quis abstulerit cÌ„ noÌ„ est precipientis sed exhortantis But I dare say that Doctour steueÌ„ knewe that this was but a smal euasyon and of none auctorite / and therfore he wolde shewe me no more of the lawe for it followeth / what so euer he be that doth not obey the commandemeÌ„t ys gytly and worthy of payne for yt ys synne not to obey to the commandement off god 14. Q. 1. quisquis cÌ„ These be Saynt Austaynes wordes in their awne lawe / Now lett euerye châ—stened man iudge whether that the contrary wordes be of sufficieÌ„t auctoryte to resel the holy wordes of scrypture or no / if they avoyde scrypture yet caÌ„ they not auoyd holy doctours thou which by their awne law be of greter auctorite in expouÌ„ding scripture thaÌ„ the pope is but thaÌ„ caÌ„ doctor wolmaÌ„ / he brought thys text / if thy brother do offeÌ„d that thaÌ„ tel the church / what is that sayd he tel the churche / to whoÌ„ I answered that this place made not for suynge at the lawe aleging S. Augustine for me / for it speketh of the crymys that shulde be repreuyd by the congregacion / and not of the correccion of the temporalle swerde / For yt foloweth if he heare not the churche / counte hym as an hethyn and as a publycane / this is the vtter most payne that oure master Christ assigneth there / the which is no payne of the temporal lawe / but at this answere was he movyd and sayd if I dyd abyde by yt I shulde be burnte / this was a sherpe sentence of so great a man as he ys / but and if he had byn halfe so welle lernid in scripture as he ys greate / he wolde haue geuyn a more cheritable sentence But Apelles was a Ioly wisse fellow that sayd once to a shomaker / Ne sutor vltra crepidaÌ„ It is not an C. yere a goo syns that same Master doctour was butler in that same house where off I was master aÌ„d prior / and now to geue suche a strayte sentence this is a soddyn mutacion But here is it playne that I haue spokyn neuer a worde but that holy scriptur / holy doctours and their awne lawe saye the same / bothe in sentence and in wordes wherfore I can not se how they can condemne this article / for herysy / and I dare say for them that they rekkyn it none heresy / but peradveÌ„tur they vnderstond it not nor they dyd not condemne me for this artycle But here after folowe the heresys The .6 Article I wille neuer beleue nor I can neuer beleue that one man may be by the lawe off God a bysshop of .ij. or .iii. Cyttys ye of an holle contry / Titum 1. for yt is contrary to S. Paule whyche saythe / I haue lefte the be hynde to set in everye citye a bysshop And if yov fynde in one place of scripture that they be callid Epyscopi / thov shalt fynd in dyuers other places that they be callid contrary wyse presbiteri I was brought a fore my lorde cardynalle in to his galary and there he red al myne artycles tyl he came to this and there he stoppyd and sayd that this touchyd him and ther fore he askyd me if I thought it wronge that one bysshop shulde haue so meny Cyttys vndernethe hym / vn to whom I answeryd that I coulde no forther goo / than S. Paules text which set in euerye Cytty a bysshop Than askyd he me yf I thought yt now vnryght seyng the ordinaunce of the churche that one bysshop shulde haue so meny Cyttis I answeryd that I knew none ordinance of the churche as concerninge thys thynge but. S. paulys saynge only neuer the lesse I dyd see a contrary custom and practyce in the worlde / but I know nor the orygynalle there of / than sayd he that in the apostles tyme there were dyuers Citys somme seuen myle some sixe myle longe and ouer them was there sett but one bysshop and of their subbarbis so lykewyse now a bisshop hath but one Cytie to his Cathedrall churche and the coÌ„try aboute yt was as subbarbis vn to it My thought this was farfetchyd / but I durste not deny yt by cause it was of so great auctoryte / but thys dare I say that his holynes can neyther proue it by scriptur not yet by any auctory of doctours nor yet by any practyce of the apostles / Athanasiê° but let vs see what the doctours say to myne article / Athenasyus dothe declare this texte of the apostill / I haue lefte the by hynde cÌ„ He wold not committ vn to one bysshop a whole ylde / but he dyd enioyne that euery citty shulde haue his propre pastor supposing that be thys meanys they shulde more diligently over see that people aÌ„d also that the labour shulde be more easye to bere cÌ„ ChrisostoÌ„ Also Chrisostom on that same texte / He wolde not that a wholle contre shulde be permyttyd vn to one man / but he enioyned vn to every maÌ„ his cure by that menys he knew that the labour shulde be more easy and the subiectis shulde be with more dyligence governydde yf the teachers were not distract with the gouernyng of meny churchys but had cure and charge of one churche only cÌ„ My thynketh these be playne wordes and able to moue a man to speke as muche as I dyde / but graunte that you may haue alle these cytis yet can yov make it none heresy / for my lorde cardynalle graunteth that it is but agenst him aÌ„d agenst yov which be no godes / but I must be an heretyke there is no remedy yov wille haue yt so / and who ys abille to say nay not alle scrypture The .7 Article IT can not be provyd by scripture that a man of the churche shulde haue so greate temporal possessyoÌ„s / but they wille say if they had not so great possessions / they could not kepe so many seruantis / so many dogges / so meny horsses as .xl. or .l. and mayntane so great pompe and pryde and lyve so diliciously what heresy fynd you in this is it heresy to speke agenst youre horsses and youre houndes aÌ„d youre abhominabille lyuynge and douteles I did not say but that you myght haue possessyons but alloÌ„ly I spake agenste the superfluousnes and the abuse of them / but I pray you how caÌ„ yov proue it by scripture / that a man in as muche as he is a bysshop must haue temporall possessyons I am in the negatyue prove yov yovre affirmatyue this am I suer of that chrisostome saythe / A bysshop ought to have nothiÌ„g but meate and dryncke and clothe / I wille bringe no scripturs for you regarde them not Ad Tymo c. 5. The .8 Article SVer Iam that they cannot by the law off god / haue no iurisdiccion secular and yet they chalynge bothe powrys which if they
with out any holynes Now haue I declared vn to yov / what is holy church / that is the congregacion of faithfulle men thorow out alle the worlde and where by she is holye / that is / by Christes holynes and by christes bloude / aÌ„d also what is the cause that she can not erre / by cause that she kepeth hyr selfe so faste to the worde of god / which is a parfyt and a trewe rule â—ow a maÌ„ may knowe the churche Now must we declare by what sygnes and tokens that we may knowe that in thys place or in that place there be serten members of this holy church / for though she be in hyr selfe sprytualle and caÌ„not be perfytly knowen / by oure exterior senses / yet neuer the lesse we may haue serten tokens / of hyr spritualle presens / where by we may reken that in this place and in that place be sertyne of hyr members As by a naturalle example / though the soule of man in hyr selfe be spritualle and invisible yet may we haue suer tokens of hyr presence / as herynge movynge / spekynge / smellynge / with suche other So lykewysse / where the word of god is trewly and perfytly preached with out the damnable dreames of men / and where yt is welle of the herars reseued / and also where we se good workes that doo openly agre wyth the doctrine off the gospell these be good and suer tokens where by that we may iudge / that there be some meÌ„ of holy church As to the fyrste / where as the gospelle ys trewly pÌ„ched yt must nedes lyght in some meÌ„s hartis / as the prophete wyttnesseth / my worde / shalle not returne a gayne to me frustrate / but yt shall doo all thynge that I wille / and yt shal prospere / Esaie 55. in those thynges / vn to the whiche I dyd send yt Also S. Paule saithe faithe cometh by heryng / and herynge cometh by the worde of god / Rom. x. and therfore yt is open in holye scripture that whan Peter spake the wordes of god the holye goste felle dovne on them alle Actu 10. wherfore yt ys open that godes worde can neuer be preched in vayne / but some men must nedes reseue yt / aÌ„d there by be made of holy churche / though that men doo not know them neyther by theyr names nor yet by their faces / for this worde is reseued in to their hartes The seconde token ys / that the reseuers of this word doo worke welle there after as 1. Tessa 2. s Paule declareth of his herars whan yov reseued of vs the worde where with god was preched / yov reseued yt not as the worde of men / but euen as yt was in dede / the worde of god whych worketh in yov that beleue So that if men doo worke after the worde of god yt ys a good token that ther be men off the churche / though that we hypocrisye ys so subtylle and so secret may be often tymes dysseued by these vtward workes / but neuerthelesse cherite iudgeth well of all thynges that haue a good outward shyne / and be not openly agenst the worde of god / but it is no ieoperdye though cherite be dysseued / for he is open to alle ieoperdyes but faith is neuer disseued Now to oure purposse / that where the worde of god is preched trewly / yt is a good a perfyt token that there be some meÌ„ of christes church / this may be proued by chrisostimus wordes / they that be in Iudea let theÌ„ fle vp in to the mountayns / that is to say they that be in chrystenduÌ„ / let theÌ„ geue theÌ„ selfe to scripturs wherefore coÌ„mandeth he that alle chrystened men in that tyme shulde flye vn to scriptures / for in that tyme in the whiche hereses haue opteyned in to the church / there caÌ„ be no trew probacion of christendom nor no nother refuge vn to christen men willynge to know the verite off faith / but the scripturs of god A fore by many ways was yt shewed which was the church of Christ / and which was the congregacion of gentilles / but now there is no notherway to know vnto them that wylle knowe which is the very trew churche of Christ / but alonly by scripturs By workes fyrst was the church of christ knoweÌ„ whan the conuersacion of christen men / other of alle or of