedde in vayne but it must néedes iustifie sinners and so many as sticke fast vnto it though they bée neuer so blynded and neuer so hardned for it was shed alonely for them If thou canst thus satisfie thy selfe then doest thou wel thou art doubtles out of ieoperdie If thou wilt not bée content but wilt dispute and inquire causes of Gods inscrutable will then will I stand by and looke on and sée what victordome thou shalt get I doubt not but it will repeÌ„t thée and that hée will conclude with thée on this maner May not I doe what I will Now here haue I auÌ„swered to an intricable doubt that our schoole men are wrapped in whiche would know what is the cause of predestination and of reprobatioÌ„ Duns béeyng wrapped betwéene carnall reason and the inuincible Scriptures of S. Paule can not tell whether hée may graunt that the will of God is alonely the cause of election or els any merites of man precedyng afore hée concludeth that both y e opinions may bée defended Bonauenture blyndly concludeth that there may bée a cause preceding grace to deserue it So that in these vnfrutefull questions which in gender nothing but conteÌ„tion haue they spent all their liues and for these thinges bée geuen vnto them peculiar names as subtile and seraphicall and irrefrigable Doctours But agaynst them all I set S. Paule whiche tooke intollerable labours to prooue by inuincible Scriptures and examples therof that there was no cause but alonely the will of God And to prooue this hée bryngeth in an euident example of Iacob Esau how Iacob was elected Esau reprooued afore they were borne and afore they had done either good or bad Can
more ieoperdye to geue the pure body of Christ Iesus into a foule soule then y t a drop of bloud by negligence should fall on the ground for there falleth but a drop and here is y t whole body in a foular place then the ground is Also that may bée auoyded with good diligence and wisedome of the Priest but that the sacrament shall alwayes bée receiued into a pure conscience there is no dilygence of the priest that can make it How thinke you now now is all the whole sacrament Christes blessed ordinaunce clearely taken away and all for auoyding ieoperdies and perells Thus trifle you with Christes holy word yea and y t in your great and holy counsels Other reasons my Lorde of Rochester bringeth that bée worthy of no solution for hée doth but mocke scorne and trifle with Gods word Hée bringeth y t myracle of y t fiue loues where there is no mentioÌ„ made of wyne therefore lay men must bée houseled in one kinde is not this madnes What meane these men y t neyther feare God nor yet bée ashamed of man what is this to the purpose Christ dyd a myrackle of fyue loues where is no mencion made of wyne what is this to the sacrament If the bread fygnifyed one part of the sacrament what sygnifyed the 2. fyshes they that were there These 2. things must néedes signifye the other part Also lay men did touch this breade Moreouer in an other place Christ geueth all onely wine Therefore the sacrament must bée receiued in the kinde of wine al onely of the lay men Bée not these goodly argumentes yea and that of bishops it were madnes to aunswere to them That by Gods worde it is lawfull for Priestes that hath not the gift of chastitie to marry Wiues I Haue séene and heard in diuerse countryes where I haue béene intolerable persecutioÌ„ agaynst Priestes that were compelled by weakenes of nature to mary wyues for that intent that they might after Gods law and mans law vse an honest coÌ„uersation in this world For the which thyng I say they haue béene sore persecuted some cast out of their countrey some drowned some burned and some beheaded Finally all the cruelnes that could bée excogitated against them men thought it to litle Wherfore I that recken my selfe a debtour and a seruaunt vnto all meÌ„ in all thynges wherein I may profite them and specially in thynges that apperteine to instructioÌ„ of their conscience hath taken vpoÌ„ me in this cause to shew my litle and small learnyng charitably desiryng theÌ„ that bée some thing yet against this thyng that they will let them selues bée taught and instructed by Gods word and not to set themselues obstinately agaynste the verity of Gods blessed word For our Lord can easely beare and suffer an vnwilled ignoraunce but a peruerse malice and a froward resistyng of his veritie can hée not suffer