men in the glorius name of oure myghty lorde Iesus christe which is bothe their redemer shall be their iudge that they wylle indifferently here thys artykel discussed / by the blessed worde of oure Master Christe Iesus whiche wasse not alonly of god / but also very god him selfe / and all that he dyd was done by the counselle of the wholle trynyte / ād not alonly by his / by whose counselle all counsels bothe in heuen and erthe must be ordered / and that counselle that is contrary to yt whether yt be of Saynct Angel or of man must be a cursed and iudged to be of the deuyll / though they be neuer so myghty / neuer so welle lerned / and neuer so meny in multitude / for there is no power / no lernyng / nor yet no multitude nether in heuen nor in erthe / nor no iuperdes nor no sclanders that may iudge Christe and his holly worde / nor that they maye geue place vnto / wherefore yff I cane prove by open scripturs / of oure Master Christe / and also by the practes of holly churche / that this counselle / ys false and damnable / than lett alle christen men iudge which of vs must be harde and be beleued eyther the counselle hauyng no scriptour ye cōtrary to alle scripture / or els I that haue the open worde of god / and the very vse and practes of the holye appostles and of holye churche / Christe is of god / and that no man douteth / but the holye counsell though there were fyve thousaddes bisshopes there in muste proue them selfe to be of god by the word of god by their workes the whyche they cane not doo iff they be contrarye to Christe and hys blessed worde Moreouer Christe is not trew vnder a condicion by cause that men doo a lowe hym / for though alle the worlde were agenst hym / yet were he neuer the lesse trewe / but the counselle ys not trew but allonlye vnder this condicyon by cause yt dothe agre wyth Christes holy worde / and of yt selfe yt hathe no veryte / but ys off the devyll yff yt vary from Christ A fore the dreedfulle trone of god shalle the counselle be iudged by Chrystes holye worde / and Chryste shalle not be iudged / by the decre off the counsell but he shall be the counsels iudge / and yf christes worde condemne the counselle who shall approue yt / who shall prayse yt / who shall defende yt The temporalle swerde / nor the multitude of bisshopes nor interdiccion / excommunicacion nor cursynge / cane than helpe wherefore lett euerye trew christen man loke on thys matter indifferently / it is no tryflyng with god nor with his holy worde / for god wille remayne for ever / and his holy worde must be fulfylled / yff we wille not fulfylle yt / he shall caste vs dovne to the depe pytt of helle / and make of stonys men in oure stede that shalle kepe his worde / yt ys no lyghte thing / for yt lyethe on the saluaciō and damnacion bothe of boddy ād soulle / from the whiche we can not be delyuered / with these glorious wordes / Concilium / Concilium / Patres / Patres / Episcopi / Episcopi / for alle these may be the minysters of the deuylle / ye though they were angels / therfore wons agayne / I do monyshe and exhorte in the glorious name of the lyuynge god / and in the swet bloude of christe Iesus all trew christen men / to take hede what they doo agenste christes holy worde which is their eternalle god / their mercifulle redemer and shall be also their myghty and glorious iudge Nowe lett vs examen the wordes of the coūsell Fyrst of all the counsell graunteth that in the begenyng of the churche / alle christen men were housled vnder bothe kyndes / now wold I know of the counsell of whome the church had reseued this maner of christe or hys holy appostles as doughtles she did than what auctoryte had the counselle to change the institucion of christ / and of his holy appostles / and also the vse and practys of holy churche / was not the fyrst churche of god Dyd she not kepe Christes institucion dyd she not fulfyll christes worde Dyd not the holye appostles lerne hare so and now shalle the counsell of constanciens fyrste condēme Christ and his blessed worde / and thane the lerninge of Christes holy appostles and also the longe vse and practes of christes blessed churche / with out any scripture / with out auctorite or with out any speciall reuelacion from god but alonly for avoydyng of serten perelles yee and not content alonly to condemme these thinges but vnder the payne of heresy to condemne them / this is to sore a condemnacion of christes open word and of that thing which they graūt that the church did vse at the begenyng Forthermore the counselle saith that holy fathers and the churche did bringe in this custom to housseile laye men vnder won kinde / are yov not a shamed of these wordes Dothe not youre consciens pryke yov thus openly to lye ye of Christ and of his holye churche Chrystes worde is openly agenste yov / and yov graunte that the vse of the church was also other wyse / and as for holy fathers here maye yov se what they saye to it / but yov are the chylderne of the kingdum of lyis / ād doughtles if yov bring not forth the holy fathers that make for yov / yov shall not allonly be taken for abhominable and open lyers / but also for shamfulle and detestable sclanderars bothe of holye churche and also of holye fathers But it is no wōder for Antichrist must declare hym selfe openly to be agenst Christ and yet is he neuer with out an excuse / and a shaddow of holynes / where by he maye blynde the poore people / but what excuse had he here in the counsell to condemme Christes worde That they myght avoyde serten sclanders and perylles bycause that there is no boddy with out bloud Be not these lawfulle causys to condemne christes open worde / yee and that vnder the payne of heresy Is not thys a new maner of lawe to make that he that wylle not obeye a statute made agēst godes worde which he is bounde to obey vnder payne of euerlastinge damnacion / allonly for a voydynge parelles to be condemned for an heretyke Breuely by this reson may they condemme alle holye scriptur / by layynge iuperdys and perylles there to / they may condemme alle the creaturs of god / for there maye be peryll in vsynge of them alle But what nede meny wordes to proue this counselle to be of the deuylle for yf that be not of the deuyll that ys contrary to christ / and hathe no excuse for it but alonly to avoyd perelles / I can not tell what is of the deuyll I am suer Antichrist shalle
shame saith he inconuenieÌ„t / and farre froÌ„ the noblenes of youre lybertye seynge you be the bodye of Christe to be disceaved wyth shadowes and to be iudged as synners yf yov despyse to obserue those thinges wherefore let no man ouercome yov seynge yov are the bodye of christ that wyll seme to be meke in harte in the holynes of aungelles and bringinge in thinges which he hath not sene C.xxj. Austyne sayeth / Seinge that we be made of soule and body / as longe as we lyve in this temporall lyfe we must vse to the norisshinge of this life / these temporalle goodes Therfore muste we of that parte that belongeth to this liffe / be subiecte vnto powers / that is / vn to men that doo minister wordlye thinges / with some honoure but as concerninge that parte wherbye we beleue in god and be called vnto his kingdome we ought not to be subiecte vn to anye man / that wylle perverte the same thinge in vs that hath pleased god to geue vs to eternall lyfe 121. Austyne sayth / lett vs not loue any vysyble spectacles lest by erringe from the verite and by louynge shadowes we be brought in to darkenes lett vs haue no devocion vnto oure phantasies It is better to haue a true thinge what so euer yt be / than alle maner of thinges that maye be fayned at oure pleasure 141 Austyne sayth / lette vs haue no deuocion in honouringe of deed men For if they lyved welle / they maye not be counted for such men as to desyre such honoures / but they wylle that god shuld be honoured of vs by whose lightninge they reioyse that we are