many were holy / the which holynes had not the wykked men / but now christen meÌ„ / be as evylle or worsse thaÌ„ heretikes or gentles yee and greater continencie is founde amonge them / than a monge christen men wherefore he that wille knowe which is the very churche of christ / how shall he know but by scripturs onlye / wherefore oure lorde consideringe that so grett confusion of thynges shulde come in the latter days / therfore commaundeth he that christen meÌ„ which be in christendom willynge to reserue the stedfastenes of trewe faith shulde flye vn to no nother thynge but vn to scripturs for yf they haue respect vn to other thinges they shalle be sclandered and shall perishe / not vnderstondyng which is the trewe church cÌ„ These wordes nede no exposicion they be playne I nough they do also exclude all maner of lernynge sauynge holy scripture / wherefore se how yov can with honestie saue youre holy lawes / and defend them ageÌ„st Chrisostom Moreover iff chrisostom complayne of the incontenency that was in his days / how wolde he coÌ„playne if he now lyued and sawe the baudry fornicacion / that is in the churche Also he sendith men to scripturs that wyll knowe the holy church / and not vnto the holy churche for in the churche were heresys / but not in scripture Also Ephe. 2. S. Paule wyttnesyth the same sayng / yov are bylte a pon the foundacioÌ„ of the apostylles and prophetes / here haue you playnly that the very trewe church is grounded ye and foundyd of holy scripture / and therfore where so euer that the worde of god is preched / that is a good token that there be some men of christes church But now as to the frutes and workes of this church / she dothe alonly fetch out hyr maner of lyuynge / and alle hyr good workes out of the holy word of god / and she faynyth not nor dremythe any other newe holynesse or new invented workes that be not in scripture but she ys content with christes lernynge aÌ„d beleueth / that christ hath sufficienly taught hyr alle maner of good workes that be to the honoure of oure heuynly father Therfore inuenteth she no nother way to heuen but followeth christe only / in sufferynge oppressions and persecucions / blasphemynges and alle other thynges that may be layd vnto hyr / which as S / Augustine saithe she lerned of oure Master Christe Augustinê° Oure holy mother the church thorow out alle
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
scripturs of S. Paule / can not telle whether he maye graunt that the wylle of god is alonly the cause of eleccion or eis any merites of man precedinge a fore / he coÌ„cludeth / that bothe the opinions may be defended Bonaventure blyndly concludeth that there may be a cause presedynge grace that deserueth yt Bonaventure So that in these vnfrutefulle questions which ingender nothynge but contencion haue they spent alle their lyuys / and for these thynges be geuen vn to them peculyer namys / as Subtylle / and Seraphicalle / and Irrefrigable doctours / but agenst them alle I sett S. Paule whiche toke intollerable labours to proue by inuincible scripturs and examples there of / that there was no cause but alonly the wylle of god and to proue this / he bryngeth an euydent exaÌ„ple of Iacob / and Esau / of the whiche Iacob was elect / and Esau reproved a fore they were borne / and afore they had done other good or bad Can there be a playner example what meneth Paule in these wordes whane they were neyther borne / nor had done neyther good nor bad / but that the eleccion of god myght stond dothe he not clearly take away all maner of merytes bothe de congruo and also de condigno / declareth alonly the wylle of god to be the cause but here wylle the subtylle blyndnes saye / that god sawe a fore that Iacob shuld doo good aÌ„d therfore dyd he chousse hym / he sawe also that Esau shuld doo no good / and therfore he repelled hym / yov blynd gyddâ—s / what wyll yov iudge of that that god sawe how knowe you that he sawe that These chyldern be vn borne / they haue done neyther good nor bad / aÌ„d yet one of theÌ„ ys chossen the other is refused S. Paule knoweth none other cause but that wyll of god / wyll you discusse an other And where yov say that god did se afore the one of theÌ„ shuld do good I pray you what was the cause / or wherby saw he that he shuld do good yov must nedes say / bi that that he wold geue hym his grace / ergo that wyl of god is yet the cause of eleccion / for by cause that god wolde geue hym his grace therfore god sawe that he shulde do good / so shuld also the other haue done yff god wolde haue geuen hym that same graâ—e / wherfore yov gyantes that wylle subdue heuen and erthe leue youre serchynge off this cause / and be content with the wylle of god and doute yov not but the wylle of god / ys as rightwyse and as lawfull a cause of eleccion as youre merites can de And doute yov not but. s Paule that toke so grete labours in this matter dyd se as farre in mans deseruynge as yov cane doo / Roma 9. and yet he concluded with these wordes of scriptures / I wylle shew mercy to whome I shew mercy / I wylle haue compassyon of whome I haue compassyon / so lythe yt not in mans wylle or runnynge but in the mercye of god He saithe not I wylle haue mercy on hym that I see shalle doo good / but I wylle shew mercye to whome I wylle he saith not I wylle haue compassion of hym that shalle deserue yt de congruo / Augustinê° suê‘ Ioan. Tract 8â— but of him of whome I wylle haue compassion This dothe S. Augustine well proue in these wordes / the disputacion of them ys vayne the whiche doo defende / the presciens off god agenste the grace of god and therfore saye that we were chossen a fore the makynge of the worlde / by cause that he knew a fore that we shulde be good / not by cause he shulde make vs good but he that saith yov haue not chosen me saithe not that / for yf he dyd therfore chouse vs by cause that he knew a fore that we shulde be good / than must he also know a fore / that we shulde fyrst haue chosen hym cÌ„ Here is it playne that the eleccion of god ys not by cause he sawe a fore that we shulde doo welle / but alonly the cause of the eleccion is his mere mercye / and the cause of oure doyng welle is his eleccion / and therfore S. Paule sayeth not off workes but of callynge Now goo to yov subtylle Duns men with alle youre carnall reasons and serche out a cause of his secrett wylle yff you did beleue that he were good / rightwise and mercyfulle yt were agreet comforte for yov / that the eleccion stode alonly by his wylle / for so were yov suer that it shulde be bothe rightwyselye done also mercyfully / but you haue no faith therfore must yov nedes mystrust god / of that falle yov to inveÌ„t causys of eleccyon of youre awne strengthe as one shulde saye by cause god wyll not of his rightâ—usnes or of his mercye chousse vs we wylle be suer that we shall be elected / for fyrst wyll we inuent that the eleccion commeth of deseruyng thaÌ„ wylle we also dreme serâ—en workes / that shall there vnto be a poynted of vs / so that the eleccion reprobacion stondeth all in youre hondes But now bycause that there be serten open places of scriptur / that geue wonly the cause / to god alonly of eleccion and also of reprobacion / therfore are you sore troubled / and cane telle no nother remydy / but alonly to studdy / how yow may wryng and wrest the open scripturs / to that forrefyynge of youre erroure and to the satisfysynge of youre carnalle reason / so that in the the holy gost saithe / I wyll obdurate the harte of pharao / yov wyll take a pon yow / to lerne to teache the holy goste to speke better / and to say of this maner / I wylle suffer Pharao to be indurated / but I wylle not doo yt / but my easynes my softenesse where by that I shalle suffer hym shalle brynge other men to repentaunce / but Pharao shall it make more obstinate in mallyce so that god dothe indurate as yov say whan he dothe not chastice a synner but sheweth sofftenes and easynes and sufferaunce to hym Origen in perâ—arcon He is mercifulle whan he doth call a synner to repentance by affliccion and scorgyng / so that induracion after youre exposicion / Glossa roma 5. is nothynge elles but for to suffer evylle / by sofftenesse and by goodnes / to haue mercye is nothynge elles but to correct to scorge and to ponishe meÌ„ for their synnes this is the exposicion of induracion after Origenen S. Hierom / aÌ„d after youre commen glosse Hiero. suê‘ Esaiam S / Hieroms wordes be these god dothe indurate / whan he dothe not by and by castigate a sinner / he hathe mercye whan he doth call a synner by and by vn to repentaunce by affliccions cÌ„ This is auctorite ynough
theÌ„ and now wyll you forbyd chrysten men / to rede holy scriptours / that are sworne vn to them ye and also to defende them vn to dethe Also Saynt Paule saythe Let the worde of god dwell in you pleÌ„teuosly / 〈◊〉 â— 3 S. Paul wolde that lay men shulde lerne the worde of god / ye and that plentuusly / and you commaund that they shall haue nothyng of yt How stondeth youre nothynge / with Saynt Paules abuÌ„daÌ„te AbundaÌ„tly / and nothyng / be for a sunder / But thus do you all ways a gre with Saynt Paule and with holy scrypture / And yf you wolde say playnly in wordis that youre dedys do declare openly / than were we in no doute of yow / for all the worlde wolde take you / as you be takyn a fore god / that ys for the Antichristis that the worlde loketh for / Neuer the lesse doute you not / but god shall declare yt openly at hys tyme / to your vtter confvsyon and damnacyoÌ„ / for doughtles yow neyther holde wyth Christ with holy doctors / not yet with youre awne law / where they be agenste you / but all thes must be expoundyd and wronge vn to youre carnalle purposse or ellys you make yt heresy / But thynke you that the father of heuyn whiche for the grett tender loue / that he had to mans soule sent hys wonly sone to redeme yt / and also to geue yt a lawe to lyue by out of hys awne mougth shall thus suffer yt to be loste thorow youre hypocrysy / aÌ„d hys godly word to be ouer tredyn for the mayntaynynge of your worldly Glory naye douteles for yf yt were possybylle / that he coulde moore regarde youre pompe and pryde than mans solle