/ alle his confydens / alle hys beleue / alle his hope / Alle his harte on hym wonly / and yf he wille haue any thynge necessary to boddy or soule of hym he askythe yt alonly as the prophet Dauid lernythe vs sayng / I wylle pray vn to the lorde and in the mornyng thou shalte here my voyce / Psal 5 what is thys in the mornynge but shortly / quycly thov arte so mercyfulle that thou wylte not prolonge the tyme but shortly here me / and therfore whane I am in any dystresse of boddy or soule to the I calle for delyuerance and truste to obtayne yt on the wonly / For thou lorde / psal 4. thou haste sett me in thy hope wonly Thus dothe euerye good man pray and truste in god / for he takythe hym not allonly for hys god but also for his mercyfulle god / yee and for his father which wille deny hym nothyng / but contrary wisse do the infidelles aÌ„d the faynyd christenmen / for they mistruste hym ad rekkyn hym to be a tyrant and a terrible and a ferfulle Iudge / which lokythe for muche intercession / that regardithe parsons / and therefore runne they hyther and thyther / to seke an other mediator / to seke an other helper / to seke a nother diliueâ—ar than chryst for with hym be they not satisfysyd / ye they rekkyn hym to be so provd aÌ„d so statly and so cruelle and so hye that they dare not speke first to hym nor desyer hym for they clearly mystruste him / that is the summe there of And for that cause seke they to this saynt and to that saynct / and desyer of won Rychys of an other helthe / of won they wille be holpyn to heuyn / of an other they wille be delyueryd from helle Of won they wille haue frendsshyp in thys world / of an other longe lyffe / of won they wille be sauyd from syknes / of an other they wille be made wholle / and alle this is by cause they mistrust Chryst and rekkyn that he is eyther not abylle / or that he wille not optayne these thynges for them / This is the very ground of their hartes / lett them lye with their mouthis what they wille / and of thys are they compellyd to flye from chryst Is not this makyng of meny godes S. Paule saythe that in covytusnes is Idolatry / by cause that mans harte is of hys godes / how muche more is here Idolatry where as mans faythe / hope and truste ys set soo muche of creaturs Trevth it is that saynctes be holy / and worthy to be belovyd in christe and for chryst / but yet be they but creaturs / and no godes I loue them as welle as yov doo and praysse and magnyfy them / but wherfore by cause they haue chryst in theÌ„ which is the auctor of alle goodnes whych yf he were a way / I wolde spitte at them and disspisse them / But I do not make them Chryst that is my sauyour / my redemer / my coÌ„forter my trust and my hope by cause that Chryst of his mercy and of hys grace dwelleth in them / but I seke alonly to hym that hathe made theÌ„ holy and hathe also allonly power bothe me aÌ„d alle men lyke wysse to make VVhere fore dere brethern / yf yov wille be Christes / make hym alonly youre mediator aÌ„d your intercessor to the father of heuyn / and alle thynges that yov desyer / desyer them in hys name wonly Make hym first youre frende aÌ„d than haue yov alle saynctes on your syde / For they can not chosse but be youre frendes wherfore set alle youre truste hope and confydence in Christ wonly aÌ„d dyrecte alle youre desyers / alle youre peticions / alle youre prayers vn to hym wonly And as for sayntes yov shalle love them / fauoure them and magnyfy them aÌ„d praysse them for godes sake and to godes honour / and where they lyued welle after Chrystes worde there in shalle yov followe them / But in no wysse shalle yov beleue / hope / or truste in them / or make any prayers vn to them or desyer any peticyon off them nor theyr lyuynge shalle be any rule to lyue by forther thaÌ„ they followed the word of Chryst / for yov be callyd chrysten men of chryst and not of saynctes But now wyll I answere too theyr carnall reasons / Fyrst they haue a law whose wordes be these Christen men do not call worshupfull Images godes / nor they do not serue them as godes / nor thy sett no hope of theyr saluacyon in them / nor they doo not loke for off them the Iudgement that ys too come / But they doo worshyp them / aÌ„d affectually pray vn to theÌ„ in remembrans and recordacion of the fyrst frutes but they do not serue them nor yet any other creature wyth godly honoure cÌ„ Lett euery Chrysten man consyder well in hys conscyens the wordes of thys lawe / and calle also too remembraunce what god ys hym selfe / that ys too say howe omnipotent he ys / howe lyberalle he ys / how mercyfull he is how gracyous he ys vn to vs / And than I thynke he shalle welle perseue / that thys decre ys neyther made wyth faythe / wyth lernynge / nor yet wyth reason / but an opyn blaspemye agenst god and a great mystrustynge of oure mercyfulle Master Chryst Iesus / Breuely there ys nothynge / but an hepe of blynde and vnfaythfulle woordes in ventyd too be gyle sympylle men there by To the fyrst worde venerabiles / Vvhat faythe / what lernynge / what reason wyll that Images shulde be Iudged worthy veneracyon thys dothe the lattyn worde / venerabiles sygnyfye seynge they be but Deffe / dumme and deed / what reason ys yt than too calle them venerabiles Master Doctour Rydley wylle say that noo man ys soo made too worsshyp and too honoure the stocke and the stone / and yet hys awne lawe callythe them venerabiles / that ys as muche too say as