made companions of their glorye wherefore sayntes must be honoured by folowinge them / but not honouringe them of devocyon 145. B Barnarde saithe / I doo abhorre what so euer thinge is of me / excepte paradventure that that be myne that God hath made me his By grace hath he iustefyed me frelye / and by that hath he delyvered me from the bondage of synne Thou hast not chosen me saith christ but I haue chosen the nor I founde no merites in the that might moue me to chose the but I prevented al thy merites wherfore thus by faith haue I maryed the vnto me and not by the workes of the lawe I haue maryed the also in iustice / but not in the iustice of the lawe / but in that iustice whyche is of faith 46 Barnarde saith / that those rulers of the churche which go so gorgiouslye arayed of oure lordes godes as deacons / Archedeacons / bisshopes aÌ„d archebisshopes they calle them selues the minysters of Christ but they serue antichrist lxviij Barnarde saith / what shall we saye is this alloÌ„lye all the merite of frewill that he doth alonlye consent ye doutles Not that the same consent in the which is all his merite is not of god / whaÌ„ we can neyther thynke the which is lesse than to consent any thinge of oure selfe as though we were sufficient of oure selfe / these wordes be not myne but the appostles the which geueth vnto god and not to his frewille / alle maner of thinge that can be good / that is to saye to thinke / to will or to performe cÌ„ lxxxiâ— Chrisostome saith / the appostle wolde not that a whole contre shulde be permytted vnto one man / but enioyned to everie man his cure / to haue cure and charge of one church onlye xxviij Chrisostome saithe / the key is the worde and the knowlege of scriptures wherbye the gate of veryte is opened unto men lxxiiij Chrisostome saithe the keyberars are preastes vnto whom is commytted the worde to teach and to interpretate scriptures lxxvj Chrisostome saithe I saye boldlye that the bishopes and prelates of the church maye haue no thinge but meate and drynke and cloth xxviij lxxix Chrisostomâ— speakinge ageÌ„st the presumpcions of prelates saith / behold I se men that haue no true sence of holye scripture / yee thy vnderstonde nothinge at alle therof / and to passe ouer many thinges for I am a shamed to calle theÌ„ mad men trifelaâ—s and wrangelars they be such as knowe not whate they saye nor of what thinge they speake / but alonlye be they myghtye and bolde to make lawes and to curse and condemne those thinges of the whiche they knowe nothinge at all cÌ„ lxxx Chrisostome saith / I besech yov that yov wyll often tymes come hyther / and that yov wil diligentlye here the lesson of holy scripture / and not alonlye when yov be here / but also take in youre handes when yov be at whome the godlye Byble / and receave the thinge there in with greate studye for therebye shalle yov haue greate vauntage C.vij Chrisostome saieth / which of yov all that be here if it were required coulde saye one psalme with out the boke or any other parte of holye scripture / not one doutelesse / but this is not alonlye the worst but that yov be so slowe and remisse vnto spirituall thinges and vnto develyshnesse yov are hotter than any fyre But meÌ„ wyll defende this myscheve with this excuse / I am no religious man / I haue a wyfe and chyldren and a house to care for This is the excuse wherwith yov doo as it were with a pestilencye corrupte alle thynges / for yov doo reken that the studye of holye scripture belongeth allonlye vnto religious men / whan they be moch more necessarye vn to yov than vnto them C.viij Chrysostome saythe on thys texte / woman thy faith is greate Dost thou se this woman whiche was vnworthye but by her perseueraunce was made worthye / wilte thou lerne also that we prayenge vnto god in oure awne persons do more profyte than whan other men doo praye for vs This woman dyd crye and the disciples came and prayed hym that he wolde spede her for she cryeth on vs / but to them he answered / I am not sent but vnto the shepe which are perished of the house of Israell But when she came her selfe and did persever cryenge and saynge yeâ— lorde / for the whelpes doo eate the crummes that faule froÌ„ their masters tables / theÌ„ did he geue her the benefyte and sayde be it vnto the as thou wylte Dost thou not se how he did repell her whan other men prayed for her But whan she came her selfe and cryed / he did graunte her Vnto them he sayde I am not sent but vn to the shepe of Israell / but vnto the woman he sayethe / be it vnto the as thou wilt cÌ„ Fol. C.xlv Chrisostome saith / we haue no nede of patrons a fore god / nor nede of moch processe to speake fayre vnto other men / but though thou be alone wante a pratrone praye god by thy selfe / yet for all that shalt thou haue thy desyre / god doth not so lightlye graunte whan other men praye for vs as when me pray for oure selfe ye
gather oure strength to gether aÌ„d oppresse by violence as many as wyll holde wyth this lerning be he kynge / duke / lorde / Barone / Knight / MaÌ„ / woman / or childe So that they / yf it plese youre grace / go aboute to make the insurrexion to the mayntaynyng of their worldly pompe and pryde / and not the trew preacher for he intendith to mayntayne nothinge but the worde of god and that with suffering persecucion as the nature of the worde ys and not wyth persecuting / and ys also neyther able nor likly nor wylling yf he might to make any resurrexion ageÌ„st youre grace / for he maketh no striuinge yf he be the trew preacher of god nor fyghtynge for this worlde / but sufferith the childern of the world to enioye these worldly thynges / and intendeth alonly to bring in to light the most glorious and heuenly worde of god / but that wyll not the bisshops the childern of the world suffer / whych had rather seke and proue all the crafte suttilty and falshode that they can invent / than these thingis shuld by the worde of God come to lyght / so that they wylle make the insurrexion / and not the preacher Notwythstondyng they ar not a shamed / thus falsly to lay it to the preachers charge / and all by cause they wolde make youre grace to mayntaine ther maylyciousnes So that vnder the pretence of treason / they might execute the tyraÌ„nye of their hartis on lye For who ys that that wolde be a traytoure / or mayntaine a traytoure / agenste youre moste excelent and noble grace I thynk no man / yeâ— and I knowe suerly that no man can doo yt / wyth out the great dyspleasure of the eternalle god For. S. Paule commaundeth straytely vnto alle chrysten / to be obedient in all thynges vn to their princes / saynge on this maner / Rom. 13 Lett euery man submytte him selfe to the auctorite off the hye power For who so euer resystyth the power / resystyth the ordynaunce off god / they that resyste shall receyve to them selues daÌ„nacyon Also S. Peter confermyth thys / 1. Pet. 2. saynge Submytte youre selues vn to all maner ordinaunce off maÌ„ for the lordes sake / whether yt be vn to the kyng / as vnto the cheffe hed / eyther vn to dukes as vn to theÌ„ that are sent off hym for the punishment of evell doars / but to the prayse of them that do welle Here most noble prynce no man is except from the subieccyon of youre most excellent powre / neyther the bisshops / nor yet no nother man Not wyth stondyng yff they were so trewe in dede as they pretend in worde / Thys gospelle shulde they preache them selfe faythefully / puerly / and syncerelye to the people / as Paulle commaundeth Titus / and in hym alle bysshops in these wordes Vvarne them sayth he that they submytte them selues to prynces and to powers / and to obeye the offycers Thys are they commaunded not allonly to obserue them selues / but also to teache the people to obey theyr prynces whyche thynge yff they dyd faythefully in dede / as they dyssemble in worde / than they wolde not make so holy marters of them / that haue dyed agenst