and hys godly worde / yet were yt vnpossyble that euer he shulde so dyspysse / the swet bloude of hys blyssyd sone swet Iesus / where fore loke a pon youre charge But to oure purpose / Augu. aâ— fratres s 38. S. Augustine is openly agenst you in these wordys My brothern rede holy scrypture in the whiche you shall fynde what you ought to holde / and what you ought to flye / what ys a man reputyd wyth out lernynge what ys he Is he not a shepe or a gotte Is he not an Oxe or an Asse Is he any better than an horsse or a mule the whych hath no vnderstondynge cÌ„ Here S. Augustyn movythe men to rede holy scripture And yov commaÌ„de them not to rede it S. Augustine sayth They shall know in them what to do / and what not to do / and yov say they shalle lerne nothyng there out but he resys S. Augustyn saythe a man with out lernyng of scripturs / is no better than a brute beste / ar not yov god fathers that wille make all youre chyldern no better thaÌ„ bestes / Also Athanasyus In epâ—s ad Ephe. c. 6. If thov wilte that thy chylderne shalle be obedieÌ„t vn to the / vsse them to the wordes of god But thou shalt not saye that it belongyth alonly to religious men to studdy scripturs / but rather it belongythe to euery christen man and specially vn to hym / that is wrappyd in the busynessis of this world / and so muche the more / by cause he hathe more nede of helpe for he is wrapped in the trubbilles of the world / therfore it is gretly to thy profyte that thy chyldern shulde bothe here and also rede holy scripturs / for of them shalle they lerne thys commandyment / honour thy father and thy mother c These wordes be playne ynough agenste yov / They nede no exposicioÌ„ / And the doctoure is of auctorite wherfore answere yov to hym In Gen. c. â— ho. 28. Also ChrisostuÌ„ that was a byssope as welle as yov be / condemnythe youre sentens opynly saynge I beseche yov that yov wille oftyntimis come hyther / and that yov wylle diligently here the lesson of holy scriptur / and not allonly whane yov be here / But also take in youre hondes whane yov be at home the godly bibles / and reseue the thyng there in wyth grett studdy for there by shalle yov haue grett vantage cÌ„ These wordes be so playne that I cane adde notyng to them / wolde yov that we shulde take yov for bysshops and for holy fathers / that be so opynly agenst scripture / and so contrary to holy doctours / that wille I neuer do whylle I lyue / I neuer loke to see other Antichristes than yov / And so wylle I take yov tylle I se almyghty god coÌ„uerte yov Also the same doctor saithe In Mat. c. 1. hom 2. Vvhyche of yov alle that be here / if it were requiryd coulde say won psalme with out the boke or any other parte of holy scriptur / not won doubtles But this is not aloÌ„ly the worste / but that yov be so slow and so remisse vnto spritualle thynges / and vnto deuillishenes yov are whottar than any fyer / but men wille defend this myschiffe with this excuse / I am no religious man I haue a wyfe and chylderne / and a hovse to care for / This is the excuse where with yov doo as it were with a pesteleÌ„ce corrupt alle thynges for yov do rekkyn that the studdy of holy scriptur belongythe alonly vnto religius men / whane they be muche more necessary vn to yov than vnto theÌ„ cÌ„ Here may yov se that youre damnable institucion was in the hartes of men in chrysostuÌ„s days / how they wolde rede no scripturs / but yov se he coÌ„demmyth it / aÌ„d callithe it a pestilens / wille yov now bryng it in agayn If yov had but a lovsy statute of youre awne ageÌ„ste me or an other man / yov wolde caulle vs heretykes / But yov neither regarde chrystes holy worde nor holy doctours nor yet any other thynge that is ageÌ„ste you But lett vs se what youre awne lawe sayth to this / Di. 38. Si iuxta If christ as paule sayth be the power and the wysdom of god / thane to be ignoraunt in scrypturs / is as muche as to be ygnorant of Christ cÌ„ Here haue yov playnly that to take away scripturs from lay men / ys as muche as to take away christ from them / the which no doute / but that yov doo intend in youre hartes to doo / and that thinge god knoweth and youre workes doo declare yt the whiche god shalle venge full stratly over you / also in an other place / 7. sinod c. OeÌ„s et di â— I wylle sett my meditacion in thy iustificacions / and I wylle not for gett thy wordes / the which thing is exidyng good for alle christen men to obserue and kepe cÌ„ Here ys a counselle of youre awne that hathe admytted that alle christen men shalle studdy holy scripture And wylle yow now condemne yt Is their neyther scripture 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
worde of god Also yov haue an other reason / god sheweth myrakles in this place and in that place to the honouringe of this saynct and that saynt / ergo we must lykewyse honour them I answere as to youre myrakles though I haue answered to them afore / yet wille I adde this vn to yt / that god is no god of supersticion nor that fauoreth won place more than an other / or that hath any affection to this place more than to that / wherefore this is youre supersticion invented of the devylle / for god wille neyther be honoured in the mountayne nor yet in Iherusalem / Iohan. 4 but in mens hartes / and as to youre myrakles the grete godes diana did also myrakles as yov maye rede in scriptur / Act. 19. coÌ„syder hare honour that scriptur speketh of / coÌ„pare it to the honoure of youre ymages yov may se they do agre Furthermore Apollo / Castor / Aesculapius aÌ„d such other did also grete myracles as storys do make mencion / and also manye men whiche were bothe wysse welle lerned and also men of as grete reputacion and honour as yov be / ye and men of grete holynes doo bere wyttnes of the same / ergo by thys reson we must also honour them Also an other reson you haue out of Iob / CoÌ„verte thy selfe vn to some of the saynctes / Iob. 5. of this yov conclude that we must pray vnto saynctes I answere of this yov maye conclude that yov be blynde and dulle assys and vnlernyd stockes / peruerters / terars / rentars of holy scripture / I praye yov what sayntes dyd the olde fathers know a fore Christes cummynge whome did they rekkeÌ„ to be in heuen afore Chrystes assencion why dyd they desyer so sore his cummyng if they beleued that they shulde haue assended vppe to heuen But this is the sentence of that place / Elephas reproued Iob and saithe that he is not godes seruant / and therfore god ponysshed hym saithe he / and to proue this he biddeth Iob call to memorye alle holymen and seruantes of god and rekken won yf he cane amonge them alle whome god dyd so ponishe / wherefore he concludeth that Iob is not the seruant of god but a folishe maÌ„ which in scriptur is the enymye of god whome god shalle slee in his wrath / thys is the sentence of that place Psal 150 Fynallye yov haue an other reason / yov shalle prayse god in hys sayntes / ergo saynctes must be honoured I answere is not thys a good consequente I must praysse god in berys and apys ergo berys and apys must be worsshypped adde that it foloweth in the texte yov must praysse god in timbrelles in orgens and in pypys / Ergo after youre consequent Timbrelles orgens and pypes must be worshypped / but if you wer lerned in scripturs / yov shulde fynde an other sentence in the holy psalme than thys is for the very trewe texte is Laudate dominum in sanctitate sua / Preyse god in hys holynes / but lett vs graunt that he saithe preysse god in hys sayntes do not you knowe that scripturs saye blissed is god in all his gyftes / out of thys can not follow that we shall worsshyp and pray to godis giftes but god shall be praysyd and honoured in all hys gyftes / as in saynte man and Angell A nother reson yov haue of a similitude Lyke as a man can not come to the speche of a kynge but that he must haue serten mediators as dukes Erlys aÌ„d suche men as be in fauour betwene hym and the kyng that may intret hys matter / So lykewysse a fore god / I answere / you infydellis aÌ„d mystrusters of god / what will you make of god / wyll you make him a fleshely and a carnall stocke fulle of passyons and off affecions Vnto a mortall prince you make mediatours be cause he knewe not youre harte aÌ„d by cause he ys more affeccionat to won maÌ„ thaÌ„ to an other / and by cause he Iudgeth after the syghte of his yie / and after the percyalnes and affeccyon of his harte / But so dothe not god / but alonly of mere marcy and grace / But to youre similitude / you can not haue no dukes to speke for you except you geue them rewardes or excepte they haue a carnall affeccion to you / Ergo by youre similitude you moste lyke wysse doo too sayntes But Saynt Ambrose answereth clearly to thys daÌ„nable reason of youres Sayinge / ad ro c. 1. Men are vonte to vse this myserable excusacioÌ„ / that by these thiÌ„ges may we come to god as we may come to the kynge by Erlys I answere we doo covme vnto the kynge by the menys of dukes and Erles by cause that the kyng is a man and knoweth not to whome he maye committe the commen welthe / but vn to god from whome nothinge cane be hydde / he knoweth alle mens merites we nede no spokeseman nor no mediator but alonlye a devoute mynde cÌ„ Here are yov clearly answered of saynct Ambrose to youre carnalle reson De consec Dis 3. c. ê“latum Item an other reason out off youre law / that ymages be vnto vnlerned men that same thinge that letters and wryttynges be vnto them that be lerned / that they may there by lerne what they ought to folowe cÌ„ Iff youre ymages be no more to vnlerned men than wryttynges be to lerned men ergo they maye no more doo to them thane lerned men doo to their letters / wolde yov suffer lerned men to come and knele / and offer to my boke and sette vpp candels a fore yt and make vowys to come yearlye there vnto and to desyer peticions a fore my boke of those sayntes that be wrytten therin Se how youre awne example maketh agenste yov and alle thinge that I cane bringe wherfore if there be any grace in yov / or if there be any shame in yov of the world / for christes sake leve of this false lernynge and collorynge of ydolatrie For yov do not wonlye dysseue youre symple brethern / but yov doo also blaspheme the in mortalle god of heueÌ„ / whych doughtles wylle avenge shortly this rebuke on yov yff yov doo not amende whosse violence and myght yov are not abylle to withstond / wherfore I exhorte yov in the blessed name of Christe Ihesus that yov repent in tyme / and take apone yov to lerne the verite / whyche is / how god is wonly to be honoured / wonlye to be sacrifysed vn to / he is wonly to be prayd vnto / of hym wonly must oure peticions be asked / yt is he wonly that geueth welthe and prosperyte / and he wonly must delyuer and comforte vs in alle aduersytes / 1. Timo. 1. and he wonly must helpe vs out of alle dystresse vnto whome as S. Paule saithe be allonly glorye and honour for ever Amen Now
