The subuersio[n] of Moris false foundacion where upon he sweteth to set faste and shove under his shameles shoris, to vnderproppe the popis churche: made by George Ioye. Subversion of Moris false foundacion. Joye, George, d. 1553. 1534 Approx. 160 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 64 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A04702 STC 14829 ESTC S103803 99839548 99839548 3979

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A04702) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3979) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 69:11) The subuersio[n] of Moris false foundacion where upon he sweteth to set faste and shove under his shameles shoris, to vnderproppe the popis churche: made by George Ioye. Subversion of Moris false foundacion. Joye, George, d. 1553. 61 leaves M.D.xxxiiii. at Emdon by Jacob Aurick [i.e. G. von der Haghen, [[Antwerp] : 1534]] Imprint from colophon; actual place of publication and printer's name from STC. Reproduction of the original in the British Library.

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.

 eng More, Thomas, -- Sir, Saint 1478-1535 -- Early works to 1800. 2004-05 Assigned for keying and markup 2004-05 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-06 Sampled and proofread 2004-06 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

The Subuersiō of Moris false foundacion: where vpon he sweteth to set faste and shoue vnder his shameles shoris / to vnderproppe the popis chirche: Made by George Ioye.

Rom. i. More to become a vayn lyer in his owne resoning and arguments: and his folyssh harte is blynded. Where he beleued to haue done moste wysely / there hath he shewed him selfe a starke foole. Rom. i. Moros in Greke is stultus in Latyn / a fool in Englysshe.

Diuit Dominus: cuins inuicta veritas manet ineternum▪

AFtir that it had plesed our most mercifull father in heuē of his inestimable goodnes to restore vs his gospel and to brynge agene his holy worde into this realme of englōde by a fewe pore persecuted and banesshed men for the trwthe of goddis worde trāslatinge the scripture and makinge certayn other englysshe bokis in the nether & over partyes of Germanye: whiche bokis / inagry Mous tethe / all his papisticall Synagoge resistinge / yet were thei brought yn & distributed in this londe. Then begane the Sinagoge of Satan to rore & resiste with fyer & water / with presonment & persecucion / so grevousely / so cruely / as neuer before was sene in the londe / al maner cruel kynde of tormētinge obtayned of the secular powr cōtiniving now this. x. yere: but most mercylesly & subtyly those two yere & more / whyle More wasMore was chaunceler quō dam chaunceler: whiche god for his mercy ceasse when his wyl is. Then (I saye) in the dayes of that gloriouse Cardinal Thomas wolsaye begane these wyked pharisays to suborne & set thez for the M. More their pro • -toure & patrone to wryte & wrestle for thez agenst the trouthe agenst the lorde & his anoynted to defende their anticristen finago ge: More then beinge a ful fer kouer for fiche a cuppe to furnessh it with lyes to clook & kouer their wyked mischeif with subtyle falsehed / & to mayntayn their gloriouse • n godlynes with his autorite / for the Cardinal deed he succeded him in the chaunceler ship. Whiche foxisshe ypocryte when he sa we the almyghty worde of god so openly la yd forth in englysshe yt euery laye mā might se the verite & the waye to his saluaciō tho row Cristis blode \ wolde he haue suffred thez to haue red it: And agē / whē this cruel pharisaye consydered that this vehemēt myghty breathe of the mouthe of god was lyke to blowe downe anticristis kyngdome now in reeling & redy to fall: whiche he had ether for money or for the honour of his lor de the Cardinal / then taken vpon himselfe properly to vnderproppe: begane firste lyke one of those blynde bylders his p̄discessours remembred in the psalme (whiche reproued reiected yt hed kornerd stone Criste whic • ePsal. c. x viij closed vp & made perfit al ye hole worke of the lawe & prophetis euē ye perfayt ende and fulnes of all / in whom our sufficit̄ saluacipn • om. x Eph. 1. Col. 1. ij consisteth) Where he sawe that the scripture wolde not frame withe his deuelysshe deuyce / he began (I saye) to shove vn der this his shamelesse shore. That y• apostels left many thingis vnwrytē whiche ar of necessite to be beleued. Whiche vnwritē verites (as he calleth thez) thapostles dely uered by mouthe to their successours / and these so from hande to hande vntil thei came to Moris chirche / that is to saye / vnto More himself / y• popes / cardinallis / bishopes / preistis / monkis & fiyers &c̄. and euē at laste vnto the holy mayde of kent Moris miracle maker / which now hauinge the ho ly goste (as More saith) assistent / cannot er re. For criste so promysed it thez vnto the worldis ende / saith he. Now is Moris chir che bylded & thus vnderpropped lo that it cannot erre re • le / nor neuer fall. If More therfore teche vs (as he dothe in dede) that our sufficient saviour Criste one a lone for vsall ynoughe / is but a quarter saviour or a saviour to halues: for that we muste brin ge wt vs the popis faith / some of our merits satisfaccions / sayntismeritis / popis pardōs pilgrimagis / burying in an obseruātis lowly gra • e cote withe syche infinite pollin ge pyl • t • e to deserue vs heuen: yet must we be leue it. And why? because More & his chir che so teche vs / and Moris chirche cannot erre. If he teche vs: That to praye to / & to cal vpon god onely in al our affliccion & tri vulatiō for helth & saluaciō is not sufficiēt: but that we must runto / & calvpon deed & toten postis / or rather as thei colour this idolatrye / praye thorow thez to the sayutis in heuē represented by fiche idolls as their selues euer aborted / which saintis also now nether know vs nor here vs▪ but if thei knewe vnder what ungodly maner we abuseIsaie. lxiij. thez into the iniury of Crystis glorye / thei wolde aborte vs: if (I saye) More teche vs this idolatry / yet must we beleue it: for Mo ris chirche cānot erre. If he teche vs: That god onely thorow the merits of crystisdeth by his holy gost is not the geuer of all grace saluacion & goodnes: but that we must receyue theis giftis and grace of other creatu res of their owne charminge: yet must we beleue thez: for Moris chirche cannot erre. If More teche vs that the testamēt wrytē incrystis blode & confirmed with his deth & miracles / is not yet so perfit & ratifyed as sufficiēt for our saluacion: but yt it wanteth certayn vnwritē verites of More his owne fayning with out which we cānot be saued yet must we beleue him: for Moris chirche cannot erre. &c. O myserable religion and wretched churche that cannot be defended but with fiche lyes false miracles fayned re uelacions & so pestelent doctryne. O Satanical synago ge whiche cannest not be mayn tayned & supported but by tyrānye / persecu ciō / impresonmēt / murther / cruel burning & sheding of innocent bloode. O wiked wry ter / whiche canst not cōfirme & fortifye thy false faith & falser doctryne / onlesse (the wr ytē worde of god forsakē / orels perniciously peruerted) thou beist cōstrayned to fle vnto they nowne unwrytē deed dremes / haithē rytes / iewisshe ceremonyes euen anticristis owne tradicions.

¶ But crysten reder be y• assuered & certifyed by y• ferme & euerlasting wryten worde of god / t by thy faith onely in crystis blode & thorow his deth onely yu art saued. And y• there is no saluacion nor parte of saluacion in any other thinge thē in him onely. ForAct. iiij there is no nother name or power vnder y• cope of heuen geuen emonge men wheryn we might be saued. This thinge do all the prophetis bere wytnes / yt who so beleve in C • yste▪ / he hath forgeuenes of his synnesAct. x thorow his name. Where in (I praye the) was Adam lyke cryste aftir Paulis cōparison Ro. v.? verely in no nother thinge then lyke as Adam onely did brynge yn synne / deth / & hell: euen so did cryste a lone bryng vs grace / lyfe / & heuen. Paule thus setting forthe these similttudes saynge. That lykeRom. v as by the synne of onely one man / al mē became mortall: euen so & miche more plentu ously by onely one man Iesus cryste / the fauour of god & remission of synnes is graun ted vs. And lyke as by the synne of one alone / deth raigned thorow one man Adā: euē so & much more shal thei which receiue tha boūdāt fauou • wt ye g • ft which is rightwy • nes / raigne in lyfe by onely one mā which is Iesus Cryste.

¶ Agayne / lykewyse as by the synne of one man onely / condēnacion came ouer al men / euen so by the iustifynge of onely one man / that rightwysnes which bringeth lyse is br ought forthe vpon al men. For as by onely one mannis disobediēce / many became syn ners: euē so by yt obediēce of one mā onely many be made ryghtwyse. So the hitherto tendethe Paulis similitude. That as Adā was that one a lone by whom synne & deth entred into almen: cuē so was Cryste that one alone by whom fauour / forgeuenes / • lyfe came vnto al men. For the wyne presse (saith cryste) I tell you haue I trodē al alone / & of al the peple was ther not one withIsayr. lxiij. me. It was I that trode downe my enymes in my feruent wrathe. That is to say / It was I that ouercame syn deth & the deuel by my nown strength. This was he al alone that came frome Edom wt his blody clothes \ as one alone for all\ which had so labored & troden the wyne presse. Let vs therfore geue him al the glory & prayse alone / let vs not ascrybe any parte of our salua cion to our dedis / ofwhiche euē the best beIsayr. xlv. xl • ij to bad ether to satisfye for our synnes or to de • ue heuen. It is I / saith he / that am the rightwyse god & sauiour besydis whō there is no nother. He pourged our synnesin his owne persone or by himselfe alone. Hebr. i. Paule beginneth in the▪ vii. cap. to the Ebrews to proue the dethe of cryste to be one ly a sufficient perfait & full oblacion for our synnes. whiche once done neuer more it neded not to be iterated nor repeted: for by onely that one oblacion of his bodye he brought to passe & fynesshed for euer his electe: And proue the that the priesthed of AaronHeb. x. with al theire • ytis & sacrifyces for syn / were insufficiēt & vnperfit / for because it behoued them euery daye to be repeted & done agene. But Cryste / because he abydethe for euer: his priesthede cannot be trāslatedHeb. vij into any successour / for he alone is sufficiēt: because he alone is able perfitly withe oute breache or lak to saue who so come to God the father by him.

¶ And if the highe bishop alone (saithHeb. ix Paul) did once in the yere enter into y• holy place of the tabernacle made with mannis hande / with the blode of bestis for his owne synnes & for the synnes of the people miche more sufficient must Cryste alone be for our synnes / he beyng him self fautelesse entering that heuenly tabernacle with his owne bloude / offeringvp his owne blessyd body vpon the altare of the crosse for our re dempcion. The bisshop offred euery yere on ce / which argued imperfeccion and insuffici en • y: but Crystis offeraunce was onely once for all & euer: which argueth perfeccion & sufficiency. For thorow yt onely one offerā Heb. x. ce of him self / he obtayned before God the father a perpetual purgacion euermore to endure / and remission for the sinnes of as many as beleue in him▪ wherfor at the obla cion of his body / all other sacrifices & offerā ces for syn thorowt all the worlde ceassed: for his oblacion alone was sufficient. • ede the scriptures / & iuge (good reder) whether he be an heretyke that saith Cryste is an ho le / ful & sufficient saviour / & so geueth him al the glory & prayse of our saluacion / or rather More & his chirche which make hym but half a saviour / deuiding his glory / some to sayntis merits / some to our satisfacciōs / some to our dedis / some to popis pardons pylgrimagis: and I canot tell how miche to his owne vnwryten verites. But had this arrogant pharisay vnderstode that breif couenant / & gloriouse name of god wherby he reueled him selfe to Abram & his posterite in the. xvij. ca. of Genesis where he calleth him self God almighty one alone for al suf ficient / commanding vs to be pure & walke before him: that is to saye / to be faithfull & directe our lyuing according to his plesure & preceptis geuen to Moses: then wolde he neuer haue thus blasphemed his almyghty & for al so sufficient holy name / nether haPsal. c. lij ue put sich lak in him & his writen wyll which he declared sufficiently to Moses & to the peple of Israel. But who is more bolde then blynde bayerd to embusye ād smatter himself in that thinge which he vnderstōde not? who is more fyerce & braggisshe to sheweforth a litel vayn coning then those puftup papistis with pryde and vaynglory which ar without al godly knowlege destitutei. Tim. vi. An answer to moris obiecci on Titū. i. al good lerninge?

¶ Then obiecteth More / raging & rayling vpon vs for attributing so myche to god & so lytel to our selues: sayng / lo these heretikis destroye and dampne all good workis. But we answere siche godlesse barkers agenst god / which ar become abominable & cruel enimes of his worde / disobedient and reprobated of god neuer to do good workis yt we preche and exhorte almen to as many good workꝭ as euer be contayned in holy scripture. And yet tel we More agayn / yt good workis / thoughe thei iustifie vs not (for crystis bloude is sufficiēt for this poynte / our faith reching the mercy of God for crystis sake) yet ought we not / payne of dā nacion to leue them vndone. Nomore than thoughe our leggis & handis serue vs not to se with all: yet ought we not therfore to kut them of & cast them awaye but to noresshe & holde them in their propyr placis ād vse. we tell him to / yt we be iustified by faith onely / not for because we shulde not do no good workis: but because we shulde neuer ceasse doing good workis. And we set faith in the first place betwene vs & god / & good workis betwene vs and our neighbours / to punesshe our rebell flesshe / to profit oother / & to be testimonies of our faith into y• lyght & ensample of all men. Unto thissame obieccion answerth Paule in the begining of the .vi. cap. Rom. shewing by those two interrogaciōs & theffecte of baptisme / that a Crysten man by faith hath his carnall af fectis so mortified & deed y• it is impossibile for him to lyue & dwell in synne / sayng / we that ardeed as towching synne / howe shal we lyue theryn? &c. where it is playne that sich a faithful crysten / thoughe he fal & syn ne / yet shal he not continue theryn: so that synne shal not raigne nor haue dominion ouer him. Rede forthe the chapiter. And we affirme with Paule. That Cryste byHeb. ix his blode pourged our consciences from de dely workis / to thentent we shulde serue the lyuing God & not ceasse from his serui ce. Awake therfore ye aduersaryes of the faith / & repenteye in tyme: leste y• greuouseIsaye xxviij hayle storme thretened you of Isaye & Iere mye with so heuy heap • s of myscheif & bur dens / bere yow down sodenly taken away Beconuerted to Cryste your sufficient & hole sauioure (if ye can so beleue him). Sweat no lenger for the vnderproppinge of your false chirche vnder ye pretence of y• catholik chirche of Cryste: which was cal led in tholde testament y• stone or rocke wherupon euen there god bylded his chirch in the faith of him to come: as in ye new called the hed kornerd stone vpon whom the same bylding yet continueth euermore vpō one spiritual fowndacion / & neuer vpō pro phane popes & carnal cardinallis / blynde bisshops & prowde priestis monkis & fryersMat. xvi &c. It was grownded vpon faith in cryst & his wo • de & not vpon ye popis faith and his tradicions vnworthy to be wryten / It was planted in y• blode of martyrs orned wt loue & peace & not vpon tyrannouse blodesheders swyft vnto al myschefe. It was layed lo wein mekenes / ignominy / pouertye / &c. & not exalted wt pryde vayn glory / ryches di gnites worldly honour wt al maner of viciouse welthynes. It was set vpon y• fowndacionEph. ij i. cor. iij Ephe. iiij. of thapostles & prophetis / saith Paule / euen vpō y• same ouermost hed kornerd stone Iesus Cryst (no nother then this foū dacion no man maye laye) in him to be reared vp to be ye holy temple of God / framed togither wt loue / whose vtwarde badges & markis to be known by / is ye pure preching & faithful layngforth of goddis wrytē wor de / y• dewe administracion of y• holy sacraments as baptisme & y• lordis souper / y• wor thy frutis of repentance / innocencye of lyuing / constancy & pacience in persecucion / glad beringe of Crystis crosse & folowinge him. These wt other markis set in y• .x. ca. of Mat. are y• tokens of crystis chirche / ād not glitering glory / tyrany & power / delusions of y• devil / euen Moris holy maydens miracles of ypswych & kent. whiche nowe thanked be God / be come to lyght / markꝭ worthy siche a chirche as he bildeth ad defendeth so falsely / tymber correspondent sich a worke / instruments apte for sich a ker uer / conuenient kou • rs for sich a cuppe.