the liberte of prynces / in defendyng of their glorie / as they haue done Vve haue many that be made sayntes for rebellinge agenst prynces / for defendyng of theyr fayned spirituall lyberte though yt were in sauing a theuysh preaste froÌ„ the gallous / whyche had deserued dethe / ye and for defendynge of their temporall possessyons / and that preastes shulde be fre / aÌ„d all their goodes / not bounde to paye trybute For these artycles haue they made many holy sayntes / but whaÌ„ made they one for defendinge of gods worde and the kyngys prerogatiue / whiche ys alowed by godes word Neuer one in all their liues nor neuer wyll where fore youre grace may se and perceaue / that they be but dyssemblers and hypocrytis / aÌ„d nether trewe in worde nor dede For yf they were / youre grace shulde haue more auctoryte than you haue in youre realme / aÌ„d they shulde haue lesse in the worlde and more in the worde / but they neyther teache it theÌ„ selues / nor suffer with their wille other men to teache it For if any maÌ„ take in honde to teache the people / that there is no teÌ„poral power with in the realme but in youre hoÌ„de alloÌ„ly / anon they are ready to accuse hiÌ„ of heresie / by cause he speketh ageÌ„st the libertyes of holie churche / and they wil lay to his charge the lawes as they cal theÌ„ of the churche / whiche be none other / but dreamis of their owne inueÌ„cioÌ„ / made ageÌ„ste gods lawe his holy ordinauÌ„ces / cotrarie to the prerogatâ—ue of alle noble princes This will I proue by / lawe that they haue / 15. Q. 6. Alius iteÌ„ whose wordes be these zacharias did deposse the kinge of frauÌ„ce / not alloÌ„ly for his iniquite / but also by cause he was vnprofytable for so greate a power and set in his stede PipinuÌ„ the Emperours father / did asoille alle frauÌ„ce of their othe alegiauÌ„ce / that they had made vnto the olde king / the whiche thing / the holy churche of rome dothe oft timis / by her auctorite How think youre grace by this law is this their obedieÌ„ce that they will shewe / also lerne other meÌ„ to be trewe subiectes to their prince / aÌ„d they be first rebellious traitours / yet wil they accuse al other men of treason I wolde knowe ofâ— them all / who hath deposed anye kynge sythe Chrystes passion sauinge they onlye who wyll be kynges fellowes / ye and coÌ„trollars / sauynge they only A cast of Antichrist ys not this a subtyle crafte of Antychrist / to warne other men off heretykes and of traytours / aÌ„d in the meane ceasone while meÌ„ stoÌ„de lokynge for traytours / cometh he in and playth the parte of an open traytoure / sauyng onlye that he coloureth his name / and calleth him selfe / a trewe subiect / is readie to accuse other men of treason / that he myght escape him selfe / but he is suer / that he will neuer accuse none of them / that speake agenst the auctoryte of prynces / and geue to him full auctorite / But yf any man / doo begynne but to open hys mouth / for to declare that he hathe no teÌ„porall power / thaÌ„ rageth he / aÌ„d cryeth out treason treason But let vs returne to their lawe / aÌ„d se how they caÌ„ proue it by gods worde / aÌ„d how it stoÌ„deth with their trewe subieccioÌ„ / Is this resonable / that the pope / aÌ„d they being by gods lawe but subiectis shall deposse a king Vvhat exaÌ„ple haue they of oure master Christ / or of any of his apostles what scripture haue
obedyent vnto temporalle prynces / ye and that vnto infidels And not alonlye he / but all hys ordinaunce All hys wrytynges / and all his bisshops dyd agre to the same And yff they wyll dispice S. Paule / by cause he was but a begger / and no lorde off the parlament what wyll they say to oure Master Christe oure mighty / gracious / and excellent prynce / was not he obedyent vn to Pylate that was an infydelle / and in auctorite muche lesse than youre grace / dyd not he obey in bodye and goodes / dyd not he paye tribute vn to Cesar / was not he crucifyed / vnder Pons Pylat / was not he a spirituall man / was not his cause ryghtuous / was not he mighty to defende his cause was not he worthy to be exempted / was he not annoynted I meane not with oyle but wyth the holy gost so well as they / and yet wolde kepe the order / that was sett by hys heuynly father Dyd not he sore rebuke Peter / that wolde haue defended his cause / and sought for suche carnall lyberte / agenste the power off princes / Dyd he not clearly take a waye / the temporall swerd from hym we neuer rede that euer he drewe yt after / and yet we reade that he had causys suffycient And now commyth Peters successoure / and he wyll drawe yt out / and hed pryncis there with who gaue master vicare auctoryte / to doo that the the parson durste neuer doo / ner coulde neuer doo yt / was his cause neuer so ryght ye though yt were to defēd christ wyth out greate rebuke of his master Thus youre grace maye se / how they do vsurpe / bothe the name of christ / and off his holye appostles / but they neyther agre in worde nor dede what dothe yt profyte / to call an open whore an honest woman / the name can not make here honest / Disti 40. Nō est facile di 40. multi sacerdot◠so lykewysse as their lawe saith They be not the chyldern off holy men / that sytte in the romes of holy men / but they that doo their workes c̄ Also in a nother place The seate dothe not make a preaste / but the preast maketh the seate The place dothe not sanctifie the man / but the man sanctifyeth the place / All preastie be not holye / but all holye men be preastes c̄ Nowe yff youre grace wolde follow their awne lawe / what were they lesse than bysshops Take a way theyr seate / that is their worldely pompe and pryde / their outwarde shynynge / their glorious name / and what remayneth in them / Surelye not one poynte that belongethe to a bisshope / Thys may youre grace well doo / there is neyther lawe nor consciēce can lett you ye bothe the lawe of god / and also conscience dothe bynde you to doo yt / how can youre grace otherwyse be discharged / except yov sett other men in their romes / that wille doo those thynges / that belongeth by holy scripture to bysshops to doo There out commith their name / why shulde they not also be hounde to lyue there after youre grace hathe taken some off them from the bochers staulle and made them bysshops / you haue taken some out of the carte and sett them in Peters Chayre / who can denye but this youre grace maye doo All ways providyd that they doo those thynges that belongeth to their office by the worde of god / or els youre grace is in daunger But who can proue / that they are worthye off thys dignite / that youre grace hath heuen them moche lesse to be youre controllars / yee and also to be aboue all youre lawes / and to haue auctorite to deposse you But yf youre grace wolde doo thē ryght / you shulde returne them home ageyne / the bocker to his staulle / The begger to hys wallet / the carter to hys whyppe / and than aske them yff they be of the church and what exempcion they haue from youre obedyence and from youre lawe / and what auctorite to deposse kynges But as for thys / youre grace can order yt moche better / than I cane deuyse I saye yt for no nother purposse / but for to declare youre graces power / and youre goodnes towarde them / and lykewyse their vnworthynes / and ingratitude / agenst youre most noble grace I wylle returne agayne to oure Master Christ / whan the multitude wold haue chosene hym kyng dyd he not flye Io ▪ So that he dyd not allonly lerne obedience in his doctrine / but also he dyd practice yt in his outward workes and lyuinge Fynallye / they shall neuer be able to prove to youre grace / but that Chryst and alle his apostles were subiect / to the temporal princes / bothe in bodye and goodes / and toke no nother rule in this worlde / but only to preache the eternalle worde of god / and lefte all wordly rule / vnto temporall princes / whether they were faythefull / or vnfaythefull