The obediē ce of a Christen man and how Christē rulers ought to governe / where in also (yf thou ma­rke diligently) th­ou shalt fynde eyes to pe­rceave the crafty conveyaūce of all iugglers.

¶William Tyndale other wise cal­led William Hychins vn­to the Reader.

GRace / peace and increa­se of knowleage in ou­re lorde Iesus Christ be with ye Reader and wi­th all that call on ye na­me of the lorde vnfayne­dly and with a pure cō ­science Amen.

Lat it not make the dispeare nether yet discorage ye o Reader / that it is forbeden the in payne of lyfe and goodes or that it is ma­de breakinge of the kynges peace or treason vnto his hynes to reade the worde of thy soules health. But moch rather be bolde in the lorde & cōforte thy soule.The nature of Gods word is lo be persecuted. For as moch as thou art sure and hast an evidente token tho­row soch persecucion that it is the true wor­de of God. Which worde is ever hated of ye worlde / nether was ever without persecuciō (as thou seist in all the stories of ye bible bo­th of the new testamente and also of the ol­de) nether can be / no moare then the son­ne can be without his lyghte.The pope is receaved and receaveth and persecuteth. And for as moch as contrary wise thou art sure that the Popes doctrine is not of God which (as th­ou seist) is so agreable vnto ye worlde / and is so receaved of the worlde or which rather so [Page] receaveth the worlde and the pleasures of the worlde / and seketh no thinge but the possessions of the worlde / and auctorite in the worlde / and to beare a rule in ye worlde / and persecuteth ye worde of God / and with all wilynes driveth the people from it / and with false and sophisticall reasons maketh thē aferde of it: yee curseth them and exc­omunicateth them / and bringeth them in belefe that they be damned / if they loke on it / and that it is but doctrine to deceave men / and moveth the blynde powers of ye worlde to sley with fyre / water & swerde all that cleve vnto it. For the worlde loveth yt which is his / and hateth that which is chosen out of the worlde to sarve God in ye sprite. As Christ sayeth to his disciples Iohānis. xv. Yf ye were of the worlde / the worlde wolde love his awne. But I have chosen you out of the worlde and therfore the worlde hateth you ¶A nother confort hast thou / that as the weake powers of the worlde defende the doctrine of the worlde so the myghty powere of God defendeth the doctrine of God.God defen­deth his doc­trine him selfe. Which thinge thou shalt evidētly perceave / yf thou call to my­nde ye wonderfull deades which God ha­th ever wrought for his worde in extreme necessite sens the worlde began beyounde all mans reason. Which are written as saith Paul (Romanorum. xv.) for oure lern­inge [Page iij] (ād not for oure deceavinge) that we th­orow pacience / and conforte of the script­ure myght have hope.Gods worde fighteth age­nst ypocrites The nature of Go­ds worde is to fyght agēst ypocrites. It began at Abell and hath euer sens cōtinu­ed and shall / I doute not / vntyll the last daye. And the ypocrites have allwaye the worlde on their sydes / as thou seist in ty­me of Christe.How oure master christ was entrea­ted. They had the elders / that is to were the rulers of the Iewes / on their syde. They had Pilate and the emperours power on their syde. They had Herode al­so on their syde. Moare over they brought all their worldly wisdome to passe and all yt they coulde thinke or imagen to serve for their purpose. Fyrst to feare the people wi­th all / they excomunicated all that beleved in him / and put them out of the temple / as thou seist Iohn. ix.The crafte of the ypocrites. Secondly they founde the meanes to haue him condemned by the Emperours power and made it treason to Ceser to beleve in him. Thridly they obte­yned to have him hāged as a thefe or a mortherer / which after their bely wisdome was a cause above all causes / that no man shulde beleve in him. For the Iewes take it for a sure token of everlastinge damnacion yf a man be hanged. For it is written in th­eir lawe. Deuteromion. xxj. cursed is wh­osoever hangeth on tree. Moyses also in ye same place commaundeth / yf any man be [Page] hanged / to take him downe the same daye and bury hym / for feare of pollutinge or defylinge the contrey / that is / lest they shul­de bringe the wrath and curse of God apon them. And therfore the weked Iewes them selves / which with so venoumous hate per­secuted the doctrine of Christ and did all the shame that they coulde doo vnto him (tho­ugh they wolde fayne have had Christe to h­ange still on the crosse and there to rotte / as he shulde have done by the Emperours la­we / yet for feare of defylinge their sabboth and of bringinge the wrath and curse of god apon them) bedgett of Pylate to take hym downe. Iohn. xix. Which was agenst them selves. Fynally when they had done all th­ey coulde and that they thought sufficien­te / and when Christ was in the herte of the erth and so many bylles and pollaxes abou­te hym / to kepe hym downe / ād when it was past mās helpe: then holpe God. When mā coulde not brīge him agayne / Gods trueth worketh wonders and ma­keth the wisdome of the ypocrites folish­nes. Gods trueth fette hym agayne. The othe yt God had swo­rne to Abraham / to David and to other ho­ly fathers and prophetes reysed hym vppe agayn / to blesse ād to save all that beleve in hym. Thus became the wisdome of the ypo­crites folishnes. Loo this was writtē for thy lerninge and comforte.The captivite of the Israelytes vnder Pharao

How wonderfully ware the chylderne of Israel locked in Egipte? In what tribulaci­on [Page iiij] / combraunce and aduersite were they in? The lōde also that was promised thē / was ferre of and full of greate cities walled with hie walles vppe to the skye and enhabited with greate geauntes. Yet Gods trueth bro­ught thē out of Egipte & plāted thē in the lā de of the geauntes. This was also writtē for oure lerninge / For their is no powe [...] [...]gēst Gods ne [...]her any wisdom agēst gods wis­dō / he is strōger & wiser thē all his enimyes What holpe it Pharao to droūde ye mē chil­d (er)ne? So litle / I feare not / shal̄ it at ye last he­lpe ye Pope & his bisshappes to burne ourePharao [...]eith the men chil­dern. men childerne which manfully confesse th­at Iesus is ye lorde and that there is no no­ther name geven vnto men to be saved by / as Peter testifieth Actes in the .iiij. chapter. Who dryed vp the redd see? Who sl̄ew Go­lias? Who did all those wonderfull deades which thou readest in the byble? Who dely­uered the Israelites evermore from thraldo­me and bondage / as sone as they repented and turned to God? Fayth veryly and Go­ds trueth and the trust in the promyses wh­ich he had made. Reade the .xj chapter to the Hebrues for thy consolacion.

When the childerne of Israell were re­ady to dispeare for the greatnes and ye mu­ltitude of the Geauntes / Moyses confor­ted them ever sayenge.Now Mo­ses conforteth the israelites Remembre what youre lorde God hath done for you in [Page] Egipte / his wōderfull plages / his mirac­les his wōders / his myghty hāde / his stretched out arme / and what he hath done for you hitherto. He shall distroye them / he shall take their hertes from them and ma­ke them feare and flee before you. He shall storme them and stere vppe a tempest a­monge them and scater them and bringe thē to noughte. He hath sworne / he is true / he will fulfill the promyses that he hath made vnto Abraham / Isaac and Iacob This is written for oure lerninge.Gods trueth fighteth for vs For ve­rely he is a true God / and is oure God as well as theirs / and his promyses are with vs as well as with them / and he presente with vs as well as he was with them. Iff we aske we shall opteyne / yf we knocke he will open / yf we seke we shall fynde / yf we thurst / his trueth shall fulfill oure luste. Christe is with vs vntyll the worldes ende Matthew the last. Lat litleflocke bebolde therfore. For if God be on oure side: what mater maketh it who be agenst vs / be they bisshoppes / cardenals / popes or what so ever names they will.

Marke this also / yf God sende the to the see & promise to goo with ye and to brin­ge the saffe to londe / God tryeth the fayth of his childern. he will reyse vp a tē ­pest agenst the / to prove whether thou wilt abyde by his worde / & that thou maist fea­le thy faith and perceave his goodnes / For [Page v] if it were all wayes fayre wether and thou never brought in to soch ieoperdy whence his mercy only delyvered the / thy fayth shulde be but a presompciō and thou shul­dest be ever vnthankefull to God and mercylesse vnto thy neyboure.

Iff God promyse riches / ye waye ther­to is pouerte.God worketh backwarde. Whom he loueth him he ch­asteneth / whom he exalteth / he casteth downe / whom he saveth he dāneth fyrst. He bringeth no man to heuen excepte he sende him to hell fyrst. Iff he promise lyfe he sleyeth fyrst / whē he byldeth / he casteth all downe fyrst. He is no patcher / he can not bylde on a nother mans foundacion. He will not worke vntyll all be past reme­dy and brought vnto soch a case / that men may se how that his hande / his power / his mercy / his goodnes and trueth hath wro­ught all to gether. He will let no man be partetaker with him of his prayse and glo­rie. His workes are wonderfull and con­trary vnto mās workes. Who ever save he delyvered his awne sonne / his only sonne / his dere sonne vnto the deeth and that for his enimies sake / to winne his eni [...]e / to ov­ercome him with love / that he myght se lo­ve and loue agayne and of love to doo lyke wise to other men / and to overcome thē wi­th well doinge?Ioseph.

Ioseph sawe ye sonne and the mone and [Page] xi. sterres worshepinge him. Neverthelesse yer that came to passe / God layed him whe­re he coulde nether se sonne ner mone nether any starre of the skye / and that many yeres and also vndeserved / to nurtoure him / to humble / to meke and to teach him Gods wayes / and to make him apte and mete for the rowme and honoure agenst he came to it that he might perceave and feale that it ca­me of God / and that he myghte be stronge in the sprite to mynister it Godly.

He promysed the childerne of Israell a londe with rivers of mylke and hony.Israelites. But brought them for the space of fourty yeres in to a londe where not only ryvers of mylke and hony were not / but where so moch as a droppe of water was not / to nurtoure them and to teach them as a father doeth his sonne / and to doo them good at the later en­de / and that they myght be stronge in there sprite and soules to vse his giftes and bene­fites Godly and after his will.

DauidHe promysed David a kyngdome and immediatly stered vp kynge Saul agenst hym / to persecute him / to hunt hym as mē doo hares with grehoundes & to feret hī out of every hole & yt for ye space of many ye­res to tame him / to meke hī / to kyll his lustes to make hym feale other mens diseases / to make hym mercyfull / to make hym vnderstonde that he was made kynge to myniste [...] [Page vi] and to serve his bretherne and that he shuld not thinke that his subiectes were made to mynister vnto his lustes / and that it we­re lawfull for hym to take awaye from them lyfe and goodes at his pleasure.

O that our kynges were so nurtered now adayes / which oure holy bysshopes teach of a ferre other maner sayenge / your grace shal take his pleasure:How bissho­pes instructe kynges. ye take what pleasu­re ye lust / spare nothinge. We shal̄ dispēce with you: we have power / we ar gods vica­rs. And lat vs alone with the realme. We shal take payne for you & se y• nothinge be well. your grace shal̄ but defēde ye fayth ōly

Lat vs therfore loke dilligently where vnto we are called / that we disceave not ou­re selves.where vn to a christē is called. We are called / not to dispute as the Popes disciples doo / but to dye with Christe that we maye lyve with hym / and to sofre with hym that we maye reg­ne with hym Oure fightī ge is to sofre while god fi [...] hteth for vs▪. We be called vnto a kī ­gdome that must be wonne with sofrin­ge only / as a seke mā winneth health. God is he that doeth all thinge for vs & fyhgt­eth for vs & we doo but sofre ōly. Christ sayth Ioh. xx. As my father sent me / so sen­de I you. & Ioh. xv. Yf they persecute me then shall they persecute you. And Mat. x. saith Christe. I sende you forth as she­pe amonge wolves. The shepe fyght not: but the sheparde fyghteth for thē and ca­reth [Page] for them. Be harmeles as doves ther­fore / saith Christ / and wise as serpentes. The doves imagen no defence ner seke to avenge them selves.The wisdo­me of the ser­pente The serpentes wisdo­me is to kepe hys heed and those partes wherin his lyfe resteth. Christ is oure heed & Gods worde is that wherī oure life resteth To cleve therfore fast vnto Christ and vn­to those promyses which God hath made vs for his sake is oure wisdome. Beware of men (saith he) for they shall delyver you vp vnto their councels and shall scourge you. And ye shall be brought before rulars and kynges for my sake. The brother shall betraye or delyver the brother to deeth and the father the sonne. And ye childerne sh­all rise agenst father and mother / and put them to deeth. Here what Christ saith mo­are. The disciple is not greater thē his m­aster nether the servaunte greater or better thē his lorde. Yf they have called the good­man of the house Beelzebub / how moch rather shall they call his housholde sarva­untes so? And Luke. xiiij. saith Christ. W­hich of you desposed to bylde a toure / sit­teth not downe fyrst and counteth the cost whether he have sufficiēte to performe it? lest when he hath layed the fundacion and then not able to performe it / all that behol­de beginne to mocke him sayēge / He maketh a mocke of him selfe that ca­steth not the ende ye [...] he begynne. this mā began to bylde and was not able to make [Page vij] an ende. So lyke wise none of you that for­saketh not all that he hath can be my disci­ple. Whosoever therfore casteth not this afore hande. I must ieoperde lyfe / goodes ho­noure / worshepe and all that ther is for Chr­istes sake / disceaveth him selfe and maketh a mocke of him selfe vnto the godlesse ypocri­tes and infidels. No man can serve two ma­sters God and māmon / that is to saye / we­ked riches also Mathe. vj. Thou must love christ above all thinge. But that doest thou not yf thou be not ready to forsake all for his sake / yf thou have forsake all for his sake / thē art thou suer that thou lovest him.How is the pope sure which taketh all for Christes sake but forsa­keth noughte: Tri­bulacion is oure righte baptim and is signi­fied by plunginge in to the water / we that are baptised in the name of Christe (saith Paul Ro. vj.) are baptised to dye with hymTribulatio [...] is oure baptī.

The spirite thorow tribulacion purgeth vs and killeth oure fleshly witte / oure wordly vnderstondinge and bely wisdome / and fil­leth vs full of the wisdome of God. Tribu­lacion is a blessinge that cometh of God / as witneseth Christe Mathei. v. Blessed are they that sofre persecuciō for rightewesness­is sake / for thers is the kyngdome of heven.Tribulation is a blessynge Ys this not a confortable worde? Who ou­ght not rather to chose and desyre to be ble­ssed with Christe in a litle tribulacion / than to be cursed perpetually with the worlde for a litle pleasure?

[Page] Prosperite is a curse:Prosperite is a right curse and a thinge th­at God geveth vnto his enymies. Wo be to you rich saith Christe Luke. vj. Lo ye have youre consolacion / woo be to you that are full / for ye shal hongre / woo be to you that laugh / for ye shall wepe / woo be to you wh­en men prayse you. For so did their fathers vnto the false prophetes: yee and so have ou­re fathers done vnto the false ypocrites. The ypocrites with worldly preachinge have not goten the prayse only / but even the possessi­ons also and the dominion and rule of the whole worlde.

Tribulacion for rigthteousnes is not a blessinge only.Tribulation is the gyfte of God. But also a gyfte that God geveth vnto none save his speciall frendes. The apostles / Actes. v. reioysed that they were counted worthy to sofre rebuke for Ch­ristes sake. And Paul in the seconde pist­le and thred chapter to Timotheum saith. All that will lyve Godly in Christe Iesu must sofre persecucion. And in the first chapter of his pistle to the Philippiens he saith. Vnto you it is geven not only to bele­ve in Christe: But also to sofre for his sake. Here se [...]st thou that it is Gods gyfte to so­fre for Christes sake. And Peter in the fourth Chapter off his first Pistle saith. Happy are ye / yf ye sofre for the name of Christ / for the glorious sprite of God resteth in you. Is it not an happy thinge to [Page viij] be sure that thou arte sealed with Gods spi­rite vnto everlastinge lyfe? And veryly thou art sure therof / yf thou sofre paciently for his sake whereby then ar the pope ād bisshappes su­re?. By sofrīge art thou sure. But by per­secutinge canst thou never be sure.

¶For Paul in the fyft chapter to the Ro­mayns saith. Tribulacion maketh fea­līge / that is / it maketh vs feale the goodnes of God and his helpe and the workynge of his sprite. And in the twelfe chapter of the seconde pistle to the Corrinthyans the Lorde sayde to Paul / my grace is sufficiēte for the. For my strength is made perfecte thorow wekenes. Lo Christ is never stronge in vs / tyll we be weke. As oure strength abateth / so groweth the strēgth of Christ in vs / when we are clene empted of oure awne strength / thē are we full of Christes strēgth. And loke how moch of oure awne strength remay­neth in vs / so moch lacketh there of the strength of Christe. Therfore saith Paul in the said place of his seconde Pistle to the Corrintheās. Very gladly will I reioyse in my weaknes / that the strength of Christ maye dwell in me. Ther fore haue I delec­taciō saith Paul in infirmytes / in rebukes in neade / in persecucions and in anguysh for Christes sake. ffor when I am weake / then am I stronge / meanynge that the we­akenesse of the flesh is the strength of the sprite.Flesh: And by flesh vnderstande witt / wi­sdome [Page] and all that is in a man before the sprite of God come / and what so ever spri­ngeth not of the sprite of God and of Gods worde. And of lyke testimonyes is all the scripture full.

Beholde God setteth before vs a bles­singe and also a curse. A blessinge verely and that a glorious & an everlastinge / yf we will sofre tribulacion and adversite with oure lo­rde and savioure Christ. And an everlastin­ge curse / yf for a litle pleasures sake we withdrawe oure selves from the chastisinge and nurtoure of God / wherwith he teacheth all his sonnes and fascioneth them after his godly will and maketh them perfecte (as he did Christe) and maketh them apte and mete vessels to receave his grace and his sp­rite / that they myght perceave and feale the exceadinge mercy which we have in Christe and the innumerable blessinges / and the vnspeakeable enheritaunce where vnto we are called and chosen and sealed in oure savioure Iesus Christe / vnto whom be pr­ayse for ever Amen.

Finally whom God choseth to regne everlastingly with Christe hym sealeth he with his myghtie sprite and powreth strength in to his herte to sofre affliccions also with Christ for beringe wittenes vnto the trou­th.The differ­ence betwene the childern of God and of the deuell. And this is the difference betwene the childerne of God and of saluacion and be­twene [Page ix] the childerne of the devyll and of damnaciō / that the childerne of God ha­ve power in their hertes to sofre for gods worde which is their lyfe and saluacion / their hope and trust and wherby they lyve in the soule and sprite before God. And ye childerne of the devyll in tyme of adversi­te fle from Christe whom they folowed fa­ynedly / their hertes not sealed with hys holy and myghty sprite / and gett them to the stondert of their right father the de­vell / and take The devels w [...]ges. his wages / the pleasures of this worlde. Which are the ernest of eve­rlastinge damnacion. Which conclusion the .xij. chapter to the Hebrues well con­firmeth sayenge. My sonne despice not ye chastisinge of the lorde / nether faynte whē thou art rebuked of hym. For whom the lorde loveth him he chasteseth: yee and he scourgeth All Gods childern are vn­der chastisynge. every sonne whom he receaveh Loo persecucion and adversite for the tru­eth sake is Gods scourge and Gods rodde and pertayneth vnto all his childerne in­differently. For when he saith / he scour­geth every sonne / he maketh none excepci­on. Moare over saith the texte / yf ye shall endure chastysynge / God offereth him se­lfe vnto you / as vnto sonnes. What sonne is it that the father chastiseth not? Yf ye be not vnder correccion (where of all are partetakers) then are ye bastardes and not [Page] sonnes.

For as moch then as we must nedes be baptised in tribulacions and thorow ye red­de see and a greate and a fearfull wildernes and a lande of cruell Geauntes in to oure naturall contre: yee ād in as moch as it is a playne ernest / that ther is no Which waye goo the bisshapes to heven then? nother waye in to the kyngedome of lyfe / then th­orow persecucion & soferinge of payne and of very deeth / after the ensample of Christe. Therfore lat vs arme oure soules with ye co­mforte of the scriptures. How that God is ever ready at honde in tyme of nede to hel­pe vs. And how that soch tyrauntes and persecuters are but Gods scourge and his rodde to chastise vs. And as ye father hath allwaye in tyme of correcciō the rodde fa­ste in his hande / so that the rodde doeth nothinge but as the father moveth it: even so hath God allThe tirātes have not po­wer to do what they wolde: Tyrauntes in hys hāde ād letteth them not doo what so ever thei wo­lde / but as moch only as he appointeth th­em to doo and as ferforth as it is necessary for vs. And as when the chylde submitteth him selfe vnto his fathers correccion and nurtoure and humbleth him selfe all to ge­ther vnto the will of his father / thē the rodde is taken awaye: even so when we are co­me vnto the knowleage of the ryghte waye and have forsaken oure awne will and offer oure selves clene vnto the will of God / to walke which waye so ever he will have vs: [Page x] thē turneth he y• tyraūtes. Or else yf they enforce to persecute vs any forther / he putteth thē out of ye waye accordīge vnto ye confortable ensamples of the scripture.

Moare over let vs arme oure soules with the promyses both of helpe & assistēce & also of the glorious rewarde that foloweth.The promi­ses of God a­re cōfortable ye they are all comforte. Greate is youre rewarde in heven saith Christ Math. v. And he yt knowleageth me befo­re men hym will I knowlege before my father yt is in hevē Mathe. x. And call on me in tyme of tribulacion & I will delyver the psalme .lxv. And beholde ye eyes of the lorde are over thē that feare hym and over thē that trust in his mercy. To delyver their soules from deeth and to fede them in tyme of hongre psalme .xlvj. And in the .xlvij. psal. saith David: the lorde is nye them that are trobled in their hertes / and the meke in sprite will he save. The tribulacions of the righteous are many / and out of them all will the lōrde delyver them. The lorde kep­eth all the bones of them / so that not one of them shalbe brosed. The lorde shall rede­me ye soules of his servauntes. And of soch lyke consolacion are all ye psalmes full: wo­lde to God when ye reade them ye vnder­stode thē / and Math. x. Whē ye delyver you take no thought what ye shall saye. It shal­be geven you the same houre what ye shall saye. For it is not ye that speake: But the [Page] sprite of youre father which speaketh in you The very heares of youre heedes are num­bred saith Christe also Mathe [...]. in the tēthe Yf God care for oure heares / he moch mo­are careth for oure soules which he hath se­aled with his holy sprite. Ther fore saith Peter. j. Petr. iiij. Cast all youre care apon hym: for he careth for you▪ And Paul .j. Co­rint. x. saith: God is true he will not sofre you to be tempted above youre myghte. And psalme .lxxj. Cast thy care apō ye lorde.

Let thy care be to prepare thy selfe with all thy strength for to walke which waie he will have the and to beleve that he will goo with the ād assiste the and strength the ag­enst all tyrauntes and delyver the out of all tribulatiō.A christē mās care But what waye or by what me­anes he will do it / that committe vnto hym and to hys Godly pleasure and wisdome and cast that care apon hym. And though it seme never so vnlikely or never so impossible vnto naturall reason / yet beleve stedfastly that he will doo it. And then shall he acco­rdinge vnto his olde vse chaunge the course of the worlde / even in the twinkelinge of an eye / and come sodenly apon oure Geauntes as a thefe in the nighte / and compasse them in their wiles and worldly wisdome / when they crye peace & all is saffe / then shall the­ir sorowes begynne / as the panges of a wo­man that traveleth with childe. And then [Page xj] shall he dystroye them / and delyver the / vn­to the glorious prayse of his mercy and tru­eth. Amen.

ANd as perteynynge vnto them yt des­pise Gods woorde / countinge it as a phantasy or a dreame / and to them al­so that for feare of a litle persecucion fall frō it / set this before thine eyes.The dispi­sers persecu­ters and they that fall from the worde are threateaed. How God sens the beginnynge of the worlde / before a generall plage / ever sente his true proph­etes and preachers of his worde / to warne the people / and gave them space to repente. But they for the grettest part of them har­dened their hertes and persecuted the worde that was sente to save thē. And then God destroyed them vtterly and toke them clea­ne from the erthe. As thou seist what folo­wed the preachīge of Noe Noe in ye olde worl­de / what folowed ye preachīge of Loth Loth amō ge the sodomites & ye preachīge of Moses & Moyses and Aaron:Aarō amōge the Egipciās / & that sodenly agenst all possibilyte of mans witte. Moa­re over as ofte as ye childerne of Israell fell from God to ye worshepinge of images / he sente his The prophetes Prophetes vnto thē. And they persecuted & waxed harde herted. And thē he sente thē in to all places of ye worlde cap­tive. Christe. Last of all he sente his awne sonne vnto thē. And they waxed moare harde he­rted thē ever before. And se what a fearfull exāple of his wrath & cruell vengeaunce he [Page] hath made of them vnto all the worlde now allmost fyftene hundred yeres.

Vnto the olde britons / also which dw­elled where oure nacion now doeth / Prea­ched Gyldas and rebuked them of their wekednes and prophesied both vnto ye spi­rituall (as they wil be called) and vnto the laye men also / what vēgaunce wolde folow excepte they repēted.Gildas They be spi­rituall: that is develish: for the devill is a sprite. But they waxed herde harted. And God sente his plages & pesti­lences amonge them / and sente their eni­mies in apon them on every syde and dest­royed them vtterly.

Marke also how Christe threatneth thē that forsake hym for what so ever cause it be: Whether for feare / eyther for shame / ey­ther for losse of honoure / frendes / lyfe or goodes? He that denieth me before men / him will I denie bifore my father that is in heven. He that loveth father or mother mo­are thē me / is not worthy of me. All this saith he Math the tenth. And in the .viij. of marke he sayeth. Whosoever is ashamed of me or my wordes amonge this advouto­urs and synnefull generacion: of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed / when he cometh in the glorie of hys father with his holy angels. And Luke. ix. also: No­ne that layeth his hande to the plowe and loketh backe / is mete for the kyndome of heven.

[Page xij]Never the lesse yet yf any man have resisted ignorantly / as Paul dyd / let him loke on the trueth which Paul wrote after he came to knowlege.God recea­vith thē that come agayne Also yf any man cle­ane agenst his herte / but overcome with the wekenes of the flesh for feare of persecucion / have denied / as Peter did / or have delyvered his boke or put it awaye secretlye. Let him (yf he repente) come agayne & take better holde and not dispeare or take it for a signe that God hath forsaken hym.Why god let­teth his electe fall: For God oftimes taketh his strength evē from his very electe / whē they other trust in their awne strength or are negligente to call to hym for his strength. And that doeth he to teach them and to make them feale that in ye fyre of tribulacion for hys wordes sake nothynge cā endure & abyde / save his wor [...] & ye strength only which he hath promysed For which strēgth he will have vs to praye vnto hym nyght and daye withall instaūce

THat thou maist perceave how yt ye scripture ought to be in ye mother tōge and yt ye reasōs which oure sprites make for ye cō ­trary are but sophistry & false wiles to feare ye frō ye lighte yt, thou mighteste folowe them blyndefolde & be their captive / to honoure their cerimonies & to offer to their bely.That the scripture oughte to be in the english tonge

Fyrst god gave ye child (er)ne of israel a lawe by ye hōde of moyses in their mother tōge. & al ye prophetes wrote ī their mother tōge. & all [Page] the psalmes were in ye mother tonge. And there was Christe but fygured and descri­bed in cerimonies / in redles / in parables and in darke prophesies. What is the ca­use that we maye not have the olde testa­mente with the newe also which is ye ligh­te of the olde and wherin is openly decla­red before the eyes that there was darkely prophesied? I can imagen no cause veryly excepte it be that we shulde not se the wo­rke of Antychrist and iugulynge of ypocr­ites. what shulde be the cause that we wh­ich walke in the brode daye / shulde not se / as well as they that walked in the night / or that we shulde not se as well at none / as they dyd in the twylighte? Came Chri­ste to make the worlde moare blynde? By this meanes Christe is the darkenes of the worlde and not the light / as he saith hym selfe Iohn. viij.

Moare over Moyses saith Deutro. vj. Heare Israel let these wordes which I commaunde the this daye steke fast in thi­ne herte / ād whette them on thy childerne & talke of thē as thou sittest in thine house / and as thou walkest by the waye / & when thou liest doune / & whē thou risest vppe / & bynde thē for a token to thine hāde / & let thē be a remēbraūce betwene thine eyes / & write thē on ye postes & gates of thine hou­se. This was cōmaūded generally vnto all [Page xiij] mē. how cometh it that Gods worde per­teneth lesse vnto vs thā vnto thē? Yee how cometh it that oure Moyseses forbydde vs and cōmaūde vs the contrary / & threate vs yf we doo / & will not that we once spe­ake of Gods worde? How can we whette gods worde (that is put it in practyse / vse and exercise) apon oure childerne & hous­holde / whē we are violently kepte from it & know it not? How can we (as Peter com­mādeth) geve a reason of oure hope when we wote not what it is that God hath pr­omysed or what to hope? Moyses also cō ­mādeth in ye said chapter: yf the sonne aske what the testimonies lawes and observa­ūces of the lorde meane that ye father teach him. Yf oure childerne aske what oure ce­rimonies (which are mo thē the Ieweses ware) meane No ner syr Iohn his goostly childerne No father cā tell his sonne. And in the .xj. chapter he repeteth all aga­yne for feare of for gettynge.

They will saye happly / ye scripture requi­reth a pure mynde & a quiete mynde. And therfore ye laye mā because he is altogether cōbred with wordly busynes / cā not vnd (er) ­stōde thē. Yf yt be the cause / thē it is a pla­yne case / that oure prelates vnderstōde not the scriptures them selves. For no laye mā is so tangled with wordly busynes as they are. The greate thīges of ye worlde are mi­nistred by them. Nether do ye laye People [Page] any greate thinge / but at their assignemente

Yf the scripture were in the mother tōge they will saye / then wolde the laye people vnderstōde it every mā after his awne way­es. Wher fore serveth the curate / but to te­ach thē the righte waye? Wher fore were the Holidayes holydayes made / but that the people shulde come and lerne? Are ye not abhomyna­ble Oure scole­masters take greate wages but teach not. scolemasters / in that ye take so greate wages / yf ye wyll not teach? If ye wolde te­ach how coulde ye do it so well and with so great profitt / as when the laye people have the scripture before them in their mother tō ge? For thē shulde they se by the order of the texte / whether thou iugledest or not. And then wolde they beleve it / because it is the scripture of God / though thy lyvinge be ne­ver so abhominable. Why the pre­achers ar not beleved whē they saye trouth. Where now because youre lyvinge and youre preachinge are so contrary / and because they grope out in every sermone youre open and manyfest lyes / & smell youre vnsaciable covetousnes they beleve you not / whē you preach trouth. But alas / the curates them selves (for the most parte) wote no moare what the newe or olde testamente meaneth / then do the turkes.The curates wotte not what a bibyll meaneth Nether know they of any moare then that they reade at masse / matēs and evensonge which yet they vnderstonde not. Nether care they but even to mumble vp so moch every daye (as the pye & popyngay speake the wote not [Page xiiij] what) to fyll their belyes with all. Yf they will not lat the laye mā have the worde of God in his mother tonge / yet let the pre­stes have it / which for a greate parte of thē doo vnderstōde no latine at all:The prestes vnderstonde no laten. but synge & saye and patter all daye / with the lyppes on­ly / that which the herte vnderstondeth not.

Christ commaundeth to sherch the scri­ptures Iohn. v.Sherch the scriptures Though that miracles bare recorde vnto his doctrine / yet desyred he no fayth to be geven ether vnto his doctrine or vnto his miracles / without recorde of the scripture. When Paul preached / Actes. xvij. the other sherched ye scriptures dayly / whether they were as he alleged thē. Why shal not I lyke wise se / whether it be the scripture ye thou allegest: yee why shall I not se the scripture and the circumstāces and what goeth before and after / that I maye know whether thyne interpretaciō be the right sence / or whether thou iuglest and drawest the scripture violently vnto thy carnall and fleshly pur­pose? or whether thou be aboute to teach me or to disceave me.

Christ saith that there shall come false prophetes in his name and saye that they them selves are Christe / that ys / they shall so preach Christe that men must beleve in them in their holines and thinges of their ima­ginacion without Gods worde: yee and that agenst Christ or Antichriste that [Page] shall come is no thinge but soch false pro­phetes that shall iuggle / with the scripture and begile the people with false interpreta­cions as all the false prophetes / scribes ād pharises did in ye olde testamēte. How shal I knowe whether ye are that agenste christe or false prophetes or no / seinge ye will not let me se how ye allege the scriptures? Christ saith:Agēst Christ is knowen by his deades By their deades ye shall know them. Now when we loke on youre deades / we se that ye are all sworne to gether and have se­parated youre selves from the laye people / & have a severall kīgdome amōge youre selv­es and severall lawes of youre awne maky­nge / where with ye violently bynde the laye people that never cōsented vnto the makyn­ge of thē.A severell kī gdom Seuerell lawes. what chrisi lowseth frely the pope byn­deth to lowse it agayne for money A secret counsell A thowsande thynges forbydde ye which christ made free / and dispēse with them agayne for money. Nether is there any excepciō at all / but lacke of money. Ye have a secret councell by youre selves. All other mēs councels and secretes knowe ye and no mā yours. ye seke but honoure / ryches / pro­mociō / auctorite and to regne over all / and will obeye no mā. Yf the father geve you ou­ght of curtesie / ye will compell the sonne to geve it violētly whether he will or not by cr­aft of youre awne lawes. These deades are agenst Christ. ¶When an hole parysh of vs hyre a scolemaster to teach oure childerne / what reason is it that we shulde be compe­lled [Page xv] to paye this scolemaster his wages / ād he shulde have lycens to goo where he wyll and to dwell in a nother contre and to leve oure childerne on taught? Doeth not ye Po­pe so? Have we not geven vp oure tythes of curtesy vnto one for to teach vs Gods wo­rde? And cometh not the Pope and com­pelleth vs to paye it violently to them that never teach? Maketh he not one Person [...] person which cometh never at vs? yee one shall ha­ve .v. or .vj. or as many as he can get and wotteth oftentymes where never one of th­em stondeth. A nother is made Uicar vicare / to whome he geveth a dispensacion to goo where he will and to set in a Parish prest parish pre­ste which can but mynister a sorte of dome cerimonies. And he because he hath most laboure and leest profit polleth on his pa­rte and fetteth here a masse peny there a tren­tall / yonder dirige money and for his bey­deroule with a confession peny and soch ly­ke. And thus are we never taughte and are yet neverthelesse compelled: ye compolde to hyre many costly scolemasters. Thes dea­des are veryly agenst Christ. Shall we the­rfore iudge you by youre deades / as Christe cōmaūdeth? So are ye false prophetes ād ye disciples of Antichriste or of agēst Christe.

The sermons which thou readist in the Actes of ye apos [...]les & all yt the apostles pre­ached were no doute preached in the mother [Page] tōge. Why thē mighte they not be writtē in the mother tonge? As yf one of vs preach a good sermon why maye it not be written? Saynt hierom also trāslated the bible in to his mother tonge. Why maye not we also? They will saye it can not be translated in to oure tonge it is so rude. It is not so rude as they are false lyers. For the greke tonge ag­reeth moare with the english then with the latyne. And the The propir­ties of the hebrue tōge a­gre withe the english. propirties of the hebrue tonge agreth a thousande tymes moare wi­th the english then with the latyne. The maner of speakynge is both one so yt in a tho­usande places thou neadest not but to trās / late it in to ye english worde for worde whē thou must seke a compasse in the latyne / and yet shalt have moch worke to trāslate it wel-faveredly / so that it have the same grace ād swetnesse / sence and pure vnderstandinge with it in the latyne / as it hath in the hebr­ue. A thousande partes better maye it be translated in to the english then in to the latyne. Yee and excepte my memory fayle me and that I have forgotten what I red­de when I was a childe thou shalt fynd in the englesh cronycle how that kynge Kinge Adelston. A­delstone caused the holy scripture to be trā ­slated into the tōge that then was in Englō de and how the prelates exhorted him there vnto.