Kynge Salomon / ye two women stryuingeiij. Reg. iij before him for the lyuinge chylde / as nowe hath done longe the trwe & false chyrche for the lyuing worde & for this name / owre holy mocher y• chirche / y• one oppressinge hir chylde & preuely in y• night / fetching awaye ye tother womans quyk chylde / hir own deed left in y• place vnder her syde / to trye out y• very motherly affectis & natural p •• ye / called for his swerde pretendinge to haue deuyded y• quyk chylde in two / ād to geue ether of them eche y• halfe. but here begane the very mothers very harte to ble de / here he drewforth y• very mothers very affectis / ye false mother kryinge / let nether of vs haue it / but deuyde it &c. And hath not More & his chirch oppressed quē ched & labored to burne & banisshe y• worde of God & stolne it from y• trwe mother? sa ynge we be ye mother ye holy chirche / we cannot erre / the worde & y• trw vnderstanding & interpretacion therof all perteyn to vs. what shift and importune labours haue thei made falsely to condempne / presone persecute & burne the innocent lambes ād very chylderne of the very mother the chirche? Agayne consyder when this mayde of Courtamsirete was espied of ye trw chirche to be a seducer wthir perniciouse coū sellers & supporters auerting y• people frō goddis worship vnto delusions / lyes / & ido latrye worthy all dethe by goddis lawes / yet hath not y• very mother thirsted their blode as haue done hither to ye wother bloudsoupers / but onely she desyereth thez to acknowlege theirsynnes / repentance / & laboure to restore them into the very folde and flok off cryste. • o / crysten reder / of the present Frutes off these .ij. chirches maist y• clerelyer decernothe trwe chirche from the false then in reding al Moris longe bablynge deuilisshe bokis wheryn he sweteth so sore to proue himselfe & his blody blynd bisshops with their draffe to be the catholik chirch that cannot erre. But let vs now go shoue a waye. Moris shores wherwith he hath so proꝑly vnderpropped his chirch

¶ M. More / to d • yue vs from the scriptu re / as thoughe it were for our saluacion / in sufficient / to minisshe and to depresse thautorite therof to a • aunce & lyftvp the vngodly glorye of his Anticristen Synagoge: is not ashamed to affirme and wryte: That thapostles left oute certayn vnwryten veri tes necessary for our saluacion. whiche necessary trowthes if ye lyst to haue a taste of: thei be these lo / recyted in the. ccc. ix. &. ccc. x. faces of his thirde boke called. The confutacion. First our ladys perpetual virginiMoris vnwryten veri tes te. hir assumpcion / prayhge to sayntis / the knowlege that the • praye for vs / holy lenton faste / the changing of Saterdaye into sondaye / halowing of chalice • ves • ments / pascall / taper / holy water: with diuerse: other thinges: By these tradicions of the ho ly spirit / saith more / hath the chirche also knowlege howe to consecrate / how to say masse / and what thinge to praye for / and to desyer theryn. by this we haue knowlege to do reuerence to the images of holy saintis / & of our sauiour / & to ctepe to his crosse &c. • o / these necessary for owr saluacion vnwryten verites we must feche at more & his chirche yt cannot erre. Into y• whiche vnwryten trouthes to proue yt ye holy gost did lede thapostles & yt ye apostles delyuered them by mouth to more & his chirche: More tereth out this text of Ioan / sayng yt ye holygost shulde lede them into eueryIohan. xvi More is in perel of ye synne a genst ye holy gost. i. Ioh. v trouthe. Note here crysten reder / the peste lent purpose & false peruerting of ye scriptu re / which this man here vseth in alleging this text: & as thou seist him peruerte this text so doth he al other. And suerly I cannot tell whether this man thus abuse these wordis of Cryst / of ignorance or of a set malyciouse purpose wetingly to impugne the trwth and so conmit yt greuouse irremissible synne agenst the holygost / for which saynt Iohan byddeth vs not to pray. If More be so sene in scripture as he maketh him self / and did rede but one lyue before next this same text & vnderstode it: thē is it playne yt he doth willingly & wetingly synne agenst the spirit of trouth. For there is it manyfest / yt these trowthes into which he promysed his spirit to lede them were siche as then thei were to harde for them to vnderstande and bere: himself saynge / when he came to yt harde poyn • as towchinge the worlde to be comnneed ād reproued of their false iugement: & to y• casting forth & condempninge of the prynce therof at the prechinge of the gospel among the gentyles / Anon he added saynge / As touching these thinges / yet haue I ma ny thingis to tell you which as now ye cā not bere: but when yt same spirit of trouth come / he shall lede you into al trowth. By this former text whervpon that at More allegeth dependeth (which for what entēt he leueth it out / god knowth): it is playne yt those trowthes were sich as then tha postles for their weakenes might not bere As if Cryste shulde haue tolde them then in their faynt faith & heuynes yt thei shulde haue left prechinge to the iwes whom they rekened onely for goddis owne beloued peple / & haue turned to the gentyles whō they rekened for haithen / his enymes / and non of his: they coulde not haue borne this trowthe. For euen aftir they had receyned the holy goste / the beste of them stayed and douted at this poynte as their actis declare But as for Moris vnwryten verites / as lē ton faste / halowinge of bowes / chalices / ve stments / & crepinge to ye crosse &c. I thinke if Cryst had then tolde them / thei coulde haue borne them wel ynough / for thei had borne harder saynges of him & were acquaynted with harder ceremones prescribed them in Moses lawe nothinge offended at them. Cryste in the same sermone a lytel be fore tolde them in general / into what trouthe that spirit of trouth shulde lede them saynge. He shal teche you and lede you intoIoan. xiiij the knowlege of al thingis what so euer I haue tolde you. & if More yet wyl prease vpon me with his vnwryten verites affirminge that those were the thinges whiche he had tolde them & thei could not yet bere them: then do I desyer him to turne ouer the lefe into the. xv. cap. And there shal hese yt cryste descended more specially vnto these trowthes saynge: When yt counforter / techer / and defender shal come whom I shal sende you fro my father / euen the spirit of trouthe which procedeth of my father / he shal testifye of me. Now (M. More) loke what difference is betwene this worde Me / & Him that sayde before in ye. xiiij. cap. It is I yt am ye trowthe: ye / what & if cryst him selfe be called omnis illa veritas / that is to wit al that same trouth into whome he promysed his spirit to lede them? (verily the circunstance of the hole sermon so de clareth it): and so do Iohan expowne it .i. Iohan .ij. Let this terme vniuersal / Omnis therfore stande still collectiue in his place as myche to saye as shal lede you into al trouthe comprehended & gathered togither in scripture of cryste which is yt most absolute & perfayt trouth in whom al trowthe is contayned: & playe not the sophister therwith to distribute it so confusely to lappe yn your lyes vnder y• wyd • skirtis of omnis englyshng it as ye do saynge. Euery trouth For so euery man maye se euidently your deuellisshe dryft. There is difference betwene All / and euery / which both be signyfyedExo. ix by this worde Omnis. For theoghe y• pestelent plage in Exo. slew all their bestis / so yt it is there wryten. And Al y• bestis of Theg • pcions were deed / yet was it false that euery one of their bestis were deed / for ye next plage folowing was / y• bothe man & beste yet lyuing were fylled full of bot • hes & sores. And when y• priestis & Leuits tolde kynge Ezechie saynge. Mundauimus om • . Par. xxix nem d • mum domini / the • ment not euery howse of ye lorde: but all the wholl temple which was the only howse of ye lorde. Ne ther is Omne malum verbum / taken for euery yuel worde / but for the worst yt menMat. • coude saye by them / as you call vs now he retikes sedyciouse &c. And so is Omnis ve ritas taken for yt moste excellent & parfait trowthe euen cryste / ful of grace & verite of whose fullnes we all receyue the fauour ofIoan. i. colo. i. ij our heuenly father &c. whom it haue pleased y• all parfait fulnes shulde verely & fermely inhabit cryste & nomore in figures ād shadwes. He is called therfore altrowthe / because yt al men yt euer wer or shalbe saued must be saued onely thorowe the knowlegei. Ti. ij. of him / as Paule testifieth saynge: he wyll al men to be saued whether he be I we or gē tyle / yt is to saye he wyll of them all bothe many to be brought vnto ye knowlege of this same so perfit trouth Cryste / as Paule expowneth him self in yt place / For all menIoā. viij xvij. to be saued / is not els but to be brought into the knowlege of Cryste.

¶ Cryste therfore sayde / the holygoste shal testifye of me: of me and not of my mothers assumpcion &c. of me & not of lenton faste / of me & not of halowinge of chalices vestments & creping to crosses. And as towchinge the perpetual virginite of our lady to be an vnwryten verite / I meruel More forgote this comen Prouerbe / It behoueth a lyer to haue a good memory / for anon as he had affirmed it to be an vnwryten trouthe he forgote himself and goith aboute to proue it a wryten trouthe to \ expowninge non cognosco id est non cognoscam / which is playne contradiccion in his owne wordꝭ the same to be both wryten & vnwryten as he take them. Be lyke more mystruste hys brytle vnwrytein shore / & wolde yet vnderproppe it with scripture / prouing his vnwryten verites to be wryten to. Saynt Ierome was as conynge a clerke & as wel sene in scripture as more / ād wolde haue done as myche for our ladye as he sith noman now denye hir perpetual virginite / especially when Heluidius layd so sore agenst him for the contrary: and yet could not he proue it by scripture. And Mores chirche / this. xv. c. yere so stoutly spryted / led into euery trowthe and trewe vnderstanding of scripture yet could not espye this one scripture to ma ke for hir: but M. doctour More that olde holy vpholder & protectour of the papistical Synagoge now at last endwed with hygher lerning / and spryted with a deper spryte / euen now comen forth out of purgatory (blessyd be god) hathe founde vs oute this vnwryten wryten verite / lo. But let More beware lest he be not licked vp with the flaLeui. x. me of his owne coles with Nadab & Abiu / for fetchinge them els where then at ye auter of god as he commanded. whiche because thei filled theyr sencers with strange coles / were sodenly smytendowne dede / brente with their owne fyer. So nighe is the vē geaunce of god to fal vpon al men yt (goddis holy scripture neglecte) be not a frayde to brynge in strange doctryne / mennis dremes / vnwryten trouthes / into crystischirch as now hath more taken in hande bothe to sence mennis soulis with his deuelissh doctryne / & to burne as many as will not beleue his lyes. But returne we into the waye. The holy goste is called the spirit of trouthe in dede / but of what trouth? verely not of euery trouthe to lede vs therynto as mo re mynseth it: but he is the spirit onely of yt trouthe which sayd I am the trouth: he is the spirit of this trouth & of all trowthes yt concerne him & his doctrine / religion / and faith contayned in the lawe prophetis and testaments. And into this trouth contayninge al trowthes concerning his glory and our saluacion the spirit is promysed to lede ye electe: ye & that by no nother waye then by the same waye y• sayd I am y• waye. Into this waye to be led / & so forthe into this trowth / praydPsalm. lxvi the prophete saynge. The lorde be merciful and graciouse vnto vs: he mo • ghe shewe vs his face / yt his waye (& not Mores wyked wayes) might be knowne thorow out y• worlde & his saluacion amon ge al folke. Also he prayed in a nother placePsalm. lxxxv saynge. Lorde lede me into thy waye y• I might walke in thy trowthe / & not in Mo ris vnwryten verites: for al the wayes of ye lorde ar mercy & verite: but All ye wayes of More ar cruel tyrany & subtyl false hed.

All the wayes of the lorde ar mercy & veritePsalm. xxv (saith the prophete) vnto thez yt seke his testaments & testimonies / for the two testa ments testisy • of him / & not Mores vnwry ten vanites. It is a trowth yt thames ebbethe & floweth: & trwe y• y• sonne ryseth in y• east \ and yt euery hole body is greter then eche of y• singler partes ther of: into ye whiche verites euen y• vngodly be led by theyr eyes & not by ye holy goste / nomore than he neded to haue led thapostles into thassum pcion of our lady / they than beinge present & lokinge vpon hir taken vp (if she were as sumpte as I shal shew you here after) It is trewe yt one had made y• boke of y• Suppli cacion of beggers. And y• M. Mok playd y• proctour of purgatory creping forth gro ning out his Supplicacion of soules. But yet into these trouthes did not y• holy goste lede any man / for into ye trouth yt y• Suppli cacion of beggers was wryten & who wroteIn y• second lef it / More saith himselfe in his supplicacion of soules / yt y• deuyl led him. wherfore it is not the spirit of trouth yt leadeth into euery trouth / for ther be some trouthes / as they be vnworthy the holy gostis ledinge / so be ther some agayne so aperte vnto our ey es & eares yt thei nede not his ledinge: of y• which kinde of trouthes (& reken not his lyes) be all Mores vnwryten trouthes which he sayeth be of necessite to be beleued. whan cryste therfore repeted so ofte ye spirite of trouth / & had sayd before I am y• waye / the trouthe & y• lyfe / & yt y• spirit shulde testifie of him selfe: he dothe declare into what trouthes he shulde lede them / euen into him selfe & siche as concerne him / the fontayne / beginninge & ende of al trowthes and not into siche trowthes into whiche our eyes & senses lede vs / but into siche as he is the spirite of / the sercher / & very techer of. And therfor Paul speking of ye ꝑfant wysedome of god cōcerning ye red empciō of man by ye deth of cryste / which wysdom lay yet hyd frō ye gentiles & fro many of ye Iwes • i. cor. ij. to: so y• nother eye sawe it / nor eare harde it nor harte coude think it / & was to one foles hnes & to ye tother sclawnderous / yet god at laste reueled it by his spirit of trowthe & led y• apostles in to it: which els wolde neuer haue beleued yt ye Gospel shulde haue ben preched to y• gētyls. And euē this is one of those harde poyntis wherfore cryst sayd / yet haue I many thinges to tell you which ye cannot now bere. but whā yt spirit of trouth come / he shal lede you into al trouth. of wh ich (I saye) euē this yt ye kyngdome of cryste shulde be enlarged & his gospel preched thorowt amōg al ye gētils was ye chefiste as ye pistles of Paule beinge y• doctour & precher sente vnto thez playnly declare & especially his pistle to ye Ephesens where this place of Iohn is expowned at large. Fo • it is the spirit y• sercheth all siche depe mysteris as Paule there cal this trouth both in his pistle to ye Ephesens & also to ye Corinthes sa ynge. God hath reueled it vs by his spirit / for ye spirit ensetcheth al thingis euē ye depe misterys of God / • is to wyt as concerning y• matter y• ther Paul entreteth of / as y• creacion / y• fal / & redēpcion of mā whither he be Iwe or gētyle / by crystis deth very god & mā. For as noman knowth y• mynde & plesures of god but y• spirit of god / so euery mā sercheth thē but in vayne / saue onely ye spiriti. cor. ij. of god. The spirit of trouth therfore sercheth vs oute y• mysteris & secretes of god / which we by our owne senses & corrupt na ture cannot attayne to / nor cōprehende in our hartis by natural reasō / nether yet any natural wytte can vnderstande. We haue not receyued ye spirit of y• world / but ye spirit which is of god (saith Paule) yt we myght know what thinges ar geuen vs of cryst. y• i. Cor. i is to weit: euē crist hiself y• most absolut ve rite saluacion & lyfe▪ petual thorow hi which is made of god our wysedome rightwys nes holynes & redēpciō. vnto this euāgelik verite & secret wysdom of god / loked Dauid in y•. vi. vers. of y•. li. Psal. & these giftis we preche saith paul / not wt wordis which mā nis wysdō & paynted eloquēs teche / but wt sich wordis as y• holy gost recheth layngfor th & expowning spiritual thingis vnto the spiritual child • rn. Now I praye you what spiritual poynt is there in Mores vnwrytē verites / as to halow vestmētis chalices &c. what nedeth here any spiritual exposici on or laynge forth of so carnal & sensible ceremones? euery natural witt • d wt his comē sensis maye perceue moris vnwryten verites / & se them to / to be starke vayne vanites▪ But the natural wyse man perceyueth not those thinges y• are of the spirit of God &c.

¶ But nowe let vs se one or two of Mores vnwryten verites. Firste as for the per petual virginite of our lady: I neuer dou ted therof / before ether I knewe or harde of Mores chirche or harde Mores probacion expowninge non cognosco for non cog noscam / no I neuer yet harde any man do ute therof / but yet is it not a trewthe neces sary for our saluacion / no more than it was necessary for Abrahams Isaakis & others elect • of y• olde testamētis saluacion which neuer harde therof: And as for our ladys assumpcion / it is an vnwryten trowthe inOur ladys as sumpciō dede not contayned (as more saith) in holy scripture / nether a trwthe concerning cryst nor pertayninge to our saluacion. For wh ither she was assumpte or not: yet be we ne thelesse redemed by crystis dethe. besydis this: if she had ben assumpte to heuen body & soule / y• apostles lokynge on / she letinge fall amonge them hir girdle & b • dis as Mores chirche fableth / so had they not neded y• spirites serchinge nor ledinge into thys truth for their owne eyes shulde haue certi •• ed thez. And to tel you y• very trowth of this vnwryten verite. Saynt Ierome / who me More & his chirch take for their autour of this truthe / saith playnly in his sermon of hir assumpciō (if it be his) which is deuided into hirlegende on y• day. That she was buryed in y• vayle of Iosaphat he seynge hir graue / but nothing in it: but how / what • yme / or of whome (saithe he) hir bodye was taken thence / or whother it be trans • osed / or wether she be rysen / we cānot tell And before he saithe / Many of vs doute whither she was assumpte togither wt hir body or whither she went hir waye / hir bo dy here left behynde hir. of this vnwryten legende Lo / wheryn in it is dowted both of y• autor & verite / sith thautor him selfe do • teth / More & his chirch fetched their vnwryten trouth / & wold thrust it in to vs am ong our articles of our faith: & wt his newe vnwrytē articles as he goth about to byld vs a new chirch / so wold he prech vs a new gospel / wryte vs a new crede / & set vs vp a • ew & a nother sauiour besydes cryst. Forthermore as for praynge to sayntes & worshiDeute. vi x Mat. iiii. ping of stockis & stones / as it is vngodlynes • playne Idolatry / so is it no testimony of Cryst / nor necessary trwthe / but playne agenst goddis • orde saynge. Thy lorde God shalt thou worship & him onely shalt thow honour & cleue to. And agene. Ther is no man y• p • ayeth & calleth to a saynte but he sheweth hīself to beleue & truste in ye sameRom. x saynt. Paule saynge. How shal they cal vpō any in whō they beleue not? Cryst is oure meane & intercessour onely betwene GodRo. viij 1. T 1. ij. 1. Ioā. ij our father & vs / a sufficient aduocate continually wt ye holy gost making intercessiō wt sighes vnspekable before ye father for vs. To forbere flesshe & • te fysshe / to faste lentō were not so harde poyntes to the apostles but thei coude haue borne them at crystis mouth as wel as y• other Iwes did beare si che & harder ceremones at Moses mouthe y• was but man onely. To faste lent as it testifieth me not criste / so is it no article necessary of my faith. for if I / or any man wold so fast it / as to beleue to be saued for y• dede doing / thāwer cryst deed for vs in vayne. byGal. ij. thes / iug thou his • other vnwrytē vanites

