receaued of the multitude I haue dedicated this symple worke into you re noble grace vnto whome God hath not onely coÌmytted the gard and defence of thys polytyke and ciuile realme But also the setting furth and ratifycacion of Goddes moste infalable word whych hath many yeres sustayued open manyfest wronge in thys holy mysterye And bycause I cannot so exactly prefer this vrgent matter to so prudent and myhhty a Prynce as youre grace is yet I truste my good wyll and dyligence is accep ted of God and thoughe it be but very litle that I can do yet I hope lykewyse that for the declarati on of thys symple and manifest ve ritie ⪠your grace woll pardon my bolde euterpryse and accept thys powre worke of my sâare houres in good parte whych shall encora ge youre prayerman to the more continuaunce of study here after Thus god the eternall father for the death and bloud sheddynge of hys onely sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour preserue the Kinges Ma iestie your most noble grace with all hys mooste honourable counsayle and the hole realme to gods glorye Amen ¶ Your most humble oratour Ihon Mardeley Clerc of the Kynges Maiesties mynte called suffolke house The power of gods worde COnsyderynge thee wonderfull mutacion of mannes iudgementes and also what greate hurtâ and daungyer of soule ensâyth by the educatyon and teachynge of foch corrupt doctryne to the congregacious as rather is to be feared supersty cyousse than Godlye for manye theyr bee that thynkethe the Gospell of Chryste In these dayes to be wrested more after the fantasses of men than accordinge vnto the cenâyre truthe of the same as sundrye persons whyche of malycyouse myndes be not ashamed both so to saye speake also boldlye dothe affyrme wythoute all shame that the rytes and ceremonyes vsed in the Churche whyche cannot bee proued by the Scryptures oughte to be taken for the worde of God vnwrytten and that we ought to beleue them as thee holye woorde of God con tayned in thee sacred Byble and thee Testamente of Chryste full well consydered the Prophete Esaye These kynde of men where he sayth Your lyppes speake leasynges and youre tounge setteth oute wyckednesse No man regardethe truthe nor ryghteousnesse and no manne Iudgethe truelye euerye man hopeâh in vayne thin ges and ymâgineth dysceate And therfore to peynte oute soche lygiâtmate chyldren of Sathan the father of all lyers whose sonnes naturall theâe sh yâckynge Chyldren be whyche seke councell but not at me sayeth thee LORDE ⪠whych take a webbe in hande but not after my wyll That they may heape one synne vpon another These halltynge generacyon whi che of frowarde hartes wyll not walke in the testymonye of Ihesu But treade fourthe styll in thee dampnable Doctryne of lyes and mennes doctryne of lyes and mennes tra dyâyons vnto whom it is sayde iii. Regum xviii Chapter How longe wyll ye halte on both partes Yf the Lorde be God folowe him Yf Baal be God folowe him Oh howe dothe these wycked Edomites defende the kyngdom of Antichrist the eldeste sonne of the deuyll By whose lyenge and most dampnable doctryne they haue seduced the people into blindnes and errour agaynst the veritie of the manifest truth of the scriptures and most godly proceadinges of the Kinges Maiesties The ho ly Prophet Dauid in the. lii psal Maketh greate exclamatyon of these Uyperous lyers sayinge wherfore enforcheth y â thy tonge to myschief forging disceate lyke a newe set raser wherfore loueste thou malice rather than honestye rather to lye then to saye truthe for thou delyghtest in peruiciouse speche Oh fraudulent tonge these blynde teachers God shall vtterly rote vp by the rotes and destroye them he shal throwe them downe out of theyr tabernacles and consume theym vtterlye for so many as make or loue leasynges shalbe caste amonge murtherers and Idolaters in the lake of hell