The sum­me of christianitie gatheryd out almoste of al placis of scripture, by that noble and famouse clerke FRANCIS LAM­BERT of Auynyon.

And translatyd, and put in to prynte in Englyshe, by TRISTRAM REVEL. The yere of our lorde.

1536. ❧

The table of this boke.

FYrste ther is an epistle of the translatour to ye most vertuous Quene ANNE.

There is also the epystle of the Author in place or stede of a prologe. to the moste noble lorde, lorde Seba­styan prynce of Lausane, in the which is made answere to those thyngꝭ that Tregaryus wrytte to the same Lorde in hys epystle prefyxed, hys hundreth paradoxes.

Also these thynges folowynge be in­treated vpon in .385. paradoxes or questyons, deuyded into chapiters.

  • ¶ The fyrst Chapiter of the blydnes of the worldes paste and hathe Para­doxes .29.
  • ¶ The seconde Chapiter of the holy Churche of god and reprouable syna­goge of Sathan of canonyzynge and inuocatyon of Saynctes and hathe Paradoxes .31.
  • ¶ The thyrde Chapiter of the com­munyon of Sayntes, of excomunyca­tyon and bulles of the sonne of per­dycyon [Page] and hathe Paradoxes .14.
  • ¶ The fourthe Chapitre of true good workes and the lawe of grace, and the gospell, and vertues of the faythefull, and hathe Paradoxes .20.
  • ¶ The fyfthe Chapitre of the preste­hode of the faythefull, and true mini­stres of the churche .i. byshopes and deacons, and hathe Paradoxes .38.
  • ¶ The syxte Chapitre of punyshmēt and deposīg false byshopes, and false apostles, and hathe Paradoxes .31.
  • ¶The seuenthe Chapitre of the auc­toryty and ministery of byshopes, and in what thynges they ought to be sub­iecte to prynces, and rulers, & of sanc­tuaryes, and hathe Paradoxes .27.
  • ¶ The eyght Chapitre that byshop­pes maye nat be prynces and lordes, and hathe Paradoxes .13.
  • ¶ The nynthe Chapitre of abroga­cyon of fyrste frutes tythes and offe­rynges, and what the faythfull owe to theyr bysshoppes .i. ministers of the worde, also of those thinges that they owe to prynces and rulers, and hathe Paradoxes .28.
  • ¶ The tenthe Chapitre of the table [Page] of the lorde and execrable costomes of the kyngdome of the son of perdy­cyon, vtterly to be extincte and putte downe and of Purgatory, and hathe Paradoxes .36.
  • ¶ The eleuenthe Chapitre of sectes and beggyng, & hathe Paradoxes .18.
  • ¶The twelfthe Chapitre to whom it belongythe to iudge of doctryne if it be of god or nat and of wycked vniuersyties, and hathe Paradoxes .15.
  • ¶ The thyrtenthe Chapitre of the partes (as they call it) of penaunce and all that belongythe there to, and hathe Paradoxes .85.

¶ This terme Paradoxe is a conclusyon or posiscyon or questyon. ☞:♣:☜ ❧

The epystle of the translator

❧ To the moste gracyous Quene ANNE, most deare wyfe, of our most drade soueraygne lorde, HENRY the eyght of Englande, & of Fraūce kynge, defender of the faythe, and lorde of Irelande, and vnder god, next, chefe, and supreme heade of the churche of Englande, your most bondē oratour Trystram Reuel wys­shethe helthe.

GRace, and peace, from God the father, and the lorde Iesus Chryste, be with you moste Gracy­ous Quene / moste hum­bly, and with all reue­rence gyuynge laudes / and praysynges vnto almyghtye god for your grace, euen after the mynde of saynte Paule,Ephe alwayes in all my prayers for your grace, with gladnes, bycause of the felyshype whiche your grace hathe in the gospel, frō the fyrst day vntyll nowe, and am surely certy­fyed, that he whiche hathe begonne a good worke in you, wyl also go forthe [Page] with it, vntyl the day of Iesus chryst, with the encrease and establyshement of his gospell, as yet but yonge & hath many enemyes, to whome the lorde sende the day of his visytatyon, to hꝭ honoure and glory, and your grace to perseuere, with all dylygence as your grace haue begone to promote, furder, and sette forthe, [...]oh. 1. Goddes worde, vpon the selfe same zele that saynte Iohan cryed in deserte, make redy the way of the lorde / So that euery man may be rulyd by the laste wyll, and testamente of our eldest brother, and lorde Iesus Chryste, which is suffycyent for al vs to lyue after, to euerlastynge helth, to knowe God ye father to be God alone and whō he hath sent Iesus Chryste, [...]. 17. without any other foreyne or straung lawes, he hath also straytly cōmaūded his lawyers, [...]odi. [...]. byshopes ouer the cōgregation or any other, nether to adde or dymynyshe one Iote, to, or from hys forsayd last wyl,isai. [...]. sayng, I am thy god, the God of Zelotes, one alone suffy­cyent, thou shalte haue no straunge godes ī my syht, [...]ie. 31. nether turne to the ryght hande, nor the lefte. And nowe [Page] heare Israel the preceptes, and iudgementes, whiche I teache the, that do­ynge them, thou mayste lyue, & goinge in, may possesse the lāde that the lorde God of thy fathers wyll gyue the. Thou shalt adde nothyng to ye worde yt I speake to the,Deu. [...] nor take any thynge from it, kepe the commaundementes of thy lord god, and holde the kynges hyghe waye, the pathe of holy scryp­ture, which is the worde, besydes whō there is none other, furthermore vpon the selfe same charge, he hathe orday­ned, instytute, and made executors for the performaunce of hys sayde testa­ment, that euery mā without respecte of person, shulde be equally receyued, and yt of sundry wyse. Fyrst he hathe instytute,Mark 17. Math 16. Mark 10. Lu. 2. Hu. 1 3. Regum. [...] Bysshoppes to teache hys people therin to lose, to bynde, to pro­naūce grace, and remissyon of synnes, gyuen thoroughe hys worde. More­ouer he hathe put kynges, prynces, & rulers, ī theyr auctorytes, to punyshe, correcte and expulse from hys congregacyon, transgressours of hys lawes, and straungers, not sekynge to edefye but to kyl, which be callyd bloude sup­pers, [Page] men lyuynge after theyr owne braynes, and fantasies, not commynge in at the dore but another waye, set­tynge forthe theyr owne lawes & tra­dycyons, almost deceyuynge the very electe, as is wel knowen to the fayth­full, with suppressyon and treadynge vnder fote,Math. 4. euen to this day, the lyght of euerlastyng veryte, the lyuely word of god. And for ye cause most chrysten Quene, that noble and famous clarke FRAVNCYS' LAMBERT Author of thys lytle treatyse, percey­uynge both the exilynge of the gospel from chrysten mēnes hartes, [...]oh. 16 and also the ruyne, and destructyon of ye fayth­full, moste lyke a true champyon hath sette forthe, to the quycke Image the pestylente doctryne, and actes of the kyngedome of perdycyon, the church of Antychryste, the men of synne, the Pope, and his sectes, in many workes with great laboures and study, chefly in thys lytle boke, clerely confutynge the synagoge of Sathan as a noble executour of his brothers aforesayde wyll, and by the same auctoryte hathe descrybed and set forth true mynisters [Page] of goddes moste holye worde, a boke to be redde of all chrystē people, therin they may learne to walke in theyr cal­lynge, pryncypally byshopes ouer the congregacion, which sayde lytle trea­tyse by a good christen brother lent to me, as yet bothe yonge in yeres, and muche lesse in learnynge, haue taken in hande to translate this so precyous a treasure, and offer it to your most noble grace rudely sette forth, trustynge that youre grace wyll cause the same, eloquently and ornatly to be transla­ted by some of your dyscret, wyse, and well learned clarkes, most humbly be­sechynge your grace, in good parte to take this my rude enterpryse, pryncy­pally (to confesse the truthe) bycause I am very vnmete to do such a thinge and partly for lake of tyme, oppressed with pouertye, the whiche (as the Poete MANTVANE wrytteth) is enemy to good maners, consequēt­lye my wryttynge is verye course and base, as yet ferre from the trade of a wryter, the which be the causes of my offerynge to your grace, so rude a vo­lume, so indygeste a phrase, and to be [Page] brefe, so vnsemely set together, wher­fore I humbly beseche your grace, to take these my fyrste frutꝭ (yf they may be called frutes) euen as Chryste our mayster hathe accepted the offerynge of the pore woman whose wyll was good,Mar. 12 Lu. 21. whē she offered al that she hade thoughe it was but lytle. And the holy goste preserue our sayde so­ueraygne Lorde, and your most deare husbande, your grace, & the ladye ELEZA­BETHE Pryncesse, Doughter, & heyre vnto you bothe, and gyue to you the lyght of hys mercye, to whome, with god the Father, and the Sonne, be honoure, and glorye for euer more. So be it. ✚

The epystell of the auctour.

❧ To the noble, and moste gentyll lorde: lorde SEBASTIAN, of Moūt faulcone, prynce of Lausanc.
FRAN­CIS LAMBERT the vnprofytable seruancte of Iesus Christe,
grace, and peace, of god the father, and the lorde Iesus Christe.❧