Cōtrary preachingeMoareover seinge ye one of you ever pre­acheth [Page xvj] cōtrary to a nother. And whē two of you mete / the one disputeth and bravleth with the other / as it were two scoldes. And for as moch as one holdeth this doctoure and a nother that.Contrari do [...] ctours One foloweth duns a nother saynte Thomas / a nother Bonaven­ture / alexander de hales / raymōde / lyre / brygo [...] / dorbell / holcott / gorrā / trūbett / hugo de sancto victore / de monte regio / de nova villa / de media villa & soch lyke out of nū ­bre. So yt if thou haddest· but of every auc­tor one boke thou coudest not pyle thē vp in any ware house in londō / and every auctor is one cōtrary vnto a nother. In so greate diversite of sprites how shall I know who lyeth and who saith trouth? Whereby shall I trye thē & iudge thē? Verely by gods wor­de which ōly is true. But how shal I yt doo whē thou wilt not let me se the scripture?

Naye saye they / the scripture is so harde that thou coudest never vnderstande it but by ye doctours. That is I must measure the mete yarde by the cloth. Here be twēty clo­thes of divers lengthes and of divers bredthes. How shall I be sure of the length of the mete yarde by them? I suppose rather I must be fyrst sure of the length of the me­te yarde / and there by measure & iudge the clothes. Iff I must fyrst beleve the doctou­re / then is the doctoure fyrst true & the tru­eth of the scripture dependeth of his trueth [Page] and so the trueth of God springeth of ye tru­eth of man. Thus Antichriste turnith the rotes of the trees vppwarde.Antichrist turneth the rotes of the tre vp­ward. What is ye ca­use that we damme some of Origenes wor­kes and alowe some? How knowe we that some is heresy and some not? By the scrip­ture I trowe. How knowe we yt saint Aug­ustine (which is the best or one of the best that ever wrot apon the scripture) wrot ma­ny thīges amysse at ye begynnynge / as ma­ny other doctours doo? Verely by the The scripture is the triall of all doctri­ne ād the righte twich ston sc­riptures / as he him selfe well perceaved af­terwarde whē he loked moare diligently a­pō them / and revoked many thynges agay­ne. He wrote of many thynges which he vnderstode not when he was newly conver­ted / yer he had thorowly sene the scriptures / and folowed the opinions of Plato and the commune persuasions of mans wisdome yt were then famouse.

Philosophy.They will saye yet moare shamefully / that no man can vnderstonde the scriptures wit­hout philautia / that is to saye philosophy. A man must fyrst be well sene in Aristotel­es yer he can vnderstonde the scripture saye they. Aristotell Aristoteles doctrine is / that the wo­rlde was without begynnynge and shalbe without ende / and that the fyrst man never was and the last shall never be. And that God doeth all of necessite nether careth wh­at we doo nether will aske any accomptes of [Page xvij] that we doo. Without this doctrine how coulde we vnderstonde the Scripture scripture that sayeth / God created the worlde of nought / and God worketh all thinge of his fre will and for a secret purpose / and that we shall all ryse agayne / and that God will have a­comptes of all that we have done in this ly­fe. AristotellAristotle saith. Geve a man a lawe and he hath power of hym selfe to doo or fulfyll ye lawe and becometh righteous with wor­kynge righteously.Paul But Paul and all the sc­ripture saith / that the lawe doeth but vtter synne only and helpeth not. Nether hath any man power to doo the lawe / tyll the sprite of God be geven hym thorow fayth in Christ. Is it not a madnes then to saye yt we coulde not vnderstōde the scripture without Aristotle.Aristotell Aristotles righteousnes & all his vertues springe of a mās fre will. And a tu­rke and every infidele and ydolater maye be righteous and vertuous with that righ­teousnes and those vertues. Moare over Aristoteles felicite and blessednes stondeth in avoydinge of all tribulacions / and in ri­ches / health / honoure / worshepe / frendes & autorite / which felicite pleaseth oure spiri­tualty well. Now without these and a tho­usande soch lyke poyntes / couldest thou not vnderstāde Script [...]e scripture which sayeth yt righ­teousnes cometh by christe & not of mās wil and how that vertues are the frutes and the [Page] gifte of gods sprite and that Christe blesseth vs in tribulacions / persecucion & adversite? How / I saye / coudest thou vnderstōde the scripture without Philosophi. Philosophy / in as mo­ch as Paul Paul / in the seconde to the Collossiēs warned them to beware lest any man shul­de spoyle them (that is to saye / robbe them of their fayth in Christe) thorowe Philosop­hy and disceytfull vanytes / and thorow the tradicions of men & ordinaunces after the worlde and not after Christe.

By this meanes then / thou wilt that no man teach a nother / but that every man take the scripture & lerne by hym selfe. Naye verely / so saye I not. When nomā will teach. yf we desyre god will teach. Never ye lesse / seinge that ye will not teach / yf any man thyrste for the trueth / & reade the scripture by hym selfe desyringe God to open ye dore of knowlege vnto hī / God for his truethes sake will & must teach hym. How be it my meanīge is yt as a master teacheth his prētyse to knowe all ye poyntes of the mete yarde / first how many enches / how many fote & the hal [...]e yarde / ye quarter & the naile / & thē teacheth hī to mete other thinges therby: The order of teachinge evē so will I that ye teach the people Gods lawe / & what obedience God requyreth of vs vnto father and mother / master / lorde / kīge & all superiours / and with what frendly love he cōmaundeth one to love a nother. And teach thē to know that naturall vename & byrth poyson which [Page xviij] moveth the very hertes of vs to rebelle agenste the ordinaunces and will of God / and prove that no man is righteous in the sight of God / but that we are all damned by the lawe. And then (when thou hast meked th­em and feared them with the lawe) teach them the testamente and promises which God hath made vnto vs in Christe / & how mercyfull and kynde he is / and how mo­ch he loveth vs in Christe. And teach them the principles and the grounde of the fayth and what the sacramentes signifye and th­en shall the sprite worke with thy preachin­ge and make them feale. So wolde it come to passe / that as we know by naturall witte what foloweth of a true principle of natur­all reason: even so by the principles of the fayth and by the playne scriptures and by the texte / shulde we iudge all mens exposi­cion and all mens doctrine / and shulde re­ceave the best and refuse the worst. I wol­de have you to teach them also the propir­ties and maner of speakinges of the scrip­ture / and how to expounde proverbes and similitudes. And then if they goo abro­ade and walke by the feldes and medowes of all maner doctours and philosophers they coulde catch no harme. They shul­de dyscerne the poyson from the hony ād bringe whome no thinge but that which is holsome.

[Page] The disorder or overwar [...]e order of oure scole menBut now do ye clene contrary. Ye dry­ve them from Gods worde and will let no man come there to / vntyll he have byn two yeres master of arte. First they nosell them in sophistry and in benefundatū The scole doctrine: as they ca [...] it: corrupteth the iudgemētes o [...] [...]. And th­ere corrupte thei their iudgemētes with ap­parente argumētes and with alleginge vn­to them textes of logycke / of naturall phil­autia / of methaphisick and morall philoso­phy and of all maner bokes of Aristotle ād of all maner doctours which they yet never sawe. Moare over one holdeth this a noth­er that. One is a reall / a nother a nominall. What wonderfull Dreames dreames have they of their predicamentes / vniversales / seconde intencions / quidities hecseities & relatives. And whether species fundata in chimera be vera species. And whether this proposiciō be true non ens est aliquid. Whether ens be equivo cum or vnivo cū. Ens is a voyce only saye some. Ens is vnivocum saith a nother and descendeth in to ens creatum and in to ens increatum per modos intrinsecos. whē they have this wise brauled ▪viij x. or .xij. or moo yeres and after that their iudgementes are vtterly corrupte: then they beginne th­eir Devinite.Scole diuinite Not at the scripture: but every man taketh a sondry doctoure / which doc­tours are as sondry and as dyvers / the one contrary vnto the other / yet ī this they all agre: that noman is sa­ved by Christ but by holy we [...]kes. And that christe hath gevē vp his godhed to the pope▪ And all his power and that the pope maye geve christes merites to whō he will and take them from whō he w [...]ll. Potters: ye mockers or rather iugular [...] as there are divers facions and monstrous shappes / none lyke [Page xix] a nother / amōge oure sectes of religiō. Ev­ery religion / every vniversite & all most eve­ry man hath asondry dyvinite. Now what so ever opiniōs every mā fyndeth with his doctoure / that is his Gospell and that only is true with him and that holdeth he all his lyfe longe / and every man to mayntene his doctoure with all / corrupteth the scripture & facioneth it after his awne imaginacion as a Potter doeth his claye. Of what texte th­ou provest hell / will a nother prove purgatory / a nother lymbo patrum / and a nother the assumpcion of oure ladi: And a nother shall prove of the same texte that an Ape hath a tayle. And of what texte the graye frere pro­veth yt oure lady was without originall sin­ne / of the same shall the blacke frere prove yt she was conceyved in originall synne. And all this doo they with aparēte reasons with false similitudes and likenesses / and with argumentes and persuasions of mans wis­dome.False simili­tudes▪ Now there is no other divisiō or he­resy in the worlde save mans wisdome and when mans folish wisdome intetpreteth ye scripture.Mans wis­dome heresy Cotes Mans wisdome scatereth / divi­deth and maketh sectes / while the wisdome of one is that a white Cote is best to sarve God in / and a nother saith a blacke / a noth­er a grey / nother a blew: And while one sa­ith that God will heare youre prayer in th­is place / a nother saith in yt place: And wh­ile [Page] one saith this place is holier / Place and a no­ther that place is holier / and this religion is holyer then that / and this saynte is gre­ater with God then that and an hundred thousande lyke thinges. Mans One religiō is holier then a nother: Mans wis­dome is ydo­latry. What God ys wisdo­me is playne ydolatry / nether is there any other ydolatry then to imagen of God af­ter mans wisdome. God is not mans ima­ginacion / but that only which he saith of hym selfe. God is no thinge but his law and his promyses / that is to saye / that wh­ich he biddeth the doo and that which he biddeth the beleve and hope. God is but his worde: as Christ saith Iohn. viij. I am that I saye vnto you / that is to saye / that which I preach am I. My wordes are spi­rite and lyfe. God is that only which he te­stifieth of hym selfe and to imagen any o­ther thinge of God then that / is damnable ydolatry. Therfore saith the .cxviij [...] Psalme happy are they which sherch ye testimonies of the lorde / that is to saye / that which God testifieth and witteneseth vnto vs. But how shall I that doo when ye will not let me ha­ve his testimonies or wittenesses in a ton­ge which I vnderstonde? Will ye resist god Will ye forbidde hym to geve his spirite vnto the laye as well as vnto you? Hath he not made the english tonge? Why forbidde ye hym to speake in the enhlish tonge then / as well as in the latyne?

[Page xx]Fynally that this thretenynge and for­biddynge the laye people to reade the scrip­ture is not for love of youre soules (which they care for as ye foxe doeth for ye gysse) is evidēte & clerer thē the sonne / in as moch as they permitte & sofre you to reade Reade what thou wilt: ye ād saye what thou wylt sa­ve the trueth Robynhode & bevise of hāptō / hercules / hector ād troylus with a tousande histories & fables of love & wātones & of rybaudry as fylthy as herte cā thinke / to corrupte ye myndes of youth with all / clene cōtrary to the doctrine of christ & of his apostles. For Paul (Ephes. v.) sayeth: se that fornicacion and all vncle­nes or covetousnes be not once named amō ge you / as it becometh sayntes: nether fyl­thines / nether folysh talkynge / nor gestinge which are not comly. For this ye know th­at no whoremonger other vnclene person or covetous persone (which is the worshe­per of images) hath any enheritaunce in the kyngdome of Christ & of God. And after / sayeth he / thorow soch thinges cometh the wrath of God apon the childerne of vnbe­lefe. Now seinge they permitte you frely to reade those thinges which corrupte youre mīdes & robbe you of ye kyngdome of god & christe & brynge ye wrath of god apō you how is this forbyddīge for love of youre soules?

A thousande reasons moo myght be ma­de (as thou maist sein paraclesis Erasmi & in his preface to yt paraphasis of Mathew) [Page] [...]nto which they shulde be compelled to holde their peace or to geve shamfull answares. But I hope that the­se are sufficient vnto them that thirst the trueth. God for his me­rcy and tro­uth shall well open thē moo: ye and other secretes of his Godly wisdome / yf they be diligent to crye vnto him / wh­ich grace graunte God. AMEN.

¶The Prologe vnto the boke.

FOr as moch as oure holy prelates and oure gostly re­ligious / which ought to de­fende Gods worde / speake evyll of it and doo all ye sh­ame they can to it / and ra­yle on it and bere their captives in honde yt it causeth insurrection and teacheth the pe­ople to disobeye their heedes and governe­rs / and moveth them to ryse agenst their princes and to make all comen and to make havoke of other mēs goodes. Therfore ha­ve I made this litle treatyse that folweth contayninge allThe obedience of monkes and freres is not here. For they ar not of God But of there awne fanynge obedience that is of God In which (who so ever readeth it) shall ea­sely perceave / not ye cōtrary only and that they lye: but also the very cause of soch bla­sphemy and what stereth them so furiously to rage and to belye the trueth.

How be it / it is no new thinge vnto the worde of god to be rayled apon / nether is this the fyrst tyme that ypocrites have ascr­ibed to Gods worde the vengeaunce where of they themselves were ever cause.The ypocri­tes laye that to gods word whych they thē selves are cause of God warneth yer he strike. For the ypocrites with their false doctrine and yd­olatry have evermoare lade the wrath and vengeaunce of God apon the People / so so­re that God coulde no lenger forbere nor differ his puneshmente. Yet God / which [Page] is all wayes mercifull / before he wold take vengeaunce / hath [...]ver sente his true prophetes and true preachers / to warne the people that they myght repente. But the people for the most parte and namely the heedes and rulers thorow comforte and persuadinge of the ypocrites / have ever waxed moare harde herted then before / and have persecuted the worde of God and his prophetes. Then God which is also righteous / hath allway­es poured his plages apon them with out delaye. Whē God punisheth the y­dolatry of the ypocrites: thē saye they: that new lernyn­ge is cause the [...]e of Which plages the ypocrites ascribe vnto Gods worde sayenge: se what mi­scheve is come apon vs sens this new ler­nynge come vp and this new secte and this new doctrine. This seist thou Hieremias .xliiij. Where the people cried to goo to their olde ydolatry agayne sayenge: sens we left it / we have bynne in all necessi­te and have bynne consumed with warre ād hongre. But the prophete answered them / yt their ydolatry wente vnto the herte of God / so that he coulde no lenger sofre the malici­ousnes of their awne imaginacions or invē cions / and that the cause of all soch myscheves was / because they wolde not heare tho voyce of the lorde and walke in his lawe / or­dinaunces and testimonies. Christ was accused of in­surreccion. The scribes and the pharises layd also to Christes char­ge (Luke. xxiij.) that he moved the people to sedicion. And said to Pilate / we have founde [Page xxij] this felowe pervertinge the people and for biddinge to paye tribute to Cesar / ād sayeth that he is Christ a kynge. And agayne in the same chapter / he moveth ye people (said they) teachinge thorow out all iury and beganne at Galile evē to this place. So like wise layd they to the Apostles charge / as thou maist se in the Actes. Saynte Cypriane also & sayn­te Augustine & many other moe made workes in defence of the worde of God agēst soch blasphemies: So that thou maist se / how that it is no new thinge / but an olde ād acustomed thinge with the ypocrites to wite Gods worde and the true preachers of all the mischeve which their lyinge doctrine is the very cause of?Why troubyll foloweth the preachynge of the Gospell

¶Never ye later in very dede / after the prea­chinge of Gods worde / because it is not truly receaved. God sendeth greate troble in to the worlde: partly to avenge him selfe of the tyrauntes and persecuters of his worde ād partly to destroye those worldly people which make of Gods worde no thinge but a clo [...]e of their fleshly libertie. They are not all good that folowe the Gospell. Christ (Matthei. in the .xiij. chapter.) likeneth the kyngdome of hevē vnto a nette cas [...] in ye see yt ketcheth fishes both good & bad. The kyngdome of hevē is the preachinge of ye Gos­pel / vnto which come both good & bad But ye good are few.Christis floc a litle flock Christ calleth thē therfore a [Page] litle flocke Luke. xij. For they are ever few that come to the Gospell of a true entente sekinge therin nothinge but the glory and prayse of God and offeringe them selves frely and willingly to take adversite with Christe for the Gospels sake and for berin­ge reporte vnto the trueth / that all men ma­ye heare it. The greatist nombre come and ever came and folowed even Christ hym se­lfe for a worldly purpose. As thou mayst well se (Iohn. vj.) how that allmost fyve th­ousand folowed Christ ād wolde also have made hym a kynge / because he had well fed them. Whom he rebuked sayenge: ye seke me not / because ye saw the myracles: But be­cause ye ate of the bred and were fylled / and drove them awaye from hym with ha­rde preachinge.

Even so now (as ever) the most parte se­ke Libertie. libertie. They be glad when they here the vnsaciable covetousnes of the spiritu­alte rebuked: When they heare their falsh­eed and wiles vttered: When tyranny and oppression is preached agenst: When the heare how kynges ād all Officers shulde rule christenly and brotherly and seke no ot­her thinge save the welth of their subiectes: and when they heare that they have no so­ch auctorite of God so to pylle and polle as they doo and to reyse vppe taxes and gaderinges to mayntene their fantasies and [Page xxiij] to make warre they wote not for what ca­use.God destroy­eth one we­ked with a nother. Gods word is not the cau­se of evell. And therfore because the heedes will not so rule / will they also no lenger obeye / but resiste and rise agēste their evyll heedes And one weked destroyeth a nother. Yet is Gods worde not the cause of this nether yet the preachers. For though that Christe him selfe taught all obedience / how that it is not lawfull to resist wronge (but for the officer that is appoynted there vnto) & how a man must love his very enimy and praye for thē that persecute hym ād blesse them that cur­se hym / and how that all vengeaunce must be remitted to God / and that a man must forgeve / yf he wilbe forgeven of God. Yet the people for the most parte receaved it not They were ever ready to ryse and to fyght. For ever when the scribes & phareses went aboute to take Christ they were afrayd of the people. Not on the holy daye (said they Math. xxvi). lest any rumoure aryse amonge the people. And Matth. xxi. They wolde have take hym / but they feared the people. And Luke. xx. Christ asked the Phareses a questiō vnto which they durst not answere / lest the people shulde haue stoned themChristes disciples were longe weake ād worldly mynded

¶Last of all for as moch as the very disci­ples and Apostles of Christ after so lōge hearinge of Christes doctrine were yet ready to fyght for Christ cleane agēst Christes teachī ­ge. As Peter (Math. xxvi.) drewe his swerde [Page] but was rebuked. And Luke. ix. Iames & Iohn wolde have had fyre to come frō heven to consume the samaritanes and to avē ­ge ye iniury of Christ: but were like wise rebuked / yf christes disciples were so lōge carnal what wōder is it / yf we be not all perfecte ye fyrst daye?The popis doct [...]ine cau­seth: ye cōmaundeth murt [...]er Ye in as moch as we be taught even of very babes / to kyll a turke / to slee a Iewe / to burne an heritike / to fyght for ye li­berties & right of ye church as they call it: ye and in as moch as we are brought in belefe yf we shede the bloude of oure even christen or yf the sonne shede ye bloude of his father that begate him / for the defence / not of the popes god heed only / but also for what so ever cause it be / yee though it be for no cause but that his holynes commaundeth it on­ly / that we deserve as moch as Christ deser­ved for vs when he died on the crosse: or yf we be slayne in the quarell that our soules goo / nay flye to heven / and be there yer ou­re bloude be colde. In as moch (I saye) as we have sucked in soch bloudy imaginaci­ons in to the botome of oure hertes even with oure mothers milke / and have be so longe hardened therin / what wonder were it / yf while we be yet younge in Christ / we thought that it were lawfull to fyght for the true worde of God? Yee and though a man were throwly persuaded yt it were not law­full to resist his kynge / though he wolde wr­ongfully [Page xxiiij] take awaye lyfe and goodes: Yet might he thinke that it were lawfull to re­sist the ypocrites and to ryse / not agēst his kynge: but with his kynge to delyver his kynge out of bondage & captivite / wherin ye ypocrites holde him with wyles and falsheed / so that no man maye be sofered to come at him / to tell him the trouth.

This seist thou / that it is the bloudy do­ctrine of the Pope which causeth disobedi­ence / rebelion and insurreccion.The popes doctrine is bloudy For he tea­cheth to fighte and to defende his tradiciōs & what so ever he dreameth with fyre / water & swerde & to disobeye father / mother / ma­ster / lorde / kynge & Emperoure: Ye & to in­vade what so ever lōde or naciō yt will not receave & admitte his godheed.Christes do­ctrine is peaceable Where ye pe­aceable doctrine of Christ teacheth to obeye & to sofre for ye worde of god & to remit ye vē ­geaūce & the defense of ye worde to God wh­ich is mighty and able to defende it / which also as sone as ye worde is once openly pre­ached & testified or wittenesed vnto ye wor­ld / God avēgeth his doctrine him selfe & whē he hath gevē them a season to re­pēte / is ready at once to take vēgeaunce of his enemies & shoteth arowes with heedes dipte in deadly poysō at thē & poureth his plages from hevē doune apō them & se [...]de­th the morē and pestilēce amōge them / & sinketh ye cities of them & maketh ye erth swa­low them / & compaseth them in their wiles [Page] and taketh them in their awne trappes and snares / & casteth them in to the pittes wh­ich they digged for other men / and sendeth them a dasynge in the heed and vtterly dest­royeth them with their awne sotle cownc­ell.How a man oughte to be­have him selfe in readyn­ge of doctou­rs and also in the scripture: Prepare thy mynde therfore vnto this litle treatyse and reade it discretly and iud­ge it indifferently / and when I allege any scripture / loke thou on the texte / whether I enterpret it right which thou shalt easyly perceave / by the circunstance and processe of them / yf thou make Christe the foundaciō and ground and byld all on hym ād refer­rest all to hym / and findest also that the ex­posicion agreeth vnto the comē articles of the fayth and open scriptures. And God the father of mercy which for his trouthes sa­ke reysed oure savioure Christ vppe agayne to iustifie vs / geve ye his spirite to iudge wh­at is righteous in his eyes & geve the stren­gth to abide by it & to mayntene it with all pacience and longe soferinge / vnto ye ensample and edifi­enge of his cōgrega­cion and glorie of his na­me. AMEN.

¶The obedience of all degrees pro­ved by Gods worde and first of childern vnto there elders.

GOd (which worketh all in all thinges) for a secret iudgement and purpose and for his godly plea­sure / provided an houre that thy father and mo­ther shuld come to geth­er / to make the thorow them. He was pre­sent with them thy mothers wombe and facioned the and brethed lyfe in to the / and for the greate love he had vnto the / provi­ded milke in thy mothers brestes for the a­gaynst thou were borne: moved also thy fa­ther and mother and all other to love the / to pitie the and to care for the.

And as he made ye thorow thē / so hath he cast ye vnd (er) the power and auctorite of thē / to obeye & serve thē Oure fathers and mothers are to vs in Gods stede. in his stede sayēge: ho­nour thy father & mother. Exodi. xx. Which is not to be vnderstonde in bowinge the kne & puttinge of the cappe only / but yt thou lo­ve thē with all thine herte & feare and drede them & wayte on theyr commaundemētes and seke theyr worsheppe / pleasure will and profit in all thinges / & geve thy life for them countinge thē worthy of all honoure / remē ­bringe that thou art their good and possessi­on / an [...] that thou owest vnto thē thine aw­ne [Page] selfe ād all that thou art able / yee and moare then thou art able to doo.

what we doo to oure fathe [...] and mot­hers that we do to God.Vnderstond also that what soever thou doest vnto them (be it good or badde) thou doest vnto God. When thow pleasest them thou pleasest God: whē thou displeasest thē thou displeasest God: when they are angre with the / God is angre with ye / nether is it possible for the to come vnto the favoure of God agayne (no though all ye Angels of he­vē praie for ye) vntill thou have submitted thi selfe vnto thy father & mother agayne.

Iff thou obeye (though it be but carnal­ly (eyther for feare / for vayne glorie or pro­fit) thy blessinge shalbe longe life vppon the erth.The rewar­de of obediēce For he sayth / honoure thy father & mother / yt thou mayst live longe vpon the erth. Exodi. xx. The rewar­de of disobe­dience. Contrary wise if thou disobeye them / thy life shalbe shortned vpō the erth. For it foloweth. Exodi. xxj. He yt smyteth his father or mother shalbe put to deeth for it. And he that curseth (that is to saye / ray­leth or dishonoureth his father or mother with opprobrious wordes) shalbe slayne for it. And Deuteronomion. xxj. If any mā have a sonne stoburne & disobediēt which he­reth not ye voyce of his father and the voyce of his mother / so yt they have taught hī nur­toure & he regardeth thē not / thē let his fa­ther & mother take hī & bringe hī forth vnto the seniours or elders of y• cite & vnto ye gate [Page xxvj] of ye same place. And let thē saye vnto ye seniours of yt cite: this oure sonne is stoburne & disobediēt. He will not heare vnto oure voyce: he is a rioter & a drōkerd. Thē let all the mē of yt cite stone hī with stones vnto deeth so shall ye put awaye wekednesse frō amōge you & all Israell shall heare ād shall feare.

And though yt ye tēporall officers (to the­ir awne dānaciō) be negligēt in punishinge soch disobediēce (as the spirituall officers are to teach it) & wīke at it or loke on it thorow the fingers: yet shall they not scape vnpunished.God avēgeth disobedience him selfe th­ough the officer will not. For ye vēgeaūce of God shall accō panie thē (as thou maist se deuteronomion xxviij) With all misfortune & evill lucke / and shall not departe from them vntill they be murdred / drounde or hāgaed / ether vntill by one mischaunce or a nother they be vtterly brought to nought. Yee and the world of­ten tymes hangeth many a man for yt they never deserved / but God hāgeth thē becau­se they wold not obeye ād herken vnto the­ir elders: as ye consciēces of many well finde when they come vnto ye galowes. There cā they preach & teach other / yt which they thē selves wolde not lerne in season.

The maryage also of the childern per­teyneth vnto their elders / Maryage▪ as thou mayst se j. Corinthiorū. vij. & thorow out all the scripture / by the auctorite of the said commaun­dement / childe obeye father and mother. [Page] Which thinge ye hethē and gētyls have [...] ­er kepte and to this daye kepe / vnto the gre­at shame & rebuke of vs christen: in as mo­ch as the weddinges of oure virgyns (sha­me it is to speake it) ar moare like vnto the saute of a Covetosnes maketh ou­re spiritualte that they can­not se that which a turke is asshamed of bitche / then the marienge of a reasonable creature. Se not we daily .iij. or iiij. calengynge one womā before the Cōmissary or officeall / of which not one hath the consent of her father and mother. And yet he yt hath most money / hath best right and shall have her in the dispite of all her fren­des and in diffiaūce of Gods ordinaūces.

Moare over when she is gevē b [...] ye iudge vnto the one patie and also maried even th­en oftymes shall the contrarie parte sue before an hier iudge or an other yt succeadeth the same and for money devorce her agayne So shamfully doeth ye covetousnes & ambicion of oure prelates mocke with ye lawes of God. I passe over with silence how many yeres they will prolonge the sentēce with cavillacions & suttelte / if they be well mony­ed on both parties / & if a dāsell promise .ij. how shāfull coūcell they will geve ye Gete hir with child: saye th­ey. so shall thy cause be best. secō de & also how the religious of satā doo seperate vnseperable matrimonie For after thou art lawfully maryed at the cōmaundemēte of father and mother & with the consent of all thy frēdes: Gods cōma­undementes breake they thorow their awne traditi­ons yet if thou wilt be disgysed like vnto one of thē and swere obediēce vnto [Page xxvij] their tradiciōs / thou mayst disobeye father and mother / breake ye othe which thou hast sworne to God before his holi cōgregacion and with draw love & charite ye hiest of Go­ds cōmaūdmētes ād yt dutye & service wh­ich thou owest vnto thy wife: where of Ch­rist cā not dispēce with ye. For Christ is not agaīst god / but with god & came not to breake gods ordinaūces / but to fulfill thē. That is he came to overcome y• with kīdnes & to make y• to do of veri love y• thynge which the law cōpelleth y• to do. For love only and to do service vnto thy neyboure is ye fulfillinge of ye law in ye sight of god. To be a mōke or a frere / thou maist thus forsake thy wife before thou hast ly [...]e with her / but not to be a seculer prest. Money ma­keth marcha­undice And yet after thou art profes­sed / the Pope for money will dispēce with the / both for thy cote & all thy obediēce / ād make a seculer prest of ye: lyke wise as it is simonye to sell a benefice (as they call it) but to resigne apon a pēcion & thē to redeme the same / is no simony at all. Oh crastie iugele­rs & mockers with the worde of God.Iugulars

¶The obedienie of wives vnto their husbandes.

[Page] AFter yt Eve was deceaved of ye serpēt / God said vnto her Genesis. iij. Thy lust or appetite shall pertayne vnto thy husbād & he shall rule the or raygne over the. God which created the womā knoweth what is in that weake vessell (as Peter calleth her) ād hath therfore put her vnder the obedience of her husband to rule her lustes and wantā appetites. Peter. j. Pet. iij. exhorteth wives to be in subiecciō vnto their husbandes / after the ensample of the holy wemē which in old tyme trusted in God / ād as Sara obeyed A­brahā and called him lorde. Which Sara before she was maryed / was Abrahās si­ster ād equall with him: but as sone as she was Mariage altereth the de­gre of nature maryed was in subiecciō and beca­me without cōparison inferior. For so is ye nature of wedlock by the ordinaūce of God It were moch better that oure wives folo­wid ye ēsample of the holy wemē of old tyme in obeyēge their husbādes / thē to worship­pe thē with a Pater noster / an A [...]e & a Credo / or to sticke vp candels before their ima­ges. Paul Ephe. v. saith: wemen submitte your selves vnto your awne husbandes / as vnto ye lorde. For the husbāde is the wives heed evē as Christ is the heed of the cōgre­gaciō. Therfore as the cōgregaciō is in sub­iecciō to christ / like wise let wives be in sub­iecciō vnto their husbādes in all thīges. Let [Page xxviij] ye womā therfore feare her husbād / as Paul saith in ye said place. For her husbād is vnto her in ye sted of god / y• she obeye hī & wayte ō his cōmaūdmētes. And his cōmaūdmētes are gods commaundmentes.The husbande is to the wife ī Gods sted If she therfore grudge agaynst him or resiste him she grudgeth agenste God and resisteth God.

¶The obedience of Servauntes vnto their Masters.

SErvauntes obeye your carnall masters with feare & trēblinge in sīglenesse of your hertes as vnto Christ: not with service in ye eye sight as mē pleasers: but as ye servaūtes of christ doinge ye wil of god frō the herte with good will / evē as though ye served the lorde & not mē. Ephe. vj. And j. Pe. ij. servaūtes obeye your masters with all feare not ōly if they be good & courteous: but also though they be frowarde. For it co­meth of grace / if a mā for cōsciēce towarde God endure gr [...]ffe sofferīge wrōgfully. For what prayse is it if when ye be buffeted for your fautes / ye take it paciētly? But & if whē ye do well / ye s [...]ffer wrōge & take it paciētly / than is there thanke with God. Here vnto verely were ye called. For Christ also sofferd for our sakes levynge vs an example to fo­lowe his steppes. In what so ever kynde therfore thou art a seruaunte / duringe the tyme of thy covenauntes / thy master is vnto the [Page] in ye stede & rowme of God & god thorow hī fedeth the / The master is vnto the servaunt ī gods sted. clotheth the / ruleth & lerneth the his commaundemētes are Gods cōmaundmentes and thou oughtest to obeye him as God / and in all thinges to seke his pleasu­re and profit. For thou art his good and possession / as his oxe or his horse in so moch that who so ever doth but desyre the in his herte from him without his love & licēce is cōdēned of God / which sayeth Exodi. xx. se thou once covet not thy neybours servavntes.

Oure spiritualte reteyne mens sarva­untes not to honoure God but there tr­aditions ād ceremomonies only.Paule ye Apostle sent home Onesimus vn­to his master (as thou readest in the pistle of Paul to Philemō) In so moch yt though the said Philemon with his servaunte also was converted by Paul & owed vnto Paul and to the worde that Paul preached / not his servaunte only / but also him selfe: yee & though that Paul was in necessite and lac­ked ministers to minister vnto him in the bō des which he soffered for the Gospels sake: yet wold he not retayne the servaunt necessary vnto ye furtheraunce of the Gospell wit­hout the consent of the master.

Christes doctrine and the popes differ:O how sore differeth ye doctrine of christ and his Apostles from the doctrine of the Pope and of his Apostles. For if any man will obeye nether father ner mother / If thy master please the not shave the sel­fe a monke a frere or a prest. nether lorde nor master / nether kynge ner prince / ye same nedeth but only to take the marke of [Page xxix] the beest / that is / to shave him selfe a mon­ke / a frere or a prest / and is then immediatly fre and exempted fro all service and obediē ce due vnto man. To obeye no man ys a spirituall thynge. He that will obeye no man (as they will not) is most acceptable vnto them. The moare disobedient that thou arte vnto Gods ordinaunces / the moare apte and mete arte thou for theirs. Nether is the professinge / vowinge and sweringe obedience vnto their ordinaūces any other thinge / then the defienge / denienge and forsweringe obediēce vnto ye ordinaunces of God.

¶The obedience of Subiectes vnto kynges princes and rulers. The .xiij. Chapter of Paul Rom.

LEt every soule submit hī [...]ylfe vnto the auctorite off the hyer powers. There is no power but of God. The powers yt beare ordeyned off God. Whosoever therfore resysteth ye power resysteth ye ordinaūce of God. They yt resist / shall recea to thē silfe dānaciō. For ruelars are not to be feared for good workes but for evyll. Wilt thou be without feare of ye power? Do well thē & so shalt thou be praysed off the same. For he is ye minister off god / for thy welth. But and yff thou do evyll / then feare. for he bea­reth not a swearde for nought. For he is the [Page] minister off God / to take vengeaunce on thē that do evill. Wherfore ye must nedes obey not for feare off vēgeaunce only: but also because of consciēce. Evē for this cause paye ye tribute. For they are goddes ministers / servynge for the same purpose.

Geve to every man therfore his duetie: Tribute to whom tribute belōgeth: Custom to whom custom is due: feare to whō feare belongeth: honoure to whō honoure pertayneth. Owe nothinge to eny mā: but to love one a nother. For he that loveth another / fulfilleth the lawe. For these cōmaūdemētes: Thou shalt not cōmit advoutry: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steale: Thou shalt not beare falce witnes: Thou shalt not desyre: and so forth yf there be eny other cōmaundemēt / are all cōprehēded in this saynge: Love thyne neghbour as thy silfe. Love hurteth not his neghbour: therfore is love the fulfillynge off the lawe.