But now commyth oure spirituall fathers So muste we call them allonly of customme and of no deseruynge and wyll commaunde prynces to be sworne vn to them / and to defende them / and their lybertes / with all their gorgyousnes / and prowde dignytyes of this worlde which othe / yff the prynces wyll not make to thē / they wyll interdyte theyr londe / and priuate them of theyr dignite / yee and also asoyle men off the othe / that they made to their prince This ys opyn in their lawe / de hereticis De hereticis Ad abolendum Ad abolendum How dothe thys agre wyth S. Paulys commaundement / and wyth oure Master Christes factes Is thys obeying to princes / to depelle them their royalme / yff they wyll not be sworne vnto them / Be these trewe subiectes Is this the offyce of byshops / Be these the successors of Peter / Paule Be these the perfyt men that haue forsaken all thyng and followed Christ Doubtles they forsake all thynges / that they can not gett Be not these perfytt / forsakers But they wyll saye that princes be bounde to be sworne / to defēde their churche / from heretykes or ells to be deposed This ys yt that I lokyd for Vvhom call you heretykes Vvho shall iudge these men to be heretikes After what lawe shall they be iudged yff you call them heretikes / that speke agenst youre lawes / and agenst youre libertyes / and agenst youre dignite / than are Christ and all his holy appostles heretikes For they defende pertinaciter as yov say their lerninge agēste youre lawes / and that not in one place / but in euery place / as yt ys open in holy scripture But now yff you take them for heretykis that be agenst Christ and his holy worde / than ys the kynges grace sworne to expelle you his realme and
no suche maner to cursse men And all the world knoweth the contrary Moreouer I red these articles in the boke of the generall cursse that belongeth to 〈◊〉 Benyttes church in cambryge ād there did I marke yt with myne awne honde / and yet the bisshops were not a shamyd to denye yt The .19 Article THey haue mytres with glysterynge precicious stonis / They haue glovys for catchinge colde in the middes of their ceremonies They haue rynges and oches ād other ceremonyes / so many that there is in a maner now no thynge els in the churche / but all Iewysh maners wyl you make this heresy by cause I speake agenst youre damnable and pompous myters / I thinke such ornamentes were to be condēned even amonge hethyn men I wyl not say a monge christen men / but this dare I say that there was neuer no god amonge hethyn men that ever delytted in such ornamentes and yet yov wyll serue the god of heuen by them / and youre poore brother whō christ hathe redemed with his precious bloud dyethe in preson and opynly in the streates and hangeth hym felfe for nessessyte / and yet wyll not you bestowe on hym so moche as one of youre precious stones / telle me one bysshope that euer brake his myter to the helpynge of a poore man was there never man in necessyte in Englond but all the world may see what you be / these thynges be sensyble ynough The .20 Article THese myters I can not tel from whence they do come except they take them from the Iuys bysshops / and yf they take thē from the Iuys / than let them also take their sacryfyces and their oblacions from them ond offer calues and lambes as they dyde / and than haue we nothynge to do with them for we be christen men and no Iuys I pray yow telle me where yow fynde but one pricke in holy scriptur of youre miters oure master dyd institute bysshops / and Saint Paule setteth out what is their office and also what is their ornamentis / ād yet speketh neuer a worde of youre myters but I dare boldye saye that yf you be put to the tryall yow shall be fayne to runne to the olde lawe But can I be an heretyke yf I condemned clearly youre myters and sayd they were of the deuill whan yov prove them to be of chrystes institucion than will I be an heretyke The .21 Article THese myters with two hornis I can not telle what they shulde sygnifye except yt be the hornis of the false prophete of whom it is spoken with these hornis shalte thou blowe a fore the al syria / 3. Reg. ād so dyd he mocke their rynges and al their ornamentis and ecclesyasticall ceremonyes It wille come to my saynge that you be bysshops of the olde law for yov haue nothynge to defend youre tynges youre ornamentes and youre ceremonis / but for to mayntayne these deposse yow kynges and prynces / Interdyte londes / and burne man wyfe and chylde and whan yow haue al done / you haue defended but a deuelish tokē of pryde The doctours / that wolde fauour youre proude tokyns and expound them to the best haue declaryd that the two hornys of youre myters dyd signifye the new and the olde testament that yov shulde be lernyd in them bothe / Now I sawe that this exposycion dyd not a gre wyth that thynge / for no man can be lesse lernyd in them than yov be / wherefore my thought it was but a vayne exposicyon and therfore I comparyd them to the two hornis of the false prophete / by cause as yov know thys false prophete sayd vn to the kynge that he shulde with these two hornys blow a fore hym all syria / and yet he lyed for the kyng was the fyrst man that was slayne / so lykewysse you say vn to the kynges if they folow youre coūsel mayntayne youre auctorite ād be rulid after you thā shall they over come all their enymys as synne dethe / and helle / and yet yov lye / for you must nedes bryng those thynges to damacion and to destruccion for you haue not the worde of god for you / wherfore you muste be false prophetes Here haue I compared off a symylitude youre myters to the two hornys and you to false prophetes / what if this be false / what yf I can not proue it yet can you make me none heretike / for than must yov make those men heretykes / that haue comparyd the forkes of youre myters to the new and the olde testamentes and yov to the trew apostles for they haue made a greater lye than I haue done / and they are neuer abylle to proue yt / as for me / I wyll proue my saynge trew yf you will stond to scripture or els wylle I be takyn for an heretyke The .22 Article THey haue baculum pastoralem to take shepe with / but yt is not lyke a sheppeherds hoke / for it is intricat and manyfolde crokyd turnethe alle ways in so that yt maye be called a mase / for yt hathe neyther begynnynge nor endinge and yt is more like to knocke swyne voluys in the hed wyth than to take shepe They haue also pyllers / and pollaxes ād other ceremonies which no doute but they be but tryfles and thynges of nought I pray you what ys the cause that yov cal youre staffe a shepperdes staffe yov helpe no mā with yt / you conforte no man / yov lyfte vpp no man with yt / but yov haue striken downe kynges ād kyngdoms with yt / and knokkyd in the hed dukes Erlys wyth yt / calle yov this a shepperdes staffe there ys a space in the shepperdes staffe for the fote to come out agayne / but youre staffe turneth and wyndeth all wayes inwarde an neuer outwarde / signyfying that what so euer he be that cōmeth wyth in youre danger how that he neuer cōmeth out agayne / this exposiciō youre dedes do declare / let them be examynyd that you haue had to do with But these be the articles for the whiche I must nedes be an heretyke but all the worlde may se how shamfully that I haue erred agenst youre holynessys in sayng the truth But my lorde cardinal resonyd with me in this artycle / all the other he passyd ouer sauynge thys and the sixte article / here dyd he aske if I thought yt good and resonable that he shulde laye downe his pyllars and pollaxes and coyne them I made hym answere that I thought it well done Than sayd he / how thynke you were yt better for me beynge in the honour and dygnyte that I am in to coyne my pyllars ād pollarys and to geue the monye to fyue or syxe beggers thā for to mayntayne the commen welth by them as I doo / Do yow not rekkyn the commen welth better thā fyue or sixe beggers to thys I dyd answere that I rekkened it