NOt many yeres passyd, moste noble prynce, whā I shulde preache the pure, and holsome, worde of god, at your cytie of Lausane. I dyd ꝑceiue, by many argumentes, bothe the sobre gentylnes of youre mynde, and also the outragyous wyc­kednes, of certayne flaterers, and de­ceiuers. For at altymes, where as you were present, at my sermons, you dyd moste purely fauer the worde of god, and whan you were constreynyd, with vrgent busynes, to be absent (whiche was ones, and eftsones) as you haue enformyd me, very many were aboute sumwhat busyly, to alyenat, or make [Page] you straunge, ye as it were to say, en­uiously to drawe you frome the worde of god. lyke fyrye burnyng knyghtes, adfyrmyng that I preachyd heresye. But at the laste the myghty verytye, hathe so conuycte you, that you haue wryten many thynges for me, and I gladly cōfesse, that for the loue of you I was gentylly enterteynyd, with the Bernēses, Ligurynes, Basylyanes, & Friburgyanes. Farthermore, at my departyng from you, you instantly desy­ryd me, very ofte to wryte to you, whiche to do I gladly promysed, in tyme conuenient. wherfore I beseche your hyghnes of pardone, bycause I haue nat performyd it to thys daye, for it chansyd nother by obliuiousnes, or neglygence, but very ofte, whan I was about to do it, I was constreynydly rapte, to other maters. The laste of al I wolde haue made answere, to the hundreth paradoxes, or questyones, of CONRADVS TREGARIVS the Augustyne freresēt to you. wherin he is very busy, not alonly to pull you a­way frome Christe, but also the noble gentyles of Heluetia. although he do [Page] glory, with pretens and zele of the spirite of Christ, in the spirite of erroure and blyndnes. Veryly he dothe tea­che nothyng lesse then Christ. For he laboryth very sore, to vndermyne the vyneyarde of the lorde of companies. that is to saye, the congregacyon or churche of christen people, euyn lyke to a crafty or wyly foxe. but this foxe, muste be taken, I saye thys lytle foxe, ye the whiche is without effycacytie, or strengthe of the spirite, that other he maye be sauyd, or els confoundyd put downe. accordynge as the spouse commaundyth in the cantykles, saing take to vs these foxes, these lytle foxꝭ, that vndermyne the vyneyardes and the lytle eyes of the vynes. which wordes, howe they shulde be vnderstādyd I haue declaryd, in my enarracyon in to the cantycles. Farthermore whā I was about, an answere, in to the sayde paradoxes, or conclusyons, the derely belouyd, and trewe teachyd bretheren of god VVLSGANGVS FABRI­CIVS Capito, and MARTINE BVCER, two of the byshopes of Ar­gentyne, preuentyd me. And for that [Page] cause I dyd leaue of my purpose and toke on hande, the reiteracyon or set­tyng forthe the comentaryes (whiche I had begonne) in to certayne of the prophetes, with many other thynges. for I knowe them to furnyshe that mater, more dylygently then shal nede that any man shulde adde any thynge to theyr wrytingꝭ. I wolde but alonly monishe you, to beware, and take hede of suche wolues, goyng in shepes clo­thyng, that they do nat in euery place vyolently rapte, slee, and dystroye. I haue also made answere, to the epystle that he dyd wryte to you in the begynnyng of his boke. deferrynge to wryte to you matters, of greater grauytye, vnto a tyme more conuenient, as well as if I had made answere to the sayde paradoxes, or conclusyones. Nor you shall nat merueyle that I sayde, there be many byshopes of one cytye, for verely euery cytie, hath so many byshoppes, as it hathe true euangelystes or preachers, for euery preacher, of the truthe, I say of the truthe, that dothe nat preachelyes, decrees, inuencions, dreames, lawes, and coūselles, of men, [Page] but the moste pure and symple worde of god, is a true byshope, although he be nat callyd so of many the churche of god, hathe no other byshopes, but these. therfore there as is no pure mi­nister of the worde of god, is no bys­shop, and without doute, we haue ben very longe and manye yeres without byshopes, in the moste fearfull iudge­ment of god, for they that haue be cal­lyd byshopes, to this day, be nothyng lesse than byshopes, excepte they wyll be callyd wycked, or purse byshopes, or byshopes of the kyngdome of antichriste. Verely a byshope is callyd by interpretacyō an ouersear or watcher, and euery man is byshope of the thīg that he moste entendythe. But there is no man so blynde, but he perceuyth to what thyngꝭ these byshopes of the kyngdome of perdycyon entende. Ye and they glory them selues, in lyenge wordes sayeng. He that dothe a thīg, by another / aperethe to do it by hym selfe. This rule / is execrable / and cur­syd byfore the lorde, in those thynges that pertaine to the office of a byshop whose hyest pointe is ministery of the [Page] alonly worde of god, for they may cō ­mytte to other the ministery of sacra­mentes, bycause they be pryncypally sent to the ministery of the worde. As saynte Paule wryteth of hym selfe, in the fyrste epystle to the Corinthianes the fyrste chapitre, sayeng Christ sent nat me to baptyze but to preache the gospell more ouer these buggyshe bys­shopes, substitute or haue none vnder thē, that is a pure euangelyst, but hyre wretches, and moste couytouse mar­chantes of lukre, that seke nothynge lesse then the glory of god, and helthe of soules. I shall brefly intreate vpon with your hyghnes, of those thynges that I copiously wrytte vpon, to the moste noble lorde IOHAN Cardinal (as they call it) of Lotherynge. what the Pope, with hys Cardynalles, Ar­chebyshopes, Byshopes, Abbottes, Chanones, & all other benefised men, shall do, leste they peryshe, but may be sauyd. For of truthe / all theyr hygh­nes is of the dyuell. Let them beware therfore / that they be nat euerlastīgly confoundyd / and peryshe. For bysho­pes be alonly ꝓphetes of truthe / and [Page] there shulde be so many byshopes, as the multytude of people requyreth. Ye and to confesse the truthe, I can nat call your hyghnes, a byshope excepte I shulde flatre, and do agaynst my conscyence, whiche is to be auoydyd of the faythfull, euyn as the venyme of the serpent Aspis. I cōfesse you to be a prynce, I knowe nat you to be a bys­shoppe, bycause you preache nat the gospell. But it is nat in euery man, to preache the gospel, but of thē to whō it is gyuen of the lorde, for they muste be sende to it, of him. And these be the true byshopes, of the churche of god. Therfore dylygently endeuour, your selfe that tre [...]e byshopes, may be en­creasyd, within your lordshyp. Bys­shopes may nat be lordes, but alonlye doctours, or teachers, and seruauntes of the people of god. It is iniury to a prynce, to be callyd byshope, ye and vtterly the moste greuous mockage, if the thynge spoken, be delygently exa­mynyd, wolde nat be thynke hym selfe deludyd, that were callyd by a name nothyng [...] for him? whan any man is callyd [...]sho [...]e, what other thyng [Page] is it than to say, beholde a preacher of the worde of god, contynually prea­chyng the gospell, hauyng knowledge of holy scripture, teachīg the people, with the alonly & pure worde of god, attrybutynge to god hys due honour and prayse, herberous, or kepyng hos­pitalytie, geuyng example of him selfe to other to folowe the gospell in ly­uyng, moste dylygent in redynge and expounding the scriptures, and yet he hathe none of all these. I wyll suffre euery man to call you a byshop, which I wyll nat do my selfe leste I be iniu­ryous to you. I well knowe that you be prynce of Lausane, ye and I wolde that you shulde so playe the prynce, that you wolde dylygently laboure to haue many true byshopes vnder you. For verely euery paryshe ought to haue hys propre byshope, the whiche shulde be chosen of the people, and cō fyrmed by the cominaltie of the chur­che of euery place, and to do this thīg they haue no nede of letters, rynges, sealles, tokēs, and suche other of this kynde very muche vsyd clene cōtrary to the worde of god. So longe they [Page] shulde be accountyd for byshopes as they preache moste purely the gospell of the kyngdome of god. Frō the whi­che if they swarue one iote, and teache straunge doctryne, they ought to be deposyd, and put out, of them by whō they were electe and chosen, that is to say of the comynaltie of the churche afore namyd, and other more apte to be electe. But of thys matter I haue spoken more at the large in an other place. Therfore I wyll returne to our purpose of Tregarius. He dyd wryte to your hyghnes supposyng you to be Fabiane, where as you be Sebastiane as the letters beare wytnes, gyuen to me by your owne handes, wherin he goyth aboute, to supprese and treade vnder fote the eternall veritie of god, vnder the name (as he hathe wrytten) of Lutherane secte, and vnder colour of zele towarde the church, he rayleth the moste lycētiously in to the truthe, and that same churche, [...]ho is he (at the leaste) that ꝑceiueth the thyngꝭ of god, that folowith Luther, or sayeth I am of Luthers secte? Luther is a man, and therfore of hym selfe a lyer, [Page] but if Luther, or any other speake the veritie, and truthe of god, what is the cause that we do nat gyue place to the truthe, whiche the holy ghoste dothe make open to vs, by Luther? For I praye you is it nat wrytten of suche men: you be nat they that speake, but the spirite of your father that spekith in you? it is nothyng sauery, nor plea­sythe nat at all, that some men do say, and talke of the wysdome of god, whi­che is founde in Paules epistles. they call it Paules philophie. I do gyue place, and beleue the wrytynges of Paule, Petre, Iohā, Esaie, Hieremie, and other prophetes of god, nat for them, but for the spirite of god, which dyd speake in them. Luther hathe nat teachyd me, nother hys wrytynges, those thingꝭ the which I haue knowē by the gyfte of god, in holy scriptures Yet for all that I cōfesse, me to knowe Luther, ye and nat a lytle to haue profytyd thorugh hys company. I know him to be the apostle, and aungell of god, that is to say sent of hym. For it is inpossible that he shulde be sent, but of him, to haue wrytten those thynges [Page] that he hathe wryttē, that is, the scriptures of truthe, and euyn as it is nat to be condempnyd that Paule hathe wrytten bycause he was a man, in lyke case, nother Luthers wrytynges are to be cōdempnid bycause he is a man. For it is nat Luther, but god yt hathe wrytten and spoken in Luther. But thꝭ Tregarius, to obtayne the fauour of Antichriste, vnder the name of Lu­ther, dothe openly speake agaynste Christe and his viritie. He dothe also vnder that name resyste the impollu­tyd scriptures of god, all the prophe­tes, and his louers, and callythe them defenders of sectes, causing great ru­mores, repletynge the worlde with all vnquietnes, Philistianes hauīg vaine and folyshe armoure, mockers / and deceyuers / & of this maner dothe rayle agaynste them with the moste oppro­brious crimes. Forthermore he dothe reproue them of vehemente and wyc­ked zele / and saithe that they haue forgote the saieng of our sauyour. Lerne of me for I am meke and humble in harte and agayne. blesse them that say euyll of you / and praye for them that [Page] persecute you. But nowe loke vpon the craftynes of this foxe, ꝑauenture he is afrayde / leaste that he shulde be put out and exilyd of antychrist / from the tyrānycall prouincialshype of his secte / & for that cause / he so feruently defēdyth his parte / settyng at nought the worde of the lorde. Nowe if he take this for a secte / to loue and teach the moste pure worde of god (the whi­che we doubte nat of) we do couit, and halfe this holy / necessary, eternal, and inuincible secte / and byfore hym and suche lyke / we wyll be of this secte / & cleaue to it must surely / orels without remedy we shulde peryshe ꝑpetually. we be adherētes and defēders of thys eternall / heuenly / and deuyne secte / & it is necessary / that we be tumultuous or bryngers vp of rumoures for it / a­gaynst the execrable / cursid / and abhomynable secte of antichriste. For the worde of the lorde dothe burst vp car­nal pease / & dothe rayse vp the sworde very ofte in hym selfe / accordynge to the sayīg of the lorde, I dyd nat come to sende pease / but a sworde. Math .x. and it is wrytten Luke .2. that Christ [Page] is put in to the falle (of the vnfaythe­full) & in to resurrection (of the fayth­full) and in to a sygne that shalbe re­systed and spoken agaynste (of those vnfaythful) if we shulde teache worldly thynges / beyng carnall and hypo­crytes / they wolde nat resyst and ryse agaynst vs as they do, but bycause we preache thingꝭ cōtrary to the worlde, the worlde hatyth vs / and callyth vs tumultuous / and sedecyous felowes. Ye and byfore it Christe him selfe was a sower of euell sedes / a sclaunderer with wordes / a sedycyous felowe / an herityke, a deceiuer, a subuerter of the people / and an euyll doer. Forther­more all that lyue mekely in Christe Iesu / and couyt so to do / suffre perse­cucyon of it. 2. Timoth. 3. God dothe cōmaunde vs also / of Tregarius / and suche other men of that secte / whiche no doubte pertayne to the abhomyna­ble courte of that purple whore of Babylon / mother of all fornicatyon / in the eyghtenthe Chapitre of the re­uelacions of saynt. Iohā sayeng. Go from her my people / and be nat part­takers of her synnes / and receyue nat [Page] of her plages / for her dampnable syn­nes haue come to heauē / and the lord hathe remembryd her iniquities / re­warde her euyn as she rewardyd you / and gyue her double according to her workes. and powre in double in the same cuppe / which she filled vnto you & asmuche as she glorified in her selfe / and lyued wantonly / so muche powre you in for her of punyshement / and sorowe. This wycked whore ī tyme past hathe fylled to vs her abhominaciōs / in the golden cuppe / of the worde of god. For she hathe confyrmyd her ty­rannyes / by placys of scripture / falsly vnderstādyd / and vnder the most holy name of Christe / she hathe outragyd / aboue that at man can speake / euyn agaynste Christe him selfe. Verely god wyll that we giue doble to her in that cuppe .i. better thyngꝭ then that drūke whore that is to saye / that we do nat fyll to other nowe, after the trut [...]e re­ceyuyd / the abhominable / and [...]ynkīg dunge of the wysdome of the fleshe / & inuencyons of men. But muche more pr [...]cyous thingꝭ / the whiche do a [...]e with the golden cuppe of the w [...]e of [Page] god that is to say, the spirite & truthe of the lettre, by whō is openly knowē that these iugelers be antichristes, scismatykes, heretykes, chyldren of per­dicion, and men of syn. To whose pre­ceptes bycause we do obey / and gyue place, they name vs to be sclanderers, repleting al the worlde ful of rumours and horyble crymes. But & I myght moue thys questyon to them in what thynge do we erre? I pray you do nat they with an indurat harte resyst / and speake agaynst the truthe. Ye and that same truthe it selfe doth name his enemyes, in euery place / wolues / Foxes Beares / Lyones / Dogges / Leoper­des / wylde beastes / false prophettes / pseudo apostles, roten sedes, vnfayth­full, hypocrites, folishe, cowerdes, nat hearing the voyce of theyr lorde god, a baren howse, the churche malignant the synagoge of Satan, the generaciō of the lordes furye, apostaticall gentyles, hauynge the fronte of the greate whore, the fruyte and generatyon of Vipers, the counsell of the wycked, Dragones, the kynde of the serpente Aspis deafe and stopyng theyr eares, [Page] the ennemyes of the lorde, a wycked couent the tabernacles of synnes, the sede of Chaname, Egypte, & Sodome euyl trees and vnfruitful, mokers, that say to men sayeng wyll nat you to see / speake pleasaūt thynges to our eares take hede of our errours, let holy Is­raell cease from our syght, the blacke tayles of smokye bronddes, ydolles, blynde studientes, the generacyon of Cain wycked and adulterous, decey­uable workemen, felowes of theuys, effemynate, deserte chyldren, false doctoures whose god is theyr belye, and glorie in theyr confusyon, the tasters of earthly thynges, theues of innocentes, and wydoes, and dothe name thē that resyste, and speake agaynste the doctryne of mekenes, with suche na­mes of this kynde which of vs, coulde euer attayne to suche a vehemence of speakyng. that in confoundyng the reprouable, we might obtayne one parte of the pythye rebukyng that is foūde agaynste them in holy scrypture. And peraduenture Tregarius wyll repre­hende the holy ghoste, and say that he dothe fyl the worlde ful of hatred and [Page] malyce / bycause that suche names / shulde be putte in holy scripture, or at the leaste saye that these be contrarye to Christe, when he saythe. Lerne of me .&c. And agayne saye well by them that saye euyll by you .&c. the whiche (as we haue sayde) he dyd aledge a­gaynst vs. But what is the cause, that he dyd nat take hede, also of the word that folowythe, you? of men that saye euyll by vs we muste speake well, but nat of them that speake euyll, by the lorde Iesus Christe, and his verytye. No nor yet we maye nat make lyes, to say well by any man. For (and a man myght be bolde with you) is this well sayde, to saye that Magister noster the noble doctour Tregarius, a good ser­uande of Christ, and dothe well in suppressynge the churche and worde of god, for the synagoge of Antychriste and lyes of men. Or is it lawfull for me to wryte, the reuerende father in god, Prouyncial of the Augustyne freers, by the hyer Germanye, is a good oratour, and can wryte very well, for the counselles of the Pope, hys Car­dynalles, and Byshopes, and with a [Page] noble profe openly declarith, that the Synagoge of the Pope, is the trewe church of god? am nat I rather boūde to speake playnly after the worde of god, & saye. thys foxe, thys wolfe, this falsse prophete is aboute to turne the people, frome the sermones of truthe, to the lyes of antychrist, and couytith to bryng the prynce of Lausane, & the noble gentyles of Heluetia, from god and hys Christe, and wolde that they shulde alway perseuer, and continewe in darkenes of errours in the whiche we haue be drownyd so longe season, and hathe nat one iota of scripture to confyrme those thynges that he adfyrmythe in hys lyeng, wherof he muste nedes fal. For he can neuer withstāde the myghty worde of the Lorde, the whiche he so sore reclamyth agaynst, of whom he shalbe confoundyd, trodē downe, and consumyd. Ye and if there were, innumerable thousandes of the prophettes of Baalle, with this Tre­garius, they shalbe dystroyed, and fall from the syde of thē that loue, & teach the pure worde. One Helias, one pro­phete of the lorde, shall ouercome, and [Page] dystroye thē all although they wolde resyste with playne batayle, and crye & howle in theyr dēnes. but in case that he thynke hym selfe nat worthye thys name, as to be callyd a foxe, or a wolfe let hym do none of these aforesayde. for we be cōstraynyd to it by the word of god. for all that be of this secte, are to be publyshed, to the people of god / that they maye beware of them leste they be deceyuyd. Thys blynde doc­toure, callythe vs, Phylystianes wea­ryng vayne and folyshe armoure. and of this maner this blasphemer railith and wonderythe, I wolde to god, that he were nat a blasphemar agaynst the spirite of god, and wolde nat speake wittingly agaynst his cōscience, with what armoure do we resyste these ene­myes of Christe and hys worde? Is it nat the eternal scriptures of god? and this iugeler callythe them vayne and folyshe. But what is the cause that he was nat present at this laste conflycte or disputation, at Argentine, where he myght haue be sure to haue dysputyd with the Byshopes of the same Cytie we wyl gladly giue our selues to deth [Page] if we be ouercome, and conuicte, where as if he were cōuicte he shulde sustein no daūger at al. but he wolde nat that the people shulde knowe hys lyes, the whiche had be dysclosyd in dede, if he had dysputyd, ye or to speake near the marke if he had be presēt at the sayde conflicte or dysputacyon. the symple people, haue the iudgement of the spirite aboue al suche proude bugges the whiche we call Magistrinostri, bycause they loue the worde of god, the which the other be about to suppresse & tread downe. For is it nat wrytten? Thou hast made me wyse, ouer myne enemies thorowe thy cōmaūdmentes, for it is to me euerlastīg. I do perceiue, aboue all that teache me, bycause thy testy­monies be my studye. I vnderstande aboue olde men, bycause I haue sear­chyd, thy commaundmentes. the hun­drethe & .xviij. Psalme. Forthermore frō these sage and wyse men, god doth hyde his mysteries, the which he doth vouchesafe to reuele and open to the yonge lytle ones. they knowe and perceyue thys lyterature, and attrybute very muche to it, therfore they do nat entre in to the lordes power, verely [Page] these other, be admytted into the sayd powers and feareful iudgemēt of god. For verely there is none although he be lernyd, that is admytted to the in­teligence of the scriptures of god, but euyn he that dothe attrybute or gyue nothynge at all, to the scyence or wyt of man towarde the vnderstandyng of thē but al only to the spirite of truthe. These mē wyl nat that the lytle flocke of Christe, shulde iudge of his voyce, and it perteyneth most chefely to thē. For be nat they the shepe of Christ [...], & he theyr shepeherde? but there is one voyce alone of this shepherde or pas­tor, which doth hyely please his shepe without any other. And they knowe & heare his saide voyce. Iohan .x. It is also sayde to them, proue you the spi­rites, if they be of god or nat. whiche they do ꝓue, & knowe by the scripturꝭ of god, the which is ye only & most sure testimony to proue, if the voycꝭ of thē ye teache be of god or nat. also Psal. 18 & .118. & Esa. 8. they he callyd testimo­nies or witnes. let thꝭ Tregariꝰ, wt all his secte, outrage as much as they wil and denye the worde of the lorde, that is to saye, that the companye of the [Page] faythful to be apte iudgꝭ of the worde for wtout doubte he shal shortly slyde downe & fale, bycause he goyth aboute it with stafe made of rede, of the sha­dowe of Aegypte, of the dreames of men. If god be with vs who is agaīste vs? Let nat thys hartles knyght ouer boldely promyse to him selfe the vyc­torie. I saye yet agayne he shall fale, & be confoundyd. we be nat aboute this thorowe our selues, but thorowe the stone, that is, our faythe by Christ, co­uyteth to subuerte this lyeng and wyckednes. He hath his hedde, antichrist to whom he dothe attrybute and gyue more then to Christe, and to whom he dothe cleaue with all his harte, the veritie and truthe of Christe setaparte. wherfore we of necessitie muste nedes hate him accordyng to the sayenge of Dauyd Psalme. 118. I haue hatyd the wycked, and Psalme. 138. Dyd nat I hate lorde them that hatyd the, & was mouyd ouer thy enemyes? I dyd hate them with a parfecte hatred, and they were made enemyes to me. wherfore nowe in the meane seasō let him coūte vs for mockers, bycause we be aposta­ta [Page] from Antychryst, & cursse him lest yt we shulde be apostata from chryst, and let hym opprobryoully speake agaynst vs what he wyl, for we glorye for them al byfore the lorde, of whō his destructyon is at hande, bycause that baren tre is not abasshed, to coūte ye sayers of truth, for mockers, for no other thīg but bycause they speake the truth / as who saye / the truthe it selfe were a mockage. Thys wyked man wyll not be ouercome of the truth, of the which we glorye in the lorde to be conuycte, for we our selues in tymes paste dyd walke ī the spirite of errour, but nowe the veryte of god hathe ouercome vs, by the which god hath delyueryd vs, ye and dayly doth delyuer vs, frō the most greuous darckenes of ignorance and erroures, whome we do instantly pray, yt he wyl make perfyte the thyn­ges whiche he hath begonne in vs, we wyl not be conuycte of the decrees of men, by whom he is cōuycte, and most shamfully straungelyd, as I very well knowe, so that in the thynges of god, he maye be confutyd, of innumerable chyldren, and husbande men, for it is [Page] to wyt, that the most vyctorous word of god, which they loue, is able to pre­ueyle agaynste a hundreth thousande suche as Lregaryus is, if our armour be nat inuyctoryous (as he denyethe them to be) lette hym condescende or come forth, and proue howe inuycto­ryous they be, but he doth warre ī horses, and charyotes, that is to say with the sotletyes of men, verelye we warre in ye name, and worde of our lorde god in the whiche we despyse, hym and all that warre agaynste vs, he dothe also say that the Churche, is not so desty­tute, namely in thys golden tyme, that she shulde not haue her warryours, truely thꝭ myght be a sainge of blynde Byarde oh howe nobly doth he know what the churche is, and who be her warryours, he supposethe the church to be that whiche countethe the wyse men of the worlde to be her sodyours, as who shulde say it were not wryttē. I wyl destroy the wysdome of yt wyse and wyl cast away the vnderstandinge of the prudent, where is ye wyse, where is the scrybe, where is the searcher of thys worlde, hathe not god made the [Page] wysdome of thys worlde folyshenes. 1. Corinthy. 1. these be not the soudy­ours of the churche of god, but the symple, pure, meke, that with all theyr hartꝭ cleaue to the worde of god, most hyest, of suche, that be of thys kynde, the frunte of the greate warre of our churche which is peasyble is ordyned the whiche is called by the Hebrewe terme Schulamitis, and not Sunami­tis as be supposethe, for the Hebrewe bokes haue it wrytten of thys maner in the syxt Chapiter of the Cantikles Reuertere, Reuertere Schulamis. ye which wordes in englyshe be, returne, retur­ne, or turne agayne my peasyble chur­che, and in the .7. chapiter. what shall ye fynde in my peasyble churche, but companyes of warryours, spoken by thys terme, Schulamis, let hym haue hys churche, the whiche he callethe Sunamis, that is to say the synagoge of Antychryste, myserable, captyuate, stony, & indurate, & we wel haue [...]ures the whiche we cal Schulamis, that is to saye, the churche of god, the spouse of true Scholomon which is by interprytacyon of Chryst yt pesable kynge [Page] all whose souayours, stronge, ye most strongest, be alwaye gyrded with the most persynge sworde of the worde of god, for nyghtlye dreades Lantik. 3. & these souayours be made moste ware and wyse to the battelles into the coniuringe of Antychryst, whom god him selfe hathe made truely wyse Ioh. 6. of whom the reprouable Aegipte So­dome, & Babylon, be not able to suffer the leaste scyrmyge, or lettynge lose, nor neuer coulde. Thys Trygaryus, dothe saye, that we threaten greate thynges, but to whom, or do we thretē our selues, do not we rather open, and declare the thretenynges of the dreadful power of god, the which we be cer­tyfyed of, shall fall most greuous into the kyngedome of the sonne of perdycyon. he dothe also saye that in bryn­gynge vp rumoures, and sclanders, we so perpetually be of one mynd, that no man doutethe of it, but we haue al one spirite, I make answere, that when we cal them wolues, beastes, antychristes we do not sclāder thē, but shewe forth what the spirite doth iudge of thē, by the testymonye of scryptures but it is [Page] not alonly, in this one thinge; that we be al of one mynde, for we do dyssente almost in nothyng, that ye same spirite of god doth teach vs in the sayd word he dyd prophesy as Cayphas dyd, ye euen agaynste his wyl, nat dylygently markyng yt we hade al one spirite al­though he wolde yt his sainge shuldbe otherwayes vnderstāded. But nether be nor yet al his sinagoge, ī any thing be of one mynde, sauynge in thys that they haue all coniured agaynste god, Chryst, and his verite, for what do we se in them perpetual stryfe, of Thomy­stes, Scotystes, Occanistes, of Nomynalles, Realles, Summeles, and suche other of thys kynde, stryuynge euen contrarye one to an other, whereby is wel knowen that they haue nothynge comen with the doctryne of chryst, ye whiche is the doctryne of mekenes, & vnyte, & they be also straūge from hys spirite, he doth furthermore saye that we with a vayne glose of wordes, do wrast and wrythe the holy scryptures into our owne sēce, wher as we do subdewe our sence by all meanes into the seruyce of the scrypture of god, and [Page] glory to be ouer comē of the truth as any man may openly perceyue, yt shal loke vpon our commētaryes, and also we do affyrme nothynge, that is not proued by the open testymonye of the scripture, what is the cause therfore yt he dothe counte our exposycyons for vayne, but that he is aboute with hys craftines to mocke & haue in derysion all the scryptures of god, wo be to the thou blynde iogeler, for thy iudgment is at hāde, bycause yu arte not affrayed to count the testymonyes of god most hyest, for vayne and folyshnes, perauē ture thou doeste thynke the spirite of god to be cōpared to thy doble craftynes, ye warsse then a foxe, but yt shalt shortlye be destroyed with the power of the same spirite, we wyll not cleaue to the counsel or phantyse of any man excepte it haue the testymonye of the scryptures of god, in what thynge do we erre thē, or what haue we reprouyd at any tyme, that dothe agre with the scryptures of god, or what other thinges shulde we receyue, we do receyue the wryttinges of men, that agre with the sayde scryptures, not for the men, [Page] but for ye truth sake, the word of truth ought to iudge, who shulde haue wrytten ryghtfully / if they deny, yt we haue the truth, let them improue our probatyons, by ye worde of god. Tregaryus wyll do it, he makethe argumente Pro and Contra, Primo, secundo, et tertio. &c. we wyl heare this sainge, ye lorde spe­keth it, to whose least iote of speaking ryghtly taken, we gyue place, but we openly accurse the sotletyes of Tre­garyus and hys secte, not bycause we be ignorant ī thē, for we haue labored our selues in such sophestycal knottꝭ, but bycause it is wyked, and agaynste the worde of god, to entreate apō the scryptures of faythe, with suche con­tencyous argumentes, nor we do not denye (as he dothe impute to vs) that the worde of god may not be expoun­ded, but we wolde not that this expo­sycyon, shuldbe of the proper sence of any man, althoughe he be learned, and holy, but of the sence of Chryst, which is than so, when we expounde scryptures. by scryptures, for as I haue spo­ken in many bokes, it is impossyble, yt any man shuld ryghtuously expounde [Page] scryptures of hꝭ owne sence or brayne And yet besydes thꝭ Tregaryus hath added to, a blasphemye agaynste the lorde, that he supposythe there to be many goddes, that can be no maner wayes erre, the whiche doth perteyne alonly to god hym selfe the hyest, and greatest, besydes whom ther is no mo goddes, for who, but he is immutable, so that he can not erre, for all sayntes haue synne .i. concupiscence, as longe as they lyue and say as is wrytten, in the fyrste canonycall epistle of Iohan the fyrst Chapitre, yf we shulde say yt we haue no syn in vs, we deceaue our selues and truthe is not in vs, but for all that they do not worke iniquite or wekydnes for syn dothe not reygne in thē, as is playnly declared Ro. 5. &. 6. he is afrayde also lest that he be iniu­ryous to the electe, & in the meanese sō blasphemyes the lorde, god hathe no nede of our lyes, no nor yet hꝭ sayntes verely when god hath mercy of ye synners, or the iniuste, and maketh of thē sayntes theyr vnrytousnes doth com­mende, and laude ye rytousnes of god Ro. 3. for verely from thensforthe hys [Page] iustyce apperythe more gloryous, and he is manyfestly declaryd to be iuste, & true, in hꝭ sermones when he is cruell ouer the wekyd and the rebellyon not obseruyng his promyses is iudged, he dothe fayne hym selfe to wryte for the church of god, and yet dothe nothyng els: but aledge the decrees of men / for that thinge that this crafty false pro­phete doth of the councelles, he doth it so that he is about to subuert al the pryncyples of fayth, I do confesse, yt he speaketh many thinges true, chefly in the begynnynge, but at the laste he doublethe his voyce of the churche, & her councelles, wherby he maye more lyghtly & surely powre out his poysō, but as I sayde in the begynnynge he is answeryd enoughe at al to his que­styons of them afore named, It dothe greaue me sore / moste noble prynce, to make answere to the wekydnes of thꝭ deceyuer, I wold but alonly gyue you warnynge, that you with al dilygence shulde flee, and auoyde, the poyson of hym, and suche other, for you must do so of necessyte, if you wyl play ye true prince / or els it is impossible that you [Page] shulde be sauyd / nowe perceyue / I do thys with a greate hope / remembryng our olde amytye / the whiche in tymes passed / you dyd vouchsafe apon me / & of ye noble mynde of your good lord­shyppe / I wyl not go aboute to oynte your hede with oyle of a synner / the burden is great that oppressythe you, take hede therfore lest you peryshe vnder it / take hede also, that you haue vnder you / true chrysten people / and yt chryste may regyne in them / for then you shall cheflye play the true prince / when you chefly gyue delygence / that Chryst maye be a prynce in your sub­iectes / take hede also yt the most pure worde of god may be preached to you, banyshe from your landes / al false prophetes / wolues, & suche maner of mar­chande mē / & I wolde that you shulde perfytlye knowe / that if youre people peryshe your soule shalbe for theyres, ye if it be thorowe your cause, & if ther peryshe but one / pryncypally beware of al hoded men / for al they / excepte a fewe / haue coniured agaynst god / and hꝭ chryst / but aboue al other take hede of these, for they are to be flede of you [Page] that glory them selues wykedly / with the tytle of obseruantes / execrable to all Chrystyanes / for theyr ypocrysye, hathe lede very many / ye almost innu­merable to death / I pray god ye hyest and best / that they maye shortly be ex­pulsyd / the courtes of al princes / & by lytle, and lytle, it is hyely necessary yt you extyncte / & put downe / the tyran­nes of the kyngdome of Antychryst .i. these dysceytfulnes of perdons ydolatry of sayntes that slepe / the offycyal­les courtes / cursyd costomes / by no meanes to be permytted of Chrystya­nes, the outragiousnes of sectes, with al such other, & then conceaue in your mynde, that you wyl haue holy scryp­tures in your hādes, & stody vpon thē nyght, & day, the holy gost wyl teache, and enforme you / by what meanes all thyngꝭ shalbe wel orderyd withī your kyngdome, for & yf you deny the word of god to the people, they ought not to obeye you, for they be the shepe of Christ they wyl be fedde with ye meate of his holy worde, therfore al the people of the faythful, maye saye to theyr princes / & rulers, ye they be bounde to [Page] make cōgregatyons for it, and say / we wyl heare the worde of our lorde god, we wyll not heare the decrees & lawes of the pope / we wyl not ye [...]ecreralles of these glosing sophysters, the which yf prynces / or rulers wyll denye them when they wylbe taken for faythful, ye sayde people may depryue them theyr kyngdomes / & lordshypes / the people be subiecte / in al thinges, to princes, & rulers / sauynge those thinges / that be against the worde of god / or that they shulde not haue the worde of god preached / let your hyghnes gyue place to the truthe / and god shal encrease you in althynges / & establyshe your kyng­dome. I was aduertysed of late, that bycause a certeyne minyster (as we cal it) a prest, despysynge yt decre of anty­chryst, prefarryng the precepte of god is maryed to a wyfe / for the which, he is taken prisoner of a certeyne tyrante thorowe your consente, & they do saye that he doth persecute him to deathe / take hede, that you consent not to any man, for your soule shuldbe for his, he hathe done a thynge necessary, which god hathe commaunded to al that can [Page] not absteyne, as I haue copyouslye opened, in my boke of matrymony and euedētly proued it. To ye most chrystē Kynge of Fraunce, the whiche I dyd put forth because of my owne mariage for I am maryed, altho the synagoge of the son of perdicyon was madde at it, for we must rather obeye god then man, god hath cōmaunded matrimony to euery man, that can not abstayne, ye pope prohibyteth, and maketh ypocrytes, to whom shuld we gyue place, not to god, the lorde dyd make no distync­tyon betwyxte the layealtye, and the clargye the cōmaundement is general perteyning to euery mā, of euery state ye and if your highnes wyl beleue the truthe, take a wyfe, and by your exma­ple you shal destroy this cursed decre of antychryste, for when he dyd com­maunde to the Clargy, chastyte of ly­uynge contrarye to the worde of god, he dyd multyply al maner of lecherye, and to speke the truthe thys reproua­ble order is spronge of no other thing but of dysceytfull spirites, & doctryne of deuylles, as you maye playnly per­ceyue ye first of Tim, 4. the same iud­gement [Page] is of the prohybyting of meattes, ī the same place very copyously I hade no space nor tyme to wryt many thinges to you therfore I haue brefly made answere to that wyked Trega­ryus wherin I haue putte moch good councel, bycause this deceyuer goeth about falsly to instructe you, of ye au­thoryte of the coūcelles of the church of the which matter we hade comuny­catyon very oft in your palace, I shal also adde to .385. Paradoxes or cō ­clusyons / concludynge another thīge then Tregaryus hathe teached, I do also make redy my selfe, to answere to them al, where so euer it shalbe, eyther in Germanye or in Fraunce, or where so euer they wyl, so yt they wyll heare me, & not go about to put me to deathe vn harde, I wyl dyspute the matter o­penly if the counsel be holdē in Frāce and wyl no other iudges, but the most pure worde of god, and all that iudge syncerely after it, bycause it is no o­therwyse lawefull, in case they ouer­come me with the worde of god, and proue that I dyssent from the truthe, in those thynges that I shall affyrme [Page] by the same worde, let them order me as they thynke it beste, and yf they be conuycte, I wyl not that they shulde be in danger of the least heare of theyr hede, but alonly let glory be gyuen to the truthe, wherfore I beseche youre Lordeshyppe to accepte thys trea­tyse of Paradoxes, or conclusyons, compendyouslye concludynge almost all what soo euer dothe perteyne to Chrystyanytye / and doo not dysday­ne my dewetye towarde your hyghe­nes / and perauenture God, the greatteste / and moste hye, wyl graunte that I may shortlye put forthe vnder your name some thinge more exelent, peace and grace, of oure Lorde Iesus Chryste, and ioye of the holye gost be wt your noble lordship and with al youre peo­ple. So be it. ❧