worthy too be worsshiped and honoured / Calle you them won thynge by name and rekken them vn worthy in dede It foloweth / Chrysten men calle them no godes / what nede these wordes All the worlde knowythe that they be noo godes in dede / But than why calle you them venerabiles Forther more I wolde know of all my Masters the lawyers why they be suche blasphemers of god / suche infydelles / and suche mortalle enymys vn to god / as to suffer / yee and to compell sympylle men / to geue too those stockes and stonys suche exteryor honoure as belongythe wonly too god seynge you calle them noo godes Vvhat maketh yt matter for the name soo longe as you geue them the very thynge Assygne you what exteryor worsshyppynge and honourynge belongythe to god / or that wee may doo or cane doo too god / and I wyll proue that yee compelle men to geue that same
they to helpe them we ought not to depose a kinge though he be wyked How dare they be so bolde / as to depose a kyng / whyche is ordenyd of god / yee and by hys holy worde / hauyng none example / nor scripture for thē Be they aboue god and hys blessyd worde But they wyl saye / that the kyng was a wyked man / I answere / the cronycles / geue contrary wytnes / how that he was a very good man / ād ryght symple and by cause he was so symple / therfore Pipinus whyche had all the rule vnder hym / thought hym silfe better worthy to rule than the kynge / and so wrote vn to the pope and desyred hym to geue sentence / whether he was better worthy to be kyng that had all the paynes and labours / or he that had no laboure Now the pope / to make Pipinum his frende / gaue sentēce wyth hym / and deposed the other and made hym a monke Thys can I welle proue by good cronycles Now lett youre noble grace consyder / yff yt were ryght / not only to depose such a kinge but also to make hym a monke Thys haue they done wyth other noble kynges / and no doute / but that same or worse / wyll they attempte to doo vn to youre grace / yff you dysplease them / and at the leste they wyll doo their vtter most Lett all the hole rable off thē / tell youre grace / when a trewe preacher off chrystes gospell dyd suche a deade There is no officer that hathe nede to be a frayde off Chrystis gospell / nor yet of the preachers ther off / For they wyll geue them auctoryte tēporalle / But off these preuy traytours / can no man be to ware you may se by experience / how in a maner by their preuy treason they haue gotten in to their handes / halfe youre royalme But lett vs graunt thē / that the kynge was a wyckyd mā The scripture commaundeth vs / to obey to wyckyd princes / and geuyth vs none auctorite to depose thē / who was more wycked than Herode / and yet S. Iohan sufferyd deethe vnder hym who was wyckedder than Pylate And yet Christ did not put him doune but was crucified vnder hym Breuely whyche off all the princes were good in the appostles dayes and yet they deposed none So that gods worde / and the practyse off oure Master Chryst / and hys holy apostles are openly agenste them More over their owne glosse sayeth that he was not deposed / by cause he was vnsuffycient / but by cause he was wanton and lecherous wyth wemen O my lordes yff you be not afrayde of the vengeaunce of god / at the leste take a lyttle shame of the worlde vn to yov / that haue so longe tyme wyth so great tyrannye defendyd these lawes that be so opynlye agēst gods ordinaunce / agenst gods worde / and agenst the commen ordynaunce and consent of all the worlde And this thynge haue yov done / to the greate iniury off noble princes / to the intollerable subduynge off all noble bloude / to the oppressyon off their trew subiectes / to the dystruccyon off alle commen welthes And fynalle to the damnacion off many a Chrystened soule Tell me by youre faithe / doo you beleue that there is a lyuyng god / that ys myghtye to punysh hys enymyes yf yov beleue yt / saye vn to me can yov deuyse for to avoyde hys vengeaunce / whyche be so opynly cōtrayrye to hys worde what answere thinke yov to make to hym Thinke yov that he will suffer youre worde to be harde / lette hys godly worde be dyspysed Thynke yov that yt will be suffycient for yov to saye / that they be the lawes of holy churche Thynke you that he will be thus taught off yov Than were yt tyme to plucke hym downe / ād sett you vpp Naye my lordes he ys no chylde / nor you shalle fynd yt no chyldis game / thus to tryfle playe with hys holy word and hys blessyd ordinaunce / ye and that to the dyspysyng / of the maker bothe of heuyn and erthe Saye what yov wyll / ye are not able neyther by crafte / nor subtyltye and yet be you falce ynough to defende thys matter / neyther a fore god / nor yet afore oure noble prince / nor a fore any mā off lernyng that wyll be trewe to hys prince for whiche waye so ever you turne you / oure Master Christ / and all hys blessyd apostles be agenst you / and will openlye accuse you / that yov be contrarye to their worde / and to their dede Answere ye to them / answere not to me yff I holde my peace / they wyll speake Nor yt will helpe you but lyttle / to crye after youre olde maner heresy / heresy / a Traytour / a traytour for now you crye agēst youre selves / and off those thinges they doo accuse you Doo yov thinke yt with the ordinaunce of god / that you shall depose a kinge by cause he lyuyth in advoutrye / or ys a lecherous man If you thynke yt a lawfull cause / why doo you not preache yt opynly