burning wyth fyre and ârâm stone What els be al those which goeth about to teache the doctry ne of men and soche sacramentes and lowsy ceremonyes as be not ones mencioned or taught vs by the woorde of God What els I saye be these But lyers viperous whelpes and the chyldren of Sathan whych broughte fourth the fyrstlye for it is sayd Set lyeng a syde let euerye man speake the truth vnto hys neyghbour for as moch as we be members together and lye not one to another Esay lix Chap. Hier. These dreamers aleageth for the stablysshynge of thys theyr dampnable doctryne the woordes of S. Ihon whyche saythe that Iesus dyd many thyn ges whyche be not wrytten and also S. Paule commaunded certayne vnwrytten tradicions and ceremonies to be obserued of the ThessaloniaÌs and kept And that Paule hym selfe preached not the scriptures onely But also the tra dicions of the elders these I say soch lyke doctryne many of the se bely beastes goeth about to tea che instruct the people to be the gospell of Christ and by the same wolde stablishe not onely certayn sacramentes and ceremonies vsed in the churche but also theyr God of the aulter to be very fleshe and bloode ryally yea the verye same body that was borne of the Uyrgyn Mary and suffered vpon thee crosse which is blasphemious doc tryne and mooste necessarye to be confuted amongeste all matters Now beynge in reformacion these maner of teachers sayth S. paul are allwayes false lyers wycked beastes and slow belys These hypocrytes do affyrme that y â church as they say the byshopes as they vnderstande hath power to iudge ouer the Scripture and to examy ne it and auctorytye to allowe or to râfuse the Gospell To dyspence wythe the tene CommaundemeÌtes to alter the forme of Baptyme and to make newe artycles of oure faythe besydes those whyche are conteyned in the Scryptures Thys detestable erroure and blyndnesse of soche teachers Whose malycyouse obstenacye wher thorowe they blaspheme God and hys woorde is to be lamented the thynge beynge so manyfeste frome the whych to stablysshe the hartes and myndes of the godlye whyche beleueth the woorde wrytten to bee suffycient for theyr saluacyon and to contempe and abhorre these doutyng dreamers of these malygnauâât minysters I wyll resyte certayne testymonyes whyche euydentelye shall approue the wrytten worde of God ⪠to be the onelye and vnremoueable foundacyoÌ of our fayth and that all the Artycles of oure saluaâyon oughte to bee proued by the holye Scryptures and not by thee Gloses of men Byshopes lawes or mans tradicions rytes or ceremonies which ar receiued in the church and not conteyned in the scriptures whych they say is the worde of God vnwrytten The fyrste proue is the fourth of Deuterâ Wher it is sayd ye shal not adde vnto the worde whyche I speake vnto you Neyther mynishe from it note these wordes yf they were euer expounded to be vnderstande of the vnwrytten worde whych these lyeng disceauers affyrme but ought to be vnderstande of the wrytten
scripture onely so that playnly they whi che ymagyne y t ther shuld be any other vnwrytteÌ veritie be clerly agaynst Boddes truth for in the sixt of the same beke is wrytten What I chmaund you that shalt thou do only vnto the Lord thou shalt neyther adde nor mynyshe any thyng And in the laste chap. of the Apocalips who so euer addeth any thynge vnto thys The Lorde shall sende hym the plages whyche be wrytten in thys boke Which place the Duns men euen Duns hymselfe grauntethe that thys sayenge oughte to be vnderstand of the whole scripture TheÌ doo not these false teachers synne manyfestly agaynst the commaun dementes of god which doth affyr me that theyr is any other worde of god vnwrytten as they do why âhe expounde the scriptures after theyr owne fantasses geuing iudgement of the wyll of god wythoute the worde of God wrytten and is it not a deueliysshe lye