destruction so the spirituall lyfe and heuenly withoute respecte of common polycie shortly by necessitie shall falle to confusion Wherfore this must be taken as a sure and common grounde that in al christen ciuilitie of greatte and hygh necessitie to all suche thinges as by common authoritie are stablished and fouÌ„ded without repugnance to the spirituall vnitie and manifeste doctrine of Christe the people must euer be obedient to all suche thynges with gladde harte they must euer agree and consent For of this we haue in Christis doctrine in many places manifest commandement bothe of Peter and of Poule in their holy epistles ye and Christe him selfe sayd he came not to breake such thinges as by coÌ„mon lawe were receyued but rather to stably she confirme and make perfite the same as bothe his lyfe and his doctrine manifestly declare For where as before christen men obserued lawes onely by feare of punyshement Christ wold haue his flocke to be obedient and fulfyll the same only by loue by none other outwarde respecte And therfore his doctrine is as a corner stone agreinge to al polycie and determyneth therin no certayne kynde at al but as wel may the ê‘fection of Christis doctrine be fulfilled in that state where as be many heedes and dyuers polyticall as there as is but one chiefe principal So long as policie and lawes therby stablyshed and set breke not the groundes of spirituall vnitie there is no repugnaÌ„ce to be made of those which be humble subiectes meke obedient to such thinges as be receiued by coÌ„mon assent This thing dere frendes I oft inculke and reherse bicause if it be wel and throughly perceiued and in our hartes surely grounded it shall minister vnto vs a great grounde occasion to pluck vp by the rotis this fals superstition whiche in these days disquieteth so many mens feble weke consciences without reason And specially if to this we ioyne an other grounde wherby you shall be brought moste christen people somewhat to conceyue a diuersite and plain differeÌ„ce betwixt such thinges as be of playne necessitie of them self by nature good and such as be only of a certain coÌ„ueniency by nature be indiffereÌ„t The lacke of the iugement and discretion wherof hath gyuen great occasion to stable in many mens hartes this vayn superstition and is also no small cause of proude arrogant opinion For the conceyuynge wherof this dere frendes you must vnderstonde that lyke as I sayde before in the lyfe mere polytike worldly there be certain groundes whiche of necessitie must euer be conserued and neuer suffre dispensation and other thinges there be whiche as tyme and place doth require euer by lawe ciuile and polycie maye be altered and suffre abrogation so in the godly life and spirituall there be also certayne groundes wherin is founded this spirituall vnitie whiche by no mans policye maye be chaunged but euer must stand stable and firme without innouatioÌ„ And other thynges also there be whiche by common authoritie maye be remoued abrogate and vtterly put awaye and stoâ—de onely by conueniency and haue their power onely of the consent of the hole congregation as by exaumple this thing to declare somewhat more at large grouÌ„des these be of the polytyke lyfe honour to be done to the diuine nature whiche gouerneth all reuerence to be had to our parentes which haue laboured to bringe vs into the lyght cure to be had of those whiche come of vs by naturall procreation to be beneficiall to them whiche be in necessitie and to repell from our selfes all iniurie And in conclusion all suche thinges whiche of lawe ciuile stablyshed taketh not full power but haue their strength of the true iugement of naturall reason pure and not corrupte by affection all suche be groundes in natural law thinges resting in policie and ciuile constitution beinge of nature indifferent be infinite and for the tyme and place euer variable as somme tymes thynges of marchandyse to command to bringe in and sometyme the same to prohibite sometymes money of the people by taxe to be gathered and some tyme the same contrary to restore is to good policie righte conuenient Lyke as in some places the eldest sonne to succede in the hole inheritance for the maynteynyng of the familie is of some iudged good policie and in some other places it is playn iniury so that al such thing as time place with other circuÌ„stance doth require so euer they be by the iudgement of wyse men politike to be chaunged of conueniencye whan to them is gyuen full authorite to alter change