AS a father over his childern ys both lorde ād iudge forbiddinge yt one brorher avenge him selfe on a nother / but (if ani cause of strife be betwene thē) will have it brought vnto hī selfe or his assignes / to be iudged & correcte: so God forbiddeth all mē to avēge thē selves / ād taketh ye auctorite and office of avēgīge vnto hī selfe sayenge: vēgeaūce is mine & I will rewarde: deuter. xxxij. which texte Paul alegeth Ro. xij. For [Page xxx] it is impossible yt a mā shulde be a righteous an egall or an indifferēte iudge in his awne cause / lustes & appetites so blīde vs. Moa­re over whē thou avēgest thy selfe / thou makest not peace / but sterest vp moare debate.

God therfore hath gevē lawes vnto all natiōs & in all lōdes hath put kīges / gover­ners ād rulers in his awne stede / to rule the worlde thorow thē. And hath cōmaunded all causes to be brought before thē / as thou readest Exo. xxij. In al causes (sayth he) of iniury or wronge / whether it be oxe / asse / shepe or vesture / or any lost thīge which an ot­her calengeth / let ye cause of both parties be brought vnto ye Gods whō ye Gods cōdēne the same shall paie dowble vnto his neiboure.Iudges are called Gods. Marke / ye iudges are called Gods in the scriptures because thei are in Gods rowme and execute ye cōmaūdmētes of God. And in an other place of ye sayd chapter Moses chargeth sayēge: se yt thou rayle not on the Gods nether speake evill of ye ruler of thy people. ‘Who so ever therfore resisteth thē res­isteth God (for they are in ye rowme of god) & they yt resiste shall receave their dānaciō.’

Soch obedience vnto father & mother / master / husbāde / emperoure / kīge / lordes and rulers requireth God of all naciōs / yee of ye very turkes ād infideles.Blessynge The blessinge and rewarde of thē that kepe thē / is ye life of this worlde as thou readest Leuiticū. xviij. [Page] kepe my ordinaunces and lawes / which yf a man kepe he shall lyve therin. Which tex­te Paul reherseth Roma. x. provinge therby that the righteousnes of the law is but wo­rdly / and the rewarde therof is ye life of this worlde.Curse And the curse of thē that breaketh them / is the losse of this lyfe: as thou seist by the punishment appoynted for them.

And whosoever kepeth the lawe (whether it be for feare / for vayne glorie or pro­fit) though no man rewarde him / yet shall God God rewar­deth all obedience: though noman else doo. blesse him abundātly ād sende him wordly prosperite / as thou readest Deute­ronomion. xxviij. What good blessinges accompanye ye kepinge of the lawe / and as we se the turkes ferre exceade vs christen men in worldly prosperite for their iust kepinge of their temporall lawes. Lyke wise though no mā punishe the breakers of the lawe / yet shall God sende his curses apon them tyll they be vterly brought to nought as thou readest most terrebly even in the said place.God avēgeth all disobediē ce though no man else doo.

Nether maye ye inferior person avēge him selfe apō ye superior or violētly resiste him for what so ever wrōge it be. If he doo he is cō ­dēned in the dede doinge: in as moch as he taketh vpō hī yt which belōheth to god only which saith vēgeaūee is myne ād I will re­warde Deute. xxxij.Uengeaunce is Gods And christe saith Math xxvi. all they yt take ye swerde shall perish wi­th ye swerde. Takest thou a swerde to avenge [Page xxxj] thy selfe▪ so gevest thou not roume vnto god to avēge the but robbest him of his most hi [...] honoure / in that thou wilt not let him be iu­dge over the.

Iff any mā myght have avēged him selfe apon his superior / David that mighte David most righteously have done apon kinge Saul which so wrōgfully persecuted David / evē for no other cause / thē y• God had anoīted him kynge & promysed hī ye kyngdome. Yet whē god had delyverd Saul in to ye hādes of David / yt he might have done what he wold with hī as thou seist in ye first boke of kynges ye .xxiiij. chapter / how Saul came in to the cave where David was. And David came to him secretly & cutte of a pece of his garment. And as sone as he had done it his hertsmote hī because he had done so moch vnto his lorde. And whē his mē corraged him to [...]le hī he āswered / the lorde forbid it me / yt I shulde laye myne hond on hī. Nether so­ffered he his mē to hurte him / When Saul was gone out David folowed & shewed hī the pece of his garmēte & said: why belevist thou the wordes of mē yt saye / David goe­th aboute to doo the harme? perceave and se that ther is nether evell ner wickednesse in my hande and that I have not trespased agaynst the / & yet thou layest awayte for my life. God iudge betwene the & me & avenge me of ye / but myne hāde be not apō ye as / the [Page] olde proverbe saith (said david) God destroy­eth one we­ked by a no­ther. out of the weked shall wekednesse procede / but myne hāde be not apō the meanīge that God ever punisheth one weked by an other. And aga­yne (said David) God be iudge / and iudge betwene the and me ād behold ād plete my cause / & geve me iudgemēte or right of the.

And in the .xxvi. Chapter of the same bo­ke / when Saul persecuted David agayne. David came to Saul by night / as he slepte and all his men / and toke awaye his spere and a coppe of water from his hedde. Then said Abisai Davids servaunte / God hath delyvered the thine enemie in to thine han­de this daye / lat me now therfore naile hī to the grounde with my spere and geve him but even one stripe and no moare. David forbad him sainge.God provi­deth a mea­nes to take the evell out of the waeye whē they ha­ve fulfilled there wekednes kyll him not. For who (said he) shall laye handes on the lordes ā ­noynted and be not gyltye? The lorde liveth or by the lordes lyfe (said he) he dieth not excepte the lorde smyte him or that his da­ye be come to dye or else goo to batayll and there perish.

Why did not David sle Saul / seinge he was so weked / not in persecutīge david only / but in disobeyenge Gods cōmaūdmētes ād in yt he had slayne.Why David slewe not Saul. lxxxv. of Gods pre­stes wrongfully? Verely for it was not law­full. For if he had done it / he must have sin­ned agenste god.The kinge is in the rowme of god in this world. For God hath made the [Page xxxij] kīge in every realme iudge over all / ād over him is there no iudge. He yt iudgeth the kinge iudgeth God & he that layeth hādes on the kīge layeth hāde on God / ād he that re­sisteth the kinge resisteth God and dāneth Gods lawe and ordinaūce. If the subiectes sinne they must be broughte to ye kīges iud­gemēte. If the kinge sinne he must be reser­ved vnto the iudgemēt / wrath and vēgeaū ­ce of God.The kinge must be reserved vnto the vengeaunce of God. And as it is to resiste the kinge / so is it to resiste his officer which is set or sent to execute the kinges cōmaundmēt.

And in the fyrst Chaptour of the seconde boke of kinges David cōmaunded the yo­unge mā to be slayne / which broughte vnto him the croune ād bracelet of Saul ād said to please David with all / that he him selfe had slayne Saul. And in the fourth chap­ter of the same boke david cōmaūded tho­se .ij. to be slayne which brought vnto him the hed of Isboseth Sauls sōne / by whose meanes yet ye hole kingdome returned vnto David accordīge vnto the promise of God.

And Luke / xiij. When they shewed Christe of the Galileans / whose bloude Pilate mīgled with their awn sacrifice: he āswered suppose ye that these Galileās were sinners above all other galileās / because they sofred soch punishmēte? I tel you naye: but excepte ye repēt ye shall like wise peresh. Thus was told Christ / no doute / of soch an entent as [Page] they axed him Math. xxij. Whether it were lawfull to geve tribute vnto Cesar. For they thoughte that it was no sinne to resiste an hethen prince:It is not la­wfull for [...] christen sub­iecte to resiste his prince th­ough he be an hethen man. as few of vs wolde thinke (if we were vnder the turke) that it were sinne to rise agenste him / and to ryd oure selves from vnder his dominion / so sore have ou­re Bisshopes robbed vs of the true doctri­ne of Christe. But Christe condemned their dedes and also the secret thoughtes of all other that consented there vnto sa­yenge: excepte ye repēte ye shall like wise perishe. As who shuld saye / I knowe that ye are within in youre hertes soch as they were outwarde in their deades / and are vn­der the same damnacion: excepte therfore ye repēt betymes / ye shall breake out at the last in to lyke deades / and lyke wise perishe / as it came afterwarde to passe.

Here by seist thou yt ye kinge is in this worlde without lawe & maye at his lust doo right or wronge and shall geve a comptes / but to God only.

A nother conclusion is this / that no person nether anye degre maye be exempte frō this ordinaunce of God. Nether cā the profession of monkes and freres or anye thinge that the Pope or Bisshoppes cā laie for thē selves / excepte them from the swerde of the Emperoure or kinges / yf they breake the lawes. For it is writtē / let every soule submit­te [Page xxxij] him selfe vnto the auctorite of the hier po­wers. Here is no man excepte / but all sou­les must obeye. The hier powers are the tē ­porall kinges and princes vnto whom God hath gevē the swerde to puneshe who so ev­er sinneth. The kinge hath no po­wer but to his dānacion to prev [...]lea­ge the spiritualty to synne vnpunys­hed God hath not geven thē swerdes to puneshe one and to let a nother goo fre and to sinne vnpunesshed. Moare over with what face durst the spiritualte / which ought to be the light & an example of good lyvinge vnto all other / desire to sinne vnpunesshed or to be excepted from tribute / tolle or custome / that they wolde not beare pay­ne with ther brethern / vnto the mayntena­unce of kinges and officers ordined of god to puneshe sinne?

There is no powere but of God (by power vnderstōde the auctorite of kinges and princes) The powers that be / are ordened of God. Whosoever therfore resisteth power resisteth God: Yee though he be Pope / Bisshope / monke or frere. They that resiste shall receave vnto them sel­ves damnacion. Why? For Gods worde is agaynst them which will have all men vn­der the power of the temperall swerde.

For rulers are not to be feared for good workes but for evyll. Hereby seist thou yt they yt re­siste ye powers or seke to be exēpte frō their auctorite have evyll cōsciēces & seke libertie to sinne vnpunesshed & to be fre frō bearīge payne with ther bretherne.

Wilt thou be [Page] without feare of the power? So doo well and thou shalt have laude of the same (that is to saye of the ruler) With good livynge ought the spirituallte to ridde thē selves frō feare of the tēporal swerde / & not with craft and with blindinge the kynges and brin­ginge the vengeaunce of God apon thē ād in purchasinge licēce to sinne vnpunisshed.

¶ For he is the minister of God for thi we­lth: to defende the from a thousande inconvenientes / from theves / murderers and th­em that wolde defile thy wife / thy doughter and take from the all that thou hast:A kynge is a greate bene­fite though he be never so evell. yee life and all / yf thou did resiste.

Forthermoare though he be the greatist tyraūte in the worlde / yet is he vnto ye a greate benefit of God and a thīge where fore thou oughtest to th­anke God hyly. For it is better to have somwhat than to be cleane stripte out of all to­geder: it is better to paye the tenthe than to loose all: it is better to suffer one tyraunte thē mani & to sofre wronge of one thē of every mā. Ye and it is better to have a tyraunte vnto thy kīge thē a shadow / a passive kīge yt doth nought hīselfe / but sofre other to doo with hī what they will / and to leade hī whither they lyst. For a tyraunte though he do wronge vnto the good / yet he punessheth the evill & maketh all mē obeye nether sofereth any man to polle but him selfe only. A kin­ge that is soft as sylke ād effeminate / that [Page xxxiiij] is to saye turned vnto the nature of a wo­mā / what with his awne lustes / which are as ye lōginge of a womā with childe / so yt he cā not resiste thē / & what with ye wyly tyrānye of thē yt ever rule hī / shalbe moch moare grevous vnto ye realme thē a right tyraunte. Reade ye cronycles & thou shalt finde it ever so.Prīces are ordyned to punish evell doers.

But and if thou doo evyll / then feare. For he beareth not a swerde for noughte.‘For he is the minister of God / to take ven­geaunce on them that doo evyll. Yff the of­fice of princes geven them of God be to ta­ke vēgeaunce of evill doers:’ thā by this texte and Gods worde / are all princes The dānaciō of princes.dāned / even as many as geve libertie or licence vn­to the spiritualtie to sinne vnpunesshed / ād not only to sinne vnpunesshed them selves: but also to open sentuaries / privileged pla­ces / churchyerdes / saynt Iohns holde:Sentuaries. yee and if they come to shorte vnto all these / yet to settforth a neckeverse to save all maner treaspasers frō the feare of ye swerde of ye vēgeaunce of God put in the hōdes of princes to take vengeaunce on all soch.Neckevers.

GOd requireth the law to be kepte of all men let them kepe it for what soe­ver purpose they will. Will they not kepe ye lawe:Thre natu­res. so vouchsafeth he not that they enioye this temperall life. Now are there. thre natures of men / one all to gether beest­ly which / in no wise receave the lawe in [Page] their hertes / but rise agenst princes & rulers when so ever they are able to make their partie good. Thes are signified by thē that worsheped the golden calfe. For Moyses brake the tables of the lawe yer he came at them.

The seconde are not so beestly / but receave the lawe / and vnto thē the lawe cometh: but they loke not Moyses in ye face. For his coūtenaūce is to bright for thē / that is / they vnderstonde not yt the lawe is spirituall ād requireth the herte. They loke on the pleasure / profit and promocion that foloweth the kepinge of the lawe / and in respecte of the rewarde kepe they the lawe outwardly with workes / but not in the herte. For if they mi­ght obteyne lyke honoure / glorie / promociō and dignite and also avoyde all incōvenientes / yf they broke the lawe / so wolde they also breake the lawe & folowe their lustes.

The thred are spirituall and loke Moyses in the open face & are (as Paul saith the seconde to the Romains) a lawe vnto them selves and have the lawe writtē in their hertes by the spirite of God. Thes neade ne­ther of kinge ner officers to drive thē / nether that any mā profer thē any rewarde for to kepe the lawe. For they do it naturally.

The first worke for feare of the swerde only. The seconde for rewarde. The thred worke for love frely. They loke on the excedī ­ge mercy / love and kindes which God hath [Page xxxv] shewed them in Christe and therfore love againe and worke frely. Heven they take of the fre gift of God thorow Christes deservī ges / and hope without all maner doutinge that God accordinge to his promise / Heven co­meth by christe will in this worlde also defende them and doo all thinge for thē of his goodnes and for Christes sake and not for any goodnes that is in them. They cōsente vnto the lawe that it is holy and iust and that all men ought to doo what soever God commaūdeth for no other cause / A christē mā seketh no moare but gods will but because God commaundeth it. And their great sorow is / because that there is no strength in their membres to doo that which their herte lusteth to do and is a thurst to do.

Thes of the last sworte kepe ye lawe of the­ir awne accorde and that in the herte / and have professed perpetuall warre agaynste the lustes and appetites of the fleshe / tyll they be vtterly subdued: yet not thorow their awne strength / but knowynge and knowlegynge their wekenes crye ever for strength to God which hath promysed assistence vnto all that call vpon him. These folow God and are led of his sprite. The other two are led of lu­stes and appetites.

Lustes and appetites are divers and ma­ny and that in one mā:Lustes ye and one luste con­trarie to a nother and the greatest lust cari­eth a mā all to gether awaye with him. We [Page] are also chaunged frō one lust vnto a nother Otherwise are we desposed when we are childern / otherwise whē we are youngmē and o­ther wise when we are olde / otherwise over evē & other wise in the morninge: ye somty­mes altered .vj. tymes in an howre. How fortuneth all this?Frewill. Because yt the will of mā fo­loweth the witte & is subiecte vnto the witte and as the witte erreth so doith the will / ād as the witte is in captivite / so is the will / nether is it possible that ye will shuld be fre where the witte is in bondage.

That thou maist perceave ād feale the thī ­ge in thine herte and not be a vayne sophi­ster disputinge aboute wordes with out per­ceavinge / marke this. The rote of al evill the greatest damnaciō and most terrible wrath and vengeaunce of God that we are in / is naturall blindnes. We are all out of the ri­ght waye / every man his wayes: One iud­geth this best / a nother that to be best. Now is Worldly witte. worldlye witte no thinge else but craft and sotilte to obteyne that which we iudge falsly to be best. As I erre in my witte / so erre I in my will.The will is bond and led. When I iudge that to be evyll / which in dede is good / then hate I that which is good. And when I suppo­se that good which is evill in dede / then lo­ve I evill. As yf I be perswaded and bor­ne in hande that my most frende is myne enemye then hate I my best frende: and yf [Page xxxvi] I be brought in belefe that my most enimie is my frende / Then love I my most enimie Now when we saye / every man hath his fre will / to doo what him lusteth I saye verely that men doo what they lust. Not with stondynge to folow lustes is not fre [...]dome / but captivite and bondage. If God open any mans wittes to make hym feale in his herte / that lustes and appetites are damnable / and geve hī power to hate and resiste them / then is he fre even with the fre­dome where with Christ maketh fre / ād ha­th power to doo the will of God.Fredome.

Thou maist hereby perceave that all that is done in the world (before the spirite of God come and geveth vs light) is dam­nable sinne / and the moare glorious the moare damnable:All is synne that sprēgeth not of the spirite of god ād all that is not done in the lighte of gods worde. so that that which ye wor­lde counteth most glorious is moare dam­nable in the sighte of God / then that whi­ch the whore / the thefe and the mortherer doo. With blinde reasons of worldly wisdome maist thou chaūge the myndes of youth and make them geve them selves to what thou wilt eyther for feare / for prayse or for profit:Soo doo our spiritualte in all there workes. and yet doist but chaunge them from one vice to a nother. As the persuasions of her frendes made lucrece chast. Lucrece beleved yf she were a good huswife and ch­ast / that she shulde be most glorious / & that all the world wolde geve her honoure / and [Page] prayse her. She soughte her awne glory in her chastite and not Gods. When she had lost her chastite / then counted she her selfe most abhominable in the sighte of all men / ād for very payne & thought which she had / not that she had displeased god / but that she had lost her honoure / slew her selfe. Loke how great her payne and sorow was for the losse of her chastite / so greate was her glorie and reioysinge there in / and so moch despiced she them that were other wise / and pi­tied them not. Which pride god moare ab­horreth thē the whordome of any whore. Of like pride are all the morall vertues of Ari­stotell / Plato and Socrates / and all ye doc­trine of the philosophers the very Gods of our scole men.

In lyke maner is it for the most parte of oure most holy religion. For they of lyke imaginacion doo thinges which they of Bedlē maye se / that they are but madnes. They loke on the miracles which God did by the sayntes to move the vnbelevinge vnto the fayth and to confirme the trouth of his pro­myses in Christe / whereby all that beleve are made sayntes:True mira­cles are wro­ught to cofir­me the prea­chinge ād not the Godheed of the prea­cher: as thou seist in the last chaptoure of Marke. They preached (saith he) every where / the lorde workinge with them and confirminge their preachinge wi­th miracles that folowed. And in the fou­rth of the actes) the disciples praid that [Page xxxvij] God wolde stretche forth his handes to do miracles and wonders in the name of Iesus And Paul .j. Corinth. xiiij. saith / that the miracle of speakinge with divers tonges is but a signe for vnbelevers and not for them that beleve. Thes miracles turne they vn­to a nother purpose sayenge in Oure ypocri­tes are blinde their blin­de hertes. Se what myracles God hath sh­owed for this saynte / he must be verely gre­at with God. And attonse turne them sel­ves from Gods worde and put their trust and confidence in the saynt and his meri­tes and make an advocate or rather a God of the saynt / and of their blinde imaginaci­on make a testamente or bonde betwene the saynt and them / the testamente of Christes bloude cleane forgoten.The religi­ous loke apon the out syde only. They loke on the sa­yntes garmentes and lives or rather lyes wihch men lye on the sayntes: and this wise imagion in their hertes sayenge: the saynt for weringe soch a garmente and for soch deades is become so glorious in heven. Yf I doo lyke wise / so shall I be also. They se not the fayth and trust which the sayntes had in Christe / nether the worde of God which the sayntes preached / nether the en­tente of the sayntes / how that ye sayntes did soch thīges to tame their bodies & to be an ensample to ye worlde / & to teach that soch thinges are to be despiced which the worlde [...]oost wondreth at and magnifieth. They [Page] se not also that some lādes are so whot that a man can nether drinke wine ner eate fleshe ther in: nether consider they the complexiō of the sayntes / ād a thousande like thinges se they not. So when they have kylled there bodies and brought them in that case / that scace with any restauratyve they can recover their health agayne yet had they lever die thē to eate fleshe. Why? for they thinke / I have now this .xx.xxx. or .xl. yeres eatē no fleshe and have obteyned I doute not by this ty­me as hie a rowme as the best of thē: shuld I now loose that? nay I had lever die: and as lucrecia had lever have ben slayne yf he had not ben to stronge for her then to have lost her glorie / even so had these. They ascri­be heven vnto their imaginacions and mad invencions / and receave it not of the libe­ralite of God / by the merites and deservin­ges of Chirst.The spiritu­all man.

He now that is renewed in Christe / ke­peth the lawe without any law written or compulsion of any ruler or officer / save by the ledynge of the sprite only: but the The natural man. na­turall man is entised and moved to kepe the lawe carnally / with carnall reasons and worldly persuasions / as for glorie / honoure riches and dignite. But the last remedie of all when all other fayle / is Feare is the last remedy. feare. Beate o­ne & the rest wyll absteyne for feare: as Moyses ever putteth in remembraunce sayenge: [Page xxxviij] kyll / stone / burne. So shall thou put evill from the / and all Israell shall heare and fe­are and shall no moare do so. Yf feare hel­pe not / then will God that they be taken out of this life.

Kynges were ordened then / as I before said / and they swerde put in their handes to take vengeaunce of evill doers / that other myght feare / ād were not ordeyned to fight one agenst a nother or to rise agenste the Emperioure to defende the false auctorite of the Pope that very Antechriste / Kinges defe­nde the false auctorite of the pope the­re office pu­nishīge of sinne layde ap­arte. Bisshoppes ministre the kynges dutie there awne leyd aparte: ye they persecute there awne office. Biss­hoppes they only can minister the tempe­rall swerde / their office the preachinge of Gods worde layde a parte / which the will nother doo ner sofre anye man to doo / but sley with the temperall swerd (which they have goten out of the hande of all Princes) them that wolde. The preachinge of Gods worde is hatefull and contrarie vnto them: Why? For it is impossible to preach Chri­ste excepte thou preach agenst Antychriste / that is to saye / them which with their false doctrine & violēce of swerde enforce to quē che ye true doctrine of Christe. And as thou canst heale no disease / excepte thou begynne at the rote: even so canst thou preach agenst / no mischeve excepte thou begynne / at the Bisshopes. Kynges doo but wayet on the popes pleasure. Kynges they a­re but shadowes / vayn names and thin­ges ydle / havynge no thinge to doo in the [Page] worlde / but when our holy father neadeth their helpe.

The iugulīg of the pope.The Pope contrarie vnto all conscience and agenst all the doctrine of Christe / which saith my kyngdome is not of this worlde. Iohn. xviij. hath vsurped the righte of ye emperoure. And by polycy of ye Bisshopes of almany Bishopes of al many and with corruptynge the electours or chosers of the Emperoure with money / brī ­geth to passe that soch a one is ever chosen Emperoure that is not able to make his partie good with the Pope. To stoppe the Emperoure that he come not at Rome / he bringeth the frēch kinge vp to Mylane Milane / and on the oder side bringeth he the venecians. Yf the venecians come to nye / the Bisshopes of fraunce bisshopes of Fraunce must bringe in the French kynge And the Socheners ar called and send for to come ād socre. And for their laboure he geveth to some a rose / to a nother a A cappe of mayntenaunce. cappe of mayntenaūce. One is called Most christē kinge. most christen kinge a nother Defender of the popis fai­th· defender of the fayth / a nother the eldest The eldest sonne of the holy seate Blasynge of armes sonne of the most holy seate. He blaseth also the armes of other & putteth in the holy crosse / the croune of thorne or the nayles and so forth. Yff the frē che kynge goo to hie / and crepe vppe other to Bononye or Naples: then must oure englysh The english bisshopes: bisshops bringe in oure Kynge. The craft of ye bisshopes is to entitle one Kynge with an others realme. He is called Kinge of Dē marke [Page xxxix] / and of Englonde / he kinge of Eng­londe and of Fraunce.The falshed of the bissho­pes Then to blinde ye lor­des and the comens / the kinge must calen­ge his righte. Then must the lande be taxed and every man paye / and the treasure borne out of the realme and the londe beggerde. How many a thousand mens lives hath it cost? And how many an hondred thousan­de poundes hath it caried out of the realme in oure remembraunce?? O a cruell ād an abhominable ensample of tirāny Iudge them by there deades saith christe. Besides how abhominable an example of gatheringe was there? soch verily as never tyraunte sens the world began did / ye soch as was never before herde or thought on nether amōge Iewes saresens / turkes or hethen sens God crea­ted the sonne to shine: that a beest shulde breake vp in to the temple of God / that is to saye / in to the herte and consciences of men and compell them to swere every mā what he was worthe / to lende that shulde never be payd agayne. How many thousandes forsware them selfes? How many thousā ­des set them selves above there abilite / pa­rtly for feare lest they shuld be forsworne ād partly to save there credence? When the Pope hath his purpose / then is peace made / no man woteth how / and oure most enimie is oure most frende.

¶Now because the Emperoure is able to obteyne his right: french / englessh / venecians and all must apon him. * O greate [Page] whore of babylon / how abuseth she the p [...]inces of the worlde / how dronke hath sh [...] made them with her wine?The whore of babylon. How shame­full licences doth she geve them / to vse ny­chromancie to hold whores / to devorse thē selves to breake the fayth and promises that one maketh with an other: that the confes­sours shall delyver vnto the kynge the Con­fession of whom he will / and dispenceth with thē even of the very lawe of God / wh­ich Christ him selfe can not doo.Confession.

Agenst the popis false power.

MAthew. xxvi. Christe saith vnto Pe­ter / put vp thy swerd in to his shethe. For all yt laye hande vpon ye swerde / shall peresh with ye swerde / yt is / whosoever without the cōmaundment of the temperall officer to whō God hath geven the swerde leyeth hande on the swerde to take vengea­unce / the same deserveth deeth in the deade doinge.Not pe­ter only but crist also was vnder the tē ­perall swer­de. God did not put Peter only vnder the temperall swerde / but also Christe him selfe. As it appereh in the fourth Chapter to the Galathiens. And Christe saith Math. iij. Thus becometh it vs to fullfill all right­wesnes / that is to saye / all ordinaunces of God. Yf the hed be then vnder the temperall swerde / how cā the mēbres be excepted? Yf P [...]ter sinned in defendinge Christ agenste the temperall sw [...]rde (whose auctorite and ministres the Bisshopes then abused agen­ste [Page xl] Christ as ours doo now) The kynges sinne in gevī ge exēpcions and the prelates in receavī ge them. who can ex­cuse oure prelates of sinne which will obe­ye no man / nether kinge nor Emperoure? Ye who can excuse from sinne / ether the kin­ges that geve / ether the Bisshopes that re­ceave soch exempcions contrarie to Gods ordinaunces and Christes doctrine?

And Math. xvij. both Christe and also Peter paye tribute / where the meaninge of Christes question vnto Peter is: yf princes take tribute of straungres only and not of their childern / then verily ought I to be fre which am the sonne of God / whose serva­untes and ministres they are and of whom they have their auctorite. Yet because they nether knewe that nether Christe came to vse that auctorite / but to be oure servaunte and to beare oure burthen and to obeye all ordinaunces / both in right and wronge for oure sakes and to teach vs: therfore said he to saynt Peter. Paye for the and me lest we offende them. Moareover though that Christe and Peter (because they were pore) might have escaped / yet wold he not for feare of offendinge other and hurtinge their consciences. For he might well have geven occasion vnto the tribute gatherers to have iudged amisse bothe of him and his doctrine: ye & ye Iewes might happely have byn offended thereby and have thought that it had not be lawfull / for them to have [Page] paid tribute vnto hethen princes and ydo­laters / seinge that he so greate a prophet pa­yde not: Ye and what other thynge causeth the laye so litle to regarde there princes / as that they se them both dispised ād disobey­ed of the spiritualte?Whē the spiritualte payeth tribute But oure prelates wh­ich care for none offendinge of consciences and lesse for Gods ordinaunces / will paye nought: but when princes must fighte in oure most holy fathers quarell and agenst christe. Then are they the first. There also is none so pore that then hath not somewhat to geve.

Shamelesse iugulars.Marke here how past all shame oure scole doctours are (as Rochester is in his ser­mon agenst Marten Luther) which of th­is texte of Mathew dispute that Peter be­cause he payd tribute / is gretter then the o­ther Apostles / and hath moare auctorite and power then they / and was heed vnto them all / contrary vnto so many cleare tex­tes / where Christe rebuketh them sayenge: that is an hethenesh thinge that one shuld clyme above a nother or desyre to be greater To be greate in the kyngdome of heven is to be a servaunte / and he that most humbleth him selfe and becometh a servaunt vnto other (after the ensample of Christe I meane and his Apostles and not of the Pope and his Apostles oure Cardinales and Bisshopes) the same is greatest in that kyngdome. [Page xij] Yf Peter in payenge tribute became grea­test / how cometh it / that they will paye no­ne at all? But to paie tribute is a signe of subiection veryly / and the cause why Christ pa­yed was because he had an howsholde / and for the same cause payed Peter also. For he had an house / a shippe and nettes / as thou readest in the Gospel. But let vs goo to Paul agayne.

‘Wherfore ye must neades obeye / not for feare of vengeaunce only: but also because of consciēce.’That is though thou be so mi­ghty (as now many yeres oure Pope ād prelates every where are) that thou neadest not to obeye the temperall swerde for feare of vē geaūce: yet must thou obeye because of conscience. First because of thine They make no cōsciēce at any evell doī ge. awne con­science. For though thou be able to resiste / yet shalt thou never have a good conscien­ce / as longe as Gods worde / lawe and or­dinaunce are agenste the.They care for there neybours as the wolfe doeth for the shepe. Secondarily for thy neibours conscience. For though thorow crafte and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or pri [...]elege to be fre from all maner duites / yet oughtest thou nether to sue or seke for any soch thinge / ne­ther yet admit or accepte / if it were profered The evell ensample of the spiritualte causeth the laye to beleve that they are not bound to obeye. lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge and rebelle / in that he seeth the goo emp [...]e and he him selfe moare lade / thy parte also layde on his shulders. Seist thou [Page] not if a man favoure one sonne moare then a nother / or one servaunte moare then a no­ther / how all the rest grudge / and how love / peace and vnyte is broken? What christenly love is in the to thy neyboure warde / There is no christen love in t [...]em. when thou cāst fynde in thyne herte to goo vp and doune emptie by him all daye longe and se hī over charged / yee to faull vnder hys bur­then / and yet wilt not once set to thine hande to helpe him? What good conscience can there be amonge oure spiritualte to gather so greate treasure to gether and with ypocresie of their false lerninge to robbe almost every man of house and landes / and yet not ther with contente but with all craft and wile­nes to purchease so greate lyberties and exempcions from all maner bearinge with their bretherne / sekinge in Christe no thinge but lucre? I passe over with sylēce how they teach princes in every lande to lade new exaccions and tyrānye on their subiectes moare and moare dayly nether for what What purpo­se? even to flater the prīces that they maye abyse the­re auctoryte to slee who so ever beleve­th in Christe and to mayntene the Po­pe. purpose they do it saye I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iuggelinge and bringe their falshed to light and leye a medecine to them / to make their scabbes breake out. Never the lesse this I saye / yt they have robbed all realmes / not of Gods worde only: but also of all wealth and prosperite / and have driven peace out of all londes & withdraune them selves from all obedience to [Page xlij] princes and have separated them selves fr­om the laye men / countinge them viler then dogges / & have set vp that greate ydole the whore of Babilō Antychrist of Rome wh­om they call Pope and have conspired ag­enst all commune wealthes and have ma­de them a severall kyngedome / wherein it is lawfull vnpuneshed to worke all abho­minacion. In every paresh have they spies and in every greate mans house and in every taverne and Alehouse. And thorow Confession. con­fessions know they all secretes / so that no man maye open his mouth to rebuke what so ever they doo / but that he shalbe shortly made an herytike.Prelates know all mēs secretes ād no man theirs. In all councels is one of them / yee the most parte and chefe rulars of the councels are of them: But of there councell is no man.

Even for this cause paye ye tribute' that is to wete / for consciences sake / to thy neyboure / and for the cause that folo­weth. ‘For they are Gods ministers servinge for the same purpose. Because God will so have it / we must obeye.’ We do not loke (if we have Christes spirite in vs) what is good profitable / glorious & honourable for vs / nether on oure awne will / but on Gods will only. ‘Geve to everi mā therfore his dutie: tribute to whom tribute belongeth: custome to whō custome is due: feare to whō feare belō geth: honoure to whō honoure perteyneth.’

[Page]That thou mightest feale the workinge of the spirite of God in the and lest the bewtie of the deade shuld deceave the and make the thinke that the lawe of God which is spiri­tuall were content and fulfilled with the outwarde and bodyly deade it foloweth. ‘Owe no thinge to any man: but to love one an other.Love fulfil­leth the law before god ād not the outwarde dede. For he that loveth a nother fulfil­leth the lawe. For thes cōmaūdmētes: thou shalt not cōmitte advlterye / thou shalt not kyll / thou shalt not stele / thou shalt not beare false witnese / thou shalt not desyre / and so forth if ther be any other cōmaundemēte are all comprehended or contayned in this sayenge:Agenst workemen. love thy neyboure: therfore is love the fulfillinge of the lawe.’ Here hast thou sufficiēt agenst all the sophistres werke ho­ly & iustifiars in the worlde / which so mag­nifie their dedes. The lawe is spirituall ād requireth the herte / ād is never fulfilled wi­th ye deade in the sight of God. With ye de­ade The dede fulfilleth the la­ [...] before the worlde. thou fulfillest the lawe before the wo­rlde and lyvest thereby / that is / thou enio­yest this present lyfe ād avoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the deeth and puneshment which the lawe thretneth to them that bre­ake it. But before God thou kepest the lawe yf thou love ōly. Now what shal make vs love?Faith make­th a mā love. Verely that shall fayth doo. Yf thou be­holde how moch God loveth them Christe and from what vengeaunce he hath delyverde [Page xliij] the for his fake and of what kingdome he hath made the heyre / then shalt thou se cause ynough to love thy very enemie without respecte of rewarde / ether in this life or in the life to come / but because that God will so have it and Christe hath deserved it: Yee thou shuldest feale in thine herte that all thy deades to come / are abundantly recompen­sed allready in Christe.

Thou wilt saye haply / if love fulfill the la­we / thē it Iustifieth. I saye that that where with a man fulfilleth the lawe / declareth hym iustified but that which geveth hī where with to fulfill the lawe / iustifieth hym. By iustifienge vnderstonde the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the favoure of God.Iustifiynge. Now sa­yeth the texte Roma. x. the ende of the lawe or the cause wherfore the lawe was made is Christe to iustifie all that beleve. That is / the lawe is gevē to vtter sinne / to kill ye cōscien­ces / to dāne oure deades / to bringe to repē ­taūce & to dryve vnto Christe:The office or dutie of the law. in whom god hath promised his favoure and forgevenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and cōsente to the law yt it is good.The belevī ­ge of Gods promises iustifieth. Yf thou beleve the pro­mises thē doth Gods truth iustifie the / yt is forgeueth the ād receaveth the to favoure for Christes sake. In a suertie wher of and to certifie thine herte / he sealeth the with the sprite. Ephe. j. and .iiij. And .ij. Corinth. v. saith Paul. Which gave vs hys sprite in [Page] ernest. How the sprite is geven vs thorow Christe / reade the eght chapter of the pistle to the Romayns and Gala. iij. and .ij. Co­rinth. iij. Neverthelesse the sprite The spirite ād the īward vertues are knowē by the outward dede and his frutes where with the herte is purified / as fayth / hope / love / pacience / longe soferinge and obedience / coude never be sene without outwarde experience. For yf thou were not brought sometime in to combraūce / whēce God only coulde delyver the / thou shuldest never se thy fayth yee excepte thou foughtest sometyme agēst desperaciō / hell / deeth sinne and powers of this worlde for thy fay­thes sake thou shuldest never know true fa­yth frō a dreame. Excepte thy brother now and then offended the / thou coudest not knowe whether thy love were Godly. For a tur­ke is not angre / tyll he be hurte & offended but if thou love hī that doeth the evyll / thē is thy love of God / lyke wise if thy rulers were all waye kinde / thou shuldest not kno­we whether thyne obedience were pure or no but and if thou canst paciently obeye evill rulers in all thinge that is not to ye disho­noure of God ād whē thou hurtest not thy neybours / thē arte thou sure / that Gods spirite worketh in the and that thy fayth is no dreame nor any fals imaginacion.