but thereunto is hée a mortall and an extreme enemy Wherefore let men consider that if this article doth stand with Gods word â—ith Christes holy doctrine that if then they resiste and set themselues agaynst it how that they doe resiste God the which no man is able to performe Certaine men there bée that of a very peruerse froward and obstinate mynde doth set them selues agaynst this article other moe And will in no wise admit either reason or learnyng but still remaine in theyr old errour that they haue conceiued in their braynes whiche is neither grounded in Gods holy word nor yet in the holy conuersation or lyuyng of blessed and vertuous meÌ„ Vnto these men will I write nothyng bycause I will not trouble them and bycause I would bée loth to bée torne with dogs téeth or elles to cast pearles béefore swyne An other sorte of meÌ„ there bée that doth not admit this article by the reason that they bée ignoraunt in Scriptures and know not the very grouÌ„de therof but alonely are led by an old custome that they haue béen brought vp in Yet neuerthelesse they are not obstinate enemyes vnto the veritie but would gladly geue place to learnyng and reason And all that they doe is to search with a sober méekenes what y e truth is The which thing they are glad to embrace as soone as it is layde to them Vnto these men is my writyng and my labour spent whom I doe charitably beséeche that they will fauourably and indifferently iudge this my writyng This doe I bynde my selfe to prooue this thing by Gods grace out of Christs holy worde by the sayinges of holy Doctours by the authoritie of autheÌ„ticall stories by the examples practise of holy and vertuous men And if I doe not this I will bée contented not to bée beléeued which thyng if I can performe I thinke all reasonable men will géeue credence to mée Finally and laâ—t of all I will shew those reasons and authorities wherby that the Pope hath bounde hys Priestes to kéepe as hée calleth it pure chastitie And in conclusion after my poore learnyng I will assoyle all those Scriptures and reasons and prooue that in this thyng they caÌ„ haue no place Vnto the performyng of the whiche Iesus of his infinite mercy graunt me of his holy spirite Amen FIrst coÌ„meth blessed Saint Paule whom the Church of God hath alwayes had in reuerence and hée approueth this doctrine of mine saying Let euery man for auoyding of fornication haue his wife and euery woman haue her husband Marke how blessed S. Paule coÌ„maundeth where as any daunger of fornication is that euery man in auyoding of vicious lyuyng should take a wife Here is no man excepted for the text is for euery man and specially for them that can not lyue sole Vnto theÌ„ it is a streight commaundement to marry there is none other remedy ordeined of God to auoyde fornication but mariage Yea and if there were ten other remedies more then mariage yet must mariage bée as lawfull as they to bée vsed yea and a great deale more séeyng that it is specially appoynted of God for a remedy in this case For as for all other remedyes as fastyng watchyng labouryng chastising of a mans body though they bée lawfull laudable and good yet bée they not appropriately and onely appoynted of God to bée remedies agaynst fornication as blessed S. Paule doth here appoynt mariage for to bée Wherefore if it bée lawfull for Priestes for to fast and watch to auoyde fornication it must néedes bée more lawful for theÌ„ to marry wiues if they bée in daunger of fornication For mariage in this case is not alonely commaunded of God but it is appointed of God for an especiall and singular medecine for this disease Marke also the occasion that S. Paul had to write this text to the Corinthians There were certeine men amoÌ„g them that reckened it an holines and a perfectioÌ„ as certeine meÌ„ doth now for Priestes that Christen meÌ„ should lyue sole without wiues as
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