[Christ on the cross]

The fyrste Chapitre. ¶ The cause of the greate blyndnes of the worlde, whiche hathe cōtinued so longe tyme, by what meanes the verytye of scriptures of god hathe be hydde and suppressyd. Capi. i. The Paradoxes.

OF Christ and his apos­tles,1 the same veryte & truthe, was diligently preached, whiche nowe is opened agayne with his gyfte and spirite.

They dyd preache the 2 moste pure worde of god, wt the same sīcerenes, that it was reuelyd & shew yd of god: nat admyxted with proude phylosophy, chyding sophymes, dreames, decrees, & tradycyons, of mēne. and to do the same we our selues be aboute, and couit with all our hertes.

¶ For it is vnpossible, that any man 3 shulde perceiue the scriptures of god by carnal. wysdome, as. S. Paule do­the say in his fyrst epystle to the Co­rinthians the .2. chapitre. sayeng god hathe made them open by his spirite [Page] for the spirite sercheth althynges, ye the botome of godes secretes. ❧

4 ¶ Verely the alonly spirite of god is the moste lawfull interpreter of scriptures, and most surely dothe iudge of the secretes of god .i. Corinthians, 2. the thyngꝭ of god, no man knoweth, but the spirite of god. ☞ ❧

5 ¶ who so euer dothe preache and ex­pounde the scriptures, nat of this spirite powres forth his dreames & lyes for he is then carnall, nat perceiuyng those thyngꝭ that be of the spirite of god, for they seme but folyshenes to him. wherfore he can nat ꝑceiue that (as I haue sayde) they be taken in spirite. 1. Corin. 2. ☞: ❧: ❧: ☜

6 ♣ God hathe gyuen to vs, the moste surest testimonie of his spirite, that is to say, his scriptures, by whom is wel knowen who dothe iudge rytiously or no. so scripture is called a witnes or testimonie. Esaie. 8. & the Psalme. 18. and very ofte in the .118. Psalme. ❧

7 ❧ Euery exposicion of any place of scripture, whiche dothe dyssent, from no other place of the same scripture, is of the spirite of god, but if it do dissent [Page 2] in one iote, it is nat of the holy ghoste, but commeth of the lyeng and folyshe sense of men, for euery man of hym selfe is a lyer. Psalmus. 115.

♣ Hat longe after the apostles dayes 8 Doctours began to expoūde, the most spirituall scriptures of god (agaynste theyr propre nature, and ordre of god whiche had openid thē) after the wys­dome of the flesshe, & moste vayne phylosophy, admyxtinge them dayly with theyr reꝓuable soteltyes & sophymes.

☞ By what meanes it came to passe, that they were depriued the equal iudgement of god, and true intellygence of scriptures, and blyndyd euery day more then other, so that by the multi­tude of sophymes and carnall inuen­cyons the lyght of euerlastyng very­tye and truethe was vtterly hydde.

❧ wherof the moste pure textes of scripture were forgotten, and inuen­toures, feynours, and dreamars were receyuyd, as chydyng / Sophesters / Scotystes / Thomystes / Occanystes Summystes / and suche other. ❧

☞ After that mannes wysdome and 9 proude phylosophy was admytted, to [Page] the exposycyon of scriptures of god, whiche is inpossyble to it, for it per­uertyth the germane and true sense of it, and we fall in to the moste rude and ieoperdouse confusyon of blyndenes ygnorance and erroures that almoste there shuldbe none that walkyth nat in lyenge. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

10 ❧ Also nat longe after the apostles tyme, vnto these happy dayes, hathe be the very worldes of blyndnes and darkenes, but nowe the nyght & dark­nes be gone, and the amyable daye of verytie and truthe is at hande.

11 ♣ It is heresye to say, that to cōuicte heretykes, we hadde nede of sophisti­cal soteltyes or mannes phylosophy. for veryly god is neuer knowē by thē nor they by hym, bycause no man may stryue, for god and hys veryte, by­cause it is contrary to God. Forther more the wysdome of this worlde, is dystroyed, ouercome, and reproued, with the alonly and moste pure worde of the crosse. 1. Cor. 2. and the chapi­tre folowyng, Paule dothe saye that he dyd nat come to the Corynthyans in eloquēce of speakyng, or wysdome, [Page 3] but that he might open and shewe the testymonye, of Christ Iesu, and many thynges of thys matter in the same place. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

☞ They that beleue by eloquence, so 12 phymes, philosophy, and suche other wordes of mannes wysdome, to tea­che Christe, wyl that our faythe be in wysdome of men whiche is inpossyble at the leaste of true faythe, whiche is nat but of the worde of the crosse and open shewynge of the spirite & power of god. 1. Corynthyans. 2. ☞: ❧

♣ In all the ieoperdouse tyme of er­roure 13 and darkenes, we were heryty­kes, sysmatikes, from Christe and his verytie, and drowned in the most gre­uouse erroures whiche we coulde nat perceyue of our selues, for bycause ye alonly iudgement of the flesshe (that dothe neuer condempne it selfe, but is alway aboute to ordayne it, ye aboue god) was then receiued, & dyd please, and men dyd cleaue to it whiche god dothe hyghly abhorre. ☞: ❧: ♣

❧ The lyeng and reprouable sense,14 and iudgement of the flesshe, then rey [...]yng. after that, and contrary to god­des [Page] worde. was inuentyd the supercylyous, and proude state, of the pope, his cardynalles, and bysshopes, and what soeuer dothe perteyne to the a­postatate kyngdome, as be the monas­tycall sectes, indulgences of yeres & dayes from pena & culpa. &c̄. decrees, and rules of men, vsurpyng of rythes, fyrste frutes, and oblacyons, inquisi­tours .i. ꝓtectoures of this heryticall iniquitie, promocyons of false deuy­nes, scoles of decrees, and such other of thys kynde execreable feynynges of the dyuell, by the whiche vnto the tyme apoynted, that is, vnto the tyme that the iniquities of this kyngdome of the sonne of perdicyon was endyd, the same kyngdome was establysshed,

15 ♣ The surest and moste euident sygne that this greate blyndenes hathe so longe endured, is that inuēcions, tra­dycyons, and decrees of men, were re­gardid and setby, more than the moste holy lawe of god, and bycause ye pure textes and sense of the byble, were al­moste clene extyncte and putte our of memory, besydes that in theyr exposi­cyon, euery man dyd folowe the drea­mes [Page 4] and feynynges of hys harte, and nat theyr true and germane sense, nat the marke of the euerlastynge spirite, and dyd glory with hys inuencyons, so that there was none that myght be acountyd any thynge worthe at all in mynistery of the worde, but such a ru [...] ler, of whom might be sayde. Beholde here a goodly preacher a noble pla [...]e, with his newe inuēcions, in preachīg and wrytyng he is copyous, & moues mery conceites in euery place, that is as muche to say, as derysyō and moc­kage of the holy ministery of the gos­pell, and to be brefe, the bysshopes, a­postles, and prophetes, of god, were nat serchyd for. But Antychristꝭ and theyr synagoges whiche with theyr inuēcyons with one brethe, can pro­uoke men bothe to laughe and wepe, vomyte a hundreth allegaciones, pra­tyng and preachyng to the people, decrees and lawes of men, customes and deades of many yeres, examples and dreames, of olde wyues, monstrous lyes of the kyngedome of Antychriste, ypocrytes, deceyuers, lyers, nat wyl­lyng to orden the iustyce of god, but [Page] the iustyce of the flesshe, and of theyr sectes and of antychrystes nat sekyng the glorie of god, but theyr owne glo­rie (they dyd all stryue for the pope, and the minorites for theyr Francys, Bonauenture, Scote, and Occam. &c agaynst Dominike, Thomas, and Ca­priolus .&c̄. and so of other) slobelyes, deuourīg vp wydoes, & īnocētꝭ how­ses, ye all the substance of the worlde.

16 ❧ Another sure and euident token that this blyndnes hathe ben, is discē cyon neuer ceasyng that hathe bene, amongest preachers, for what do we se in them but cōtencyon / debate / and chydynge agaynste the nature of the holy ghoste, whiche is spirite of vnyō and peace, and of the sermons of god, whiche neuer sofferith nature of con­trary osnes in thē, and aganst the cus­tome of the churche of god, whiche loueth true peace / and is enemy of con­tencyon. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

17 ¶ The thyrde & manyfest sygne, is abhomynable peace of the fleshe, for the worde of god bryngethe the sworde, & seperates chyldren from theyr paren­tes / and frendes from frendes, whose [Page 5] louers muste nedes sufre persecucyon for it is vnpossyble that the worde of the crosse shulde be without a crosse, & that it shulde nat be spoken agaynst for Christe & those that longe to him, be put in sygne of cōtradictyon. Luc. 2. bycause therfore that the doctryne, that hath contynued so longe, the de­crees of Antechriste, the pryde, and al the apostasy of his kyngedome, hathe be obserued so longe tyme in an exe­crable pease so that frely this man of synne with the tyrannes of his kyngedome, what so euer they wolde, scarsly any man withstandynge, dyd ordayne chaunge and dystroy, contrary to the playne textes of scripture, by what meanes it is well knowen, this peryl­louse blyndenes to haue reygnyd by suche contynuance. ☞: ❧ ❧: ☜

♣ The .iiij. and moste euydent sygne 18 is, that lawes, lycencyous lyuyng, de­uylyshe pompe, moste proude ornamē ­tes, crownes, burletes, hattes, myters, hypocrysy hauynge no lyke, deceyua­ble chastitie, dyuersite and supersticyō of sectes, settynge vp of ydolles, cha­pelles, colleges, phaanes .i. of hye and [Page] monstrouse places, lyeng bulles, stelīg of tythes fyrst frutes and offerynges, vsurping of kyngdomes and lordshyppes, sacryfyce of masses, and all other atteynyng to the kyngdome of Ante­christe, clene contrary to the immacu­lat worde of god. ☞: ♣: ☜

19 ☞It was predestynat, that the sonne of perdycyon, the manne of synne, the pope and his kyngdome, whom the a­postle. 2. Thessa. 2. dyd prophesye, to be reuelat: and byfore that he shulde be knowen to be hydde, & that by tyme and tymes, that is to say longe tyme & halfe tyme, for the laste tyme where as he thought to reygne perpetually, is cutte of the halfe, when he falleth by lytle and lytle, as he is knowen by the worde of god, he had neuer reigned so longe if we had knowen whom he had ben, all that tyme therfore yt he hathe reygned vntyl he was knowen by and by, where as he is reuelyd, by the mer­cye of god in the tyme p̄fynyte of god that is in our blessyd tyme, he begyn­neth to falle, and is peryshed with the sworde of the mouthe of the lorde, and dayly he is tossed & plucked, without handes.

[Page 6] ❧And for that cause, the lorde hath 20 opened with his worde, fyrste that the pope and as many as do pertayne to his kyngdome, be the chyldren of perdycyon, for no doubte who so euer is nat apostata and alyenat frome that kingdome is apostata and alienat and a scysmatyke frō Christe, wherof they may be bothe callyd chyldren of per­dycyon and deceyuynge other with theyr lyes. ❧ ♣

♣ Secondly, he hathe shewed, that 21 they be men of synne, bycause al theyr affectyons and cogytacyons and workes be synne. Also with theyr tradycyons, and synnes, they haue encreasyd synne, aboue al estymacyon, there was neuer man from the begynnyng of the worlde that hathe so bounde mennes conscyence as the pope and his tyrannes, that is cardynales, and byshopes with theyr reprouable counselles.

¶ Thyrdly god hathe made manyfest 22 to vs, that who so euer hathe the pry­macye of the churche of Satane, and is takē for the pope, is aboue al other the sonne of perdicion, the man of syn and antychriste, whiche dothe exalte [Page] hymselfe aboue all that is called god or worshypped (suppressing the lawes and true worshyppe of god) so that he dothe sitte in the tēple of god as god, and is taken of the faythefull, whiche be the quycke temples of god, for the vycker, of the hye god.

23 ☞ Nowe afterwarde that god hathe manifestly shewed to vs, that the papacye, that is the kyngedome of Anty­christe, is the kyngedome of synne to be abhorryd and damnable, it is necessary for all that do attayne to it to be alyenat from it, and to coūte them for nothynge but as dregges, or castynge out of dyuelles, to attribute nothyng to them, to truste in nothing that they do, as in decrees, excominycacyons, pardons, pryuyleges, bulles, with su­che other bagage. And the same of the pope, cardynalles, patriarkes, legates archebyshopes, falsebyshopes, chanones, and monkes, and so of all other.

24 ❧ we haue a sure knowledge, specy­ally in .iiij. thynges that the doctryne whiche nowe is reuelyd, to vs of the lorde is the very and mere truthe, fyrst that the pure textes of the byble, the [Page 7] deceyuable inuēcions of men abiecte. be dylygently receyued, wryten, and preachyd. The seconde is, that al syncere preachers although they be per­sonally seperate, nor one of them hea­ryth nat another or rede his wrytingꝭ yet do they for the moste parte agree, but in case they dyssent for a tyme, in any thyng then the scriptures of god, delygently serchyd, they be appesyd & contentyd. The thyrde is, althoughe many do abuse the lybertye of the gospell, yet as many as do receyue thys doctryne, gently, and mekely, be meke, mercyfull, faythefull, reioysyng in spirite, pacyent, very gentyll, full of cha­rytie, procurīg the glorye of god with out any superstycyousnes, or hypocrysye, copyouse in frutes of trewe good workes. The fourthe is, that this doctryne, is neuer resysted, nor spoken a­gaynste, but of the chyldren of perdy­cyon, carnall men, antechristes, and men of synne, euyn as Symeon dyd prophisy of Christe, in the .2. chapitre of Luke, sayng, in that signe that shall be resisted and spoken agaynst. &c. yet for al that they do nat specially name [Page] innocentes, and true preachers it can neuer be but they shalbe resysted and spoken agaynste, for it is wrytten, if they haue persecuted me, they shal persecute you. Iohn̄ in ye .15. cha. & agayne: all that wyll mekely lyue in Christ Iesu shal suffre ꝑsecucyō .2. Tymo. 3.

25 ♣ The electe, that haue gone byfore vs, in the miserable time of errour and derkenes, althoughe they dyd aberre from the hydde iudgement of god, yet for theyr electiō, that is bycause they were chosen of god frome the begyn­nyng they were acceptable to him, for though he dyd abhorre theyr synnes, he dyd immutably loue theyr ꝑsones. For he by the purenes of theyr faythe hathe taken all theyr synnes, & hathe nat ymputed them, for pure faythe is imputed to iustyce. Roma. 4. & in the 33. Psalme. Blessyd be they whose iniquities be forgyuē and whose synnes be coueryd, blessid is that man, to whō the lorde hathe nat imputyd syn. &c̄. If these electe shulde lyue nowe, no doubte but they wolde gyue place to the truthe.

26 ¶ For all that the electe do oftymes [Page 8] erre (yet do they all say as is wrytten the .118. Psalme. I haue erryd as a shepe that hathe peryshed) but for all that they were neuer brought into er­rour, for they do neuer consent to it, lest they peryshe in it, they do alwaye so erre that they say. Lorde my herte is redy, my herte is redy, verely they be alway redy if they were teachyd, to forsake all erroures.

☞who soeuer couyteth, to be partta­ker 27 of the truthe nowe openid agayne muste nedes confesse, al to haue ben in errour. For iuggelers in spirite, and doctryne of dyuelles, haue preueyled in these worldes of darkenes, in the moste horryble iudgement of god. For so god had predestynate afore the by­gynninge, that in them shulde be tyme & power of darkenes of the kyndome of antychryste.

♣ And although this was chefely be­gonne,28 in yt tyme the pope couyted, & ysurped the primacye of the worlde, & byshopes nat cōtent with theyr calle, but wolde be prynces and rulers, yet in the aposteles tyme, the mysterye of īiquite was wrought, in false apostles [Page] and false bretherne as you maye per­ceyue. 2. Thessa. 2 and .1. Iohanis. 4. 29 ☞ They that can nat take the myste­ryes of euerlastynge truthe, but wyll peryshe perpetually, let them beware that they condempne them nat. For who can condempne the thinges that he perceyueth nat, and be without syn let hym humiliat hym selfe before the lorde, and confesse hys ignorance, whiche if he do in verytie, with out doute, he shall optayne, hys desyre, for the mysteryes of god, be hydde frome them that loueth car­nall wysdome, and truste to it, and be openyd to the meke, and chyl­dren. Math. xj. Lu. x.