Therfore counceleth Paul Roma. xij. recompense to no man evyll: And on you­re parte have peace with all men. Derely [Page xliiij] beloved avenge not youre selves: but geve rowme vnto ye wrath of God. For it is writ­ten vengeaunce is mine and I will rewar­de / saith the lorde.Overcome thyne enimy with well do­ynge. Therfore yf thy enimie hongre feade him: Yf he thurst / geve hym drinke. For in so doynge thou shalt heape coles of fyre on his heed (that is thou shalt kendle love in him) Be not overcome of evill (that is let not a nother mans wekednesse make the weked also). But overcome evyll with good / that is / with softenesse kyndne­sse and all pacience winne him: evē as God with kyndnesse wonne the.

THe lawe was geven in thunder lygh­teninge / fyre / smoke and the voyce of a trumpet ād terreble sighte. Exodi. xx.The law▪ So that the people quoke for feare and stode a ferre of sayenge to Moyses. Speake thou to vs ād we will heare: let not the lorde spe­ake vnto vs / lest we dye. No eare (yf it be a waked and vnderstondeth the meanynge) is able to abide the voice of the lawe: ex­cepte the promises of mercy be by. That thunder excepte the rayne of mercy be io­yned with it / destroyeth all ād byldeth not The lawe is a witnesse agenste vs ād testifi­eth that God abhorreth the sinnes / that is in vs and vs for oure synnes sake.The kynge:

In lyke maner when God gave ye people of Israell a kynge it thundred and rayned [Page] that the people feared so sore yt they cryed to Samuel for to praye for them / that they shuld not dye .j. Regum .xij. As the lawe is a terreble thinge: even so is the kynge. For he is ordened to take vengeaunce and hath a swerde in his hande ād not pecockes fee­ders. Feare him therfore ād loke on him as thou woldest loke on a sharpe swerde that hanged over thy heed by an herre.Rulars are Gods gyfte.

Heedes and governers are ordened off God and are even the gyft of God / whether thei be good or bad. And what so ever is done vnto vs by thē / that doeth God / be it go­od or bad. Yf they be evill Why the ru­lers are evell whi are ye evill? verely for oure wekednesse sake are the evyll. Because that when they were good we wolde not receave that goodnesse of the hande of God and be thankefull / submittinge oure selves vnto his lawes ād ordinaunces / but abvsed the goodnesse of God vnto oure sensuall ād beestly lustes. Therfore doeth God make hys scorge of them and turne them vnto wilde beestes cōtrary to ye nature of their names and offices / even in to lyons / bea­res / foxes and vncleyne swyne / to avēge hī selfe of oure vnnaturall & blinde vnkindnes and of oure rebellious disobedience.

In the .Cvj. psalme thou readest / he de­stroyed the ryvers ād dried vp the springes of water and turned the frutefull lāde in to barenesse / for the wekednesse of the inhabi­ters [Page xlv] therein. Whē ye childer of Israell had forgoten God in Egipte / God moved the hertes of the Egipciēs to hate thē & to sub­due thē with craft & wilynes. Psalme. Ciiij. and deuteronomion .iij. Moyses reherseth sayenge: God was angre with me for youre sakes: so yt the wrath of God fell on Moy­ses for the wekednesse of the people. And in the seconde Chapter of the seconde boke off kynges God was angry with the people ād moved David to numbre them when Ioab and the other lordes wondred why he wol­de have thē nūbred and because they feared lest some evyll shulde folowe / disuaded the kinge: yet it holpe▪ not. God so hardened his herte in his purpose / to have an occa­sion to sley the weked people.Evell rulers are a signe that God is āgre with vs

Evyll rulers thē are a signe yt God is angry & wroth with vs. Ys it not a greate wr­ath & vēgeaūce yt the father & mother shulde hate there childerne / evē their flesh ād their bloud? or yt an husbāde shulde be vnkīde vnto his wife or a master vnto ye servaunte yt wayteth on h [...]s profite / or yt lordes & kīges shulde be tiraūtes vnto their subiectes & tenaūtes which paye thē tribute / tolle / custome & rēte / laborīge & toylīge to fynde thē in honoure & to maītene thē in their estate? ys not this a fearfull iudgemēte of God ād a cruell wrath yt the very prelates and sheper­des of oure soules which were wōte to fede [Page] Christes flocke with Christes doctrine and to walke before them in lyvinge there after / and to geve their lyves for them / to their ensample and edifienge / and to strength their weake faythes / are now so sore chaūged that if they smell that one of their flocke (as they now call them and no lenger Ch­ristes) do but once longe or desyre for the true knowleage of Christe / they will sley hī / burninge hī with fyre most cruelly? Why the pre­lates are so weked. Wh­at is the cause of this / and that they also teach false doctrine confirminge it with lyes? veryly it is the hande of God to aven­ge the wekednes of them that have no lo­ve ner lust vnto the trueth of God / when it is preached: but reioyse in vnryghteousnes. As thou maist se in the seconde pistle of Paul to the Tessolonians. Where he spea­keth of ye commynge of Antychriste. Whose comynge shalbe (saith he) by the workynge of Satan with all miracles signes and wonders which are but lyes / and in all deceavable vnreghteousnes amonge thē that perish / because they receaved not any love to the trueth to have bē saved. The cause of false mira­cles is: that we have no lust vnto the truth [...]. Therfore shall God sende them stronge delusion / to bele­ve lyes. Marke how God to avenge his trouth / sendeth to the vnthāckfull false doctrine & false miracles to cōfirme thē and to hardē ye hertes in ye false waye / yt afterwar­de it shall not be possible for thē to admitte [Page xlvi] the trouth. As thou seist in Exodi. vij. and viij. how God sofered false myracles to be shewed in the sight of Pharao to hardē his herte / that he shulde not beleve the trou [...]h / form as moch as his sorcerars turned the­ir roddes in to serpentes and turned water in to bloude and made frogges by their in­chauntmēt / so thought he that Moyses did all his myracles by the same craft and not by the power of God / And abode therfore in vnbelefe and pereshed in resistinge God·

Lett vs receave all thinges of God whe­ther it be good or badde:The righte waye to come of bondage. lett vs humble ou­re selves vnder his myghtie hande and submitte oure selves vnto his nurtoure and cha­stisinge & not withdrawe oure selves frō his correcciō (reade Hebr. xij. For thy consorte) and lat vs not take the stafe by the ende or [...]eke to avēge oure selves on his rodde wh­ich is the evill rulers.☜ The childe as lōge as he seketh to avēge hī selfe apō ye rodde hath ā evill herte. For he thīketh not yt the correcciō is righte or yt he hath deserved it / nether re­penteth / but reioyseth in his wekednes. And so longe shall he never be without a rodde: ye so longe shall the rodde be made sher­per and sharper. Yf he knowleage his faute and take the correccion mekely and evē kysse the rodde and amende him selfe with the lerninge and nurtoure of his father ād mo­ther thē is the rodde take awaye ād brunte

[Page]So if we resiste evill rulers sekinge to sett oure selves at libertie / we shall no doute brī ge oure selves in to moare cruell bondage and wrappe oure selves in moch moare misery and wrechednes. For if ye heddes over­come / thē laye they moare weyghte on the­ir backes ād make their yoeke sorer & tye thē shorter. If they over come their evyll rulers thē make they waye for a moare cruell naciō or for some tyraūte of their awne naciō wh­ich hath no righte vnto the croune. If we submitte oure selves vnto ye chastysinge of god & mekely knowleage oure sinnes for which we are scorged / and kysse the rodde / ād amē de oure livinge: thē will God take the rod­de awaye / that is / he will geve the rulers a bettter herte. Or yf they cōtinue their malice ād persecute you for well doinge ād because ye put youre trust in God / thē will God de­lyver you out of their tyranny for his trou­thes sake. It is the same god now that was in the olde tyme and delyvered the fathers ād the prophetes / the apostles ād other holy sayntes.God is al waye one all waye true a ways mercifull and excludeth noman from his promises. And what so ever he sware to thē he hath sworne to vs. And as he delyvered them out of all temptaciō cōbraunce and adversite / because they cōsented ād submitted them selves vnto his will and trusted in his goodnes and trueth: evē so will he do vs if we do lyke wise.

Whē so ever the childern of Israel fell frō [Page xlvij] ye waye which God cōmaūded thē to walke in he gave them vp vnder one tyraunte or a nother. As sone as they came to the know­leage of them selves and repented cryenge for mercy ād leninge vnto the trouth of his promyses he sende one to delyver them / as the histories of the byble make mencion.

A Christen mā in respecte of God is but a passive thinge / a thinge that sofereth ōly ād doeth nought / as the sycke in respecte of the surgen or phisiciō doth but suffer only.A christē mā doeth but so­fre only. The surgē launceth and cutteth out the deed flesh shercheth the woundes / thrusteth in tentes / sereth / burneth / soweth or sticheth and le­yeth to corsies to drawe out the corrupcion / and last of all leyeth to helinge playsters and maketh whole. The phisicion lyke wise geveth [...]urgacions ād drinkes to dryve out the disease and then with restauratives brī geth helth.☜ Now if the sicke resiste the raser the sherchinge yeron ād so forth / doeth he not resiste his awne helth ād is cause of his awne deeth. So lyke wise is it of vs / yf we resiste evill rulers which are the Euell rula [...]s are wholeso [...]medicines rodde ād scorge where with God chastiseth vs / the instrumētes where with God shercheth oure woūdes and bitter drinckes to dryve out the sinne and to make it appere / and corsies to drawe out by the rotes ye core of the poxe of the soule that freteth inwarde.A christen mā receavith A Christen man therfore receaveth all thinge of ye hā ­de [Page] of God both good and bad / both swete and sowre / both welth and wo. Yf any per­son do me good / whether it be father mo­ther ād so forth / that receave I of God ād to God geve thankes. For he gave where with / & gave a cōmaundemente / ād moved his herte so to doo. Adversite also receave I of the honde of God as an wholsome medicine / though it be some what bitter. Tēp­tacion How profitable adversite is. and adversite doo both kyll sinne and also vtter it. For though a christen man knowith every thinge how to lyve: yet is the flesh so weake / that he can never take vp his crosse him selfe to kyll ād mortifie the flesh. He must have a nother to ley it on his bac­ke. In many also sinne lyeth hidde within and festerth and rotteth inwarde and is not sene: so that they thinke how they are good and perfecte and kepe the [...] ▪ As the yo­unge man. Mathe. xix. said he had obser­ved all of a chylde and yet lyed falsly in his herte / as ye texte folowinge well declareth. When all is at peace and no man trobleth vs / we thinke that we are paciente and love oure neybours as oure selves: but let oure neyboure hurte vs in worde or deade ād thē finde we it other wise. Then fume we ād ra­ge and sett vp the bristels and bend oure selves to take vengeaunce. Yf we loved with godly love for Christes kyndnes sake / we shulde desire no vengeaunce / but pitie him [Page xlviij] and desyre God to forgeve and amend him knowinge well that no flesh can doo other wise then sinne / excepte that God preserve him. Thou wilt saye what good doeth soch persecuciō and tyrāny vnto the righteous? Fyrst it maketh them feale the workinge of Gods sprite in them and that their fayth is vnfayned.The greatest synner is righteous in [...]se and the pro­mises. And the perfectest and holyest is a synner ī the lawe and the flesh. Secōdaryly I saye that no man is so greate a synner / yf he repent and bele­ve / but that he is righteous in Christe and in the promises: yet yf thou loke on the flesh and vnto the lawe there is no man so per­fect that is not founde a synner. Ner any man so pure / that hath not some what to be yet purged. This shall suffice at this tyme as cocernynge obedience.

BE cause that God excludeth no degre from his mercye. But who soever re­penteth and beleveth his promises (of what soever degre he be of) the same shalbe partaker of his grace: therfore as I have described the obedience of them that are vnder power & rule / even so will [...] I with gods helpe (as my dutie is) decla­re how the rulers which God shall vouchsafe to call vn­to the knowleage of the trouth ou­ght to ru­le.

¶ The office of a Father and how he shulde rule.

FAthers move not youre childern vnto wrath: but bringe them vp in the nurtour and informacion of the lorde. Ephe. vi. and Collos. iij. Fa­thers rate not youre cheldern / lest they be of desperate mynde / that is / lest you discorage thē. For where the fathers and mothers are weywarde hastie and churlish / ever braulinge and chidinge: there are the childern anone discoraged ād hertelesse and apte for nothinge nether can they doo any thinge aright Bringe them vp in the nurtoure and informacion of the lorde.The righte bringinge vp of childeren. Teach them to know Christe & set Gods ordinaūce before them sayenge: sonne or do­ghter God hath created ye and made the thorow vs thy father & mother / and at his commaundmente have we so longe thus kindly brought the vp ād kepte the from all perels he hath cōmaunded the also to obeye vs sayē ge: childe obeye thy father & mother. yf thou mekely obeye / so shalt thou grow both in the favoure of God and man and knowlege of oure lorde Christe. Yf thou wilt not obeye vs at his cōmaundmente? then are we charged to correcte the / yee and yf thou repente not [Page xlix] and amende thy selfe / God shall sley the by his officers or punesh ye everlastīgly. The destru­c [...]ion ād marrynge of childern Nurtoure them not wordly ād with wordli wis­dome sayenge: thou shalt come to honoure / dignite [...] promociō and riches / thou shalt be better then soch & soch / thou shalt have .iij. or .iiij. benefices and be a greate doctoure or a bisshope and have so many men waytin­ge on the and do no thinge but hauke and hunte and lyve at pleasure / thou shalt not nede to swete / to laboure or to take any payne for thy livinge and so forth / fillinge thē full of pride / disdayne and ambicion and cor­ruptinge their myndes with worldly persuasions. Let the fathers & mothers marke how they themselves were desposed at all ages / and by experience of their awne infirmites helpe their childern and kepe them from oc­casions. Let them teach their childern to axe maryages of their fathers and mothers. And let there elders provide mariages for them in season: teachinge them also to kno­we / that she is not his wife which the sonne taketh ner he her husbāde which ye doghter taketh without ye cōsente & good will of their elders or them yt have auctorite over thē. Yf there frēdes will not mary [...] thē / thē are they not to blame yf they marye thē selves. Let not ye fathers & mothers always take ye vtte most of their auctorite of their childern / but at a time sofre with thē & beare their weake­nesses [Page] as Christe doeth oures. Seke Christe in youre childern in youre wives / servaun­tes and subiectes. Father / mother / sonne / doghter / master / servaunte / kynge and sub­iecte / be names in the worldly regimēte. In Christe we are all one thīge / none better thē other / all brethern and must all seke Christe and oure brothers profit in Christe.In christ we are all sarua­untes and he that hath knowlege ys bo­unde. And he that hath the knowlege whether he be lorde or kynge / is bounde to submitte hī selfe and serve his brethern and to geve him selfe for them / to winne them to Christe.

¶The office of an husbāde and how he ought to rule.

HVsbādes love youre wives / as Christ loved the cōgrega­ciō / & gave hī selfe for it / to sāctifie it and clēse it. Men ought to love their wives as their awne bodies. For this cause shall a mā leave father & mother and shall cōtynue with his wife and shalbe made both one flesh. Se that every one of you love his wife evē as his awne bodie: All th­is sayth Paul. Ephe. v. & Collo. iij. he saith husbādes love youre wives ād be not bitter vnto thē / & Peter in ye thred Chapter of his [Page l] first pis [...]le saith / Men ough­te to rule the­re wives by Gods word. mē dwell with youre wives accordīge to knowlege (that is accordīge to the doctrine of Christe) gevīge reverēce vnto the wife / as vnto ye weaker vessell (yt is / helpe hir to beare hir infirmites) & as vnto thē that are heyres also of ye grace of lyfe / yt youre prayers be not lett. Why the man is strōger thē the woman. In many thīges God hath made ye mē strōger thē ye wemen / not to rage apō thē & to be tyrātes vnto thē but to helpe thē to beare their weakenes. Be curtes therfore vnto thē ād wīne thē vnto Christe & overcome thē with kyndnes / that of love they maye obeye ye ordinaunce that God hath made betwene mā & wife.

¶The office of a master and how he ought to rule.

PAul Ephe. vj. saith / ye mas­ters doo evē ye same thinges vnto thē (that is / be master after ye exāple & doctrine of Christe / as he before taught the servauntes to obeye vnto there masters as vnto Christe) puttinge awaye thretnynges (that is / geve them fayre wordes and exhorte them kyndly to doo their dutye: yee nurtoure them as thine awn sonnes with the lordes Teach thy servaunte to knowe christe and after ch­ristis doctrine deale with hī nurtoure / that they maye se in Christe a cause why they ought lovingly to obeye) ād remēbre (saith he) that your master also is in heven. [Page] Nether is there any respecte of parsōs with him / that is / he is indifferente and not per­ciall: as greate in his sight is a seruaūte as a master. And the thride chap. to the Collo. saith he / ye masters do vnto your servauntes that which is iust & equall / remēbringe that ye also have a master in hevē. Geve your servauntes kynde wordes / fode / raymēte and lernynge. Be not bitter vnto them / rayle not on them geve thē no cruell countenance: but accordinge to the ensample and doctrine of Christe / deale with thē. And when they la­boure sore cherish thē agayne. Whē ye cor­reck them Do all thyn­ge with Gods worde let Gods worde be by and do it with soch good maner yt they maye se how that ye doo it to amēde thē only / and to brī ­ge thē vnto the waye which God biddeth vs walke in / and not to avenge youre selves or to wreke youre malice on thē. Yf at a tyme thorow hastynes ye exceade measure in pu­nishinge / recompence it a nother waye and pardon them a nother tyme.

¶The dutie of londelordes.

LEt Christen londlordes be contente with their rē te ād olde customes not reysinge the rente or fy­ens and bringinge vp new customes to oppre­sse their tenaūtes: nether lettinge .ij. or .iij. tenauntryes vnto one man [Page lj] Let them not take in their cōmunes nether make parkes nor pastours of hole perishes. For God gave the erth to mē to inhabite / ād not vnto shepe and wilde deree.God gave the erth to men Be as fa­thers vnto youre tenauntes: ye be vnto thē / as Christe was vnto vs / and shew vnto thē all love / ād kyndnes. What soever busines is amonge them / be not parciall faveringe one moare thē a nother. The complayntes / quarels and strife that are amonge thē / co­unte diseases of sicke people and as a mer­cy full phisicion heale them with wisdome and good councell. Be pitifull and tender herted vnto them and let not one of thy te­naūtes teare out a nothers throte / but iudge their causes indifferently and compell thē to make their diches / hedges / gates & wa­yes. For even for soch causes were ye made landlordes / and for soch causes payd men rent at the beginninge. For yf soch an order were not one shuld sley a nother & all shuld goo to wast. Yf thy tenaunte shall laboure & toyle all the yere to paye ye thy rēte & whē he hath bestowed all his laboure / his ney­boures cattell shall devoure his frutes / how tedyous & bitter shulde his lyfe be? Se therfore that ye doo youre duties agayne ād so­fre no man to doo them wronge / save the kynge only. Yf he do wronge / thē must they abyde Gods iudgemente.

¶The dutie of kynges and of the Iudges ād officers.

LEt kynges (yf they had lever be christen in dede then so to be called) ge­ve them selves all to ge­der to ye wealth of the­ir realmes after the en­sample of Christe: re­mēbringe that the peo­ple are Gods ād not theirs: yee are Christes enheritaūce ād possession bought with his bloude. The most despised person in his re­alme is the kynges brother and felow mē ­bre with him and equall with him in the kyndome of God and of Christe. Let him therfore not thinke him selfe to good to doo them service nether seke any other thinge in them / then a father seketh in his childern yee then Christe soughte in vs. Though that the kynge in the temporall regimente be in the rowme of God and representeth God him selfe & is without all comparison bet­ter then his subiectes: yet let him putt of that and become a brother / doinge ād levin­ge vn done all thinges in respecte of the cō ­mune wealth / yt all men maye se yt he seketh no thīge / but ye profit of his subiectes. Whē a cause yt requireth execuciō is brought be­fore him thē only lett him take the parson of [Page lij] God on him. Thē lett hī knowe no creature but heare all indifferētly / whether it be a straūger or one of his awne realme / & the small as well as the greate and iudge righteous for the iudgemēte is the lordes Deute. j. In tyme of iudgemente he is no minister in the kyngdome of Christe: he preacheth no Gos­pell / but the sharpe lawe of vengeaunce. Let him take the holy iudges of the olde testamē te for an example and namely Moses Moyses which in executinge the lawe was merci­lesse otherwise moare then a mother vnto them never avenginge his awne wronges but soferīge all thinge / bearinge every mās weaknes teachinge / warninge / exhortin­ge and ever caringe for them and so tender­ly loved them / that he desyred God e­ther to forgeve them or to damne him with them.

Let the iudges also privatly when they have put of the person of a iudge exhorte with good councell and warne the people and helpe / Iudges. that they come not at Gods iud­gemente: but the causes that are brought vnto them / when they sitt in Gods stede / lett them iudge / and condemne the trespa­ser vnder lawfull witnesses and not breake vp in to the consciences of men / after the ensample of Antychristes disciples / O tyranny to cōpell a man to accuse him selfe ād cōpel them ether to forswere them selves by the allmightie God and by the holy Gospell [Page] of his mercifull promises or to testifie agēst thē selves. Which abhominaciō oure prela­tes lerned of Our prelates lerned of Cayphas· Cayphas Math. xxvj. saiēge to Christe / I adiure or charge the in ye name of the livīge God / yt thou tell vs wether thou be christe ye sonne of God Secret syn­nes perteyne vnto God to punish ād opē synnes vnto the kynge Let yt which is secrete to God only / where of no profe can be made ner lawfull wittnesse broughte / abyde vnto the cominge of the lorde which shall open all secretes. Yf any malyce bre­ke forth / that let thē iudge only· For forther auctorite hath God not geven them.

Moyses Deutero. xvij. warneth iudges to kepe thē vppright ād to loke on no mans persō / yt is / that they preferre not ye hye be­fore the lowe / the great before the small / the rich before the pore / his accoyntaunce frēde kynsman / contrey man or one of his awne nacion before a straunger / a frēde or an aliēt yee or one of their awne fayth before an in­fidell: but that they loke on the cause only to iudge indifferētly. For the rowme that they are in and the lawe that they execute are Gods / which as he hath made all & is God of all and all are his sonnes: even so is he iudge over all and will have all iudged by his lawe indifferently and to have the rig­ht of his lawe / and will avenge the wron­ge done vnto the turke or sareson. For tho­ugh they be not vnder the everlastinge testamēte of God in Christe / as few of vs which [Page liij] are called Christen be / and even no mo then to whom God hath sente his promyses and powred his sprite in to their hertes to beleve them / and thorow fayth graven l [...]st in their hertes to fulfill the lawe of love: yet are they vnder the testamente of the lawe naturall which is the lawes of every londe made for the comen wealth there and for peace and vnite that one maye lyve by a nother. In which lawes the infideles (yf they kepe them) have promyses of worldly thīges. Who soever therfore hinderth a very infidell frō the right of that lawe / synneth agenst God and of him will God be aven­ged. Moare over Moyses warneth them that they receave no giftes / rewardes or bry­bes. For those two poyntes / favoringe of o­ne person moare then a nother and recea­vinge rewardes perverte all right and equi­te and is the only pestilence of all iudges.

And the kynges warneth he that they have not to many wives / lest their hertes turne awaye:☜ and that they reade all waye in the lawe of God / to lerne to feare him / lest their hertes be lyft vppe above their brethern. Which two poyntes / wemen ād pri­de the dispisinge of their subiectes / which are in very deade their awne brethern / are the comen pestilence of all princes. Reade the stories and se.

The shirereves / bayly araūtes / cōstables [Page] and soch lyke officers may let no man that hurteth his neyboure scape / but that they brynge them before the iudges / excepte they in the meane tyme agre with their neybours and make them amendes.

Let kynges defende their subiectes from the wronges of other nacions / but picke no quarels for euery tryfyl / no let not oure most holy father make them no moare so dronkē with Vayne na­mes vayne names / with cappes of mayntenaunce and lyke babels / as it were pope­try for childern to bedger their realmes and to murther their people / for defendinge of oure holy fathers tyranny. The holy father lowseth peace and vnile truce trou­th and all honeste. Yf a lawfull peace that stondeth with Gods worde be made betwene prince and prince and the name of God taken to recorde and the body of oure savioure broken betwene thē / apon the bonde which they have made / that pea­ce or bonde can ourer holy father not despē ce with / nether lowse it with all the keyes he hath: no veryly Christe can not breake it. For he came not to breake the law but to fulfill it Math. v.

Yf any man have broken the lawe or a good ordinaunce and repente and come to the ryght waye agayne / then hath Christe power to forgeve him: but licence to breake the lawe can he not geve / moch moare his disciples ād vicars ( [...] they call thē selves) cā not do it. The What the keyes are ād why they are so called. keyes wher of they so greatly [Page liiij] bost them selves are no carnall thinges but spirituall and no thinge else save knowlege of the lawe and of the promyses or Gospell / yf any man for lacke of spirituall fealinge desyre auctorite of men / let him reade the olde doctours. Yf any man desyre auctorite of scripture Christe saith (Luke. xi) woo be to you lawears for ye have taken awaye the keye of knowleage ye enter not in youre selves and thē that come in ye forbidde▪ that is / they had blynded the scripture whose knowleage (as it were a keye) letteth in to God / with gloses and tradicions. Lykewise fyndest thou Math. xxiij. The keyes are promised As Peter answered in the name of all so Christe promi­sed him the keyes in the parsone of all Mathe. xvi. And in ye .xx. of The keyes are payde Iohn he payed thē sayenge receave the holy gooste whosoe­vers sinnes ye remitte they are remitted or forgeven and whosoevers sinnes ye retay­ne they are retayned or holdē. To bynde ād lowse With prea­chinge the promises lowse they as many as repēte & beleve. And for yt Iohn sayeth receave the holy gooste / Luke in his laste chapter saith then opened he their wittes / that they myght vnderstonde ye scriptures and said vnto thē: thus it is written. And thus it behoved Christe to sofre and to rise ageyne the thrid daye. And that Repētaunce and forgēve­nes come by preachynge. repen­taunce and remission of sinnes shulde be preached in his name amonge all nacions. [Page] At preachinge of the lawe repente mē and at the preachinge of the promises doo they beleve and are saved Petre practiseth his key­es.. Peter in the secon [...] of the Actes practised his keyes ād by pre­achinge the lawe broughte the people in to the knowleage of them selves & bounde the­ir consciences / so that they were pricked in their hertes and said vnto Peter and to the other Apostles / what shall we doo? Then brought they forth the keye of the swete pro­mises sayenge: repente and be baptised eve­ry one of you in the name of Iesus Christe for the remission of sinnes / and ye shall recea­ve the gyft of the holy gooste. For the pro­mise was made vnto you & vnto youre chil­dern and to all that are a ferre even as ma­ny as the lorde shal call. Of lyke ensamples is the Actes full & Peters pistles / & Pauls pistles & all the scripture / The popis auctorite: ys to preach go­de word only nether hath ou­re holy father any other auctorite of Christ or by the reason of his predicessor Peter thē to preach Gods worde. As Christe compa­reth the vnderstondinge of scripture vnto a keye / so cōpareth he it to a nette and vnto le­ven ād vnto many other thinges for certen properties.Beware of the nett and of the leven ād of the counterfet keyes of oure holy father▪ I mervell therfore that they bost not thē selves of their nette and levē / as wel as of their keyes / for they are all one thinge But as Christe biddeth vs beware of ye levē of the pharises / so beware of their counter­feted keyes & of their false nette (which are [Page lv] their tradiciōs & cerimonies their ypocrisy and false doctrine) where with they ketche / not soules vnto Christe / but auctorite and riches vnto them selves.

Let christē kynges therfore kepe their fayth & truth & all lawfull promises & bōdes / not one with an other only / but evē with ye Tur­ke or what soever infidell it be.Not with an her [...]ike saith the Pope For so it is right before God as the scriptures & exam­ples of ye Bible testifie. Whosoever vowe ā vnlawfull vowe / promise an vnlawfull pro­mise swere an vnlawfull othe sinneth agēst God: & ought therfore to breake it.Vnlawfull vowes or ot­hes are men cōmaunded to breake. He ne­deth not to sue to Rome for a licēce. For he hath Gods worde / & not a licence only: but also a cōmaūdmēte to breake it. They ther­fore that are sworne to be true vnto Cardi­nals and Bisshopes / yt is to saye false vnto God ye kinge & the realme / maye breake their othes lawfully without grudge of cōscience by the auctorite of Gods worde. In makī ­ge them they sinned / but in repentinge and breakinge them they please God hyly and receave forgevenes in Christe.

Let kynges take their dutie of their subiec­tes & that yt is necessary vnto the defense of the realme. Let thē rule their Realmes them selves with the helpe of laye mē that are sa­ge wise / lerned & experte. Is it not a shame obove all shames ād a mōstrous thīge yt no mā shulde be foūde able to governe a worl­dly [Page] kīgdome save Bisshopes and prelates that have forsaken the worlde and are takē oute of the worlde and apoynted to preach the kyngdome of God?Bisshapes Christe saith that his kingdome is not of this worlde Iohn. xviij And Luke. xij. vnto the younge mā that de­sired hī to bidde his brother to geve hī parte of the encheritaunce / he answered who made me Be hold the face of the pope and of the bisshopes in this glasse iudge or a devider a monge you No mā that layeth his hande to the plowe ād loketh backe is apte for the kingdome of heven. Luke. ix. No mā cā serve two masters but he must despice the one. Math. vj.

To preach Gods worde is to moch for half a mā. And to minister a tēporall kīgdome is to moch for half a mā also. Ether other requireth an hole man. One therfore can not well doo both. He that avēgeth him selve on every tryfell is not mete to preach ye paciēce of Christe / how that a mā ought to forgeve ād to sofre all thīges. He that is overwhelmed with all maner riches ād doth but seke moare dayly / is not mete to preach poverte. He that will obeye no man is not mete to preach how we ought to obeye all mē Peter saith Act. vj. It is not mete that we shulde leave the worde of God and serve at the tables. Paul saith in the .ix. chapter of the first Corinthe. Wo is me yf I preach not. A terryble sayenge verely for Popes / Car­dinals / and Bisshopes. Yf he had said [Page lvj] wo be to me if I fight not and move prin­ces vnto warre. or yf I encrease not sent Peters Peters patrimony. patrimonie (as they call it) it had byn­ne a moare easy sayenge for them.

Christe forbiddeth his disciples and that oft (as thou mayst se Mathew. xviij.The Popi [...] auctorite is ī proved. And also .xx. Marke. ix. and also .x. Lu­ke ix. and also .xxij. Even at his last soper) not only to clyme above lordes / kynges ād emperours in worldly rule / but also to exal­te them selves one above a nother in the kīgdome of God. But in vayne: for the Pope wolde not heare it though he had commā ­ded it ten thousande tymes / Gods worde shulde rule only & not Bisshopes decrees or ye Popes pleasure.Bisshopes have captived Gods worde with there a­wne decre [...]. That ought they to preach purely and spiritually and to fascion their lives there after and with all ensample of Godly lyvynge and longe soferinge / to drawe all to Christe: and not to expounde the scriptures carnally and wordly sayenge: God spake this to Peter and Iam his suc­cessoure / therfore this auctorite is myne only: and thē bringe in the tyranny of their flesly wisdome / in presentia maioris cessat [...]o­testas minoris / that is in the presens of the greater the lasse hath no power. There is no brotherhed where soch philosophy is taught

SOch phylosophy and so to abvse the scriptures & to mocke with Gods worde is after ye maner of ye Bisshope of RochestersRochester. [Page] divininite. For he in his sermon of the condemnacion of Marten Luther proveth by ashadowe of the olde testamente / that is by Moys [...]s and Aaron that / Sathan and Antychriste oure most holy father the Po­pe is Christes vicare and hed of Christes cō ­gregacion.

Moses (saith he) signifieth Christe / and Aaron the Pope. And yet the pistle vnto the Hebrues proveth that the hie preste of the olde lawe signifieth Christ / and his offerī ­ge ād his goinge in once in the yere in to the inner temple signifie ye offerīge where with Christe offered him selfe & Christes goinge in vnto ye father to be an everlastinge mediator or intercessor for vs. Neverthelesse Rochester proveth ye contrary by a shadowe: by a shadowe veryly. For in shadowes they walke with out alshame / & ye light will they not come at but enforce to stoppe & quēch it wiih all craft and falshed / lest their abhominable iugu­linge shulde be sene.They walke in shadowes. Yf any man loke in the light of the newe testamente / he shall clere­ly se / that that shadowe maye not be so vnderstonde.

Vnderstonde therfore that one thinge in the scripture representeth divers thinges. A serpente figureth Christe in one place ād the devell in a nother. And a lyon doeth ly­kewise. Christe by leven signifieth Gods worde in one place / ād in a nother signifieth [Page lvij] therby the tradiciōs of the Phareses which sowred ād altered Gods worde for their a­vauntage. Now Moyses verely in the said place representeth Christe / Aarō ys eve­ry true prea­cher. & Aarō which was not yet hye prest / represented / not Pe­ter only or his successoure / as my lorde of rochester wolde have it (for peter was to litle to beare Christes message vnto all the worlde) but signifieth every disciple of christe ād every true preacher of gods worde. For moyses put in Aarons mouth / what he shulde saye / and Aarō was Moyses prophete and spake / not his awne message (as the pope ād Bisshopes doo) but that which Moyses had receaved of God and delivered vnto him Exodi. iiij. and also .vij. So ought every preacher to preach Gods worde purely and nether to adde nor minishe. A true mes­senger must doo his message truly and saye nether moare nor lesse then he is comma­unded. Aaron repre­senteth christ. Aaron when he is hye preste and offereth ād purgeth the people of their wo­rldly sinne which they had fallen in in [...]wichinge vncleanly thinges and in eatinge meates forbidden (as we sinne in hande­linge the chalice and the alterston and are purged with the Bisshopes blessinge) re­presenteth Christe / which purgeth vs from all synne in the sighte of God / as the pistle vnto the hebrues maketh mencion. When Moyses was gone Vp in to the mounts [Page] and Aaron left behynde and made the golden calfe / there Aaron representeth all fal­se preachers and namely oure most holy father the Pope / which in like maner maketh vs beleve in a bulle / as ye Bisshope of Rochester fullwell alegeth the place in his sermō.