groundid in christ / Suê‘ Ioâ— Trac 1â— â–ª c. 21. of him hath reseuyd in peter the keys of heueÌ„ / that ys / to say power to bynd losse cÌ„ Thus is it playne that these keyes are geueÌ„ to the wholl churche of christ for hyr faith / and they be the coÌ„men tresure of the church belonge no more to one man thaÌ„ to another / but because that al meÌ„ caÌ„ not vse these keyes alle to gether / for that wolde make a confusion / ther fore dothe the churche that is the congregacion of faythefulle men commytte the ministracion of these keyes / that is of the prechyng the worde of god / vn to sertyn men whome they thynke moste abylle and best lernyd in the worde of god the whyche men thus chossen be but ministers of the commen treasure / and no lordis ouer it / for the churche may deposse them / that is she may take a way the opyn aÌ„d the commen mynystracyon that she commytted vn to them / if they vse it not welle / and than they be but as other christen men hauynge no commen offyce nor mynystracyon in the churche / where fore they may neyther preche / nor yet mynyster sacramentis opynly but as other christen men may do pryuatly / in their awne housys / or in other places where men be getheryd whyche wille here of christ / there I say bothe they and alle other christen men / may speke and lerne christes worde / and declare it after the gyfte that is geuyn vn to them of god / and they that do beleue this worde thus prechyd bi christen men / be by the power of the keyes losyd from their fynne and bound if they beleue not For al the church and everye parte of the churche haue power to execute these keyes / allonly that the opyn order be not brokyn / 1. Cori. 14. Thys dothe S. paule declare saynge / yov may alle interpretate scripturs but se that alle thyngis be done after an order / Nowe to kepe an order that nothyng shulde be done after a confuse maner / therfore the church assigneth sertyn meÌ„ to be the opyn aÌ„d the commeÌ„ mynysters of this tresure the whyche be but allonly mynysters / no lordes / And of this coÌ„men tresure aÌ„d not of their priuatte tresure as S. paule saythe / lett a man so rekkyn vs as the mynysters of chryst / 1. Co. 4 Item 3. dispensators of the mynistery of god / Also in a nother place / what is paule what it appollo but mynysters by whome yov haue beleuyd / Also S. Peter youre predicessor commandethe yov / 1. Pet. 5. that yov shulde not exercysse any dominion ouer the coÌ„gregacioÌ„ / but geue example to the flocke Be not these playne scripturs how yov be no lordes but mynysters of Christes tresure / yov leue the ministracioÌ„ vsurpe auctorite S. Peter whose successors you boste youre selues to be / commandeth yov that yov shuld vse no dominioÌ„ ouer the coÌ„gregacioÌ„ / why do yov not succede him in this thing yov shuld be alonly but ministers keyeberers of these keys / In. M. c. 23. as Chrisostom proueth in these wordes / the keyeberrars are prestes vnto whome is coÌ„mitted the worde to teache aÌ„d to interpretate scripturs cÌ„ Here yov not how yov be but keyeberrars teachers of the worde of god This doth S. Ambrose wytnes in these wordes / synnes be forgeueÌ„ by the worde of god whose interpretar is the deken cÌ„ li. de Cain et abell Marke that sinnes be forgeueÌ„ by the worde of god of that which yov be but interpretars where is nov I pray yov youre lordly power which you call the keyes of heueÌ„ / is not scripture the practys of the appostles the exposicioÌ„ of holy doctours opeÌ„ly ageÌ„st yov wille yov vsurpe a thynge / that is coÌ„trary to all these I pray yov where fynde yov in all holy scriptur / but one that Peter or Paule did asoyle / after the maner of youre keyes And yet no doute but they had the keyes / yee also did vse them wherefore it is to me greet mervell / of whome yov haue lerned youre vsage / where yov haue gotten suche keyes It maketh no matter to me though yov crye as you are wonte Fathers Fathers / Counsels / Counsels / the church / the churche / For yt will not helpe yov / you see opinly / that I haue the holy worde of god / and oure Master Christ / which is elder thaÌ„ oure fathers I haue also the practis of the holy apostillis that vnderstonde thys thyng better than all youre couÌ„sellis / But let vs grauÌ„te that you haue fathers and counsellys for yow / That ys the next way to dysseue the churche of god / By whome can Christen men be disseued / but by suche men as be of auctoryte / and dignite of the world This you know that men can not bedesseued by horsses / nor by caluys / but yt must be by men aÌ„d not by folyshe men For who wyll regarde fooles but by them that berekkened of wisdom and of reputacyon in the worlde / And not by one wyse man for a nother wysse maÌ„ may be of as good reputacyon and wysdom as he but yt must be by many / or ellis it can haue no shyne nor coloure of excelency / yee and by suche a multytude that reason can not suspect / so that there ys neuer so great danger vn to the church of god / as whane all these thyngis come to gether / and therefore sayth the holy prophete / 〈◊〉 Blyssed is the maÌ„ that followeth not the couÌ„sellys of wylkyd meÌ„ / you know that couÌ„selles caÌ„ be no smal thynge / nor no folishe thyng Nor the wykked men them selfe doo rekkyn yt for no smalle thynge but for the gretiste thinge / and the wysyst thinge / and the strongist that they can thynke or deuisse / and noo doute but it hath a fore reson and a fore all the world a grett apparens of no small wysdom / and is so stronge that euerie maÌ„ is coÌ„pelled to reseue it / yee also those meÌ„ haue auctorite / for as the prophete saith they syte in the cheyre / the which doth both sygnifie gret lernynge also gret auctoryte / And yet saythe the prophet that blissed is he that followeth not their couÌ„sellis nor sitteth in their chayre Now if these thingis coulde be iudged by comeÌ„ reason or ellis they semed so euyl / that all the worlde coulde iudge theÌ„ what nede the holy gost to make so muche a doo or to wryte soo stronglye agenst them ye aÌ„d to saye that blessid ys he that herys them not / where fore he must nedys speke of suche myschyffe and of suche falsehod / aÌ„d of suche errours as haue all those thingis for them that you brynge of you / That is
worde is a lantern vn to my fete a lyght vnto my pathys / he calleth yt a lantern and lyght yee and that vnto alle men / Psal 118. and yov calle yt but a story / darkenes / and a thyng of secretnes yee and occasion of heresy how cane the occasioÌ„ of darkenes geue lyght how cane a lantern be a thynge of secretnes / how cane the veryte of god be occasyon of heresy Psal 1 the holy prophete saith / blessed is the maÌ„ that setteth his delectacion in the wylle of god / and his meditacioÌ„ in godes law nyght and day / here saithe the spret of god / that men be blessed / that studdy the worde of god / and yov saye that men be heretykes for studdying of yt / how dothe the sprett of god yov agre Also Ephe. 6 s Paule commaundeth vs to reseue the helmytt of helthe / and the swerde of the sprett / the which is the worde of god / I praye yow to whome dothe he here speke to prystes wonly howe meny of youre prystes dyd he knowe ye was not this pystylle wrytten to the wholle churche of the Ephesians And did not they rede yt were not they lay men / why shall not oure lay men reade that they red Moreouer dothe not Paule calle yt the swerde of the sprett / is it not lawfulle for lay men to haue the sprett of god Or is the spret of god not fre but bound alonly to yov Also S. Iohan saithe / yff any man come to yov and brynge not this doctrine reseue him not in to youre housse nor yet salute hym / here the holy goste wolde we shulde haue no nother doctrine / but holy scriptur / and yov wylle take yt alonly from vs. Forthermore thys was wrytten vn to a woman and to her chylderne and yow wylle that nother man / wyfe nor childe shalle rede yt / but yff we shulde reseue youre prystes in to oure housys / after this rule / I thynke we shulde not be gretly combered wyth them / for there are fewe of them that haue this word / also oure Master Christ saithe vnto the pharesys / serche yov scripturs for in them yov thynke yov haue eternalle lyffe / oure Master sent the pharises to scripturs and yov for byd christeÌ„ men to rede theÌ„ / who had a worsse sprete thane they / yet they iudged better off holy scripturs than yov do / for they iudged to haue lyffe in them and yov iudge to haue heresys in them so that yov be tentymys worsse to scripturs / â— Tim. 3 thaÌ„ euer were they Also Paule sayth all scripture geuen by inspiracion of god is profitable to teche to iÌ„proue / to informe / to instruct in ryghttusnes / that the man of god may be perfyte / and prepared vnto alle good workes / yov wyll not deny but scriptur is geuen vs of god ergo after S. Paule yt ys profitable to lerne wyth and yov say yt ys damnable and good to lerne heresys with S. Paule saithe yt is good to improue heresys / and yov say yt ingenderth heresys S. Paule saithe it is good to informe / and to instruct Ryghttusnes / and yov say to in forme heresys S. Paule saith that the man off god may be perfytt by yt / and yov saye that the prystes alonly shalle haue yt / so that yov play overthwart with S. Paule in alle thynges Also S. Paule saithe / yov may alle interpretate scâ—iptur / one by one / that alle men may lerne / alle men may haue comforte / but lett youre wyuys kepe sylence in the congregacion / marke how that alle men may prophesy which S. Augustine dothe declare For interpretatyng scripturs / ergo yt belongâ—th not allonly to prystes / Also he saith that wemen must holde their pece / which he nede not to commaunde yff they were vn lerned Forthermore he wylle that wemen shalle lerne of their husbondes at whome / how shall their husbandes lerne them yff they be vnlerned them selfe Also Tim. 3 2· s Paule geueth testimony of Timothy that he was lerned in holy scripturs / from his chyldehod / the which were abylle to instructe hym vn to saluacion by faithe that is in Christ Ihesu / here yov not how Timothe was lerned in holy scriptures a fore he was eyther prest or bisshop yee beyng but a chylde the which as s Paule saith / ware abyll to instruct hym / and yov say they be abylle to condeme meÌ„ is not this clene contrary agenst S. Paule are yov not a shamed what workes shal Antichrist doo more contrary to christ than these be lette alle christen men wrytte the dedes of Antichrist and they must alle agre in this that he shall condemne scriptur / but that shall he not doo / with out some collour of ryght / aÌ„d of holynes / yov coÌ„deme it hauynge no collour nor no shaddow of holynes / but alonly reason of fleshelynes / aÌ„d of starke madnes / thynke yov if the grete Turke wolde reseue suche reasons as youres be / ye and a grete delle better agenst hys makomett / that he coulde rayne so longe as he hath done Nay doutles / aÌ„d yet yov loke to be a lowed agenst Christe / the ryght sone of god yee and that of Christen men which coulde not be hard agenst makomytte Mar. vlt. Mat. vlt. Also oure Master Christ commandeth his apostles that they shuld preche the gospell vn to alle creaturs / and as Matthew saithe / that they shuld teche men to kepe alle maner of thing that he had commanded them / Marke that the gospelle / must be preached to alle maner of men not to prystes wonly / the appostles must also lerne men to kepe alle thinges of the gospelle which they can not doo with out they know theÌ„ / now yff these thynges that the appostles dyd lerne shulde ingender or be any occasion of heresys / than the holy appostles were occasion by their doctrine of heresys / yee and that at the commaÌ„â—ement of oure master Christ / what nede the appostles to lerne vs any thynge that myght be occasion of heresy were we not in heresy a fore they came were we not alle disposed of oure nature vnto all maner of myschyffe / and yet after youre lernynge they come and lerne that thing that is occasion of heresy / but of youre consieÌ„s are yov not a shamed / thus damnablye / to blaspheme the heuynly worde of god thus shamfully to condemne godes word thus presumtuously to vndertrede the gyfte of the holy gost yee that vnder the pretence of holynes / and of christendom / as though you did fauore Christ / wyl yov make Christ an auctor of heresy and that vnder the name of holynes / wylle yov by youre holynes / and youre damnable hypocrisy / condeÌ„ne oure Master Christ / the auctor of alle goodnes
But breuely yf yov wold teche nothynge / but that that oure master christe hathe lefte to be taught / we shulde not haue so meny heretikes as we haue / for now men be none heretikes for spekynge agenst scripture for yov graunte that meÌ„ speke scripture but for spekynge ageÌ„st youre lawe / for that cause be they made heretykes / aÌ„d by that be they prouyd heretykys / now lett euery christen man Iudge in his consyens yf this be right or lawfull Is not thys a meruelus thynge / lett a man lyue in fornycacyon / in whordum / in thefte / in murder / drunkonshyp in extorcyon / in brybery / breuely in all maner of myschyffe / and yow wyll haue nothyng too doo wyth them / yow wyll scaselye repreue hym / yee he shall be a great officer vnder nethe yow and gretly in youre fauoure / But lett a man come and preache the very true gospell of Chryst aÌ„d there by reproue youre damnable lyuynge / and thaÌ„ begyneth he to be an heretyke and yt shalle coste you great laboure yf you make hym nott an heretyke in dede / And yet haue you nothyng that you can reproue in hym as consernynge hys lyuing / But alonly that he prethithe the gospelle / Is not thys a meruelus heretyke whose lyuyng you must nedes graunt to be good / And also you can not proue / but that his lernyng ys of Chryst / but allonly that yt plesythe you not / no yow dare not take in hond to proue yt false / but allonly by vyolynce you wyll condemne yt / Thynke you that god wyll thus suffer remenber what he saythe by the holy prophet / Thow hast repreuyd the vnfaythefull peopylle / Psal 9. aÌ„d haâ—e distroyd the wykkyd / aÌ„d takyn a way their â—ame for euer / The lorde hath preparyd hys troune of Iudgement / Doute you not but he shalle shortly reproue you / his Troune ys set / and to the Iudgement must you come where you shall neuer be able to defend this cause / but you must peryshe for euer But here will you say that you preche the gospell to the peopylle / and that is ynough for they nede not to haue yt in ynglyshe I answere I pray you whaÌ„ was there any law that euer men were bounde to kepe / but that yt was geuen them in writing / I will not say that you doo not teche theÌ„ the right gospell / for yow know it not / But how are they able to bere away that thing that they do but here / And yf they may here it of you why may they not also rede it But loke on S. Luke that wrotte his gospel that men might know / for a certayne those thingis that they were in formyd of Moreouer why did the apostle wryte / yee and that vnto lay men / seyng that they were so dyligent in preching I dare boldly say as you be But lett vs see how lay men were for biddyn to rede holy scripture in the apostyllis tyme Acto 17. The nobelyst of thessalonia / whiche reseuyd the worde serchyd the scryptours dayly whether those thingis that Paule prechyd were so or not / here haue you playne that lay men serchyd scriptours too know whither paulys doctryne were trew or not / aÌ„d also how they rede dayly scriptours / And now come you and say that lay men shall rede noo scriptours but allonly reseue them of youre prechynge / what yf you preche lyes As yt wyll be prouyd too youre face that you do shall it not be lawfulle for them to serche scryptours / but to lerne youre lyes Here wyll I resyte how a gret prelatt of christys churche