theym with free lybertie And lyke maner in the lyfe spiritual certayn groundes as I sayd there be whiche must euer be taken as fyrme and stable as Christ to descende from the bosome of his father to be made man for mannes redemption the fayth and truste in hym and in his promyses to be sufficient for mannes saluation the workis of man ciuile without faythe not to be of power to serue to mans iustifycation the mysteries of Christe by his sacramentes to faythfull myndes to be coÌ„muned And brefly to say al such thinges as in Christis gospel by expresse coÌ„mandmeÌ„t eyther of our master Christe or of his holy apostles disciples be to vs giuen taught all such be of mere necessitie not indiffereÌ„t by no power in â—eth suffre abrogatioÌ„ but coÌ„trary al other thiges ê‘teining to this spirituall polycie whiche be not coÌ„teyned in y â— gospel expressely or deduced of the same surely as rites customes and traditions of fathers hauing no grouÌ„d but only by pÌ„scription of time al such may be alterid by good order policie whaÌ„ it shal appere to theÌ„ which haue authorite so conuenieÌ„t as the forbiddig of scripture to be red iÌ„ y â— mother tonge in the churches so to be rehersid somtime was not without consideratioÌ„ where as now to many it may otherwise appere as it doth of pristes mariage foundyng of chantries buylding of monasteries popes pardons institution of holy dayes which al with many other of y â— same sorte nature to wyse meÌ„ nowe a dais apere plainly to be groweÌ„ to an iniust extremite wherfore to alter theÌ„ it is thought not with out gret cause highly expedient to the institution of Christis true doctrine very ê“fitable coÌ„uenient the whiche by mans constitution ceremony is vndoutedly moch obscured the purite therof almost put out of memorie in so moche y e many men being in that behalf somwhat superstitious iuge in these coÌ„stitutions ceremonies to stand moche of Christis religion to the which perswasion brought they are for lacke of this discretion betwixt thinges of necessite such as be but only profitble and coÌ„ueniently for the time institute to the conseruation of the other whiche be groundes necessary of the which sort without faile be al rites
and in Antyoche as nere to Ierusalem toke fyrst greater ground than it dyd in the citie of Rome whose pryde worldely polycye many a daye moche resysted to the truthe of the gospel and that heuenly humilitie therin to vs taught the which nothing was agreable to the imperial pryde in the emperours then reygnynge Wherfore christen men there secretly in corners made their assembly and priuy profession of Christes name auoydyng the persecution of the wycked emperours whose arrogancy was clene contrary to Christis simplicite And thus at Rome it cōtinued without great encrease of Christis doctrine longe many yeres where as at Alexandria and Antioche was at the begynnyng moche more open profession of Christis name and doctryne the whiche may well be gathered of the multitude of lerned men and religyouse wherof at the begynnynge of Christis churche was in Alexandria and Egypte in Antioche and in the parties of Grece as story maketh mention far greatter nombre than there was at Rome or here in the weste parties of the worlde where as Christis relygyon toke more slowe encrese than it dyd in the easte where it beganne For at Rome vntyll the tyme of Constātyne it neuer toke so notable encrease his vertue goodnes and authoritie moche altered the policy of Rome for his fame and example greattely styrred y ◠hartis of the cōmon peple whose iugementes euer moche folowe theyrs whiche be in authoritie by theyr example moche they fourme their myndes theyr trade of lyfe they studye to expresse so that vntil this good emperours time thoughe before at Rome it had a good grounde yet it was not so stablished by authorite of prince it did not so florishe in the face of the worlde but christen men liued there in moche subiection and specially at the begynnynge when for their relygion they suffred moche miserie persecution But nowe to the purpose al this space of thre or foure hūdreth yeres nother the byshop of Ierusalē nor of Antioche no nor yet Alexādria neuer shewed argument of any superioritie of power dewe to the byshoppe of Rome by the doctrine of Christe they neuer gaue to hym of necessitie and of the gospell dewe any poynt of obedyēce they were not institute nor made by his authoritie they neuer cam to his iugemēt for sentence as to the vicar of Christ but often tymes by collation