¶ Yet for a more clere vnderstandinge of this text. The holy gost shal lede you into al trouth: let vs tōlider what goth before & what foloweth / y• we may se perfitly what truthes these were \ to decerue thē frō Mo ris lyes. ād to beginne: ye shal vnderstande (crystē reders) y• this is Mores pestelēt pro perte in alleging scriptures to furnessh his heresyes. First slegth holy to snatchout ate xt of ye hole sentence / ye wordis befor & folo wing wherof ye trew vnderstāding depēde th / preuely of a poyson purpose lefte clene out▪ T hā seweth he to a false glose of his o wn shaping / & so a false supposiciō once lay de \ he procedeth to frame & fynesshe his de nii • issh drift / here & ther in his deducciō stre wing his processe wt lordly checks tauntis / mockes & lyes / colours of his owne wonte retryk. But thou shalt first note / for y• espyA rule to vnde rstande ye scripture ing out of this vngodly deceyte & serpētine fraude / & for ye very truth of ye text so torne & māgled: what thing ye autor entēdeth che ifely in yt processe / cha▪ holepistle / or gospel wheryn thou ꝑcase redest & then loke how he referreth euery argumēt & sayng to his purpose. & because y• autor diuerteth & mak eth a digressiō frō his principal entēt: some thing incidētly offred to his mynde: marke werhe gothforth & wer he returneth to his purpose: & neuer lat y• principal entēt of hī prefixed to which al ye processe tēdeth go fro thy mynd. obserue also diligētly ye vse of his wordis / maner of spech / & what his wordꝭ signifye. Thā al ye processe so scatred gather thou togither / cōfer & frame euery ꝑte to y• ende & entent yt ye Autor purposed: And th • shalt thouse both thissame conferring & framing togither of these sentencis / not onely to be ye light in derknes / ye exposicion of allij. Pet. i & thinfallible rule of ye truthe / but also the very tryed tryacle agenst ye vyrulent venome of al heritiques / yt in so tering & rending out scripture / falsely glose / violently wrest & blasphemously abuse y• holygostis wordis to stablessh their heresyes. As More wold by this texte of Cryste. whan ye spirit of trouth shal come &c. proue & stablesshe yt y• apostles left aught vnwryten &c. Here therfore first shalte thow restore this text into his owne place agene. Iohan. xvi. And thē loke wher yt processe began / and what cryste entended in it. And to helpe thy labours. Begyn at y•. xiij. cha. Wher thou shalt se y• cryst consydering ye olde passouer remembred ye newe / wheryn also he shulde bodely passe out of this worlde to his father / for by his godhed he was euer present with him / there shalt thou se what loue he did bere to his derebeloued disciples / & the sowper ended / what homble seruice he dyd thez in •• asshing their fete / & agayne what an vnlouing towche one of them shulde shew him so yt at laste / he prepared vnto his purpose / begane his sermone vnto them almoste in the ende of the cha. saynge / My sweet son nes / yet a lytel whyle am I with you. ye shal also seke me / as I tolde the Iwes / but whother I go / ye may not come &c. Here they perceyuing that he wolde departe fro them / were ful heuy, which heuynes came by the reason of their ignorance and vnbeleife / for al • eit they had confessed him some tyme before to be both God and man / yet now whan the bronte oftentacion was at hande / thei were with out both knowlege & faith in him / so litell did it profit them his bodely presence / Than did Criste to dely uer them from their heuynes and to set them in a perfe it beleife go forth with his ser mone / saynge in the. xiiij. cap. let not yowr hartes be thus trowbled with heuynes. If ye beleue in god / ye beleue in me &c. For all his entent was to lede them into the beleif of him bothe god and man euen that moste absolute trouth. And whā thei harde him mynde agayne his goynge awaye / baringe them in hande that they knewe whother he wente and the waye to. Thomas to declare their ignorance answerd that they ke new nether / whother he wente nor yet the waye. And than cryste sayd he was the waye / the trowthe and the lyfe. & at laste cold them that he wold sende them the holy go ste / his spirit / the spirit of trouthe a counforter a defender and techer to them in his bodyly absence / and that this spirit of trouth shulde testifie of him whiche called him selfe that trowth / the tyme wil not suffer to expende and to compare euery parte of this sermone continuing vnto thende of the xvij. cha. wherfore I leue this labour vnto the c • ysten reder whom I beseche that spirit of trowth to lede by the same waye that ther is prefixed / into that trouth that cryst ther did set before their eyes \ into whome whan thei are led / thei are led into all trowthe. But breifly / the entente of cryst was to setle and to confirme them in the beleife of himself ere he wente his waye / and for their counforte to sende them that counf • r ter techer and defender / eu • n his spirit of trowthe: whiche whan h • shulde come / he shulde reason rebuk • and conuince ye worlde of synne / of rightwisnes and of iugment And b • cause More saith y• •• indal wresteth th • se word is as falsely agenst him self & his chirche / as y• deuyl did ye scripture agenste Ciys • e / saynge y• ye worlde here is takē for the Iwes and paynems: I shal declare th is worde Worlde for Moris confusion asThe w orlde cryst taketh it in ye cap. before / for siche vngodly whom ye worlde fauoreth and laugheth vpon / which hate his members and pe rsecute him and his worde in them / euen for More and his chirche / ye bisshops & their faccion / whom there is none more vayn glorious worldly and wyked. The worlde is here they yt beleue not yt Iesus Criste is our sufficient satisfaccion / red empcion / rightwysnes / and yt faith in him onely saueth not / that there is no nother name by whome we maye be saued than Iesus Crist / but beleue to be iustifyed by workis / and i • ge falsely of god and his worde whose glyteringe rightwysnes and false iugement y• holy gost here this daye rebuketh / of this secte pharisa •• cal is More and his chirch / and ar and shalbe rekened / resoned wt / rebuked and conuineed of ye Holygoste were thei cry stened an. C. tymes. For this Gospel was wryten as well to rebuke vs as ether Iwe or paynem. He shal rebuke ye worlde of iuge ment / for ye prince of this world is euē now (sayd Cryste) discerned. And euen here is ye principal wherof cryst was mou • d to set to these wordis. Adhec multa hab • o que vo bis dicam &c. as concerninge these forsayde iij. poyntis and especially ye last / I haue yet many thinges sayd cryste to tel you / but ye cannot now bere them. But whan yt spirit euen ye spirit of trouth shal come / he shal le de you into al trowth: for ye vnderstanding therfore of this laste poynt whervpon dependeth Mores texte whiche he so falsely wresteth▪ ye shal know y• it was prophecyed and figur • d v • ry ofte y• ye gentyles shuld be called into Crystis chirche: and his gospell preched to al nacions / his kingdome shuld be dilated and enlarged vnto the vttermo ste costes of therthe: which vnto yt tyme was contayned but in Iuda and Israel a litelCap. ij. &. xlij. Psal. ij. angle of ye worlde / of this prophecye rede Isaye and y• Psalmes. Aske of me (sayd the father to cryste) and I shal geue ye / ye gentyles for thy heretag • . ye shal also consyder ye corrupt iugement of ye Iwes in this cause / beleuinge y• thei onely were goddis peple / yt god onely was their god & not ye god of ye gentylis to / thei re • ened and iuged ye gentyles / & do yet as we do them / godlesse swyne and heithen how • dis: In so miche that they iuged his gospel neuer to be preched amonge vs / and of this opinion wer euē y• beste of y• apostles / and y• aftir ye holygost was comen / & some of them stoke so sore to their ceremones of y• lawe / as circuncisiō &c. yt thei thought after yt ye gentyles were called to y• gospel / yet coude thei not be saued vnlesse thei had ben circuncysed to. Also afterAct. x ye Peter was monesshed by a vision y• he shulde not doute to preche ye gospel to ye gē tyles and receiue Cornelius wt his famylye yt were gentilis / and baptize them / yet to se what both he and Paule sufferd of ye IwesAct. xi. &. xxij for preching ye gospel to ye gentyles / ye may knowe howe corrupt their iugement was As concerninge this mater therfore Cryst sayd I haue many thinges to tell you whiche ye cannot now beare &c. It was nowe I ensuer yow an harde poynte for them to haue beleued yt thei their self shulde preche ye gospel to ye gentils and forsake their own nacion ye Iwes: vnto whom Cryste had saydMat. x warninge them before / whan he sent th em to preche / y• thei shulde not come amon ge ye gentylis &c. For to receyue this trouthe and to preche y• gospel into among the gentylis / it requyred a grete gyfte and an highe spirit / euen ye conuersion of Paule & his feruent spirit and laboures aboue all y• other apostles. And then compare theis hercules labours of Paule / and of ye other apostles in this cause / vnto Moris vnwryten vanytes / as halowinge of vestmentis / chalices and crepinge to y• crosse: and rede Paulis pistles and especially ad Ephesios (as light as More maketh it) and consyder how sore he sweteth and laboreth this har de trowthe. Now for ye declaracion of ye wor dis of y• texte / wher standeth this wo • de I • dicium which comenly signifieth IugemētIugement and discrecion / howe be it because one thin ge foloweth of a nother as at the contrary iugement of diuerse rulers there foloweth mutacions and changes in arcalme / it is a comen saynge. New lordis new lawes and so new iugementis / therfor iugement mayIoā. ix be englesshed some tyme mutacion and change / as Cryste sayd. Into iugement am I come into this worlde / y• thei yt se not shuld s • / and thei yt se shulde be blynde. That is / I am come to make a change. It was a mer 〈…〉 ouse change / • ye blynde borne shulde se and ye quyke eyed pharisayes so wel lernedIoā. xij shulde be made starke blynde. Also. Nowe sayd C • yste is y• iugement of this worlde / y• is to wytte this worlde shalbe now changed. Why so? for ye prince therof shalbe cast forthe / y• is ye deuil shalbe caste forth and Cr yste shal come yn. I sawe (sayd Cryste) Satan • uc. x fallinge downe frome heuen lyke a lyghteninge / at whose fall Cryst was exalted unto the kyngdome ouer al this worlde: for a stronger armed hath met wt him and ouercome him &c. Nowe ye se the change of these princes / wherof foloweth y• change of this worlde. Vnder Satan the gentyles worshiped stockis and stones / and the Iwes stode vpon their workis: vnder cryste we worshipe god the father in spirit yt is to saye in verite: and hope for saluaciō for our faith in Cryste that same verite. But wherby came this alteracion and so graciouse a change? verely thorow the prechinge of the gospel of the kyngdome / that is thorowe the prechinge of Cryst. Isaye thus prophecyinge.cap. xlij I shal enryche him wt my spirit and he shal preche iugemente vnto the gentylis / that is to saye my gospel of the kingdome of heuen: at whose prechinge the worlde shal be altered and changed into a better state: and thei shal discerne and iuge this change to be godly: for the prince of this worlde shalbe casteforthe and discerned to be a contrary prince vnto Cryste / and that by the worde that tryeth all thinges. And now because More will saye that this matter and iugemente pertayn • d to the Iwes onely and not to vs althoughe we be gentylis / but of a nother worlde than it was than. He shal knowe / that wt yn this. xij. yere ther hath ben a grete alteracion and yet continue the and shalbe yet at greter muta cion than we loke fore: which mutacion be ga • e and continueth at the preching of the pure gospel and translating of it into al lan guegis. by this worde of god now reuyu • d and spred so brode / we iuge and disce • ne the pope the prince of this world • (for he is more carnal and worldely than the worl de it selfe) to be y• very Anticryste / and we se him nowe we More and their faccion in castinge forth / and that by the mighty worde of god: and thei shalbe slayne wt the breath of goddis mouthe. But the worlde whose prince the pope and his secte are / of whom More is yet one / iuge that the gospel that thus altereth this worlde is heresye / and the cause of s • dicion: and Anticrist and his faccion / to be the chirch of god / ād the very poore chirche of the electe whom thei burne to be herityques: But awake ye Anticristis oute of your wykednes. For y• holygoste is now comen wt his worde wr yten to dispute to reason to reken wt you to rebuke and conuince you for this peruerse iugement. For it is Anticryst I tell▪ you ād not the hed of Crystis chirch / euen the pope the prince of this worlde now espyed de cerned by goddis worde and shalbe cast forth of his kingdome shortely.

¶Now let vs se what foloweth Mores texte / that if by that circumstance yet we maye gather more lyght / in to these truthes. It foloweth for he shal not speke of him selfe / but he shal speke whatso euer he hath harde and tell you the thinges to come The father had spoken to the worlde byHeb. i. the fathers Moses and prophetis whose wordis were writen / the holy gost had har de them and now shulde speke them / cryste also had spoken them but yet were thei not vnderstanden / the gospel shulde be preched amonge the gentils aftir crystis ascen sion / this the spirit shulde teche them / and so he shulde glorifye me sayd cryste / and not any other creature / as More wolde haue bowes belles water and asshes halowed & glorifyed by leding into these trouthes: for he shal r • ceyue of my worde & teche it you. wher cryst therfor left in teching his disciples euen at those so harde poyntes y• thei coude not yet bere thē / ther begane y• holy gost wt thē agen aftir crystes ascēsion. But first because cryst sayd he wold be fro them a lytel whyle and then come agene as after his resurreccion: sithe he was so diligent & louinge a Master continually applyinge his scolers whom he had now taken in hand to teche / yet left yn ignorance as touching those harde poyntis which thei coude not then bere before hi • deth / takinge them for the and preparing them into the schole of the holy goste: let vs se what communicaci on he had with them and what doctrine he taught them. Although I know that Mo re here seweth to a nother tayle / for thus al legeth he the texte / saynge when the spirit of trouth shal come / he shal lede you into euery trouth (Euery trowth say • h more ād not al trouth / so fayne wolde he here lappyn his lyes to) And put you in remembransyde. cc. viij. of Mores boke ce of al that I my selfe haue or wolde saye vnto you &c. Which is not there folowing that texte / but More patcheth it to of his owne because he wolde deduce a false dedu ccion of a false supposicion / for than deduceth he thus saynge. And sith he sayd not the holy gost shal wryt vnto you al thingis nor shal wryte you al trouthe / but shal lede you into al trouthe / we deduce therevpon that the beleife wher ynto the spirit of god ledeth vs and planteth it in our harte is as good and as suer to saluacion wtout any writinge at al / as if it were wryten / This is Mores wyse deduccion / Lo. The holygost led them into al trouthe / ergo al those trouthes be not wryten / cryst sayd not the holy gost shal wryte them / ergo they were nether wryten in y• olde nor yet aftyrwarde in ye newe testement. lyke argumentis More maketh in other places: God promysed to wryte his lawe in their hartis / ergo the lawe was not wryten in bokes. what a blyn de Pha • ysaye is this? But turne we agayne into ye waye.