the sabboth day not allonly the seventh day / but at all tymes as Esai saith cÌ„ But here my lorde of Rochester sayd / fyrst that I vnderstode not Tertulian Secondarilye / that he was an heretike / but I passe over myne answere for this ys but a lordly worde he coulde on nother wyse saue hys honour / but yet stondeth my scripture fast / S. HieroÌ„ S. Augustyn / also their awne law whose wordes be these / De consecra di 3. c peruenit It ys come vn to me that certayne men whych be of an euill sprytte haue sowed sertyn euyll thynges a monge you and contrary to the holy faythe / so that they do forbyd that men shulde worke on the sabboth day / the whyche men what other thynge shall we call them but the prechers of Antychryst / the which antychryst shall make the sabboth day and the sonday to be kept from all maner of worke Thys lawe clearly declareth you to be Antychrystes / thys is more thaÌ„ I sayde I haue great meruell that the bysshop of bathe beyng so myghty a lorde in coÌ„demnynge of heretykis was not lernyd in thys lawe seynge yt ys hys awne facultye The seconde Article NOw dare no man preache the trewe and the very gospell of god and in especiall they that be feble and feare / but I truste / ye and I praye to god that yt may shortly come / that false and manyfest errours may be playnly shewed / There be sertyn men lyke coÌ„dicionyd to dogges / yff they here any man that is not their contrymaÌ„ or that they loue not nor knowe not / that say any thynge agenst them / than crye they an heretyk / an heretyk / ad Ignem ad ignem / These be the dogges that fere trew preachers Vvhat heresy fynd you in thys Artycle The thirde Artycle VVe make now a days many marters / I trust we shall haue many mo shortly for the veryte could neuer be prechid plainly / but persecutioÌ„ dyd follow Here dyd my lorde of bathe inquire of me / yf I rekkenyd theÌ„ for marters that were burnt at brusellis / I answerd that I knewe not their cause wherfore they deyd but I rekenyd as many men to be marters as were persecutyd aÌ„d deyd for the word of god / but he sayd he wolde make me frye for thys ¶ The .iiij. Artycle THese lawys / These lawyers / these Iusticiarys / that saye that a man may lawfully aske hys awne good a fore a Iuge / contend in iugement for they haue dystroyed all pacieÌ„s / deuocyon / and faythe in chrysten people ¶ The .v. Article THis pleatinge in Iudgement is manyfestly agenst the gospell â— Cor. 6 Luc. 12. Homo quis me coÌ„stituit iudicem / And coÌ„trary to S. paule / I am oâ—o delictuÌ„ est cÌ„ The some of these two articles is / that a chrysten man may not coÌ„tend in IudgemeÌ„t with hys brother for hys priuate welthe / how thynke you is thys heresy what say you to S. paul / whych sayeth Now ys there vtterlye synne a monge you by cause you go to lawe one wyth a nother why rather suffer you not wrong / why rather suffer you not youre selues to be obbid May not I speake these wordis / be they not of holy scrypture was not I a preacher and a doctour was not thys Auctoryte suffycyent Matt. 5. Also oure Master sayeth yf any man wyll sue the at the lawe and take thy cote from the / lett hym haue thy cloke also / wolde not oure master that we shulde rather suffer wronge / than to go to lawe for oure priuate welthe May not I say these wordes / wherfore were they wryttyn by the holy goost but that they shulde be lerned But lett vs goo to youre doctours / Athanasiê° ad cor 6. Athanasius on S. paulis texte / There is vtterly synne a mong you / that is to say yt ys to youre coÌ„demnacion and to youre ignominy that you do excercyse iudycialles a monge you / wherfore do you not rather suffer wronge S. HieroÌ„ ad cor 6 Also S. Hierom / yt ys synne vnto you that yow do agenste the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of christ / that you haue IudgemeÌ„tes a monge you that which ought all ways to kepe peasse / ye though it were with the losse of youre temporall goodes / where fore do you not rather suffer wronge where as you ought by the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of the gospel / and by the exampyll of the lorde pacyently to suffer / there do you the contrary / not allonly not suffer / but you do wronge vn to them that doo no wroÌ„ge cÌ„ Mark how S. Hierom callethe yt a precept aÌ„d a coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t and no couÌ„sell Also Haymo sayth / Haymo ad cor 6 yt ys offence and synne in you that you haue Iudicialles for accusacion ingenderth stryffe / Stryffe ingenderth discorde / Dyscorde ingenderythe hattryd And lest peradueÌ„ture they wolde say this is no syne to requyre myne awne / there fore sayth the apostyll / truly it is synne vnto you / for you do agenst the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of the lorde the whych saythe / Luc. 6. he that taketh a waye thy good aske yt not agayne / wherfore do yow not rather suffer wronge wherfore do you not rather suffer losse that you myght fulfyll the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of the lorde cÌ„ Mark how he callyth yt the commandemeÌ„t of god and it ys synne to aske oure awne with contencion / 14. Q. d his ita And youre awne lawe sayth They are forbydyn to contende in Iudgement / yt muste be thus vnderstonde that they may not stoÌ„de a fore a Iudge for them selfe but for other men cÌ„ Now what haue I sayd in myne artycle that holy scrypture / holy docturs and also youre awne lawe doo not saye / but vn to thys sayde my lorde off Saynt Asse that these scrypturs were but counselles aÌ„d no preceptes / alleggyd lira for him of this texte / si vis ê‘fectus esse / to whoÌ„ I did laye the auctoryte of S. paul that callyth it sinne which it coulde not be if it were but a counsell Also the auctorite of S. Hierom / which callyth it openly a precept but to this he answeryd shaking of his hed pytuously said / A good M. doctour if you were lernyd in duns you wolde saye other wyse / but the selfe bysshop could saye to a certayne doctor which had great meruell why thy haÌ„delyd me so that I had opyn vroÌ„g but he could not do therto but after this cam a doctour of law whoÌ„ I know not aÌ„d sayd that their lawe had condeÌ„nyd this opynion and declaryd those scripturs to be but couÌ„sells / but I denyed that and sayd I knewe no suche law and sodenly Doctour steuyn shewed me their lawe / whose wordes be these / Illud euangelij / 14. Q. 1. his ita si
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
artykyllis / men wolde geue hym none audience / nor they wolde not here hym / wherefore there were no feare off suche men / for as sone as they open their mouthis to speake agenste any of these / a none we condemne them with out any further iudgemēt wherefore S. Iohā must nedes speake of other craftyar heretikes than these / which graunt all those thinges with many other mo to mās iudgement yee all they doo / they do yt in christes name preache in christes name / do many good workes in christes name / yee paraduentuer al so do miracles in christes name / and yet neuer the lesse vnder the great crafte and subtylty of the deuylle they denye Christ / Is not this a meruelous thinge howe can this be How can they deny christ and also graunt christ how can they preache christ / and yet deny christ But all thys crafte and subtylty vse they in christis name / all by cause they wyll deny Christ / for the more that antichrist preachyth christ / the more wylle he deny hym For whan he hathe once gotte hym auctorite by christes name / than wylle he rage / and waxe secretly mad agenst Christ / and yet wyll he preache Christ / and also deny Christ and so subtylly deny hym / that wyth out we stycke faste to holy scripturs / and haue the spryte of god / we shall not perseue hym / therefore lett vs now proue his sprete / ād we shal sone se that he is not off god But fyrst we must declare / and perfytly know what is christ Not allonly by the name / for that Antichrist graunteth / but we must serche out the properte / and the nature / and the verye effect of christ / and so shall we sone know hym ▪ In holy scripture Christe is nothing elles but a sauiour / a redemer / a iustifyar / and a perfecte peace maker bytwene god ād man Mat. ◠1. Cor. ◠Esa 53. This testimonye dyd the angelle geue off hym in these wordes / he shall saue hys people from their synnes / and also S. Paule Christ is made oure ryghtwysnes oure sanctificacion ād oure redempcion / moreouer the prophet wyttnesyth the same saynge / for the wrechidnes of my people haue I strykyn him / so that here haue we christ with his properties / now yf we wil cōfesse that christ is borne in to this world / thā must we graunt with oure hartes that christ is al oure iustice / all oure redempciō / all oure wysdō / all oure holynes / alonly the purcheser of grace / alonly the peace maker / by twene god mā Breuely al goodnes that we haue / that yt is of him / by him / for his sake only And that we haue no nede of nothing but of hym only / we desyer no nother saluacion / nor no nother satisfaccion / nor any helpe of any other creature / other heuynly or erthely but off him onlye / for as s Pe. sayth / there is no nother name geuen vnto men / where in they must be saued Actu 4. Act. 13. And also S. Paule / by him are all that beleue iustifyde from all thynges Moreover S. Iohan witnesseth the same in these wordes he yt is that hathe opteyned grace for oure sinnes and in a nother place ▪ 1. Ioan. 2. 