why doo you not laye yt to kingis charges why suffer you them to be kingis that lyue in aduouttry why do you not put youre lawes in execution you saye they be the lawes of holy churche / and there by may you depose princes But yff you will put them in execucion / than were yt moche better / to be a bysshop or a preaste / than to be a kinge / or a duke For you maye lyue in whordom / or in any other vngracious lyuyng / ye and that to the destruccyon off many mens soules / and yet no man so hardye to repreue you / as youre awne lawe dothe openlye commaunde in these wordes Di. 40. Si papa Iff the pope doo drawe wyth hym innumerable people on a hepe to the deuyll of helle / there to be ponyshed for euer / yet shall no mortalle man presume / to repreue hys synnes / for he muste iugde alle men / and may be iudged off no mā c̄ Lykewyse haue you an other lawe in your decretales / that no laye man maye repreue a preate c̄ How thinke yov by these lawys / De. here Cū exiniuncto et sicut in yff they be not off the deuylle / telle me what ys off the deuyll you wyll bothe repreue / yee and also depose princes / but yov wyll neyther be deposed / ner yet repreued off any mortall man what thynke you youre selues godes But how can you depose a kyng / and yt lyeth not in youre powre to make a kyng / For eyther he ys borne a kyng / or he cometh to yt by elecciō / or he wynnethe yt victoriously by swerde which way so euer he cometh by yt / you can not make hym And wyll you depose hym for fornicacion / how wolde
mercifulle / and so mercifulle / that he wyll not impute my synnes vn to me / Though they be neuer so great so longe as I hange on the blessyd bloud of Christe Iesus he is also a lyberalle father / yee and that vn to me lyberalle / which will not alonly promyse me al thynges / but also geue them me whether they be necessary to the body or to the soule He ys also not alonly lyberalle / but myghty to performe all thynges that he promisyth vn to me Breuely this faith maketh me to hange clearely off god and off his blessed promisis and not too fere dethe nor none afflyccion / nor persecucions / nor tribulacion / but too dispysse all these thinges / and not allonly these / but to dispisse also myne awne selfe / mine awne body / myne awne life for Christes sake Finallye of a fleshely best it maketh me a spirituall man / of a damnabille childe / yt maketh me a heuenly sone / Of a seruaunt of the deuell / yt maketh me a fre man of godys / both deliuered froÌ„ the lawe / from sinne / from dâ—the / fro the deuell / and from all mysery that might hurte me My lordes this is the faythe that dothe Iustifie / and be cause it is geuen from heuen in to oure hartis by the sprete off god / therfore it can be no ydille thynge / But it must nedis do all maner of thingis / that be too the honour off god / and also to the profite of oure neyboure / in so muche that at all tymis necessary yt must nedis worke well / and also brynge forthe all good workes / that may be to the profitte and helpynge off any man But these workys be not done / too Iustifye the man / but a iuste man must nedes do them / Not vnto his profite / but allonly to other meÌ„s profites / euyn as oure Master Christ / suffered hunger and thurst / and persecucion and toke greate labours in preachinge of hys worde / ye aÌ„d also suffered deth all these thinges I say dyd he not to further or to profite him selfe / But for oure merit and for oure profytt / so likewyse doth a Iuste man his workes And as a good tre in tyme off yeare bringeth forthe a god appylle / not to make hym good for he is good a fore / nor yet this appyl is not to his profyt / But vn to other mens not withstondinge the good nature that ys in him must nedys brynge yt forthe / so lykewyse the Iuste man must nedys do good workys / not by them to be Iustyfyde / but allonly in them to serue hys brother for he hathe no nede of them / as consernynge hys Iustyfycacyon wherefore now here haue yow the very trewe cause off Iustyfycacyon / that is faythe allonly / And also the very trewe waye and maner of doynge good workis / And how that no man can do good workis but a Iustified maÌ„ / As oure Master Christ saythe / eyther make the tre good aÌ„d thaÌ„ hys frute most be good / Mat. 7. Or ellys the tre euyll and hys frute also euyll for a good tre must nedys brynge forth good frute / And a bad / evell frute But now lett me answere to theyr scrypturs and too their carnall reasons that they brynge to proue that workys do Iustyfye SoluetoÌ„s to the scripture whych thei falsly allege Fyrst cometh the flesslye and damnable reson / And the saythe yf we be Iustyfyde allonly by fayth what nede we to do any good workis what nede we to crucyfye or to mortyfye oure fleshe / for all these wylle not profytt vs / and we shall be sauyd though we do none of them al. Thus dyd blinde reason dispute with Saint Paule whan that he had prouyd / that god off hys mere marcy / had delyuered vs frely from the damnable bondage off the lawe / A none he Iudged that he myght doo what he wolde / for he was no longer vndernethe the lawe / To thys Saynt Paule answereth / that yf we obey vn to the workys of synne / than are we the seruauntys off synne / and yff we obey to the workys off Iustys than are we the seruauntes off Iustys / soo that yff we truly haue that same faythe that Iustyfythe vs / we shall desyere too doo noo nother workys but those that belonge too Iustyfycacyon / not that the workys do Iustyfye vs / but that we must nedys doo these workys / as the very trew frutys off Iustificacyon / aÌ„d therfore those men that wyll do no good workys by cause they be Iustyfyde alonly by faythe / be not the chylderne of god nor the chylderne of Iustyfycacyon / and of that ys this a suer and an euydent token / for yf they were the very trew chylderne off god / they wolde be the gladder to doo good workys / by cause that they are Iustyfyed frely Therfore shulde they also be mouyd frely to worke / yff yt were for no nother purposse / nor profyte / but allonly to doo the wyll off their mercyfulle god / that hathe so frely Iustyfyed them / and also to profyte theyr neyboure / whom they are bound to serue of very trewe cheryte Take an exampell / here ys a thefe that ys condemnyd by ryght and by law to be hangyd whom the kyngis grace of hys mercy / dothe frely delyuere from the gallous / and geuythe hym hys pardon / Nowe thys thefe thus delyuered wyll not kepe hym selfe a trew man nor do those workys that belonge to a trew man to doo / but fallyth agayn to stelynge by cause the kynge perdonyd hym so frely / and rekenyth that the kynge ys so mercyfull that he wyll hange noo theuys but delyuer them all of hys mercy with out their deseruyng / Now how thynke you wyll the kynge be marcyfull vn to thys thefe whan he comythe agayne to the gallous nay truly / but yff he had done those thynges that the kyngys pardon deseruyd / than had he come noo more in danger / but shulde haue byn styll in the kyngys fauouâ—e TheÌ„ cometh my lorde off Rochester / aÌ„d he saith the faith doth be gynne a Iustyfycacyon in vs / But workys do performe yt and make yt parfyt / and by cause that noo man shall thynke that I lay yt vn to hym vnrightwisly I wil resyte his awne wordes Arti. 1. Per fidem initiari dicitur iusticia soluÌ„ / non auteÌ„ coÌ„summari naÌ„ coÌ„suÌ„mata iusticia noÌ„ aliter quaÌ„ exoperibê° natis / et in luceÌ„ editis acquiri potest / Opera coÌ„summate iustificaÌ„t / Fides primuÌ„ inchoat cÌ„ Vvhat christenyd man wolde thynke that a bisshope wolde thus triffylle and play wyth godys holy worde Godys worde ys soo playne / that no man can avoyde yt how that faythe Iustyfythe allonly / and now commyth my lorde of Rochester / wyth a lytle and a vayne
content to admytt all these men to be fulfyllars and doars of the lawe Au. despiâ—â— lit And now that you shall not say that this is my dreme / here be S. Augustines wordes / the doars of the law shal be iustifyed / so must yt be vnderstonde that we may knowe / that they can no nother wysse be the doars of the lawe except they be fyrst iustifyed not that iustificacioÌ„ belongyth vn to doars but that iustificacion dothe precede all maner of doynge cÌ„ Here yov not that iustificacion is fyrst geuen that men myght be abylle to doo the workes of the lawe Glossa This is also the exposicion of your commen glosse / I haue mervelle you studye yt no better Also you haue a nother scripture / and that ys this / Cornelius a gentylle did greate almes / and prayd vnto god all ways / Acto 10 vnto whome that angelle spake on this maner Thy prayars aÌ„d thy allmesses are come vpp in to remembraunce in the presens of god / of this texte you gether that his good workes did helpe to iustifie him / I answere the holy gost hathe opinlie declared him selfe there / for he saith that this Cornelius was a deuote man and one that feryd god / how coulde thys be with out that God had taught him inwardly by faith / ye how coulde he know god and that deuotely / but by faith Ergo he was iustifyed a fore god by his faithe / but the worlde knew not his iustificacion / and therfore that holy gost dothe declare his inwarde iustificacion whan he saith that he was deuote and feryd god also dothe shew opynly the frutes of thys Iustificacion / whan he saythe that he dyd allemesse Moreover yov haue there that the holy gost felle on them a fore they were baptisyd in watter the whiche declarythe opynly that they were Iustifide a fore god / This is welle declaryd also in youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / Cornelius Centurio / 2. q. 7 NoÌ„ oÌ„nes Episcopi beyng yet a hethen man / was Iustifyde by the gyfte of the holy gost here haue yov playnly that he was Iustifyed by the gifte of the holy gost a fore alle good workis / For he was an hethyn maÌ„ A nother scriptur yee haue whyche is this / if I haue alle faith / Soo that I may transeposse monÌ„tayns and haue no cheryte I am nothynge / of this gether yov that faithe with out cheryte can not Iustifie / I answere This can yov not gether of S. paule for it is opyn that he spekyth not of that thyng where bi that men may be iustified / but allonly he techith howe they that be iustified must worke with cherite it is also playne that he spekith not of fayth that doeth Iustifye inwardlye / but of that faythe that dothe worke outwardly The whiche is callid a gifte of the holy gost / as the gyfte of tonges / The gifte of prophicyes / the gifte of healing / the gyfte of interpretacion / as it is opyn in the chapter a fore Now this faythe ys not geuyn to Iustefye / but allonly to doo myracles / wonders and sygnys by / and therfore saithe paule / if I had all faith so that I coulde moue mouÌ„tayns Mat. 7. Also it is opyn that sertyn men shalle say vn to Chryst be holde we haue done miracles aÌ„d caste oute deuyles in thy name yet he shalle say to theÌ„ / truly