¶ Cryste after his resurreccion / notwithstandinge so many lessons and warninges befo • e had of his spiritual kingdome & redempcion to be sprede into amonge the Iwes and gentylis both: yet fyndinge his disciples in their olde douteful wekenes & ignorance / and hardnes of beleif / yt is to wit / euen in ye same state where he left them whan he sayd / As concerninge these thingis / yet haue I many thingis mo to tel you which ye cannot now bere &c. rebuked them saynge / O foles and dull harted to beleIuc. xixiij. ue al those thingis (meaninge y• verites ād trouthes which he wolde haue then taught them before) whiche the prophetes haue spoken of me. Here apereth it playnly yt those trouthes / that cryste there mente into whiche the spirit shulde lede them / and More maketh them vnwryten verites / shulde be siche as were wryten in the prophetis: So that this texte The holy goste shal lede you into al trouthes / is as miche to saye / as into al trouthes wryten of Cryst before in the lawe prophetis and Psalmis. This is the vndouted trouth of the texte. For Cryst the same daye aperinge vnto his disciples / and beginning at the same lessonThe last ca. of Luke where he lefte with them before his dethe sayd. These are the wordes whiche I spake vnto you whan I was yet with you: that it shulde be necessarye al thinges wryten in the lawe of Moses / prophetis and psalmes to be fulfulled of me / of me saithe he / and not of any other. And here as Ioā saithIoā. xx / he breathinge vpon them saynge take the holygoste / thei receyued the first frutes and foretaste of the spirit with ye truthes by a lytel & lytel to be led into thē as he once had promysed them / but aftyr their capacite and weakenes he here lyke a wyse master toke them euer forth from vnder ye ceremones and letter of Moses preparing them to ye spirit & trouth of the gospel, thā (saith Luke) opened he their hartis & myndis yt thei might vnderstande the scriptures (ye scriptures saith Luke & not Moris vnwryten verites) & said to thē. Thus & thus is it wrytē (& not thus sayd I wtout wryting) Now marke wel crysten reder yt at folouth & yu shalt se al ye truthes yt ye holygost lede thē into. It behoued cryst (saith he) to suffer / & to ryse frō deth ye third day / & repētāce & remissiō of sinnes to be preched vnder his name into among al ye gētils. Now cōfer thes wordis to those so breifely knyt vp. Iohan. xvi. aftyr which he sayd: as cōcerning these yet haue I many thīges to tel you &c. for albeit \ it was harde for their weaknes to bere ye forme of our redēpciō by his deth & resurrecciō & ye calling in of ye gētils into his chirch: yet was this point thā so strāge / yt yet for al this lesson to \ it coude not synke into their hartis. & this preching sayd he shal be gyn at Ierusalē. Your selues shalbe ye witnesses of these wordis / yt is / your selues shal prech thē. If al this wil not yet satisfy Mo resvnsanery mouth: we wil go farther euē to Wytsonday wher ye holygost & yt promise was fully performed & y• verites lyk as here expressed: wherinto thei wer led▪ where as sone as thei were enspyred & set a fyer wt y• spirit and led into these trouthes: thei co • de not longe hold their tonges but prech •• them by & by euen as the spirit led them into them all: And now are we in the sueres • waye to trye oute this matter and in a nother maner dedu • cion than More deduceth vs. And first note / y• Cryste hauinge respecte vnto their imbe • ilite and weaknes toAct. i. bere these trouthes and to professe them openly: and also puttinge them in remembe tance of their owne infirmite sayd. ye shall receyue strengthe / aftir y• y• holy gost come into you / and ye shal preche me not only inIsaye. xlix. Ierusalem / but also in all Iudea Samaria / ye and euen vnto ye vttermoste coostes of y• •• the. by whiche he mente amonge ye gentyles. Nowe turne we ouer y• leif to ye. n. ca.Act. • ij. iiij. v. &c of y• Actis of y• Apostlis / and there shal we seplainly howe all this sayd before wt their sermons to thorow ye actis / and ye pistles of Paule agre togither / one place euermo • e confirminge and declaringe another. For there did Peter wt y•. xi. as sone as ye spirite had led them into these trouthes \ stand vp in Ierusalem (for it was prophecyed and tol de them before yt there thei shulde begynne to preche these verites) and firste / y• false opinion of the I ••• beleuinge y• disciples to haue ben droncken / taken awaye / he tolde them constantly / prechinge euen as Cryste had taught them before immediately after • is resurreccion / whan thei were yet ful w • ke.Art. i • . Luke. xxiiij. That this same man whō thei had put to dethe was Iesus Cryste / se • ite from god ye father: and geuen them to wyn them wt doctrine and myracles / whom by ye ferme decre and fore knowlege of ye father so betrayd and delyuerde vp / when ye had receyued at ye handis of ye vngodlye / ye •• ucyfyed and slewe: whom god ye father losed fro y• bondis of dethe and stered vp agene &c. Now (good Crysten reder) rede al ye processe and communicacion yt Cryste had wt these his disciples before he sand. yet haue I many thingis as touching these poyntesLuke. xxii • j. &c. Into which ye holy gost shal lede you when he come / and compare them vnto the verites y• Cryst opened them as sone as he was rysen / and proued it them by scriptures and especially in ye Psalmes: And then loke here now in this sermone folowinge whose substance Luke reciteth / and consyder whither these be not y• same trouthes / ye and yt sufficient trouthes whome whoso receyue and beleue as ye ende and conclusiō of the sermone testifieth playnly / ar saued. Loke and if al these trouthes be not plent • ously and constantly confirmed wt the scrip tures? Thei here affirmed his ascension b • scriptures / and also to sit on his fathers •• ghthande / ye and euen here sayd thei in the firste h • ete of the spirit. That this promyse of cryste was made both to the Iwes / to their childerne / and to al that are a farre to by which wordis taken of the prophete I▪ say▪ Paule descrybed the gentyls. Thei prechedEph. ij. now constantly that this same was that sead and frute of Dauid so ofte prom ysed in the lawe and prophetis / and that now he thus exalted by the righthande of the father / the promyse of the holy gost ob tayned of him / he hath powered forth euē this that you now se and here / Note these laste wordis wel / se and here. what sawe thei? what harde thei els but the verites in to whiche he promysed the spirit to lede th em / of whiche the firste is. That this man Iesus of Nazareth was geuen them of the father / this verite was wryten in the prophetis / and Cryste tolde them to that he was come from the father / secondarily Peter and the. xi. preched them here that he wrought his wondres and miracles amon ge them by ye power of ye father / and that the father wrought them by him. Thirdely that by the decreed counsel and fore knowlege of his father he was so betrayd dely uerd into their handis / crucifyed and killed by the handis of the wyked. Fourthely god stered him vp agene losed from the sorowes of dethe sith it was impossible for hī to be holden any lenger of deth. These verites Peter proueth by the Psalmes as cry ste had before interpreted them to him and his felawes Luke the laste ca. ād here now the holy goste had perfitly led them into th em. So that now the Iwes were persuaded him to be the very sonne of god the fath er / and both god and man. And wher Mo re saithe in his dialoge and also in this his las • e new boke the. ccxl. syde. That Peter did forbere in this sermone to call Cryste God / leste it shulde haue hyndred the faith in that audience. Euery man may here se howe ignorant he is in scriptures / and what an herysye he wolde pycke out of so play ne a place where Peter his principal purpo se was to proue Cryste that very Messias / god and man / euen ye sone of god. Fo • were there not aboute. iij. thousand conuerted to the faith at that sermone? and of what faithe wolde More there make them if thei beleued not that cryste was god? If Pe ter dirste not preche it / but left this principal article oute / how then beleued thei it? In dede More gothe aboute to make him no god \ and that can I proue him playnlye if he wil stand to his wrytinge. But crystē reder thou shalt know that Peters purpo se with al the. • i. was principally to proue him bothe god and man / contrary to Moris heresy / Peter alleged the Psalmes sayn ge. Non davis sanctum tuum &c. That is / thou shalt not suffer thy holyone to be corrupted in the erthe. For whan thei harde this worde holyone / thei beleued that he was god: for it was the name appropryed vnto god in the lawe and prophetis / & thei were wel acquaynted with that name: the prophetis and lawe callinge god euermore the holy one of Israel / that is he that maketh holy Israel / which thei knowleged to be their god onely / vnto which name Gabriel loked answeringe our ladye / saynge. That holy one which is borne of the shalbe called the sonne of god. Luc. i. And Peter here called him the lorde / whiche name the Iwes take for god onely. And alleged also the same psalme wherby cryst him self▪ confounded the pharisayes. Mat. xxij preuinge him self to be very god. Here may ye se what a busynes it is to haue to do wt these heritikes that denye cryste to be god and so belye Peter saynge that he forebore to cal him god / because he saith i wolde haue hindred the faith / in that audience. What audience / I praye ye were thei? wer thei notsiche as god had chosen? were thei not his shepe that shulde heare his voyce? shulde the cheife article then of their faith that cryste is god / offende his flocke? He cal led him first of al man: saynge this man Iesus &c. what than? ergo he forbore to cal him god? Peter firste declared him to haue dyed which his godhed suffred not but his manhed onely. and this declared / he proued him to be god also. But More doth as he is wonte / snatche and tere oute a wo • de of the hole texte and so runne awaye with it to proue his deuilleshe purpose / to blynd the peple / nether consyderinge what foloweth nor what goth before / no • yet wil he suffer any lay man to se his falsehed no • other mennis answers. The fyfte verite that they preched / was that this same holy one Cryste both God and man was ye sede of Dauid so oft promysed in the lawe ād prophetis. And here thei remoued a waye by scriptures that opinion of the Iwes wh erby thei wrested the scriptures to be vnde rstanden of the Propher Dauid / and decla ringe his exaltacion by the righthande of god into a nother maner of kingdome thā euer Dauid or Salomon had (as the Iwes yet dreame and wait for) brought in at laste this other truthe: that he had obtayned th em of his father by his dethe the promyse of the holygost now fulfille de whom (sayd Peter) he hath powe • d forthe vpon vs euen this thing that ye now / both se and heare / to here is a taste of those trwthes into whiche the holygost led them / farre vnlyke Mores vnwryten dremes / And here is cryste proued also to be very god in that / he saith the holygoste procedethe of him. But let vs hear out al Peters sermō how he conclude the saynge. Wherfor al the howse of Israel mought knowe for a su •• te y• god hath made this same Iesus whome ye haue crucifyed lorde and anoynted / that is to saye the anoynted lorde and kynge ouer al / both Iwes and gentyls. And here may ye se how this sermone tended into Cryste as very god in whom al trouthes were cō tayned necessary for theirs and our saluaci on. Now conferre this ledinge into al these trouthes vnto the promyse where he sayde the spirit shal testifye of me &c. of me sayde he and not of my mother nether yet of lent faste / halowinge of vestementis &c. and cre pinge to the crosse. That is to saye / ye ledde into the knowlege of me by the spirit / • hal testifye and preche me / as now maye euery man se in the performinge of crystis promy se. Than afterwarde the sermone done / ye hartis of the Iwes were p • icked in thē selues and thei sayd to Peter and to his felawes. what shal me do ye men our bretherne? Repent ye (sayd Peter) and be baptized &c. which is euen the same that cryste taught them before to preche / the firste frutis of the holygoste tasted / Luke the laste. Lo here are al truthes necessary to be beleued and repentance preched in one sermone / al confirmed with the scriptures / this gospel thei preched al with one mouthe: and did wryte it agene & agayn & declare it in euery pistle and sermone vnto both Iwes & gentils / for as thei al professed one lorde / one faith / one baptysme / so preched thei al one gospel wryten before in the lawe prophetis and psalmes. Rede al the sermons ofthapo stles thorow the Actes and especially saynt Steuens sermon in the. vij. and Paulis in ye. xiij. ca. and y• shalt se how thei preched nothing wt out ye autorite alleged of ye scriptures. For it was prophecyed in y• Psalmes yt y• Iwes owne table yt is to saye their owne scriptures shulde be their owne trappe ād confusion: of y• whiche table sayd Dauid inPs. xxij y• persone of vs. The lorde fedeth▪ me / wher fore I canne want nothing. Euen here lo / is ye sufficiency and perfitfulnes of y• scripture proued agenste More / for Dauid here compareth y• scripture to a plentuouse suffi cient paslure vnto ye which Paule loked. i. Cor. iij. whan he sayd. I nouresshed you vp wt mylke as yonge infantes in cryste / & not wt faste mete / for ye might not yet beare it. Thou haste sprede me a table sayde Dauid in y• presence of my aduersaryes meaninge ye scripture where standeth forth meate for a • maner mēnis mouthes / no nother wyse t • an yt Manna in wyldernes fallen f • ō heuē Ex. xxi satisfyed euery man sufficiently and sauoured what so euer he wolde eate. Cryste him self recyted ye scriptures for ye confyrmacyon of his sermons. He expowned them / and wolde not haue ye Iwes to beleue him with out their testimony / Paule almoste wryteth nothinge but ye scriptures and expownerh them. And shal we beleue More wt his bysshops at their bare wordis? If thei wol de chalenge and adscrybe to their selfe this pryuilege and honour aboue cryste and his apostles / so declare thei them selfe to be yt same sonne of perdicion yt sitteth in y• temple of God lokynge for an honour euen to be borne vp wt sich a worshype / as cryst him selfe neuer loked fore. Sed spirituoris sui interficiet eum dominus. But ye lorde shall slaye him with the breath of his mowthe. AMEN.i. cor. xi Moris seconde shore.

¶ A nother texte More allegeth for th is his heresy: taken oute of Paule. Cetera cum venero ipse disponam / as for other thinges I shal set in ordyr whan I come. Whiche thinges Paule myght haue wryten to them as he did / and yet come neuer at them more / or if he had come / yet might he haue set thinges in o • dyr wtoute any preching / or if he had preched / yet might he ha ue preched ye same gospel which he had pre ched them before whiche he preched vnto al ye gentiles and confirmed it by ye testimoAct. xviij ny of scriptures. But ye very truthe (crysten reder) is this: Paule was amonge ye Corin thes a yere and. vi. monethes / ere he wrote them these wordis. Cetera cum venero &c. And what gospel he preched them y• whyle for their conuersion and saluacion / he af firmethe. 1. Corint ij. saynge. Bretherne. whan I came vnto yow / I came not withe hyghe eloquence of speche reasoninge my matter with mannis wysedome when I preched yow the testimony of God (mar • e wel this / the testimony of God. whiche is the scripture that testifye and preche god) For I professed myselfe than beinge wt you nothing els to knowe but I • sus Cryste & that he was crucified. And agayne / thus w • yteth he. Brotherne I put you in myni. cor. xv de of my gospel that I preched yow which ye receyued / in whiche ye stande / by which ye are saued &c. where it is p • ayne by y• wo rdis folowing / that his gospell is the very same that Cryst taught •• s disciples at his departinge and ag • ne aftir his resurrecci on / euen the very same into whiche as into al trouthe the holy goste led them. For as th •• were al enstr •• te and led of one spi rit / so agre • d the • al vpon one Gospel one trouthe euen cryste the very fountayne of al trouthe to b • preched for the saluacion both of the I •• es and gētyls. And this gospel (saith Paule in the samecha.) was wry •• ni. cor. rv • om. i longe • fore in the scriptures / and pr omysed in the scripturis by the prophetis Also Paule consyderinge that it was no le sse labour to defende his flocke / then to beget them (sith so many false prophetis creptyn after him to seduce them) he did wry te them his Pistles / not to teche them any other faithe then thei had firste receyued by his prechinge: but to confirme them in the same and to defende them from the fal se proph • tis doctryne / saynge I wryte these thinges vnto you to moneshe you as my dere childerne: for haue ye neuer so manyei. cor. iiij techers / yet haue ye not many fathers: for it was I that begote yow in Cryste by the gospel. And as for the matters that Paul sayd he wolde dispose and o • dir at his cominge: If ye begyn and rede the Pistle till ye come to this place / ye shal se what conten sion and disorder / what was oute of frame amonge them / and howe there Paule wro te vnto them these thinges to be redressed by expresse scripture orels by the rules lefte in scripture / that is to wyt by faith ād loue / and at laste he cominge vnto a grete disorder and faw • e / in eatinge the lordis sowper / whiche whan he had rebuked / and shewed them the very vse therof to be eaten yn the memoryall / and rememberaunce of hys dethe / he addid therto\ in y• later ende of ye cap. as for other thinges (concerning this sowper saith Ierome) I shal set in ordyr whan I come. Nowe to set in ordyr is not here to preche them necessary trwthes for their saluacion as Mo re fayuethe: For these had he preched and wryten them longe and ofte before all that yere and an halfe / prechinge with them his Gospel / of whiche he wryteth in y•. xv. cap. thus which Gospel ye receyued / and yet abyde still in it / by whiche ye haue your saluacion. where it is play • / yt this Gospel wryten was suffcient for their saluacion / ād it is not trewe yt euery necessary truthe for our saluacion shulde not be conteyned in y• scripture. And muche more ought More to be ashamed / if he were not paste shame so falsely to allege and to wreste this scripture for his porpose. For after this / Paule wrote them his seconde Pistle / where yn y• firste cap. he excuseth himselfe wt many wordis y• he coud • not come to them as he promysed in y• first Pistle wherfore / as forsiche thingis which he partely promysed to set in ordyr / he he • e writeth them / as y• reconcylyng of y• Corinthean y• h • d maryed his stepmother / whom • e i • y•. v. • a. of his first • Pistle commanded to be taken oute of y• congregacion / wt many other thingis / as euery diligent reder of y•. ij. Pistle maye clerely perceyue. But here by • • aye of cō municacion I wolde aske M. More whan Paule came agene to y• Corinthes to preche them these other necessary trouthes / cō tayned in this worde. Cetera &c. For I wil denye yt euer Paule came there aftyr by y• waye of communicacion. And if he came not there / then preched he not them. And because he coude not come accordinge vnto his promyse he wrote them this seconde Pistle to counforte to confirme and to defende them / ag • nste those false prechers / y• went aboute to seduce them and to destroye y• he had • y • ded / where yn as euery reder maye se he disposed and ordered perfitly by his wrytinge althinges yt were amysse among them. If so necessary trouthes were contayned in this texte. Cetera cum venero &c. as More faynethe / thinke ye yt so louinge an herde man so tenderinge his flocke wolde haue lefte them oute? Namely when he writethe agene so longe a Pistle wheryn he occupieth his penne sometyme in thinges whiche he sayd himself it neded not gretely to haue wryten them / and occu piethe some parte therof wt greting is from other men / wolde he (thinke ye) haue put yn these not necessary for there saluation & lefte oute thingis so necessary for it? Also rede the. xvi. chap. of the firste pistle / and thou shalt se hun self partely expresse those other certayn thingis whiche he wolde ordyr at his cominge \ where he remembreth a collecte to be disoosed amonge the p • re sayntis and faithful. where he saith playnly. That as for now / thoughe I come by you yet wil I not se you. Sith Paule then so fa • thful an ouerse • r cared so miche for their saluacion / knowing that they yet wā ted trouthes necessary for it / came so nighe and turned not yn / seynge that th • i shulde be damned if they beleued not these trowthes / who wolde thinke that he had yet certayn necessary truthes contayned in these wordis. Cetera &c. but wolde haue come yn and preched them? Thinke ye that sith he coude not come himself but sent th em this Pistle that he wolde haue lefte ou te these necessary trowthes? Misconstre not therfore Paule nor holy scripture / and specially this texte / As for other thingis I shal dispose &c. which he spake of • twarde • sages rytes and comely ordyr in the chirche and congregacion of god that it shulde be so wel and comely disposed and ordered that nether their enymes nor the Iwes co ude fynde any faute at their religion.

• • he thirde texte whiche he wrestethMoris thirde shore and wryeth for his vngra • iouse heresy / is in the laste lyne and laste chap. of Iohan Saynge. • her a • also yet many other thinges whiche Iesus did / which if euery one were wryten / I thinke the world coude not cōtayne the bokis. Here More noumberth his vnwryten verites amonge these so ma ny other thingis which cryst did / orels this texte coulde make nothinge for him. but thou knowest wel that Moris vnwryten verites. that our lady was assumpte body and soule praynge to postis sto •• s and say • tes / halowinge of vestmentis chalices bo kis b • ll • s bowes and crepinge to the crosse these did Cryste neuer / excepte More had some reuclacion / withe his holy mayde of kent • / by saynte Iohan tellinge them that these were the thinges that Cryste did ād be not wryten. But had More turned bake ouer the lefe / in to the laste ende of the Chapiter before / he shulde haue sene Iohan to haue declared hymselfe / saynge. Many other miracles did Cryste in the sight of his Disciples whiche ar not wryten in this boke / but these are wryten as sufficent for your beleife / yt Iesus Cryste is y• so • ne of god and yt y• beleuers of this / mighte haue lyfe euerlastinge by his name. Here mayste y• se y• saynt Ioan was better lerned then More and knew what myracles and what doctryne was necessary for our saluacion / and omitted nothinge of ether of the in his Gospel: but wrote vs a sufficient ād perfit Gospel for our saluacion and did knyt • p y• some of our saluacion in these fewe wordis as he doth often tyme before especi ally in y•. iij. cap. v. &. vi. &c. saynge / he yt beleueth in me hath lyfe euerlastinge. And if More wolde saye yt he left vs oute any necessary trouth / so wolde he make sa • nt Iohans Gospel an vnperfit and insufficient Gospel: but More belyke mistrusteth his parte and defendeth it wt a naughty consciē ce. For in this texte where Ioan saith. Sūt autem & a •• a multa que fecit Iesus. he wol de make fecit to signifye docuit or predicauit / as thoughe s • y • t Ioan knew not y• dif ference betwene facere and docere / • is / bet wene doynge of miracles / and preching his gospel as wel as More: and coude not speke and wryte his propi • termes for eche better than More can tel him. And Saynt • uke consyderinge ye difference betwene fa • ere and docere / and y• y• hole story of crystis • yfe stode vpon these t ••• / yt is to wyt in do • nge miracles and teching his doctrine: begane y• Actes of y• Apostles thus. In my fir • te treatis (deare frende theophilus) I haue wryten of al yt Iesus begane both to do and teche. Here / besydis y• •• ke expresseth y• difference betwene crystis dedis and his doctrine / he saithe he hath wryten of all thinges yt he begane both to do and teche &c If he wrote of al (meaninge all thinges necessary for our saluacion / for I thinke • uke wolde not wryte no vayne thingis) why sa ith More / Euery necessary thinge for our soule helthe is not wryten? and thus of his owne false supposiciō wolde thruste yn his • nwryten verites or rather star • e lyes. Thus maiste y• se clerely (crysten reder) wt what conscience this man wryteth and defendethe his parte / and howe falsely he peruerteth goddis holy worde to proue his heresyes. Here he wil haue ye doynge and y• workinge of cryste in doynge his miracles as bothe Ioan and Luke declare it / and y• worde s • lfe signifieth / to signifye crystes techinge and preching of his gospel. And where Paule sayd playnely he wolde set in order other thinges whan he came / he wresteth the worde contrary vnto al the hole processe and effecte of both Paulis Pistles to signifie to preche & to teche thinges that he neuer wrote. And where Cryste sayd the holygoste shulde • ede them into all truthes concerninge siche trouthes as were contayned in the scriptures of himselfe / beynge that fountayne of al trouthe / whiche trouthes were then so harde that their weaknes might not • ere them as was the callynge yn of the Gentyles / whiche whan Cryste was rysen he taught them / and the holygost comen also taughte them the same / and euen straigth they preched them: yet wolde More contra • y to al these manyfeste scriptures and euident profes / make them his vnwryten verites / as halowinge of bowes salte &c. and crepinge to the crosse / and that is yet more to be detested and aborred / he wolde haue these popisshe ceremones / necessary t • owthes to be beleued for our saluacion. And now let vs se his laste texte / alleged of paule. ij. Thessalo. ij.His. iiij shore 1. co. iiij mat. •• ij