bisshops make no accompt of periury The spiritualtie are neither of y ◠〈◊〉 side nor of the other for there is no truth in them more then shall serue their turne An admonition to all subiectes Luk. 15. Here Tindall sheweth himself to be voyde of malice to any priuate person God is mercyfull to the ignoraunt but he pleaseth the malicious wilful offeÌ„der The obedience of 〈◊〉 Christen man written three yeares before this booke Scriptures should be translated into â—â—â—ry language The cause of the edition of this Pathway What are contayned in the old TestameÌ„t The contentes of the newe TestameÌ„t The Etymologie of this worde EuangelioÌ„ EuangelioÌ„ is called the newe TestameÌ„t No greater comfort can happen to a sinner being penitent theÌ„ the promises of the Gospell The Gospell was promised of God in the old TestameÌ„t by the Prophets Christ hath ouer â–ª throwen y e deuill and all hys power The 〈◊〉 was geuen by Moses grace and truth by Iesus Christ The lawe requireth of vs that whiche is impossible for our nature to do When the law hath condemned vs Christ graunteth vs free pardon Christ is Gods mercy stoole so that no mercy commeth from God but through Christ The law must euer be in sight to make vs humble spirited the gospel also before our â—yes to comfort vs. Two maner of people deceaued those which iustifie theÌ„selues by thse workes those that through their blinde opinion of faith vtterly perâ—ert the liuely fayth He that hath a right fayth deliteth in the law althogh his weaknes can not fulfill the same He that iustifieth him selfe reiecteth y t law priuises The voluptuous person A true christian A proper similitude We are plucked froÌ„ Adam and graffed in Christ by grace The bloud of Iesus hath obtained al thinges for vs of God Sundry sortes of righteousnes MaÌ„s sensuall reason can not perceaue the vertue of Christes bloud Adams fall brought vs in bondage to the deuill The natural corruption of the myndes of Adams heyres playnly sâ—â— forth Man before his regeneratioÌ„ can not thinke wel of God The harts of the electâ— do eueÌ„ melt at the preachyng of Gods mercy and Christes kyndnes Christ â—eâ—â— nothyng vndone that might be to our saluation Christ an example to vs of all goodnes What faith receiueth of God thorough Christes bloud that we must bestowe on our neighbours though they be our enemyes Christ dyd not good deedes to merite heaueÌ„ for that was his all ready but frely for our sakes The law byndeth the Gospel louseth all men The force of the law The vprising sinner feeleth such ioy in the Gospell that he thinketh it â–ª impossible that God should forsake hym All synne in vs is of 〈◊〉 selues â–ª and all goodnes of Christ Workes certifie vs of euerlastyng â—nheritaunce â—ill sinne in vs and releue the necessitie of our neighbour Giftes of grace beloÌ„g to our brother as much as to our selues Holydayes necessary to come together in learne Christes will Worldly rulers to be obayed so far forth aâ— their lawes impugne not Gods lawes Though rulers appointed of God oppresse vs yet we may not auenge they being in Gods roome We must loue our neighbour as our self Our baptisme signifieth that we repent and professe a new life The perfecter we are the greter is our repentante and the stronger is our fayth Our workes deserue not y t giftes of grace The principles of scripture perfectly learned aâ— y â— rest is more easie We must first learne the profession of our Baptisme The profession of our Baptisme what it is Gospell All our sinnes for Iesu Christes sake for hys death passion are clearely forgeuen Euery Christen man must reconcile himselfe vnto his brother The right penaunce is repentaunce of sinne and amendemeÌ„t of lyfe All our lyfe must tend to this ende to came our flesh serue our neighbour Fayth in Christes bloud with a repentauÌ„t hart is the onely satisfaction that we caÌ„ make towarde God The father of loue correcteth the child God as a louyng father careth for vs and geÌ„tlye correcteth vs to keepe vs in the right way To vnderstand our baptisme is to vnderstaÌ„d the law and the Gospell The key light of the Scripture Howe the Scripture is locked vp from ouâ— vnderstandyng If we be not taught by God we do but wander â—leane out of the way He that vnderstandeth the professioÌ„ of his Baptisme can be no hereticke The Scripture teacheth low lynes and hateth prid â–ª The Scripture maketh no heretikes If God lighten not our hartes we read the Scripture in vayne The law condemneth to driue vs to faith in Christes death Heresy springeth out of the harts of hypocrites He that is souÌ„d in faith shal easely attaine to the true seÌ„ce of the scripture The papists vnwritten berities are not to be credited The papist 〈…〉 haue corrupted the scriptures abused the sacramentes The scripture to the life of Gods elect Hypocrites say that the scripture maketh heretiques