Iff the Pope be signified by Aaron ād Christe by Moyses / why is not the Pope as well contente with Christes lawe ād doctrine / as Aaron was with Moyses?Aarō addeth no thinge to Mosesis lawe. What is ye cause yt oure Bisshopes preache the pope ād not Christe seinge the Apostles preached not Peter / but Christe.The apostels preached not peter: But christe Paul .ij. Corīthe. iiij. saith of him selfe and of his fellowpostles: we preach not oure selves / but Christe Ie­sus the lorde: and preach oure selves youre servantes for Iesus sake. And .j. Corin. iij. Let no man reioyse in men. For all thinges are youres / whether it be Paul / or Apollo / or Peter: whether it be the world / or lyfe or deeth / whether they be present thinges or thinges to come: all are youres and ye are Christes and Christe is Gods. He leveth out ye are Peters or ye are the Popes. And in the chapter folowinge he saith. Let men thus wise esteme vs / even the ministers of Christe. & cet. And .ij. Corinthiorum. xj. Paul was gelous over his Corrinthians / because they fell from Christe / to whom he had maried them / and clave vnto the auc­torite of men (for even then false Prophe­tes [Page lviij] sought auctorite in the name of the hy [...] Apostles) I am saith he gelouse over you with Godly gelousy. For I coupled you to one man / to make you a chaste virgen to Christe: but I feare lest as the serpente de­ceaved Eve thorow his sottylte / even so yo­ur wittes shuld be corrupte from the single­nesse that is in Christe. And it foloweth: Yf he that cometh to you preached a nother * Iesus / or if ye receave a nother sp­rite or a nother * Gospell / then mighte ye well have be contente / that is / ye migh­te have well sofered him to have auctorite above me. But I suppose (saith [...]e) that I was not behynde the hye Apostles: meanynge in preachinge Iesus and his Gospell and in ministringe the sprite. And in the said .xj. Chapter he proveth by the doctrine of Christe / that he is greater then the hye Apostles. For Chri­ste saith / to be greate in the kyngdome of God / is to doo service and take payne for other. Apō which rule Paul is greater then the hye apostels. Paul dis [...]ute [...]h sayenge: yf they be the ministres of Chr [...]ste I am moare. In labours moare aboundaū [...]e / in stripes above measure in pryson moare plentuosly / in deeth ofte & so forth.P [...]ul is greater [...]he peter Yf Paul preached Christe moare then Peter and so­fered moare for his congregacion / then is he greater thē Peter by ye testimonie of Ch­riste. And in the .xij. he saith / In nothinge [Page] was I inferior vnto ye hye Apostles· Thou­gh I be nothinge / yet the tokens of an A­postle were wrought amonge you with all pacience / with signes and wonders ād mi­ghtie dedes.Paul proved his appostel­shep with pre­achinge ād so­feringe: The bisshopes pro­ve there apo­stelshepe with bulles ād sha­dowes The Postels were sent of christe with li [...]e auctorite▪ So proved he his auctorite ād not with a bulle from Peter sealed with colde leed / other with shadowes of the olde testamente falsly expounded.

Moare over the Apostles were sent immediatly of Christe and of Christe receaved they their auctorite / as Paul bosteth hym selfe every where. Christe (saith he) sent me to preach the Gospell .j. Cor. i. And I re­ceaved of the lorde that which I delyverd vnto you .i. Corinth. xi And Gala. i. I cer­tifie you brethern that the Gospell which was preached of me / was not after the ma­ner of mē (that is to wete carnall or fleshly) nether receaved I it of man / nether was it taught me: but I receaved it by the reve­lacion of Iesus Christe. And Galath. ij. he that was myghty in Peter in the Apostle­shep over the circumcision / was myghty in me amonge the gentiles. And .i. Timoth. i. Readest thou lyke wise. And Iohn. xx. Christe sent them forth indifferently and gave them lyke power. As my father sent me (saith he) so sende I you: yt is to preach and to sofre / as I have done / and not to cō quere empyres and kyngdomes and to sub­due all temperall power vnder you with [Page lix] disgysed ypocrisie. He gave them the holy gooste to bynde and lowse indifferently / as thou seist: ād afterwarde he sente forth Pa­ul with lyke auctorite / as thou seist in the Actes. And in the last of Mathew saith he: all power is geven me in heven and in erth goo therfore and teach all nacions bapti­singe them in the name of the father and of the sonne ād of the holy goost / teachīge thē to observe what so ever I commaūded you: The auctorite The auctorite that Christ gave was to preach Chri­stes worde. that Christe gave them was to preach / yet not what they wold imagen / but what he had commaunded. Loo saith he / I am with you all wayes / evē vnto the ende of the worlde. He said no [...] I goo my waye / and loo here is Peter in my stede: But sende them every man to a sondry cō ­trey / whother so ever the spirite caryed thē / and wente with them him selfe. And as he wrought with Peter where he wente / so wrought he with the other where they wē ­te / as Paul bosteth of hym selfe vnto the Galathiens.☜ Seinge now that we have Christes doctrine and Christes holy promyses / and seinge that Christe is ever present with vs his awne selfe / how cometh it that Christe maye not raygne immediatly over vs / as well as the Pope which cometh ne­ver at vs? Seinge also that the office of an Apostle is to preach only / how can the Pope kalēge with right / any auctorite where [Page] he preacheth not?. How cometh it also that Rochester will not let vs be called one con­gregacion be the reason of one God / one Christe / one sprite / one Gospell / one fayth one hope / and one baptim / as well as be­cause of one pope?

Yf any natvrall beest with hys world­ly wisdome stri [...]e / ☞ that one is greater then a nother / because that in congregations one is sente of a nother / as we se in the Actes. I answere that Peter sent no man / but was sent hym selfe / and Iohn was sent / and Paul / Sylas and Barnabas ware sent. How be it soch maner sendinges are not worldly / as princes sende their Ambasa­dours no ner as freres send their limyters to gather there bretherhedes which must obeye whether they will or will not. He­re all thinge is fre and willingly. And the holy goost bringeth them to gether which maketh their willes fre and ready to be­stow them selves apon their neybours pro­fit. And they that come / offer them selves and all that they have or can doo / to ser­ve the lorde and their brethern. And every man / as he is founde apte and mete to serve his neyboure / so is he sente or put in office. And of the holy goost are they sent with the consent of their brethern and with their awne consente also. And Gods wor­de ruleth in that congregacion / vnto which [Page lx] worde every man confirmeth his will. And Christe which is all waye presente is the hed. Why bissho­pes make thē a god on erth But as oure Bisshopes heare not Christes voyce / so se they him not pre­sente: and therfore make them a God on the erth / of they Aaron made a calfe. And the Pope maketh bulles kynde (I suppose) of Aarons calfe. For he bringeth forth no other frute but bulles.

For as moch also as Christe is as greate as Peter / why is not his seate as gre­ate as Peters? Had the heed of the empyre byn at Iherusalem / their had byn no men­cion made of Peter. It is verely / as Paul saith in the eleventh Chapter of the secon­de Pistle to the Corinthyans. The false A­postles are desceatefull workers / and fas­sion them selves lyke vnto the Apostles of Christe. That is the shaven The shaven nacion hath put christ out of his rowme and all kyn­ges and the emperoure. nacion prea­ched Christe falsly / ye vnder the name of Christe preached them selves ād raygne in christes stede: have also takē awaye the ke­ye of knowlege ād have wrapped the people in ignoraūce ād have taught thē to beleve in thē selves / in their tradiciōs & false cerimonies: so yt christe is but a vayne name.Christ is but a vayne na­me. ād after they had putt christe out of his rowme / they gate thē selves to ye Emperoure & kynges ād so lōge ministred their busines tyl they have also put thē out of their rowmes & have gott their auctorites frō thē & raygne also in their stede:Proper ministers so yt ye emperoure & kīges are but vayne [Page] names and shadowes / as Christe is / ha­vinge no thinge to doo in the worlde. Thus raygne they in the stede of God and man and have all power vnder them and doo what they list.

Let vs se a nother poynte of oure greate clerke.Rochester ys proved both ignorāt and malicious A little after the beginnynge of his sermon / entendinge to prove that which is clearer then the sonne and serveth no moa­re for his purpos then Ite missa est serveth to prove that oure lady was borne without originall sinne: he allegeth a saynge that Martē luther sayth / which is this yf we affirme that any one pistle of Paul or any one place of his pistles perteyneth not vnto the vniversall chirch / that is / to all the congregaciō of them that beleve in Christe / we ta­ke a waye all saynte Pauls auctorite. Whe­re apon saith Rochester. Yf it be thus of the wordes of saint Paul moch rather it is true of the Gospels of Christe and of every place of them. O malicious blindnes First note his blindnes. He vnderstondeth by this worde Gospel no moare but the foure evangelistes Mathew / Marke / Luke and Iohn and thinketh not that the Actes of the apostles and the pistles of Peter / of Paul and of Iohn and of other lyke are also the Gospel Paul calleth his preachinge the Gospell.The pistles of Paul are the Gospell: Roma. ij. and .j. Cori. iiij. and Gal. j. and .j. Timoth. j. The Gospell is every wheere one [Page lxj] though it be preached of divers ād What Gospell signifieth. signifi­eth glad tidinges / that is to wete / an open preachinge of Christe and the holy testamē te and gracious promises that God hath made in Christes bloude to all that repente and beleve. Now is there moare Gospell in one pystle of Paul / that is to saye / Christe is moare clerely preached ād moo promises rehersed in one pistle of Paul / thē in ye .iii. first Evāgelistes. Mathew / Marke & Luke.

Considre also his maliciousnes / how wekedly and how craftily he taketh awaye the auctorite of Paul. It is moch rather true of the Gospells and of every place in thē then of paul. One Gospell one spirite: one trueth. Yf that which the foure Evāgelis­tes wrote be truer then that which Paul wrote / then is it not one Gospel that they preached / nether one sprite that taught them. Yf it be one Gospell ād one sprite / how is one truer then the other? The auctorite of paul ād of hys Gos­pell: Paul proveth his auctorite to the Galathians and to the Corin­thians / because that he receaved his Gos­pell by revelacion of Christe and not of man / and because that when he comuned with Peter and the hye Apostles of his Gospell and preachinge / they coulde improve no th­inge / nether teach hym any thinge: and be­cause also that as many were converted ād as great miracles shewed by his preachin­ge as at the preachinge of the hye Apost­les / and therfore wilbe of no lesse auctorite / [Page] then Peter and other hye Apostles. Ner have his Gospell of lesse reputacion thē thers

Fynally that thou mayst knowe Rochester for ever and all the remaunte by hym / what they are with in ye skynne / marke how he playeth bo pepe with the scripture.Rochester playeth bo pepe. He allegeth the beginnynge of the tenth chap­ter to the Hebrues. Vmbram habens lex futurorum bonorum / the lawe hath but a shadowe of thinges to come. And imme­diatly expoundeth the figure cleane contra­ry vnto the chapter folowinge and to all the hole pistle / makynge Aaron a figure of the Pope whom the Epistle maketh a figure of Christe.

He allegeth halfe a texte of Paul. j. Ti­moth. iiij. In the later dayes some shall departe from the fayth gevīge hede vnto spri­tes of errore and develish doctrine: but it foloweth in the texte / gevinge attendaunce or hede vnto the develish doctrine of them which speake false thorow ypocrisye and have their consciences marked with a hote ye­ron / forbiddinge to mary and commaun­dinge to absteyne from meates which God hath created to be receaved with gevinge thankes. Which two thinges who ever dyd save the Never man forbade to mary save the pope Pope Rochersters God / makyn­ge synne in the creatures which God hath created for mans vse to be receaved with thankes. The kyngdome of heven is not [Page lxij] meate and drinke / saith Paul / but righteousnes peace and Ioye in the holy goost. For who so ever in these thinges serveth Christe pleaseth God and is alowed of men Roma. xiiij. Had Rochester therfore not a consciē ­ce marked with the hote yeron of malice / so that he can not consente vnto the will of God and glorie of christe / he wolde not ha­ve so alleged the texte which is contrarye to none save them selves.

He allegeth an other texte of Paul in the seconde chapter of his seconde pistle to the Tessaloniens. Erit disessio primum / that is saith Rochester / before the comynge of Antychrist there shalbe a notable departin­ge from the fayth. And Paul saith. The lor­de cometh not excepte there come a depar­tinge first. Pauls meaninge is that the last daye cometh not so shortly / but that antychrist shall come first ād destroye the fayth and sit in the temple of God and make all men whorshepe hym and beleve in him (as the Pope doeth) and then shall Gods worde come to lyghte agayne (as it doeth at this tyme) and destroye hym and vtter his iuglynge and then cometh christe vnto iud­gemente. What saye ye of this crafty con­vayar? Wolde he spare / suppose ye to allege & to wreste other doctours pestilētly / which feareth not for to iugle with ye holy scripture of god expoūdinge yt vnto antychrist which [Page] Paul speaketh of Christe? No be thou sure. But evē after this maner wise perverte they the hole scripture and all doctours wrestin­ge thē vnto their abhominable purpose cleane contrary to the meanynge of the texte ād to the circumstaunces that goo before and after. The cause why they wil not have the scripture in english. Which develish falsheed left the laye men shuld perceave / is the very cause why that they / will not sofre the scripture to be had in the englysh tonge / nether any worke to be made / that shulde bringe the people to knowleage of the trueth.

He allegeth for the Popes auctorite saynt Cipriane / saint Augustine / Ambrose / Hie­rom and Origene: of which never one knew of any auctorite yt one Bisshope shulde ha­ve above a nother. And saint Gregory allegeth he which wolde receave no soch auctorite above his brethern when it was proferd him. As the maner is to call Tully chefe of oratours. Tully chefe of Oratours for his singuler eloquence / ād Aristotle chefe of philosophers and Virgill chefe of Poetes for their singuler lernynge / and not for any auctorite that they had over other: so was it the maner to call Peter chefe of the Apostles for his singuler activite and boldnes / ād not that he shulde be lorde over his brethern contrary to his awne doctrine. Yet compare that chefe Apostle vnto Paul / and he is founde a great waye inferi­or. This I saye not that I wolde that any [Page lxiij] man shulde make a God of Paul / contra­ry vnto his awne lernynge. Not withstādinge yet this maner of speakinge is left vnto vs of oure elders that whē we saye the Apostle saith so / we vnderstonde Paul for his excellency above other Apostles. I wolde he wolde tell you how Hierom / Augustine / Bede / Origene & other doctours expound this texte apon this rocke I will bylde my congregacion and how they enterpret the keyes also. Thereto / Pasce / pasce / pasce / which Rochester leaveth without any en­glish signifieth not Poll / shere and shave. Apon which texte beholde the faythfull ex­posicion of Bede.

Note also how craftyly he wolde enfef­fe the Apostles of Christe with their weked tradiciōs and false Ceremonies which they them selves have fayned / alleginge Paul. ij.Rochester allegeth Paul for his blynd ceremonies cōtrary to pauls doctrine. Thessal. ij. I answere that Paul taught by mouth soch thinges as he wrote in his pist­les. And his tradicions ware the Gospell of Christe and honest maners and lyvinge and soch a good order as becometh the doctrine of Christe. As that a woman obeye her husbande / have her heed covered / kepe silence and goo woomanly and christenly apparelde: that childern and servaūtes be in subiection: and that the younge obeye their el­ders / that no mā eate but he that laboureth and worketh / and that men make an ernest [Page] thinge of Gods worde and of his holy sa­cramentes and to watch fast and praye and soch lyke / as the scripture commaundeth. which thinges he that wolde breake were no Christē mā. But we maye well cōplayne ād crye to God for helpe / that it is not It is not lawfull for vs to tell what prayar is what fastynge is or where fore it [...]arvith law­full for the Popes tyranny / to teach the people what prayer is / what fastinge is ād wherfore it serveth. There were also certayne cu­stomes all waye which were not commaunded in payne of hell or everlastinge damnaciō / as to watche all nighte / & to kysse one a nother: which as sone as the people abused thē they brake them. For which cause ye Bis­shopes myght breake many thinges now in lyke maner. Paul also in many thīges which God had made fre / gave pure and faythfull cowncell without tanglinge of any mās cō sciēce & without all maner commaundinge vnder Payne of cursynge dā ­nacion and so forth payne of cursinge / payne of excommunication / payne of heresie / payne of burninge / payne of deedly synne / Payne of hell & payne of dānaciō. As thou mayst se .j. Corin. vij. Where he counceleth the vnmaryed the widowes & virgens that it is good so to abyde / yf they have the gift of chastyte. Not to winne hevē therby (for nether circuncisiō nether vncircuncision is any thinge at all / But the kepinge of the cōmaundemētes is all to gether) But that they myght be wit­hout trouble / & myght also the better wayte [Page lxiiij] on Gods worde and frelyer serve their bre­thern. And saith (as a faithfull servaunte) that he had none If Paul had none auctorite: then had Peter none where had then the pope this auctory­te auctorite of the lorde to geve them any commaundemēte. But that the Apostles gave vs any blynde ceremonies where of we shulde not knowe the reason that I denye & also defie / as a thinge clea­ne cotrary vnto the lernynge of Paul every where.

For Paul cōmaundeth that no mā ones speak in the church / that is / Rochester is improved in the congre­gacion / but in a tōge that all men vnderstō de / excepte that there be an enterpreter by he commaundeth to laboure for knowleage / vnderstandinge / and felinge and to be wa­re of supersticiō and persuasions of world­ly wisdome / philosophy / and of ypocrisy & ceremonies / and of all maner disgisinge / & to walke in the playne and open trueth. Ye were once darknes (saith he) but now are ye light in the lorde / walke therfore as the childern of light. Ephe. v. how doeth Paul also wysh thē encrease of grace in every pistle? How crieth he to God to augmente their knowlege / that they shulde be no moare childern waveringe with every winde of doctrine / but wolde vouchsafe to make them full men in Christe and in the vnderstondinge of the mysteries or secretes of Christe: so that it shulde not be possible for any man to disceave them with any entisinge [Page] reasons of worldly wisdome / or to begyl [...] thē with blynde cerimonies or to leade thē out of ye waye with supersticiousnes of dysgised ypocrisy / vnto which full Wherefore the spirituall off [...]cers ar or­deyned. knowlege are the spirituall officers ordened to bringe thē Ephe. iiij. So ferre it is awaye that Chri­stes Apostles shulde geve them tradiciōs of blynde ceremonies without significaciō or of which no man shuld knowe the reason as Rochester which loveth shadowes and darknes lyeth on them god stoppe his blas­phemous mouth.

Ro [...]hester allegeth heretikes for his purpose for la [...]ke of scriptureConsydre also how studiously Rochester allegeth origen / both for his Pope and al­so to stablish his blinde cerimonies with al which Origene of all heritkes is cōdemned to be the greatest. He is an auncient doctor saith he / yee and to whom in this poynte greate fayeth is to be geven: yee verely A­ristotle and Plato and even very Robynhode is of auctori­te ynough to prove the pope with all. Robynhode is to be beleved in soch a poynte / that so greatly maynteneth our holy fathers auctorite and all his disgysynges.

Last of all as once a craftie thefe when he was espied and folowed / cryed vnto the people. Stoppe the thefe / stoppe the thefe. And as many to begynne with all cast first in a nother mans tethe that which he fea­reth shuld be leade to his awne charge: evē so Rochester layeth to Martyn Luthers charge the slayenge & murtheringe of Chri­sten [Page lxv] mē / because they will not beleve in his doctrine / which thinge Rochester and his brethern have not ceased to doo now certen hundred yeres / with soch malice that when they be deed / they rage burnynge the body­es / of which some they them selves of ly­ckly hode kylled before secretly. And because that all the worlde knoweth that Marten Luther sleyeth no mā but kylleth only with the spirituall sworde the worde of God so­ch cancred consciences as Rochester hath Nether persecuteth / but sofereth percecucion: yet Rochester with a goodly argumente proveth yt he wold do it if he cowlde. And marke I praye you what an Oratoure he is and how vehemently he persuadeth it.Rochester is an Oratoure Marten Luther hath burned the Popes decre­tals: a manyfest signe / saith he / that he wold have brunte ye Popes holines also / yf he had had him. A lyke argumente (which I suppose to be rather true) I make▪ Rochester and his holy brethern have brunt Christes testamēte: an evident signe verely that they wo­ld have brunte Christe himselfe also if they had had him.

I had allmost verely left out the che­fest poynte of all.Rochester is cleane besyde him selfe Rochester both abhomi­nable & shamelesse: yee ād sterke mad of pu­re malice / & so adased in ye braines / of spite that he cā not overcome the trouth that he seith not or rather careth not what he saith: [Page] in the ende of his first destruccion / I wolde saye instruccion as he calleth it / intendinge to prove yt we are iustified thorow holy wor­kes / allegeth halfe a texte of Paul of the fyfte to the Galathiens (as his maner is to iugle and convaye craftily) fides per dilectionem operans. If Rochester be soch a iuguler: What suppose ye of the reste▪ let Rochester be an example the­refore to iud­ge them all Which texte he this wi­se englisheth: faith which is wrought by love / ād maketh a verbe passive of a verbe de­ponente. Rochester will have love to goo before and fayth to sprīge out of love. Thus Antichrist turneth the rotes of ye tre vpwar­de. I must fyrst love a bitter medicine (after Rochesters doctrine) and then beleve that it is wholsome. When by naturall reason / I fyrst hate a bitter medicine / vntyll I be brought in belefe of the phisicion that it is wholsome and that the bitternes shall he­ale me / and then afterwarde love it of that belefe. Doeth the childe love the father fyrst and then beleve that he is his sonne or heyre or rather because he knoweth that he is his sonne or heyre and beloved / therfo­re loveth agayne? Iohn sayth in the thred of his fyrst Pistle.Faith is the [...]ote and love springeth of faith. Se what love the father hath shewed apon vs / that we shulde be called his sonnes. Because we are sonnes therfore love we. Now by fayth are we son­es as Iohn saith in the fyrst chapter of his Gospell. He gave them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleved on [Page lxvj] his name. And Paul sayth / in the thred Chapter of his Pistle to the Galathi­ens / we are all the sonnes of God by the fayth which is in Iesus Christe. And Io­hn in the said chapter of his Pistle saith. Here by perceave we love / that he gave his lyfe for vs. We coulde se no love ner cause to love agayne / excepte that we be­leved that he died for vs and that we were saved thorow his deeth. And in the chap­ter folowinge saith Iohn. Here in is lo­ve: not that we loved God: but that he lo­ved vs and sente his sonne to make a gre­ment for oure synnes. Se / God sente not his sonne for any love that we had to him: but of the love / that he had to vs sente he his sonne / that we myght se love and love agayne. Paul lyke wise in the .viij. Chapter to the Romayns / after that he hath declared the infinite love of God to vs ward in that he spared not his awne sonne but gave him for vs / cryeth out sayenge: who shall separat vs from the love of God? shall persecucion / shall a swerde? & cet. No / sayeth he / I am sure that no creature shall sepe­rat vs from the love of God that is in Ch­rist Iesus oure lorde: as who shulde saye / we se so greate love in God to vs war­de in Christes deeth / that though all mis­fortune shulde fast on vs / we cā not but lo­ [...]e agayne. Now how know we yt God lo­veth [Page] vs? verely by fayth Though Rochester have not the spiri­te to iudge spirituall thīges yet oughte reason to have kepte hī from so shamfull lyenge. But God hath blī ded him to brī ge there fal­shed to lyght. So therfore / th­ough Rochester be a beest faythlesse / yet ou­ght naturall reason to have taughte him / that love springeth out of fayth and knowlege and not fayth ād knowlege out of love. But let vs se the texte. Paul sayth thus. In chri­ste Iesu / nether circuncision is any thinge worth / ner incircuncision: but fayth which worketh thorow love or which thorow love is strōge or myghtie in workinge & not which is wroughte by love as the iuguler sayeth. Fayth that loveth Gods cōmaundmentes iustifieth a mā. Yf thou beleve Gods pro­mises in Christe and love his cōmaundmē ­tes then arte thou saffe. Yf thou love the cō maundmēte then arte thou sure that thy fa­yth is vnfayned & yt Gods sprite is in the.

How fayth iustifieth before God in the herte and how love springeth of fayth ād cō pelleth vs to worke / and how the workes iustifie before the worlde and testifie what we are and certifie vs that oure fayth is vn­fayned and that the righte sprite of God is in vs / se in my boke of the iustifienge of fa­yth and there shalt thou se all thinge abun­dantly. Also of the The contro­versy betwe­ne Iames ād Paul. controversy betwene Paul and Iames se there. Never the later / when Rochester sayth / yf fayth only iusti­fied / then both the devels and also synners that lye styll in sinne shulde be saved / his argumēte is not worth a strawe. For nether [Page lxvij] the devels Why devels have none of Pauls faith ner synners that repēt not nor yet synners that contynue in synne of purpose and delectaciō / have any soch fayth as Paul speaketh of. For Pauls fayth is to beleve Gods promises. Fayth sayth he Ro. x. Cometh by hearinge and hea­ringe cometh by the worde of God. And how shall they heare without a preacher / and how shall they preache excepte they be sente? As it is written (saith he) how bew­tifull are the fete that bringe glad tydinges of peace and bringe glad tydinges of good thinges. Now when sente God any messin­gers vnto the devels to preach them peace or any good thinge: The devell hath no pro­myse: he is therfore excluded from Pauls fayth A man maye beleve that christe died ād many other thynges and not beleve in christ. What it is to beleve in christe.The devell beleveth that christ died / but not that he died for his sinnes. Nether doeth any that consenteth in the herte to cō tinue in synne / beleve that Christ died for hī For to beleve that christe died for vs / is to se oure horrible damnacion and how we were appoynted vnto eternall paynes ād to fea­le and to be sure that we are delyvered ther­from thorow Christe in that we have power to hate oure synnes and to love Gods cōmaūdmētes. All soch repēte & have their hertes loosed out of captivite and bondage of sin­ne and are therfore iustified thorow fayth in christe. Weked synners have no fayth but imagincions and opinions aboute Christe as oure scole men have in their principles / [Page] aboute which they brawle so fast one with a nother. It is a nother thīge to beleve that the kynge is rich and that he is rich vnto me / and that my parte is therin: ād that he will not spare a peny of his riches at my nede / when I beleve that the kynge is rich I am not moved. But when I beleve that he is rich for me ād that he will never fay­le me at my nede / then love I ād of love am ready to worke vnto the vttemost of my po­wer▪ But let vs returne at the last vnto ou­re purpose agayne.

WHat is the cause that laye mē can not now rule / as well as in tymes paste / and as the turkes yet doo?Why laye mē can not rule. Verely becau­se that Antychriste with the miste of his iugulinge hath begyled oure eyes and hath cast a supersticious feare a­pon the w [...]lde of christen men / and hath taught them to dreade / not God and his worde / but hym selfe and his worde: not Gods lawe and ordinaunces / princes and officers which God hath sett to rule the worlde / but his awne lawe and ordinaun­ces / tradicions and cerimonies and dis­gised disciples / which he hath sett every where to deceave the worlde and to expell the light of Gods worde / that his dark­nes [Page lxviij] maye have rowme. For we se by dayly experience of certayne hondred yeres lon­ge / that he which feareth nether God ner his worde / nether regardeth father / mo­ther / master / or Christe hym selfe / which rebelleth agenst Gods ordinaunces / ryseth agenste the kynges and resisteth his offi­cers / Men feare the Popes oyle moare thē Gods cōma­undmente. dare not once laye handes on one of the Popes annoynted: no though he sley his father before his face or doo violence vnto his brother or defile his sister / wife or mother. Lyke honoure geve we vnto his tradicions and cerimonies. What de­uociō have we when we are blessed (as they call it) with the chalice / or when the Biss­hope lyfteth vp his holy hande over vs? Who dare handle the chalice / twiche the altare ston or putt his hande in the founte or his fynger vnto the holy oyle? What reverence geve we vnto holy water / holy fy­re / holy bred / holy salt / halowed belles / ho­ly wayx / holy bowes / holy candels and ho­ly asshes? And last of all vnto the holy candle committ we oure soules at oure last departinge. Yee and of the very cloute wh­ich the Bisshope or his chapplen that stō ­deth by / knitteth aboute childerns neckes at cōfirmaciō / what laye person durst be so bolde as to vnlouse ye knotte? Thou wilt saye do not soch thinges bringe ye holy goost ād put awaye synne and d [...]yve awaye sprites [Page] I saye that a stedfast fayth or belefe in Christe and in the promises yt God hath sworne to geve vs for his sake / bringeth ye holy goost as all the scrptures make mencion / and as Paul saith (Actes. xix.) have ye receaved the holy goost thorow fayth or belevinge? fayth is the rocke where on Christe byldeth his congregacion / agēst which saith Christ Mathei. xvj. hell gates shall not prevayle.Fayth dry­veth the de­vels a waye. As sone as thou belevest in Christe / the holy goost cometh / synne falleth a waye & devels fle: whē we cast holy water at ye devell or Why doo not the bisshopes make him fle from shotyn­ge of gunnes ringe ye belles / he fleeth / as mē doo frō yoūge childern / & moketh with vs / to brīge vs frō the true faith that is in Gods worde vnto a supersticious & a false belefe of ou­re owne imaginacion. Yf thou haddest fayth and threwest an vnhalowed ston at his hed / he wolde ernestly fle and without mockinge / yee though thow threwest no thinge at all / he wold not yet abyde.

Ceremonies did not the miracle but fai­th.Though that at the beginninge mira­cles were shewed thorow soch ceremonies to move the infidels to beleve the worde of God. As thou readest how the Apostles anoynted the sycke with oyle and healed them / and Paul sent his perteler or gyrkyn to the sycke and healed them also. Yet was it not the ceremonie that did the myracle / but fayth of the preacher and the trouth of God which had promysed [Page lxix] to confirme ād stablysh his Gospell with soch miracles. Therfore as sone as the gift of myracles ceased / ought the ceremony to have ceased also: or else if they will neades have a ceremonie to signifie some promes or benefit of God (which I prayse not but wolde have Gods worde preached every sō day / for which entente sondayes and holy dayes were ordeyned) then lett them tell the people what it meaneth:Let them tell what the ceremony mea­neth and not set vp a baulde and a naked ceremonie without significaciō / to make the people beleve the­rin and to quench the fayth that ought to be geven vnto the worde of God.

What helpeth it also that the prest when he goeth to masse disgiseth him selfe with a great parte of the passion of Christe and pleyeth out the rest vnder silence with sig­nes and profers / with noddinge / beckinge and mowinge / as it were Iacke a napes / when nether he him selfe nether any man else woteth what he meaneth?The prest disgyseth hī sel­fe with the passiō of christe not at all veryly / but hurteth and that exceadinghly. For as moch as it not only destroyeth the Domme ceremonies quēch fayth and lo­ve and make the infidels to mocke vs. fayth and quencheth the love that sh [...]lde be geven vnto the co [...]maundemente / [...]nd maketh the people thankefull / in [...] it bringeth them i [...]o soch supersticio [...] [...]hat t [...]e [...] thinke [...] they have done [...] ynough for God / yee and [...] meas [...]re / yf they be present [...] [Page] daye at soch mummynge: But also maketh the infidels to mock vs and abhorre vs / in that they se nothinge but soch apes playe amonge vs / where of no man can geve a reason.

The prophecy of Christ is fullfilledAll this cometh to passe to fulfill the prophesy which Christe prophesyed. Marke. xiij And Luke. xxj. that there shall come in his name which shal saye that they them selves are Christe. That doo verely the Pope and oure holy orders of relygiō. For they vnder the name of Christe preach them selves their awne worde and their awne traditiōs / and teach the people to beleve in them. The pope geveth pardōs of his full power / of the treasure of the chirch and of the merites of sayntes. The freres lyke wise make their benefactours (which only they call theire brethern and sisters) partakers of their masses / fastinge / watchinges / prayenges and wolwarde goinges / The testa­mēt of the observauntes. Yee and when a novice of the observauntes is professed the father a [...]eth him / will ye kepe these ruels of holy saynte Frances? and he sayth yee: will ye so in deade sayth he? the other answareth: yee forsoth father. Then fayth the father / and I promise you agayne everlastinge lyfe. O blasphe­my. Yf eternall life be due vnto the pilde traditions of lowsie freres / where is the testa­mente become that God made vnto vs in Christes bloude? Christ sayth Math. xxiiij. [Page lxx] And Mark. xiij. that there shal come pseudo christi.Fals anoyn­ted Which though I / for a consideration have trāslated false christes kepinge the greke worde: yet signifieth it in the englysh false anoynted and ought so to be translated There shall come (saith Christe) false anoynted and false prophet [...]s and shall doo miracles and wonders / so greatly that / if it were possible / the very electe or chosen shulde be brought out of the waye. Compare the Po­pes doctrine vnto the worde of God and thou shalt fynde that there hath byn ād yet is a great goinge out of the waye / and that evyll men and deceavers (as Paul prophe­sied .ij. Timothei. iij.) have prevayled and waxed worse and worse / begylinge other as they are bygyld them selves. Thou trēblest and quakest sayenge: shall God let vs goo so sore out of the right waye? Christis pro­phesy: be it never so tereble must be yet fulfilled I answere it is Christe that warneth vs / which as he knew all that shulde folowe / so prophesied he before ād is a true prophete / and his prophesie must neadis be fulfilled.

GOd annoynted his sonne Ihesus with the holy goost / ād therfore called him Christe / which is as moch to saye as anoynted. Outwardly he disgysed him not but made him lyke oder men & sente him in to the worlde to blesse vs and to offer hī selfe for vs a Christ was nother shavē nor shorne nor anoynted with oyle sacrifice of a swete saver / to kyll the stēch of oure synnes / that God hēceforth [Page] shulde smell them no moare / ner thinke on them any moare: and to make full and sufficient satisfaction or amends for all thē that repente / belevinge the trueth of God & sub­mittinge them selves vnto his ordinaunces both for they sinne yt they doo / have done and shall doo. For synne we thorow fragilite never so oft / yet as sone as we repēte and come in to the right waye agayne and vn­to the testamente which God hath made in Christes bloude / oure synnes vanesh awaye as smoke in the wynde & as darknes at the comynge of lyght or as thou cast a litle bloude or mylke in to the mayne see.He that doth oughte to make satisfactiō or to gette heven hath lost his parte of christis bloud In so moch that who soever goeth aboute to make satisfaction for his synnes to God warde / say­enge in his herte / this moch have I synned this moch wyll I doo agayne / or this wise will I lyve to make amēdes with all or this will I doo to gete heven with all the same is an infidele / faythlesse and dāned in his dede doinge / and hath lost his part in Christes bloude: because he is disobedient vnto Gods testamente / and setteth vp a nother of his awne imaginacion / vnto which he will compell God to obeye. Yf we love God we have a commaundemente to love oure neyboure also / as saith Iohn in his Pistle. And if we have offended him to make him amends / To oure neyboure make we amendes? or if we have not where with / to axe him forgevenesse / and to doo and sofr [...] [Page lxxj] all thinges for his sake / to wynne him to God and to norysh peace and vnyte: but to Godward Christe is an everlastinge satis­faction and ever sufficiente.