¶ And at laste he belyethe paule agene that faithful disposer and layer forth of goddis scripture lyke that rightwyse wryter to promoue the kingdome of heuen / sayng that he taught the Thessalonyes many th ingis by mouthe that were neuer wryten / bringinge for him this texte. Stande bretherneij. thes. ij and holde the institucions whiche ye haue lerned / whither it was by my sermons or by my Pistle. which texte god knoweth maketh nothīg for his ungraciouse purpose. For by these wordis it maye stande wel ynoughe that he bothe preched and wrote them al one gospel: o • preched vnto them no nother wyse then it was wryten. And for because More is not so wyse nor yet so wel lerned as he wolde a • er • . I shall sende him vnto Paulis sermons which he preched vnto the Thessalonyes when he conuerted them that he maye se what Pa ule taught them and what enstruccions he taught them by mouthe and whether his sermons were no • wryten in the scripture. These institucions whiche Paule first taught them when he conuerted them to the gospel More maye rede them in the. xvij. chap. of the Actis of the Apostlis where • u ke his companyō in this message thus wry teth. As thei made their iourney thorowe Amphipolis and Apollonia thei came to Thessalonica wherewas a synagoge of the Iwes / and Paul aftir his wont maner went yn amonge them / and. iij. sabbat dayes declared them of the scriptures (scriptures saith Luke and not Moris vnwryten verites) openinge and alleginge that cryste mu ste nedes haue suffred and rysen agene frome dethe. And that this Iesus was Cryste (sayd he) whome I preche vnto you. •• ke and these be not the same wryten verites y• cryste after his resurreccion / and the holy gost did lede them into. Luke. xxiiij. Act. ij. And aftirwarde in the same chap. The no bles of the Thessalonyes that had receyued Paulis sermons with alredynes of mynde did dayly serche the scriptures / the scri ptures saith Luke / to se whither it was so as Paule had enstructed them or no. whose feruent spirit and erneste diligence in so serchinge the scriptures Paule remembringe / i. thes. v exhorted them saynge. Quenche not the spirit / neglecte not thinterpretaciōs of scriptures / proue althinges and holde that at good is. He exhorted them here to proue euery mannis doctrine no nother wyse then they proued his dayly serchinge the scriptures to se whither ther doctrine ag •• eid with them. Lo. M. More here may ye se / if ye had red so farre / whether Paule did institute the Thessalonyes in the faith with oute scriptures / and whether his sermons were not wryten and contayned in y• scripture. Me thinkethe sith ye be so farre ouersene in holy scripture nor cannot conferre the placis therof togither / orels vnderstande them not / ye had done wysely to haue acknowleged your ignorāce and haue left this labour in wryting to other men As ye tolde one man (whose name I coude tell you) that ye left the office of the chauncelership for that it was so laborouse and • ayserlesse: that ye might more quyetly wryte agenste heretykes: so had ye done wyse • y to haue resygned your wrytinge to the bisshops as better lerned in the scriptures: and your self to haue taken and caste a syrples vpon your backe ād stept into the qu • re lyke a clerke and songen vs a verse of course or red vs a lesson at the lecterne lyke a man / or els if ye can handel a payer of orga • ns to haue gone and playd vs: hostis Hero • es impie &c. Whyle M. Herrye your fole • ad blown A solis ortus cardine. And th • s myght ye wel haue mayntayned godd • s holy seruice in chelsai chirche / and let ne • er a sowter medle aboue the bote nor pre •• me farther then the shapinge of a shoo. But let vs examyn your highe lerninge o • rather refute your false peruertinge of wother Paulis holy saynges.

¶ Paule proueth constantly and manifij. tim. iij estly. That the scripture is myghty ynough and sufficient to • nstruete and bringe vs vn to that saluacion whiche cometh thorowe faith in Iesu cryste / wryting on this maner vnto • imothe saynge. But thou / se that thou abydest faste in these thingis whiche thou hast lerned and ar cōmitted vnto the knowinge and beinge suer of whome thou art lerned / and that euen of a chylde thou hast knowne the holy scriptures which are myghty ynoughe to enstructe the vnto that saluacion which cometh thorowe faithe in Cryste Iesu. For al the scripture enspyred by god is profitable to teche / to conuin ce / to correcke and to enstructe a man in r • ghtwisnes (that is / to enstructe him / whe • by / and how he shalbe iustified before god / so that the man of god might be perfait ād redye to do al good workis. But lorde howe More addeth to / howe he mynseth minessheth mangleth and potteth oute this texte with his false gloses to wreste it vnto his perniciouse purpose. whose falsehed th ou maist se in the. ccc. iiij. face of his confutacion in the. iij. boke. where he thus writeth. Moreouer it is to be consydered / that Paule saith not to Timothe. Ab • de yn th ose thingis that I haue wryten but in those thingis that thou hast lerned. As thoughe what so euer Timothe had lerned for his owne and other mennis saluacion coude not haue ben wryten to: and as though what Paul had lernerd him / it had ben no where wryten: and so to haue taught Timothe certayn doctrine to preche / of whiche nether Paule nor Timothe had not to geue their hearers a rekeninge oute of the scripture. Is this a good Argument / M. More / Thou hast lerned it / ergo it is not wryten? And then dothe More patche to Paule / his own glose saynge. Abyde in those thinges that thou haste lerned / ether in scripture orels otherwyse of me with oute scripture as he wrote to the Thessalonyes Obserue ye my preceptis &c. Now loke crysten reder whether Paule wrote these wor dis to Timo. ether in scripture orels other wyse &c. as More falsely sewethe them to: but that rather it foloweth into Moris cō fusion / That Timothe euē of a chylde had known the holy scriptures whiche are myghty ynoughe saith Paule and able to enstructe him vnto that saluacion whiche cometh thorowe faith in Cryste / but this texte More glaunceth ouer here / to bringe in another for his wyked purpose whiche I shal a none confute. But Paule telleth Timothe that he had ben brought vp in y• i. ti. iiij. wordis of faith and good doctrine whiche he had continually folowed / which were y• lame and prophetis as here it apperethe / and not Moris vnwryten dremes whiche Timothe neuer knew • / nor Paule neuer ler • yd.

¶ Then sayth he in the. ccc. v. face. That saynt Paule tolde Timothe to / that the scripture was good and profitable to teche the faithfull folke and to reproue heretykes / if he ioyned therwith alwaye the faith of cryste / with oute which it wolde do him no seruice for al that he had ben lerned theryn frome his chyldhed. Nowe Crysten reder loke whither More hath trwly recy ted Paule / loke what he hath putto of his owne / and what he hath taken from him. Loke and these be not rather Paulis wordis folowinge. For al the scripture wryten by thinspiracion of god / is profitable to • eche to conuince to correcte and to enstructe in rightwysnes that the man of god mighte be redye to al good workis. Nowe com pare this text with Moris allegacion / and consyder wel wherfore he leueth out a grete parte of Paulis wordis to thrust yn his owne. More leuethe oute that it was wryten by the inspiracion of God \ and puttethe yn to that place / to reproue heretykes if he ioyned therwith alwaye the faith of Cryste / meninge by the faith of Cryste (as his owne wordis there declare) his owne vnwryten articles contayned in the Popis Crecd. And for that at Paule saithe. It is profitable to correcte and conuince and to enstructe in rightwysnes that the man of God mighte be perfit and redye vnto eue ry good worke. More clouteth it vp withe this patche. Withe oute the whiche it wo lde do him no seruice for al that he had ben lerned theryn frome his childhed. Is not this a faitheful handler of holyscripture? But M. More / If al the scripture be enspyred of the holy goste / so be we suer that it is trwe / and maye vse it as an infallible rule to mesure to conuince and correcke yowr vnwryten verytes there withe. If all the scripture be good and profitable to teche / why wyll ye not let men rede it? why wyl ye then presume to t • che men your vn wryten lyes? If it be profitable to teche to co 〈…〉 ce to r • buke & correcke / why saye you that it is the cause of s • dicion / heresy / and carnal lybertye? If it be profitable to • ustructe vs how we shalbe iustifyed and to make vs perfit and redy to all goodnes: what nede we then your vnwryten vanites with your vayne tradicions and articles of the popis Creed? whiche the scripture as it knowth thez not / so is it playne agen ste them. The prophete calleth the wordePsalm. c. • •• n. Pe. i. of god / the lanterne to his fete and lyght to trede in his pathes. vnto whiche light Pe ter biddeth vs to attende as vnto a lanterne holder vp before ve walkinge in any der ke place / vntil the daye be waxen more cleare / the day starre arysinge and sprongenforth in our hertes / vnto the which lyght / I saye poynteth vs saynge. If any man waIsa. viij nt lyght / let him get him to the lawe and sc • iptures testifynge Cryste: and go not / in thingis concerninge lyfe / vnto dede spritis fay • inge them selues to come frome hell or purgatory / as did More of late playnge y• proctour of purgatory faynyng to haue come fro thence with his boke of the supplycacion of soulis oute of so hotte clensinge fyer / and yet was there not one lefe shorched therof. Aftir alyke fasshion More woldFace ccc. iiij ij. Ti. i. frame a nother texte of Paul / sayng y• Paul writeth vnto Timothe before in the same Pistle. Haue thou the forme and fasshion of the holsome wordie whiche thou haste haide of mein faith and loue in Cryste Iesu. He saith not the wordis (saith More) that I haue wryten to the and that thow haste redde of myne / but the wordis that thou hast harde of me. • o Crysten reder / this is Mores Argument / Paule saith not the wordis that I haue wryten & that thou haste redde of myne but the wordis y• thow haste harde of me / ergo it muste nedis folowe that thei were not wryten. But I aske More whither Paule did not wryte a Pistle to Timothe before he wrote him these wordis contayned in his seconde pistle? ād then / whither that a man here not frome his frende whiche receyueth letters from him▪ as now had Timothe receyued a pistle before contayninge the hole some of all holse me doctryne? And whether this be then a good argument / Thou haste harde worde from me / ergo I wrote not vnto ye? More argueth (I tell you) very subtyly / as thoughe what so euer were harde coude not be wryten to. Lyke arguments he maketh in other places / saynge. God promysed •• lxxvij syde his lawe to be wryten in mennis hartis ergo it is not / nor was not then wryten in bokis. whiche promyse is in Ieremye. xxxi longe aftir the lawe was wryten by Moses. Dauid sayd / thy lawe is wryten in myPsal. xl herte / ergo aftir More / it was not then wr yten in Moses bokis. And agen God promysed not that theuangelistis ād apostles shulde wryte the new Testament / ergo thei did not wryte it. And Cryst bad his apo stles go preche the gospel and not go wryte it / ergo thei did not wryte it. whiche argu mentis howe false and fonde thei be euen M. Henry his owne fool can tel him. Pauli. i • . iiij. bad Timothe attende vnto redinge / exhortinge / and techinge tyl he come. He sayd not / attende vnto my vnwryten word is whiche I taught the by mouthe no where wryten: but attende vnto redinge of holy scriptures / euen those wordis of faithe and good doctryne whiche thou hast hitherto diligently folowed / beynge brought vp in them. And what wordis were these? not Moris vnwryten dremes ye maye be suer. But thei were those holy letters / in whiche Paule exhorted him constantly to abyde: whiche he had ben taught / and were co mmitted vnto him / and had knowne themij. tim. • euen frome his chyldhed &c. as ye see. ij. Timothe. iij.

Wherfore Crysten reder begyn thow and rede the firste Pistle that Paule wrote vnto Timothe / and there thou shalt se fir ste of al prescribed him this holsome doctri ne in faithe and loue: where he biddethe him preche and tell certayn men that thei folowe no nother doctrine then that edifiethei. tim. i. godely thorowe faithe. for the ende of the precept and plesure of God / is loue oute of a pure herte and good conscience / and faithe vnfayned. And aftyr a lytell digression / he saithe. That the fauour of our lorde hath aboundantly excedid withe faith and loue whiche is thorowe Iesu Cryste. And then to put timothe oute of doute of these holsome wordis and Gospell of the faithe and loue in Iesu Cryste: he wyneth to sayinge. This is the moste assuered and trwest Doctryne / Worde or Gospel / and none more worthy to be embrased and kyssed then that Iesus Cryste is comen into the Worlde to saue synners. And agayne in the. iij. Chapit. to setoute these holsome wordis and that Godly Gospell / how necessary it is to be preched in the con gregacion / howe f • rme / how suere a trouth •• sy it is / he sayd. These thinges do I wryte vnto the (here maye ye se whether that do ctrine in faith and loue that Timothe harde of paule was not wryten to) These thin gis do I wryte vnto the: trustinge to come • short • ly vnto the / but if it be longe / yet do I wryte the these thingis / that thou mayst know how to behaue thy s • lfe in the congrega • ion of the lyuinge god. where yet to certifie Timothe more ernestely of the f • rme and assuered trouth of this holsome do ctryne / he calleth it the very pyller ād foun d • tion of the trouthe / whiche ferme assueraunce • e setteth by this holsome doctrine almoste in euery place that he remembreth it / it ye diligently marke it in redinge his pi stles to these two ouerseers and curats Ti mothe and T • tus. aftir this he calleth thisBy this name he calle▪th it. holsome doctryne or Gospell / that same grete secrete and dep • mystery of crystis re ligion without controu • rsy noman to dou te at it / Euen this gospel that here foloweth / GodEph. iii 1. cor. iiij is declared manifestly by taking vpon him our nature / approued by the testimony of the spirit / sene and • isited of ang • llis / preched vnto the gentyles / beleued in the worlde / recyued gloryously into heuen. This gospel and ferme pyller of the tr outhe ye se in how fewe wordis Paule • nitteth it vp to poynt his Timothe vnto yt holsome doctryne whiche he wolde haue him to be occupyed in / prechinge tyll he came. Where in this Pistle and in all other ye maye se playnely that Paule and his felows / were in wrytinge and prechinge ern estly occupyed aboute thingis of more certaynte / verite / more nyere and necessary for the glory of god and our saluacion then be Moris vnwryten verites and balde cerem ones. But let vs yet set Paule him selfe a brason wall agenst all Moris blasphemon selyes made vpon him / to ouer throwe his pestelent buyldinge / thus affirminge vntoac. xxvi kynge Agrippa / saynge. Vnto this day am I preserued a lyue by goddis helpe / to preche both to small and grete / no n •• her thin ge sayinge / then those thingis whiche the prop • etis and Moses had sayd before to co me / &c. Here is it manifeste whither Paule was so bolde as to teche any thinge withe out the scriptures.

¶ Nowe sithe the Gospell of Cryste is that holsome and f • rme doctrine of faitheRom. i. and loue / so ofte promysed by the prophetis in holy scripture so plentuously wryten of the fower euangelystis / so manifestly setforthe in euery Pistle of the new testament: Is not this Godles man an enymye vnto Cryste that wolde go abonte ether to proue it vnwryten to thrust yn his vnwryten verites in the place of it / orels to proue Cry stis gospel and testament vnperfit and insuf ficient for our saluacion? contrary to Crystis answer to the question of the man senemat. xix in the lawe of Moses / whiche asked hym • uc. x. what shal I do to haue lyfe euerlastinge? whom Cryste sent vnto the lawe of the commaundementis saynge: Do this and thou shalt lyue. And Iohan saith who so beleue in Cryste / hathe lyfe euerlastinge. Is not this the chylde of perdicion that thus pet • erteth the trwth wryten by the spirit of trouthe? But he thought whan he wro te these blasphemyes that y• laye pe • le shu ld rede onely his bokis neuer to se what sh ulde be answerde: for that the answers were so strayghtely forboden to be brought in to the lo • de / and therfore he lyed as him lysted and wrote what he wolde.