to say the scripture cannot be vnder stande wythout mens comentaries or gloses because the scripture is so obscure darke and doubtful that it maye be els applyed to con fyrme heresyes what benedictyoÌs bee appoynted of sundrye kyndes vnto them that kepeth those thyn ges which be wrytten in the boke of the lawe And in the. xxii of the same boke doth not Moyses saye manifestly thus Set and fix your hartes vpon al the wordes whych I testyfye vnto you thys day that ye maye commaunde your chyldreÌ to kepe obscure al thynges why che are wrytten in the boke of the lawe for they bee not geuen and coÌmanÌded vnto you in vayn But that euery one of you shulde lyue after them Oh marke what these wordes importeth that here is euerlastring lyfe promysed vnto all them whyâh kepe these thynges whych at wryeteÌ in the scripture So that by these wordes ye maye clearly vnderstand that Moyses he aâopnteth this to be the fynall eâââ onely cause why That god wolde haue hys worde to be wryt teÌ y â al men of what degre so euer they bee myghte be saued by the worde of god and then the sequel muste folow to be a playn blasphe my to affyrme and saye that wee maye be saued or dampned by any tradicions of mans inuentyons beyng not expressed in goddes bo ke are not all those very ydiotes and fantastycal whych doth ascry be thys ignoraunce and negligeÌce vnto god as thouâhe he eyther ââlât not or els wolde not Deter myne all artycles necessary vnto oââe saluacion to be oppressed by wrytynâe wythin the holy Scrip ture or els they declare theÌ selues to be ignoraunte of the fynal cause why the Scripture was âe uen vnto vs he hathe not geuen vnto vs a patched or a worke vn parfect but a ful and a whole glas se wherin the parââght ymagyne of hys dâitie whych Saince Paul calleth the prynte of hys substaun âe shulde aââeââ fully therin Also S. Ihon sayââe that thys woorde doth shyne in darkenesse and that is the lyght which shyneth in meÌs hartes blynded of the deuel thorowe synne and that Christe doth open vnto vs the wyll of GOD thorowe hys gospell Therfore it is not onelye thee ignoraunce of manne that the worde of God is thus blasphemed But thorowe thee malyce of thee deuyll for the deuell neuer ceaseth to dysfygure thys woorde whyche is the testy monye of thee Sonne of god whâ he dyspysed before thee worlde was made and shall fyghte wythe fyght with hym euen wyth al hys power vntyl the day of iudgemeÌt Thys boke the King is commaun ded to haue alwayes in hys haÌdes and in hys syghte y â boke of y â law and to reade out of it al the dayes of hys lyfe for thys purpose that he shuld learne to feare hâs Lorde god and he delygentlye to applye hys studye therin And then thys promyse is made hym that he shal lyue longe and many of his proge uy lynage shal enioye his kyng dom after hym wolde ânto God all Christen kynges and prynces wolde regarde the reading of this boke and thynke it to be one part of theyr offycie to be sometymes occupyed in the readynge therof that they maye learne the wyll of God how he wyl be feared by his woorde onely and not by any popy she lawes and mannes tradycions for it is wryttâ in the. xxx of Deuteronomium The commaun dement whych I geue vnto the is not aboue thy power neyther far re from the it is not set in heauen neyther it is beyonde the sea but the worde is nyght vnto the euen in thy mouthe and in thy harte Marke what Moyses sayth here Remember saythe he I haue âet it before thy eyes that thou mayesâe reade in that boke and vnderstand it also For in thys boke he forbid deth al maner of honour and condempneth all maner of worshyppe and seruyce to bee inuented other done vnto god after the wyl com maundementes tradyâyons and doctrynes of men contrary to his worde or otherwyse then his wor de appoynteth or that whyche is not ordayned by the same or commaunded for these seruices