Christe when he had fullfilled his course / The Apost­les were no­ther shaven nor shorē nor onoynted with oyle. annoynted his Apostles and disciples with the same sprite and sent thē forth wit­hout all maner disgysinge lyke other mē also / to preach the attonmēte and peace which Christe had made betwene God and man. The Apostles lykewise disgysed no mā / but chose men anoynted with the same spirite: one to preach the worde of God / whom we call after the greke tonge a Bisshope: an oversear bisshope or a prest / that is / in english / an overseer and an elder. How he was anoynted thou readest j. Timothe. iij. The true annoyntyng of a prest A Bisshope or an oversear must be fautlesse / the husbande of one wife (Many Iewes and also gentyls that were converted vnto to the fayth had at that ty­me divers wyves / yet were not compelled to putt any of them awaye which Paul be­cause of ensample wolde not have preachers for as moch as in Christe we retourne agay­ne vnto the firste ordinaunce of God / that one man and one woman shulde goo to ge­ther) he must be sobyr / of honest behavoure honestly appareld / herberous (that is / rea­dy to lodge straūgers / apte to teach / no drō kerde / no This oyle is not amonge oure bissho­pes. fyghter / not geven to fylthy lu­cre: but gentle / abhorringe fyghtinge / ab­horringe [Page] covetousnes and one that ruleth his awne howsholde honestly / havinge childern vnder obedience with all honeste. For if a man can not rule his awne house / how can he care for the congregacion of God? he maye not be younge in the faith or as a man wold saye an novice / lest he swell and faull in to the iudgemente of the evyll spea­ker / that is / he maye not be vnlerned in the secretes of the fayth. For soch are attonce stoburne and hedstronge and set not a litle by them selves. But alas / we have above twenty thousande that know no moare sc­ripture then is written in their por [...]oues and amonge them is he exceadinge well lerned that can turne to his service. He must be well reaported of them that are without / lest he fall in to rebuke and in to the snare of the evill speaker / that is / lest the infideles which yet beleve not shulde be hurte by hī and dreven from the fayth / yf a mā that were defamed were made hed and overser of the congregacion.

He must have a wife for .ij. causes. one / that it maye therby be knowen who is mete for the rowme.Prestes oughte to have wi­ves and why He is vnapte for so chargeable an office which had never housholde to rule. A nother cause is / that chastite is an exceadinge selden gyfte / and vnchastyte exceadinge perelous for that degre. In as moch as the people loke as well vnto the [Page lxxij] lyvinge as vnto the preachinge / and are hurte at once yf the lyvinge disagre / and fall from the fayth and beleve not the worde.

This oversear because he was taken from his awne busynes and laboure / to preach Gods worde vnto the paresh / hath ryght by the auctorite of his office / to ca­lenge an honest lyvinge of the paresh / as thou mayst se in the Evangelistes and al­so in Paul.What the prestes dutie ys to do: and what to have For who will have a servaunte and will not geve him meate / drynke and raymente and all thinges necessary? How Mē are not bound to pa­ye the prest in tithes: by gods law. they wold paye hym / whether in money or assigne him so moch rente or in tythes / as the gyse is now in many cōtrayes / was at their liberty.

Lyke wise in every cōgregaciō chose they a nother after the same ensample & evē so annoynted / as it is to se in the said chapter of Paul & Act. vj.Dyacō what it signifieth and what is his office. Whō after ye greke worde we call deacō / yt is to saye in english / a servaūte or a minister whose office was to helpe & as­siste ye prest & to gather vp his du [...]ie & to ga­ther for ye pore of ye paresh / which were destitute of frēdes & coulde not worke / cōmē bedgers to runne frō dore to dore / were not thē sofered.No bedgers On ye sayntes dayes namely soch as had sofered deeth.How holy dayes and offerynges ca­me vp. For ye worde sake ca­me men to gether in to the church / and the prist preached vnto them and exhorted thē to cleave fast vnto the worde and to be [Page] stronge in the fayth and to fyght agenst the powers of the worlde / with soferīge for the­ir faythes sake after the ensample of ye sayntesSaintes we­re not yet godes.. And taught them not to beleve in the sayntes and to trust in their merites and to make Gods of them: but toke the sayntes for an example only and prayed God to geve them lyke fayth and trust in his worde ād lyke strength and power to sofre therfore ād to geve them so sure hope of the lyfe to co­me / as thou maist se in the collects of sayn­te Laurence and of saynte Steven in oure lady matēs. And in soch dayes / as we now offer / so gave they every mā his porcion a­cordinge to his abylite and as God put in his herte / to the mayntenaunce of the prest deakon and other comune ministers and of the pore and to fynde lerned men to teach / and so forth. And all was putt in the han­des of the deacon / as thou mayst se in the lyfe of saynte Laurence and in the histori­es Why landes were geven vnto the spi­rituall offi­cers before we fell from the fayth. And for soch purposes gave men lādes afterwarde to ease the pareshes and made hospitals & also places to teach their chil­dern and to bringe them vppe and to nur­toure them in Gods worde / which londes oure monkes now devoure.

Antichrist.

ANtychrist of a nother maner hath sent forth his disciples those false anoyn­ted of which Christe warneth vs befo­re that they shuld come ād shewe miraclesFalse anoynted [Page lxxiij] and wonders / even to bringe the very electe out of the waye / yf it were possible. Shavinge [...] borowed of the hethē. and oylīge of the Iewes. He anoynteth them after the maner of the Ie­wes and shaveth them and shoreth thē af­ter the maner of ye hethen prestes which ser­ved the ydoles. He sendeth them forth not with false oyle only / but with false False names nam­es also. For compare their names vnto their deades and thou shalt fynde them false. He sendeth them forth as Paul prophesied of them .ij. Thessalonien. ij. with lyenge signes and wonders. Lyenge sig­nes. What signe is the anoyntinge? that they be full of the holy goost. Compare them to the signes of the holy gost which Paul rekeneth / & thou shalt fynde it a false signe. A Bisshope must be fautelesse / the husbande of one wife. No wife but an whore Nay sayth the Pope / the husbāde of no wife / but the holder of as many whores as he liste­th. God commaundeth all degres / yf they burne and can not lyve chast / to mary. The Pope saith yf thou burne take a Take a dispē sation [...]. dispen­sacion for a concubine and put her awaye / when thou art olde / or else as oure lawears saye / sinon caste tamen Knaveate caute / that is / if ye live not chaste / se ye cary clene and playe the knave secretly. Herberous / yee to who­res & baudes / for a pore man shall as sone breake his necke as his fast with them / but of the scrappes and with the dogges / when diner ys done. Apte to teach and as Peter [Page] saith .j. Pe. ij. ready all wayes to geve an ā ­swere to every man yt axeth you a reason of the hope yt ye have and that with mekenes. Which thīge is signified by ye botes which doctours of divinite are created in / Botes because they shulde be ready all wayes to goo tho­row thicke & thynne / to preache Gods wor­de / and by the Bisshopes two horned my­ter / which betokeneth the absolute & perfecte knowleage yt they oughte to have in the new testamēte ād the olde.Miters. Be not these false signes? For they beate only and teach not. Ye saith ye Pope if they will not be ruled Cite them cite them to appere and Pose them pose them sharply / what ye holde of ye Popes power / of his par­dōs / of his bulles / of purgatorye / of the ceremonies / of cōfessiō & soch like creatures of oure most holy fathers. Yf they misse in any poīte / Make them heretikes make heretikes of thē ād burne thē. Yf they be of mine annoīted and beare my marke disgresse thē / I wold saye disgraduate thē & (after ye exāple of noble Antiochus ij. Mach. vij.) pare ye crounes & the fingers of thē ād tormēte thē craftily & for very payne make them denye the trueth.Burne them But now saye oure Bisshopes / because the trueth is come to ferre abroade and the laye people begynne to smell oure wiles / it is best to op­presse them with craft secretly and tame them in prison: Yee lat vs fynde the me­anes to have them in the kynges prison ād [Page lxxiiij] to make treason of soch doctrine: Yee we must stere vp some warre one where or a nother to bringe the people in to a nother imaginacion. Yf they be gentyll men abiu­re them secretly.

Curse them .iiij. tymes in they yeare.Curse them▪ Feare them Make them a frayde of every thinge and namely to twich myne anoynted / and make them to feare the sentence of the chyrch / suspencions / excomunicacions and curses. Be the right or wronge / beare them in hande that they are to be feared yet. Preach me and myne auctorite / and how terreble a thinge my curse is / and how blacke it ma­keth their soules. On the holydayes which were ordened to preach Gods worde / sett vppe longe ceremonies / longe matenses / longe masses and longe even songes / and all in All in latin [...] laten that they vnderstonde not / and Rolle them rowle them in darkenes / that ye ma­ye lede thē who ther ye woll. And lest soch thinges shulde be to tediouse / Singe synge so­me / saye some pype some / ringe ye belles ād Kynge lulle thē & rocke thē a slepe.Lolle them And yet Paul (j. Corint. xiiij. forbiddeth to speake in the chirch or congregaciō save in ye tonge yt all vnderstōde.Rocke them a stepe. For ye laye mā therby is not edefied or taught. How shall ye laye man saye amē (saith Paul) to thy blessinge or thākes gevīge / whē he woteth not what thou saist? He wotteth not wether thou blesse or curse

[Page] Pray in latē.What then saith the Pope / what care I for Paul. I commaunde by the vertue of o­bedience to reade the Gospell in latyne.Saye them a Gospell. Let thē not praye but in latyne no / not there pa­ter noster. Yf any be sycke / goo also and sa­ye them a Gospell and all in latyne: yee to the very corne and frutes of the felde in the procession weke / preach the Gospell in la­tyne. Make the people beleve / that it shall growe the better. It is verely as good to preach it to swyne as to men / if thou preach it in a tonge they vnderstonde not. How shall I prepare my selfe to Gods comma­undmentes? How shall I be thankefull to Christe for his kyndnes? How shall I be­leve the trueth and promyses which God hath sworne / whyle thou tellest them vnto me in a tonge which I vnderstonde not? What then saith my lorde of Caunterbury to a prest that wolde have had the new testamēte gone forth in english.What q [...]od my lorde of caunterbury What (saith he) woldest thou that the laye people shulde we­te what we doo?

No fyghter / which I suppose is signified by the crosse that is borne before the hie prelates and borne before them in procession.Crosse. Is that also not a false signe? What realme can be in Turmoy­lars peace for soch turmoylars? What so lytle a paresh is it / but they will picke o­ne quarell or a nother with them other / for some syrples / cresome or mortuary / other [Page lxxv] for one tryfle or other / and cyte them to the arches? Trayters they are to all creatures and have a secret conspiracion betwene thē selves. One craft they have / to make many kyngdomes and small / and to norysh olde tytles or quarells that they maye ever move thē to warre at their pleasure.The craft of the prelates. And if moch landes by any chaunce / fall to one mā / ever to cast [...] bone in the waye / that he shall ne­ver be able to obteyne it / as we now se in the Emperoure. Why? For as longe as the kin­ges be small / yf God wolde open the eyes of any to set a reformacion in his realme / thē shulde the Pope Interdite. interdicte his londe / and sende in other princes to conquere it.

Not geven to fylthy lucre / but abhorrin­ge covetousnes. And as Peter saith .j. Petri. v. Takynge the oversight of them / not as though ye were compelled there vnto: but willingly. Not for desyre of fylthy lucre but of a good mynde: not as though ye were lordes over the paryshes (over the paryshes quoth he) O Peter Peter thou wast to lon­ge a fysher / thou wast never brought vppe at the arches / nether wast master of the Rol­les / ner yet chaunceler of Englonde.Peter went never to sco­le at the ar­ches. They are not content to raygne over kynge and Emperoure & the hole erth: but calēge auc­torite also in hevē & in hel. It is not ynough for them to raygne over all that are quycke / but have created them a purgatory / to rayg­ne [Page] also over the deed and to have one kyng­dome moare then God him selfe hath.The Pope hath one kīgdome moare then god him selfe But that ye be an ensāple to ye flocke (saith peter) And whē ye chefe sheparde shall appere ye shall receave an incorruptible croune of glo­rie This abhorrīge of covetousnes is signified as I suppose by shavinge and Sheringe what it signifieth she­ringe of the heare / that they have no super­fluite. But is not this also a false signe? ye verely it is to them a remembraunce to shere and shave / to hepe benefice apon benfice / promocion apon promocion / dignite apon dignite / bisshopricke apō bisshopricke / with pluralities / vnions and tot quots.

Tot quo [...]Fyrst by the auctorite of the Gospell / they that preach the worde of God in every paresh and other necessary ministres / ha­ve right to calēge an honest lyvinge lyke vnto one of the brethern / ād there with ought to be contente Bisshopes that preach not. Bisshopes ād prestes that preach not or that preach oughte save Gods worde / are none of Christes nor of his ano­yntinge: but servauntes of the beest whose marke they beare / whose worde they preach whose law they mayntene cleane agēst gods law / and with their false sophistry geve hym greater power then God ever gave to his sonne Christ.

BVt they as vnsaciable beestes not vn­myndfull why they were shaven and shoren / because they will stande at [Page lxxvj] no mans grace or be in any mans daun­ger / have gotten in to their awne handes / fyrst the Tithes tythe or tenth of all the realme. Then I suppose with in a litle or all to ge­ther the third fote of all the Temporall landes temporall londes.

Marke well how many personages or vicariages ar ther in the Realme which at the lest have a plowe londe a pece. Then note the londes of Bisshopes / Abbotes / Pryors / Nunnes / knyghtes of saynt Io­hns / Cathedrall chyrches / Coleges / Cha­untryes and Frechapels.Frechapell For though the house fall in decaye and the ordinaunce of the founder belost / yet will not they loose the londes. What cometh once in / maye never moare out. They make a frecha­pell of it / so that he which enioyeth it shall doo nought therfore. Besydes all this / how many chaplaynes doo gentlemen fynde at their awne cost in their houses. How ma­ny synge for soules by testamentes. Then the provinge of Testamen­tes testamentes / the presin­ge of goodes the Bisshope of Caunter­buryes prerogatyve. Ys that not moch thorow the Realme in a yere? Foure Offeringe dayes Prevey ty­thes. offe­ringe dayes and prevey tythes. There is no servaunte / but that he shall paye some what of his wages. None shall receave the body of Christ at Ester / be he never so po­re [Page] a bedger or never so yoūge a lad or mayd / but they must paye some what for it. Then Mortuariesmortuaryes for forgotē tythes (as they saye) And yet what parsone or vicare is there that will forgete to have a pygyn howse to pecke vp somewhat both at sowīge tyme ād at hervest whē corne is rype. They will forgette no thinge. No man shall dye in their dett / or if any man doo / he shall paye it whē he is deed. They will loose no thīge. Why? It is Gods / it is not thers. It is sent Cud­bertes rentes / sent Albās londes / sent Edmonds ryght / sent Peters patrimonye saye they / and none of oures.If ye dye frō home. Item if a mā dye in a nother mans paresh / bysides yt he must paye at home a mortuary for forgoten ty­thes / he must there Thou must paye ye [...] thou passe. paye also the best that he there hath. Wether it be an horse of twenty pound or how good so ever he be / ether a cheyne of golde of an hundret marke or fyve hundret pounde / if it so chaunce. It is moch veryly for so litle payne takynge in cō fession and in ministringe the sacramentes. Then Pery pillage beedrolles. Item chrisome / chyrchinges / banes / weddinges / offeringe at weddinges / offeringe at buryenges / offe­ringe to images / offeringe of waxe & lygh­tes which come to their vauntage / besydes the supersticious wast of waxe in torches and tapers thorow out the londe. Then bro­therhedes and perdoners. What gete they [Page lxxvij] also by confessions?Confession Yee and many enioy­ne penaunce to geve a certayne for to have so many masses saide / and desire to provide a chappellayne them selves. Soul masses diriges / monethmyndes / yeres myndes / al soul daye and trētals. The mother chyrch ād ye hie altare must have some what in e [...]ery testamēte. Offerīges at prestes fyrst masses.Firste masse. Professinges Coniu [...]atiōs Itē no mā is professed / of what so ever religiō it be / but he must bringe sōme what. The halowinge or rather coniuringe of chirches / chapels / altares / superaltares / chali­ce vestimentes and belles. Then boke / bell / candelsticke / organes / chalice / vestimentes copes / altare clothes / syrpleses: towels basens / euars / shepe / senser and all maner ornamentes must be founde them frely / they will not geve a myte there vnto.Person Uicare Parish prest Freres Last of all what swarmes of bedginge freres are there The person shereth the vicare shaveth / the perish prest polleth / the frere scrapeth and the perdoner pareth we lacke but a bocher to pole of the skynne.

What gete they in their Spirituall lawspirituall law (as they call it) in a yere / at the arches ād in every dioses? what gete the Commissaries and officials with their somners and apparetars by bawdery in a yere?A prepre cō ­mod [...]e of confession. Shall ye not fynde curates ynowe which to flatter the cō messaries and officials with all that they maye goo quite them selves shall open vn­to [Page] them the cōfessiōs of the richest of theyr pareshes. Whom they cite prively and laye to their charges secretly. Yf they desyre to knowe their accusers / naye saye they / the mater is knowen well ynough and to moare then ye are ware of. Laye youre hand one the boke Come laye youre hā de on the boke / yf ye forswere your selfe / we shall bringe proves / we will handle you / we will make an ensāple of you. Oh hoe terreble are they? Come and swere (saye they) that ye wilbe obediēte vnto oure iniunctiōs And by that craft wringe they their purses and make them droppe as longe as there is a peny in them. In thre or foure yeres shall they in those offices gete ynough to paye for a bisshopes bulles. What other thinge are these in a realme save horsleches and evē very magottes cancres and caterpillers / which devoure no moare but all that is grene and those wolves which Paul prophesi­ed shuld come ād shuld not spare the flocke Actes. xx. chapter. And which Christ said shuld come in lambes skynnes and bade vs beware of them and iudge thē bi their wor­kes.

No mā maye avenge save the kynge ād he is bounde by his office.THough as I before have sufficiently proved / a christen man must sofre all thinge / be it never so greate vnright / as lon­ge as it is not agenst Gods commaundmē te / nether is it lawfull for him to cast any burthen of his backe by his awne auctorite [Page lxxviij] tyll God pull it of which layd it on for ou­re deservinges / yet ought the kynges every where to defende their realmes from soch oppression / if they were christen / which is selden sene and is an hard thinge verely / though not impossible. For alas they beKinges are in captivite. captyves or ever they be kynges / yee all most yer they be borne. No man maye be sofered aboute them but flatterers and soch as are fyrst sworne true vnto oure most holye fathers the Bisshopes that is to saye false to God and man.

Yf any of the nobles of the realme be true to the kynge ād so bolde that he dare coun­cell him that which shulde be to his honoure and for the wealth of the realme. They will wayte a season for him (as men saye) They will provide a goostly father for him. God bringe their wekednes to lighte There is no mischeve where of they are not the rote / ner bloud shedde / but thorow their cause other by there counsell or in that they preach not true obedience and teach not the people to feare God. Yf any faythfull servaunte be in all the courte / he shall have twē ty spies waytinge vpon him / he shalbe cast oute of the courte / or (as the sayenge is) cō veyed to Callyce / and made a captayne / or an ambassadoure / he shalbe kepte farre ynough from the kynges presens.The dutie of kynges.

The kynges ought Isaye to remēbre yt they [Page] are in Gods stede and ordened of God not for them selves / but for the welth of their subiectes. Let them remēbre that their subiectes are their brethern / their flesh and bloude / membres of their awne body and even their awn selves in Christe. Therfore ought they to pytie them and to ryd thē from soch wyly tyrany which encreaseth moare & moare dayly. And though that the kynges by the falshed of the Bisshopes and Abbottes be sworne to defēde soch lyberties: yet ou­ght they not to kepe their Unlawfull othes ought to be broken ād maye with out dispensation othes / but to breake them. For as moch as they are vnryght and clene agenst Gods ordinaunce / & even but cruell oppression / contrary vnto brotherly love and charyte. Unlawfull othes ought to be broken ād maye with out dispensation Moare over the spirituall officer ought to punesh no synne / but and yf any synne breake out the kynge is ordened to punesh it and they not: but to pre­ach and exorte them to feare God and that they synne not.

And let the kynges put doune some of their tyrany / and turne some vnto a comenwelth. Yf the tenth parte of soch tyrany were geven the kynge yerely and leyd vppe in the shyre tounes agenst the realme had neade / what wold it growe to in certen yeres? Moare over one kynge / one lawe / is Gods ordinaūce in every realme. The kynge only oughte to punesh synne I meane that ys brokē forth the hert must remay­ne to God. Therfore ought not the kynge / to suffer them to have a seve­rell lawe by them selves and to drawe his [Page lxxix] subeictes thither. Hit is not mete / will they saye that a The sprite perteyneth vnto the sha­ven only. spirituall man shulde be iud­ged of a worldly or a temporall mā.The sprite perteyneth vnto the sha­ven only.O abhomination: se how they divide and separate them selves? Yf the laye man be of ye worlde / so is he not of God. Yf he beleve in Christe / then is he a membre of Christe / Christes brother / Christes flesh / Christes blou­de / Christes spouse / coheyre with Chri­ste and hath his sprite in erneste and is also spirituall. Yf they wolde robbe vs of the sprite of God / why shuld they feare to robbe vs of worldly goodes? Be cause thou art put in office to preach Gods worde / art thou therfore no moare one of thy brethern? ys the Mayre of Lōdon no moa­re one of the Cite / because he is the chefe officer? Ys the kynge no moare of the realme because he is heed there of. The kinges law is Gods lawe. The kynge is in the rowme of God / ād his lawe is Gods lawe and no thinge but the lawe of nature and naturall equite which God graved in the hertes of men. Yet Antichriste is to good to be iudged by the lawe of God he must have a newe of his awne makinge It were mete verely that they wente to no lawe at all. No moare neaded they / yf the wolde studie to preach Gods worde truely and be content with sufficient and to be lyke one of their brethern.

Yf any question arose aboute the fath or [Page] of the scripture / that let them iudge by the manyfest and open scriptures / not exclu­dinge the laye men.How mē oughte to iudge questions of the scripture For there are many fo­unde amonge the laye men which are as wise as the officers. Or else when the of­ficer dyeth / how coude we put a nother in the rowme? Wilt thou so teach .xx.xxx.xl. or fyfty yeres / that no man shall have kno­wlege or iudgement in Gods worde save thou only? We come ofte to scole. But are never taughte. Is it not a shame that we Christen come so oft to church in vayne / when he of foure score yeres old knoweth no moare then he that was borne yesterdaye.

Kīges ough­te to se what they doo and not to beleve the bisshopes namely seinge their lyvī ge is so sore suspecteMoare over when the spirituall offi­cers have excommunicate any mā or ha­ve condemned any opinion for heresy: Let not the kynge nor temperall officers pu­nesh and sley by and by at their comma­undment. But let them loke on Gods wor­de / and compare their iudgement vnto the scripture and se whether it be right or no / and not beleve them at the fyrst choppe / what so ever they saye namely in thin­ges that parteyne vnto their awne aucto­rites and power. For no man is a right iudge in his awne cause. It pertey­neth vnto all men to know the scriptures Why doeth christe commaunde the scripture to be prea­ched vnto all creatures / but that it pertey­neth vnto all men to knowe them? Christe referreth him selfe vnto the scriptures Iohn [Page lxxx] v. And in the .xj. Chapter of Mathew / vnto the question of Iohn Baptistes dis­ciples he answered. The blynde se / the lepers are clēsed / the deed aryse agayne &c. meanynge that if I doo the workes which are prophesied that Christe shulde doo whē he cometh / why dowte ye whether I be he or no as who shuld saye / axe the scrip­ture whether I be Christ or no and not my selfe. How happeneth it then that ou­re prelates will not come to the light also that we maye se whether their workes be wrought in God or no? Why feare they to lett the laye men se what they doo? Why make they all their examinacions in dar­kenes?☜ Why examine they not their cau­ses of heresye openly / as the laye men doo their fellons and mortherars? Wherfore did Christ and his Apostles also warne vs so diligently of Antychriste and of fal­se Prophetes that shulde come? Becau­se that we shulde slomber or slepe careles­se [...] or rather that we shulde loke in the light of the scripture with all diligens to spie them when they came / and not to sofre oure selves to be disceaved ād led out of the waye? Iohn biddeth iudge the spirites. Whereby shall we iudge them but by the scripture? How shallt thou know / whe­ther the Prophet be true or false or whether he speake gods worde or of his awne heed yf [Page] thou wilt not se the scriptures? Why said David in the seconde psalme be lerned ye that iudge the erth lest the lorde be angry with you ād ye pereshe frō the righte waye?Be lerned ye that iudge the erth:

A terrible warninge verely: ye and loke on the stories well ād thou shalt fynde ve­rey few kynges sens the begynninge of the worlde that have not pereshed frō the righ­te waye / ād that because they wolde not be lerned.

The Emperoure and kynges are no thin­ge now a dayes but even hangmen vnto the Pope ād Bisshopes / to kyll whosoever they condemne / with out any moare a doo / as Pilate was vnto the scribes and pharises and the hie Bisshopes / to hange Christe.The kynges are become Antichristes hangemen. For as those prelates answered Pilate (whē he axed what he had done) yf he were not an evyll doer we wolde not have brought hym vnto the. As who shuld saye / we ar to holy to doo any thinge amisse / thou mayst beleve vs well ynough: ye and his bloude on oure heedes / sayed they / kyll hī hardly / we will beare the charge / oure soules for thine: we have also a lawe by which he ought to dye / for he calleth him selfe Gods sone. Even so saye oure prelates / he ought to dye by oure lawes / he speaketh agenst the church. And your grace is sworne to defende the lyber­ties and ordinaunces of the church and to mayntene oure most holy fathers auctorite [Page lxxxj] [...] soules for youres / ye shall doo a meri­torious deade therin. Never thelesse as Pi­late escaped not the iudgemēte of God / even so is it to be feared lest oure temperall po­wers shall not. Wherfore Be lerned ye that iudge the [...]. be lerned ye ye iudge the erth lest ye lorde be angry with you ād ye peresh frō the ryghte waye.

Who slew ye prophetes? Who slew Christe? Who slew his Apostles?Who slew the prophe [...]e [...] Who the marters and all the ryghteous that ever were slayen? The kynges and the temperall swerde at the requeste of the false prophetes. They deserved soch morther to doo and to have their parte with the ypocrites because they wolde not be lerned and se the trouth them selves. Why were the prophetes slayne. Wherfore sofered the prophetes? because they rebuked the ypocrites which begyled the worlde and namely prynces ād rulers and taught them to put their trust in thinges of vanite ād not in Gods wordeWhat deades of mercy te­ach the ypo­crites. And taught them to doo soch deades of mercy as were profitable vnto no man but vnto the false prophetes them selves only / makynge marchaundyse of Gods worde. Why slew they christ. wherfore slew they Christe? even for rebukynge the ypocrytes: because he said / wo be to you scribes and pharises ypocrites / for ye shut vp the kyngdome of heven before mē Math. xxiij. yt is / as it is writen Luke. xj. ye have taken awaye the The keyes. keye of knowlea­ge. The lawe of God which is ye keye where [Page] with men bynde / and the promyses which are the keyes where with men lowse have oure ypocrites also taken awaye. They will sofre no man to know Gods worde but burne it and make heresie of it: yee and becau­se the people begynne to smell their falshed they make it Christe y [...] a trayter and a breaker of the kynges peace. treason to the kynge and breakynge of the kīges peace to have so moch as their pater noster in englisshe. And in stede of Gods lawe / they bynde with ther awne lawe.How the y­pocrites bid and lowse. And in stede of Gods promises the lowse and iustifie with pardones & ceremonies which they thēselves have imagi­ned for their awne profit.☞ They preach it were better for ye to eate flesh on good freday thē to hate thy neyboure: but let any mā eate flesh but on a setterday or breake any other tradiciō of theirs / and he shalbe bounde & not lowsed / tyll he have payd ye vtter most ferthinge / other with shame most vyle or deeth most cruell / but hate thy neyboure as moch as thou wilt & thou shalt have no re­buke of thē / yee robbe hī / morther hī / & then come to thē & welcome. They have a sanctuary for ye / to save ye / yee ād a ne [...]verse / if thou cāst but rede a litle latēli though it be never so soryly / so yt thou be ready to receave ye beestes marke. They care for no vnderstōdī ge / it is ynough / yf thou canst rowle vpp a payre of matēses or an evēsonge & mūmell a few ceremonies. And because they be re­buked [Page lxxxij] / this they rage.Be lerned ye that iudge the erth. Be lerned therfore ye that iudge ye worlde lest God be angry with you & ye peresh frō the ryght waye.

Wo be to you scribes & phareses ypocrites / saith Christ / Math. xxiij. for ye For rebukyn­ge this was christe slayne And for the same cause a­re we perse­cuted. de­voure wedowes howses vnder a color of longe prayar. Oure ypocrites robbe not the wedowes only: but knyght / squyer / lorde duke kynge & Emperoure and even ye who­le worlde vnder the same coloure: teachin­ge the people to trust in their prayars and not in Christ for whose sake God hath for­geven all ye synne of the whole worlde / vn­to as many as repente & beleve. They be not a lit [...]e afrayd of purgatory that make pe [...] petuities They feare thē with purgatory and promyse to praye perpetually / lest the londes shulde ever re­tourne home agayne vnto the right heyres. What hast thou bought with robbinge thy heyres or with gevinge the ypocrites that which thou robest of other men? Perpetu­all prayar? Yee perpetuall payne. For they appoynte the no tyme of deliveraunce / the­ir prayars are so myghtie. The Pope for money can empty purgatory when he will It is verely purgatory. Why it is called purgato­ry. For it purgeth ād maketh clene riddaūce: yee it is hell. For it devoureth all thīges. His fatherhode sen­deth thē to hevē with Scala celi scala celi: yt is / with a ladder / to scale ye walles.The dore is stopte: vp ye must clyme and scale the walles For by the dore christ / will they not let thē come in. That do [...]re have they stopped vp / and that by cause [Page] ye shulde bye laders of them.Some are prayed for ād prayed to al­so. For some they praye dayly which gave them perpetuites and yet make sayntes of them receavinge offeringes in their names and teachinge o­ther to praye to them.The craft that helpeth other helpeth not his awne master None of them also which taketh vpon them to save other with their prayars trusteth to be saved theirby them selfes / but hyre other to praye for thē.

Moyses taketh recorde of God that he toke not of any of the people so moch as an asse / nether vexed any of them.Prayar was not solde in the olde tyme Numeri. xvj Samuel in the first boke of kynges the .xij. chapter / axed all Israel whether he had takē any mans [...]xe or asse or had vexed any man or had taken any gyft or rewarde of any man. And all the people testified naye / yet thes two both taught the people and al­so prayed for them as moch as oure prelates doo. Peter. j. Petri. v. exhortes the elders to take the oversight of Christes flocke not for fylthy lucre: but of a goodwill even for l [...] ve. Paul Act. xx. taketh the prestes or elders to recorde / that he had taught repētaūce and fayth and all the councell of God. And yet had desyred no mans gold / silver / or ve­sture: but feed him selfe with the laboure of his handes. And yet thes two taught and prayed for the people as moch as oure pre­lates doo / with whom it goeth after the cōmune sayenge / no peny no Pater noster. Which prelates yet as ye teach not but bea­ [...] [Page lxxxiij] ōly so wott they not what prayer meaneth.

Moareover the lawe of love which Chri­ste left amonge vs / is to geve and not to re­ceave. What prayar is it then that thus robbeth all the world contrary to that great cō ­maundmente which is the ende of all com­maundmentes and in which all other are conteyned.Their pray­ar breaketh the greate cō maundmēt of God. It is tyme that hyt were tyed vp therefore. Yf men shulde contynue to bye prayer foure or fyve hundred yeres moo / as they have done / there wold not be a foote of grounde in Christēdome nether any world­ly thinge which they that wilbe called spi­rituall only shulde not possesse. And thus all shulde be called spirituall.

Wo be to you lawyers / for ye lade men with burdēs which they are not able to be­are / and ye youre selves [...]owch not the pac­kes with one of youre fyngers saith Christ Luke. xj. Oure The burdēs of oure spiri­tuall lawyers lawyers verely have ladē vs a thousande tymes moare. What spirituall kynred have they made in baptī / to let ma­trimonie / besydes that they have added certen degrees vnto the law naturall for the same purpose. What an vnbearable burthen of chastite do they violently thrust on other mens backes / and how easely beare they it them selves? How sore a burdē? How cru­ell an hangman? How grevous a turmēte? yee and how paynefull an hell is this eare cōfession vnto mēs cōsciences?Confessiō turmente [...]h the cōscience: robbeth the pur [...] of money and the soule of faith For ye people are brought in belefe / yt without that they cā [Page] not be saved. In so moch yt some faste cer­teyne dayes in the yere & praye certē supersti­cious prayers all their lyves lōge / yt they maye not dye without confessiō. In perel of de­eth / if the prest be not by / the shippemen shrive them selves vnto the mast. Yf any be pre­sent / they runne then every mā in to his care but to Gods promyse fle they not: for they know them not. Yf any man have a deethes wounde / he cryeth immediatly for a prest. Yf a man dye without shrift many take it for a signe of damnacion. Many be reason of that false belefe dye in desperacion. Ma­ny for shame kepe backe of their confession xx.xxx. yeres and thinke all the while that they be damned. I knew a pore womā with childe which longed / and beinge overcomē of her passiō / eate flesh on a fredaye / which thinge she durst not confesse in the space of xviij. yeres / ād thought all that while that she had byn damned / ād yet synned she not at all. Is not this a sore burdē that so wey­eth downe the soule vnto he botome of hell? what shuld I saye? A greate boke were not sufficiente to reherse the snares which they have leyed to robbe men both of their goo­des and also of the trust which they shulde have in Gods worde.

The scribes and pharises doo all their workes to be sene of men. They sett abrode their philateries ād make longe borders on [Page lxxxiiij] their garmētes and love to sitt vppermost a [...] festes and to have the chefe seates in the sy­nagoges / that is in the cōgregacions or co­uncels / and to be called raby / that is to saye masters saith Christ Math. xxiij. Beholde the deades of oure spiritualte / and how ma­ny thousande fascions are amōge thē to be knowē by? Which as none is lyke a nother so loveth none a nother. For every one of thē supposeth that all other poll to fast ād ma­ke to many captives: yet to resist Christe / are they al agreed lest they shuld be all compeld to deliver vp there prisoners to him Bages or ba­bles to be knowen by. Beholde the mōstres how they are disgised / with miters / croses ād hattes / with crosses / pil­lers / & pollaxes / & with thre crownes. What names Glorious na­mes have they? my lorde prior / my lorde abbot / my lorde Bisshope / my lorde Arch­bisshope / Cardinal & legate: yf it please youre fatherhode / yf it please your lordschip / yf it please your grace / if it like your holynes ād innumerable soch like How are they estemed· Beholde how they are estemed / ād how hie they be crept vp a­bove all / not in to worldly seates only: but in to the seate of God the hertes of mē / where they sitt above God hī selfe. For both they & what so ever they make of their awne hee­des is moare feared ād dred / thē God & his cōmaundmētes. In thē and their deservin­ges put we moare trust thē in Christ and his merites. To their promyses gyve we moare [Page] fayth / thē to the promises which God hath sworne in Christes bloud.

The ypocrites saye vnto the kynges and lordes / these heretykes wolde have vs downe first / and then you / to make all comune. Kynges are doune: they cā not goo lower Naye ye ypocrites and right heretikes approved by open scripture / the kynges and lordes are downe allready / and that so lo­we that they can not goo lower. Ye treade them vnder your fete and leade them captive and have made them youre bonde servauntes to wayte on your fylthy lustes and to avenge your malice on every man contrary vnto the right of Gods worde. Ye have not only robbed them of there land / auctorite / honoure and due obedience which ye owe vnto them / but also of there wittes / so that they are not with out vnderstondinge in Gods word only but even in worldly ma­ters that pertayne vnto their offices / they are moare then childern. Ye bere thē in hād what ye will / and have broughte them even in case like vnto thē which whē they daunce naked in nettes / beleve they are invisible. We wolde have thē vpp agayne & restored vnto the rowme and auctorite which God hath geven thē / & where of ye have robbed thē. And your inwarde falshed we do but vtter only with ye light of Gods worde / that your ypocrisy myght be sene. Be lerned therfore ye yt iudge ye worlde lest God be angry [Page lxxxv] with yow & ye paresh frō ye right waye.