¶ Of the holy churche of god, and reprouable synagoge of Sathan of canonysynge, and inuoca­cyon of sayntes.
☞ The seconde Chapitre. ☜
The seconde Chapitre.

THe churche of God is 30 the vnyuersytie of all sayntes, and them that be predestinate, whiche haue ben from the beginnyng of the worlde, and shall be to the ende.

Ecclesia is a greke worde callyd in la­ten, Congregatio in englyshe a congregation company or churche.

¶ They be sayntes, that be translatid 31 from prophane or worldly thynges, to godly, and spirituall thynges, & made holy and consecratyd to god. That thīg is callyd holy ī scripture that is nat comune, but seperate to god, so those thīgꝭ were callyd holy in tymes paste that were offeryd, in the temple of god, and then they were sanctyfyed whē they were offeryd, and so we pray let thy name be santyfyed. That is we pray, that thy name that is to say thy fame, may be knowen and beleued of al men alone to excell all other and may be countyd for suche a one, as in very dede it is. And that all men may con­fesse, that there is no prophane or co­men thynge in the, but that thou arte [Page] alone, holy / good / iuste / myghty / euerlastyng / nat hauyng another god lyke to the in thy maiesty.

32 ♣ what so euer is of faythe is a holye thynge and iuste, and he that workes / and lyueth, so of faythe, is a saynte / & ryghtwyse, and what so euer is nat of fayth, is prophane, and synne. Roma. 14. and they that do suche thynges be vniuste / worldly / and vnclnee.

33 ¶ He dothe lyue / and worke / of fayth that dothe al thyng with a sure truste, of goddes goodnes. beleuyng in hym that he shall receyue grace / and that nat by his owne meryte / but by the meryte of Christe and his hye goodnes.

34 ¶ To lyue of faythe / and worke of it or in the name of the lorde, or to hys glorye / be taken all for one thynge in holy scrypture.

35 ♣ Faythe is in euery worde of god / whiche is fulfylled, by the meryte of Christe and veryte of him that promi­seth it / and it truly is nat virtuall / ha­bytuall / or abydynge (as Sophesters put. But actuall / true / hole / syncere / sanctifieth, quickeneth, & iustifieth, the beleuer. Abacuc .2. a iuste man lyueth [Page 10] of faythe. & Roma. 5. we beynge iusti­fied of faythe let vs haue peace. and againe. Ro. 3. & Galt. 2. euery mā shall nat be iustified of workꝭ but of fayth.

¶ All true faythfull, be sayntes / and 36 therfore Paule wrytyng to the faytheful, callyth thē saītes. Ephe. j. Col. j.

♣ The churche of god is inuisible and 37 spirituall, as faythe is, verely no man excepte he haue it by reuelacyon, can surely defyne of other, if they be of it, although there be many sygnes, as is if any man wyll be ruled, in al thyngꝭ, with the worde of god, and professe Christe in his actes. For it is wryten the prayse of him, in the cōgregacyon of his sayntes. Psalm. 149. I do nat say them that be of the churche of god to be inuisible, but the churche is cal­led inuisible, bycause it is nat knowen by vysible and corporall thynges.

¶ For when the worde of the lorde,38 is preachyd, moste purely it is neuer voyde without frute, but worketh all thyng, to which it is sēde of the lorde Esa. 55. wherfore whersoeuer it is so preachyd it is certayne, that there be some that be of the churche of god, in [Page] whom it bryngeth forthe frute, but we can nat specyally shewe one of them.

39 ♣The pope, ye with al his kyngdome with hym can nat surely shewe one electe, or saynte, therfore they can cano­nyse none or a [...]scrybe them in the nū ­bre of fayntes, for alonly god knowith whiche be his. 2. Timoth. 2. and those to whom his wyll is to reuelate.

40 ♣Electe haue no nede, nor wyll nat at all any other canonyser, be sydes hym that dothe adscrybe them in the euer­lastynge numbre of hys sayntes, and boke of them that do lyue.

41 ♣ Therfore all sayntes, do hyely ab­horre the canonysyng, of the pope, bycause it is no other thyng, then a fey­nyng of the dyuell a stronge huntyng, a multyplycatyon of ydolles, decey­uyng of the worlde, a turnynge frome the alonly Christe our true and moste suffycyent medyatour, besyde whome god wyll none. For all though god is to be praysed, in his sayntꝭ. Psal. 115. Yet they be not our aduocates, wher­fore we ought nat to call vpon them?

42 ♣ For that man Iesus Christe the medyatour of god and mēne. 1. Timo. 2. [Page 11] is our aduocate, and a mercyfulnes for our synnes. 1. Iohannis. 1.

¶ The holy mother of god, and all 43 sayntes do abhorre, aboue that at can be spoken, and hate vowes and pylgrymages, to theyr sepulchres, and buyl­dynge of chapelles, and ydolles, and suche other of this kynde. by cause by these, the people, be turned frome syn­cere truste in god, and his Christ, of al meruels, and wonders, as [...]el of these as of all other lyke. I haue spoken of in the boke of the causes of the blyndnes. &c̄. tracta. 5. capi. 12.

¶The pope and other with hym, that 44 canonyse, vsurpe that whiche is ꝓpre to the alonly god, that is to adscrybe and numbre, his electe.

¶ To adfyrme that the pope, or any 45 other men may canonyse, the electe of god, it is herysye, bycause it dothe dissent from holy scrypture.

♣ Alonly the electe, whom god hathe 46 adscrybed in the eternitie, and numbre of his sayntes, be of his churche. But vnto they beleue they abyde without the churche.

¶ For any man to be of the churche 47 [Page] of god kynde condycyon, age, nacyon coloure of clothyng or deynteousnes or any other outwarde thynge nothīg profyteth. As is playne. Galath. 3. Coloss. 3. but syncere faythfull, do ad­myt no outwarde thynge that dothe nat agre in all thynge with the worde of god.

48 ☞wherof it foloweth, that it is here­sye to adfyrme that the pope, cardy­nalles, byshopes, with all his kynge­dome, be of the churche of god, which is meke all pure and holy. Forther­more (as I haue sayde) it is īuisible .i. it maye nat be knowen surely, by out­warde thynges althoughe it haue al­way the externe workes of faythe. for it dothe althyng of faythe, whether it eate / drynke or any other thyng. But that it dothe thys of faythe there is none but god, and he beynge worker that seeth.

49 ¶They that be of the cōgregacyon / of the wycked / haue ofte workes ape­ryngly good / & very ofte apere to the electe to be more holye for it / verely god knoweth that all theyr workes be euyll bycause they be nat of faythe.

[Page 12]¶Therfore of faythe / and infidelyte / 50 good workes and euyll iuste / and in­iuste / do come.

¶who so euer lyueth nat and worketh 51 of this forsayde faythe / is of the com­pany / and synagoge that is spoken of Psalmo. 23. I haue hatyd the churche malygnant / and. Apocalip. 2. I knowe theyr blasphemyes that saye they be Iues / and be nat / but be the synagoge of satane. and agayne. capitulo. 3. be­holde I shall gyue of the synagoge of satane that say they be Iues & be nat.

¶ Of this kynde / is the hole churche 52 of the pope / it is so muche lesse that it shulde be / of the ympollutyd churche of god.

¶ All that be of the synagoge / of the 53 pope wyl be callyd ecclesiastycall / and there is no lye more open thē this. If thou do referre this name to the churche of god / in a respecte they may be alonly callyd ecclesiasty call or spiri­tuall to the churche of the deuyll.

¶ Therfore bycause / the kyngedome 54 of the pope / hathe nothyng comen / with the churche of god / as many as perteyne to hym / be the very chyldren [Page] of his worlde / veryly all other / if they be noble men or marchātes, artificers / or husbandemen / so that there be syn­cere faythe / in whiche they lyue / and worke / and dyssēt from the kyngdome of the pope / be ecclesiastycall / and of the churche of god / to whō these scis­matikes haue done the most poysened iniury and wronge bycause they haue callyd them seculer and carnal or temporal / and they haue cōmaundyd with a hatefull pryde them selues to be cal­lyd ecclesiasticall and spirituall.

55 ¶ Verely who so euer is of the chur­che of god is ecclesiastycall and spiri­tuall / and dothe all thynges of fayth / whiche be spirituall.

56 ¶ The sinagoge / of the pope is more aduersary to Christe / then the turke / for the emperoure of trukes sofferyth faythfull that be in his landes / to ly­ue after the pure worde of god / whom these blynde enemyes of mekenes / dothe nat cease to reclame agaynst in the myddes of theyr blyndnes.

57 ¶ wherfore it were better for vs to lyue vnder the empyre of the turke / then the pope. truely it is lawfull for faythfull [Page 13] to lyue vnder any prynce / so that Christ & his worde be frely sufferid, as it was lawful for the Isralites to lyue vnder Nabugodonosor, Cyro, Daryo, Assuero, ye Romanes, ye Asseryēs .&c̄.

♣ From this forsayde synagoge there 58 may none passe, to the churche of god excepte he fyrste forsake the pope, and his decrees, for the pope, and Christ, be more contrary then fyre and water.

☞He is the very greate and true an­techriste,59 and all the tyrannes of hys kyngdome .i. cardinalles, and bysho­pes. &c̄. & they that do nat dyssent frō hym be also antichristes.

❧ Euen as it was necessarye to the 60 blessyd angelles, to theyr eternal hel­the, to dyssent from that fyrste angell apostata, so to all that couit to be sa­uid, it is necessary to be alyenat from the pope, and his kīgdome orels they shall neuer truely knowe Christe and cleaue to his verytye, with full herte, wherfore they muste nedes peryshe at the laste. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

¶ Of the comunyon of sayntes of ex­comunicacion & bulles of the son of perdycyon. Capi. 3.
The thyrde Chapitre.

61 ALl that be of the chur­che of god, haue theyr comunion to gyther of one faythe, one spirite, one grace, truthe, iustice pease, baptym, and of al gyftes of the spirite.

62 ☞Alonly by faythe they that beleue, be partakers of all these. For all the workes of god be in faythe. ❧

63 ♣ Bycause the kyngdome of the pope lyuys nat of faythe, it can haue none of these it is so muche lesse, that it can gyue them to other. ☞: ❧

64 ❧ It is heresye to afyrme, that by the cursyd indulgences of the kynge­dome of the pope the grace of god or remyssyon of al sines or of the thyrde or forthe or halfe parte or of one only synne is grauntyd. ☞: ❧: ♣

65 ☞And the grace of god, whiche is of faythe alonly be p̄sēt, al synnes be for gyuen, & nat ymputyd. But if it be ab­sent, none is forgiuen, but al ymputid.

66 ❧ Therfore nat one or some parte of syn is remytted, but all to gether o­ther remytted or holden. For that mā is blessyd alonly, whose iniquityes be [Page 14] forgyuen and coueryd, and are nat ymputyd. Psalm. 31. so that if one syn be retayned, yet dothe other remayne hatred, and cursydnes. ☞: ❧: ♣

♣ Bulles, Iubylyes, and all pardons,67 of the kyngedome of the pope, be no other thynge, but dysceytfulnes, dy­uelysshe iuglyng, sure nettes, to drawe all the substance of the worlde, cursyd marchandyse, fedynge of the enemyes of god, an abomynable inuencyon, turnyng frō the syncere faythe of Christ alonly profytable to dystroye soules, and noryshe satannes synagoge. ❧

❧ who so euer, dothe truste to these 68 false bulles, & dothe nat perceyue that they be dystructyon, he is blynde and shall neuer obtayne the grace of god by them or remissyon of one syn, what so euer he dothe or gyuethe therfore.

♣ Alonly god receyueth the electe of 69 faythe, to the aforsayde glory and co­munyon of sayntes, frome the whiche he alone makyth infideles straunge.

☞ wherfore no man lyuyng, neyther 70 popes, nor theyr byshopes, nor all an­gelles, and men togyther, can depryue any man, the comuniō of the faythfull [Page] or lawefully denounce hym for suche one, excepte fyrst it be ꝑfeytly knowē, by testymonye of scrypture, that he be depryuyd it of the lorde. ❧ ❧

71 ♣ Euery churche of the faythfull, and who so euer berythe rule, as kynges, prynces, and offycers, where as cause is, may ye they ought, do dep̄ue theyr subiectes the outwarde company of the faythful, yt is they shall nat dwell with them or otherwyse kepe cōpany.

72 ☞The cause for the whiche many be depriued this outwarde comunyon, is by adultery, horehūtyng, thefte vsure, cursyng, couytousenes, cruelnes, ex­cesse, and drūkenes, to be reproche to the churche of god. 1. Corin. 5. and to be apostata from Christe is to speke agaynste the doctryne of mekenes and nat to sufre it. As is euydent the se­conde canonicall epystle of Iohan.

73 ¶ No congregacyon, of the faythful, may lawfully other dreade or receyue the abhomynable costomes, interdite­mentes or decrees of the kyngedome of the pope, for truely they can hurte them that beleue no maner wayes.

74 ☞ In case any man, for thynges that [Page 15] agre with the worde of god, or bicause he is rulyd by the worde, be excomunicate, cursyd or enterdyted, of the pope or his, it is turned to him īto the most precyouse and amyable blessynge, for when they curse god blessythe. Psal. 108. and to those that loue god all thinges be wroght in goodnes. Ro. 8.

¶Of true goodworkes and the lawe, of grace, and the gospell, and vertues of the faythfull. Capi. 4.

ALl though we be iusty­fied alonly by fayth yet 75 workes be necessarye.

♣ Faythe is neuer with 76 out true goodworkes, for he hathe his effyca­cytie by loue. ❧

❧ Trewe good workes be, whatsoeuer 77 is of faythe, ye to eate, to drynke to slepe, so there be no excesse. ❧

♣ what thynges that be nat prohibite 78 by goddꝭ worde, may be done in fayth other may nat. ☞ : ♣ : ☜

☞what so euer is nat of faithe is wicked,79 though it apere outwardly good / iuste, and holy. Roma. 4.

[Page] 80 ☞Faythfull to do well, haue no nede of decrees, and tradycyons, of men.

81 ❧ These be doctryne, lawes and tradycyons, of men that do nat consent, with the scriptures of god, or els they parteyne to them, for the doctryne of man is lyeng, bycause man is alyer. Psalm. 115. trewely the worde of the lorde is verytye. Psalme. 118.

82 ♣ The lawe of god is suffycyent, for faythfull whiche is the lawe of the spirite wrytten in theyr hertes. Eisai. 51. and Hiere. 31. whose scriptures be the most suryst wytnes of the lorde. Psal. 18. &. 118. and the spirite dothe wryte in them the gospell of pease, and euer­lastynge healthe, whiche is no other thynge but a surenes of the grace of god and remyssyon of syn, by fayth in Christe, and his truthe, whiche whosoeuer preachythe purely is an euange­lyst. For the gospell is a gladde and good tydynges. ☞ : ❧ : ♣

83 ¶ For that same spirite dothe teache them all truthe. Iohan. 16. and is go­uerner of them in euery thynge. ❧

84 ♣ It is heresye to say, that scriptures of god, be superfluous. for they be ne­cessarye, [Page 16] & that hyely, that we maye be sure if those thyngꝭ that be in our her­tes be of god or no, for by what reasō (as I haue sayde) shulde we be more sure, thē of the scriptures of god, whi­che be his testymonyes. ❧:❧

☞ And althoughe we had nede, of the 85 same scriptures, for witnese of truthe, yet for all that, euery sermon of the worde of god and all scripture is vn­profytable and in vayne, excepte it be wryten in our hertes, of the holy spi­rite, whiche scripture of the spirite is the quicke voyce of god. ☞ : ♣ : ☜

❧ wherfore it is heresye to affyrme 86 that there is any other quycke voyce of god necessary besydes thys and to suppresse his meruelouse testimonies. Psalm. 118. as many false prophetes do nowe adayes. ❧: ❧: ❧: ❧

❧ Therfore the testymonyes of god 87 muste be preached, and it is necessarye to be conuersant in them with all dy­lygence, which who so euer dothe tru­ly is verely blessid. Psalm. 1. and .118. but the fruyte of that preachyng and conuersacyon, muste be lokyd for of the holy ghoste. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

[Page] 88 ☞ The pryncypall vse of those scriptures of god, is that we maye serche in them the testymonyes of his godly wyll. ☞: ❧: ❧: ☜: ☞

89 ❧ Verely the frute of them is, that we beleuyng may be iustyfyed, that is, we may gette the grace of god and re­myssyon of synnes. ☞: ❧: ♣

90 ♣ The grace of god, is nat that qua­lyty that Sophesters call Habitus, but the fauour and beneuolence of god, hauynge vs free when we beleue hym and he hathe his grace that is kynde to hym. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

91 ☞ Alonly by the merit of Christe, we beleuyng in him, and nothyng doutīg of his wordes, we gette this grace. for then we do receyue hys plentifulnes. Iohan the fyrste chapitre.

92 ❧ Faythful receiued in to the grace of god, by Christe, haue togither by hī that iustyce whiche hathe in it all parfytnes. Of the whiche is spokē. Psal. 71. Iustyce and aboundance of pease shal spryng in his dayes. And Psalm. 84. mercy and veritie haue mette him pease & iustyce haue kyssed hym, and [Page 17] also of this is spokē. Eisaie. 53. in his science, he beyng iuste shall iustify my seruantes very many. ☞❧ ❧☜

♣ Bycause therfore that faythefull,63 haue all thynges in Christe, it is su­perfluous, curious, and also dampna­ble, to scarche so many partes kyndes and offyces, of vertues as false Deuy­nes do, for they that intende suche thyng, be but curyouse, for they put so many pertykeles, that it is vnpossyble to remembre all, as you may perceyue manyfestly ī the Sūleles of Thomas.

❧ Rede what god dothe cōmaunde,64 and be ofte couersant in his scrip­tures, and thou shalte be full of vertues, all thoughe thou neuer knowe soo many na­mes partꝭ and of­fices as they putte.

¶ Of the presthode of the faythe­full, and trewe mynysters of the churche that is byshopes, and deacōs. The fyfte Chapitre.
The fyfte Chapter.

95 BY ye presthode of christ and mynysters of hys churche, the preesthode of Aaron & ministeryes of hys deacons be abrogat and put downe.

96 ♣ Chryste alone is the bye byshope, and preste of the church Psalmo. 109. Hebre. 5. and. 9. full of grace and truthe.

97 ♣ As many as beleue in hym be made pertakers of hys plentyfulnes. Io. 1. and of hys oyntment, that is of the holy goost. Psalmo. 44. O god (the sone) thy god, the father hath oynted the with oyle of gladnes (the spyryte makynge glade) aboue thy felowes yt is other faythful whiche be pertakers of thy plentyfulnes.

98 ♣ All faythful of both kyndes be consecrate into prestes by hym, as Peter wryteth to all faythful. 1. Pet. 2. you are a chosen generacyon, a ryall prest­hode. Apocalip. 5. thou haste made vs kynges and prestes to our god, and we shal reygne apon the erthe.

99 ♣ I do not call them seny ours by the greke worde Presbitri, but Saserdotes, [Page 18] whiche we call prestes for Presbiter is a greke worde, and sygnifythe a seny­our or elder, and is proper to the hye mynysters of the churche, as byshop­pes, or preachers of the worde of god, Sacerdos, whiche we call a prest is who so euer is sacrated to god by faythe.

¶ Euery true senyour .i. euery true 100 mynyster of the worde is a preste, but euery preeste is not a senyour or my­nyster.

♣ The pope with all hys byshoppes,101 and all the worlde together can not make one prest of the churche of god, for it is alonely goddes offyce, which dothe sanctyfye hys electe in faythe / and dothe cōsecrate them into prestes for hym selfe.

¶ Presthode of the kyngdome of the 102 pope was inuented of men / without the testymonye of the worde of god / & came forthe by the strenthe, and eyde of the deuell.

¶ Prestes of that kyngdome can not 103 be prestes of the kyngdome of Chryst except firste they do forsake the prest­hode of the pope .i. they shal not trust or attrybute any thynge to him / altho [Page] for ye tyme they admyt many thynges for the infyrmytye of other.

104 ¶ In place of mynysters of the lawe, as prestes and leuites / there be alonly two kyndes of mynysters vnder the gospell / byshoppes / and deacons.