The translation of the scripture is not sufficieÌ„t onely but it must be well taught that the people may haue the true seÌ„ce Introductions made to bring you to the true vnderstanding of the scripture 〈◊〉 â–ª Ioh. 1. S. Iohn witnesseth that Christ is very God That Christ is very man He that beleueth that Christ is the sonne of God also very man hath euerlasting life To beleue in Christ To beleue that Christ is God and man is to put all our trust hope confideÌ„ce in him Moses Christ is our life By nature we are the children of wrath The law coÌ„demneth vs. Christ If we submit our selues to Christ knowledge our weakenes he will of his great mercy receaue vs. The touch stone of all true doctrine and preachers The modest charitable maner of S. Paules doctrine S. Paule preached Christ and not hym selfe As God is light so the deuill is darkenes Good workes are the frutes of lyght Walkyng in darknes or in light If wee haue the spirite of God in vs then will he rayse vs vp with Iesus Christ Hee that sayth hee hath no sinne deceaueth him selfe If we confesse our sinnes to God with true fayth and repentaunce he will forgeue vs. All meÌ„ are sinners Nothing can be so well done but it may be ameÌ„ded All the nature of maÌ„ is sinfull We must resist sinne with al our power and might We sinne daily by the frailty and weaknes of our flesh Our aduocate Iesus Iesus that is God and maÌ„ calleth â—…o thee O Father for vs. Christus By Iesu Christ we are made blessed Christes bloud is the satisfaction for our sinnes Christ gaue himselfe for the redemption salnation of al the world Christ is king ouer death hell sinne Christ onely is our sauiour Christ forgeueth all our sinnes freely for his mercy sake Christ onely is our aduocate Popish for geuenesse The forgeuenesse that we haue of god for Christes sake is â—ree Faith in
word testifyeth against vs that wee are all sinners yea and els Christ dyed in vayne Salomon sayth 3. Reg. 8. That there is no man that sinneth not agaynst God And Paule proueth by the authoritie of the Scripture vnto the Romaines that we are all sinners without exception And the scripture witnesseth that we are damnable sinners and that our nature is to sinne Which corrupt and poysoned nature though it be begō to be healed yet it is neuer through whole vntil the houre of death For the which cause with all our best fruites there growe weedes among Neither can there be any deed so perfect that could not be amended When a blind bungler wondreth at his glorious woorkes a cunning workeman y t hath a cleare iudgement perceaueth that it is vnpossible to make a woorke that coulde not bee made better Now the law requireth workes of vs in the highest degree of perfection and ceaseth not to accuse vs vntill our workes flow naturally as glorious in perfection as the woorkes of Christ And Christ teacheth vs to pray in our Pater noster Forgeeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue our trespassers Whereby ye may easelye vnderstande that we sinne dayly one against another and all agaynst God Christ taught also to pray that our Father should not let vs slip into temptation signifying that our nature cannot but sinne if occasions be geuen except that God of his especiall grace keepe vs backe Which readinesse to sinne is damnable sinne in the lawe of God Dauid prayed Psal 68. Let not the tempest drowne me let me not fall into the bottome and let not the pitte shut her mouth vpon me as who shoulde say First keepe me O God from sinning then if I shall chaunce to fall as no flesh can escape one time or other then call me shortly backe agayne and let me not sincke to deepe therein and though I yet fall neuer so deepe yet Lord let not the way of mercy be stopped signifying that it is vnpossible to stand of our selues and much lesse to rise againe Which impotencie and feblenes is damnable in the law of God except that wee saw it and repented and were fled to Christ for mercy Chap. 2. MY little children I write these thinges vnto you that ye sinne not And though any man sinne yet we haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ which is righteous I write vnto you on the one syde that God is light and therfore that no man which willingly walketh in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse hath any felowship with that light or part in the bloud of his Sonne And this I write and testifie vnto you my deare children that ye sinne not that is that ye consent not vnto sinne nor should sinne of lust and purpose maliciously but contrariwise that ye feare God resiste sinne with all your might and power according as ye haue promised For whosoeuer sinneth of purpose after the knowledge of truth the same sinneth against the holy Ghost remedilesse Heb. 6. 