Thus also he peruerteth Austens sayn ge to proue the Sacramentis to gyue grece in the. lij. syde of the lef of his answer to Tindales preface / sayng. That by the holy wordis of baptysme comynge vnto the wa ter / God clenseth the soule / accordinge vn to the wordis of Saynt Austen / Accedit verbum ad elementum / & fit Sacramentum / whiche wordis he engleshethe not / but I shall englesshe them for him / the worde comethe vnto the Element / and the sacrament is made. Lo here is not one worde to proue that Baptisme clenseth the sowle. Lyke maner wresteth he al other scrip tures for this his heresy / for his popishe preisthed / vowes and fastis &c. whiche all / the scripture knoweth not. For there is none to proue vs siche a shauen anoynted order / nether their vowed wyuelesse chastite. nor yet that al men indifferently muste faste siche prescrypt dayes lymited vnto the choyse of meatis / to forbere one kynde of meate / and to eate his bely full of a nother that please him beter. But to proue these Doctrynes of the Deuyl (as Paule callethe them. i. Tim. iiiij.) More farethei. tim. iiij lyke an hasty frantyke droncken man: which in hys furye fallen out with his felowe at the table wyll caste at his felawes hed • what thynge so euer come nexte hys hande / be it candlestik / cuppe / potte or plater / as More now in his dronken fury lassh • the oute the scriptures at rouers and ca stethe them at our hedis: whereso euer he▪ fynde these two wordis votum and ie •• ium. For firste he saithe that Cryste made virginite a cownsel / and that it is a perfecci on aboue the olde lawe \ taught onely and counseled in the gospel. And when he come to proue it / he allegeth the olde lawe / • the. ix. syde of y• leif in his answer to tyndals preface. saynge. Douete & reddite / that is to saye vo we ye / and paye your vowes to your lorde. A lye can neuer be so well cowc •• ed / but it wyl apere. A lyer therfore it behouethe to haue a good memory. For howe can these frame togither? virginite is cownseled / ād yet this texte here commandeth it / saynge vonete / vowe ye. It is a perfeccion (saith he) aboue the olde law cownseld onely in ye gospel / and yet wolde he confirme it withe a texte of the olde testament to be vowed in the olde lawe: where it was nether coun selled nor commaunded. But let vs restorePsalm. lxxv the texte to his trwthe. Thus is it wryten Nowe ye / and paye your vowes vnto your lorde God al that be here in this present congregacion. This did Asaph commande spekinge vnto al the peple of Iuda gatherd togither in the temple to geue thankis for some victory geuen them of god. whiche verse if it were vnderstanden as More so wysely allegeth it for his vowe of virginite and his wyueles vowed chastite for prei stis monkis and nonnis &c. then were al ye Iwes their present maryed & vnmaryed / cō manded after More to be virgyns / fryers priestis monkis & nonnis &c. But had this grete clerke taken with him the later ende of the verse saynge / Adferte formidali mu nera / that is / brynge forth your oblacions or gyftes and offer them vp vnto the drede ful lorde: then shulde he haue sene what this worde votum signifiethe euery where almost in the olde tstament: he shulde haue sene / as it is comenly in al the prophetis / the later ende of the verse expowne the be ginninge / as for an exemple / in the. ij. psal.Dotum He that sitteth in heuen shal mocke them it is the lorde that scorneth them and Mo re to. This Hebrew worde Nedar / whiche is translated into votum / signifieth an oblacion or gyfte / as lombe / kidde / shepe &c. promysed and willingly offred to god: as it was prescrybed them in Numeri and Leui tico / and not the vowe of virginite. Asmyche maketh his tother texte alleged Eccle siastes. ii. saynge. If thow haste vowed any thinge to god / tary not but paye it. which wordis when Salomon sayde them / there was no siche vowes (as More wolde proue by them) presupposed nor thought / but sich onely as the olde lawe prescribed thez. Had the • then made any vowe of virginite with out ether precept or ensample \ they had made it of their owne head / and so had it bene vnlawful vnfaithful / and a folysshe vowe / as be Moris popisshe vowes / of which thus there speketh Salomon / sayngeecclēs. v An vnfaithful and a folesshe vowe dispieseth god / and miche better were it neuer to haue had vowed / then aftir thy promyse neuer to perform it. So serueth tha • tor • te of I saye this gret clerkis purpose / alleginIsa. xix ge him thus. Thei shal know the lorde & worship him with oblacions & giftis / & vowe their vowes to ye lorde & paye thez. Herelo / is no mencion of Moris chaste wy • cles virginal vowe / but onely as the circunstance of the texte declareth it / yt ye lorde shul de sendethe egipcians a sauiour / whō thei shulde acknowlege / & so testifye their kn •• wlege wt giftes & offrances promysed & payed &c. Lyke wyse peruertethe he the texteIone. ij of Ionas / sayng. I shal sacrifice to yt wt ye voyce of thankis geuing / & yilde▪ to yt what so euer I haue promysed / where ye may se yt ye vowes mencioned in ye olde Testament be euer ioyned wt sacrifices & giftis testifyinge their faithe obedience & thankis to god for victory benefitis & deliuerance / & make no thinge for Moris virginite / excepte he can proue y• Ionas makinge this promyse vowed to be a wyueles preist monke fryer cha non or some other reclused vanachorite for letting him out of ye whalys bely. Now fith More coude not fynde this worde votū in al ye new testament to proue this perfeccion counseled onely in ye gospel / but onely in ye olde / where it was nether counseled nor cō manded: and sith he thus snatched out the textis at al aduentures wherso euer he foū de this worde votum: I wonder me howe this texte escaped him. Et mane vota populusExodi xxxvi offerebat / And the peple brought forth their willinge offeringis in the morninge / whiche texte makethe nolesse for his purpose then it declareth what thinge vowes signifie in the scriptures.

¶ Aftir this / as he wolde haue proued vs his vowes: so wolde he haue picked vs out a preisthed wt holy ordyrs / a sacrament to gyue grace / out of this texte of Paule vnto Timothe / saynge. Neglecte not the gyfte that is geuen the in thinterpreting of holy scriptures / confirmed by the puttinge on of the handis and autorite of the elder. In this texte Paule exhorted Timothe vnto his office / puttinge him in mynde bothe of his gyft in prechinge & of tha • to • ite of his callinge and sendinge. For proph •• y • is ta ken here as it is in the i. corin. xiiii. for thex powninge and prechinge of the scriptures.act. xiii And thapos • le • maner was / some tyme by puttinge vpon their handis so to admit ād sende prechers and ouerseers into their • ure and office. For first knowne that the mā was lerned / hauinge the gift of interpretin ge and declaringe the worde of god / withe • i • he other qualytes as he recyteth in the. in. chap. before: than because noman withe oute a dewe callinge and admission of his elders / shulde thruste in himselfe into any cyte or paryshe / it was vsed and ordened of the apostles so by laynge on their handis to insinwe and certifye the peple of the abilite autorite and worthynes of their pastour: which al / this puttinge on of the elders handis did testifye and signyfye vnto the • : then sample (I thinke) taken at Moses / so commaunded to sende and admitte Iosua / Numeri. xxvij. But lorde how More m •• ▪ seth this texte to shaue them oute a Sacrament of holy ordyrs and that it geueth gra • e. For firste where Paule saith: Neglecte not the gyft / there More saith. Neglecte not the grace. Nowe haue Moris grace. Then because yet the texte after the latyneFace. xiiij translacion hath not preisthed. More flitteth to the greke / saynge. For these places (meninge also the texte. ij. Tim. • .) shew both the sensible signe of laynge thapostles handis vpon Timothe in makinge of him preiste: and also that god gaue his grace th erwith. And the firste texte shewethe also after the Greke (in which it is w •• he the puttinge vpon the handis not of a prieste / as the latyn is / but of priesthed) the power and autorite that Timothe had in geuing the same grace forth vnto other whom he shulde aftir make priestis. • o / nowe haue ye Moris preisthed to / picked oute of the Breke / for in the latyn texte he coude not fynde it. ye haue also that the laynge on of their handis made Timothe a prieste / and that God gaue his grace therwithe / and this texte sheweth the power and autorite that Timothee had in geuinge the same grace forth vnto other &c. If the laynge on of handis made priestes: then did Iacob make both Iosephs sonnes preistis. Gene. xlviij. And Moses did put his hādis thus pon Iosua. Deuteron. xxxiiij. and yet in so doinge he made him no pryeste. So wereLeui. i handis put vpon their hoste and brente sacrifyces. And Cryste so vsed to laye his hā dis vpon the yonge chylderne / And bade his apostles put their handis vpō the syke. where euery man maye se that This puttinge on of handis is not a sensible signe to make priestis. For then must Paule hym selfe be twyse made prieste / once at the puttinge vpon him / y• handis of Ananias. Act cap. ix. and agen when the elders did put their handis vpon him / in the. xiij. of the Act. And Timothe was a prieste ere Paul did put his handis vpon him / that is to wit he was an elder / not in age / but in sage grauite vertwe and lerninge / nether gaue god the gyfte of interpretinge scriptures (whiche More here callethe grace) therwithe: for he had this gyfte before thei did put their handis vpon him / orels wolde not Paule by puttinge on his handis haue geuen him that autorite and sente him to preche Nether was it the preisthed picked owte of the Greke that did put hir handis vpon hym / but the elders or elder as it is in the Latyne / for the Greke priesthed haue no handis / but the elderly men haue handis / accordynge vnto Paulis saynge. I exhorte the to store vp the gyfte of God in the / confirmedij. Ti. i. by the puttinge on of my handis / and not of my priesthedis handis / so f • yn wolde More here picke oute his preisthed This sensible signe therfore yn puttynge one their handis / preched vnto the congregacyon be holdynge this ryte / certifyinge them that this man was dewly and orderly with i • ste autorite admitted to be theyr pastour and precher. Also where More saithe / that this text shewethe after the Greke / the power and autorite that Timothe had in geuynge the same grace for the to other whome he shulde aftyr make preistes: I wonder he is not ashamed. For thoughe the Greke hathe presbyterij whiche More callethe preisthed / yet of that ca • ne he not gather that Timothe had power and autorite to gyue his gifte of interpretynge the scriptures / or as he saithe / the same grace whiche he callethe g • atum faciens / vnto other / for these be the gyftes of god as Paule testifieth. i. Cor. xiiij. and in ij. Timo. i. saynge. Ste • evp y• gifte of God which is in the / which grace ād giftis it ly • the not yn any mannis power one to g • ue them to a nother. For they be geuen on ely of God the father by the holygoste for the merites of Crystis dethe. Nether ys the free spirit of God restrayned vnto any vtwarde sensible signe in gyuinge his gyftis: but breathe whan and where he lyftethe. He is mightyer then m • nnis handis / than the wynde / water or oyle / and is not • aiyed of them. He karyed the wynde and not the wynde him. Acto. ij. And as nomā Ioan. ij knoweth the course of the wynde frowhence it comith and where it resteth: nomore knowe we by any sensible signe the course and way • of the spirit into owr sowlis.

But this thinge requyreth a lenger dispu tacion: whiche I shal by goddis grace prose cute in the declaringe of siche textis as I knowe the enymes of grace and goddis glorye shall brynge for them to proue the contrary.

¶ And in the mene ceason / because Mo re playeth with fastinge or faste as he did withe vowes and preisthed: I wyll declare what this worde Ieiunium (in Englysshe faste) fignifieth accordinge to the vse of the scripture / albeit I knowe that More abusethe the worde takinge it onely for the choise of meatis / that / or this daye forborne aftir the popis tradicions / in whiche fignificacion the scripture dampueth it and calleth1. ti. iiij. it the doctryne of the deuyl. But yet for this popishe faste More lassheth out al the autorites at once in whiche is contayned this worde Ieiunium. As in Leuitico and Zachari. &c. But the trwe significaciye. xxiij. syde of the leif on of the worde once knowne / I truste eue ry reder shal se how lytel thei make for his purpose.

¶ This worde Ieiunium / in EnglessheWhat faste is signifieth not the forberinge of one kynde of meatis / and to eate thy belly full of other meatis that peraduenture please and fede thy flesshe better than those meatis whi che thow forbereste / as to forthere flesshe ād eate thy belly ful of good fisshe with other delicate whitmetis / is not the faste that scripture commandeth / nor yet to forbere etinge / and drinke tyl thou be dronckē. The pore ploughe man fastethe better withe a pese of salt smoked baken and a barley loffe with a draffe of smal drynke / than the monke of the charterhouse with his bely full of good stourgen / pyke / perche / carpe / with his good whyte brede and mighty stronge ale or wyne. Faste in scripture therfore signifieth properly the sorowful afflicciō / heuynes / and humiliacion of thy harte / wherof there foloweth siche sorowe that thou forgetteste to take thy nowne meate / but in stede of meate thou strewest thy selfe wi th asshes / and in stede of drinke lyckeste yn thy tearis with the asshes to: here thou cuttestepsal. c. ij thy clothes / thou fallest prostrate to the grownde / thou waylest / thou prayeste. Thus is Ieiunium in scripture taken / so yt to farbere al / or parte of thy meate / to pray to wepe / to go inclyned withe thy hede / to be enspryegned with asshis &c. be the partes of faste and vtwarde signes of thy very inwarde heuynes and sorowful affliccion / which • the scripture calleth Ieiunium.

The very trwe faste / is a temperat lyffe ād perpetual abstinence frome al thinge that maye • al vs frome pure lyuinge and sobrenes of mynde / wherfore comonlye watche and prayer be ioyned with this faste in scriptures. I do not therfore dampne this holy faste: but hypocrisshe faste / boughte and soulde / supersticiouse faste mengled with • merites and spyced withe vngodly circumstances / contrary vnto this tiwe faste described Isaye. lviij. And nowe rede Mores iutorites / and iuge whither they speke of the Popes choyse of meatis whiche he wolde proue / o • rather of this maner of fastinge vnto whiche we be bownde. Firste in • euiti. xxiij the. xxiij. Chapiter of • euiti. he allegethe thus. And the lorde spake vnto Moses / saynge. Also the tenthe daye of the selfe vij. monethe is a daye of an atton • ment / and shalbe an holy fesse vnto yow. And ye shal humble yourselues and offre sacrifice vnto the lorde &c. And what so euer soule is not humbled and suffreth not affliccion that daye shalbe destroyde frome amonge yow. Here is Mores faste called an affliccionZach. viij or humblynge. In Zachary. vin. thus is it wryten to proue Mores false faste. The faste of the fowerthe monethe: The faste of the fyfte monethe: and the faste of the seuenth monethe / and the faste of the tenthe monethe shalbe turned into ioye and gladnes vnto the howse of Iuda. Whiche is euen the same that Cryste sayde / Io. xvi ye shalbe full heuy: but yow • heuynes shalbe turned into ioye / And for the vnderstandinge of Zachary / ye shall knowe that Nebuchadnazer brake yn at the wal • ys of Ierusalemyn the fowerthe monethe which was to Iuda a grete faste / that is to wit grete sorowe and affliccion wepinge & waylinge. In the. v. monethe the temple was bre • te. In the. vij. moue the Godolyawas slayne / in the. x. moue the thei had heuy tydingis / not a longe tyme to returne &c. Sochat Zachary ment nothinge lesse than the popis choyse of meates. For this mauer of fastinge that Mores chirche commande the by certayn prescripte dayes ād choyse of meatis was inuented longe aftir Zacharias tyme and after crystis commin ge to / ye and one Montanus a grete heritique / firste presum • d to o •• rat men & publissheIn y• ecclesiasti cal story. lt. v ca. xxiii • ca. xviij siche prescript lawes of fastinge: whome Apollomus all Ecclesiastical wryter conuincethe to be led of an euyl spirit. And as form Mos • s lawe God limted no man to that / or to this meat as dothe the Pope but in al the hole yere he consecrated but one daye to false / And if thow wilt knowe what maner of fastinge god approueth: re de the. lviij. chap. of I saye / and there shalt thow se / that it is not the Popis prescript dayes in the choyse of meatis: but he there damneth and aborreth siche fastis and kno weth them not. But had More ben as wy sem readinge the scripture as he makethe himselfe / he shulde haue se • e what fastinge is / declared by Cristis owne mouthe. In • uke. v • uke: the pharisayes and scribes came and asked Cryste why his discpples fasted not and prayde not as wel as did Iohan baptists disciples. whom Cryste answerde / that ye cannot make the chylderne of the bryde chamber so longe as the brydegrome is with them to faste: but the tyme shall come / their brydegrome taken awaye fro them / y• thei shal faste: This faste he declared by a similitude to be affliccion / sorowe / and the crosse caryinge. And to be suer turne to theIohan xiiij. ād xvi places of Iohan wher • cryste tolde thez of his departinge and takynge awaye frome them. loke and he sayd not / be not trowbled in yowr hartis for that I now go frō you. • eryly • eryly I saye vnto yow / ye shal weepe and lamente / but the worlde shal laughe at you: ye shalbe ful heuy but your heuynes shalbe turned into • oye &c. here might More lerne to know what fast is by crystis own declaracion had he ether witte or grace to conferre one place to another and to vnderstande what he redeth / let him redeIud. xx Iudicum. xx. whan the childern of Israel twyse beten downe of the Beniamytes / ho we thei wepte before the lorde and fasted tyl euen / and loke withe what faste the peple in Mitzpah confessed and morned fori. re. vij their synnes. and howe lykewyse the cytese • s of Iabes fasted whan they mornedi. • e gū xxxi the dethe of Saul and his sonnes / howe Dauyd and his men withe him wepte / fastinge tyll euen / moorninge for Saul andij. reg. i. Ionathan and for the peple slayne withe them. And no nother wyse fasted Dauidij. re. xij whan he moorned for his sonne goten of Bathsaba. But Morer▪ dethe the scripture to rasshly and wrytethe to faste to knowe wel what faste signifieth: as euery man maye se by his swyfte allegacions. for in th ese places and many mo both in the bokisPsalm. xxxiiij. of the kinges / Esdra / prophetis and Psalmes / fasting is euer taken for the grete heuynes and affliccion of a sorowfull humbled mynde / so that oftyn tymes thei • te noIe. xxii • ij. re. iij maner of meate tyll night / and Nehemias by the space of two dayes. And Esther withe hir Iwes moorned and prayde tasting nother meate nor dunke. iij. dayes and. iij. nightis / so that the forbering of the meat foloweth of the very trwe faste. The propphetepsal. • ij saynge. My harte was smyten thorowe and dryed vp for sorowe / so that I forgote to take my meate / here maye se that y• abstinence / or not takinge of the meate ys not of y• substance of the faste: britan accidē tary thinge folowinge the faste / declaring the very faste / as doth prayer / we • inge / doynge on sak / sprinklinge of asshes / cuttinge of their clothes &c. And for a clere descripcion of the very faste: rede the. xxxiiij. Psalme and compare it with the Popis fat faste in the choyse of meatis. Also the fastesa • t. xiij xiiij mencioned in the newe Testament are non other / but affliccion / moornynge / andIu. ij. v heuynes / wher vnto is ioyned prayer andMat. xvij. abstinence &c.