105 ¶ Euery syncere mynyster of godes / worde / is called in scrypture by these names / fyrste an ouerseer. Ezechiel. 3. secōdly / a prophet. 1. Cor. 14. therdly an euaungelyste of the gospell that he preacheth / Eisaie. 41. I shall gyue Hyerusalem an euaungelest. Ephe. 4. other truly euaungelistes, & it is sayd. 2. Tymo. 4. do the worke of an euaungelyst and. Actes. 21. entrynge into ye house of Phylyp the euaūgelyst ther­fore / Mathew / Marke / Luke / & Iohā be not alonly euaungelystes / but all true preachers of the scryptures of god / fourthely ecclesyastycal .i. aprea­cher Ecclesia. i. the church is a congregacyon therfore he that rulythe hyt with the worde, is called a preacher / fyftely a seniour or elder .i. Tymo. 5. senyours that gouerne wel be worthy double honour / and also / agaynst the senyour, syxthely a byshope that is an [Page 19] ouerseer .i. Tymoth. 3. a byshope must be fautles / and to Tytum. 1. a byshope must be without blame / and Act. 10. ye holy goost hath mayde you byshopes seuenthely an apostle / for apostle is a messenger and sente / and cometh of ye greke worde [...] that sygny­fyth to sende that is ne­cessarye for the mynysters of goddes worde / to be hys aposteles that is to be sente of hym Rom. 10. howe shuld they preache except they be sente / but some be greate apostles and some lesse 2. cor. 11. Also that you may knowe ye office of a bishope & apostle to be both one / when Peter Actes. 1. sayde that some man muste be desyred into thys mynysterye and offyce of an apostle / from which Iudas was exyled, he dyd aledge this place of Dauyd and hys byshoppryke another shal possesse.

¶ You may gather therfore / because 106 neyther the pope / nor byshoppes / or tyrantes / of his kyngedome haue any of these afore sayde / they be not of the churche of god ouerseers / prophetes euaungelystes / preachers / senyoures / byshoppes / or aposteles / excepte you [Page] ioyne thys terme false to euery one of them.

107 ¶ Cetyes and townes, which haue no pastore / symply preachynge the moste pure worde of god / haue no byshope / senyour / preacher / or euaungelyste / of Iesu Chryste.

108 ¶ In many cetyes / all that be of the reprouable synagoge of antychryste / perceyuinge yt the immaculate worde of god settes openly forth theyr abhomynacyon / they do so hate them / and dreade leste any true mynyster of the worde shuld be harde of the people / yt assone as any commeth / before he can open hys mouthe they go aboute to stope hym / whiche I haue proued my selfe very ofte / specyally in the noble cetye of Wetens in the whiche god hath delyuered me ofte from the han­des of antychrystes sekyng my soule.

109 ¶ There was in that cety / that tyme a holy byshope of god / nowe a blessed martyr & witnes of Christ saynt Iohā castellanc / whome for the testymonye of truthe the apostate kyngedome of the sone of perdycyon vehemently hatynge / when they coulde not hurt him [Page 20] in the cetye / they brought to passe / by treason / that he shuld go forthe of the cetye and he so banyshed they toke hī prysoner by & by afore the .9. monthe whome Anthony abbot with a false procter / & many false pharysyes were aboute to brynge hym to that passe / yt he shulde denye Chryste and hys ve­ryte. But the holy champyon of god perseuered immouable / and was neuer ouer come / the lorde confyrminge his breste with hys spirite / then they mo­ued ī theyr reprouable myndes / ye last of all that is the .12. day of Ianuarye Anno .1525. at vuy a towne of lothe­ringe the same Iohan reioysynge and beynge glade in the lorde / not warned before of it / but led to execucyō / when that he wolde not recante into the fa­uoure of antychryste they made him a gloryous merter of Chryst / with most cruel tormētes of fyre, & whō they dyd couet to extyncte / they crouned with a incomperable dyedeme of glorye / euen agaynst theyr wylles so that if it were lawefull to call apon sayntes he were to be named no lesse then Peter or Paule & other aposteles / but there [Page] is one aduocate and our mediator the lorde Iesus Chryste. I haue brought thys paradox that we maye gloryfye this saynt Iohan in the lorde and the lorde in hī / and also that hys burners and bochers / may se theyr fautes / and most greuous cryme / and may amende lest they perishe / ye lord Iesus Chryst make them of Saules / Paules / that is of the enemyes of Chryste and hys truth / his frendes, and of persecuters defenders and his preachers.

110 ¶ There is nor cā be no true bishope of the churche of Iesu Chryste / but a pure and euaungelycall preacher / for other proude blowen pompes bugges of the kyngedome of the pope be no­thynge lesse then byshoppes.

111 In euery cety / towne / & village there ought to be many byshoppes .i. euaungelystes or preachers / after the quan­tyte of places & multytude of people.

112 ¶ Yf many peryshes be so great / that one byshope is not suffycient for thē / let thē be deuyded / and to euery parte a byshoppe assygned / these two con­clusions I haue expounded in my ex­posycyon [Page 20] of the rule of the Mynory­tes. Capitulo. 15.

¶ It is necessary for bishoppes to be 113 sēt and called of god / and that I haue proued in the same. 15. Chapi. of the same enarracyō ī the boke of callynge

¶ It is the most greuous cryme / and 114 by no menes to be sufferyd / that many chyldren of perdicyon do depryue the people of god theyr ryght / and iuste tytle, that is to chose them a pastor / for he shulde be chosen of them / that is ordeyned for them to rule with the worde.

¶ Of the cōgregacyon of the fayth­ful 115 he is to be taken for a true byshop and messenger of god / whome so euer he dothe sende / altho thys sendynge be by lot of faythe openly done / as of Mathy. Actes. 1. as I haue declared in my sayde boke of callynge.

¶ The counsell of euery place ought 116 to gyue hede and watche if those that be chosen into byshopprykes be mete to the same ministery of euery peryshe of the faythfull / whiche belonge che­fely to prynces.

¶And yf there chaunce any to be e­lecte 116 [Page] vnprofytable, vnlernyd, or strāge from the worde, or that dothe offende the cōgregacyon of god by horemon­gynge or any other cryme, or not wyl­to admytte holye matrymonye, or ha­uynge a vnchast wyfe, or childrē dyssē tynge from mekenes. &c̄. the electyon must be reuoked of them, and lette the electyon turne to the congregacyon that they may cal a byshoppe to them myghtye in workes of mekenes, and the worde. ♣ ❧ ♣

118 ❧Yf the churche dyssent in electyō of a byshoppe, or rulers and prynces, with the churche, nor they do not se­arche the counsell of the lorde of true byshoppes, nor fynde one open place of scrypture what is necessary for thē to do, then by example of the apostles faythful prayer had before, lette them cast loottes, and what so euer chaun­sythe by lootte, they be bounde to re­ceyue for the sure wyll of god, for it is written, loottes be put into ye bosome and tempered of the lorde, Prouer. 16 and Capitulo. 18. lootte putes awaye contradyccyon and doth iudge great men, & more of this matter in my boke [Page 22] of callynge. ☞: ❧: ♣: ☜

♣ All canones of the worlde can not 119 lawefullye chose one byshoppe of the churche of Iesu Chryste. ☞ ❧

❧ Kynges and prynces and other 120 great nobles ought to chose very ma­ny lerned men in the worde of god, whiche shulde be byshoppes in theyr courtes, and shulde teache theyr cour­tyers oft the most pure worde of god.

☞Yf one, or two, or mo houses of the 121 faythfull perceyue that they haue not faythful byshoppes suffred to them, or the people of ye peryshe wyl not chose euaungelycall men, they maye pryuat­lye take them selues aproper byshope or pastor. ☞: ❧: ♣: ☜

❧ Those shulde alonely be chosen 122 byshoppes that be suche as Paule de­scrybethe. 1. Tymothe. 3. and Tyte. 1. that is to be irreprehynsyble with out faute kepynge hospetalyte, gentyl, so­ber, iuste, meke, holy, husbandes of one wyfe, in feare and care of ye lorde go­uernynge theyr owne house, hauynge childrē lerned with al chastyte, which be not proude, couetous, drunkerdes, angrye, contencyous, but honest, able [Page] in worde and māners wel to order the churche of god, and theyr wyues must be chaste honest, sober, and faythful in all thynges. ❧ ❧ ❧

123 ♣ Yf any of the cetizēs or of ye nobles be such one he may be chosen byshope of the congregacyon notwithstādyng all the decrees of the apostate kynge­dome. ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜

124 ☞ It is herysye and folyshnes to af­fyrme that the aforesayde texte of the apostle, of the wyfe and chyldren, is o­therwayes vnderstande (as the enne­myes of mekenes do saye) them of a lawefull wyfe and chyldren naturally begotten in matrymonye. ☞ ♣

125 ❧ Therfore maryed men maye be made byshoppes and preache openly the worde of god, and after the pure texte of the apostle, there ought none to be chosen byshoppe of the congre­gacyon, excepte he be maryed or haue bene or wyll be. ☞ ❧ ♣ ☜

126 ❧: And for that cause god wolde that all, except a fewe prophetes, apo­stles, and byshopes, shulde haue be maryed, and shulde be to this daye, that there be no suspeccyon of whormon­gynge [Page 22] or vnclenlynes, and that they myght more safly be conuersante with other. ☞ ❧ ♣ ☜

♣ Also by an other reason that they 127 myght be partakers of holy matrymo­nye, that ought to preach the hye my­steryes of it, the which be in Chryste & the churche, for what be all the scryp­tures of god, but sermones of hys my­steryes, and hys churche. ❧

☞ They that haue chosen byshopes,128 where as cause is, maye lawefully de­pose them. ❧: ❧: ❧

❧ A iust cause of deposycyon of the 129 same is vnsyncere preachynge of the worde of god .i. yf they myxte lawes, decrees, and tradycyons of men, with goddes ordynaunce. ❧ ♣ ♣

♣ Deacons of the churche, be those 130 that ye faythful chose, for to gather, & dystribute to the pore, the almes of the faythful, whiche nowe many cetyes of Germanye do, makynge comen boxes for it, such were the .7. deacons electe and instytute of the apostles at hieru­salem, of whom Stephen the Marter was one. ❧: ☞: ♣: ❧:

♣ Men of good wytnes, faythful, and 131 [Page] maryed muste be chosen deacons .1. Tymothe. 3. whiche if they be pore let them be susteyned with the comen al­mes by the decree of the churche.

132 ❧ The churche of god hath no my­nysters besydes these byshoppes and deacons for byshoppes, prestes, dea­cons, subdeacōs. &c̄. of the kyngdome of the pope, be deacons of men, ordy­ned without tystymonyes of the word of god. ☞: ❧ ❧: ☜: ♣

☞ Of punyshment and puttynge out false byshoppes and false apostles from the cōgregacion of the faytheful. Capit. 6.

133 AL prophisye and scripture of god is profy­table when it is synce rely teached, & hande­led. Tymothe. 3. for it is a openynge of the spirite of truthe, to the helthe of the faythfull. 1. Corinth. 12.

134 ♣ For it is the worde of the wysdome of god, more precyous then golde and syluer, and to whom all that can be de­syred [Page 23] maye not be cōpared Pro. 3. nor precyous stone maye not be assymulat to it, and all tresure is counted but as cley in the syght of it. Sapien. 1. ❧

¶ Prophane doctryne, and straunge 135 from god doth not profyte, but alway to the greater wykydnes, and dothe waste, crepe, and consume, euen as the dysease of canker. 2. Tymoth. 2. for it it Leuen sone corrupting al the dowe 1. Corin. 5. and Galat. 5. and euell co­munycacyon deceyueth, and corrup­tythe. 1. Corinthy. 5. ❧: ❧

♣ Suche maner of wyked sermones & 136 contrary to truthe, be teached, and lo­ued alonlye of them that be corrupted in mynde. 1. Tymo. 6. and .2. Tymo. 3.

♣ Yf he ought to be taken from the 137 myddes of the faythfull, neyther it be not lawfull, to accompanye with hym that is called brother .i. faythfull, that with his synne offendythe the congregacyon of god, moche more he that with hys wyked teachynge turnythe the people from Chryste, ❧

♣ An heretyke after the thyrde mo­nyshyon,138 repugnynge to the truthe, is to be flede as a banyshed man Tyte. 3. [Page] and not bryngynge the pure worde of god, he is not to be receyued into your house, nor you ought not to salute him for he that salutyth him consentys to hys euell deades. 2. Iohā. canonycal.

139 ♣ Furthermore as euery good man of the house ought to rule hys house, so kynges prynces, and rulers theyr lan­des subiecte to them. ♣ ♣ : ☜ ☞

140 ♣ Therfore euen as good men of the houses ought to put frō theyr houses, and punyshe false prophetes and heretykes, not bryngynge the doctryne of Chryste, so kinges prynces and rulers frō theyr proper landes and lordshyp­pes, these be bounde to this, lest theyr proper houses be deceyued and mayde straunge from Chryst. Also the other for helthe of theyr subiectes. : ♣

141 ♣ And for that cause of the best kyngꝭ haue slayne false prophetes, the lorde commaundynge. Deutri. 15. he com­maūdeth false prophetes, and fayners of dreames, whiche turne hys people from hym, to be slayne. :¶:¶:¶:

142 ☞ Yf that as is open in many places of scrypture, offences muste be taken frō amonge the myddes of the people [Page 24] of the lorde, those verely are chefely to be taken away that dystroye soules of whom false preachynge is chefe.

☞All preachyng of the kyngdome of 143 the pope is deceyuable and admyxte with lyeng, therfore it must be fled as the poyson of Aspys incurable. Also all preachers of the same kyngedome bycause they be false prophetes and false apostles nat borne and sente of god, but of flesshe and blode. ❧

❧ Therfore this moste pryncypally 144 of all them that rule muste be lokyd on that true byshopes .i. true euangelystꝭ of the worde, gouerne well people subiecte to them in the same worde. ♣

♣ Let them expulse false bysshopes .i.145 false prophetes from theyr landes af­ter the thyrde monishyon, except they amende. and if they affyrme that they haue the worde of god and the quicke voyce of god as some say, lete them be suffred to do what they cā, vntyl they be prouyd of them that haue the moste pure worde if it be of god or nat, and as it is knowen nat to be of god, lette all prynces banyshe them theyr lorde­shyppes / and so do with false prophe­tes [Page] that sprynge dayly. ☞ ❧ ❧

146 ¶ For who that of right wytte wyl denye, kynges, prynces, and rulers to be bounde to that, to seke peace, & helthe of theyr people, and to exyle from thē all what so euer dothe alyenat them from god. ☜☞: ☜: ☞: ☜☞ ❧

147 ♣ And I doure nat but it is lawful for them by the forsayde chapi. Deute. 13. whiche is reuocate in no place to slee them, when they perceyue that they turne theyr people frō the inmaculat scriptures of god, to the sacralegious decrees of the kyngdome of the pope, and other inuencions of men, for they haue the sworde. ☞ ❧ ♣

148 ♣ Dyd Helyas erre whē he slewe. 858. prophetes aswell of Baalle as other places. 3. Reg. 18. and Iehu whiche dyd slee the prophetꝭ and worshypers of Baalle. 4. Regum. 10. ❧

149 ¶ But I do nat affyrme this to be necessarye to chrysten prynces, that all thoughe as I haue sayde, they shulde be seperat and expulsyd from the con­gregation, vndoutidly it is necessary, or els the gylty men of so many soules as haue ben deceyuyd of this prophe­tes [Page 15] of antichryst, shulde peryshe, I do rather counsel and wolde alwaye that they shulde be banyshed then slayne / for they maye amende. ☞ ♣

♣ In case you obiecte those that wor­shyp 150 the pope. to be countyd for mere gentyles, and therfore to suffre thē to haue theyr doctoures and prophetes, we answere that it is nat lyke reason, for they wyll be taken for the faythful of Christe and the other wyll nat.

Forthermore there is one doctryne of 151 the faythful y most pure worde of god with whiche they muste be gouernyd.

❧Therfore they that be of the kingdome 152 of the pope, if they couyt to be sauyd, muste cleaue to the sīple worde of god, the inuencyons of menne set-aparte. ☞ ❧ ♣

✚ Nor it is nat trewe (that some say)153 that it is lawful to be cōuersant with bretherne yt be reproche to the chur­che, and false prophetꝭ, as it were with true gentyles, as you may perceyue of scryptures aforsayde. ❧ ♣

♣ They that attayne to the kingdome 154 of the pope wyl be taken for bretherne i. faythfull, and theyr false apostles, [Page] for euangelystes of Chryste. For vnder the cloke of Christe and hys moste holy worde, they beīg deceyuyd craftely stryue againste bothe Christe and his worde. they are to be fledde of all faythfull, and of prynces and ru­lers to be extyncte. leste they preache or affyrme any suche thynge or els to be taken away and banyshed the com­panye of the faythefull. ☞ ❧

155 ¶ Nor it is nothynge materyall that some say, there shulde no man be con­straynyd to faythe, for that is vnder­stande alonly of gentyles, that do professe them selues strange from Christ, the other wyll be coūtyd for faythful.

156 ♣ It is nothīg to the purpose yt some say, so they shulde be cōpellyd to ypo­crysye. Verely they be nat excomuni­cate or confoundyd that they shulde be made ypocrytes, but they so con­foundyd of ypocrytes maye be made true christyanes and if they wyll tary in ypocrisy it shalbe imputed to them.

157 ❧ Dyd Paule synne, commaundyng a certayne man to be excomunycate, and taken frō the myddes of the faythful. 1. Cor. 5. if he had nat ben conuer­tyd [Page 26] but in to hypocrysye, myght it thē haue be sayde that Paule and the companye of the Corinthians had com­pellyd hym to hypocrysy. ❧ ✚

☞ Therfore, we conclude that euery 158 man ought to banyshe from his house and prynces frome theyr landes false apostles nat wyllyng to amende, leste Christe be teachyd dyuersly and / his worde beleuyd to be dyuerse, wherof Christe may be deuyded in his people and by thys dyuersytye all places be troubled. ☞ ✚ ❧ ♣

¶Therfore it is laufull for byshopes 159 and the people of the faythfull, to de­syre theyr prynces, and rulers to be carefull amongestes them all, and to ex­pell false prophetes frome theyr lan­des that the pure worde of god maye be teachyd in euery place. ¶: ✚: ¶

❧ And if they that rule be enemyes 160 of truthe, and wyll nat here the worde sufferyng them to be deceyuyd, of the prophetes of antychriste and monkes (as is theyr propertie) excepte they amende surely they shall peryshe.

♣ And if they couyt to be sauyd, lette 161 them here the worde of the lorde, and [Page] that moste dylegentlye, and lette them pray the lorde, that he wyll vouchsafe to lyghten them with his spirite. For then they prayeng in faythe god wyll make open his trewethe. ☞ ❧

162 ♣It is dampnable that many say they wyll folowe the maners and faythe of theyr predycessours, for this sacryle­gyous sayng dothe peryshe many. As I haue spoken in the boke of the cau­ses of ye blyndnes. &c̄. ī the prologue.

163 ❧ wo be to wycked prynces and ru­lers that for the decrees of antychrist denye the veryte of Christe, and do enprysone, ꝑsecute, and slee hys louers. Verely they are madder and worse thē Nero or Dioclesiane, and al other tyrannes. For they dyd persecute and denye that they knewe nat. Verely these blynder then blyndnes it selfe. Call them selues Christes seruauntes and loue hys worde, & yet they denye and treade downe bothe Christe and his worde, and receyue for him donge of inuencyons of men, and worshyppe for Christe antichriste and his lawes, this euery man perceyueth excepte he be blynde as they be. O I wolde to [Page 27] God the lorde wolde sende another Iosy as that wolde dystroy all greate buldynges, places, aulters, phaanes, secres, decrees, of antychriste and all that belōgeth to that curfyd worshyp 4. Reg. 23. and. 2. Parali. 34. ❧

❧ In what thynges bysshoppes of the churche of God, shulde be subiecte to prynces and ru­lers and of theyr auc­toryte, and my­nystery that is of the worde and sacramentes, and of sentwaryes. The seuenthe Chapitre. ☞: ♣: ♣: ☜

BYshoppes .i. mynysters 169 of the worde / be in all thynge subiecte to prynces and rulers as other cytezyns be, excepte in these thynges that belonge to theyr propre offyce. For it is necessarye that they be cytezyns whiche we adfyrme of all relygyouse. ☞ ✚ ❧ ♣

[Page] 165 ❧ Byshoppes in mynystery of the worde be subiecte to no man but god alone, & iudgement of the churche, whi­che dothe iudge by the worde of god.

166 ☞ If lordes probybyte preachyng to byshopes, for a day or .ij. they must be obeyd, but perpetually obey them nat for god must rather be obeyd thē man. Actes .5. If they cōmaunde they shall interprete the worde of god agaynste hys propre nature, that is after the wyl of the pope & his kyngdome, obey them nat, but resyste the mater more purely and feruently. ☞ ✚ ♣ ❧

167 ¶ And they cōmaunde that they shal teache tradycyons and cōmaūdemen­tes of men, obey them nat, and so of al other of this maner, that be agaynste the worde of the lorde. ☞ ❧

168 ☞ The greatyst and hyest poynte of theyr offyce, is to preache to the peo­ple, those thynges that the lorde hath spoken so purely, so nakydly, and so symply, as god saythe, nother increa­synge, nor demynyshyng .i. puttyng to nothynge of the inuencyons and dreames of mē, for the people of the faythful [Page 28] shuldbe rulyd by the alonly worde of the lorde. ☞ ✚ ☜

♣ Theyr auctorite is, to correcte with 169 the worde of god, ye kynges and prynces and rulers, and with the church togyther to seperate apostates, and slanderers of the worde frō the comunion of the faythfull, and they so amending to receyue them agayne.