10. And on the other side I testifie vnto you that we be alway sinners though not of purpose and malice after the nature of damned deuils but of infirmitie and frailtie of our flesh which flesh not onely let teth vs that our woorkes can not be perfect but also now then through manifold occasions and temptations caryeth vs cleane out of the right way spight of our hartes How be it I say if when the rage is past we turne vnto the right way agayne and confesse our sinnes vnto our Father with a repenting hart he hath promised vs mercie and is true to fulfill it So that if we sinne not deuilishly against the holy Ghost refusing the doctrine which we can not improue that it should not be true but after the frail tie of man there is no cause to dispair For we haue an aduocate and an intercessour with the Father euen Iesus Christ that is righteous The name of our aduocate is Iesus that is to say a sauiour Cal his name Iesus sayd the Angell to Ioseph for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Math. 1. And this aduocate our Iesus to saue vs from our sinnes continueth euer as it is written Heb. 7. and hath Sempiternum Sacerdotium an euerlasting office to make an attonment for sinne by the reason wherof sayth the text he is able euer to saue them that come to God through him with repentance and fayth and liueth euer to speake for vs. And besides that our Iesus is God and almightie He tooke our nature vpon him and felt al our infirmities and sicknesses and in feeling learned to haue compassion on vs and for compassion cryed mightely in prayers to God the Father for vs was heard And the voyce of the same bloud that once cryed not for vengeaunce as Abels but for mercy onely was heard cryeth now and euer and is euer heard as oft as we call vnto remembrance with repenting fayth how that it was shed for our sinnes He is also called Christus that is to say king annoynted with all might and power ouer sinne death and hell and ouer all sinnes so that none that flyeth vnto him shall euer come into iudgement of damnation He is annoynted with all fulnesse of grace and hath all the treasure and riches of the spirite of God in his hande with which he blesseth all men according to the promise made to Abraham and is thereto mercifull to geue vnto al that cal on him And how much be loueth vs I report me vnto the ensamples of his deedes And he is righteous both towarde God in that he neuer sinned and therfore hath obtayned all his fauour and grace and also toward vs in that he is true to fulfill all the mercye that he hath promised vs euen vnto the vttermost iotte And he is the satisfaction for our sinnes and not for oures only but also for all the worldes That I call satisfaction the Greeke calleth Ilasmos and the Hebrue Copar And it is first taken for the swaging of wounds sores and swellings and the taking away of payne and sinarte of them And thence is borowed for the pacifying and swaging of wrath and anger and for an amendes making a contenting satisfaction a raunsome making at one as it is to see aboundantly in the Bible So that Christ is a full contenting satisfaction and raūsome for our sinnes And not for oures onely which are Apostles and Disciples of Christ while he was yet here or for ours which are Iewes or Israclites and the seed of Abraham or for ours that nowe beleue at this present tyme but for all mens sinnes both for their sinnes which went before and beleued the promises to come for ours which haue sene them fulfilled and also for all them whiche shall afterward beleue vnto the worldes ende of what soeuer nation or degree they be For Paule commaundeth 1. Timo.