the fyrst letter of hys name ys Doctour Allen dyd interpretate aÌ„d declare sertyn placys of scryptour / Doctuor AleÌ„ expouÌ„deth scrypture to the gostely instruccyon of Chrystys churche as all men may Iudge The fyrft place was this A thre folde cable ys harde to breke / by thys threfolde cabylle / he vnderstod / the Reuerent father in god my lorde Cardynalle / The fyrst fould was / That he was an ynglyshe man borne / the whyche was a stroÌ„ge thynge and harde to wyth stonde / The seconde foulde was that he was legate and that not after the commen maner / but legatus a latere / that ys spronge out of the blyssyd syde yf oure holy father the pope / This wasse a stronge foulde and coulde not be lyghtly brokyn The thirde foulde / he was a lorde and that of the kingis counsell / Thys was a stronge foulde / and all these thre to gether dyd make so strong a cable that no man wyth in the realme myght breke yt or wythstonde yt I was sore a frayd that he shulde haue reknyd the nobylle and the Ryalle bloud that thys threfolde cable dyd spryng out off / than had yt byn so stronge / that the strongyst Oxe in the buchers stalle coulde not breke it This exposycyon dyd I here and satt by him therfore I can testyfye it the better The Seconde scrypture was thys from syon shalle come out a lawe / and the worde off god from Ierusalem / Thys dyd he expounde on thys maner / The commandemeÌ„t of the most reuerent father in god lorde Legatte / ys Come from hys hye palys / and from hys noble grace hyther vn to you The thryd scrypture / was thys Sumite PsalmuÌ„ et date timpanuÌ„ / thys dyd he expouÌ„de on thys maner / I haue done my visitacioÌ„ / now geue me my mony How thynke you by thys holy Doctor / aÌ„d this prelatte of Chrystes churche hathe he not welle declared holy scryyture / Is he not worthy too be beleuyd Vvhat reason were yt that laye men shulde serche scrypturs than might they reproue this noble prelat what order ware that yt were ryght yf he weâ— well seruyd that he had a threfolde halter too stretche him in / But by suche doctours as these be must the poure peopyll be rulyd and yf they wyll serche for the veryte them selfe / than must they be heretykes by cause they wyll not beleue these holy fathers / Actâ— 18. But lett vs procede in oure matter ageÌ„st these blasphemers of godes word Priscilla and Aquila dyd expound vn to Apollo which was a grett lernyd man the perfyt vnderstondyng of scripturs / These wer lay ê‘sons and yet were they so lerned in scryptours that they were able too teche a grett doctour / And now laye men may not rede scrypturs Thys was alowyd by petter / aÌ„d paule / But their successoures wyll condeme yt as heresy Actâ— 8. Also Enuchus that was the tresurar vn to the Quene of the Ethiopians dyd rede Esay the prophet / The whiche he vnderstode not / tylle god sent him Phillip to declare yt vn to hym / This was a lay man / And also an Infydell aÌ„d yet was not for biddyn of god to rede scripturs But rather holpen to the vnderstonding of
Rochestes auctoryte / but yff yov mene the christen people / that haue the sprete of god / as oure Master Christ ment than be yov excluded for yov haue not the sprytte of god as the effect dothe declare / ergo yov may not rede scripturs marke also that oure Master saithe vn to yov yt ys geuen / as who saith if yt were not geuen yov shulde no more haue yt thane other men Now howe cane yov proue that the vnderstondinge of scriptur is geuen to yov but now to the texte oure master Christe speketh here of the sprytualle / and the ryght vnderstonding of holy scripturs / which is the gyfte of god wonly / and he speketh not of studyyng or redynge of holy scripture / for yov haue in that same place / howe that meny dyd followe hym / and heare his prechynge but yet they vnderstonde hym not / therfore this texte maketh derectly agenste you aÌ„d youre workes doo declare that yov be the herars and reders of the worde of god but the vnderstondynge is not geuen yov But now wyll my lorde of Rochester say / that yov haue the very vnderstondyng as holy doctours had yt / for though that scripturs in them selfe and of their awne nature be playnest / aÌ„d beste to be knoweÌ„ yet be the holy doctours playnest vn to vs / wherefore he that wyll vnderstonde scripture must fyrst lerne to vnderstonde the doctours / they shall brynge hym to the trew vnderstondynge of holy scripture / or els he must erre I answere o my lorde doo yov wryte this with a saffe consyens thynke yov that yov cane discharge youre consyens a fore the dredfulle face of Christe with this tryflynge distynccyon / Quedam sunt nociora nobis / et quedaÌ„ nociora natura / I pray yow yf yow wylle proue that god were wyse / wold yov be gyne to proue yt at youre wysdoÌ„ yf yow wolde proue that god were a lyue wold yov proue yt by that that yov be a lyue if yow wolde persuade a man to beleue that there is a gode / wolde yov lerne hym / that he must nedes beleue yt / by cause that there be creaturs these thinges be best knowen vnto yow / and yf yow wold proue that a man hath a trew sens of scripturs / wylle yov proue yt / by that that he hath the sense of the doctours what if the doctors had takeÌ„ a false a contrary sense / this case is possible wold yov therfore saye that the sense which the maÌ„ hathe takeÌ„ out of scriptur is false But I pray yov my lorde / after this rule / how culde meÌ„ / vnderstond scripturs / in Peter and Paules days whane there were no doctours Scotê° â—â— Sent. di 3 q. 3 But after youre awne lernyng / that same sciens which must proue the principylles of other scieÌ„ces is fyrst knowen / actualiter / dystynkly / now be all the pryncipalles of alle other doctours proued trew by holy scriptur / ergo there is no saynge nor exposicion of holy doctoures that cane be perfytly knowen except that scripture be fyrst knowen / this is youre awne dyumyte ye cane not deny yt / wherefore if yov wille proue that yov haue the verite you must proue yt / by cause yov haue the sence of holye scriptur / and not the sence of holye doctoures but douteles I haue grete mervelle / that my lorde of Rochester / is neyther ashamed of man / nor yet afrayd of the vengeance of god that thus tryfylythe with holy scripture Besides this yov haue an other baulde reason / the Cytye of London hathe serten previleges and secret counsels / yt were no reason that alle men shulde know them / this was my lorde of Londons reason at Paulys crosse / whane he condemned the newe testament I Answere my lorde say of your consciens / dyd yov not speke these wordes to plesse my lord that mayre of London and his brethern / but I praye yov is thys a lyke symylitude of the serten counsels of men the which must be kept secrett by cause they be counsels / And of the holy scripturs the whiche were brought in to this world not to be kept secrett but to be preched openly / as oure Master Christe commandeth / preche the gospelle to alle creaturs / heare yov to alle creaturs Mar. vlt. lett these men haue yt for alle these be of the counsell aÌ„d kepe yov yt from the ressydue / furthermore oure Master saithe in a nother place / that that I haue shewed yov in secretnes / preche yt on the tope of the housse Also S. Paule saith / the gospell is declared openly thorow prechyng and in an other place god hathe brought lyffe and immortalyte / Ti. 1. 