☞ It is also aparte of theyr offyce,170 chefly in those dayes, that the chylde of perdycyon the man of syn, is to be publyshed to the electe with ye spirite of the mouthe of the lorde .i. with hys worde, lest they consentyng to him do peryshe, to expoūde to al people, with a quicke voyce and wrytyng, those places of scrypture perteynynge to that kyngdome, euery man as he hathe ta­ken of the lorde, let hym be banyshed from the temples of god, that is frome the hertes of the faythful, and let him neuermore be taken of them, for the vycker of god, or spouse of the church for if he be to be reuelid with ye worde of the lorde, it is necessary that it be done fyrste & pryncypally by thē whō god hathe made his euangelystes.

[Page] 171 ♣ But I do nat denie this to belonge to all faythefull that haue the worde of god, for it is commaundyd to all men of the kyngdome of the pope, vn­der the similitude of the whore of Babylon mother of al fornycacyon. Apocalyp. 18. Go from her my people and be nat parttakers of her synnes, by­cause her synnes haue come to heuyn and the lorde remembrethe her iniquities, gyue her as she hathe gyuen to you, and double her double workes, in the cuppe that she dyd myxe to you myxte to her double, as muche as she hathe gloryfyed her selfe in delycates so muche gyue to her tormente & mournynge. whiche wordes I haue expoū ­dyd in the preface of myne oracyon in to the rule of the mynorytes. ❧

172 ¶ Therfore nother emperoure kyngꝭ nor prynces, or any other rulers, may lawfully prohybyte that these thyngꝭ shulde nat be done, and if they do pro­hybite they ought nat to be obeyd, for God is more than manne [...]ormes and rotennes. ☞ ❧ ♣ ✚

173 ❧ They may forbyd that any thyng shulde be done without the worde and [Page 29] then they are to be obeyed. ❧ ♣

☞ And they may constrayne .i. leste 174 any man robbe or strike the popes chaplens, and monkes / or of hys owne brayne plucke downe ydolles, for this belongeth to prynces and rulers, that haue the sworde, that if any thynge muste be done, it may be done with holsome counsel, and in good tyme by the worde of god. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

❧ For all that the companye of the 175 faythfull gatheryd and well enformyd in the worde of god, may for this mat­ter, desyre and that instantly prynces and rulers, that all thyng may be done pesably, ordinatly and in good season.

¶ wherfore messengers that is apos­tles 175 and byshoppes of god, be subiecte alonly to god ī ministery of the worde we say in mynystery of the worde, for as for al outwarde thyngꝭ, as to prea­che in thys place rather then in that place, with a surplyce or without, in tabernacles of the faythfull, and nat in the comen market or in the market and nat in the tabernacles, and so of all other outwarde thynges by which theyr mynysterye is nat lette, they be [Page] subiecte to prynces & rulers as other cytyzens be. ☞ ❧ ♣ ✚ ☜

177 ♣ For and cause lawfull be they may, holsom counsell taken, depryue, putte them forthe, and pryson them. &c̄.

178 ☞Nat withstandynge the decrees of the sonne of perdicyon, whiche vnder payne of cursynge, do prohybyte leste any man touche his tyrannes and my­nysters of hys clergye, for what wyll suche preceptes, but to wyll that with out any lette, they may waxe wanton, stele, and go madde. Forthermore I haue sayde that god turnythe all the cursyng of this kyngedome of perdy­cyon to his electe in to a louyng bles­synge. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☜

179 ❧Also all sanctuaryes, pryuyleges and pardones, of that kyngedome be lyes of the deuyll, and therfore to be countyd for nought. ¶: ✚: ¶

180 ☞ Therfore bothe byshoppes, and al other if they haue offendyd maye be taken from any place, ye frome taber­nacles and churcheyardes.

181 ♣ Townes and places may be ordey­ned, of prynces and rulers, in whome they that flee, whiche by chaūce, with [Page 30] out hate or malyce haue shedde blode, maye be safe, vnto theyr innocencye knowen they maye retourne to theyr owne. ❧ ♣ ✚ ❧

❧who so euer with sworde, staffe, or 182 stone, or any other way of hate, or ly­eng in wayte hathe stryken or slayne any man, he ought nat to be suffered safe in any place, but alonly he that a­gaynst his wyl hath done any of these. And so the lorde hathe ordeyned cy­tyes for them that flee. Numeri. 35.

¶No byshop hathe aucthoryte, vpon 183 hys felowe, but to teache hym, if he knowe the truthe better, for the fey­nynge of archbyshoppes is nat of the worde of god.

❧ Byshoppes haue no nede to be 184 consecrate of any man, but of the holy ghoste, it is suffycyent to them for all consecracyon to be sende and callyd of the lorde.

☞ If any byshoppes in them selues 185 theyr wyues, or with dyuers conuer­sacyon, offende the cōgregacyon they ought to be correcte of rulers and the churche, and nat geuyng place to hol­some [Page] doctryne ought to be deposed of them and seperate the comunyon of the faythefull.

186 ❧ Another mynystery of theyres is to baptyze, to minister the table of the lorde and cōforthe them that amende.

187 ☞ Thys mynysterye of sacramentes whiche is but accydent to them, and not pryncypall, they may commyt to other, when they be let with ministery of the worde. they be nat sende to baptyze, but to preache. As Paule sayeth of hym selfe. 1. Cor. 1.

188 ♣To the fyrste offyce that is to prea­chyng be inseperably knyt, visitacyon and comfortyng of the sycke, alwayes that they can to helpe the congrega­cyon that euery byshope rulythe in the worde of god.

189 ❧ Byshoppes shulde nat wayte to be callyd to the howses of the faythefull, where as they knowe necessyty, but of theyr selues shulde watche and haste to brynge them helpe and comforthe.

The eyght Chapitre. ¶That byshoppes may nat be lordes and prynces, and it is agaynste theyr offyce. The eyght Chapitre. ❧

BYshoppes be nat lordes 190 ouer the people of god but mynysters and ser­uauntes. ☞ ❧

☞ Nor they may com­maunde 191 them nothyng of thē selues, although they may reproue, desyre, and blame, in all pacyence and pure doctryne of the scriptures of god. 2. Timoth. 4.

❧ It is nat out of pacyence, but a 192 necessarye and moste free zele to god, when any man is angrye and feruent agaynste the wycked, after the worde of the lorde, for verely there muste be resystence with the worde as ofte as necessyte requyryth, ye with the moste feruent zele. As Phinees dyd please with the zele, sleyng bothe Zambri ca­pitayne of the trybe of Symeon, and [Page] Cozhi doughter of Sur the prynce of Madianites. Numeri. 15. And also Mathathias with that zele. sleynge a Iue and the messenger of the kynge of Antioche, the fyrste boke of Ma­chabeus the seconde Chapitre. Lyke wyse Helias whose sermones were e­uyn as fyre or a burnynge bronde. 1. Kynges. 17. and Ecclesiasti .48. ♣

♣ Byshoppes may nat be prynces and lordes of any place, but of theyr owne howsholde. for it is contrarye to be a byshope and a prynce. For to be a by­shoppe is to be a mynyster and faythefull seruande.

194 ¶ Therfore they ought nat to haue lordeshyppe, of the leaste towne of all the worlde, the sauyour spekyth to by­shoppes. Matthewe the .20. chapitre and Marke the .18. Chapitre. & Luke the .22. Chapitre. Kynges of genty­les haue rule ouer them, and they that haue power be callyd gracyous lordꝭ. but you nat so, that is you shall nat haue lordshyppe of other nor shal nat haue power in them as prynces. &c̄.

[Page 31]☞ And bycause the pope, and his by­shopes,195 with other perteyninge to his kyngedome, do boste them selues, for mynysters, & seruaūtes, of the church, and neuerthelesse, wylbe prynces, and lordes, they must be depryued al, kyngdome, and lordshyppe, whiche to do, it belongeth to prynces, and rulers.

♣ If that they be of the hye prynces,196 and wylbe taken for suche, and playe the true prynces and to permyte frely holy byshopp [...] [...] of euery congregacyon [...] be suffred, or els to be put [...] other to be chosen, for prynces. ❧: ♣: ☜

¶ It is not laweful for byshoppes, to 197 haue vycars, offycyalles, secretaryes, chauncelers, courtes of stryfe, & suche other. But alonly helpers, for myny­stery of Sacramentes, as I haue sayd before. ☞: ❧: ♣: ☜: ❧

¶ For there is no processe, that maye 198 lawfully be determyned, before him, or hys offycyalles, for this doth belonge to prynces and rulers. ☞: ❧

¶ But it is lawfull for them, to haue 199 a scrybe of sermons of truthe, yf they nede or yf they be suche, that can ex­pounde [Page] the scryptures in wrytynge.

200 ¶ Scrybes and other that be of the councell of Cetyes, and other nota­ryes ordayned of prynces, and rulers, may receyue testamentes, and all ma­ner of contractes, whiche is not to be suffered, to the notaryes of Anty­chryst, and hys tyrannes, excepte they forsake Antychryst and hꝭ kyngdome and be admytted of rulers, or els the coniurynge, of the sonne of perdycyō shuldbe cōfirmed, which by al meanes after the worde of god, is to be abo­lysshed, and drounke of hī in the moste harde cuppe. ☞ ♣ ♣ ☜

201 ☞ To prynces, and rulers, it belon­geth to subuerte all pompe, & tyranny, of byshoppes, and to reforme them to humylyte, and symplecyte of apostles

202 ♣Therfore to ye pope, and cardynals and byshopes, or other tyrannes, of hꝭ kyngdome, shuld not be suffered pom­pyous interestys of cetyes, precyous miters, crosses, hattꝭ, slyppers, of sylke and gyltyd, and rynges, for yf he wyll playe, the byshoppe let hym enter lyke a byshoppe, apostle, and pastor, and let it be suffycyent for euery one of them, [Page 32] to haue on, or two, or thre seruauntes, for they be not greater then Peter, or Paule, or other apostles, whiche haue gone very ofie, with one dyscyple a­lone to the mynysterye, of the worde, to whose humylyte both the pope, cardynalles, and all the tyrantes of hys kyngedome ought to be restored, but what counsel these kinges, and lordes that haue admitted those dygnytes of Antychryste, with theyr honour maye vse. I haue spoken of in the epystele to the noble prynce, Iohan cardynall of lotherynge. ☞ ♣ ❧

Of a brogatyō, of fyrst frutes, tythes, offeringes, and what the faythful owe to theyr byshopes .i. to true mynisters of the worde, and of those they owe to prynces and rulers. Capitulo. 9.

FOr mynysters of the 203 lawe that is to saye pre­stes and leuytes, god hathe ordyned tythes, fyrste frutes, and oblatyons, of tythes, and fyrst frutes. Exodi. 20. Leuiticum, the last Numeri. 18. and Deutri. 14. of obla­tyons. [Page] Exodi. 23. and .34. thou shalte not apere voyde in my syght, and Deuterono .16. he shall not apere voyde before the lorde. ❧ ♣ ☜

204 ♣ Verely ons before the lawe Abrahā dyd gyue tythes to Melchiseadech kynge, and preeste of the hyeste god. Genesis .14. and Iacobe vowyd to the lorde that he wold gyue tythes of all that he shulde receyue. Gene. 28. whiche no doute of, was not without the counsell of the holye gooste that they bothe dyd. ☞ :✚:

205 ✚ Therfore to gyue tythes, that is a good thynge, bycause it dothe agree with holy scryptures. :✚: ☜

206 ✚ But we finde in no place, that euer it was lawefull to any man to requyre them of deuty, except the forsayd my­nysters of the lawe, and kynges of Is­raell, as is manyfest .1. Regum. 8. of the lawe of a kynge that shuld raygne apon them. :✚: :✚: :✚

207 ✚ For that cause the preesthode of Aaron is abrogate, and is translatyd into Chryste, and the faythfull, and christe is made alone the true and hye byshoppe of the faythful, as is openly [Page 33] declaryd in the epystle of S. Paule to the hebrues. ☞: ✚: ♣: ☜

¶ wherfore byshoppes, and prestes 208 of the kyngedome of the pope, be no­thynge lesse then that whiche they affyrme them selues to be. ❧:

¶Nor they do nat succede to ye lawe 209 of tythes, fyrst frutes, and oblacyons, whiche be dewe alonly to them afore­sayde, for they be not prestes, and leuites of the lawe. ☞: ❧: ♣: ☜

¶ They be therfore execrable theues,210 when they requyre tithes, fyrst frutes and oblacyons. ☞ ❧ ❧ ☜

♣ For they be dewe to thē by no lawe,211 not by goddes lawe, as I haue sayde, nor by mannes lawe, for all suche lawe dothe not bynde the faythful. bycause it is wyked, brynginge them into bon­dage of the lawe, that god hathe made free from it. ☞ ♣ ❧

¶ Also Chryste spekynge of tythes.212 Mathewe .23. and Luke .11. spekethe in the pretertens, you ought to haue done these. &c̄. that you maye knowe they shulde haue be gyuen them, and not you. ☞: ♣ ❧

¶ And yf you saye they shulde haue 213 [Page] be geuē thē, Ergo nowe, you conclude folishlye, because the lawe is abrogat, for thē it shuld folowe that you shuld haue be cyrcumsysyd, offeryd beastes, go to Hierusalem on dayes apoynted of the lorde, Ergo nowe, yf thys con­sequente be nought nor the fyrste.

214 ¶ Furthermore althoughe faythfull be not bounde to gyue those thynges to them, yet rather then they shulde stryue, they shulde haue them at theyr requeste accordynge to that of Luke. 6. frō him that taketh away thy cloke, do not forbyde thy coote, to all that axythe the geue, and of hī that taketh from the, axe it not agayne. ☞

215 ¶ They maye, ye they ought, yf they maye do it, to warne them leste they wyll peryshe, for suche a detestable ex­actyon, and thefte, for it is wytten yf thy brother offende the, correcte hym. Matthewe .18. and Luke .17. ❧ ❧

216 ¶ But it is the duety of princes, and rulers, to make people free, from thys thefte, and tyrannye of the apostate kyngedome, for nother the pope, car­dynalles, nor byshoppes, nor all they to gether yt do attayne to this wyked [Page 34] kyngdome, may lawefully requyre one halfepenye, vnder the name of fryste frutes, tythes, and oblacyons. ❧

¶ Let these flowe belyes worke, and 217 lyue with laboure, and lette them haue wherof they may gyue to rhe pore his necessite, as is wrytten in the sweat of thy browes, thou shalt eate thy breade Gene. 3. and .2. Thessal. 3. he that la­boryth not let not hī eate, and yf they be of the houses of prynces, or nobles or any other ryche men, lette them go to theyr owne houses, & do sumthyng els better prouydyd, so that they do not steale other mennes gooddes and maye be sauyd. ❧ ♣

¶ To true byshopes .i. to true euaun­gelystes,218 be not owyd fyrste frutes, ty­thes, and oblacyons, but alonly they, to whome they preache, be bounde to helpe them, and theyr householde, as you maye openly se in many places of scrypture, as I haue teached in an o­ther place more largelye. ☞ ♣ ❧

¶ For it is sayde cheffelye to them,219 wyl not you to heape treasure. Math. 6. and although thꝭ chaunce to al men yet they shulde gyue example to other [Page] that they maye shewe Chryste, and hꝭ mekenes yee in theyr deades. ❧

220 ♣ Therfore & yf they haue any thyng plentyfully geuen to them, lette them geue it to the pore, and let them kepe hospytalyte as Paule saythe. Tite. 1.

221 ♣ wherfore vnder the gospell there is none that of the apoyntmente of god, tythes shulde specyallye be gyuen to, not the kyngedome of the pope, as we haue sayde, nor yet true euaungelystꝭ to whome euen by the comaundement of god, meate, and drynke, and clothe, is dewe of them whom they rule, with the worde and not to prynces, rulers or nobles. ☞: ✚: ❧: ♣ ☜

222 ♣ For to them must be gyuen tributes and customes, by the precept of christ Matth. 22. Marke. 12. Luke. 20. gyue that to the Emperour, that is the Em­peroures, & that, to god that is godes and Roma. 13. gyue to euery one theyr deutye, to whom trybute, gyue trybute to whome custome, gyue custome, to whō honor, giue honor, to whō dread, dreade, & wolde god that many iniuste exactyons were taken away, and that they wolde take alonly tythes, as the [Page 35] lorde dyd apoynte the kynges of Is­rael. 1. Regum. 8. ☞: ♣: ✚: ☜

♣ Also they must haue tythes, twelftꝭ 223 twentytes, and suche other lawefull customes, whiche many haue purcha­syd by laweful meanes, as geuynge for them, and theyr heyres, theyr proper landes, for a perpetual custome of the fyftenth, or twelfte ꝑte of theyr frutes

¶ I do not vnderstande of vsurus 224 bergens, for it is wrytten, lende one to another trustynge of no auauntage. Luke. 6. ☞: ❧: ♣: ✚: ❧

♣ what shall then be of tythes, shall 225 they be vtterly put downe, godforbyd but I saye that the faythfull be free, that they geue nothynge ouer them, to them whome the man of synne commaundethe to be geuen.: ❧: ♣: ❧

¶ I geue thꝭ counsel to the faythful,226 yt of al they that receyue of the lord, to gather tythes, and dystrybute them into good vses, as to helpe the publike weall, to noryshe true byshoppes, that truly gouerne, to helpe the fatherles, puples, and wydoes, with other pore.

¶ we saye this of thē, that be able, for 227 if they be pore, let them pay nothynge [Page] or els that whiche they maye frely, chefly for a comon weall, & mynysters of the worde of whome the greattest count muste be gyuen. 1. Tim. 5. seny­ours that gouerne well be worthye double honoure, chefly they that la­boure in the worde and lernynge.

228 ¶ Prīces, rulers, and nobles, to whō (as I sayd) trybutes, & other shuldbe gyuen by the lawe, maye not thynke them free to do with them what they wyll, for they muste be watchynge for a good state, and pease of the people, and be meke, and plentyful to the pore

229 ¶ To whom thys must be counsyled, that by example of Abraham, and o­ther Sayntes, to dystrybute tythes of all that they receyue, to the pore, and not to set vppe chappels and buylde cloystures. ☞: ❧: ❧: ♣

230 ❧ Nor it is not lawefull for them to multeplye horses, for pride, to haue many wyues, or hores, to gether great heapes of golde, & syluer to be proude ouer hys brethren that is, people whō he shulde haue in steade of hꝭ brethren to declyne from truthe, and iustyce, to the ryght hande, or to the lefte hande, [Page 36] but they shal haue the lawe of ye lord, in whiche they shal rede, all the dayes of theyr lyfe, and lerne to dreade the lorde, and theyr god, and kepe hys preceptes, as is sayde in. Deutryno. 17.

Of the table of the lorde that it is not a sacrefyce, and of wyked and vsurus customes of the kingdome of perdycyon vtterlye to be pluckyd awaye and of purgatory. Capi. 10.

THe pope and hys scoles 231 haue dyffyned the table of the lord, to be a sacryfyse, and haue denyed in it to be the promyse of grace, and both kyndes to be giuen to any other then hys chaplens, whiche be all he­resye, because they repugne to ye most opē textes of scripture, for if you loke apon those that be spoken of it. Mat. 26. Marke. 14. Luke. 22. and. 1. Cor. 11. you shall pleynly perceyue thys to be the table of god, whiche you maye not sacrefice, but eate and drynke, and to be the newe Testament, of whom ye scryptures be instrumentes, in whome [Page] the grace of god, and remission of syn­nes is promysyd, of whome they that beleue be pertakers, and bothe kindes to be gyuen, to all that haue proued them selues whether they beleue in ye promesse of god, and at the laste, by thꝭ takynge to shewe the lordes deathe, vntyll he come to iudegement .i. to re­member, & be a memoryal of his death, to them that beleue, for so ofte doth he dye to them, with the most surest signe that is to saye, the frute of his deathe is geuen to them, as ofte as they eate thys breade, and drynke thys bloude in faythe. ☞ ❧ ♣

232 ♣ whosoeuer is pertaker, of this table in fayth, is made a member of Chryst, and eateth his fleshe, and drynketh hꝭ bloude Iohan. 6. to the which he that goethe without faythe eateth, & dryn­keth his iudgement makynge no diffe­rence of the lordes bodye. ♣ ♣

233 ♣To serche here more cureouslye thē the symplenes of the texte wyllyth, is abomynable before the lorde.