I knowe yov not / So that this faythe is a gyfte of god that iustifythe not / no more than the gyfte of sciens or prophicies And somtyme is it in the churche some tyme not / and yt is neuer of necessite there to be / but the faithe that we speke of whiche dothe beleue the promyses of God / and styckythe faste to the blessed bloud of Christ / hathe no nother vertue but to iustifye / must nedes iustify where so ever he ys / and he stycketh so fast to godes worde / that he lokyth for no miracles This faith is neuer out of the church / Ioan. 17. for yt ys the lyffe of the church / and yt is the faith that oure master Christe prayd for that yt myght neuer fayle / aÌ„d therfore S. Paule whan he describythe this faith / he calleth yt a faythe that worketh by cheryte / not that yt iustyfyeth by cherite / for as he sayth there playnly / Gala. 5. yt is neyther circumcision / nor yet vncircumsicion that is of ony vallure in christ Iesu / but faith Here dothe he playnly exclude from iustificacion the hyest worke of the law circumcision / and setteth faith alone not the gyfte of faithe that dothe miracles / but the gyfte of faithe that worketh by cheryte / and that yov shall not thynke this to be my dreme here brynge I yov Athanasius whose wordes be these Atha ad Rom. There are .ij. maner of faithys won ys iustifying as that of the which it is spokeÌ„ / thy / faith hathe saued the / A nother ys called the gyfte of god where by miracles be done / of the which yt ys wrytten if yov haue faith as a grayne of musterd sede cÌ„ So that here haue yov playne that faith dothe iustify only / and parfyttly / a fore alle maner of workes / that is / faith is geuen of god frely in to oure soules vn to the which faith iustificacyon is allonly promised and is alonly imputed and rekkened of god / neuer the lesse this faith in tyme and place convenient / ys of that strength that he must nedes worke by cheryte / not for to be iustifide there by / for if he wer not a fore iustyfyed / yt were not possible that he coulde haue cheryte / for after youre awne scolle men an infidelle can not haue cheryte / but that he is a freseruant vnto god for the loue that he hathe vnto him / the which loue seketh not in god his awne profytte nor his awne auauntage / for than were he wykked but seketh alonly the wylle off god and the profite of other men / and worketh neyther / for loue of heuen nor yet for fere of helle / for he knoweth well that heuen / wyth all the Ioys there of ys preared for him from the begenynge of the world / not by him / but by his father and yt must nedes follow as contrary wysse the infydelle and the wykked man dothe not worke hys wykked dedes / by cause he wolde haue helle or euerlastynge damnacion to his rewarde / but he wolde rather the contrary / not withstondinge / helle and euerlastinge damnacion must nedes follow his wykked dedes Finallye a ryghtwyse maÌ„ is a fre seruant of godes / and worketh not as an hyerelyng for iff it were possible that there were no heuen yet wolde he doo no lesse good / for his respect is to the maker and the lorde of alle rewardes Nowe
/ that is / he that hath the open worde of god for him that his sinnes be for geuen him he caÌ„ not be sclanderyd / that is / there is nothynge can make him to doute / but though heuen hell lyffe aÌ„d dethe do thretyn him / he is not offendid he ys not sclanderyd / but bydeth fast and knowythe suerly that all these thyngys must peryshe / but the worde of god bideth for euer / Vvherefore this ys the very keye that Iudgeth the thoughtis the intentis of the harte / as S. paule saithe Hebre. 4. By this haue we also the very knowlege of oure sinne / as S. paule declarythe to the Romaines / Roma 3. bi this is also declared vnto vs grace / also remyssyon of oure sinnes yf we beleue yt Vvherefore thys must nedis be the very trewe keye as yow may see euydently thorowe out all scrypture and not youre bostyd and crakyd power / for there ys no suche thynge nor yet can be in man / that can loose the soule of man from hys synne Vvherefore / it ys damnable and deuelysh lernynge and commeth of the presumtuê° pryde of man to lerne that man hathe a power in hym / by the whyche power mans soule is bound or loosyd from synne / But thys is all that man hathe / he ys a minister / and a dyspensator of the heuenly worde of god / for whose sake ouâ—e synnes be remyttyd whan we beleue yt / and oure synnes be retayned whan we do dyspyâ—e yt / Therfore the blessed worde of god ys the very keye and in that ys all the might and poweâ— to losse oure synnes / and man ys but a mynyster and a seruant vn to thys worde thys may be proued / by oure Master Christes wordys where he saythe Goo youre way in to all the worlde / and preche the gospell vn to all creatours / Matt vi he that dothe beleue and ys baptysyd shal be sauyd / but he that dothe not beleue shall be daÌ„nyd Here maye yow playnlye see / That the apostyllys he but minysters seruauntis haue no power but aloÌ„ly ministracyoÌ„ The keyes that they haue where bi they must lose meÌ„ bind is the very word of god therfore saith oure M. christ he the beleueth shal be saued / he that doth not beleue shal be daÌ„nid By this word did the holy apostles declare grace thorow chryst / aÌ„d lernyd meÌ„ to sett all their hope of saluacioÌ„ in christ only / by this worde did they lerne meÌ„ to knowlege their sinne / aÌ„d to seke for grace ful whol to hope remissioÌ„ forgeuenes