1. Ioan. 4 He sent his sone to make agremēt for oure synnes Now my lordes / here haue you Christ and his very nature fulle and holle / and he that denyethe any thinge / or any parte of these thinges / or take any of them and aplye them or geue the glorye of them to any other person than to Christ only / the same man robythe Christ of his honour / and denieth christe / and ys very antichrist wherefore my lordes / fyrst what say yov vn to this article / vn to these propertis of Christ / yff you graunt yt / thā are we at a poynte for it saith that faythe in Iesus Christ only iustifythe a fore god / secundarilye yff you deny yt as I am suer you wyll for yov had leuer denye youre crede then graunte yt how can yov than a voyde / but that you be the very antichristis / of whom S. Iohan spekyth for now haue we tryed youre spretis that they be not of god / for you deny Christ That is / yov deny the very nature / the properte of Christ you graunte the name / but you deny the vertu you graunte that he dissended from heaven / but you denye the profyte therof / for he descended from heaven for oure helth / thys denye you and yet it ys youre crede you graunt that he was borne / but yov deny the purposse you graunt that he is rysyn from dethe / but yov deny the profyte there of / for he rosse to iustify vs. you graunt that he is a sauiour but yov deny that he is allonly the sauiour I pray yov wherefore was he borne to iustify vs in parte to redeme vs in parte to doo satysfaccion for parte of oure synnes / so that we must haue a nother to make satisfacciō for the other parte Say what yov wyll yf you geue not al / and fully and alonly to one christ / than deny you christ / and the holy gost S. Iohan dothe declare yov to be contrary to christ This may also be proued / by a playne scripture of the holy gost which is this No man in heuyn nor in erthe / neyther vnder the erthe / was abylle to open the boke / or to loke on the boke / tyll the lambe came vn to whom the senyours spake / on this maner Thou arte worthy to take the boke / and to open the selys ther of for thou wast kylled haste redemed vs by thy bloud How say yov to thys my lordis In heuen was there none founde / neyther by the angyllis / nor yet by the senyours / worthy to open the boke but christ only / and will you fynd that they coulde not fynd wyl you sett an helper to christ / whome they sett a lone but I praye you tell vs what he shall be All the worlde knowethe that they be good workes / but now from whēce come youre good workes whether from heuen / or out of the erthe / or from vnder the erthe yf they were in any of these places / where were they whan the Angells and the senyers sought them haue you found them whome they could not fynd but let this passe I praye you what wylle you lay for youre good workes or by what tytell wyll yov bring them in to Ioyne them with the lambe in openyng off the boke The senyours haue layd for them that the lambe alonly was worthy to open the boke by cause he was slayne / and redemed them with his precious bloud Now what cause lay yov for youre good workes The lambe
preuytis of hartis who hathe requiryd off yov suche a mekenes who hathe desyryd that yov shulde so lye on fayth what caÌ„ youre lyes profit god but I pray yov how can workis helpe to Iustificacion lesse or more / whan they be nether done nor yet thought of who ys Iustifyed but a wykkyd man whyche thynkythe nothyng of good workis But these meke lyes deserue none aÌ„swere wherfore let vs heare what holy doctours saie on this texte Ambrosiê° Saint Ambrose saithe on this maner / It was so decreyd of god / that after the lawe / he shulde require vnto saluacion alonly the faythe of grace whiche thinge he prouith by the exampille of the prophet sayng / Blessyd is that man to whom god dothe impute Iustificacion with out workis / he saith that they be blessid / of whome god hathe determyd with out labour / with out alle maner of obseruacion / allonly by faythe that they shall be iustifyde by fore god Blessed are they whose synnes be forgeuen Clearly they are blessed / vn to whome with out labour / or with out any worke their iniquites be remitted and their synnes be couered and no maner of workes requyred of them / but allonly that they shulde beleue cÌ„ Be not these wordes playne God hathe decreyd that he shall requyer nothyng to iustificacion but faith / and he is blessed to whom God imputeth iustificacion with out all maner workes / with out all maner of obseruacions / also their synnes be covered / and no maner of workes of penaunce requyred of them but allonly to beleue / here haue yov Sola fides and tantuÌ„ fides / and here can yov not saye / that S. Ambrose spekith alonly of workes of the law / but of all maner of workes / of all maner of obseruacions / yee and also of penaunce Paraduenture yov wylle saye / as a great doctour sayd ons to me / D. wetheâ—allâ— that S. Ambrose dyd vnderstond yt of younge chylderne / that were newly baptisyd / theÌ„ their faith shulde saue alonly with out workes How thinke yov is not this a lykely answere for a great doctor of diuinite / for a gret duns man for so great a preacher are not S. Paule and. S. Ambrose welle avoyded and clarkely But I made him this obieccion / that this Epystell was wrytten of S. Paule to the RomaÌ„s / whiche were men and no chyldern and also the wordes of scripture speake of the man and not of the childe / and. S. Ambrose saith blessed ys that man / but at this obieccion / he was not a lytylle moued / but sware by the blessed god / let Ambrose / and Austyne say what they wyll / he wolde neuer beleue but that workes dyd helpe to iustificacion Thys was a lordly worde off a prelat / and of a pyllar of christes church / but what medlinge is with suche mad men But yet paraduenture you wyll say / as you were wonte to doo whan yov can not a voyd a playne saynge of a doctour how that I take a pece off the doctour / as moche as maketh for my purposse / notwithstonding he saith otherwisse in another place which I doo not bryng what is that to me / yet is not my doctour thus a voyded / for yov can not deny / but this is hys sayng / and a pone this place of scriptur / aÌ„d this dothe a gre with scriptur / or els he dothe expound scriptur evyll / wherefore you must answer / to the saynge of the doctour in this place / for thys ys the place that is layd a genst yov and thys ys the place / where by other places must be expounded and yff you dare deny him in thys place than wylle I deny him in alle other places / by that same auctorite than be the holy doctours clearly gone Neuer the lesse holy scripture stondeth opynly agenst yov whych yf you deny I wylle not alonly prove yov heretykes / but I wille also accuse yov of heresy / wherefore take hede what yov doo / but yet paraduenture yov wylle as yov be very lordly say that I vnderstonde not S. Ambrose nor holy doctours / as my lorde off Rochester sayd / how I vnderstode not Tertulyan / he had no nother evasyon to saue hys honour wyth / but thys ys not ynough so to say / but yov must proue yt and other men must iudge yt by twene yov and me / here haue I translated a great many off the saynges off doctours in to Englyshe / lette other men iudge whether I vnderstonde them or none / Go ye to the lattyn and lett vs se what other sence yow can take out / but I saye boldly vn to yow alle / and yow shall also fynde yt trewe yf we may be in dyfferently harde that all yow too gether / shall haue but lyttylle Iudgement in those thynges that be in lattyn whyche I doo not vnderstonde Thys doo I say not too boste my selfe / but to prouoke you to dispute / and to shewe what yow can do agenst these artycles and in prouynge that I vnderstonde not the doctours / in these causys I meane that yow must proue yt / by lernynge / and not by youre olde tyranny Now if you will saue youre honour / flie not a way froÌ„ lernyng / vn too violeÌ„ce / But make requeste vnto oure most noble prince mekely that both you and I may be harde in differently / and if yow ouercome me than are you at a shorte conclusion in all these matters / And in tyme to come / doute you not but euerye maÌ„ will beware of them / But yf you wyll not doo this / but take yow to youre olde cruelle vyolence yet remember that god stondeth agenst you / aÌ„d all the worlde may openly know / that you haue not the holy veryte / but the damnable wronge / ye and that mayntayned / with extreme violence and tyranny / by the whiche thingys / the Great Turke / infidelles aÌ„d also deuylles of hell / are abylle if they be sufferyd to proue that they haue the verite But my lordes remeÌ„ber / that oure god is aliue whose cause we defende / a fore whoÌ„ I dare well say / you are alredy coÌ„fouÌ„dyd in youre coÌ„scyeÌ„s wherefore doute you not but that terebille vengeauÌ„ce hangeth ouer you / which whan yt cometh / cometh shortly How are you abyll to defende a thynge / that you caÌ„ not proue openly by holy scrypture Say what you wyll youre conscience will murmur and grudge aÌ„d wyll neuer besatisfide with meÌ„s dremis / nor yet with tirannye Thynke you that youre lawis aÌ„d youre inuencions can be a sufficyent rule for chrysten men to lyue by and too saue their conscyence therby Think you / that youre cause is suffycyently prouyd whan you haue coÌ„pellyd pore men by violence to graunte it Than may we dystroye all scripturs / and reseue allonly youre tyrannye But my