2. Timo. 2 Ioan. 3 Mat. 5. vnto lyght thorow the gospelle / also oure master calleth yt the lyght of the worlde / now who will sett as he sayth a lyght vnder a busshell / and not rather openly that alle men there by may be lyghtened wherefore my lorde youre symylytude ys verye for vn lyke / and iff yov were not a lorde yt ware worthy to be dyspised / but douteles yt may be welle thoughte that yov ware at a sore exigent / whan yov were coÌ„pelled to proue this thinge with so baulde a reason / who wolde haue loked for so symple a reason in so ernyst a matter of so wyse a man / of so grete a doctour / of so worshypfulle a father / and of the bysshop of London / yee and of hym that ys called a nother Solomon / nor withstoÌ„dinge suche an haltyng symilytude dyd he neuer lerne in the prouerbes of Salomon / but yt had byn a better symylytude / of the kynges proclamacioÌ„ / which is proclaymed that all meÌ„ myght know yt and also kepe yt and noo man ys bounde to kepe yt / tylle yt be proclamed / lyke wysse the gospelle was geuen for to be proclamed / and everye man is bound to kepe yt / wherfore yt must nedes be proclaymed to everye man / and vn to yov my lord I be seche god that yov may be won of them of whome yt ys spoken To yov ys yt geuen to knowe the mysteryes of god Amen ☜ Finis ¶ Mens constitucions which be not grounded in scripture bynde not the consciens of man vnder the payne of dedly synne ☜ TO this article we must note that there be two maner of mynysters or powers won ys a temporalle power / the other is called a spritualle power / the temporalle power ys commytted of god to kynges / Dukes / Erlys / Lordes / Barrons / Iudges / mayrys / shryuys / and to alle other mynystres vnder them / these be they that haue wonly the temporalle swerde / where by they must order alle the commen welthe with alle wordly thynges longynge there vnto / as the disposicioÌ„ of these wordly goodes / who shal be ryght owner and
moste excelent and nobylle prynce I haue here after the poore gyfte that god hathe geuen me sett out vnto youre grace serten articles which though they seme at the fyrste syghtte to be newe yet haue I proued them openlye with the euerlastynge worde of god and that not wrong nor wrested after my lyghtt brayne / but after the exposicion of clearkly doctoures yee that of the oldest and of the best wherefore most excelent prynce moste humbly and mekly I beseke youre grace / that I may fynde so grete in dyfferencye at youre graces hande as that the bysshoppes shalle not condemne thys boke after the maner of their olde tyranny / except they cane with open scriptures and with holy doctores / refelle yt as I haue proved yt But I wold yt shuld plese youre grace to call them alle a fore yov / and to command as meny as wylle condemne this boke every won of theÌ„ seuerallye wyth out others counsell to wryght their cause why they wylle condemne yt and the scripturs where by they wylle condemne it and to brynge them alle to youre grace / and youre grace may iudge by twene bothe partys I doo not doute but they wyll brynge youre grace meruelous probacions and such as were neuer harde and if .iij. of them agre in one tale if they be devyded lett me dye for yt / and that youre grace shall well se / the father of heuen and his moste mercyfulle sonne Iesus Christ kepe youre grace in honoure to hys pleasure and glorye Amen Finis I Haue added Christen reader a table to this boke to helpe thy memorie and that thou mayste the more easelye finde that thou desirest wherin I haue also sette out the most notable saynges of doctoures and of the popes lawes whych are alleged in the boke afore / so that this table ys in a maner a summe and shorte rehershall of the hole boke But harken deare reader / thys one thynge I do require off the / that thou wylte compare these sayinges of doctoures / holye fathers and of the popes awne lawe vnto the sayinges of the pope and bysshopes that be nowe / and vnto the practice of thys present worlde / and then geue sentence thy selfe howe they do agre If they accorde then conclude boldlye that thys ys the same churche that was in their dayes but yff they agre not / then mayest thou suspecte that yt ys amysse and that the devell hathe transfygured hym selfe in too an angell of lyght and that they are hys mynysters whych notwithstondynge haue faschyoned theÌ„ selues as though they were the mynysters of rightwisnes whose ende shal be accordinge to their dedes ALen doctour AleÌ„ expouÌ„deth scriptur C.v Ambrose saith / the teares and prayers be the wepons of prestes / and that otherwyse they maye not nor ought not resyst xv Ambrose sayth / they are iustefied frelye / for they doinge nothinge nor nothynge deseruinge alonly by fayth are iustefied by the gifte of god .xli Ambrose saith / It was so decreyd of god / that after the lawe / he shulde require vnto saluacion alonlye the faith of grace / he sayeth that they be blessyd of whom god hath determed wyth out laboure / wyth out all maner of obseruaccioÌ„ / allonly by faith that they shall be iustefyed before god Blessed are they whose sinnes be forgeuen Clearlye they are blessed / vnto whoÌ„ with out laboure / or with out any worke their iniquittyes be remitted their sinnes couered / and no maner of workes required of theÌ„ / but allonly that they shulde beleue xliij Ambrose sayeth / synnes be forgeuen by the worde of god / whose interpretar is the deacoÌ„ lxxvi Ambrose sayth to the emperoure Theodosius How shat thou lifte vpp thy handes out of the which doth yet droppe vâ—rightwise bloude how shalt thou wyth those handes receyue the bodye of god with what boldnesse wilt thou receyue in to thy mouth the cuppe of the precyous bloude / seinge that thorow the wodnesse of thy wordes so greate bloud ys shed wrongfullye C.xxix Ambrose condemninge the vayne opinioÌ„ of the ignorant people as concerninge that they thought it expedient to haue mediatoures and spokysmeÌ„ betwene god and them / writeth in thys maner Men are wonte to vse this miserable excusacioÌ„ that by these thynges we maye come to god / as we may come to the kynge by Erles I answere we do come to the kinge by the meanes off dukes Erles / because the kinge is a man and knoweth not to whom he maye coÌ„mytte the comeÌ„ welth / but vnto god / from whom nothyng can be hyd for he knoweth all meÌ„nes merites we nede no spokesman nor no mediator / but allonlye a deuoute mynde cÌ„ Fol. C.li. Antychristes cast is to warne men of heretykes traytoures because no maÌ„ shuld suspecte hym and in the meane ceason whyle they loke for other cometh he in and playeth both the heretyke and also the traytoure .v Athanasius sayth / there are two maner of faythes / one is iustifyinge / as that of the whych it is spoken / thy fayth hath saued the a nother is called the gyfte of god wherbye miracles be done / of the whych it is wryten / yf you haue fayth as a grayne of mustarde seed lv Athanasius saith It is to youre coÌ„deÌ„nacion that you go to lawe one wyth a nother wherfore do you not rather suffer wronge xxvi Athanasiê° saith / the apostle wolde not coÌ„mytte to one bisshope a whole Ilonde or coÌ„tre / but he did enioyne that euerye cytye shulde haue hys propre pastor or curate because the people myght be the better taught xxviij Athanasiê° saith / Now doth the apostle plainlie shewe that faith alonlye hath the vertu in hym to iustefie bringeth abacuc saynge of faith not of the lawe shal a ryghtwyse man lyue He addeth wel before god / for before maÌ„ paradueÌ„ture they shall be rekened rightwyse that stycke to the lawe but not a fore god cÌ„ xlv Athanasiê° saithe / If thou wilte that thy chyldren shal be obedieÌ„t vnto the vse them to the worde off god But thou shalt not saye that it belongeth allonlye too religyous men too studye scrypture / but rather yt belongeth to euery Chrysten man / specyallye to him that ys wropped in the busynesses off thys worlde / and so moch the more because he hath more nede of helpe / for he ys wropped in the troubles of thys worlde Therfore it is greatlye to thy prosite that thy chyldren shuld both heare and also reade holy scriptures / for of them shall thy lerne thys commandement / honoure thy father and thy mother cÌ„ Fo. 107. Augustyn saith / the saboth is coÌ„maunded to be obserued figuratyuely / and not by bodely ydelnes that is that we cease from vices and concupiscences and not from bodelye labour fo 24 Austyne saythe / those same workes that be done afore faith / though they seme vnto meÌ„ laudable are