of their synnes bi christ only Breuely by these keyes / is openyd all goodnes if they be reseuyd / And all goodnes is shett from vs yff we reseue them not Now where this keye ys resevyd by faythe there is all thyngis lossyd / that is / alle synnes be forgeuyn / and the conscyens is made fre And where it commythe not in nor is not reseuyd by faithe / there alle thyngis be shit and bound Actu 2 Of this maner dyd the holy apostlis bynde aÌ„d loosse whane they preched this holy worde of god vn to the people / As we haue an opyn example of S. Petter / that prechyd this holy worde / and at his prechyng the herars were prykkyd in their hartis / and askyd petter what they might do and he answerid them repent and be baptisyd everye one of yov in the name of Iesus for remyssyon of youre synnes aÌ„d yov shalle reseue the gifte of the holy gost / where fore as meny as reseuyd his worde were baptisyd Here haue yov playnly / the very trew maner of lossing from synnes / as the holy apostles vsed yt / that is whane the people beleuyd the worde that they preched / thaÌ„ they declared how their synnes were remittyd for christes sake not thorow any pore that thei had / for thei were but ministers But the very power was in the worde of god where by they were delyueryd from their synnes This is wel provid bi oure master christes worde where he saithe vn to them / goo and preche saynge / Matt. 10. That the kyngdoÌ„ of heuyn is at hond / what is this the kyngdom of heuyn not any power that is in man / But remission of synnes shalle be geuyn to them that reseue yov re worde / and not that reseue either youre power or youre parsons and therfore followeth yt In what housse yov enter / say first peace be with yov / and if the house be worthy / youre peace shalle come a pone the same / that is to say iff they reseue youre worde aÌ„d beleue it / thane shalle youre peace / that is the peace of the gospelle whiche you brynge with yov / shalle geue theÌ„ quietnes of consyens and loosse them from alle synne But if the house be not worthy / youre peace shalle returne to yov agayn who so euer shalle not reseue yov nor wille here youre preachynge whan yov departe out of that hovse shake of the duste from youre fette / I say vn to yov it shalle be easyer for Sodom and Gomorra in the day of IudgemeÌ„t than for that Cytie / what is this youre pece shalle returne a gayne no thyng els but that they shalle not be pertakers there of but shalle remayne bouÌ„d in their synne / And why bi cause they reseue not youre persoÌ„s or your power nay trewly / but bi cause they here not youre prechyng / It is not to be douted / but that many men / by heryng the apostles prechynge the worde of god / were losyd from their syns and yet neuer spake with the apostlis Vvhere fore the reseuynge of the worde / and not of thou apostille lossithe vs from oure synnes / for that cause the apostille did declare by their departynge from them that wolde not beleue the worde / that they remayned stille in their synnes / For as S. Marke sayth / youre depertynge shalle be a testimony agenste them / that is to saye a tokyn of their condemnacioÌ„ Mar. 6. we haue also an opyn practys of S. Paule how he dyd bynde them that dyd not reseue hys prechynge to whome he sayth these wordis / Acto 18. youre bloud a pone youre hedis I wille departe from hens in clennes vnto the gentilles Nowe haue yov playnly how the holy apostille dyd bynde and losse / and with what keye they dyd it that is by prechynge of the holy worde of god / And by cause this thynge shulde be done with out any error and that no man shulde doute in yt / Iona· 20. he gaue them the holy goste saynge these worde / whose synnes yov do for geue shalle be for geuyn and whose synnes yov do retayne shalle be retayned To these wordes addyth S. Luke Thane openyd he their wytte that they
thyng that is commanded vs or els flye / but if any thyng be commanded vs that is agenste the worde of god where by oure faythe is hurt / that we shulde not doo in any wysse but rather suffer persecucyon and also dethe But agenst this power goythe not oure Artycle for it commandeth nothyng as consernynge the consyens / but alonly as consernyng the orderynge of worldly thynges and there fore / it mynistreth a temporalle payne over the boddy wonly and there wyth conteÌ„t / wherfore we wille now speke of the other power whych meÌ„ calle spiritualle Fyrst here is to be notyd that thys is no power Nor none auctorite worldly / but al oÌ„ly a mynystracyon of the worde of God and a spiritualle regement / prechyng the gouernynge of the soule and the mynystracion of the sprett hauyng nothyng to do wyth the exterior Iustes or ryghtwisnes of the world aÌ„d therfore hathe it no power bi ryght lawe to make any statutes or lawys to order the world by / but alonly faythe fullie truli to pÌ„che to minister the word of god there bi iÌ„structiÌ„g the coÌ„syeÌ„s of maÌ„ nothiÌ„g addyng there to / nor takyng there from but as S. Paule saith / 2. Tim. 3 to abyde in those thynges that they haue lerned / Rom. 16 and that be commytted vn to them / for S. Paule as he hym selfe saith durste speke no nother thynge but those thynges which Christe had wrought by him / for he curseth hym be he man or angell that precheth any other gospell / Gala. 1. Hiere 23 than he had preched / therfore the prophete commandeth vs that we shulde not here the wordes of those prophetes which dysseue vs / for they speke