an C. and from an C. tyll the offeringe of Isaac which at the lest was seveÌ„ yerys / so that Abraham must nedis be iustifyed xxj yerys afore he offered his sone / ergo by that worke was he not iustifyde Moreouer in the .xxij. chapter where he dyd offer his sone ys there never a word spoken off iustificacion / which must nedis haue byn spokeÌ„ yff he had therefore bene iustifyde / but alonly is there sayd / now doo I know that thou fearyst god / which ys an effect and a worke of iustificacion / and no cause of iustificacion Moreouer the Macabytes bryng the same exampylle of Abraham that his faith was imputed vn to hym for iustificacion 1. Mac· 2. Also S. Paule of whose auctory and lernynge no christeÌ„ man dothe douce / bryngythe the same example bothe to the Romayns and to the Galathyans to proâ—e that faith only dyd iustifye Abraham a fore the byrthe of Isaac / which dothe playnly sygnify that he wold prove that Abraham was iustifyd a fore / and with out the offerynge of Isaac / also in the pystylle to the hebrews is yt opeÌ„ that Abraham was iustifyed by faythe only / yee and that longe a fore Isaac was borne Furthermore as concernynge the example of Raab / yt is open in the boke of Iosue that she dyd say these wordes vnto the messengers / Iosue 2 I doo know that the lorde shall geue you this londe / for truly there is a great feare come a pone vs / aÌ„d all the dwellers of this londe doo pyne away for sorow we haue herd that the lorde hathe dryed vp the reâ— see a fore youre entrynge in whane yov came out of Egypt / we haue hard what thynges you haue done to the two kynges of the amorites cÌ„ youre lorde god ys he the whiche is in heuen aboue / aÌ„d in erthe bynethe / wherefore swere yov vn to me that as I haue shewyd yov mercy / that yov shal lykewysse doo vn to me and vn to my fathers howssold â–ª cÌ„ Be not these wordes off a great faith Dothe not she beleue the promyses of god and of that faith she reseued the mesengers / or els she had neuer reseyued them / and of that faith she requierythe also mercy / whaÌ„ god hathe fulfylled his promise / wherfore of this fayth was she iustifyde / and this fayth made here to doo well vn to the mesengers / Hebr. 11. therfore saith the epistle to the hebrews / That Raab the harlot thorow faith dyd not peryshe wyth the vnbeleuynge persons Here may yov se that Moses / and. S. Paule and other places of scripture doo expound these scripturs contrary to youre epistle / and that not with darcke wordis but with so playne wordes that no christen maÌ„ can say the contrary wherfore I can not beleue that you are abylle to defend this pistle to be S. Iamesys / but notwithstonding al these thinges / I will graunte yov this pystle to be of auctorite that you may haue some thyng to dispute with / what wil yov conclude out of that / that workes doo iustify That were sore agenst christes bloud / for than did christ dye invayne / Aug. 8â— q. c. 76. it is also agenst the exposicioÌ„ of S. Augustyn / whose wordes be these S. Paule sayth that a man may be iustifyed by faith with out any workes goynge by fore iustificacyoÌ„ / but whaÌ„ a maÌ„ ys iustifyed by fayth / how can he but worke well though that he before workinge nothyng ryght wysly is nowe come to the iustificacioÌ„ of faith not by merites of good workes but by the grace of god / the which grace in him / now can not be ydylle seynge that now thorow loue he worketh well And yff he departe out of this lyffe after that he beleuythe / the iustificacion of faith abydythe by hym / not by his workes goynge a fore iustificacioÌ„ / for by his merites came he not vn to that iustificacion but by grace / nor by his workes that follow iustificacion / for he ys not suffered to lyue in this lyffe / wherefore paule aÌ„d Iamys be not contrary for Paule spekythe of workes that go by fore faythe / and Iamys speketh off the workes that follow the iustificacioÌ„ of faith cÌ„ Here haue yov playne that S. Augustyne saithe that no maner of workes / neyther that goo by fore neyther that come after helpe to iustificacion but allonly they follow iustificacion / and a iuste man must nedes do good workes Here haue you also / that S. Iames speketh of workes that follow iustificacyon and not of workes that helpe to iustify for there be none suche Here haue yov also that the iustificacion off faith ys so parfytt that yt saueth a man onlye the which is agenst my lorde of Rochesters dystynacion / for yf workes dyd make perfytt iustificacion / than a man coulde not be saued wyth out the perfeccion of workes / wherefore yt wylle be harde for my lorde of Rochester to saue his honestye S. Augustine ys so opeÌ„ ageÌ„st hym but I feare me that the prouerbe that a wysse man dyd wons lerne me whane men are come to great honour they doo so much regard yt that clearly they for gett all honesty wylle here be found to trewe Also yov haue a nother scripture for you which is this By fore god they are not iustified whych here the lawe but they which do the lawe shalle be iustified / of this texte yov glorye / and crye opera / opera / workes / workes / Rom. 2. but yf yov wolde coÌ„syder the mynd of S. Paule yov shulde welle perseue / that he menyth not howe workes shulde deserue iustificacion / for than coulde not he haue concluded this agenst the Iuys for they dyd the workes of the law to the vtter most and yet ware they not iustifyde / wherefore S. Paule menyth by the herers of the lawe alle them that doo the vtter workes of the law for fere / or for rewarde / or of hypocrisy / or els by them to be iustifyed the doars callyth he theÌ„ that doo the workes of the lawe after the intent of the lawe / and as the lawe commandeth them / that is in the trewe fayth off Christ Ihesus / which is the very ende of the lawe anâ— the fulfyllynge of the lawe as S. Paule saythe to alle them that beleue wherefore alle men be but hearers allonly of the lawe / tylle the tyme that they haue the faythe of Christ Ihesus / whyche ys imputed vnto them for iustis / and the workes of the lawe be no cause of iustificacyon / but allonly an outward testimonye and wytnes that the lawe ys fulfylled inwardly in theyr conscieÌ„s a fore God so fulfyllyd that it hathe no accasacioÌ„ ageÌ„st theÌ„ for christ hathe made satisfaccion for them / of the which they be pertakers by their faith / and so the lawe must be
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
that we must come to hys sonne / ThaÌ„ taketh he away oure stony harte / aÌ„d geueth vs a fleshely harte / by this menys he makyth vs the childern of ê“mys the vessellis of mercy / whyche he hath pÌ„parid to glory But wherfore doth he not lerne al meÌ„ to come to christ By cause that those that he lerneth / he lernyth of mercy / and those that he lerneth not of his iudgemeÌ„t doth he not lerne them cÌ„ Mark yt. S. Augustine saythe That there is no hardnes of harte that can resyst grace and Duns saythe / That there may be an obstakill in maÌ„s harte S. Augusti saith that grace fyndeth the hart in hardnes aÌ„d obstinacye / And Duns saith that there is a mollifyng that precedythe grace which he callith attricioÌ„ S. Augusti saith whaÌ„ thou father lernith vs with in / thaÌ„ takith he away oure stony hartis / duns saith that we caÌ„ do it by the coÌ„meÌ„ naturall influeÌ„s that is we can disposse oure selfe of coÌ„grueÌ„s / Mark also how all meÌ„ / be not taught to come to christ / but allonly they that be taught / of marcy be taught yf it be of mercy / than it is not of congruens by attricion Breuely A greter heresy / more contrary to christ his blessyd word can no maÌ„ lerne / aÌ„d yet must he be takeÌ„ for a gret clarke / a subtill doctour by cause he plesithe the fleshe / but shortly here haue I openly proued by inuincible scriptur and by doctours of gret auctorite that frewyll of hys naturall strength with out a speciall grace can do nothing but a byde in synne / Fayne Inuent / Excogitate / dreame / as meny holy purposys as you can / as meny subtylle distyncions as meny good attricions / as meny good applycacions as you can aÌ„d all they be but synne / tyl grace come / ye youre sleping / youre eating / youre drinkyng / youre almes / youre prayers / youre singing / your ringing / your coÌ„fessing / your muÌ„bling / youre murning / youre wayllinge / breuely all that you caÌ„ do is but hyppocrisy / dubbille sinne a fore god tyll the tyme / that he of hys mercy chousyth you / for as he saith / you haue not chosyn me but I haue chosyn you Now wyll I declare a scripture or two that yow brynge to proue youre conatum and youre bonum studium / The fyrst place ys thys / God from the begenyng dyd ordyn man / and lefte him in the hondis of his awne couÌ„selle / he dyd geue him his coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„tis / his preceptis / yf thou wilt kepe the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„tis / aÌ„d also kepe pesable faith / for euer thei shal kepe that I haue set afore the water fyer strech thy hond to whych thou wilt / Of this place gether you / that maÌ„ may haue a good purpose a god inteÌ„t / a good mynd / to apolye him selfe to god of his naturall powre But this can yow not proue of this texte / for here is neuer a worde / of inteÌ„dynge / of studying / or of applyyng well / for yf yow wylle take the wordes off the texte as they sunde they rather proue that we may kepe the commandementis of god / ye aÌ„d also beleue in god / than ony other thynge / the whyche I am suere yow wyll not graunte / for than how coulde yow a voyde but that the phylosophers be sauyd / for no man caÌ„ deny / but that they dyd as much / as lay in their naturall power to come to god Moreouer the palagyons brynge thys texte / too proue that man may do good of his natural streÌ„gth / Now how wyll yow avoyde them For yf yow deny that yt prouythe theyr opynyon for the whiche the wordis sound most than wyll they deny that yt prouythe youre conatum / and youre bonum studiuÌ„ / of the which that texte spekyth neuer a word where for this text maketh nether for them nor yet for you / Playne it is / that the wordes of the texte sounde of kepyng and of beleuinge yf we will / not of inteÌ„dinge / nor of studying wherfore it maketh not for your purposse / but let vs go to the text / God froÌ„ the begeninge dyd make maÌ„ / thes wordis be opyn of the creacion / of the first maÌ„ Eccle. 