muste be learned out of the worde of god both what wyl please him what pleaseth hym not These thynges be knowâ onely by the holy wryt ten scripture and yf ye beleue not thys be sure heauen and earthe at the latter daye shall wytnesse agaynst vs yf we folowe these false lyenge Prophetes of the false chri stes whych ymagyne a new word and a new christ as to be bounde to certayn appoynted places day âs meates vowes to abstayne froÌ the lawefull creatures ordayned of god for S. peter putteth a diffe rence betwene thee Propheticâll scripture and an interpretacyon whyche is made and inuenced of mans owne brayne and sâch tradycyons whych are made and enâoyned at mans commaundement callynge all maner of doctrynes which be not coÌteyned in the scrip ture of the holye ghoost Caâcyos and disceytfull fables exhortyng all men diligently to trye by thys candell of propheticall scripture the doctryne of the false lying pro pheteâ whyche ymagyne a newe prophecyâ or scripture and a new worde for by that meanes saythe hâ ⪠âhall be ââââed oute the deuyls subtyââie and ââlââoâe Callyng al mâââ doctrynes not conteyned in the scripture very darkenesse and the scripture onâly to be thee true lyght and lânteâne as Dauid called it sayinge thy worde is a lanteââe vnto my fete and the lyghte vnto my path waâes Paul in both hys Epystle to Tymothy and in hys Epystle to Tyte also doth ear nestly warne vs to be ware of the blasphemyes whyche shulde be in thys laste tyme oâ these lyeng teachers whych shuld laye vpon our neckes newe and wycked opynyons and buld and confyr me with theyr doctrine and lawes not con fyrmed by the worde of God and the prophetes but by false sygnes and lyinge myracles to blynd and disceaue the vnfaythful and soche as haue not receaued the truth of gods worde and he monysheth vs
the truth alas ful pytiously Myght is amased wil not shewtte At wytles wilfulnes walking at eâse WysdoÌ wyl not wyllingly make the alkeâ mewtte Reason remeÌbreth not what shall displease Perel is pÌsent wher pouertie doth disease the wynd bloweth a lofte no maÌ williÌgly Stoppeth y â blaste y â souÌdeth so behemeÌtly These wycked betmyne wormes subtyle lyke wyâie wolues of y â serpeÌtes generacioÌ WheÌ wyl ye leaue treding on christes hele shal gods son be to you stil a signe of coÌtra distioÌ wheÌ shal his veritie w t al veneracioÌ Be receyued vsed amoÌgest you reuereÌtly And not stil to drown it alas this pitiously WheÌ walke ye froÌ waÌtonnesse of worldly vanitie wheÌ stablysh ye stedfastnes to be parmaneÌt wheÌ seke ye rest and mutual amytie wheÌ showt you sharply at the viper pesteleÌt wheÌ put ye poysone from the innocent wheÌ stoppeth y â streame y t floweth abuÌdaÌtly That drowneth y â truth alas this pitiously Shal nature worke thinges vnnaturallye shal false for truth be styll prefarred shal power ponishe with cause cruelly shal wrong for right be maynteyned shal darkenesse for light be reueyled shal MaÌmoÌ for god be taught religiously To drowne the truth alas thys pytiously Yf ryght spoyleth wronges vsurpacion yf truth doth falshed eyect out of place yf power ponishe yll w t godly reformation yf lyght doth darkenesse vtterly deface yf god throwe down maÌmoÌ by his word of grace yf man be fead with the veryte of maÌna hea ueÌly Why theÌ is y â truth drowned alas so pytiously A wake froÌ your wilfulnes vnfyle your eyes opeÌ your oppressioÌ faultes execrable drown your drouây doctrine of vayne ceremonies ⪠pluck away your croked canoÌ lawes detestable stably she the two TestameÌtes of god so venerable Enbrace y â veritie w t hart mynd williÌgly And drown y e truth no more alas this pytiously Els Thoby laketh hys lykyng for want of hys sonne Rachel is rufully raged and lyke to catche colde Moââche y â mâwmeÌt y â game hath wonne Lacoue laugheth therat beareth hiÌ bold Ioâe phat y â geÌtyl is bought