visyons of their awne hartes and not out of the mought of god / and yet speke they in the name of god / wherfore these meÌ„ so longe as they speke wonly the worde off god / so longe are they to be harde / as christ him selfe / after that saynge he that hereth yov hereth me / Luce. 10 Mat. 23. Suê‘ IoaÌ„ Trac 46. also what so euer they saye vn to yov syttynge in the chayre of Moses doo yt / on the which texte speketh S. Augustine / By syttyng in the chayre is vnderstonde the lernynge of the lawe of god / and therfore god dothe teche by theÌ„ / but yf they wylle teache their awne doctrine hare yt not / doo yt not / for suche men seke that that ys theires and not Christes cÌ„ These wordes be playne agenst alle them that preche any thynge but the lawe of god wonly / wherefore yff these mynysters wyll of tyranny aboue the worde of god make any law or statute / yt must be consydered after two maner awayes / fyrste whether yt be openly and derectly agenst the word of god and to the dystruccion of the faith / as that statute is where by they haue condemned the new testament / and also forbydden serten men to preche the worde of god hauynge no trew cause agenste them / but alonly their malicius susspeccion / also that lernyng where by they lerne / that workes doo iustify more ouer that statute where by they bynd meÌ„ vnder the payne of damnacyon to be assoyled of them / these statutes I say with other lyke men are not bound for to obey nether of cherite for here is faith hurt which geueth no place to cheryte nor yet for a voydyng of sclander / for the worde of god may not be a voydyd / nor yet geue place / vn to sclander for than shulde yt neuer be preched / but it must be faste stucke vn to and the more that men be offended with alle aÌ„d the styffer that they be agenste yt / the more openly and planlye yee and that to their faces / that make suche statutes must we resyst them with these wordes / Act. 5. we are more bound to obey god than man This is well proued / by Hylarius wordes / Hylarius in Matt. cano 14. alle maner of plantes that be not planted of the father of heuen must be plucked vpp by the rootes / that is to say the tradicions of meÌ„ / by whose menys / the commandimentes of the lawe be broken / must be destroyed / and therfore calleth he them / blynd gydes of the way to euerlastynge lyffe / because they se not that thyng they promys / and for that cause / he saith / that bothe the blynde gydes and they that be led shall faule in to the dyke cÌ„ Marke that alle tradicious of meÌ„ which are agenst godes law must be dystroyed / therfore lett everye man take hede / for yt longeth to their charge / for bothe the blynd gydes and also they that be led shalle falle in the dyke / yt shalle be none excuse / for hym that ys led to saye that hys gyde was blynd / but lett them here the word of god by his holy prophete walke not in the preceptes of youre fathers nor kepe not their iudgementes / Ezech. â—0 but walke in my preceptes / and kepe my iudgementes The other maner of statutes be whan serten thynges that be called indifferent be commanded as thinges to be done of necessite and vnder the paynes of deedly synne / as for an example to eate fleshe or fyshe this day or that day is indiffereÌ„t and fre / also to goo in this rayment / of this collour or that collour / to shaue oure hedes or not / a prest to were a longe goune or a shorte / a gray fryar to were a gray cote or a Russett / a whytte fryar to were a whytte or a blake / a preste to marry or not to marrye / an heremyt to haue a berde or not / these with alle other suche outwarde workes / be thynges indifferent and may be vsed and also lefte / now if the bisshops will make any lawe or statute that these thinges shalle be determynatlye vsed so that it shalle not be lawfulle for vs to leue them vn done / but that we must presyssely doo them and not the coÌ„trary vnder the payne of dedlye synne / here must they be with stoÌ„ded and in no wyse obeyd for in this is hurte oure faith and lyberte of christendome where by we ar fre and not bound / to any exterior worke / but fre in alle thynges and vn to alle men at alle tymys and in alle maner / excepte yt be in suche a cause where as brotherly cheryte / or the commen peace shuld be offended therefore in all these thinges be we fre aÌ„d we must withstonde them that wylle take thys lybertye from vs wyth thys texte of scripture / we are bought with pryce we wyl not be the seruaÌ„tes of men / 1. Cor. 7. this texte is open agenste them that wylle bynd mennes conscyens vn to synne in those thinges that Christe hathe lefte them fre in / off this we