234 ♣ The superstecyousnes, is not to be suffred, to kepe the breade of the lord, in the tabernacles of the faythfull, it [Page 37] was not ordayned of the lorde, to be kepyd so or borne aboute so pōposlye but that it myght be eaten. ❧: ✚

♣ And for that cause lette syncere e­uaungelystes 235 prouyde that it be not kepyd, for that kepynge is besyde the order of god, for truly then the breade is to be santyfyed, with the worde of god, whō it is to be taken, what houre soeuer it be, and what soeuer the here­sye of Antychryste hathe otherwyse dyffyned, and we saye the same of the cuppe yt both must be gyuen to gyther

♣ we do not saye, that this table is to 236 be mynystred to chyldren, or they that beleue not, but vtterlye, to all that can beleue in the promyse of god.

♣ It is the deuty of byshoppes to or­der 237 them dylygentlye that they maye knowe what this holy feast is, and not to receyue to it, all yt puttes him selfe to it, but thē whō they haue instructe, or do not doute, to be well instructe.

❧ The hye preparacyon is, that any 238 man beynge thrystye, or hongry go to it .i. that he confesse with al his harte, that he hath nede of the grace of god, and remissyon of synnes, and beleue to [Page] goddes promyse that beinge pertaker of this table, he shall obteyne hys de­syer by the meryte of the passyon of Christ, of whō this feast is a memorye

239 ❧ Althoughe thys holye feast, and also baptysme be moste sure sygnes, to the faythful, of the grace of god to be hade, yet without these sygnes euery faythefull, beleuynge the truthe per­ceyueth the same, as apereth in many places of scrypture. ☞: ❧:

240 ¶And for that cause it perteyneth to the aboundance of goddes worshype, that he hathe put these sygnes to the more copyous cōforte of the faythful, of whom I haue spoken more, cheflye in the boke of the causes of the blind­nes. &c̄. Tracta. 5. Capitulo. 7. and. 8

241 ¶ Augustyne, and other sayntes, and the Mayster of sentences. 12. Dystyn. 4. do not affyrme thys table to be properly a sacrifyce, but so to be called so of some, bycause it is a memorye of a sacryfyce ones offeryd on the crosse.

242 ¶ But as the memorye of a thinge is not the thynge, nor the memorye of golde, or a person, is not golde or the person, soo nor the memorye of the sa­cryfyce, [Page 38] is the sacryfyce. ☞: ♣ ❧

♣ It was an execrable faynynge of 243 the deuell, to make of thys swetest te­stament, of euerlasting helthe, a sacry­fyce of the kingdome of Antychryste, wherof is spronge vsurye, marchan­dyse, fayres, and innumerable errores aboute the masse, by the whiche innu­merable haue peryshed, & slowe belyes be fatted and sette out. ❧

¶ It is laweful no more to the faythfull 244 to sacrefyce Chryste then to kyll hī, but alonly to worshyppe the memorye of hys deathe in faythe, in perta­kynge of hys table.: ☞:

☞ All that, nowe the truthe openyd 245 agayne sacryfyce Chryste, do alwaye synne moste greuouslye.

✚ Therfore yf any man in any place 246 to auoyd ye offēce of many, be cōstraynyd to say masse, let him leaue out al yt that maketh mencyon of a sacryfyce, prīcipally the Canō, except the wordꝭ of būdictiō frō thꝭ place. Qui pridie. &c̄

♣ And let him take hede, that neyther 247 for that nor if he haue lefte out any o­ther thynge as the manyple stole. &c. that he be prykyd in hys conscyence, [Page] as for one offence knowynge that the faythful is not bounde to ye tradycyōs of men, but is free, yet because of the weake these outwarde thynges, are not in euery place to be lefte out.

248 ❧ whiche yf it make agaynste thy conscyence it edefyethe to hell fyer, and yf it folowe a wauerynge conscy­ence synneth lette hym therfore put away thy wauerynge conscyence, and for that axe lyghtenynge of the lorde.

149 ♣ Neyther for quyke, nor for deade it is laweful to offer Chryste neyther in the sacrament, nor otherwyse, for he hathe offered hym selfe ones for all.

250 ☞ All foundacyons of masses, yeres myndes, cryenge of the quere, and all suche, that be done in the kyngedome of the pope, be hylye abhomynable to god besydes that they be for the more part vsury, what so euer the son of perdycyon in a certen wauerynge hathe otherwyse dyffyned, a thynge vtterly aduersarye to the worde of god, gran­tyng to hys synagoge Chryst prohy­bytythe vsury Luke .6. lende one to another trustynge for no auauntage, whiche thys man of synne hath made [Page 39] lawefull / and what is it that he dare not dyffyne agaynste the immaculate scriptures of god, so yt any thyng may come to the tresorye of hꝭ kyngdome.

♣ In a dysceytfull spyryte / and doc­tryne 251 of deuyls / was purgatorye fey­nyd as many mo were. ☞: ❧: ❧

✚ Therof hathe the deceyuynge of 252 the worlde cheflye come / and the cur­syd fayres of the kingdome of ye pope.

✚ I praye you let the kyngedome of 253 the pope answere / from what thynges shulde a mā be purged to be sauyd / not alonlye from synnes: ☞: ❧: ☜

✚ But alonly by fayth in Chryst we 254 be purged from them / and iustyfyed / not with fyre / water / sworde / laboure / or any other externe thynge / nor with the prayers of any saynte as I haue proued Luke .1. and Cantico .1.

✚ Althoughe he that is iustyfyed of 255 faythe / workethe many good workes / for faythe hathe her strength by loue. Galat. 5. and is neuer seperate from good workes / yf it be true.

✚ If by fyer / ye prayers of other / any 256 laboure or worke / we be pur [...]yd / and iustyfyed / ergo superfluously and frely [Page] Chryste was deade for vs. ☞ ♣ ❧

257 ¶ Therfore there is no other purga­torye / or purgatyon / but that whiche is of faythe in Chryste.

258 ✚ And they that iudge otherwayes / fynde not one place in the holye / and canonycall scryptures / for them.

259 ¶ For that the .2. Machabe the .12. that Iudas a collatyon mayde, sende .12. thousande beysandes of syluer to Hierusalem, is not of auctoryte / for those bokes of the Machabyes be not coūted in the rule of the hebrues / also if thou loke dylygētlye on that place, thou shalt fynde that rather they dyd pray lest the sīnes of the deade, which they hade taken of the giftes of ydol­les, shulde hurt thē, then for the deade men them selues, and for that cause it is concludyd, that holsome and holye is the thought to pray, for the deade, that they may be losyd of theyr sīnes, is agaynste canonycall scryptures.

260 ✚ In syght of the lorde the dethe of sayntes, that is of the faytheful is precyous, that be iustefyed and sācryfyed by faythe. Psalmo. 115. also Apoca. 14. Iohan harde a voyce sayenge to [Page 40] him blessyd are they yt dye in ye lorde, that is in the faythe of Chryste.

¶ Also of them yt dye so in the lorde 261 the spirite spekethe that from hence­forthe they reste from theyr laboures, and yf they reste, ergo they suffer no fyer Apocal. 14. great is the auctho­ryte of thys place, what so euer many other thynke, for it doth dyssent from no place of other scryptures / whiche somtyme god wyllynge I shall proue.

✚ The dethe of synners .i. of vnfaythfull 262 is worste. Psalmo .33. synners be callyd vnfaytheful, bycause synnes be imputyd to them, and all theyr deades be not of faythe, and therfore they be synne. Roma .14. truly faythefull be called iuste, & sayntes, bycause synnes be not imputyd to them for true fayth Psalmo .31. blessyd be they whose ini­quites be forgyuen, and whose synnes be coueryd, blessyd is the man, to whō the lorde hathe not ymputyd synne.

¶ Furthermore faythfull lazarus be­ynge 263 deade, he was borne into the bo­some of Abraham / verelye the wykeddynes was buryed quyckely in hell which I haue expounded in my enar­racyon [Page] of Luke. Capitulo. 16. ♣ ❧

264 ¶ Therfore blessyd is the faythefull dyenge in the lorde, for into hī he shal slepe, and rest. Psal. 4. the vnfaythful verelye is accursyd. ☞: ✚: ♣: ❧

265 ♣ we conclude therfore / that alonlye fayth is our purgatory, blessyd is he yt so purgyd, dyeth, other purgatory we finde not, for they be most lykest drea­mes, what so euer hath be dyffyned of these / thꝭ lōge tyme / nor haue nothing profytyd / but to fat / and set out slowe belyes of the kyngedome of the pope.

267 ✚ Therfore bycause they were with out the testimony, of ye worde of god / they be wyked, that the forsayde kyngdome of the pope, hath diffined in thē and to be plucked awaye of prynces / and rulers, and reformyd to ye rule of the scryptures of god. ☞: ❧: ❧

Of sectes of perdycyon, and beggynge. Cap. 11.

268 NOthinge more dampnable, sythe Chryste was borne, was brought in, then these sectes of perdicyon, sectes of perdycyon be they that can not but destroy, as be the monasty call sectes.

[Page 41]¶ Alonly one profession is of helthe,269 that is to saye, to professe Chryste, whiche bycause he hathe, one spirite, one faythe, one god, one redemer, one medyator, or aduocate, one worde, one iudgemēt, one baptysme, one testamēt of grace, dothe hyely abhorre scysmy, and deuysyon of the thynges that at­teyne to hī, namely of his only spous the churche, for the whiche Paule re­prouethe the Corynthyans of theyr zele, & cōtētion saing I am of Paule I of Cephas, I of Apollo. 1. cor. 1.2. &. 3

♣ Bycause there is, one, and the most suffycyent rule of all, that beleue the worde of god all monastycal sectes be superfluous, and vnprofytable.

✚ Paraduenture they hurte not, and 270 be tollerable to them that trust not or gyue thē nought, verely to them that thynke there is in them, the leste Iote of perfectyon, iustyfycatyon, or effy­cacyty vnto helthe, they be more poy­son then the venym of Aspys.

♣ For verelye the monastycall secte 272 is the well of ypocrysye, the Iakes of enuy, ydlenes, drūknes, grudges, hate ambyshon, and of all vnclenlynes, the [Page] doughter of the bloude, sukker deuou­rynge althynge, and alwaye saynge, brynge bryng, an ensacyate depnes of tradycyons of mē, stryuynge euen cō ­trarye to the worde of god. ☞: ❧

273 ¶ Nether kyngedome, lordeshyppe, landes, customes, tythes, or any great ryches, besynes, of marchaundyse, may lawfully, be permyttyd to ye Charterhouse freres, benedictynes celysty­nes, or any other mōkes, whō they cal possessyoners, of prynces and rulers.

274 ✚ Aboue all cloystures, these ought to be subuertyd, for they drawe almost all the worlde, with stryfe and exacty­ons, to bryng, vp certayne ydle & fatte hogges, and what they do more ouer, I tell not. ☜: ❧: ☜: ❧: ♣: ♣

275 ✚ But these that they call beggers, what do they not steale with theyr ymportunate beggynge, be they not a­mongeste the faythefull, as myse, be in barnes, in clothes, mothes, in wortes, wormes, besyde yt, that they be callyd so beggers, they wyll fare better then many greate men. ☞: ❧: ☜

276 ¶ Beggynge is alwaye vnlawefull, and nere thefte, to them that can with [Page 42] theyr laboure gette necessaryes. ❧

¶ Therfore it is not laweful, to gyue 277 any thynge to these monkes, bycause they ought, and maye eate the laboure of theyr hādes, and seke it with occu­patyon, whereby they may lyue, and if they can not, let them lerne, for saynte Fraunces commaundyd his, so to do.

✚ For howe ofte are we mouyd ī holy 278 scripture, that it is necessary, to helpe pupylles, the fatherles, wydoes, presoners, ye dyseasyd, and other that haue neade, of our goodes as we be able, in no place it is cōmaundede, or prouyd, that any man shulde be made a begger, althoughe to all faythefull true po­uertye is necessarye. ☞: ✚: ♣: ❧

♣ Also it is more blessyd to gyue then 279 take. Actes. 20. ☞: ♣: ✚: ❧

¶ So saynt Fraunces wyl not, yt hys 290 monkes begge, but when they can not wt theyr labour get necessary for lyfe.

✚ All monkes & monyalles, that per­ceyue 281 they haue not receyued ye gyfte of contence are bounde, to put awaye theyr coweles, and to be maryed.

❧ I wolde not condempne, no I 282 wolde prayse the cloystures of bothe [Page] kyndes, yf they were scolles of the faytheful, in whom they shulde be wel instructyd, with the alonlye worde of god, and honeste laboures, and myght frelye go forthe when they wolde, thē they shulde alway be better, and more chrystyanly be conuersant. ☞: ♣:

283 ♣ Monkes & monyalles, that affyrme that they wolde lyue in the lyberty of the gospell, and do nothyng, but whe­ther the coule be reiecte or not, wyll lyue without the brydle of them that rule, rore as they dyd before, and part to them gooddes of the cloyster, to be distribute at theyr plesure, those be nothyng lesse, then chrystyans, and gos­pellers, & they be made of Belzebub Sathan, that is of nought worse, and moste hatefull to god. ♣: ♣: ♣: ♣: ♣

284 ❧ Aboue all, the cloystures of the Mynorytes ought to be scolles of the professyon of the gospell, for Chryste commaunded to saynt Frauncys, that they shulde lyue after, the forme of the holy gospel, whiche I haue prouyd in the cōmentaries of theyr rule. Cap. 1.

285 ✚ Princes and rulers, of theyr offyce ought dylygently to watche, that the [Page 43] goynge forthe of all cloysters myght be free, and by al meanes so to do, that they whiche yet tary in cloysters lyue subiecte, and be dylygently instructyd with the alonlye worde of god, or els what shal these cloysters be, but chafe ringe houses, and bonde houses of the deuyl these laste. 18. posytyons, and o­ther belongyng to monastycal secte, I haue declaryd in my cōmentarye into the rule of ye minorytes more largely.

whose deutye is to iudge of the voyce of the lernyd / yf he be of god / and by what we be assuryd / also of wekyd vnyuersytes. Capi. 12.

IT dothe belonge to the 289 church of god / to iudge of the voyce of all that teache / yf it be of god / whiche we haue proued openly in other bokes chefly in ye cantykles of Solomon / the voyce of my well belo­ued. &c̄. Capitu. 2. and. 5. to what the churche of god is, is declaryd within.

♣ For of the worde of god / they alōly [Page] can iudge, yt haue the spirite of christ, whose deuty is to iudge, of hye thingꝭ 1. Corinthi. 2. ☞: ✚: ♣: ❧: ☜:

288 ¶ It is heresye to affyrme / that the spirite of Chryste is not in the fayth­full, for he is in them / and they walke and vnderstande after hym, by whome they mortifye the deades of the fleshe and lyue, and crye in hym. abba Pater. and he gyuethe a testymonye to theyr spirite, that they be children, & heyres of god, hayres annexyd with chryste, he axethe for vs with teres vnable to be spoken of, and makyth intercessyō for sayntes after god, whiche Paule speketh of moste ceposlye. Roma. 8.

289 ♣ Furthermore it is thē knowen, that any man iudgethe of the spirite, when he goeth aboute hys iudgement, with open testimonyes of scrypture, for the scryptures of god, be the moste sureste testimonyes, of the iudgementes of hꝭ spirite, as I haue sayde verye ofte.

290 ✚ whiche scryptures, who so euer de­nyeth to be necessarye, can no other­wayes affyrme the surenes of hꝭ sayn­ges, bycause those alone be the sure testymonyes of god. ☞: ♣:: ❧

[Page 44]¶ Therfore they that be of ye church 291 of god that is to say symple, and meke yee plowe men, and artyfycers, that syncerely beleue in god, and be the shepe of chryst, may iudge, of ye voyce of theyr pastor, yf it be in those doc­toures or not. ☞: ☜: ☞: ♣: ♣: ♣:

✚ Verelye they that be not of that 292 church can not iudge of it, but rather abhore and hate it, bycause it is aduersarye to theyr sense, that is to say, the fleshe by whiche they be ruled.

♣ For any man to iudge, of the worde 293 it helpeth not, to haue be many yeres, at Parryse, or other vnyuersityes, or to haue stodyed the tongues, excepte the holye gooste be presente.

♣ Vnyuersyties that haue be of many 294 yeres, stryue clene agaynst the worde of God. ☞: ✚: ☜: ❧: ♣: ❧

☞ Promotyons of deuynes whiche 295 they hunt for, doth engēdre nothinge, but pryde, and be full of couetousnes, and vanyte, and is a certen gentyles maner, for what so euer is of goddes worde, yf monye be brought, quyckely there is a tytle grauntyd, and doctou­res neuer teachynge, and ofte tymes [Page] the most foles be promotyd, wherfore they be abhomynable to god. ❧

296 ¶ And the lorde forbade hꝭ apostles / that they shulde be made maysters. Math. 23. no doute but he wolde haue them maysters, and teachers of the people .i. that they myght teache hys scriptures, but he wolde not that they shulde hunt for the vayne and proude tytles, nor wolde not, that they shuld teach any thyng, but vnder hꝭ seruyce

297 ✚ There is no man almoste, that tea­chethe more vnhappely, the scryptu­res of god, then these pompos bugges and ydolles of the worlde. ☞ ♣ ❧

298 ♣ Yf any man be worthye, the myny­sterye of god, I wolde counsel, that he shulde fyrste be chosen of other deuy­nes, mete that he may be sende to any place, and that the companye of the faythefull shulde pray for hym, and yf he haue it, let hī gyue to the nedy and pore people, and make them a feast ac­cordynge to the gospell, & not as they do nowe a dayes, to gyue cappes, glo­ues, or make greate coste of feastes, to ryche men, and full belyes, yt the same day they begyn to professe the gospell [Page 45] they do openlye agaynste the gospell, for in truthe all these be abhomyna­tyon byfore the lorde.

¶ Yf al cloystures of the worlde, that 299 withī or nye to cetyes were, as I sayd a lytle before, the scoles of the worde of god, so yt the supersteciō of clothing were not obseruyd, & mans tradicions for we cā not serue both God & Baal, the worde of god, & the worde of men.

✚ Prynces and rulers, yf they wyll iustlye rule, let them take hede aboue 300 al thynge, that Chryste maye rule his people, also let them make scoles in e­uery place, for chyldren, and maydes, in whō they may be wel instructe, ī the worde of god, and honeste laboures, & lerne to dreade, & loue, our lorde Iesu Chryst, to whom with the father, and the holy goste, be honour, worshyppe, and empyre for euer more.. So be it.

Of the partes, as they cal it of pe­naunce. Cap. 13.

THe partes of holy & true penaunce,301 is not confessyon, cōtrytyon, & satysfaccyon, but the actes of a true penytente of faythe without sa­tysfaccyon.

[Page] 303 ¶ whiche be necessarye to helthe, but not as sophysters saye. ☞: ♣ & ❧

304 True satysfaccyō, ī so much as it is ī ye merites of Christe alonly, can be no perte of penaūce, nor act of ye penytēt.

305 ✚ But it is the hyest rewarde, which we that beleue syncerely in chryste, haue by hys meryte. ❧: ♣: ❧

306 ♣ The inseperable seruaunte of true, and necessarye penaūce, is pure fayth, for these ye sauyour ioyned to gether, saynge be penytent, & beleue ye gospel.

307 ♣ This necessarye fayth, is not to be­leue this or that promise, but so to be­leue them all, that we doute in no pro­myse of god, no not in the leaste, as is that he stedefastlye cleaue to goddes promyse, ī which he hath promysyd to al faithful grace, & remissiō of sīnes by christ, as ofte as they axe it ī faythe, & thꝭ is ye gospel to whō we must beleue.

308 ¶ True penaunce, can neuer be wtout true fayth, nor sayth is neuer without grace, and the spirite of truthe, & also affectyons, and true good workes.

what true penaunce is.

309 PEnaunce, yt the kyngdome of the pope preacheth, & teacheth is wy­kyd, cursyd, and lyenge to the lorde, [Page 46] for it is nothinge lesse then penaunce, and maketh nought but an ypocryte, wherfore we call it false.

♣ This diffynityō of penaūce is most colde, penaunce is to lamente synnes paste, and in mornynge not to commyt them agayne. ☞: ♣: ☜: ❧

¶True penaunce is to amende dayly from syn, with fayth in Christe, by the whiche he stedfastly beleuyth all syn­nes to be remyttyd to hym by chryste, and hollye to be gyuen hym to walke, in newenes of lyfe.

♣ This dayly amendynge is a curcy­fyenge of ye fleshe, and mortyfyeng of it, necessarye to all faythefull, whiche christe cōmaundeth to be borne about in name of the crosse, that with frut, & in veryte we may folowe him .i. to be­leue most purely to him, & folowe him.

¶ All the lyfe of a chrystyan is to be penytent, and beleue in Christ, that is to mortyfye dayly and ryse by chryst.

¶ For a mā altho he be holy, as longe 301 as he is in this lyfe hathe vnstedfaste fleshe resystynge the spirite, and ther­fore he ought to crucyfye it dayly, yt it may be subiect to the spirite.