they toke one of another the trewth of scripture and therof the trewe interpretation therby they founde oute to that euer gyuynge dewe obedience but of that hyghe superiorite all that tyme was no mention no worde nor by story and lytel sygnyfication whiche is also mooste manifeste by the celebration of the fyrste counselles generalle whiche were congregate by the princelye authoritie without mention of any suche superiorytye gyuen to the byshoppe of Rome the whiche thynge to proue is more open thanne nowe nedeth any declaration Wherfore hit can not be thoughte to be of suthe necessytie specyally seynge all that tyme at the begynnynge of Christis churche whenne the doctryne of oure mayster was mooste pure and not corrupte by mannes inuentyon but as hit came from the fountayne syncere and clere was entred and stabled in the hartes of them which therof made professyon there is noo storye made oone tytle of mention of anye suche superyoritye to the bysshoppe of Rome to be gyuen no nor yet to none other speciallye that it shoulde be of suche hygh necessitie that without it Christis doctrine coulde not stande the whiche to all menne that haue eyes and consider the storye of the begynnyng of the churche stode than in greatter puritie than euer hit dydde sens the tyme that we haue had this one hed stablisshed with suche authorytie and power the whiche thynge is so manyfeste and playne that no manne consyderynge the antiquitie and comparynge it with the posteritie maye denye this For this to the worlde is open in so moche that this thynge to be of necessyte to the saluation of man as many men dreme now also to confyrme with moch argumēt and reson appereth vtterly superfluous Howe be it this I wyll saye a great lykelyhode that this shoulde not be necessary is this Fyrste that all the aunciente and good Interpretours of Christis Gospell amonge the grekes whome I iudge to haue more lyghte in the holye scripture as they had in al other letters and lerning than any other nation that euer yet receyued the trewthe of Christis religion the whiche without profe here of me is open by theyr workes to all men that with diligence them wyl rede Al these I say with one consente kepe sylence of this authoritie to be gyuen to the byshoppe of Rome of suche necessitie in theyr workes therof ye shall neuer fynde mention the whiche is not like they wolde haue done if they had iudged it to be soo necessary a thynge and a gospell truth of Christ institute and stabled besyde this if this ground were trewe then shulde al the Indians all these thousand yeres haue runne heedlyng to damnation which neuer toke the byshop of Rome heed of Christis churche and his vicar in erthe nor of hym neuer toke tradition and yet they haue ben ye and yet be nowe in our dayes vnder Preter Iohn̄ their kynge and heed of Christis doctrine deuout true professours and with vs in al the groūdes of scripture vtterly agre in ceremonies and rytes ecclesiasticalle there is moche diuersitie as it is necessary accordyng to the nature of the contrey and people The same thynge myght be sayde of them in Armeny whiche neuer wold be obedient to the byshoppe of Rome but hadde amonge them their heed whom they called their catholyke as he that was a trewe professour and maynteyner of the catholyke faythe The same also myght be sayd of the Greke nation whiche neuer wolde confesse the obedience to the church of Rome to be necessary to the saluation of mā Wherfore chiefely by the byshops of Rome they were most vniustly noted not to be as membres of Christes vniuersall and catholyke body But now al these nations Indians Armenians and Grekes vtterly to condemne and seperate them from the benefit of Christis passion wherin they haue had euer their chiefe comforte and trust only for bycause they wold not nor were not to this heed as to the vycar of Christe obedyente All these I say to condemne and caste theym into the depe pytte of hell semeth playne madnesse and moste blynde arrogancye and I pray god that they whiche so blyndly do iudge be not for their owne iudgement rather to be condempned For this iugement hath no grounde neyther of scripture nor yet of reasone but is a playne blynde superstition For as I haue shewed you before that thynge to attribute to god of necessitie vnder pretense of religion whiche in dede is not so but hangeth only vpon mās cōstitution is moste playn and manifest superstition Wherfore dere frendes seinge that neyther