cultus dulie maye you not do to youre Imagis than the prophet wolde that we shulde do to Idollis for they be won in all ê“pertis aÌ„d condicions And as for youre mirakels that you defend them by / they be but elusyons of the deuil in ventyd of youre owne Imaginacion and contrary to the worde of god vnto the gret blasphemyng of the oÌ„nipotent god of heuen / for myrakyllis be neuer done of god that any man cane proue of suerty but all only to the magnyfyynge and declaracion of his blessyd worde / As for all other mirakillis may be suspected to be done of the deuell / by the sufferance of god / to the probacion of oure faythe and specially whaÌ„ they be agenste the open worde of god / Thys may be proued by the wordis of moyses / Deu. 13. if there a rysse in the myddis of the a prophet or amaÌ„ that saithe I haue sene a vysyon / and shall tell the a fore a sygne and a wonder / and that thyng that he tolde the do also come to passe / Now yf thys man say vnto the lett vs go and follow straÌ„ge godes which thou knowyste not and lett vs serue theÌ„ / thou shall not here the prophet nor the dremers wordes / for god doth proue you that yt may be open whether you loue hym in all youre harte in all your solle or not Be not these wordis opeÌ„ agenst all maner of mirakellis yee and agenste prophettis whose prophecie is trewe and yet by cause he wyll drawe the hartes of the peopylle vnto other thyngis by syde god ther fore shalle he not be harde / youre Imagis be not here exceptyd Forthermore what signyfythe thys that god wll haue all oure hartes aÌ„d all oure soule if god hâ—ue all than can youre Images haue no parte But marke how god dothe proue oure faythe wâ—th suche myrakylles so that he wolde that neyther huen nor hell / Saynt nor mirakelles / Prophet trwe nor false shuld drawe our hartis froÌ„ him or froÌ„ his worde / but alonly to styck fast to him werfore lay for youre Idolles what you cane / fyst they be no godis / Secondarily they caÌ„ no mre do if they do so muche but do mirakilles an tell you a fore of those thynges that be too coâ—e / and yet all thys can not helpe for it is opeÌ„ly genste the worde of god and we may not here hem Furtheremore ageÌ„st your Idolles wil I â—tte the brasyn serpent of whom it is wrytteÌ„ that yt dyd mirakylles so openly that no man can deny it / yee aÌ„d that by the worde of god which dyd also stonde many hunderd yeares tylle the pâ—ople did to it so muche as they now do to youre godes / that is they dyd offer sence and other oblacions there to aÌ„d therfore was it distroyid not with stonding it was institutyd of god / and so be none of youre idolles wherfore mirakillis can not helpe Also among the turkes be myrakelles done as they thynke / and yet that prouythe not their sect to be lawfull I will tell you of a mirakylle that is written in their lawe / On a sertyn tyme there was a controversy by twene the prestes and the religious men whiche of them shulde haue / the oblacions off the people / The prestes layed that they ware best worthy by cause they wer ministers in the temple and seruantis to the godes and nyghte aÌ„d day toke payne for the people / The frears layd for them that they were the succession of all their holy fathers and by their prayers and merrytes was the kynge and all the people kept / and the londe defended froÌ„ all evell with many other thynges more / Brâ—uely this matter was deferryd of bothe partes to the sentence of the kyng the which had thouâ—ht to haue geueÌ„ sentens with the prestes but â—haÌ„ the fryars knew yt / they came to the kynge â—nd desyered hym that he wolde deferre the sentâ—ns vij days and see what the godes wolde shâ—we for them / The nyght a fore that the kynge shâ—lde geue sentence / was he coÌ„pelled by nature tâ— go to the preuy which whaÌ„ he caÌ„ there the preuie bâ—ake he felle in there was he crying by the spacâ— off an houre tyll he was so wery that he culde nâ— more / no man culde come to him for the pallys â—as lokkyd / ThaÌ„ suddynly appered vnto hym a relygius man with a glorius light saing vnto â—ym / Now where be they that thou woldest haue geueÌ„ sentence with al are not they well worthy of the oblacions that can not helpe the out of danger But now mayst thou se what we may do with the godes for the and all thy londe / aÌ„d with this the kynge wyth out payne or hurte was taken out of the preuy and layd agayne in his bed oâ— he wyst yt / and the day followyng gaue he sentence that the religious men shulde haue the oblacions How thynk you was not here an open myrakylle and was it not done on the kynge the which had vnderstondyng and reson / it was an open matter whan he was in the preuye and the preuye broken and he layde agayne in hys bede wyth out any hurte / thys passed mans power / but what wyll you proue of thys myrakylle all youre godes to gether cane not do a more open myrakylle than thys ys But lett vs see what the doctors saye agenst youre godes / ClemeÌ„s writteth these wordes / Libro 5. ad Iaco. we do honour vysible Images to the honoure off the invisyble god / that which is a false thynge but if you will honour the image of god in doing wel to maÌ„ in him shall you honour the trew image of god / where fore if you wil truly honour the image of god / we wil open that thyng vnto you that ys off trouth so that you must do well vn to man the which is made vnto the Image of god / geue him honour and reuerence / Geue hym mett whane he ys hungery / Geue hym drynke whane he ys thursty / Clothe hym whane he ys naked / serue him whan he ys syke / Geue hym lodgeyng whaÌ„ he ys a straÌ„ger / and whane he ys in preson mynyster too hym necessarys / thys ys the thynge that shall be countyd to be geuyn god trewly what honoure ys thys off god too runne a bought folishlye to stony and woddy Images and to honour as godis ydille and deed fygurs / and to dyspysse maÌ„ in whom ys the very trewe Image of god wherfore vnderstonde you that thys ys the suggestion of the serpent that lorkythe wyth in / the whiche dothe make you beleue that you be deuoute whane you do honour in sensyble thinges / And maketh you to beleue that you be not wyckkyd whan you hurte sensyble and resonable men cÌ„ How thynk you doth not thys daÌ„me the worsshyppyng of Imagys