[Page] 314 ¶ All affectyons and all worke with­out the spirite of god, is fleshe, and is then crucyfyed, when it is hatyd and suppressyd. ☞: ☞: ❧: ❧: ❧

315 ¶ who so euer is so truly penytent, hath chryst lyuynge, and reynynge in hym, and therfore is of the kyngdome of chryst, verely the fleshe, that is con­cupyscēce, and al worke that is not of the spirite of god, is dayly more crucyfyed, subiecte, and mortyfyed.

316 ♣ And who so euer is not so penytent is an ypocryte, and crucyfyeth chryst in hym, not wyllynge that he reygne vpon hī, wherby he is not of the kyngdome of chryst, but of the fleshe and ye worlde, that lyue, & reygne in hꝭ hart.

317 ¶ Chryst reygneth in our hart, & ple­sythe when we trust to him, verelye he is crucifyed, and doth not please whē we trust in other, and not in hym.

318 ♣ The worlde and the fleshe reygne ī vs, whē they please, & we trust to them, they be crucyfyed, and mortifyed, whē we represse them, and truste nothynge to them, but rather hate them, and do not to theyr desyres.

Of true good workes.

[Page 47]A Trewe penitent is neuer with­out 319 trewe goodworkes, for he dothe all thyng in faythe, whi­che shulde els be wycked, for al thynge that is nat of faythe is synne. Roma. 14.

♣ They that be of the coniuryng and 320 kingdome of antichrist, be neuer truly penitent, or do true good workes, for they do nat lyue and worke of faythe.

☞The prophetes of antichriste, that 321 they may more lyghtly turne the sym­ple people frō Chiste, say that we pro­hybyte, fastynge, prayers, and all good dedes, when we do preache nothynge more then that they shulde haue true good workes that is of faythe, for we preache thus, that we be iustified alonly by faythe, and say that we muste do god workes, nat to be iustified, but to brynge forthe frutes of true fayth, for they be frutes of faythe, that be done in that faythe.

❧ we saye that there muste be good 322 workes, nat as the kyngedome of the po [...]e but as Christe teachythe, wher­fore [...]e can nat erre bycause Christ is truthe, and true doctour of the fayth­full, [Page] verely the pope and euery man is alyer. Psalm. 115. ☞ ❧

323 ☞ They say there muste be good workes, after the doctryne of the pope, & other men, wherfore it is nat inpossy­ble that they shulde erre, and therof it folowyth that they be full of heresies, and made antychristes, scysmatykes and apostata frome the kyngedome of our lorde Iesus Christe. ❧

324 ♣ From whō leste we be made straūge, & therof to peryshe, we be made Chri­stes seruauntes, and be apostata frome the kyngdome of that anty christe the pope. ☞ ❧ ♣

325 ♣And who so euer is nat made straūg from that same kyngdome, is a scismatyke from Christe apostata, and anty­christe, and at the laste shall peryshe for euer. ☞: ❧: ♣: ❧: ☞

❧Of lybertye and subiectyon of the faythefull.

326 THe faythful dothe alway worke well for he dothe all thynge in faythe, and lybertie of the holy ghoste. If he eate or drynke, or do any other thynge, he dothe all in the glory of Christe, or els in faythe, [Page 48] or in hys name whiche be all one. ❧

♣ This lybertie is nat that they may 327 thynke it free to do any thynge, but that they may knowe that it is moste fre to them to do those thynges that they be commaundyd by the worde of god, ye and all the men of the worlde wolde commaūde otherwyse, for they be free from all doctrynes and trady­cyons of men, that do nat agree with the worde of god, as be the decrees of the kyngedome of the pope and doc­tryne of sophisters.

¶ The lybertye of the spirite, is nat 328 carnall, but spirituall, and moste holy, makynge a man free frome all lawe of men, that he is bounde to none except it agre with the scriptures of god.

✚ Also as you may se of Paule to the 329 Rom̄. & Galath. it makyth a man free from the lawe of god, euyn that spirite nat that we ought nat to kepe the pre­ceptes of god, nat that we shulde kepe them nowe by compulsyon, as before the spirite be there, but with the moste redy wyll. ☞ ♣ ✚ ❧

☞ Thys lybertie makyth a man syn­cere,330 without hypocrysy, the louer of [Page] of truthe, plentyful, ful of charity, and moste full of all good workes. ❧

331 ❧ For then a man is so made free in Christe, yt he wyl be subiecte to euery humane creature for Christe.

332 ☞ He is cursyd and execrable to the lorde, who so euer vnder the name of christen lybertie dothe gyue hym selfe to chāburynges, drunknes, and suche other. for verely they walke nat after the spirite but after the fleshe. but this holy lybertie admytteth no carnall thynge. ☞ ♣ ❧

☞ Of contrycyon. ☜

333 COntrycyon is nat a sorowe vo­luntaryly taken of vs for our sinnes, but that whiche the spirite dothe worke in vs. that is to say trewe hate of syn, for zele of the glory of god, without hypocrysie or lyenge, for it is a worke alonly of the power of god. ☞ ♣ ❧

334 ¶ For the wyll of man can nat with­out lyeng and hypocrysy hate synne, nor to take for it sorowe & sadnes. for the pure wyl of man, which is without the spirite of god, is a synner alway. 335 ♣ God commaundeth that we shulde [Page 49] take the mournyng of his only sonne, that is, that we shulde be sorowful and mourne truly for our synnes, bycause the wyll of a synner can nat fulfyll it of it selfe. ☞ ♣ ❧

❧ For euery precepte of god, is in­possyble 336 to the wyll beynge a synner, whiche god with hys spirite makythe possyble to vs. for that whiche he commaundythe in vs he wyll fulfyl in vs, that he alone may haue glorye for all, and that euery fleshe may nat presume to be gloryed in hys syght.

¶ But it is by the hyghe goodnes of 337 god, that he gyueth to his seruandes those thyngꝭ that he mercyfully doth in them. callyng them contryte, iuste, penitent, conuertyd. &c̄. ❧

☞ That the preceptes of god be in­possible 338 to man this fruyte comyth of it, that man knowing it, is constreynid to professe, that he can do nothyng of hym selfe, and to meruell at the depnes of the iudgementes of god. ✚

☞: Of confessyon. ☜

[Page] 339 THe maner gyuen of scolers for auryculer confessyon is vnpro­fytable, moste vayne, inpossyble, curyouse, and moste dampnable, and aduersary to the lawe of god, it is so muche lesse that it is of goddꝭ lawe as sophesters lye, it is vnprofytable and moste vayne bycause it is without the frute of the spirite lettyng frō the purenes of faythe, inpossible also for innumerable bowes, leaues, mothers, doughters, and cyrcumstances, which no man althoughe he be lernyd, can dilygently obserue, muche lesse the vn­lernyd. It is curiouse also, serchynge with a friuolouse care those thynges that be nothyng to the purpose, wher­by the mynde of him that is confessyd is lette that it can nat ryse with pure faythe in Christe, and the same confession is to him moste dampnable, for so impure and fylthy thynges be ofte rehersyd in suche confessyons that they corrupte good maners, and infecte as well the speker as the herer. For what be they but euyll comunicacyon, and moste hurtefull iangelyng, & so muche more horryble that they be admyttyd [Page 50] vnder the colour of mekenes. ❧

♣ It is the most cōfussyd maase, what 340 so euer the synagoge of the pope, hath gyuen of confessyon, vnto this daye, without the worde of god and of hys owne inuencyon. ☞ ♣ ☜

♣ For by what aucthorite, be these iu­gelars 341 bolde, to prescribe to the moste free seruauntes of Christ, newe lawes straūge frō the doctryne of mekenes.

¶ Trewe and profytable confessyon 342 of sīnes is made foure maner of ways, fyrste inwardly to god alone. seconde openly when cause requyreth, thyrde to him whom thou haste offendyd, lest thou defende synne, but be reconsy­lyd to hym in loue of god. fourthe to him of whom thou lokyst for the mery worde of the gospell that is the ser­mon of goddes grace and remyssyon of synnes, by Christe, and of this laste we speke. ❧ ✚ ❧

¶ To this thou muste chose a propre 343 confessour whom thou seest able, that he can comforte thy spirite with the worde, who so euer he be.

☞ It is execrable and abhomynable 344 byfore the lorde, that a faythfull chri­styane [Page] is bounde to admytte for a confessoure and his pastor, marchauntes and rauenynge wolues, of the kynge­dome of the sonne of perdycyon.

345 ☞ Therfore thou comynge to a man myghty in the wysdome and worde of Christe, the specyal & that same moste hurtfull supputacyon of synnes layde aparte, confesse moste purely the to be subiecte to many synnes, and therfore to haue nede of the marcye of god.

346 ❧ In the begynnyng therfore, lette him be the moste meke accuser of hym selfe. the seconde let hym beleue sted­fastly in the promyse of god, that he shall gette the grace of god and remis­syon of synnes, the thyrde let him be­leue that he can haue it, nat by hys owne merytꝭ, or by the merytes of any saynte ye of the virgyn mary, but alonlye by the goodnes and meryttes of Christ, for he alone is that lambe that takythe away the sīnes of the worlde, the fourthe that by thys fayth he may be made parttaker of this heuenly ius­styce, let him ascrybe nothyng to the iustyce of the fleshe. but confesse with a pure harte alonly the iustyce of god [Page 51] to be louid, serchid for, amplectio, and hym selfe to haue of hym selfe no ius­tyce at all. and knowledge thys with­out feyninge, the fyfthe lette him se [...]e some faythfull and conynge man that knowythe to gyue counsell of helthe and with the scriptures of god, and can make stronge the mynde of the penytent in faythe, and if there be nat a man hauyng faythe to do this thynge or he dreadyng him to be vnlawfull, or nat hauyng the worde wherby he may comforthe hym in the lorde. If there be a faythfull woman in whō he knowyth these aforsayde to be, to that same faythfull woman, ye all though she be ioynyd carnally to hym. I saye very nye. It is lawfull for him to be cōfes­syd generally. I say generally that he by no reason count hys synnes lest he infecte the herer, for as we haue sayde euyll comunicacyon corruptyth good maners, and of a truth that same foule and lycencyouse spekyng of the con­fessyons of antychristes factyon haue infecte innumerable and haue drawen them to the moste enormouse crymes.

♣ Therfore let nothyng be openyd of 347 [Page] any man leste that for mannes feynynges & doctryne, he beseme to dyspyse the thynges of god, for god neuer cō ­maūdith that, what so euer many haue iudgyd in the spirite of errour, won­ders and many punyshementes be gy­uen of certeyne lyers agaynste them that wyll nat nombre all pertyculerly, but I haue made open that al these be of the deuyll in the boke of the causes of the blyndenes .&c̄.

348 ❧ The confessyon of synnes that be longeth to outwarde thynges may be on thys maner. Brother or syster in Christe. I perceyue me ouer throwen with infidelite and innumerable sines, the which I cōfesse with all my herte, I am very iniuste and full of ifidelite, I haue done no good thynge and am an vnprofitable seruande. wherof my synnes greatly greue me, and I truely knowe that if I couyt to be sauyd I had nede of the mercye of god, grace, and iustyce, therfore I aske of you the worde of the gospell of pease, that is to saye, remssyyon of my synnes.

349 ☞ And let euery faythfull take hede that he say this thyng without any in fidelyte, and at the laste lete hym sted­fastly [Page 52] beleue that the worde of absolucyon what so euer it be, is a sure signe of the grace of god and remyssyon of synnes as he hathe beleued to be giuē him of the lorde. for all the workes of god be in faythe. Psalm. 32. and euery man taketh so muche as he beleuythe, and if he beleue nothyng he receyuith nothynge. ☞ ❧ ❧ ☜

♣The forme of absolucyon is free, so 350 that it do sygnyfie all synnes to be re­myttyd by Christe. for this is good, I absolue the frō thy sinnes in the name of the father. &c̄. or alonly in the name of Christ, or this. I pronounce to the absolucyō of all thy sīnes in the name &c̄. or thus thy synnes are forgyuē the by Christe or in the name. &c̄. or thus. By the name of Christe al thy synnes be forgyuen the. ☞ ❧ ♣

¶ All suche absolucyon is good, and 351 to the faythful a sure sygne of grace & if he leue out this worde I. It forsyth nat, what so euer sophesters dreame.

❧ The more pure and symple the absolucyon 352 is the better.

☞ All absolucyons of the kyngdome 353 of the pope be wycked, patching many [Page] thyngꝭ to gyther without frute, of the keys, of the holy mother the churche of the apostles Peter and Paule, of excomunycacyon more and lesse frome pena and culpa. ☞ ♣ ❧

354 ❧ An absolucyon ought no wyse to be made in a tonge vnknowen to the penitente. ❧ ✚ ♣ ❧

355 ☞ For it is necessary that he vnder­stande the worde wherby hys soule is to be comfortyd in the lorde to whom he muste nedes beleue.

¶ Of sygnes of grace, and remyssoyn of synnes. ❧

356 BAptysme is to the faythefull as lōge as he lyueth, the most surist sygne of grace and remyssyon of sīnes, for in al his lyfe he asking that is moste assurid by that signe all though it be receiuyd but ones.

357 ❧ For what so euer the faythful ta­kyth, as mortyfyeng, crusyfyeng, quo­tidiane spoylyng of the olde man. be fyguryd in the plongynge out and in the water with the iudgement of the newe man. Roma. 6.

358 ♣ Another sygne there is, the table of the lorde, which is to euery mā recey­uyng [Page 53] it in fayth, the moste suryst signe of grace, and remyssyon of synnes.

♣ Thys table is a memory of a sacry­fyse 359 ones offerid in the crosse, and nat the sacryfyse.

¶ For to affyrme that it is a sacryfise 360 and that it shulde be sacryfyed of any man, it is execrable, wicked, and abho­mynable byfore the lorde, and more of this in another place.

♣ The thyrde sygne, is the worde spoken 361 of the churche, or of any faythful, sygnifieng grace, and remyssyon of sinnes to be gyuen by him that amendith and asketh it in faythe.

❧ These sygnes be the vesselles of 362 grace, as manye haue defynyd in the spirite of errour.

☞ But sygnes do not brynge grace,363 but the lorde Psalmo. 83.

It is not gyuē by signes but by fayth 364

¶ By fayth we be pertakers of al the 365 gyftes of the holye goste.

♣ Also these sygnes without faythe / 366 be nothynge / whiche scolers saye of fayned thynges, ☞ ❧ ☞ ❧

¶ Paule saythe Ephe. 5. Chryst hath 367 santyfyed his churche, made it clene [Page] with the lauer of water, by his worde, verelye it is clensyd with the worde, when it beleueth it, of the which clen­synge, the lauer of water is a sygne, he sayd not symply, it is made clene with the lauer of water, but put to, by the worde, that you maye knowe the ma­kyng clene, to be sygnifyed by ye lauer.

368 ¶ whiche thou haste openly. 1. Pe. 3. baptyme hath made vs safe, not by the which fylth of the fleshe, is put away / but it maketh that a good conscyence, answeryth well to god, by the resurrectyon of Iesus Chryste.

369 ♣ Althoughe that we get, by the same alonlye faythe in Chryste, grace & full remyssyon of all our synnes, yet god the hyest, and greateste, of the aboun­dance of hys goodnes, hathe put to these sygnes, to the greatter comforte of the faythefull.

whether any cases may be reseruyd 370 WHat so euer the man of syn, the son of perdycyon, the pope, with all his kyngdome haue reseruyd and kepte cases, hath ben a fay­nynge of the deuyl, so moch more hateful, & dampnable, & cursyd, as it repug­nethe [Page 54] euen contrarye to the eternall scryptures of god.

♣ Nothynge at all may be reserued to 371 the faythful, that hathe all most plen­tyfully remytted to hym, so that there can be no greater.

♣ The church cā nether lose or bynde 372 but after the worde of god, by whō she muste be gouerned in all thynge.

Of satysfaccyon, and (as they call it) inioynynge of penaunce.

BYcause satysfaccyon, for synnes dothe shewe a suffycyencye of 373 deades, by whō euelles be resto­red, which haue chaūsyd ī those synnes there is no mā that can outher gyue or do suffycient for thē, it is we­kyd that sophysters thynke, that we can satysfye for them,

¶ For nether with fastynge, prayer,374 nor almes, or any other worke, we be able to satysfye, bycause these be not satisfaccions, but frutes of true fayth for there is another satysfaccyō, with out all these.

♣ There is one alone ful, and true sa­tysfaccyon 375 for the synnes, of all the world, in whom we must nedes beleue, made of the lorde Iesus Chryste.

[Page] 376 ¶Sines be sayde, to be redemed with almes, yf it be of fayth, for they be re­demyd of faythe of the gyuer, and not for the almes it selfe.

377 ♣The same iudgement is of fastynge, and prayer, and of al workes of fayth, which be good bycause of true fayth.

378: ¶ whiche fayth beynge absent, be but mere wekydnes and syn, for all that is not of fayth is synne. Roma. 14.

379 ♣ Of iogelyng spirites, and doctryne of deuyls dyd it sprynge, yt many haue affyrmyd penaunce to be inioynyd.

380 ☞For it can not be inioyned of man, but gyuē of god to the sīner, yt he may truly be penytent for his synnes.

381 ♣ They call it folyshlye penaunce, yt these chapleyns haue costomyd to in­ioyne to him, that telleth his synnes.

382 ☞ For theyr ought nothynge to be inioyned, by cause Chryste is full sa­tysfaccyon, for all faythfull.

383 ❧ The penytent, is to be comfortyd with the worde of god, and to be mo­nyshyd, to true faythe, and the workes of it, for as it is sayde, what so euer is not of faythe, is hypocresye and syn.

384 ♣ Not that people shulde be losyd, or [Page 55] that he cleuynge to this maner of confessyon, shulde styke to vs, as the pro­phetes of antychryste inioyne vs, but we haue wrytten so of penaunce, that al dreames, and lyes of men, put away, and all crafty conueyance, and greate burdens of the kyngedome of anty­chryste reiecte, Chryste and the worde of truthe may reygne in euery place.

♣ we haue spoken of penaūce, & those 385 that perteyne to ye scryptures of god, in fewe wordes, hauynge no regarde, what ye wyked synagoge, of the kyng­dome of antychryste, in the spirite of errour, hath otherwyse dyffyned, for it is necessary for vs, to flye his poyson, for it can not be, that we shal gyue place both to Chryst, and Antychrist.

♣ The conclusyon.

THe sum of christyanyte we haue breflye wrytten, that is in .385. peradoxes, or posycyons, that thys boke myght be to bere, in the handes of thē, yt desyreth it, there was .ij. thīges, that mouyd me cheflye to do it, fyrste there be very many, that put forthe reprouable peradoxes, as there was one Tregaryus, by whome [Page] they be about to make, the symple people straunge, from the truth, the other is that before the .ix. monethe, at the noble cetye of Wetens, the companye of antychryste, was gatheryd agaynst me, which mouyd me, to styke vp many posytyons, verely I put to them a hū ­dreth and .xxvi. whō I haue nowe in­creasyd to .385. let thē answere therfore, yf they haue any thynge, let not these blynde pharesyes stande ī theyr owne conceyte, and legates, and ty­rantes of the sonne of perdicyon, that for hꝭ decre, and lyke preachynge, dyd make the noble wytnes of Chryste. S Iohan castellane, somtyme my welbe­louyd brother, the laste of all that is ye 12. daye of the monethe of Ianuarye Anno. 1525. at Vuy a towne of lo­therynge, with fyer they made hym a martyr of Chryste, but for hī god shall fyght agaynste them, and for one well rayse a thousande, and yf they hade slayne me to, & Chryst hade vouchsafe thys glorye of martyrdome to me, for me ten thousāde shulde ryse, for surely antychryste, with all hys kyngedome apostata shall falle to the glorye of [Page 59] the lorde Iesus Chryst, and that with spirite of hys mouthe, which with the father, and the holye goste lyueth one god gloryous, for euer more. So be it.

WOo woo be to the thou purple whore / whore of Babylon, that loueth ye sygne of ye rose coloryd beaste, and to it empyre, thou arte made drunke with the blode of prophetes, & sayntꝭ, and dothe call to the shedynge of the blode of ye electe, as it were to a feast of dētyes promysinge to thy assysten­tes, grace, and remyssyon of synnes, with thy false iogelynge. woo I saye to the for thou shalte be dystroyd, for with the vyolence of a mylstone thro­wen into the see, thou shalte be sende into the botome of hel, and thou shalt be founde no more Apoca. 18. bycause the lorde hathe remembred the blode of hys electe, whom thou haste slayne, and whom thou hast deceyuyd to esta­blyshe thy lyes, and abhomynatyons, and hathe alwaye trode vnder fode, ye veryte of our lorde Iesus Chryste, for [Page] the which thou shalt be troden downe of it for euermore, and the beaste that thou haste worshypped shall peryshe with the. So be it.

¶ Let thys be done lorde Iesu, come quyckly, thy enemyes ouercome, and reygne in vs. So be it.

The ende of thys collectyon of places of scrypture. ☞: ❧: ☜ ❧ ❧ ♣: ❧ ♣ ☞ ☜

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.