As where Cryste saithe. This kinde • . co. vij of deuyllis gothe not forthe but by prayerij. co. vi and fastinge. Which texte / for because Mo re obiecteth for the popis faste: I wolde fa yne knowe of him where euer our holy fathers faste did • aste oute the deuel? the deu el shulde sit longe ynoughe ere the Popis fastinge shulde decease him. And yet yf he bringe for him the castinge forth of the deuel oute of his • waye holy maydens of y • s wiche and kent / then dare I answere. That yn the mayde of ypswiche the Deuel pl ayde but • o peip waytyng his tyme and place to stele Goddis glorye and worshyp frome hym to brynge it vnto that olde roten poste / almighty God so permittynge him to mocke the vnbeleuers because they loue not the trouth of his worde / sendinge them siche stronge delusions to beleue lyes / that al siche might be dampned for notij. thes. ij. beleuinge the trout • e. And as for his holy mayde of kent / whose miracles / reuelacions / and holy fastis be esp • ed and knowne to be delusions and deceitful doctrine of y• deuyl: I thinke / for al hir fastinge and prayng aftir the popis prescript forme / yet the deuyll will tarye in hir stil / tyl faith in cryst purifye hir herte and so dryue him forthe. wherfore More shulde haue taken al Crystis saynge togither and not snatched owte a patche of the hole clothe / as he is wonte to do. For Cryste firste tolde his disciples that their vnbeleif was the cause why thei coude not caste oute that deuyll. And than he declareth / that who so wil fight agenst the deuyl / muste goforthe armed with faith and that with siche a feruent faith that soroweth for hir owne feblenes praynge: lorde encrease me my faith / I beleue but helpe my vnbeleife / so intente and geuen vntomar. ix. this prayer for the encrease of faith and la mentinge his owne vnbeleife / that he forgetteth the bodyly paumperinge and feading thirsting onely for spiritual sustinaunce wherof the iuste lyueth / of which faste it isAba. ij. writen. Psal. cij. for he that so soroweth for the lacke of faithe and praye so feruently yt he forgetteth al bodely plesures and dili • ates / obrayneth his petition / euen in castinge out that kynde of deuelles / sitte thei ne uer so faste / or so longe / euen from our conception and vexe thei neuer so sore. And thMat. xvij erfore crist • setto that similitude: comparinge faith vnto the Musterd s • de &c. Than bringeth he yn Moses and Aarons fastinges / and kinge Achabs fastinge and the pe ples faste in Esdra. viij. and Nehemias faste. ij. Esdra. i. And I cannot tel how many mo. to proue that al these fastis were lyke owrs as the pope haue commanded / that is to forbere flesshe or whyt mearis. but ād if thou rede the textis / thou shalt se fasting taken euery where a lyke / for the sorowful affliccion / heuynes / wepinge and wayling &c. as it is sayd ofte before. Also he saithe (whiche is moste dam • nable) that by siche fastinge they obtayned remission of synnes • eleace of more payne and purchaced the • grace. Vnto whiche I answer that y • wor • is purchase grace / than (as Paule saith) grace is no grace / for it is agenste the natureRom. xi of grace to be deserued with workis / if of workis / ergo not of grace / if it cometh of grace / ergo not of workis. For grace and workis are so contrary / that what so euer is geuen for the one / cannot be geuen for the tother / Grace therfore (concludethe Paule) is geuen frely / and not purchased with Mores choyse of meatis / Also if we for fastinge obtayne remission of synnes / • ala. ij than dyed Cryste in vayne / as Paule concludeth. Then he saithe that Achab fasted to moue almighty God to mercy and to withdrawe his punysshement. I answere / iij. reg. xxi. as for Achab as the story declarethe was a wyked kynge and a damnable Idolater whomachabs penāce for fere of payn & not of faith god thretened to punesshe / as he dyd in dede / notwitstandinge his humiliacion (as the texte calleth it) whiche was not of saith to obtayne mercy / but it was for feare of punysshement as was Iudas his repentance / and god forbore the plage thre yere for Achabs humiliacion / but his fastinge nether purcheased him remission of synnes nor yet made any satisfacciō as Mo re wolde proue. For his posterite & he were wrecchedly slayne and the houndes lycked vp his blowde / as God thretened him for slaynge of Naboth. So that Achab for his fastinge had his porcion with the wyked in • s. xvij this lyfe for a lytel space / that his hell myghte be the more greuouse aftir his wretched ende. and than after a longe brablinge and vayn profes that workis shulde deserue heuen / he cometh to the Fastinge of theIone. 3. Ninyuites / saynge / That god s • ynge the Ninyuites chastise and punesshe them selfe withe fastinge and other affliccions volontary done / did mercyfully take quyte aw aye the great and greuouse punysshement that was at hande ordeyned by hym selfe for theyr synnes and offences / and so purchaced pardon by theyr fastinge & cet. But the texte tellethe vs a nother tale / and saithe that aftyr they had herde Ionas hys prechinge: They beleued yn the Lorde / and of this beleife they fasted / and God sawe theyr Workes as testymones of theyr faythe. Whiche Faithe / it is that God beholdethe for owre iustificacyon. Ieremy. the. v. chapiter. saynge. Lorde thyGe. iiij eyes beholde faith. The Lorde behelde Abel and his gyftes / he sawe of what Faith Abel offred them / And so / by fayth he offred vnto God a more plentuowse Oblacion then Cayn. Hebre. the. xi. Chapyter. Thus the Prophet • s expowne the lawe: and the newe Testament expow nethe them bothe. Nother Tyndal nor no man els denieth fastinge as the Scripture vsith it. but the scripture and euery cristeni. Ti. iiij man that knoweth the truthe of Goddis worde and haue espyed the falshed and abominacion of the pope and his Synagoge / taketh the popes choyse of meatis by certayn prescript dayes for euery man / for the doctrine of the Deuel: as Paule playnely calleth it. And it is the more Deuellish in that (as More saith and cannot proue it) yt by siche dedis men deserue grace / remission of synnes / and so heuen / whiche is iniuryouse to crystis bloude / and a deuellisshe doc trine improued and damned in euery parte of holy scripture. For althoughe many in the olde testament fasted and prayde for some grete calamite / other caste al redy vpon them / orels nowe at hande / or of a speciall repentaunte mynde for their synnes / some tymes an holedaye / but seldem many dayes togither: yet was it not the vtwarde dede that peaced god / but the faith / wherof the dede procedeth as testimony of an humbled obedient and faithful harte. God is the insercher and inseer euen of the very secrete affectis of the harte / and aftir that faith geuen vs / dothe he iuge and fauour / forgeue / and iustifye. Ye are preserued and sauedEph. ij saith Paule by grace thorowe faith / & this is not of yourselfe. It is the gyfte of God / and cometh not of our werkis / leste any mā shuld glorye and reioyse in him selfe. MenRom. iij are iustifyed and forgeuen frely by the fauour and grace of God / thorowe the redem pcion that is in Iesu Criste &c. After thatTit. iij. the goodnes and gracious loue of god our sauiour apered and did shyne / he made vs saulf / not for our good and rightwyse workis whiche we wroght / but he saued vs aftir his mercy.

¶ But as touchinge the place of iustifyinge of faith / and merites of workis / it is declared plentuously in euery englisshe boke late made / Wherfore I will passe ouer and make an ende / but firste I muste poinge my self with a breife Apologye frome a • owple of lyes that More maketh of me in the hondred and xcvi. leif of his longe Apo logye. saynge that I taught pursers sonne attendinge vpon me at London. viij. or. ix. dayes / my vngracious heresyes agenst the sacrament of the anter / And that two nonnis were brought into my howse at Au • erpe: Whom Iohan Birte (saithe he) stale owte of their cloyster to make harlets. But the nonnes sayd playnely and yet affirme it that they came forthe leste they shulde haue bene made harletts in the cloister by a vycio • fe Prieste called Syr Iohan Larke their stwerde / whiche by theyr saynge was not mete to be chaplayne vnto nonnis / nor nonnes to haue siche a stwerd: and therfore came they their waye / It is a perr • llous poynt for Nonnes chastite to be reclused in siche a cloister where Preistes be to familiare and bere all the rule beinge at me all tyde bedde and borde with in the place. Nether came these nonnis then vnto my howse in Antwerpe I take God to recorde. And as for dicke purser / veryly the chylde laye withe me that lytell whyle and fetched me mea • / whome I taught to saye by herte his Pater Noster / Aue. And Credoyn Englysshe / withe the two Prayers folowynge in the Ortulus Amme / to saye them in the morninge and euenynge / and this / yn good faith / was all the Herysye that I tawght him. I had beit an vndiscreit Maister so sodenly in so lytel • space to haue taken forthe the chylde owte of his Pater Noster vnto the Sacrament of the Auter / seynge the chylde was not yet of so full age as to come vnto Goddis borde: but this lowde lye / his M. More souked owt of the boyes botockis to fede his vngracious affectis when he whipped him naked tayd vnto the tree of his trowthe. And as for my goodly Godly Pistle / whiche he remembreth in his confutacion and belyeth me therto / I knowe none syche / excepte he meane my answere vnto the priour of Newnnahms goodly Godly Pistle sente vnto his reuerent Father then bisshope of Lyncol • e called (I trow) bisshope langley. • nto whiche if it please hym to answere me / I promyse him he shall procure him selfe more perpetuall shame then immortall glorye / if he be not all redye paste shame.

A Peroracion.

¶ But now (Crysten Reder) For a con clusion / to returne to my purpose. Because M. More is so temerariouse as to dare say and affirme that all trouthes necessary for our saluacion / be not wryten in all holy s • 〈◊〉 so complete / ferme and approued te stimones and Testamentis of God / faymnge certayn (I mote • cre what) vnwryten v • rites necessary to be beleued: Thou shaltWhat § Testa • ent is knowe certaynly that God almyghty by the mouthe of his Prophet Ier • my. xxxi. diuyded the hole scriptures into two Testamentis / the olde and newe: where a Testament is as miche to saye as a promyse a va • gyn or a couenaunt / wherby God hath promysed testifyed and declared his Godly wil and mercyfull plesure vnto vs / agreinge with vs vpon certayne condicions wryten in the sayd Testament. As firste vnto our father Abraham offeringe himselfe •• . xvij vnto him with this promyse and couenant saynge. I will be thy God / for the and for all alone sufficient: I wil (I tel the) be thy god and to thy sede after the for euer: so y• thou walke before me / be perfit and pure. And for a declaracion and confirmacion of this couenant: god certifyed him / saynge. In thy sede shall all nacions of the erthe be blessaed. I shall geue the that lo • de that swimniethe in mylke and honey. I shal delyuer the frome thyn enymes / withe an. c. siche other. By whiche testimones & promyses he declared vnder what forme and condicion he wolde be theirs and owr god. For we be of Abrahams sede and his chyl de • n if we resemble owr father Abraham in lyke faithe. And agen as concerning our parte / it is enioyned and commanded vs to haue no strange goddis / but in him onely that so mercifully assu • re the vs to be owre god for al alone sufficient / to beleue / to cleue to / to depende vpon / to fere / to serue / to worship / to loue withe al our hartis sowle mynde and with al the might of our spirit / and our neghbours as our selues. These condicions are inculked and expressed clere ly and plentuously almoste in euery lefe of the scriptures. These do al the storyes teche vs / the lawe commandeth and the Prophetis preche vs them. Vpon faith and loue therfore stande bothe the Testamentis: whiche two thinges if we obserue / so walke we before god / we lyue pure and perfit in his sight accordinge to his wil. Where vpon there foloweth owr saluacion & lyfe perpetuall.

This Testament / because it shulde perpetuallyWherf ore god commit •• d hys testament vnto lette rs stande: and because the Deuel espynge it to be so contrary a scourge to his kingdome and was so besy fro the beginninge to peruert goddis worde whan it was not yet wryten addinge and puttinge ther to whan he tempted Eue (as nowe dothe More shewinge him selfe to be the very ch§ ylde of the father of lyes to seduce the conl gregacion and chirche of God) The heuenly prouidence of God did committe it at laste vnto letters to abyde vnto the worldis ende that it might standforth agenste all stormey contradiccion of the Deuell / and his childerne / the very enymes of the trowthe / not onely to defende it selfe by it sel fe / but to declare it selfe the very worde of God and to iuge and trye all mennis vnw ryten or wryten wordis whither they be trewe or false: to receyue them beynge con sonant vnto it / and to estiewe and dampne them beynge contrary. This worde therforexix. and • xix saith the Prophete is pure and precyo wse tryed aboue Golde or Syluer more gloryouse and riche / than any precyowse stone in whiche consiste the the some of our saluacion. Unto whiche we aspyre and prease thorowe fyer and water / and contende to haue it thorow a thousand perellis / wh iche worde because it is endicted and wry ten of the moste benigne and lyberall God we knowe it to be the moste absolute / ful / and perfyt: whervnto no nother maye be added / nothinge maye be minisshed. And agene. Because it was wryten of the moste trwe God: we are perfitely assured of the vetyte and certaynte therof: so that when all other wordis as Moris vnwryten vamtes maye be douted of / and called into question: yet shall this wryten worde of God stande stil vndouted of / the moste certayne and trwe squyer to iuge and to trye all other by it: euen the pyler and foundacion of the trowthe as Paule callethe it / in. i. Timothe. iij. capit. This was wryten of the moste wyse / that it shulde be exacte withe owte faute or errour. It was wryten of the moste almighty God to endure for euer / to bere downe all other wordis contrary to it and to stande faste euen agenste the gates of hell.

¶ This wryten worde it behoued to be brought for the by • lere and perfit men of lyuinge and of constant faithe. wherevnto firste / Moses the moste faithful minister in the howse of almightye God was chosen euen to wryte and to committe it • nto letters theuerlastinge wyl of god techinge than by that wryten worde his flocke as now by the same we be taught what is god properly as our capacite maye comprehende / whiche be his ferme decreis / Howe and in what thingis he wolde be worshiped / what he approueth and what he aborrethe. Whiche wryten worde to omitte and neglecte / it is damnacion / to obaye and beleue / it is euerlastinge lyfe / To adde vnto it / to take frome it / or to change it / (whiche al More dothe) it is grete synne and wykednes. This scripture was afterwarde delyuerde vnto Iosua to be conserued / defended / and spred abrode: of whome by succession other men receyuinge it vnto the tyme of Samuel did preseru • it. And than began the prophetis to floresshe / and open scoles were holden therof / Than began this heuenly holsome doctryne (as Pa ul • so ofte calleth it) to be professed and pre ched openly. Not that these Diuynes the prophetes were the autors of this celestial diuinite / nor yet added or changed thei any thinge of this scripture and couenant whiche Moses had wryten: but these men perceyuinge the dul • es: and blynde ignorance of y• worlde / did dispute / expende / discusse and declare them the lawe ād lerninge before wryten & delyuerd them / & y• same prophete cryste so ofte figured & promysed by Moses / thei began to open to shewe ād to set for the clerely before their eyes. Which prophetis gestis and sermons / as m • che as behouethe and is profitable for vs to knowe / be wryten in their holy bokis for owr doctryne vnto the worldis eude / as ar the visions sermons and prophecyes of Isaye Ieremy Dauid Dauiel &c.

And albeit sometyme the study of these holy letters floureshed / & sometyme wasy• script ures ab ode euer neglecte: yet was it neuer (the prouidēce of god so prouydinge) vtterly omitted & loste. For when vnder Manasses / ther was sich a slaughter of propbetis ād the holy bokis laye rotted / couerd wt duste & eten with woriii • . He. xxij mes / yet was ther Olda the prophetisse lef te / & at laste the boke of the lawe fownde in the temple brought forth into light vnder Iosias. At the captiuite of Babylon / were not many of ye holy bokis (as thei be now) smyten oute of their handis / loste & brent wt the temple? & yet did god reserue then Esdras (as now hath he reserued many an Esdras) to repayer & delyuer them agen frō perell that thei perisshe not vtterly. which was nolesse myracle than is shewed this da ye / to se the Emprow • Pope and so many Kynges lordis Cardinallis bisshopes and the Deuyl to al agenste it / and yet magry their tethes all / God by a fewe vanesshed pore sowlis thruste it into their realmes ād sprede it into euery korner of them. And here yet wolde More haue these lurkinge sorte of heretyques shewe a myracle for their chirche / as himselfe bringeth yn for his chirche the maydens miracles of curtham strete nowe knowne for a false seducer / wh an God the very autor of al trwe miracles hathe shewed one manifeste miracle euen vpon More himselfe & yet cannot the bestely blynde asse se it. but what is this miracle? verely God hathe declared Mores highe witte and wysedome to be starke folisshenes / and confownded his highe brayne and grete lerninge / by these wretched begerly foles of this worlde and starke heritiques (as he callethe them). But to returne. Esdras (I sayd) was stered vp to restore and preche agayne the scriptures. And nowe laste of al aftir many yeris God by hys euerlastinge cownsel hathe spoken vnto vsHeb. i by his owne sonne our sauiour Cryste euē the same that he had spoken before by his Prophetis patriarches and Moses: which thinge he declared in his transfyguracion in that he callinge to him h • ly and Moses did talke with them / signifyinge the lawe and Prophetis to agre with him ād he with them / and himselfe to be the perfitende and fullfilling of the • awe and Prophetis euen the very marke yt al thei did shote at / whervnto al their wrytingis tended. So that al the scripture testifyeth Cryste whiche euer alleged it agenste the Iwes murmuringe / affirminge it to be so ferme / that soner shulde heuen and erthe slyde awaye than one Iod or Title of the • awe shulde perisshe.