nowe procede to other whiche nedeth longer declaration for as moche as all men do not them obserue for priuely they be cropen into our bosomes and dayely dothe more and more there increase the thynges be suche that I wold you myght them iustely deny but of your owne hartes I shall haue testimonie your owne conscience shall wytnesse with me And brefely to say this it is as wel by the blindnesse of this dyuellyshe superstition as by this pestilent and arrogant opinioÌ„ there is growing in among vs here a corrupt iugemeÌ„t one of an other by the reson wherof eche one in hart iugeth other to be eyther pharisee or heretyke papist or schâ—smatike to the whiche iugemeÌ„t consequently is annexed diuision so to the same is succeded of the very true and spirituall vnitie a manifest dissolution and an open bracke therof by dissention That this is true I shall in as few wordes as I can manyfestly declare For if I shuld particularly and at length prosecute this thinge I shulde be ouerlonge and tedious to you Wherfore I wyll touche onely as it were certayn common places and generall groundes wherby we are slypped into this pestilent and dyuellishe diuision of spirite by the reason wherof somme of you may perauenture be moued to consider the corruption of your own iugementes herin And fyrste in the begynnyng this you must take for a manyfest truthe that all suche which ouermoche gyuinge to traditions ceremonies and ecclesiasticall rytes and customes stycke to them as to thinges stable by nature vnuariable and of necessitie to the saluation of manne required without the whiche the groundes of Christis religion may not be conserued all suche I say lening to a false perswasion erre and haue conceyued therby a great grounde of a corrupt iudgement For this is sure that rites ceremonies and customes of the churche accordyng to tyme place and nature of the people may be varied as thinges of them selfe nother sure nor stable ye and necessite it doth require For euen as al dyet to al men for bodily helth is not agreable nor conuenient so all ceremonies to all nations for good religion be nother mete nor expedient Wherfore the sturdy defence of them in priuate persons coÌ„trary to common authoritie commeth vndoubtedly of a folyshe and corrupt iugement and roteth superstition Lyke as contrary this is of no lesse truthe that all suche persons whiche traditions of fathers rytes customes vtterly condemne and despise bycause they fynde them not in holy scripture playnly expressed and so therfore affirme them to be pernicious to all christen ciuilitie and as burdeynes of conscience iudge them of their owne heedes vtterly to be caste awaye All suche I saye of the other syde be in no lesse errour and haue by this grounde and opinion fouÌ„ded a more corrupt iugement thaÌ„ haue yet the other therby runnynge into a contemptâ— of religion For to this iugement is annexed the ruine of al christen pollicie whiche is conserued and moche maynteyned by rytes customes ecclesiastical ye the grouÌ„dis of scripture the very doctrine of Christ without these brefly wold gretly decaye and I thinke by littell and lyttell vtterly vanyshe away For as moche as the weake vulgare myndes of the people euer haue benne after this sorte that withoute somme exterior and outwarde sygnes and ceremonies their simplicitie coulde neuer be lad to true religion nor of god to conceyue the diuinitie Wherfore of this grounde as I sayd ryseth a corrupte and a pestilent iudgement and mother of all impietie and out of lyke perswasion it springeth that many men say that these rytes and customes ecclesiasticall are maynteined onely by them whiche take profyte and lucre therby and of suche they were fyrste constitute ordeyned and stabled for that pourpose and none other whiche is also a manifest and fals opinion For many of these rites and customes were inuented of theym who were bothe in doctryne and lyfe dispisers of all worldly gayne profyte and pleasure and loked only to the preferrement and encrease of vertue and of true religion and after also were stablyshed by common lawe and generall counsell in euery congregation This can not be denyed of any man whiche with indifferency and syncere mynde nothinge blynded with affection weyeth thinges as they be in their owne nature But somme of vs blinded with suche perswasion yet procede ferther and plainly do affirme that prestis to haue possession is vtterly ageinst Christis doctrine and his true religion litell considering howe that to receiue the gift and benefite of any man giuen with charitie nothinge