of righteousnes what it is Carâ— How the spirituality â–ª care for the temporall common wealth As thou 〈…〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 â—o shalt 〈◊〉 ob 〈◊〉 mercy in y â— life to come 6. The filthines of the hart what The purenes of the hart what The ende of the lawe 〈◊〉 to iustiâ—… all that â—…leue Impure harted who are 7. Peacemaking what Princes what they ought to 〈◊〉 yet they make warre WheÌ„ thou maist assure thy selfe to be y â— sonne and heyre of God VengeauÌ„ce pertayneth to God onely 8. In y e fayth of Christ lawe of God â–ª all oâ—r righteousnes is conteyned Peace The peace of Christ is a peace of conscience To suffer with Christ in this worlde is to be glorified wyth him in the worlde to come Payne No 〈◊〉 payne caâ— be a satisfaction to God 〈◊〉 Christes passion 9. What the most cruell persecution is Set the example of Christ before thee Cursed Most accursed who Workes iustifie noâ— Not the worker but y e pure mercy of God is cause of the promise made vnto The office of a true preacher It is a leopardous thyng to salt hypocrisie Salt Who is mete to salt A true preacher of gods word must vse no parcialitie for feare of persecution Monkes why they runne to cloystures By salte is vndersteod the true vâ—deâ—â—tandinâ— of the â—…as of fayth of woâ—kes c â–ª Spiritualtie why 〈◊〉 be dispiâ—â—d Ceremonies must be salted Darcknes all knowledge is darcknes 〈◊〉 the knowledge of Christes bloud shedâ—ing be in the hart Laye The laye ought to haue the Gospell Gospell The propertie of y â— Gospell Gospell The trâ—e Gospell is not hid in dennes If y â— spiritualty were a light as they ought to be they woulde make them â—…ues pore to make other riche but they make other poore and themselues riche Kinges ought to be learned The order how euery man may be a preacher and how not None ought to preach â—…ly but such as are admitted by y â— ordinaunce of the congregation Spirituall and temporal reqâ—… do biffer Euery maÌ„ must defeÌ„de Christes doctrine in 〈◊〉 owne person Whose refuseth tadâ—… for Christes sake caÌ„ not be the disciple of Christ False doctrine causeth â–ª 〈◊〉 workes True doctrine is cause of good workes Grace and truth thorough Iesus Christ Gloses They that destroy the law of God with gloses must be cast out The Church Law Except a man loâ—e Gods law â—e cannot vnderstand the doctrine of Christ The righteousnes of Phariseis Glorie He that seketh hys owne glory teacheth his owne doctrine not his masters Glory â–ª he that sekâ—… came glory altereth his maâ—…s message Worde Gods worde altered is not his worde To loue is to helpe at â—eede Prayer The prayer of MoÌ„kes robbeth helpeth not Loue prayeth Scribes Phâ—… what they were The Phariseyeâ— might better haue proued theÌ„selues the true Church theÌ„ our spiritualâ—â—e way The promises are made vpon the profession of the keepyng of the lawe of God so that the Church that will not keepe Gods lawe hath no promise that they caâ—ot erre The wickednes of y â— Phariseies what it was Preacher Why the true preacher is accused of treason and heresie Ipocrisie Why hipocrisie must be first rebuked though it be ieopardie to preach against it The lawe is restored The Phariseis 〈◊〉 exteÌ„d 〈…〉 doinges or actes to y â— outward shew 〈◊〉 deede and nothing to the hart The lawe 〈…〉 wâ—â—t on the hart as the hand Racha How a maÌ„ may be angry without sinning Loue is y â— keeping of the lawe Sinnerse He that helpeth not to mâ—nde sinners must suffer with them when they be punished In doyng out best to further our neighbour in vertue although we preuaile not we are excused Hate When a man may hate hys neighbour Offeringes or sacrifices what they meant The faste that God requireâ—… Last farthyng How corruptly the Phariseis dyd attribute all euil to the deede onely Loue is the fulfillyng of the law Aduoutrie Some doctoure â—aue doubted in that which Christ hath flatly condemned Filthy A wife How good a thyng The office of a preacher Law What foloweth the kepyng of the law Law What foloweth the breaking of the law The enormities that haue chauÌ„ced since y â— slaughter of King Richard y e secoÌ„d vnto this realme of EnglaÌ„d Tiraunts Why God geueth vs vp and leaueth vs in the handes of titaunts and in all misery An admonition What rulers ought to do touching such as runne Flie from their wiues without â—ust cause Swearing To sweare by God Men ought so 〈◊〉 deale that their wordes may be credited without any othes Swearing in what sort it is lawfull â–ª Charitie moderareth the law Othe To performe an euill othe is doubleâ— sinne He is not forsworne whose hart ment truly when hee promised To lye or dissemble 〈◊〉 some causes not culpable Cheke To turne the other cheke what it is Mekenes Pollyng how to auoyde it Two maner states degrees of regimeÌ„tes Euery maÌ„ is of the