sold Yet Ruth y â mohabyte gleyneth ful busely To pÌse rue this truth drowned so pitiously FINIS ¶ Imprynted at London in saynct Andrewes Parysh in the Ware drop By Thomas Raynald Cum priuilegio beholdoye chyldreÌ of SyoÌ and reioyce in the Lorde youâ god for he hath geuen you â teacher of ryghtes ousnes Io. l. ââ prouer if wake in the â aye and kepe the pâthe of y â righ teous for thee iuste suâl âwâl in y â land and y e innocentes shall remayne in it But y â vngodlye shalbe to ted oute of y â land and y â wit ked doers shalbe taken oute of it Esay iiâ ⪠iii regum xviii psam lii âpo xxii gene iii ââo viii Eâhe iiii Cââlo iii. Esay iix ii thess ii deuââ iiii deute vi deu xxviii deute xxii deut ⪠xvii deute xxx Rom xv ⪠Rom. xvi mat xxviii Ihon. viii Ihon. xix Ihon ââv ⪠marâ vix Hiere vii Hiâx xxiii âze xviii xxxiii maâ xvii Ihon. ii Luke xix marâ xi math xxi math xvi i Tim vâ âi Ihon. i. Hebre. xiii math ⪠xv xxii â corin xi math xâvi marc xiiii Luke xxii i. corin xi act xxviii i Corin. x BarthraÌ prieste â iâ iii. dâ doctryna christians i Corin x Ihon. vi Ihon vi ⪠math xâv marâ xiiii Ihon xii math iv Ihon xii â âhes ii actu xx gala iii. 1 Corin iâ psal â it heb ix â ⪠x Esay ⪠iiii Ihon ii ââ pâit ii Ihon i ⪠Hebre. vii Hebre. ix Hebre ix Hebre. x. psal xclii Rom ⪠xii Note ⪠âhân vi ⪠Sapien i galathi i. apoc xiii
ken agaynst thys your new inueu ted sacryfice of the masse as yeâ cal it than that ye be sowers of diuysyon enemyes to your Kyng hurters of the publyke whelth breakers of the coÌmaundemeÌtes bothe of god and the magestrates now whose subiectes be you neyther gods nor the Kynges but obedieÌt ministers to your father the great anthichrist of rome it manifestly appereth why holde ye not vp the eternal testameÌt of god to be worshipped in the whych is christ con teyned both really substauncyal ly no that were nothing for your proffect comodytie thys blindnes of meÌ obstenate malice wher thorow the blaspheme God hys word is rather to be lameÌted theÌ to be conuict by the word of God the thiÌg is so vituperable Ye blid bussardes wher haue ye one ioynt of the worde of god to make thys holy supper a sacryfyce eyther for to be worshypped but onely ye receyued that doctryne of the wycked lanfraneus the great enemye of gods truth true religion and papa innocencius whyche added thys transubstancion thys vnkno wen god wherunto ye cause thee people to coÌmit ydolatrye Christe sayth math xxviii Teache them to kepe all thynges that I haue com maunded you and I hoÌ in the viii chap. of his gospel sayth yf ye aby de in my word ye are my disciples in dede and ye shal know y â truth and the truthe shal make you free he that is of god he heaxeth y â wor des of god and euerye one that is of y â truth heareth my voyce now to worship here by loue any vysyble thynge declareth âlaynlye ye heare not the voyce of God for he hath not so commaunded you for thus sayth christ yf ye kepe my coÌ maundemeÌtes ye shal abyde in my loue ye ar my frendes yf ye doo those thynges that I coÌmaunded you But and yf ye leaue the commaundemeÌtes of god mayntayne your own constitucions cast asyde the coÌmaundemeÌtes of God to kepe your owne tradicions theÌ are ye false lyenge Prophetes of whom Hieremy wold haue vs to be ware ââ Where he saythe take hede sayth he ye trust not in coun sels that begyle you and doâ you no good and further he also sayth heare not the wordes of the Prophetes that preche theyr own drea mes and y â prophet Ezechiel both in the. xviii xxxiiiâ of hys boke saythe hâare o ye house of Israell sayth y â lord is not my way ryght or ar not your wayes rather wycked The chyldren of thy people of thy people saye tuââhe the way of the lord is not ryghte wher as theyr own way is rather vnrighte what can be more playnly sette forth to declare your abhominaci on not only concerning the abuse of y â holy supper