Wo be to you scribes and phareses ypo­crites. For ye make clene the vtter syde of the cuppe and of the platter / but within they are full of brybry and excesse saith Christ. Math. xxiij. Oure ypocrites lyve by thefte. Ys that which oure ypocrites eate and drinke and all their riotous exces­se any other thinge save robbery and that which they have falsly goten with their ly­inge doctrine? Be lerned therfore ye that iudge the worlde and compell them to ma­ke restitucion agayne.

Ye blinde gydes saith Christe / ye stray­ne out a gnat ād swalow a camell. Math xxiij. doo not oure blīde gydes also stōble at a straw & lepe over a blocke / makīge narow Consciences that are so narow aboute traditiōs have wide mouthes aboute Gods commaundmentes. consciences at trifyls / and at maters of weght none at all? Yf any of thē happen to swalow his spitall or any of the water where with he wesheth his mouth / yer he goo to masse / or towch the sacramente with his nose or if the asse forgett to breath on him or happen to handle it with ony of his fyng­ers which are not anoynted / or saye Alle­luia in stede of Laus tibi domine / or Ite missa est in stede of Benedicamus domino / or poure to moch wine in the chalice / or re­ade the Gospell without light / or make not his crosses a right / how trembleth he? how feareth he? what an horryble synne is com­mitted? I cry God mercy / saith he / and you [Page] my gostly fader. But to hold an whore or a nother mans wife / to bye a benefice / to sett one Realme at variaunce with a nother and to cause .xx. thousande men to die on a daye ys but a trifle and a pastime with them.

As the Ie­wes are the childern of Abraham▪ so are the bisshopes the successours of the apostles:The Iewes bostet them selves of Abra­ham. And Christe said vnto them. Iohn. viij Yf ye were Abrahams childern ye wolde doo the deades of Abraham. Oure ypocri­tes bost them selves of the auctorite of Pe­ter and of Paul and the other Apostles / cle­ane contrary vnto the deades and doctrine of Peter / Paul and of all the other Apost­les. Which both obeyed all worldly auctori­te & power vsurpinge none to thē selves / and taught all other to feare the kinges and ru­lers and to obeye them in all thinges not contrary to the commaundement of God / and not to resiste them / though they toke a­waye lyfe and goodes wrongefully / but pa­ciently to abyde Gods vengeaunce. This did oure spritualte never yet / ner taught it. The spiritu­alte have taughte to feare there traditi­ons: They taught not to feare God in his com­maundmentes / but to feare them in their tradicions. In so moch that the evyll peo­ple which feare not to resiste a good kynge and to ryse agenst him / dare not laye hon­des on one of them / nether for defylinge of wyfe doughter or very mother They wyn­ne some what all wayes When all men loose lyfe and londes / they remay­ne all wayes sure and in safty / ād ever wyn­ne [Page lxxxvj] some what. For who so ever conquereth other mens londes vnrightfully ever gevis them parte with them. To them is all thin­ge lawfull * In all councels and perlamen­tes are they the chefe. Without them ma­ye no kynge be crouned / nether vntill he be sworne to their lyberties. All secretes knowe they / even the very thoughtes of mennes hertes. By them all thinges are mynistred. No kynge nor Realme may thorow their falshed lyve in peace. To beleve they teach / not in Christe but in them and their disgised ypocrisie. And of them com­pell they all men to by redempciō and for­gevenes of synnes. The peoples synne they cate and ther of waxe fatte. The wekeder the people are / the moare prosperous is their comune wealth. Yf kynges and greate men doo amisse they must bylde abbayes and colleges / meane men bylde chauntres po­re fynde trentals ād broderhedes and bed­gynge freres. Their awne heyres doo men disheret to endote them. All kynges are compelled to submitte them selves to them Reade the [...]ory of kynge Iohn / and of o­ther kynges. They will have their cau­ses avenged / though hoole Realmes shul­de therfore parish. Take from them their desgisinge / so are they not spirituall. Com­pare that they have taught vs vnto the scripture / so are we without fayth.

[Page]Christ saith Iohn. v. chap. how can ye beleve which receave glorie one of a nother.They that seke honoure have no faith nether can they doo Gods message. Yf they that seke to be gloriouse / can have no fayth then are oure prelates faythlesse verely. And Iohn. vij. he saith / he that speaketh of him selfe / seketh his awne glorie. Yf to seke glo­rie and honoure be a sure token / that a mā speaketh of his awne selfe ād doeth his awne message and not his masters: then is the doctrine of oure prelates of them selfe & not of God. Be lerned therfore ye that iudge the erth lest God be angry with you and ye pe­resh from the right waye.

Be lernedBe lerned left the ypocrites bringe the wrath of God apon youre heedes and compell you to shede innocente bloude: as they have compelled youre predicessours to sley the prophetes / to kyll Christe and his Apostles and all the righteous that sens were slayne Gods word oughte all mē to know Gods worde pertayneth vnto all mē as it perteyneth vnto all servauntes to knowe their masters will and pleasure / and to all subiectes to knowe the lawes of their prynce Let not the ypocrites doo all thinge They doo all secretly secretly. What reason is it that myne enimy shulde put me in prison at his pleasure and there diet me and handyll me as he lusteth / & iud­ge me him selfe and that secretly / and condē ne me by a lawe of his awne makynge / and then deliver me to Pilate to morther me? Let Gods worde trye every mans doctrine [Page lxxxvij] and whome so ever gods worde proveth vnclene let hī be takē for a leper Gods worde ought to iudge The ryghte way to vnderstōd the scripture. One scripture will helpe to declare a nother. And the circū staunces / that is to saye / the places that goo before and after / will geve light vnto the mydill texte. And the open and manyfest scriptures will ever improve the false and wron­ge exposition of the darker sentēces. Let the temporall power to whom God hath gevē the swerde to take vengeaunce / loke or ever that they lepe / and se what they doo. Let the causes be disputed before them / and let him that is accused have rowme to answere for him selfe. The kinges have a iudge before whom my soule for yours helpeth not The powers to whom God hath cōmitted the swerde shall geve a countes for every droppe of bloud that is shed on the erth. Then shall their ignoraunce not excuse them nor the sayenge of the ypocrites helpe them / my soule for yours / youre grace shall doo a meretorious deade / your grace ought not to heare them it is an olde heresie condē ned by the church▪ The kynge ought to loke in the scripture and se whether it were truly condemned or no / Yf he will punesh it. Yf the kinge or his officer for hī / will flee me so ought ye kinge or his officer to iudge me. The kīge can not / but vnto his damnation / lend his swerd to kyll whom he iudgeth not by his awne lawes. Let hī that is accused stōd on the one syde and the accusar on the other syde and let the kynges iudge syt and iudge [Page] the cause / yf the kynge will kyll and not be a murtherar before God.

Here of maye ye se / not only that oure persecuciō ys for the same cause that Chris­tes was and that we saye no thinge that Christe said not / Preach what thou wilt but rebuke not y­pocrisy. but also that all persecuci­on ys only for rebukynge of ypocresy / that ys to saye / of mās ryghteousnes and of ho­ly deades which man hath imagined to please God ād to be saved by / with out Gods worde ād besyde the testamente that God hath made in Christe. Yf Christe had not rebuked the phareses because they taught the people beleve in their tradicions and holynes and in offeringes that came to their vauntage / and that they taught the wydowes and them that had their fren­des deed to beleve in their prayers and that thorow their prayers the deed shul­de be saved / and thorow that meanes robbed them both of their goodes and also of the testamente and promyses th­at God had made / to all that repented / in Christ to come / he mighte have be vncrucified vnto this daye.

Yf saynte Paul also had not preached agenst circumcision / that it iustified not and that vowes / offeringes and ceri­monies iustified not / and that righte­ousnes and forgevenes of synnes ca­me not by any deservinge of our deades [Page lxxxxiij] but by fayth or belevinge the promyses of God and by the deservinge and merites of Christ only / he myghte have lyved vnto this houre. Lyke wise yf we preached but agenst pryde covetousnes / lechery / extorcion / vsa­ry / symony and agēst the evell lyvinge both of the spiritualte as well as of the temporalte and agēst inclosynges / of parkes / reysinge of rēte & fynes / and of the caryēge out of wolle out of the realme / we myghte endure longe ynowe. But twich the scabbe of ypo­cresye or popeholynes and goo aboute to vtter their false doctrine where with they reygne as Gods in the herte and consciences of men and robbe them / not of Londes goodes and auctoryte only / but also of the testamente of God and salvation that is in Christe: then helpeth the nether Gods wor­de / ner yet yf thou diddest miracles / but that thou art / not an heritike only and hast the devell with in the / but also a breaker of the kynges peace and a traytar. But let vs retourne vnto oure lyenge sygnes agayne.

WHat signifieth that the prela­tes are so bloudie and clothed in redd?The prela­tes are clo­thed in red. that they be ready every houre to sofre▪ martirdome for the testimonie of Gods worde. Is that also not a false signe? [Page] When no man dare for them ones open his moth to axe a question of Gods worde be­cause they are ready to burne him.

Pollaxes.What signifie the pollaxes that are bor­ne before hye legates a latere? What so ever false sygne they make of them I care not: but of this I am sure / that as the olde ypocri­tes when they had slayne Christe / sette pol­laxes to kepe him in his sepulcre yt he shuld not ryse agayne: even so have oure ypocrites buried the testamente that God made vnto vs in Christes bloude / and to kepe it doune / that it ryse not agayne / ys all their study? where of these pollaxes are the very sygne.

Is not that shepardes hoke the Bissho­pes crose a false signe? Is not that white ro­chett that the Bisshopes and chanons we­re so lyke a Nunne and so effeminatly / a fal­se signe? What other thinges are their san­dals / gloves / myters and all the whole pō ­pe of their disgisinge / then false signes in which Paul prophesied that they shuld co­me? And as Christe warned vs to be ware of wolves in lambes skynnes and bade vs loke rather vnto their frutes Iudge the [...] by his frute and not by his lev [...] and dea­des than to wonder at their disgi­singes. R [...]nne thorout all ou­re holy religions / and thou shalt fynde thē like wise all clo­thed ī falshed

¶Of the sacramentes.

FOr as moch as we be come to signes / we will speake a worde or two of the signes which God hath ordened that is to saye / of the sa­cramentes which Christe left amōgest vs for our cōforte / that we ma­ye walke in light and in trouth and in fea­linge of the power of God. For he that wal­keth in the daye stombleth not / when con­trary wyse he that walketh in the nyght stō ­bleth Iohn. xj. And they yt walke in darknes wotte not wheder they goo. Ioh. xij.

This worde sacramēte is as moch to saye as an holy signe / ād representeth allwaye some promise of God.Sacramentes are signes of gods promises As in the olde testa­mēte God ordeyned yt the raynebowe shul­de represent ād signifie vnto all mē an othe that God sware to Noe ād to all mē after him / that he wolde no more drownd the worlde thorow water.

¶The sacrament of the body and bloud of Christe.

SO the sacramente of the body & bloude of christe hath a promise annexed which the prest shulde declare in the english tonge This is my body yt is brokē for you. This is my bloude yt is shed for many vnto ye forgevenesse of synnes. This do in remēbra­unce [Page] of me saith Christe. Luke. xxij. And .j. Corinth. xj.The promyse which the sa­crament prea­cheth iustifieth only. Yf when thou seist the sacra­ment or eatest his body or drinkest his bloude / thou have this promyse fast in thine herte (that his body was slayne / and his bloud shed for thy synnes) and belevest it / so art thou saved and iustified therby. Yf not / so helpeth it the not / though thou he­arest a thousāde masses in adaye or though thou doist no thinge else all thy lyfe longe / then eate his body or drinke his bloude: no moare then it shulde helpe the in a deed thurst / to beholde a bussh at a taverne dore / if thou knewest not therby yt there were wine with in to be solde.

¶Baptim.

BAptim hath also his worde and pro­mise which the prest ought to teach the people ād Christen them in the english tonge / and not to playe the popengay with Credo saye ye / volo saye ye ād baptis mum saye ye / for there ought to be no mummyn­ge in soch a mater. The prest before he baptiseth axeth sayenge: belevest thou in God the father almyghty / and in his sonne Ie­sus Christe / and in the holy goost / and that the congregaciō of christe is holy. And they saye yee. Thē the prest appon this fayth baptiseth the childe in the name of the father / and of the sonne / and of the holy goost / for ye forgevenesse of sīnes / as peter saith Act. ij

The washynge without the worde hel­peth [Page xc] not: but thorow the worde it purifieth and clenseth vs. As thou readest Ephe. v. How christe clenseth the congregacion in the founteyne of water thorow the worde. The worde is the promise that God hath made How the sa­cramentes iu­st [...]fy. Now as a preacher / in preachinge the worde of God saveth ye hearers that be­leve / so doeth the washinge in that it prea­cheth and representeth vnto vs the promise that God hath made vnto vs in Christe. The washinge preacheth vnto vs / that we are clensed with Christes bloudeshedinge which was an offeringe and a satisfaction for the sinne of all that repente and beleve consentinge and submittinge them selves vnto the will of God. The plunginge in to the water signifieth that we dye and are bu­ryed with Christ as cōcerninge the olde ly­fe of synne which is Adam. And the pul­linge out agayne signifie [...]h that we rise aga­yne with christe in a new lyfe full of the ho­ly goost which shall teach vs and gyde vs ād worke the will of God in vs as thou seist Roma. vj.

¶Of wedlocke.

MAtrimonie or wedlocke is a state or a degree ordined of god & an office where in ye husbāde serveth ye wife & ye wife ye hus­bōde. It was ordined for a remedy & to en­crease the worlde / and for the man to helpe the woman and the woman the mā with all love and kyndes / and not to signifie any promise [Page] that ever I herde or redde of in ye scripture.Matrimony was not ordeyned to signy­fy any promy­se. Therfore ought it not to be called a sa­cramente. It hath a promise that we synne not in that state / yf a man receave his wife as a gyft geven to him of God / and the wife her husbōde lyke wise: as all maner meates and drinkes have a promyse that we synne not / yf we vse them measurably with than­kes gevinge. Yf they call matrimonie a sa­crament because the scripture vseth the si­militude of matrimonie to expresse the ma­riage or wedlocke that is betwene vs ād christe (For as a woman though she be never so pore / yet when she is maried / is as rych as her husbande: even so we when we repente and beleve the promises of God in Christe / though we be never so pore synners / yet a­re as rich as Christe / all his merites are ours with all that he hath) Yf for that cau­se they call it a sacramente: so will I mu­sterde seed / leven / a net / keyes / bred / wa­ter and a thousande other thinges which Christe and the prophetes and all the scrip­ture vse / to expresse the kyndgome of heven and Gods worde with all. They prayse wedlocke with their mouth / and sa­ye it is an holy If wedlocke be holy why had they lever have whores then wives. thinge / as it is verely: but had lever be sanctified with an whore / thē to come with in ye sentory

¶Of order.

SVbdeacō / deacon / prest / Bisshope / Car­dinall / Patriarch and Pope / be names of offices and serves or shulde be / and not sacramentes. There is no promise cou­pled therwith. Yf they minister their offi­ces truly / it is a signe that Christes sprite is in them / if not / that the devyll is in them. Are thes all sacramentes / or which one of them? Or what thinge in them is that ho­ly signe or sacramente? The shavinge or the anoyntinge? What also is the promise that is signified therby? But what wordes prin­teth in them that character Character. that spirituall seale? O dreamers ād naturall beestes wit­hout ye seale of the sprite of God: but sealed with the marke of the beeste and with can­cred consciences.

There is a worde called in latine sacerdos in greke hiereus / in hebrue cohan / Sacerdos. that is a minister an officer / a sacrificer or a prest / as Aaron was a preste and sacrificed for the people and was a mediator betwene God and them And in the english shulde it have had some other name then preste: But An­tychrist hath deceaved vs with vnknowen and straunge termes / to bringe vs in to cō ­fusion and supersticious blindenes. Of that maner is Christe a preste for ever and all we prestes thorow him and neade no moare of any soch preste on erth to be a meane for vs [Page] vnto God. For Christe hath brought vs all in into the inner temple within the vayle or forehanginge / and vnto the mercy stole of God. And hath coupled vs vnto God / where we offer every man for him selfe the desyres and petitions of his hert / and sacrifice and kyll the lustes and appetites of his flesh with prayer / fastinge and all maner godly livinge.

Presbiter▪A nother worde is there in greke called presbiter / in laten / senior / in english an elder and is nothinge but an officer to teach and not to be a mediator betwene God and vs. Thys neade no anoyntinge of man.Prestes now oughte not to be annoynted with oyle· They of ye old testamēte were anoynted with oyle / to signifie the anoyntynge of Christ and of vs thorow Christ with the holy goost. This wise is no mā prest but he that is chosē / save as in tyme of necessite every person christeneth so maye every man teach his wife and hous­hold and the wife hir childern. So in tyme of neade if I se my brother synne I maye betwene him and me rebuke him and dam­ne his deade by the law of God. And maye also conforte them that are in dispayre with the promyses of God / and save them if they beleve.

The ostice of a preste:By a prest then in the new testamente vnderstonde nothinge but an elder to teach the younger and to bringe them vnto the full knowlege and vnderstondinge of Christe ād [Page xcij] to minister the sacramentes which Christe ordeyned / which is also nothynge but to preach Christes promises. And by them that geve all their study to quench the lyght of trouth and to holde the people in darkenes vnderstonde the disciples of sathā and messngers of Antichriste / what so ever names they have or what so ever they call them sel­ves. And as concerninge that oure spiritu­alie (as they wilbe called) make them selves They wilbe hol [...]er but their deades be not holy at all.holyer thē the laye people and take so gre­at l [...]ndes and goodes to praye for them / ād promise them pardons and forgevenes of syn [...]es / or absolution / without preachinge of Christes promises / is falsheed and the work [...]nge of Antichriste & (as I have said) the ra [...]eninge of those wolfes which Paul (Actuī. xx.) prophesied / shulde come af­ter his departinge not sparinge the flocke. Their doctrine is that marchaundice wherof Peter speaketh sayenge: thorow coveto­usnes sha [...]l they with fayned wordes make marchaūd [...]ce of you .ij. Pe. ij. And their reasons wherewith they prove their doctrine are (as saith Paul .j. Timo. vi.) superfluous disputīges / arguīges or braulinges of men with corrupte mindes & destitute of trouth / which thīke yt lucre is godlynes.Cōpare ther [...] deades to the doctrine ād deades of Christ ād of his post­les and iudg [...] there frutes. But Chri­ste saith Math. vij. by their frutes shalt thou knowe them / that is by their fylthy covetousnes and shamelesse ambition and dronken [Page] desyre of honor / contrary vnto the example and doctrine of Christe and of his Apost­les. Christ said to Peter / the last chapter of Iohn. Fede my shepe / ād not shere thy floc­ke. And Peter saith .j. Petri. v. Not beinge lordes over the pharishes: but these shere [...] are become lordes. Paul saith .ij. Corinth. j Not that we be lordes over your fayth: b [...]t these will be lordes and compell vs to bel [...] ­ve what so ever they lust / without any wit­nesse of scripture / yee clene contrary to [...]he scripture / when the open texte rebuketh i [...]. Paul saith / it is better to geve then receave. Act. xx. But these doo nothinge in the worlde but laye snares to ketch and receave what so ever cometh / as it were the gapinge mo­uth of hell. And .ij. Corinth. xij. I sele not yours but you: but these seke not youre Chri­ste but yours to them selves / and therfore lest their deades shulde be rebuked will not come at the lyght.

Neverthelesse the trueth is / that we are al equally beloued in Christe / and God hath sworne to all indifferently. Accordinge therfore as every man beleveth Gods promises longeth for them and is diligente to praye vnto God to fulfill them so is his prayer herde / and as good is the prayer of a cobler / as of a Cardinall / and of a bocher / as of a Bi­sshope / and the blessinge of a baker that knoweth the trouth / is [...]s good as the bles­singe [Page xciij] of oure most holy father the Pope. And by blessinge What blessin­ge meane [...]. vnderstonde not the wagginge of the Popes or Bisshopes hande over thyne heed / but prayer as when we sa­ye God make the a good man / Christe put his sprite in the or geve the grace and power to walke in the trueth and to folowe his cō ­maundmentes &c. As Rebeccaes frendes blessed her when she departed / Gene. xxiiij sayenge. Thou arte oure sister: growe vnto thousande thousandes and thy sede posses­se the yates of their enimies. And as Isaac blessed Iacob Gene. xxvij. sayenge. God geve the of the dewe of heven and of the fatnes of the erth abundaunce of corne / wyne and oyle &c. And Gene. xxviij. Almyghty God blesse the and make the growe / and multi­ply the / that thou maist be a greate multitu­de of people and geve to the and to thy sede after the the blessinges of Abrahā / that thou maist possesse the londe wherin thou art a straunger which he promysed to thy graundfader and soch lyke.

Last of all one synguler doute they ha­ve / what maketh the prest / the anoyntynge or puttinge on of the hondes or what other cerimonie or what wordes. About which they braule and scolde one ready to teare out a nothers throte. One sayth this and a no­ther that / but can not agre. Nether can any of them make so stronge a reason which a [Page] nother can not improve. For they are all out of the waye and without the sprite of God to iudge spirituall thinges. How be it to this I answere / yt when Christ called .xij. vp in to the mountayne ād chose them / then immediatly without any annoyntynge or ceremony were they his Apostles / that is to wete / ministres chosen to be sent to preach his testamente vnto all the whole worlde. And after the resureccion when he had opened their wittes and geven them knowlea­ge to vnderstonde the secretes of his testa­mente and how to bynde & lowse and what he wold have them to doo in all thinges / then he sent them forth with a commaundement to preach and bynde the vnbelevinge that contynue in synne / and to lowse the belevinge that repent.The cōmaundemente ma­keth prestes. And that commaunde­mēt or charge made them Bisshopes Pres­tes / Popes and all thinge. Yf they saye that Christ made them prestes at his mayndey or last soper when he said / do this in the re­membraunce of me. I answare / though the Apostles wist not then what he ment / yet I will not stryve nor saye that agenst / Ne­ver the later the commaundmente and the charge which he gave thē made thē prestes.

And / Actes the fyrst / when Mathias was chosen by lotte / it is not to be douted but that the Apostles / after their commu­ne maner / prayd for hym that God wolde [Page xciiij] geve hym grace to minister his office truly and put their hādes on hī / & exhorted hī ād gave hym charge to be diligēte & fayth full and thē was he as great as the best. And actes .vj. Whē the disciples that beleved had chosen .vj. Deacons to mynistre to the wy­dowes / the Apostles prayed and put the­ir handes on them and admitted them wit­hout moare adoo. Putt [...]nge on of handes. Their puttinge on of handes was not after the maner of the do­me blessinge of our holy Bisshopes with two fyngers: but they spake vnto them and tolde them their dutye and gave them a charge and warned them to be faythfull in the lordes busynes: as we chose tempe­rall officers and reade their dutye to them and they promyse to be faythfull mynistres and then are admitted. Nether is there any other maner or ceremony at all requi­red in makynge of oure spirituall officers / then to chose an able person and then to re­herse him his dutie and geve hym his ch­arge and so to put hym in his rowme. And as for that other solenne doute / as they call it wether What Iudas is now. Iudas was a prest or no / I [...]are not what he then was: but of this I am sure / that he is now not only prest / but also Bissho­pe / Cardinall and Pope.

¶Of penavnce

PEnaunce is a worde of their awne forginge to disceave vs with all / as many other are. In the scripture we fynde penitentia repentaunce. Agite peni­tentiam / do tepente / Peniteat vos / let it re­pente you. Metanoyte in greke / forthinke ye / or let it forthinke you. A poynte of practise. Of repentaunce they / have made penaunce / to blynde the people ād to make thē thinke that they must take payne ād doo some holy deades to make satisfactiō for their synnes / namely soch as they enioyne them.☞ As thou maist se in the cronycles / when greate kynges and Tyrantes (which with violence of swerde conquered other kynges lōdes and slew all that came to honde) came to them selves & had conscience of their weked deades / then the Bisshopes coupled them / not to Christe: but vnto the Pope and preached the Pope vnto them / and made them to submitte them selves and also their realmes vnto the holy father the Pope and to take penaunce / as they call it / that is to saye / soch iniuncions as the Pope and Bisshopes wolde commaunde them to doo / to byld abbays / to en­dote them with lyvelode / to be prayd fort for ever: and to geve them exemptions and prevelege and licens to doo what the luste vnpunished.

RepentaunceRepētaunce goeth before fayth ād pre­pareth [Page xcv] the waye to Christe and to the pro­mises. For christ cometh not / but vnto them that se their synnes in the law and repent. Repentaunce that is to saye / this mornynge and sorowe of the herte lasteth all oure ly­ves longe. For we fynde oure selves all oure lyves longe to weake for Gods lawe / and therfore sorowe & morne lōginge for strēgth Repētaunce is no sacramente: as fayth hope / love / and knowleginge of a mans syn­nes are not to be called sacramentes. For they are spirituall and invisible. Now must a sacramēte be an outwarde signe that maye be sene / to signifie / to represente and to put a man in remembraunce of some spirituall promyse which can not be sene but by fayth only. Repentaunce and all the good deades which accompanie repentaunce to sley the lustes of the flesh are signified by Repentaunce is signified by baptim. baptim. For Paul saith Roma. vj. (as it is above rehersed). Remembre ye not (saith he) that all we which are baptised in the name of Christe Iesus / are baptised to dye with him? we are buried with him in bap­tim for to dye / that is / to kyll the lustes and the rebellion which remayneth in the flesh. And after that he saith / yee are deed as concerninge synne but lyve vnto God / thorow Iesus Christe oure lorde.☜ If thou loke on the profession of our hertes and on the spirite ād forgevenes which we have recea­ved [Page] thorow Christes merites / we are full de­ed: but if thou loke on the rebelliō of the flesh we do but begynne to dye and to be baptised that is / to dround and quench the lustes / ād are full baptised at the last mynute of deeth And as concerninge the workinge of the sprite we begynne to lyve and growe every daye moare and moare both in knowleage and also in Godly lyvinge / accordinge as the lu­stes abate. As a chyld receaveth the full soule at the fyrst daye / yet groweth dayly in the operations and workes therof.

¶Of confession.

COnfession is divers? One foloweth true fayth inseperably. One cōfession is to knowle­ge where in thou puttest thy truste. And is the confessinge and knowleginge with the mouth / wherin we put oure trust and cō fidence. As when we saye oure credo: confessinge yt we trust in God the father almygh­ty and in his trueth and promises: and in his sonne Iesus oure lorde and in his merites and deservinges: and in the holy goost / and in his power / assistence and gidinge. This confession is necessary vnto all men that wil be saved. For Christe saith Mathew x. he that denyeth me before men him will I denie before my father that is in heven. And of this confession saith the holy Apo­stel [Page xcvi] Paul in the .x. chapter / The belefe of the herte iustifieth: and to knowleage with the mouth maketh a man safe. This is a won­derfull texte for oure philosophers or ra­ther sophisters / oure wordly wise / enimi­es to the wisdome of God / oure depe and profunde welles with out water / oure clou­des without moysture of rayne / that is to saye / naturall soules without the sprite of God and fealinge of godly thynges. To iustifie and to make safe are both one thinge. And to confesse with the mouth is a Good worke and the frute of a true sayth / as all other workes are.

Yf thou repente and beleve the promyses then Gods trueth iustifieth the / that is / forgeveth the thy synnes and sealeth / the with his holy sprite and maketh the hey­re of everlastinge lyfe thorow Christes deservynges. Now if thou have true fayth so seist thou the exceadinge and infinite love and mercie which God hath shewed the frely in Christe: then must thou neades love agayne: and love can not but com­pell the to worke and boldly to confesse and knowleage thy lorde Christ and the trust which thou hast in hys worde.If when tirā ­tes oppose the thou have po­wer to cōfesse then arte thou sure that thou arte saffe. And this knowlege maketh the safe / that is / declareth that thou art safe all ready and certyfieth thine herte and maketh [Page] the feale that thy fayth is ryght and that Gods sprite is in the / as all other good workes doo For if when it cometh vnto the po­ynte / thou have no lust to worke nor power to cōfesse / how coudest thou presume to thī ke that Gods sprite were in the?

A norher confession is to [...] knowlege thy synnes in thi­ne herte vnto God·A nother confession is there which goeth before fayth and accompanyeth repen­taūce. For who so ever repenteth doeth kn­owlege his synnes in his herte. And who soever doeth knowlege his sinnes receave­th forgevenes (as saith Iohn. in the fyrst of his first Pistle) Yf we knowlege oure syn­nes he is faythfull & iust to forgeve vs oure sinnes & to clense vs from all vnrighteous­nes / that is / because he / hath promised / he must for his truethes sake doo it. This confession is necessarye all oure lyves lon­ge / as is repentaunce. And as thou vnder­stondest of repentaunce / so vnderstonde of this confession for it is lyke wise included in the sacramēte of Baptim. For we all wayes repente and all wayes knowleage or cō fesse oure synnes vnto god / and yet dispe­are not: but remembre that we are washed in Christes bloude / which thinge oure baptim doth represente & signifie vnto vs.

Shrifte.Shrifte in the eare is verely a worke of sathan and that the falsest that ever was wroughte and that most hath devoured the fayth. It began amonge the grekes ād was [Page xcvij] not as it is now / to reken all a mans synnes in the prestes eare: but to axe coūcel of soch doutes as men had / as thow maist se in saint Hierom and in other autours. Nether went they to prestes only which were very fewe at that tyme / no moo thē prea­ched the worde of God / for this so greate vauntage in so many masses sayenge was not yet founde: but went indifferently / where they sawe a good and a lerned mā.Shrifte was put downe for knave [...]y amō ge the grekes But is stablished thereby a­monge vs. And for because of a litle knavery which a deacō at Constātynopyll playd thorow cōfession with one of the chefe wives of ye cite it was layd downe agayne. But we Antichristes possessiō / ye moare knavery we se growe therfore dayly / the moare we stablysh it. A christē man is a spirituall thinge and hath Gods worde in his herte and Gods sprite to certifie him of all thinge. He is not bo­und to come to any eare. And as for the re­asons which they make are but persuasiōs of mans wisdome. Fyrst as perteyninge vnto the keyes and maner of byndinge and loosinge is ynough above rehersed and in other places. Thou maist also se how the Apostles vsed them in the Actes and in Paulus pistles / how at the preachinge of fayth the sprite came and certified their hertes that they were iustified thorow belevin­ge the promises.How a man shall know that his syn­nes are forgeven.

When a man fealeth that his herte [Page] consenteth vnto the law of God / and fea­leth him selfe meke / pacient / curtous and mercyfull to his neyboure / altered and fas­cioned lyke vnto Christe / why shuld he dou­te but that God hath forgeven him and chosen hym and put his sprite in hym / tho­ugh he never cromme hys synne in to the prestes eare?

Blynd reason is there gyde and not gods spirite.One blynde reason have they sayenge. How shall the prest vnbynd / loose and for­geve the synne which he knoweth not? How dyd the Apostles? The scripture forsake they and runne vnto their blynde reasons and draw the scripture vnto a car­nall purpose. When I have tolde the in thine eare all that I have done my lyfe lon­he / in ordyr and with all circumstances af­ter the shamefullest maner / what canst thou doo moare / then preach me the promyses sayenge: Yf thou repente and beleve / Gods trueth shall save the for Christes sake? Thou seist not myne herte / thou knowest not whether I repente or no / nether whe­ther I consente to the lawe / that it is ho­ly righteous and good. Moare over whe­ther I beleve the promyses or no / is also vnknowen to the. Yf thou preach the law and the promyses (as the Apostles dyd) so shulde they that God hath chosen re­pent and beleve and besaved: even now as well as then. How be it Antychrist must [Page xcviij] know all secretes to stablesh his kyngdo­me and to worke hys mysteries with all.

They brynge also for them the storie of the .x. lepers. which is writtē in the .xvij chap. of Luke.Lerne to know them for they are verely lepers in their hertes. Here marke their falsheed and lerne to knowe them for ever. The fo­urtene sondaye after the Feest of the Tri­nite the begynnynge of the .vij. lesson is the said Gospell and the .viij. and the .ix. lessons with the rest of the seventh ys the exposicion of Bede apon the said Gos­pell Where / saith Bede / of all that Christ healed of what so ever disease it were / he sent none vnto the prestes / but the lepers. And by the lepers enterpreteth folowers of false doctrine only / which the spirituall officers / and the lerned men of the con­gregacion ought to examine / and rebuke their lerninge with Gods worde ād to war­ne the congregacion to be warre of them Which / yf they were afterwarde healed by the grace of Christe / ought to come be­fore the congregacion and there openly confesse their true fayth.

But all other vices (saith he) doeth God heale within in the conscience. Though they this wise reade at matens / yet at hye masse / yf they have any sermon at all / they lye clene contrary vnto this o­pen trueth. Nother are they ashamed at all. For why they walke all to gether in [Page] darkenes.

¶Of contrition

COntrition and repentaunce are both one and nothinge else but a sorow­full ād a mornynge herte. And because that God hath promysed mercy vnto a cō trite herte / that is / to a sorowfull and repē tinge herte they to begyle Gods worde and to stablysh their weked tradition / have fay­ned that new worde attrition sayenge: thou canst not know whether thy sorrow or repē taunce be Attriciō is of the levē of the phareses. contrition or attrition / excepte thou be shreven. When thou art shrevē / thē it is true contrition. Oh foxy pharesay / that is thy leven / of which Christe so diligently hade vs beware. Mathe. vj. And the very prophesie of Peter thorow covetousnes with fayned wordes shall they make mar­chādice of you .ij. Petri. ij. with soch gloses [...] they Gods worde / to sytte in the cons [...]nces of the people / to leade thē cap­tive [...] to make a praye of them: byenge & [...]ellinge their synnes / to satisfie their vnsa­ciable covetousnes. Never the lesse the tru­eth ys / when any man hath trespased agēst God. Yf he repente and knowleage his tres­pase / God promyseth him forgevenesse withoute eare shrifte.

Yf he that hath offended his neyboure repente and knowlege his faute axinge forgevenes / yf his neyboure forgeve hym / God [Page xcix] forgeveth hym also / by his holy promyse / Mat. xviij. Lyke wise i [...] he that synneth opē ly / when he is openly rebuked / repente and turne / then yf the cōgregation forgeve him God forgeveth him. And so forth who so ever repenteth and whē he is rebuked knowlegeth his faute is forgeven.

He also that douteth or hath his conscience tangled / ought to open his mynde vnto some faythfull brother that is lerned / ād he shall geve him faythfull councell to hel­pe hym with all.

To whome a man trespaseth vnto hym he ought te confesse.Whō a man offendeth to hī must he cōfesse. But to confesse my selfe vnto the O Antichriste / whom I have not offended / am I not bounde.

They of the olde lawe had no confessi­on in the eare. Nether the Apostles nor they that folowed many hūdred yeres after knew of any soch whisperinge. Wherby then was their attrition turned vnto contrition? yee why are we which Christ came to lowse moare bound then the Iewes. Yee and why are we moare bound without scripture? For Christe came not to make vs moare bonde / but to loose vs and to make a thousande thinges no synne which before were syn­ne and are now become synne agayne. He left no nother law with vs but the law of love. He loosed vs not from Moyses to bynde vs vnto Antichristes eare. God [...] [Page] not tyed Christ vnto Antichristes eare ne­ther hath poured all his mercy in thyder for it hath no recorde in the olde testamente / that Antichristes eare shulde be Propicia­torium / that is to were Gods mercy stole / and that God shulde crepe in to so narow a hole / so that he coude no where else be fo­unde.It hath no re­cord in the sc­ripture that God shuld crepe in and hyde him selfe in ā tychristis eare Nether did God write his lawes nether yet his holy promyses in Antichristes eare: but hath graved them with his holy sprite in the hertes of them that beleve / that they myght have them all wayes re­dy at hande to be saved therby.