repugneth to Christis doctrine nor to his simplicitie and howe that al suche donation gift was brought in and stablyshed by men of perfyte charitie to this purpose that byshoppes pristes and al religious shuld holly being intent to the preching of goddis worde therby be maynteined in quietnes and tranquillite This they consider not but lokynge to the abuse wherof doubtles is greate nede of reformation therwith blynded blindly do ruÌ„ne to the coÌ„demnation of the thing without reason and iugement For this is a certain truth and sure that the perfection of Christis religion resteth not so moch in the refuse of all possession and wylfull pouertie as it dothe in the streight vse of these worldly thynges with perfyte charitie Ye and though in the begynnynge the prechers of Christis worde were poore and had nothynge whiche was conueniente to that tyme whan mankynd was vtterly drowned in worldly vanitie yet now in this age after the stablyng of Christis religion so longe and many yeres I see no cause why suche pouertie shoulde be soo necessary and that possession shulde be soo contrary to christen perfection Wherfore this perswasion bredeth in our hartes a corrupt iugemeÌ„t and a pestilent diuision by the whiche somme of vs are slypped to a more corrupt and pernicious grounde whiche is to flee the order of generalle couÌ„sel and of al interpretation of scripture there coÌ„monly receiued For to this succedeth in a maner the ruine of scripture it selfe the authoritie wherof declared to man comonly hangeth moch vpon generall counsell For though the truth of goddis worde dependethe nothynge vppon the iugement of man yet the declaration therof to the face of the worlde hangeth moche theron in so moche that these whiche we haue and take to be the true gospelles and to conteyne the veray doctrine of Christ we knowe not surely so to do but onely by feyth and confidence that we gyue to the definition of generall counsell and conseÌ„t of the same In so moche that if dyuers nations shulde dissente in the groundes of scripture and in the interpretation therof refuge shoulde we haue none conuenient to chrystian policie and mete to conserue the polyticall vnitie yf frome generalle counsayle we shoulde take awaye all order and direction and to that gyue no obedience at all This therfore to iudge is
perfyt faith trust in hym only as of the worldly and cyuile with mans constitutions deuysed by policye and also that you nowe after ye haue herde somewhat the difference betwixte thynges of necessitie to be receyued for mannes saluation and thinges whiche be but onely of meÌ„ deuysed for the conseruation of the same I truste I saye nowe this consideration hadde that you se somwhat the meane howe that ye shal instructe your worldely punyshement to none you wolde then be obedient but all whiche is contrarye to your appetites in your hartes you wolde despise and soo the verye lawes of Christe ye and Christe him selfe shortely you wolde lyttell esteme for this contempt of all tradition shal induce in many suche arrogancy that all they shall iudge to stande in mans opinion so neyther Christe nor his gospell they shall willyngly defende but rather flye frome the confession of his name then therfore to suffre death and worldely shame For suche is the nature and malyce of mans harte that if you take ones frome hym relygious obedience and feare of relygion conceiued by longe custome and processe of tyme he shall by lyttell and lytell by arrogant opinion fall in to the vtter contempte and inwarde dispysynge of all trewe relygion and so lyue without any inward feare in harte of god or hereafter of any punyshment to the which what wyl folow al the world dothe see for then nedes must ensue the ruyne of all ciuile order and of all good worldly polycye wherof good and trewe religion is the mooste stable and sure foundation Wherfore frendes for the instruction of your iudgementes in this behalfe also and for the auoydynge of this euyl whiche is yet worse than the other for better it is to man and more agreable to lawes of god and nature to suffre vaine supersticion than to bring in corrupte contempt of religion somewat I wil herin nowe to you say And firste this you shall vnderstande dere frendes as a coÌ„mon grouÌ„de that al be it rytes customes of the churche traditions ecclesiastical lawes and decrees brefely al thynges besyde the gospel and doctrine of god receiued among christen nations be of this sorte and nature that they be not of necessite to be receyuyd