spiritualtie and of the temporalitie both 〈…〉 He that loueth not his neighbour â—ath not y e true fayth of Christ The temporall regiment Violence Not to resist violeÌ„ce how it is vnderstode Rulers must punishe â—ut for malice but for defence of the people and maintenaunce of y â— lawes An example how to vnderstand y â— two regimentes What soeuer thou art bound to do do it with loue How to be a warriour Thou 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 〈…〉 Goodes Math. xxv To go◠〈◊〉 lawe To rise agaynst the iudge or magistrate so to resiste God Princes whether they may be resisted or put downe of their subiectes in any case The king hath Gods authoritie An aunswere to the former Argument Goodes The kyng as â—ee is Lord of thy body so 〈◊〉 hee of thy goodes RegimeÌ„ts Euery maÌ„ is vnder both regimentes As the spiritualitie may rebuke kings vices so may kyngs vse temporall correctioÌ„ agaynst the spiritualtie A preacher of â—…eâ—ce Rulers do repene to heare of theyr â—…es In lending we must folow the rule of mercy We must not reuenge our selues vpon our euill detters but referre our cause to God and his officers 〈◊〉 Couetousnes is the roote of all euill Iaco. ij The enemies of God and hiâ— wordâ— are to be huted Leui. 19. Publicans what they were As our heaueÌ„ly father bestoweth his benefites vpon good bad so ought we to loue both frend and soe To be perfect what it meaneth Almose Deedes coÌ„manded by the scripture done to any other ende then they ought are â—o good deedes 〈◊〉 xvi It is the purpose entent of our deedes that make or marrâ— Trumpets To blow trumpetes what Lefte hand Vaine glorie A good remedy against it Workes iustifie not from sinne neither deserue the rewarde promised Our rewarde commeth not of our deserts but thâ—… the loue that God beareth 〈◊〉 thorough faith in Iesus Christ We may not chaleÌ„ge the proâ—… by our merites but by Christes bloud Crosse Workes What
they â—oâ— NegligeÌ„ce 〈◊〉 doyng â—…ed brynâ—…th vs to desperation Two apte similitudes 〈◊〉 well and â—…l doings Promise He that professeth not a newe lyfe hath no promise of mercy in Christ Prayer Workes must be seasoned with Gods worde if they shall please God Prayer What it is and how many wayes it may be named prayer Chamber To shut thy chamber doore what it meaneth Prayer Gods commaundement and promise shuld moâ—â— vs to pray The Pater noster That prayer is vayne wherein y t hart is not ioyned with the toung False prayer is painefull True prayer to pleasaunt Sion Shenâ—… Not the multitude of thy â—ordes but thy fayth 〈◊〉 praying God doth respect The Dater noster is expounded To honour Gods name what it is Kinges must commaunde nothyng nor forbid to do any thing contrary to Gods worde When we request any thing at Gods haÌ„d we must pray that his will be done not ours Dayly breade whereby is vnderstoode all that pertaineth vnto the necessitie of this lyfe A surer way then pardons How thou mayst bee sure of pardon for thy sinnes We cannot of our selues but â—all into 〈◊〉 Small occasions drâ—… vs to 〈…〉 〈◊〉 we are 〈◊〉 ly prone Who shuld thinke hym selfe to be without sinne were as euill as Lucifer Kynges 〈◊〉 subiectes are all one afore God A couenauÌ„t where with God is bounde to forgeue vs and we to forgeue ech other Gods couenaunt is a sure absolution to all that keepe Leauen how many wayed it is taken Faith what power it is of and the fruites that spring thereof Loue is righteousnes Faith bringeth loue Workes Loue. Fayth As Leauen can not be seene in a â—oafe without smell or tast so cannot saith in vs without good workes and y â— intent of the same be seene or appeare That fayth iustifieth what iâ— meaneth Fayth Workes are sacramentes Baptim Christ Fayth Fast If fasting be vsed to any other and then to tame the fleshe that thereby we may be the more prone to serue God it is abused To annoint the head what it meaneth Fastyng The heape of inconueniences that spring by â—…rate superfluous 〈◊〉 and drinking Fastyng dayes or dayes of abstmence are to be ordained for common weales sake Almose Prayer Fasting Almose prayer and fasting how necessary Almose prayer and fasting are inseperable Fasting is not in eating and drinking onely Workes make hipocrites 〈◊〉 y â— true entent be away Rulers be ordained for theÌ„ that cannot rule theÌ„selues Preacher The office of a true preacher Note this well ye temporall magistrates Prophets