of y e Lord in these thiges before spokeÌ but also your olde leuen wherwythe ye haue so sowred poysoned the veritye of gods word by your beggetly tradiâââs vnwritten verities that therby ye haue spoyled robbed y â people of the true ministracion of thee Sacramentes as vnlawfull biers and sellers of gods mystery Lyke robbers theues ydolaters âurtherers whych ought to be dryuen oute of gods church wyth whyppes for dysceauyng the peo ple as ye long haue done yet do to thys daye they be not ashamed both to wryt and preche that the very natural body of christe both in quantite and qualitie is coÌtay ned âyally vnder the forme of bred in the sacrameÌt and is a dayly oblacion both for the quicke and the dead and muste also be taken for a sacrifice of no lesse value effecaâye theÌ the body which christ hym self offered vpon the crosse who that beleueth not this shall be an heretique what abominable theues and mockers be these whyche teache the doctryne they practyse nothynge els but vtter destructioÌ of soules what aâ these els but spi rituall theues seysmatiques and soule murtherers Rebeles tray tours to god and to man Neuer dyd crewell pharao holde the peo ple of Israel in so wycked captiui tie as dothe these supersticious ge neracion these ydle Sodomyties holde the most dearly redemed heretage of the Lord Yf any thynge vnder the heauens hath neade of reformacion let all men that myn deth any godlynes thinke thys to be one let vs beware of these traÌsgressores of gods commaundemeÌtes for theyr own tradicions for these be they whoÌ S. paule dothe admonyshe vs of in hys fyrste Epystle to Time âhe vi chapter Yf any man teache otherwyse and is not contente wyth the Doctryne of godlynesse he is pufâe vp kno weth nothynge but wastethe hys braynes about questioÌs and stryfe of wordes wherof spryng enuy raylinges euel âurmyâynges and haâne disputacions of men with corrupte myndes and destituâe of the truth ⪠whych thynke y t lucre is godlynesse from soch seperate thy selfe And say not Ihon in the second pystie the fyrst chapter sayth Whosoeuer transgresseth and aby deth not in the doctryne of christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctryne of christ hath both y â father and the sonne Yf ther come any to you y â bryng not thys lear âynge wyth hym receaue not him to your house nether byd him god spade for he that byddeth him god spede is partaker of his euel dedes and Hebre. xiii be not carryed about wythe dyuerse and straunge learnyng here is to be perceaued Whether thee teachynge of these mermaydes songe be swete accordynge to the scriptures or els full of poysone ar not to them y â geue hearing to this theyr daÌpnable meolody which ledeth to death the hearers therof But yet neuer was Gnato vnredy of hys flatteryng seates to compase his cloked âolusioÌs where he fyndethyching cares by hys ypocrytical speache but now to proue by gods infalla ble word whether Christes natural body be in y â sacrameÌt as they say wold make you to beleue or not you shal not êceaue by y e scrip tures nether by y â ordinaÌce of chri ste nor yet by any reason it can so be now let vs heare what wytnesse christ him self the euerlasting word of god geueth of his scriptu re The hyghe doctours dysputed here of eueÌ in christes tyme which thought y t the scripture w tout the tradicioÌs of thelders was not suf fycieÌt for theyr saluaâioÌ and for y â enstructioÌ her of one of those doctors came vnto christ said May ster what may I do to inheret euerlastinge lyfe Christe answered this curious doctour sending him to thee scripture sâyinge what is wrytteÌ in y â lawe or what doest y â red therin as though he shuld say thynkest y â that god is a chaâgling or a wauerig red which wil alter his mide euery hour as meÌ chauÌge their lawes ymagyn dayly new opinioÌs of god thou shalt wel vnderstand that the worde