and as the gospell necessary to our saluation nor to them of necessitie we are euer bounden vnder peyne of damnation but as tyme and place requyreth by common authorytie in euery countrey and dyuers polycie they maye suffre abrogation and maye be altered and moued by the pleasure and common consent of the holle in euery churche nation where they be receyued yet you may not with the contempt of this popes authoritie and vnder the pretence of the same all theym by and by of your owne hedes vtterly condeÌ„ne without exception as thynges ê‘nitious to Christis relygion but tary ye must a whyle temperyng your tonges and be not to hasty of your iugementes vntyll the tyme they be abrogate by common authoritie and other in their place substitute by coÌ„mon assent For this is a certayn and sure truth that ceremonies we muste haue rytes and customes all maye not be lefte the whiche be so conuenient menes to induce rude symple myndes to memory to the conceyuyng of the mysteries of oure relygion that if they were vtterly wyped we call relygyous argueth and declareth manyfestly other moche lacke of reason in them that so do or lyttell regarde of Christis relygion of the which who so euer with right iugement consider the begynnynge shall playnely see that Christis religioÌ„ was moch lyke vnto this monastical profession vnder princis and rulers of the worlde toke the fyrst ground and fyrste begynnyng after the maner of this solytarye lyfe wherin lyue these which â—e good religious men For howe sayncte Ihon Baptyst who was the fyrst preparer and messanger of this heuenly lyfe lyued in myldernes and solytarie all the world knoweth and howe our master Christe with his apostelles lyuyd moch after the same rate and euer taught the same I do not saye as our fatte monkes doo nowe but as in a monastycal lyfe with the dispisynge of all worldly thynges and transitory all they that rede the gospell lykewyse do se And of the actes of the apostles it is mooste manyfeste howe all that professyd Christis name lyued hauynge al thynges in common as many do yet in these monasteryes and long after in Egypt and in Arabye in Spry and in Grece al those which were most notable masters of Christis doctrin in life professed the same liuid in wyldernes solitary dispisyng of the world al vayn plesures traÌ„sitorie not only in wordis but in lyfe dedes to y â— whiche of suche thynge was euer most iustly gyuen more credite and afterwarde in Rome it grewe in by suche a maner of secrete profession For longe it was vsed amonge them there that all suche as wolde folowe the doctrine of Christe lefte all worldly comforte and fledde to this solitary lyfe there lernynge in prayer and pouertie this as the chiefe ground of our religioÌ„ with the hope coÌ„fort spiritual receiued of our master his doctrine to dispise this life thynges traÌ„sitory euer lokynge to an other there to inioye thynges stable sure And this by lytell lyttell vnder greate princis and rulers of the world our relygion so grewe in by the prouidence of god vntyll at the last it was spred ouer all and occupyed a greate parte of the worlde as to all men it is open and playne But yet this is also sure and ceâ—tayne that amonge all nations after it was stabled some there were euer from the fyrst begynnynge whiche made profession of this solitary lyfe and monasticall relygion some euer iudged therby to drawe nere to the steppes of their mayster and somewhat nere to folowe the fyrste institution of the doctrine of Christe then they doo whiche lyue abroode amonge the pleasaunt troubles and paynefulle pleasures here in the common life of the whiche sentence minde haue ben always many auncient wise and holy menne perfyte bothe in vertue and lernynge as Ierome Austyne Gregorye and Basylle with many other whose names to reherse were superfluous wherfore dere frendes this hole kind of the whiche bicause you can not fynd in scripture mencioned you thynk of christeÌ„ myndes it shuld not be affirmed and that it is but a popysshe inuention Wherin frendes vndoutedly moch you erre and ouer boldly iuge for thoughe the pope therin hathe his power mysvsyd to the mayntenaunce of his owne glorye as he hathe done in many other thynges beside wherby he hath long illudyd symple myndes yet the thynge in it selfe was of no pope inuentyd wherof is mention with the famouse and notable doctours of oure religion bothe latynes and grekes before suche tyme as the pope had amonge al byshoppes any superiorite and moche before it grewe to this