16. he lefte him in the hondis of his awne counselle / These wordis / make nothyng for frewill for here ys nothynge coÌ„mandyd hym to do but allonly here ys sygnifyde that maÌ„ ys made Lorde ouer all inferior creatours / to vse them / at hys plesur / as yt is opyn Genesys 2. where that alle thynges were brought a fore Adam to reseue their namys / sygnyfiyng that they wer alle left vn to his vse and to his wille / and he was lorde ouer them alle / and none ouer hym / this was his kyngduÌ„ in the whyche he did rayne / and gouerne alle thyngis after his coÌ„mandimentes / but yet was it by the generalle influence / geuyn hym firste of god he dyd adde hys commandimentes and hys preceptes / In these wordes is there no powre geuin vnto him / but here be geuyn hym commandimeÌ„tes / wherby he must be orderyd and ruled / And not rule after hys awne counselle / but after the counselle / and commandimentes of God / where fore bi these commandimentes / was there parte of hys fre dominacyon / and lordeschyp / that he had ouer the inferior thynges takyn a way / as where god commanded hym that he shulde not eate of the tre of knoulege both of good evil / Now was it not fre for him to vse this tre after hys awne wille but after the commaÌ„demeÌ„t of god / and what power he had / by hys frewille / to kepe this commandimeÌ„t the effect dyd declare If thow wilt kepe the commandimentes here begynythe the doute but yet of these wordes cane you not gether / that he had power to kepe them / nor yet that he might inteÌ„d to kepe theÌ„ / For it foloweth not / if thou wilt / ergo thou mayst / or thou maist intend / As it foloweth not If I wold / ergo I culde deposse yov / for yov wille lett this consequent / Also yov haue a general rule / Condicionalis nihil ponit / where fore these wordes If thov wilte kepe the commaÌ„dimentes geuithe no power nor strength to frewille / But this alonly followeth of this text / if man wille kepe the commaÌ„dimeÌ„tes / August de li. arb c. 16 thaÌ„ they shalle kepe hym / but now where shalle he haue this wylle / that is not in his power / but loke of S. Augustine above resyted / aÌ„d there shalle yov fynd how maÌ„ coÌ„mithe bi this wille / Also the wordes of the texte be not / yf thov wilte thou maist kepe theÌ„ or inteÌ„de to kepe theÌ„ / Nor they
haue an euydent example of S. Paule the which wold not circumcise Titus whan the false brethern wolde haue compelled hym there vn to as a thynge of necessyte vnto whome Gala. 2. S. Paule gaue no romthe as consernynge to be brought in to subieccion s Paule dyd not with stonde them / by cause that circumsicion was vnlawfulle or myght not be vsed of christen men / but by cause that they wolde haue compelled hym vn to yt as vnto a thinge of necessyte / that thinge wolde not S. Paule suffer / for that was agenst the liberty that we haue in Christ Iesus as he saith here planly wherefore we be not aloÌ„ly by christe made fre from synne / but also made fre in vsynge alle maner of thynges that be indiffereÌ„t / and vnto them we cane not be bound as vnto thynges of necessite as on the frydaye to eate fyshe / and there vnto be bounde in consciens vnder the payne of dedly synne / in thys we may not obey for yt is agenst the worde off god not be cause / it is evylle to eate fyshe for in tyme conuenient and whane thou arte disposed yt is good but by cause that they wylle in this thyng bynde oure consciens and make that thinge of necessite / that god hathe lefte fre Therfore speketh Paule agenst them in these wordes / In the latter dayes serten men shall swarue frome the faythe applyng them selfe to the spretes of errours / 1. Tim. 4. and doctryns of the deuylle / for byddynge maryage / and to absteyne from mettes / that god hathe created to be reseued of faithfullmen with thankes / for alle creaturs of god be good / and nothinge to be refused that ys reseued wyth thankes / marke how Paule saythe / nothynge ys to be refufed that may be reseued with thankes thys is openlye agenste them that wylle forbed other fyshe or fleshe this day or that day as a thynge vn ryght for a christeÌ„ man to eate for as S. Paule saith meate dothe not commend vs vn to god 1. Cor. 8. Also in an other place the kyngdom of heuen is nother meatt nor drynke / Rom. 14. therfore they doo vn ryght to bynde oure consyens in suche thinges / and to thynke vs vnfaythefulle by cause we obserue theÌ„ not Nowe lett oure holy hypocrites of the charter housse loke on their consciens / whiche rekken to by and to selle heuen / for a pece of fyshe or fleshe but they rekken yt no vyce to lyue in hatered / ranker / and malys / and neyther to serue god nor their neyboure but with suche an hypocrites seruyce as they haue inuented off their awne hypocrisy / and not reseued of god / they thynke yt a greate perfeccion to absteyne from befe and mutton / and to eate pyke / tenche gurnarde and alle other costly fyshys and that of the dentyyst fascion dressed / but a pece of grosse beffe may they not touche / may they not smelle for than they losse heuen and alle the merites of Christes bloude Is not here a goodly feyned hypocrisy a fore the worlde yt shyneth bryghte / but compare yt vn to Christes scripture there cane not be a gretter balsphemy / for here in they clearly damne Christ and his ordinance and make that of necessite that Christe lefte as indifferent / agenste these holy hipocrites wrytteth S. Paule saynge / we ought not to be led with the tradicions of meÌ„ / Colo. 2. that saye touche not taste not / handylle not / whiche thinges peryshe with vsynge of them and are after the commandementes and doctryns of men / which thinges haue the symylitude of wysdom in supersticicyous holynes humbylnes in that they spare not the boddy aÌ„d do the fleshe no worshyp vn to hys nede Here is clearly condemnyd all supersticiousnes and feynyd holynes that meÌ„ haue inventyd in eatyng or drincking / in touchyng or in handeling / or in any other suche thinges not that we may not do theÌ„ / but that we do them as thynges of necessite and rekkyn oure selfe holy whan we do them / and to synne dedly whan we do them not / this is by the daÌ„nable institucions of men / The whiche S. Augustine condemneth in these wordes / The apostle saythe / Touche not / haÌ„dille not cÌ„ Ad paui Epi. 59. By cause that those men by suche obseruacions were led froÌ„ the verite / by the which they were made fre / where of it is sprokyn the verite shalle deliuer yov / It is a shame saith he and vnconuenient and farre from the nobillenes of youre liberte seyng yov be the boddy of christ to be disseuyd with shaddowes aÌ„d to be iudgid as sinners if yov dispysse to obserue these thynges / where fore lett no man evercome yov seyng yov are the boddy of chryst that wille seme to be meke in harte in the holynes of angelles aÌ„d bringyng in thynges which he hathe not sene cÌ„ Here haue we planly that those thynges which be of the inuencion of man do not bynde oure conscieÌ„s though they seme / to be of neuer so grett holynes and of humbillenes and holynes of angelles as paule saythe Col. â— where fore let them make what statutis they wille / aÌ„d as mvche holynes as they cane devysse / Invent as muche godes seruyce as they cane thynke / lye that they haue reseuyd it from heuyn / aÌ„d that it is no lesse holynes than angelles haue / aÌ„d set there vn to alle their mandamus / remandamê° / excommunicamus / sub pena excommunicacionis maioris / et minoris / Precipimus / Interdicimus / et sub indignacione dei omnipotentis / et apostoloruÌ„ petri et pauli ligamus / with alle other suche blasphemis / that they haue for douteles if their belly were rippyd / there shulde be nothyng found but blasphemis of god and of his holy word / detraccions / Oppressions / Confusyons / damnacyons of their poore brethern / Other good haue we none of theÌ„ / lett alle Christen men answer to this of their conscyens if it be not trewe And yet are we fre in oure coÌ„scyens / and alle these cane neyther bynd / nor damne oure consciens / for we are fre made thorow christ / And in consciens not bounde vnder the payne of dedly synne / to nothyng that man cane order or sette / excepte it be conteynyd in holy scripture / Epi. ad ro propo 72. But in boddy we are bound to euery man This doth S. Augustyne proue in these wordes Seyng that we be made of soule aÌ„d of boddy / as longe as we do lyve in this temporalle lyffe we must vsse / to the norysheyng of this lyffe / these temporalle goodes Therfore muste we of that parte that belongythe to this liffe be subiect vn to powers / that is / vn to men that do minister worldly thynges with some honour
to optayne all thinges for vs and hathe taken this office on hym for vs yt were doughtles a grete rebuke to hym / that saynctes shuld be set in his stede / ioyned with him in his office as though he were vnsufficieÌ„t / yov thinke to doo saynctes a grete honoure whane yov make them godes / and sette them in Christes stede / but yov can not doo them a greter dyshonour nor displeasur / for they wylle be but saynctes / and no godes yee and that by christes helpe and not by their awne Roma 8. Also S. Paule saithe / Christ syttyth on the ryght hond of the father the whiche dothe also pray for vs / marke that he praythe for vs / cane the father of heuen deny any thinge of his prayer Doth not he aske alle thinges necessarie for vs And as scriptur saithe he is oure wysdum / 1. Cor. 1. he is oure iustes / he is oure satisfaccyon / and oure redempcyon made of god Now what restythe for saynttes to aske what wille you desyer more than wysdum / iustice sanctificacion / and redempcion alle these hathe Christe opteyned for vs / yee and he allonly ther vn to was ordeyned of god / which of alle the saynctes cane say that but he and iff alle saynctes and alle the worlde wolde say the contrarye / yet he hym selfe standeth faste agenste them alle and condemmeth them for lyars blasphemars saynge / no man commeth to the father but by me / note these wordes Fyrste he saith / Iohan. 14 no man cÌ„ Ergo as meny as euer shalle comme to the father of heuen be here conteyned than addeth he / but by me / be not alle saynctes / alle youre feynyd mediatores with merites and alle other thinges clene excluded in this worde / but wherefore it is plaine that what so euer he be that maketh any other mediator or gothe abought by anye menys seme yt neuer so holye but by christ wonlye to coÌ„me to the father of heuen / fyrst he dyspysythe christ / and if he dispyse christ he dyspysythe also his father which hath alowed hym wonly to be oure mediator waye to him as it is wrytten I am the way wonly to the father / Iohan. 