¶ This Testament is ferme faste & immutable / one alone euerlastinge. As there is but one God / one lorde cryste the hed of one catholik congregacion / so is there but one faith one flocke both of the olde faithf ul fathers ofiwes and vs one crysten religi on euer to endure. Is ther but one testament? how than are ther two ye olde & new? In substance / ther is but one couenant & testament / euen the very same made to Abra ham and to vs his sede / but in the maner & forme of y• delyuerance & respecte of y• tyme thei are called two. For as concerninge y• thinge self that god promysed Abraham & his sede / the same is also promysed vs. y• • o to wit. That god wil be our god / fo • al alo ne sufficient / & agen yt we shulde be pure ād perfit walkinge before him / wt y• same precepts / as to haue no strange goddis but one god onely to serue fere & worship in spirit / faith & innocency of lyuinge / beleuing him • . Cor. i to be in cryst our onely rightwysnes redē ption wysedome holynes / one satisfaccion for al one sacrifice ons for al & euer offred vp vpon the crosse / one sufficient sauiour mediatour alone in his manhed before y• father for vs both god and man / wt the hope of euerlastinge lyfe of our soules & bodyes at laste • o ryse agene. This was yt clere faithe & religion of Adam / Noe / Abraham / Mo ses / Samuel / Dauid & of al the Prophetis & also of Ioan Baptist / Steuen / Peter / Ie ames & Paule / And shalbe y• faith & religiō of Cryst in al thel • cte vnto y• worldis ende

But nowe consyder the maner & formeHow y• testamē tis be. •• wheryn stādeth the dyuersite: how y• same couenant was made to vs both (y• same thī ge delyuered both to vs & thez) which thin ge Paule espyinge sayd: Al was geuen thē i. cor. xi in figures. But so was it not vnto vs. For god the father gaue vs cryst both the pledge promyse ernest couenant testament ād altogither the perfit acomplessher & ful fines • hed ende of al / so yt now we worship hī present paste & cōplete / whō thei had but in shadows & figures / or rather waited for to come▪ ons to be their perfeccion. Wherfore here may ye se the diuersite of this maner and forme / but ye thinge selfe to be all one to thez & vs. For thei had him in figur • s / we haue him in verite / thei sawe him in shadews / we haue the body present in fa ith. Thei enioyed him in vtwarde ceremo nes / we worship him in harte & spirit / his spirit testifying to our spirit yt he is our god & we his childerne. Vnto this spirit Cryste directed al thingis & prepared the hartis of his to receyue him constantly: yt whom his bodely presence which might not lōge aby de wt them coude not lede into y• knowlege of him / yt is to wit into al trouth pertaynin ge to y• some of our saluacion: yet y• spirit of trouth at laste shulde lede them by y• same waye into yt trouth which sayd I am y• wayHeb. v. vi. vij. &c. & y• trouth. Vnto this ende pertayned y• sac rifices & pre • sthed of Aaron / y• figures of cr yst y• very preist after Melchisedekis ordinā ce & y• very sacrifice o • s for al & euer. Hithe • to tended ye blode of y• offred bestis sprin • l • d vpon y• iii • . korners of the alter. This fi gur • d so many baptizi • ges purifyinges ād wass • inge • / y• y• blode of this innoc • t & pure lambe Cryste shulde wasshe & purge vs of al our synnes. Of this diuersite in y• forme of cryst is del •• erance vnto them in figu res / & to vs in very dede / did ye father assuer & certifye both vs & them to be our god: vpon which diuersite also did springe these i • . names y• olde & newe testament. The father promysed them to be their god / & so de clared himself to be / in y• he delyuered them out of so many capt •• ites / & so ofte frō their en •• es / geuinge them y• londe wt so ma ny commodites & siche lawes & ordinancis as no nacion els had. And at laste he decla red him to be our god also & theirs to / in yt he gaue vs both his owne sone so ofte & so many ways figured in ye lawe / now verely borne for vs & geuen vs which also hath dy ed / is rysen & ascended to heuen &c. so fult ••• nge al y• was wrytē of him in y• law & pro phetis. & this delyuerāce of cryst by y• father to vs is called yt new test • me • or couenant in resp • cte of y• olde▪ where because y• body was present & is now present stil in yt • ye of our faith / it hath abolesshed ye olde / ye is to • yt y• shadews & figures cōtayned in y• oldeHow testam ents / v one

In Substance therfore only / y• doctrine of Moses & cryst is alone / cryst affirminge it • o. v. Thinke not y• I wil accuse you before my father: It is Moses (said he to ye i • es) whose disciples ye truste to be / y• shal ac cuse you. For had ye beleued Moses / so had • e verely beleued me: for he wryteth of me ( • o M. More he w • yteth of cryst & not le • neth nor speketh of cryst by mouth wt oute wryting). If ye beleue not his w • yting (he saith not as More saith his vnwryten wor dꝭ) how shal ye beleue my wordꝭ? here may • e • e • crystis word is which he wold▪ haue had them to beleue for their saluaciō & Mo ses wryting was alone: Paule confirming y• same / sayng we haue ye same gospel prechHeb. i •• ed vs yt was preched thez / mening y• fathers vnder Moses. But here More will saye asMo • is ob ••• ci on. he doth ofte in his blasphemouse bokis / y• both thers & our • estani •• / both their gospel (if he grāte thez any at al as y• scripture • paul doth) & ours be both insufficiēt / wt out his vnwriten verities or rather vayne ly • s be lapped in to: vnto which Mo • is false sayngeMy an swere thus I answer: yt in Moses lawe ther wer as goodly ceremones & yt of goddis ow ne instit • cion as these of Moris chirches / & yet of them thus writeth Paule. The laHeb. vij we (by y• lawe mening those vtwarde rites & ceremones) brought nothīge to per • ecciō & therfore was it w • ake imperfit & at laste abolesshed. Now sith Paule reputed sich ceHebre. viij. remones so light which god himselfe orda yned for yt p • ple & for yt tyme: miche lesse ou ght we to esteme Moris vnwryten cerema nes inuented of his Synagoge callinge th em vlaphemously tradicions of the spirit of trwth / when thei be but tradicious of lying men / & y• is y• moste blasphemy of al where he wolde make them necessary trowthes to be beleued for our saluacion when we se them before our eyes to be starke lyes / and deuillisshe dortryne. also to confute vtterly Moris wyked obieccion & pestil • nt opiniō saynge y• theirs & our gospel wrytē or y• both y• testamentis be imperfit & insufficient for our saluaciō except we lappyn his vnw ryten lyes to: ye shal vnderstande / yt cryste departinge bodely from his disciples / & sen dinge them into al y• worlde bad thē preche • gospel to al men: adding / y• who so beleue it & be baptized shal be saued. which gospel is now wryten of al y• iiij. euangelistes & in euery pistle o • Paule Peter & Ioan & also in y• law & prophetis. except More wil make vs any other gospel ād so lat it be called M. Moris gospel / crist thought his • noughe saynge y• who so beleue it / shalbe saued For crystis gospel bringeth vs no siche bal de domme ceremones as halowing of assh es sa • t candles clothes & crepinge to crosses but it brought vs cryst himself ye onely per fit & sufficient sauiour of al y• beleue in him of whiche perfeccion plentuouse fulnes in our redempcion & sufficiency the law y• pro phetis & ye apostles euery where testifye. he being made perfit & ynoughe for al yt obaye him / saith Paul / was y• • ause of euerlastingHeb. v. helth. It pleased y• father yt al fulnes & perfeccionColl. i. shulde be contayned in criste. Pray sed therfor be god ye father of our lorde IesuEph. i. cryst / which hath so aboundantly endw ed & euryched vs wt al maner of heuenly & spiritual giftis / in y• he hath geuen vs cryst Al y• figures were but shadows of cryste ye Col. ij. verite & very body of al. whiche very body now comen: what shulde we desyer more? Is not this body in whom al verites be cō taynedHeb. xij &. xiij ye perfecciō & perfitsome of al? is not cryst y• beginning & ende of our faith: is not he ye very same histerday to days & for euer? was not Abrahā wt al y• faithful fro ye begin ninge & shalbe to thending iustified & saued by faith onely in cryst? Be not therfore caryed about crysten reder wt dyuerse • ayne & strāge doctrine not contayned in holy scripture but inuented & fayned of anticriste & his faccion. • ede ye sermons of the apostles thorow their actis & loke what gospel thei preched / loke whither it was not wryten & whither the • preched any thinge wt out the testimony • f y• scriptures? & shal we beleue Mo •• s • are worde whō we know nother Apostle nor precher? it is verely a lōge way betwene ye first ca. of Gen. & ye last of apo cal. & many verites & mich holsome doctrine contayned •• this space. A lenger waye I fere me thā euer More eth • r • aded wt his camel or did swymme wt his mouse: & whith • t al y• trouthes into whiche ye holy goste led ye apostles be contayned in this wyde occean & depe sea I wene it passeth Moris speculacion to know / & mich more te •• er •• i ouse he shewith him selfe to dare affirme y• al trouthes necessary to be beleued be not here cōtayned / sith he nether know what is here wrytē nor yet vnderstande any one ca. theryn. What worde of faith in god y• fa ther / in cryst y• sonne / in y• holy gost lakketh in ye byble? what promyse what gospel necessary for our saluaciō & conforte haue not y• scripture? what cōmandemēt wanteth it? what doctrine other to exhorte / warne / re buke / correcte / or to conuince faileth in the holy testamentis? How many storyes & ensamples ar ther setforth to teche ye knowle ge of god / his powr / goodnes / faithfulnes / trouth / & mercy for ye faithful? & agen his fe re / wrathe / vēg • ance / iustice / & ingementis for ye vngodly? Is ther any vyce ether agēst god or mā / but ye scripture rebuke & dā • ne it? ar not al y• scriptures reduced to faith & loue? & did not cryst knitvp al ye lawe & prophetis wt this double knot of loue of god & our neghbours? is not the scripture y• suer ancor of our faith & religion? Aet. xvi. what els did Paule & Silas answer y• keper / ask inge thez what must I do to be saued / thē Beleue in y• lorde Iesus & y• shalt be saued? whal wolde More make vs beleue wt hys vnwrytē wordis? Is not ye olde faith of our fathers Adā / Noe / Abrahā & Iacob wrytē & cōmended so ofte both in ye olde & new te stamēt sufficiēt? shal More auerte vs frome y• sue • ancorād vndouted wryten worde of god to his owne vnwrytē vaynetes? Is our crede & faith delyuerde vs in wryting by y• apostles which thei did draw out of holy se riptures now so insufficient / that we must sewe & patche to it Moris vnwryten articles of a newe fownde faith? or shal we desyer M. More to make vs a new Credo & cor recke the olde?

¶ What thinke ye of yt moste faithfull minister Moses / so meke so studiouse / so di ligēt & louinge to his cōgregaciō cōmitted to him yt he offred himself to be blotted out of y• boke of lyfe for their saluacion? thinke ye y• he was not as diligent to wryte as to preche them by mouth the hole some of th eir saluacion & al cristen religion? verely ste uē called y• wrytē wordis delyuerde to Mo ses in y• mount of Syna. The wordis of lyf Acto. vij. The prophetis which were so fer uent & redy to wyn y• peple to god beynge content euen to dye for their preching: were thei so colde & negligent as to leue oute any thinge vnwryten necessary for our salua cion? The apostles the very messengers of Cryste as especially Paule whose labours and swet in the gospel exceded al others to wyn both i • e & gentyle / beinge also ernest for his brotherne y• i • es yt he desyerd to be castout of goddis fauour / so thei mighte be taken yn: was not this man thinke ye as er neste & diligent wt his pe • ne as wt his worde to wyn y• worlde to criste? Paule & his fe laws knew in their tyme yt ye sowne of their wordis were but slyper voyces smytinge ye moste slyper sense to enter yn at one eare & to go out wt many at ye tother / & went but wt their bodis only for y• tyme, but their wry tingi • shulde not onely be • erde / but also offred to mennis eyes y• most suereste sense of al / to sowne thorout al y• worlde for euer where theirselues coude neuer come. Thei saw their wrytingis (what contenciō o • scisme so euer fel) shulde abyde for euer to decyse & determen y• trowth / & yt letters were y• most faithful & suerest kepers of theyr wordis & voyces / Thei same also in theyr tyme y• their sermons & doctrine / dyuerse hearers did diuersely reporte into their scla wnder & perel of errours & false beleif: wherfore to be suer & to auoyde these inconue nientis / & for y• other frutes / thei cōmitted their wordis vnto letters. Ioan preched (I doute not) first agēst Corinthus & Ebion ere he wrote / but to confute their heresye more suerly & more at large: what a gospel did he wryte: euen y• brason pyler & founda tion of the trouth to stand • agenst / & to bare down al sich heresyes to y• worldis ende But here saith More / yt the apostles were not so plentuouse wt their pennes as they were wt their mouthes. Whervnto I answer yt thei were as riche & as diligent wt their penne / ye rather plentuo • ser thē wt their tonges. For yt man which wryteth • thinge wt deli • eracion which he hath spoken & preched so ofte • efore / shal do it more exactly & richely wt his penne then euer he spake it / sith the holy goste fayle noless • his penne then he did before his tongue. I thinke Paule did setforthe s • nne / ye lawe / gra ce & y• gospel • ••• nfyinge by faith onely in his pistle t • y• • om. wt his penne or spake it whyle his scrybe did receyue it: as rychely as euer he did p • ec • e these thinges by mo uch. • ow compendioise an introducciō in to y• vnderstanding of y• hole scripture yt pistle is / th • i know y• haue labo • ed & studied it. Did not Crys • stome / Austē / Ierome etc. • ryte their homylies & sermons more large ly • d clerely then thei preched thez? And if we might fetche a coniecture at the gentyle letters / I wolde argue: yt Cicero his oracious w • yten / karyed wt them more vehemence / pe • he / ād powr to persuade / thē sp oken: although I know y• y• speker ād pronoūcer g • ue his oracion spirit ād lyfe. For I thinke (ād so dide Milo himself) y• if Cicero had sayde his oracion for Milo as riche • ād as plentuously as he aftirwarde wro • e it: Milo had neuer eten so strange course is • he in Massilia. But let these cōi • ctures • asse: ād turne we to the assuered certaynte • f the wryten worde / to be set agēst Moris • auerīg vnwrytē vanites which as thei cā • ot certifye nor set no troubled cōscience at este: so put thei nomā in suertye of saluaciō is doth the wryten worde of god: excepte my man be so mad as to beleue Moris ba • e worde better then goddis wrytē promise

The wordis of god wrytē ar so certaynThe vn douted certainte of the scripture • thei be boūd wt an othe of his own mouth weringe by himselfe / so yt nether the techer nor the lerner of thē nedeth neuer to doute. And by this othe he hathe assuered vs of the same hrretage geuē vnto our fathers • brahā Isaac et ce. if we perseuer in ye same • aith and sufferance paciently tarying fo • it in hope: setting befor our eyes the same self promysed hope whō we taryfore / Iesus cr • st the very trouth of god ād the self promi se: of whō he assuereth vs so certaynly y• he • alleth him the suer fast • ancore of our sou • is. (the grekis vse the ancore prouerbially for a suer ād salfe refugye / ād for al thingis that we truste ād cleaue to) Now what sue • er ancor is ther thā goddis wryten worde confirmed by his▪ owne othe / euen his euerlastinge testament wryten in crystis blode ratifyed confirmed & sealed wt his dethe? vn to which testament saith Paule Gala. iij. th • rought noman to adde any thinge more or to change: which consyderinge y• assured certaynte of this worde ād gospell wryten / when he came to y• penninge therof to certifye his Timothe & Titus set to preche it / layde on these wordis as hammers saynge. Fidelis sermo / certus sermo / indubitatus sermo. It is aferme faste & a suer worde / cer tayne & vndouted worthy to be approued & embrased al maner of wayes / so yt it is profi table to teche to rebuke to exhorte &ce. It behoueth an ouerseer saith he to be glewed to this assuered & certayne worde by wh ich men ar taught & enstructe / so yt thei may exhorte wt holsome doctrine & conuinceal y• agen say it. Our gospel saith Paule i. thessa. i. was preched wt you / not in worde onely but also wt power by y• holy goste in grete assuerance & certaynte as ye know. For he say • nothinge but he proued it them by y• suer testimony of scripture whan he first preched wt them & conuerted them. Act. xvij. • nd note wel Crysten reder whan Paule comethe to this certayn assuered worde of his gospel. That cryste dyed for our synnes: how ernestly he exhorteth these two ouerseers saynge. These thinges teche / Thisi. Tim. iiij. &. ij. i. Tim. ij. &. iiij. commande / These thinges whette & excercyse vpon them. These monesshe & warne them. And when he came to ye. iij. ca. ij. T • . to put him in mynde of this certayn gospel & of thassuerance of whom he was lerned ye scripture / how effectuouse myghty & perfit it is vnto saluacion / a none se wt how meruelouse erneste obtestacion he adiured Timothe before god & ye lorde Iesu cryste yt he shulde preche it: byddinge him to be feruēt be it in ceason or out of ceason: Improue rebuke exhorte wt al pacience &c. Now crystē reder / I obteste & adiure ye wt Paule / before God & ye lorde Iesu cryste yt shall Iuge the quyk & deed at his aperinge in his kyngdome / yt yu cleue vnto ye ancor of his wryten ād adsuered worde / not to leue it for Moris vnwryten rytes & ceremones / forsake not Goddis certayn wrytinge for Mores vncertayne vanytes. Beleue Goddis vndouted scriptures: & aborte Moris execrable & dampnable doctrine if yu wylt saue thy soule. What Crysten man dothe not doute of Moris vnwryten wordis or rather knowe them for vndouted blasphemyes & starke heresyes? but of the trouth of goddis wryten testament / no crysten man beynge one of crystes floche heringe and knowing his herde mannis voyce neuer douted / nor neuer shal. but is assuered that it is his euerlasting trouth sufficient for our saluacion. Which god geue vs grace only to rede / to vnderstande / to beleue / to cleue to / and tops. cxix holde it vp before vs the very lighte vnto our fete / that we stomble not at Moris vn wryten lyes and fall into his dampnable doctryne.

Amen. The voyce of thy brothers blode cryeth vnto me from the erthe. Gen. iiij For I wyl auenge the blode of the pore oppressed: y• lorde enquereth for it / he forgeteth not their cryinge. Psal. ix.
The Fawtes.

In. ii • . lef. first syde. i. lyne / read heuen. iiij lef. i. syde. xxv. lyne / for y• / read yt. v. lef. i. s • xv. ly. read fautelesse. xv. lef. i. sy. laste lyne read worde. xxv. let. ij. syde. xxiij. lyne. read shalbe borne: xliij. lef. i. syde. v. ly. read hau • ye Moris &c. xliiij. lef. i. sy. iiij. lyne. stere 〈…〉 xlvi. lef. i. sy. & firste worde / read autorites

M. D. xxxiiij. at Emdon by Iacob Au 〈…〉