Priestes yea and Kynges of the old TestameÌ„t zealous Preachers Papistes haue often bene called to the Popes couenaunt but seldome to the Lords Obiection Solution Payne How God delueth in our payne takyng Fast The intent of fastyng what â—…s Fast How the Iewes did fast Fast The popes fast A feasâ—yng fast Faslyng The true intent is away from the Popes fastyng Monkes made the Pope a â—…od for his dispensations Couetousnes 〈◊〉 at a 〈…〉 〈◊〉 is 2. Pet 〈◊〉 Couetousnes cannot but erre More Couetousnes blinded the eyes hardened y e hart of Sir Thomas More The coÌ„modities that folow couetous and worldly rich men â—uke xij Luke xiiij Couetousnes maketh the salte of Godes worde vnsauery Couetousnes maketh a false Prophet Darckenesse Couetousnes causeth darcknesse Darckenesse The daâ—â—nes of the Popes doctrine here plainely appeareth Fayth in workes is darcknesse Darcknes Mammon what it is Mammon is a God Mammon maketh meÌ„ disguise theÌ„ selues The seruauntes of Mammon are not oâ— Chriâ—â—es Church The seruaunt of Mammon to no true preacher To bee MammoÌ„s seruaunt what it is MammoÌ„s seruaunt how he is knowen The goodnes of god towarde mankynd Byrdes beastes teache vs to put away care Care Mammon Actes 〈◊〉 ConenauÌ„t keepe couenaunt with God and he shal keepe promise wyth thee Kingdome of heauen what Righteousnes of the kingdome of heauen what it is Iâ— thou folow Christ thou canst not 〈…〉 sufficient liuing Care What we ought châ—â—â—â—est to care for Tempte Why God letteth hys children be tempted with aduersitie What care is forbiddeÌ„ Care whâ—… care euery man ought to haue Gods commaundement is mans lyfe Exod. xx Why God suffereth tirauntes to prosper Iudgyng What iudgyng is to be rebuked All dayes are indifferent to do good dedes to y â— prayse of God the profite of our neighbore The beame Ceremonies hee that breaketh vnitie for zeale of ceremonies vnder slandeth not Gods law Ceremonies Measure â–ª Dogges who they be what is signified therby Swyne truly described Praâ—er is a commauÌ„dement Belefe To beleue in God what Luke 18. Prayer By prayer we wynne the victory onely and therefore is it of all thyngesâ— most necessary False Prophetes what their wickednes 〈◊〉 Mark xiij Math. 24. Thy hart must be ioy ned with thy prayer The riche must pray for dayly bread To thinke our selues saued or preserued by any other meanes then by Gods â–ª is Idolatry Faith must be ioyned to our prayer Though God differ thy request yet must thou not saynt Doubtes How to â—oyle doubtes Note Note Law what the fulfillyng therof is The end of all y â— lawes betwen mâ— and man is to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Strayte gate The narrow way Few finde the narrow waâ— and whâ— Peter Paule â–ª Christ The false prophetes who Sheepes clothing what it meaneth â–ª 〈◊〉 Thess 2. Sheepes clothing Rauening wolues The obedience pouertie and wilfull chastitie of our spiritualtie Pouertie Chastitie Charitie Fasting Prayer Thornes beare no Figges The aunswere of cloysterers to such as shall desire â—elefe at theâ— haÌ„ds A corrupt tree beareth no good â—â—ute Fayth is the kernell of all our good frutes Faith maketh the â—oorke â—oâ—d and acceptable An example howe thy workâ— or deede may be pleasaunt and acceptable before God â–ª Handy craftes are the commaundement of God The Iewes Turkes geâ—r almes as we doe yet for lacke of fayth it is abhominable God is aswell pleased when we thankefully receaue his benefites as when we do geue for his sake Hipocrites exâ—oll their owne workes to destroy the workes of God The holynes of hypocrites wherein it is Aske the 〈◊〉 steÌ„ Friâ—is why they murthered one of their felowes at London Who is y â— spiritualty IgnoraÌ„ce 〈◊〉 not if we wâ—â— notâ—câ— False prophetes how to 〈◊〉 â—here they be Beleuers without 〈◊〉 workers without fayth are built on 〈◊〉 The 〈…〉 〈…〉 the◠〈…〉 in Iesus Christ Fayth what it breedeth Loue. The word of God 〈…〉 〈◊〉 a man into 〈◊〉 parts 〈…〉 y t fleâ—â—e to hold one â—ay and 〈◊〉 spirite to draw an other Iohn 16. The holy ghost shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement 〈◊〉 Cor. 2. The spiritual iudgeth all thynges spiritually Math. 22. Rom. 13. Math. 22. The spirituall man searcheth 〈◊〉 the cause why 〈◊〉 ought to loue hys neighbour â–ª Man is Lord ouer all the creatures of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reg. â—1 Circumâ—…oÌ„ not trequented in 〈◊〉