14 â–ª therfore lett them be suer that seke any other way or any other mediator but christ alonlye to heuen that they acordynge to the worde of the verite which can not lye shall neuer comme there / but as meny as truste in hym wonly / lette them not dought but they shall not allonlye opteyne to comme to heuen but also what so ever they desyer by syde in hys name acordynge to his awne promisse and worde which can not dysseue vs / what so ever saith he yov aske in my name the father shalle geue yt yov Marke these wordes / what so ever / and that we shulde runne to no nother he addeth also / Iohan. 1â— in my name Here is nothing excluded / but all thinges frelye be geuen vs / and that for his names sake not for no saynctes name / not for none of oure holynes or merites / but for christes name / now what is it to runne from this swette promisse of oure moste lovinge sauior redemer and wonly mediator Iesus christ to saynctes / to other workes / but a playne and an euydent tokeÌ„ of oure infidelyte / of oure vnthankefullenes / ye that we thinke him vn trew and wille not fullfylle his promysse / yee that he is not abylle to do yt and to make hym a lyer and vntrue in hys worde Also S. Paule sayth He hath geueÌ„ his wonly sone for vs / how cane yt be that he shall not geue alle thynges with him Marke he saythe with him and not with saynctes / he sayth alle thinges and not serten thynges / he that sayth alle excludeth not the totheake and leuythe yt to s Appolyne cÌ„ but he excludeth nothinge Now yow infidelles and mystrusters of christe / what wylle yov haue of the father of heueÌ„ or what cane youre hartes desyer that Christ is not abylle to obtayne for yov yff yov beleue hym abylle / It ys his office and there vnto woÌ„ly apoynted of the father and none other / yee alle other be excluded with manyfest scripturs Moreover wylle yov or be yov se folyshe to aske a thynge of won that hathe yt not to geue / nor can not geue yt / ye hathe nede of yt him selfe / and leue him that hathe abundance / yee and that hathe made and open proclamacyon that frelye with out golde or siluer or any marchandysse wylle geue the selfe same thynge so as meny as come and aske of hym what so ever they be / now the lorde hathe not allonly godnes but he is alle goodnes hym selfe / Luc. â—8 and all sayntes haue synned and nede of his godnes and he hathe made thys proclamacion by his blessed euerlastinge worde that who so euer commeth vn to hym shall haue of his godnes abundantly / now wylle yov leue hym and goo to the saynctes that whych if they eder had any goodnes they reseued yt of the father as Iaco. 1. S. Iames saythe alle good gyftes comme from the father of lyghte / marke howe he sayth alle good gyftes But here haue yov a dystynccion that onlye god is good of his awne nature / and saynctes are good by receyvinge goodnesse of him / welle to doo yov a plesur I wylle a lowe youre dystynccyon to be good / for of it cane yov make no more wyth alle youre subtyltye but that saynctes haue no more goodnes than they haue reseued Now that goodnes that they haue reseued was for them selfe wonlye / yee and they cane geue none of yt to yov / for they reseued yt not for yov but for them selfe / yee and no more than was necessary for them and that but allonly of mercye as it is opeÌ„ in Mathewe in the parable of the fyve wysse virgyns and the .v. follyshe / where as the wysse virgyns had not so muche oylle to lend the folyshe virgyns as wolde kyndylle their lampys / finallye they had nothing at alle that they coulde spare them / and yet were they wysse virgyns / and yet were they saynctes / and yet were they admytted to enter in to heuen Furthermore doo yov not openlye agenst god whane yov desyer any thing of saynctes whether it be prosperite / welthe / helthe remission of synnes / or in aduersites coÌ„solacions / or cuÌ„fortes or any other thing seyng that scripture wonly knowlygyth all these thinges to be reseued of him / that he is the wonly geuer of theÌ„ / Psal 119. yee that all the prophytes fathers in all their tribulacioÌ„ cryyd allonly to hym as Dauid testifyth of hym selfe in these wordes / whan I am troubled I wyll crye vnto the lorde he wylle helpe me / he
cryyd not to no saynt neyther yet desiered any sainte to speke to god for him / but saith I wyll crye vnto the lord / yee he doughttyd not that he wold not here him by cause he was a maÌ„ a synner but faithefully said he will helpe me / as he testifyth in a nother place sayng / Psal 120. my helpe is of god that hath made heueÌ„ erth Now wil yov runne froÌ„ god aske of sayntes coÌ„fort ê“sperite / helth or welth or other thyng seynge it belongythe a lonly to god to geue / seyng he alonly is the fountayne and auctor of all goodnes and not sayntes whych haue no more but theyr parte and that that is geuen vn to them Also oure Master christ techyng all creaturs to pray bydoythe them not to goo to any oâ—her thyng / but allonly to the father of heuen / he makythe no mencion of sayntes / no not soo muche as to be a meane by twene them and the father / but coÌ„mandythe them that pray to pray them selfe to the father / The whyche thynge I dought not but he wolde haue done yf he wolde that there shulde haue byn other medyatours or geuers of any goodnes Moreouer ys not thys a mad maner of prayer that men vse to oure lady / O oure father which arte in heuen halowed be thy name cÌ„ Thus do you lerne meÌ„ to mocke oure lady whan yow lerne theÌ„ to saie oure ladys sauter you Infydelles and mokkers both of god and maÌ„ are you not a shamed of these open blasphemys Doute you not yff you call not for grace to the lorde that you may a mend yee and that shortly but god shall straytly a venge this blasphemy on you / he hathe suffered longe and no dought but of his infynyte marcy / Not with stondyng I wyll neuer beleue that he wyll muche lenger suffer seynge that he hathe brought so graciously his glorious verite in to the worlde and that so openly / and so clearly that you can not deny yt nor withstonde it neither by reason nor by lerninge but youre awne consciences be confunded and marked with hott yerens / not with stonding you persecute it by tiranny to the incresse of your damnacion / oure lord be mercifull vnto you But now that you may be knowen what you be whane yov disseue the people with these wordes fathers fathers holy doctours holy doctous I shalle resyte sertyne of youre fathers aÌ„d doctours saynges that yov may be knoweÌ„ not allonly oppyn lyars and blasphemers of god and his blessed aÌ„d eternal worde / but also of his holy sayntes aÌ„d fathers vn to whome he hathe reuelated by the scripturs his verite August de vera relig cap. vlti First S. Augustine saythe these wordes / let vs haue no deuocioÌ„ in honouryng of deed men / for if they lyuyd welle they may not be countyd for suche men as to desyer suche honours / but they wille that god shalle be honouryd of vs by whose lyghtnyng they reioysse that we ar made companyons of there glory / wherfore sayntes must be honouryd by followyng them / but not honouringe them of deuocyon cÌ„ Be not these playne wordes S. Augustyne was a father and a doctoure / And he saythe that sayntes wylle not be honoured of vs / but that god shalle be wonly honouryd Secondarylye we may folow their good lyuyng and so honour them / but in nowyse to pray to theÌ„ or honoure them of deuocyon / It foloweth in S. Augustyne where fore we do honour them by love or cheryte but not by seruyce / nor we bylde no teÌ„pilles vn to them / for they wille not so be honoured of vs / for they know welle that we if we be good be the tempilles of god / wherefore it is welle wryttyn / that man was forbyddyn of the Angell to worshyp hym but allonly to worsshyp won god vnder whome the angelle was also a seruant c. Apoca. 19. 22. Cane yov desyer any playner wordes than these we can no more do but love sayntes of cheryte but in no wysse to serue them / we may also bylde no tempilles to the honoure of theÌ„ / Marke also how he bryngeth scripture for hym how the angelle of God woldâ— not be honoured of man / how cane yov avoyd this sayng of S. Augustyn and his example of scripture Also Chrisostomus saythe on this texte / Mat. 15. tom 6. ho. de profec eâ—ange woman thy faythe ys grett / doste thou see this woman which was vn worthy / but by hare perseuerance was made worthy wilte thou lerne also that we praiynge vn to God in oure awne persons do more profyte than whan other men doo pray for vs / Thys woman dyd crye / and the dyscipilles came and prayd hym that he wolde spede hare for she cryythe on vs / but to them he answeryd I am not sent but vnto the shepe which ar peryshed of the house of Israel But whan she came hare selfe and dyd perseuer cryyng and saynge / yes lorde / for the whelpes doo ette the crummys that falle from their masters tabylles / Thane dyd he geue hare the benyfyte and sayd be yt vnto the as thow wilte Duste thov not see how he dyd repelle hare whane other men prayd for hare but whane she came her selfe and cryyde / he dyd graunte hare Vn to them he sayd I am not sent but vn to the shepe / But vn to the woman he saythe be yt vn to the as thou wylte cÌ„ Here yov not playnly how we doo soner obteyne oure peticyon of God oure awne selfe than by any other mydlers marke also how the apostylles dyd pray for thys woman and they were repelled / Chri. To. 6. ho. de ê“fectu euaÌ„gelioruÌ„ and she was harde Also the same doctor writteth these wordes / we have no nede of patrons a fore god / nor nede of muche prossys to speke fayre vn to other men but though thou be a lone and wantest a patrone / but prayst god by thy selfe yet for alle that shalte thov haue thy desyer / God dothe not so lyghtly gravnt whane other men praye for vs / as whane we pray oure selfe yee though we be fulle of synnes cÌ„ / be not these wordes playne / that we haue no nede of patrons but God hearyth vs soner whan we pray in oure awne persons / than whan othermen praye for vs / wherfore they that make other mediators than onlye Christ / dothe mustruste Christ and beleuithe that he is not omnypotent God / nor mercyfulle lorde / and there fore flye they vnto thys sayncte and vn to that saynct trustynge to fynd more mercy at their handes than they coulde fynde at Chrystes / but a trewe Chrysten man leuythe hys fantesye / Exod. 20. and remembereth these wordes of holy scryptur Heare thou man I am thy God / and therfore he setteth alle his truste
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