¶Satisfaccion.

AS perteynynge vnto satisfaccion / this wise vnderstonde / that he that loveth god hath a cōmaūdmēt (as saint Iohn saith in ye fourth chapter of his fyrst pistle) to love his neyboure also whō if thou have offended thou must make him amendes or satisfaccion or at the lest waye yf thou be not able / axe hym forgevenes / and yf he will have mercy of God / he is bounde to for­geve the. Yf he will not: yet God forge­veth ye / yf thou this submitte thy selfe.Christ is an everlastinge satisfaccion. But vnto Godwarde Christe is a perpetuall and an everlastinge satisfaccion for ever moare.

As oft as thou fallest thorow fraylte / [Page C] repente and come agayne and thou art sa­fe and welcome / as thou maist se by the similitude of the riotuous sonne Luke. xv. If thou be lopē out of sentuary come in agayne. Yf thou befallen from the waye of trueth come therto agayne and thou art safe / yf thou begone astraye come to the folde a­gayne and the sheperd Christ shall save the yee and the angels of heven shall reioyse at thy comynge / so ferre it is of that any man shall beate the or chyde the. Yf any Pharisey envye the / grudge at the or ray­le apon the / thy father shall make answere for the / as thou seist in the fore teher­sed lykenes or parable. Who so ever ther­fore is gone out of the waye by what so ever chaunce it be / let hym come to his baptim agayne and vnto the profession therof and he shalbe saffe.Baptim l [...]s­teth ever

For though that the washinge of bap­tim be past / yet the power therof / that is to saye / the worde of God which bap­tim preacheth lasteth ever and saveth for ever. As Paul is past and gone / never the lesse the worde that Paul preached las­teth ever and saveth ever as many as co­me therto with a repentinge herte and a stedfast fayth.

Here by feist thou that when they make pennaunce of repentaunce and call [Page] it a sacramente and divide it in to contrici­on / confession and satisfaccion they spea­ke of their awne heedes and lye falslye.

¶Absolucion.

THeir absolucion also iustifieth no mā from sinne. For with the hert do men beleve to be iustified with all / saith Paul Romna. x. that is thorow fayth and belevinge the promises / are we iustified / as I have sufficiently proved in other places with the scripture. Fayth (saith Paul in the same place) cometh by heringe / that is to saye / by hearinge the preacher that is sent frō God and preacheth Gods promises. Now when thou absolvest in latyne the vnlerned heareth not. For how / saith Paul .j. Corint. xiiij. when thou blessest in an vnknowen tō ge / shall the vnlerned saye Amen vnto thy thankes gevinge? for he wotteth not what thou saist. So lyke wise the laye wotteth not whether thou loose or bynde / or whet­her thou blesse or curse. In lyke maner is it if the laye vnderstāde latyne or though the prest absolve in englishe. For in his absolu­cion he reherseth no promise of God: but speaketh his awn wordes sayēge: I by the auctorite of Peter and Paul absolve or loose the frō all thy synnes. Thou saist so / which art but a lyinge man and never moare then now verely.

Thou saist I forgeve the thy sinnes / & the [Page Cj] scripture saith (Iohn the first) that Christe only forgeveth and taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde. And Paul and Peter and all the Apostles preach that all is forgeven in Christ and for Christes sake. Gods worde only looseth and thou in preachinge that mightest loose also and else not.

¶ Who so ever hath eares let him heare ād let him that hath eyes / se. Yf any man lo­ve to be blynde / his blyndnes on his awn heed and not on myne.

THey allege for them selves the sayenge of Christ to Peter Math. xvj. what so ever thou byndest on erth / it shalbe bonde / and what so ever thou loosest / it shal be looset / and so forth.Of byndynge and loosynge and of the po­pis auctorit [...] or power. Lo saye they / what so ever we bynde and what so ever we loose here is no thīge excepted. And a nother texte laye, they of Christ in the last of Mathew All power is geven to me saith Christ / in heven and in erth: goo therfore and preach &c. Preachinge leaveth the Pope out and saith loo all power is geven me in heven and in erth.The pope ca­lēgeth power not over man only but over God also. And therapon taketh apon him tem­porall power above kynge and Emperoure / and maketh lawes ād byndeth them. And lyke power taketh he over Gods lawes and dispenseth with them at his lust / makynge no synne of that which God maketh synne ād maketh synne where God maketh none: yee and wypeth out Gods lawes cleane ād [Page] maketh at his pleasure / and with him is lawfull what he lusteth. He byndeth where God looseth ād looseth where God byn­deth. He blesseth where God curseth and curseth where God blesseth. He taketh auctorite also to bynde and loose in purgatory.Purgatory is the popis creature he maye therefore be bold there. That permitte I vnto him: for it is a crea­ture of his awn makynge. He also byndeth the angels. For we reade of Popes that ha­ve commaunded the angels to fett dyvers out of purgatory.The pope bindeth the an­gels. How be it I am not yet certified whether they obeyed or no.

The true binninge and loosynge.Vnderstonde therfore that to bynde and to loose / is to preach the law of God and the gospell or promyses / as thou maist se in the thred chapter of the second pistle to the Co­rintheans Where Paul calleth the preachinge of the law the ministration of deeth and damnation / and the preachinge of the pro­myses thē ministrīge of the sprite ād of righteousnes. For when the law is preached all men are founde synners and therfore dam­ned: and when the Gospell and glad tydinges are preached / then are all that repente ād beleve / founde righteous in Christ. And so expounde it all the olde doctours. Saynt Saynt Hierō agenst bissho­pes ad prestes. Hierom saith apon this texte / what so ever thou byndest / the bisshopes ād prestes saith he / for lacke of vnderstondinge / take a litle presumption of the phareses apon them. [Page Cij] And thinke that they have auctorite to bynde innocētes and to loose the weked / which thinge our Pope and Bisshopes doo. For they saye the curse is to be feared / be it right or wronge.The curse ys to be fered. Though thou have not deserved yet yf the Pope curse the thou art in perell of thy soule as they lye: yee and though he be never so wronfully cursed / he must be fayne to bye absolutiō.The ryghte maner of loo­synge. But saynt Hierō saith as the prest of the olde law made the lepers cleane or oncleane / so byndeth and vnbyndeth the prest of the new law☜

The prest there made no man a leper ne­ther clensed any man / but God: and the prest iudged only by Moyses law who was cleane and who was vncleane / when they were brought vnto him.

So here we have the law of God to iudge what is synne and what is not / and who is bounde and who is not. Moare over if any man have synned / yet if he repente and beleve the promise / we are sure by gods worde that he is loosed and forgeven in Christ Other auctoryte then this wise to preach / have the prestes not. Christis Apostles had no nother thē selfes as it appereth thorowout all the new testamente. Therfore it is manyfest that they have not.

Saynt Paul saith .j. Corinth. xv.Christ vn­derstode this texte all power is gevē me en hevē ād [...]n erth and also vsed it ferre other wise thē the Pope. When we saye all thīges are vnder Christ / he is to [Page] be excepted that putt all vnder him. God the father is not vnder Christ / but above Christe and Christes heed .j. Corinth. vi. Christe saith Iohn. xij. I have not spoken of myne awn heed but my father which sente me / gave a cōmaundemente what I shulde saye / and what I shulde speake. What so ever I speake therfore / even as my father bade me so I speake. If Christ had a law what he shulde doo / how happeneth it / that the Pope so runneth at large lawlesse? Though that all power were geven vnto Christ in heven and in erth. Yet had he no power over his father ner yet to raygne temporally over temporall princes: but a com­maundmente to obeye them. How hath the Pope then soch temperall auctorite over kinge and Emperoure? How hath he auctori­te above Gods lawes and to commaunde the angels / the sayntes and God him selfe?

Christes What auctori­te christ gave his apostles auctorite which he gave to his disciples / was to preach the law and to bringe synners to repētaunce / and then to pre­ach vnto them the promyses which the fa­ther had made vnto all men for his sake. And the same to preach only sente he his Apostles The righte byndinge and loosynge. As a kynge sendeth forth his iudges and geveth them his auctorite sa­yenge: What ye doo that doo I. I geve you my full power. Yet meaneth he not by that full power / that they shulde destroye any [Page Ciij] towne or Cite / or oppresse any man or doo what they lyste or shulde raygne over the lordes and dukes of his Realme and over his awne selfe. But geveth them a law with them and auctorite to bynde and loose / as ferforth as the law stretcheth and maketh mencion: that is / to punesh the evyll / that doo wronge / and to avenge the pore that sofre wronge. And so fer as the law stret­cheth / will the kynge defende his iudge a­genst all men. And as the temperall iudges bynde and loose temperally / so doo the pre­stes spiritually and no other wayes. How be it by falsheed and sotyltye the Pope regneth vnder Christe / as cardinals and Biss­hopes do vnder kynges lawlesse.How the po­pe regneth vnder christ.

THe Pope (saye they) absolveth or lo­seth a pena et a culpa / that is from the faute or treaspase and from the payne due vnto the treasp [...]e.A pena et a culpa is a propir dreame God yf a man repēte forgeveth the offence only / and not the pay­ne also / saye they / save turneth the everlastinge payne vnto a temperall payne. And apo­ynteth seven yeares in purgatory for every deedly synne The pope y [...] moare migh­tie and moare mercyfull for money thē god is for the de­eth of his only sonne. But the Pope for money for geveth both / and hath moare power then God and is moare mercyfull then God. This doo I / seaith the Pope of my full po­wer and of the treasure of the chyrch / of deservinges of martirs / confessours and [Page] merites of Christ.

The merites of sayntes.Fyrst the merites of the saintes d [...]d not save them selves but were saved by Chri­stes merites only.

Secondaryly God hath promysed Christes The merites of christe. merites vnto all that repente: so that whosoever repenteth is immediatly heyre of all Christes merites and beloved of god as Christ is.The pope selleth that whi­ch God geve­th frely. How then came this foule monster to be lorde over Christes merites / so that he hath power to sell that which god geveth frely. O dreamers / yee o devels ād o venymous scorpions what poyson have ye in your tayles? O pestilent leven that so turneth the swete bred of Christes doctrine in to the bitternisse of gall.

Freres▪The freres runne in the same spirite and teach sayenge: doo good deades and rede­me the paynes that abyde you in purgatory yee geve vs some what to doo good workes for you.Synne is the best marcha­undice that is. And this is synne become the profitablest mirchaundice in the worlde. O the cruell wrath of God apon vs because we love not the trouth.

For this is the damnation and iudgemente of God to sende a fals prophet vnto him that will not heare the trouth. I know you saith Christ Iohn. v. that ye have not the love of God in you.Christe pro­phesied of antichriste and to­ld why he sh­uld come. I am come in my faders name ād ye receave me not / yf a nother shall come in his awne name / him shall ye receave. [Page Ciiij] This doeth God avēge him selfe on the malicious hertes which have no love to his trueth.

All the promyses of God have they other wypt cleane out or thus levended them with open lyes to stablysh their con­fession with all.The promy­ses are ether put out or levē ded and why. And to kepe vs frō knowleage of the trouth / they doo all thinge in latyne.Al is in latyn

They praye in latyne / they Christen in latyne / they blesse in latyne / they geve absolution in latyne only curse they in the engly­she tonge. Wherin they take apon them greater auctorite then ever God gave them. For in their curses as they call them / with boke bell and candle / they commaunde The pope cō ­maundeth god to curse. God & Christ and the angels ād al sayntes to curse thē: curse thē God (saye they) fa­ther / sonne and holy goost / curse them vir­gen Mary. &ce. O ye abhominable? Who gave you auctorite to commaunde God to curse? God [...]ommaundeth you to blesse and ye commaunde him to curse. Blesse them that persecute you: blesse but curse not saith Saynt Paul Romanorum. xij. What tyranny will these not vse over men / which presume and take apon them to be lordes over God and to commaunde him? Yf God shall curse any man who shall bles­se and make him better? No man can amē de him selfe / excepte God poure his [Page] sprite vnto him. Have we not a cōmaund­mente to love oure neyboure as oure selfe? How can I love him and curse him also? Iames saith / it [...]s not possible that blessinge and cursinge shulde come both out of one mouth. Christ commaundeth. Math. v. sayenge: love youre enemies. Blesse thē that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. Praye for them that do you wronge and persecute you / that ye maye be the childerne of your hevenly father.

In the marches of wales it is the maner if any man have an oxe or a cow stollen / he cometh to the curate ād desyreth him to curse the steyler.A custome that is vsed in the marches of wales. And he commaundeth the pareshe to geve him every man Gods curse ād his. Gods curse and myne have he / saith everymā in the pareshe. O mercyfull God what is blasphemy / if this be not blasphe­my and shamynge of the doctrine of Chri­ste?

Vnderstōde therfore / the power of excommunication is this. Yf any man synne openly and amendeth not when he is warned: then ought he to be rebuked openly before all the paresh And the priest ought to prove by the scripture / that all soch have no parte with Christ. For Christ serveth not but for them that love the law of God and consente that it is good holy ād righteous. And repente sorowinge and mornynge for power [Page Cv] and strength to fulfill it. And all the pares­he ought to be warned / to avoyde the com­panye of all soch / and to take thē as hethē people. This is not done that he shuld pe­rish / but to save him / to make him ashamed and to kyll the lustes of the flesh / that the sprite myght come vnto the knowlege of the trueth. And we ought to pitie him and to have compassion on him and with all dili­gence to praye vnto▪ God for him / to geve him grace to repente & to come to the right waye agayne / & not to vse soch tyranny over God and man / commaundinge God to curse. And if he repente we ought with all mercy to receave hī in agayne. This maist thou se Math. xviij. and .j. Corin. v. &. ij. Corī. ij.

¶Confirmacion.

IF confirmacion have a promise / then it iustifieth / as fer as the promise extendeth. Yf it have no promyse / then is it not of God as the Bysshopes be not.Gods sacramē tes preach go­ds promyses· The Apostles and minesters of God pre­ach Gods worde / and Gods signes or sa­cramentes signifie Gods worde also and put vs in remembraunce of the promyses which God hath made vnto vs in Christe. The popes sacramentes are doume. Contrary wise Antychristes Bisshopes preach not and their sacramentes speake not / but as the disgysed Bisshopes mum / so are their supersticious sacramentes do­ume. After that the Bisshopes had left pre­achinge [Page] / then fayned they this dome cere­monie of confirmacion to have somewhat at the lest waye / wherby they myght regne over their dioceses.Christenynge of belles. They reserved vnto th­em selves also the christeninge of belles and coniuringe or haulsoninge of churches and churchyardes / and of altares and su­peraltares / and holowinge of chalices and so forth / what so ever is of honoure or profitt. Which confirmacion and the other coniuracions also they have now committed to their Why sofregās a [...]e ordeyned. Suffreganes: because they them selves have no leysoure to mynister soch thinges / for their lustes and plealures and abondaunce of all thinges / and for the combraunce that they have in the kynges ma­ters and busynisse of the realme. The bisshops devide al amō ge them. One ke­peth the privey seale / a nother the greate seale / the thryd is confessoure / that is to sa­ye / a privey traytar and a secret Iudas / he is presidente of the princes councell / he an ambassadoure / a nother sorte are of the kynges secret councell. Woo is vnto the Re­almes where they are of the councell. As profitable are they verely vnto the Re­almes with their councell / as the wol­ves vnto the shepe or the foxes vnto the gysse.

Cerimonies bringe not the holy goosteThey will saye that the holy goost is ge­ven thorow soch ceremonies. Yf God had [Page cvi] so promysed so shulde it be / but Paul sa­ith Galat. in the thrid chapter / that ye sprite is receaved thorow preachinge of the fa­yth. And Actes in the tenth chapter / while Peter preached the fayth / the holy goost fell on Cornelius ād on his houshoulde· How shall we saye then to that which they will laye agenst vs / in the eghre chapter of the Actes of the Apostles.Puttynge on of handes▪ Where Peter and Iohn put their handes on the samaritanes and the holy goost came? I saye that by puttinge or with puttinge or as they put their handes on them / the holy goost came. Ne­ver the lesse the puttinge on of the handes did nother helpe ner hynder. For the texte saith they prayd for them that the myght receave the holy goost.

God had made the Aopstles a promise / that he wolde with soch miracles confirme their preachinge and move other to the fayth. Mar. the lest. The Apostels therfore beleved and prayed God to fulfill his pro­mise / and God for his truethes sake even so did. So was it the Prayer of fa­ith doeth the myracles. prayer of fayth that brought the holy goost / as thou maist se al­so in the last of Iames. Yf any man be sycke sayth Iames / call the elders of the con­gregacion / and let them praye over him annoyntynge him with oyle in the na­me of the Lorde / and the prayer of fa­yth shall heale the sycke. Where a [Page] promyse is there is fayth bolde to praye / and God true to geve hir hir peticion. Puttinge on of the hondes is an indifferē ­te thinge. For the holy goost came by prea­chinge of the fayth / and myracles were done at ye prayer of fayth as well with out puttinge on of hondes as with / as thou seist in many places. Puttinge on of the hon­des was the maner of that naciō / as it was to rente their clothes / and to put on sacke / and to sprinkle them selves with asshes ād erth / when they herde of or sawe any so­rowfull thinge / as it was Pauls maner to stretch out his hande / when he preached. And as it is our maner to holde vp our handes / when we praye / and as some kysse their thome nayle and put it to their eyes / and as we put our handes on chylders heedes / when we blesse them sayenge: Christ blesse the my sonne / and God make the a good man: which gestures nether helpe ner hyn­der. This maist thou wel se by the .xiij. of the Actes / where the holy goost comma­unded to seperate Paul and Barnabas / to go and preeache. Then the other fasted and prayed and put their handes on their hee­des and sent them forth. They receaved not the holy goost then / by puttinge on of hon­des / but the other as they put their handes on their heedes prayed for them / that God wolde go with them and strength them / ād [Page cvij] coraged them also / biddinge thē to be stron­ge in God / and warned them to be fayth­full and diligent in the worke of God and so forth.

¶Anoylynge.

LAst of all cometh the anoylynge with out promyse / and therfore without the spirite and with out profitt / but all to­gether vnfrutefull and supersticious. The sacramentes which they have imagined are all without promise / and therfore helpe not. For what so ever is not of fayth is synne. Roman. xiiij. Now without a promyse can there be no fayth.The latyne tonge destroy­eth the fayth. The sacramentes which Christ him selfe ordeyned / which have also promyses and wolde save vs if we knew th­em and beleved them / them minister they in the latyne tonge. So are they also beco­me as vnfrutefull as the other. Yee the ma­ke vs beleve that the worke selfe without the promyse saveth vs which doctrine they ler­ned of Aristotell.That the worke with out the promyse saveth ys improved. And thus are we beco­me an hundred tymes worse then the we­ked Iewes which beleved that the very worke of their sacrifyce iustified them. Agenst which Paul fyghteth in every pistle / provinge that nothinge helpeth save the promy­ses which God hath sworne in Christ.The people beleve in the worke with out the promyse. As­ke the people what they vnderstande by the­ir baptim or washinge. And thou shalt se that they beleve / how that the very plunginge [Page] in to the water saveth them: of the promyses they know not / ner what is sygnifyed therby. Baptim is called volowīge in many places of Englonde / because the prest saith volo saye ye.Uolowinge. The child was well volowed (saye they) yee and oure vicare is as fayre a volower as ever a prest within this twenty myles.

Behold how narowly the people loke on the ceremony. Yf ought be left out / or if the chyld be not al together dipt in the water / or if / because the chylde is sycke / the prest dare not plūge him into the water / but powre water on his heed / how trīble they? how quake they? how saye ye sir Ihon / saye they / is this child christened ynough? hath it his ful christendom? They beleve verely that the chylde is not christened:☞ ye I have known prestes that have gone vnto the orders agayne sup­posinge that they were not prestes / becau­se that the bysshope left one of his cerimo­nies vndone. That the call cōfirmation / the people call byshopynge. They thinke that yf the bysshope butter the chyld in the foreheed that it is saffe.The worke saveth not but the worde that is to saye the promyse. They thīke that the worke maketh saffe / and lyke wise suppose they of an oylinge. Now is this false doctrine verely. For Iames saith in the fyrst chapter of his Pistle. Of his good will begate he vs with the worde of lyfe / that is / with the wor­de of promyse In which are we made Gods [Page cviij] sonnes and heyres of the goodnes of God before any good workes. For we can not worke Gods will tyll we be his sonnes and know his will and have his sprite to teach vs. And saynt Paul saith in the fyft chapter of his pistle to the Ephesiās. Christe clēsed the congregation in the fountayne of water thorow the worde. And Peter saith in the fyrst of his fyrst pistle. Ye are borne anew / not of mortall seed / but of immortall seed / by the worde of God which lyveth ād lasteth e­ver. Paul in every pistle warneth vs that we put no trust in workes / ād to beware of persuasions or argumentes of mans wisdome of superstitiousnes / of cerimonies of Pope holines and of all maner disgisinge. And exhorteth vs to cleve fast vnto the naked and pure worde of God ☜ The promyse of God is the ancre that saveth vs in all temptations. Yf all the world be agenst vs / Gods word is strōger then the world. Yf the world kyll vs / that shall make vs a lyve agayne. Yf it be possible for the world to cast vs in to hell from thence yet shall Gods worde brin­ge vs agayne. Hereby seist thou that it is not the worke but the promyse that iustifieth vs thorow faith. Now where no promyse is there can no faith be and therefore no iustifienge though there be never so glo­rious workes. The sacramente of Christes body after this wise preach they. Thou [Page] must beleve yt it is no moare bred / but the very body of Christe / flesh / bloude and bone / even as he went here on erth / save his cote.In all thynge they leve out the promyses For that is here yet / I wott not in how ma­ny places. I praye the what helpeth al this? Here is no promyse. The devels know that Christ dyed on a fredaye and the Iewes al­so. What are they holpe therby? We have a promyse that Christ and his body and his bloude and all that he dyd and sofered / is a sacrifice / a raunsome and a full satisfaction for our synnes: that God for his sake will thinke no moare on them / yf we have po­wer to repente and beleve

Holy werkmen thinke that God reioy­seth in the deade selfe without any forther respecte. They thinke also that God as a cruell tyrant / reioyseth and hath delecration in oure payne takynge without any forther re­specte. And therfore many of them marter them selves without cause / after the ensam­ple of Baals prestes which (iij. Regū. xviij) cut them selves to please their God with all and as the olde hethē pagās sacrificed their childern in the fyre vnto their Gods. The mōkes of the charterhouse thinke that the very eatīge of fish in it selfe pleaseth God and referre not the eatinge vnto the chastenyn­ge of ye body. For whē they have slayne their bodies with colde fleme of fysheatinge: yet then will they eate no flesh and sley thē selves [Page Cix] before their dayes. we also when we of­fer oure sonnes or doghters and compell or persuade them to vowe and professe chasti­te / thinke that the very payne and that rage and burnynge which they sofre in absteyninge from a make pleaseth God / and so refer­re not oure chastite vnto oure neybours profit. For when we se thousandes fall to innumerable diseases therof and to dye before their dayes: yee though we se thē breake the commaundmentes of God dayly and also of verry impatiency worke abhominations agenst nature to shamefull to bespoken of: yet will we not let them mary / but compell them to cōtinue still with violēce. And thus teach oure devines as it appereth by their argumentes. He that taketh most payne / saye they / is greatest and so forth.

The people are throuly brought in beleve that the dede in it selfe without any forther respecte saveth thē if they be so lōge at church or saye so many pater nosters & rede so moch in a tonge which they vnderstōde not or goo so moch a pilgremage and take so moch payne or fast soch a supersticious fast / or obser­ve soch a superstitious observaunce nether profitable to him selfe ner to his neyboure: but done of a good entente only / saye they to please God with all: ye to kysse the paxe they thinke it a meritorious deade / when to love their neyboure and to forgeve him / which [Page] thinge is signifyed therby / they [...] to do [...] / nor have power to doo / nor [...] [...]hat they are bounde to do [...]t / yf they [...] by him. So sore have oure fals [...] broughte the people out of their [...] and have wrapped them in darknes and have rocked them a slepe in blyndnes and igno­rancy. Now is all soch doctrine false doc­trine / and all soch fayth false fayth. For the deade pleaseth not / but as fer forth as it is applied vnto oure neybours profit or the ta­mynge of oure bodies to hepe the cōmaund­mente.

Now must the body be tame only / and that with the remeadies that God hath ordened / and not kylled. Thou must not forswere the naturall reamedy which God hath ordened and brīge thy selfe in to soch case that thou shuldest ether breake Gods commaundment or kyll thy selfe or burne nyght & daye without rest so that thou cāst not ones thinke a Godly thoughte: nether is it lawfull to forsake thy neyboure and to withdraw thy selfe from servinge hym and to get the in to a denne and lyve ydely profitable to no man but robbinge all men / first of fayth and thē of goodes and lāde and of all he hath with makynge hym beleve in the ypocresy of thy superstitious prayers ād Pope holy deades The prayer of fayth and the deades ther of that sprīge of love are accepted before God [Page Cx] The prayer is good accordinge to the pro­portiō of fayth and the deade accordinge to the measure of love. Now he that bydeth in the worlde / as monkes call it / hath moare faith then the cloysterar. For he hangeth on God in all thinges. He must trust God to sende hym good speede / good lucke / favoure helpe / a good master / a good neyboure / a good servāte / a good wife / a good chapmā marchand to sende his marchaundise saffe to londe and a thousande like. He loveth also moare / which appereth in that he doeth service all wayes vnto his neyboure. To praye one for a nother are we equally bound and to praye is a thinge that we maye all wayes doo / what so ever we have in hande and that to doo maye no man hyre a nother Christes bloude hath hyred vs all ready. Thus in the deade deliteth God as ferforth as we do it ether to serve oure neyboure with all / as I have said / or to tame the flesh / that we maye fulfill the commaundmente from the bothom of the herte.

And as for oure payne takinge God re­ioyseth not therin as a tyraunte: but piti­eth vs and as it were morneth with vs and is all waye ready and at hande to helpe vs / yf we call / as a mercyfull father and a kynde mother. Never the later he sofereth vs to fall in to many temptaci­ons and moch adversite: yee him selfe layeth [Page] the crosse of tribulaciō on oure backes / not that he reioyseth in our sorowe / but to dry­ve sinne out of the flesh which cā none other wise be cured: as the phisicion and surgion doo many thinges which are paynefull to the sycke / not that they reioyse in the paynes of the pore wretches: but to persecute and to dryve out the diseases which can no other wyse be healed.

Whē the people beleve therefore yf they do so moch worke or sofre so moch payne or goo so moch a pylgremage / yt they are saffe / is a false fayth. For a christen man is not saved by workes / but by fayth in the promises be­fore all good workes / though that the wor­kes (when we worke Gods commaundmen­te with a good will and not workes of oure awne imaginacion) declare that we are saffe ād that the sprite of him yt hath made vs saf­fe is in vs: yee and as God thorow preachī ­ge of fayth doeth purge and iustifie / even so thorow workynge of deades doeth he purge and iustifie the membres / makynge vs per­fecte both in body and lykenes of Christe.A christē man neadeth not to goo a pylgre­mage to be sa­ved thereby.

Nether neadeth a christen man to runne hither or thither / to Rome / to Hierusalem / or saynt Iames or any other pilgremage fer or nere / to be saved thereby / or to purches forgevenes of his synnes.Saluacion is with in vs. For a christen mans health and saluacion is with in him: even in his mouth. Roma. x. The worde is nythe [Page Cxj] / e [...]en in thy mouth and in thyne herte that is the worde of fayth which we preach sayth Paul. Yf we beleve the promyses with oure hertes and confesse them with oure mouthes / we are saffe. This is oure health with in vs. But how shall they beleve that / they heare not? And how shall they heare without a preacher saith Paul Roma. x. For loke on the promyses of God and so are all oure preachers dome. Or yf they preach them they so sau [...]e them ād leven them that no stomake can broke them ner fynde any saver in them. For they paynte vs soch an ea­re Confession. confession as is impossible to be kepte / ād more impossible that it shuld stande with the promyses and testamente of God. And they ioyne them penaunce / as they call it / to fast / to goo pylgremages & geve so moch to make satisfaccion with all. They pr [...]ach their masses / their merites / their pardons / their cerimonies and put the promyse clene out of possession. The worde of health and saluacion is nye the / in thy mouth and thi­ne herte sayth paul. Naye saye they / thy sal­uation is in oure faythfull eare ☜. That is their holde / thereby know they all secrets / there by mocke they all men and all mens wi­ves and begyle knyght and squyer / lorde ād kynge / and betraye all realmes.Bisshopes worke there treasō thorow cofession. The Bissho­pes with the Pope have a certeyne conspi­racion and secret treason agenst the who­le [Page] worlde. And by cōfession know they what kynges ād Emperours thinke. Yf ought be agenst them / doo they never so evyll / then move they their captives to warre & to fight and geve them pardons to sley whom they will have taken out of the waye. They have with falsheed taken from all kynges ād em­perous their ryght and duties / which now they call their fredomes lyberties and pri­veleges and have perverted the ordinaun­ces that god left in the worlde / ād have made every Kynges be sworn to the bisshopes and not the bissho­pes vnto the kynges. kynge swere to defende their fals­heed agenst their awn selves. So that now if any mā preach Gods worde truly & shew the fredome & libertie of the soul which we have in Christ / or entende to restore the kynges agayne vnto their duties and right ād to the rowme and auctorite which they ha­ve of God / and of shadowes to make them kynges in deade / and to put the world in his order agayne: thē ye kīges delyver their swerdes & auctorite vnto ye ypocrites to sley him So drōkē are they with ye wine of ye whore. ¶The text that foloweth in Paul will they happly laye to my charge ād others.How shall they preach excepte they be sent ys expo­unded. How shall they preach excepte they be sente / saith Paul in the said .x. to the Romaynes. We / will they saye / are the Pope / Cardinals and Bisshopes all auctorite is ours. The scrip­ture perteyneth vnto vs and is our possessiō And we have a lawe / that whosoever presu­me [Page Cxij] to preach without the auctorite of ye biss­hopes is excommunicate in the deade doinge. Whense therfore hast thou thine auctorite will they saye. The old pharises had ye scrip­ture in captivite lyke wise / and axed christ by what auctorite doist thou these thinges? as who shulde saye. We are pharises & thou art none of our order nor hast auctorite of vs Christ axed them a nother question ād so wil I doo our ypocrites. Who sent you? God? Naye he yt is sende of God / speaketh Gods worde Iohn. iij.How to kn­ow who ys sēt of god ād who ys not. Now speake ye not Gods worde / ner any thinge save your awne la­wes made clene contrary vnto Gods worde Christes apostles preached Christ and not them selves. He that is of the trueth / prea­cheth the trueth. Now ye preach no thinge but lyes / and therfore are of the devyll the father of al lyes ād of him are ye sent. And as for myne auctorite or who sente me. I reporte me vnto my workes as Christ Iohn the fyft and also tenth chapter. Yf Gods worde beare recorde that I saye trouth / why shuld any man doute / but that God / the father of trueth and of light hath sente me as the father of lyes and of darknes hath sente you / and that the spirite of trueth and of light is with me / as the sprite of lyes and of darknes is with you? By this meanes thou will that every man be a preacher will they saye No man may preach but he that y [...] called and sent of God. Naye verely. For God [Page] will that not and therfore will I it not / no moare then I wold that every mā of Lōdon were mayre of London / or every man of the realme kynge therof.☞ God is not the auctor of dissention and strife / but of vnite and peace ād of good order. I will therfore that where a congregation is gathered to gether in Christ one be chosen after the rule of Paul / and that he only preach / and else no mā opē ly: but that every man teach his housholde after the same doctrine. But if the preacher preach false: thē whosoevers herte God moveth / to the same it shalbe lawfull to rebuke and improve the false teacher with the clere and manyfest scripture / and that same is no doute a true prophete sente of God. For the scripture is Gods and thers that beleve and not the false prophetes.

SAcramente is than as moch to saye as an holy sygne. And the sacramētes wh­ich Christ ordened preach Gods word vnto vs and therfore iustifie ād minister the sprite to them that beleve / as Paul thorow preachīge the Gospell was a minister of righteousnes and of the sprite vnto all that bele­ved his preachinge. Dome ceremonies are no sacramentes / but superstitiousnes. Chri­stes sacramentes preach the fayth of Christ as his apostles did and therby iustifie. An­tichristes dome ceremonies preach not the fayth that is in Christ / as his Apostles our [Page Cxiij] misshapes and cardinals doo not. But as Antychristes bisshapes are ordeyned to kill who so ever preach the true fayth of Christ so are his ceremonies ordeyned to quēch the fayth which Christes sacramentes preach.The differen­ce betwene true sacramen [...]es and false. And hereby maist thou know the differen­ce betwene Christes signes or sacramentes ād Antichristes signes or ceremonies / that Christes signes speake & ātichristes be dome

Here by seist thou what is to be thou­ght of all other ceremonies / as holowed water / bred / salt / bowes / belles / wax / asshes and so forth / and all other disgisinges and apesplaye and of all maner coniuracions / as the coniuringe of church and church yardes and of alter stones and soch like. whe­re no promyse of God is / there cā be no fa­ith ner iustifienge / ner forgevenes of syn­nes▪ For it is moare then madnes to loke for any thinge of God save that he hath promysed. How fer he hath promysed so fer is he bounde to them that beleve and forther not. A fayth wit­hout gods promise is ydola­trie: To have a fayth therfore or a trust in any thinge / where God hath not promysed ys playne ydolatrye and a worshepinge of thine awne imaginacion in stede of God. Lat vs se the pith of a ceremonye or two to iudge the rest by In coniuringe of holy water they praye / that whosoever be sprinkled ther with maye receave health as wel of bo­dy as of soule / and lyke wise in makynge [Page] holy bred and so forth in the coniuraciōs of other ceremonies. Now we se by dayly experiens that halfe there prayer is vnherde. For no mā receaveth health of body therby. No moare of lykelyhode doo they of soul. Yee we se also by experiens that no man recea­veth health of soule therby. For no man by sprynkelinge himselfe with holy water and with eatinge holy bred / is moare mercyfull then before / or forgeveth wronge / or beco­meth at one with his enemy / or is moare paciente and lesse covetous and so forth. Which are the sure tokens of the soull health

They preach also that the wagginge of the Bisshopes hande over vs blesseth vs ād putteth awaye oure synnes.The bisshop [...] blessynge. Are thes workes not agenst Christe? How can they do moare shame vnto Christes bloud? For yf the wagginge of the Bisshopes hande o­ver me be so precious a thinge in the syghte of God that I am therby blessed / how thē am I full blessed with all spirituall blessin­ge in Christe as Paul sayeth Ephe. j. Or yf my synnes be full done awaye in Christe / how remayneth ther any to be done awaye by soch phantasies? The Apostles knew no wayes to put a waye synne or to blesse vs but by preachinge Christe.How the po­stels blessed [...]s. Paul sayeth Galat. ij. yf righteousnes come by the law / then Christe died in vayne. So dispute I here. If blessynge come by the wagginge of the [Page cxiiij] misshapes hande / then died Christe in vay­ne and his deeth blessed vs not. And a lit­le afore / saith Paul / yf while we seke to be iustified by Christe we be foūde yet synners (so yt we must be iustified by the law or cere­moni [...]s) is not Christe thē a mynister of synne? So dispute I here. Yf while we seke to be blessed in Christe we are yet vnblessed and must be blessed by the wagginge of the bis [...]hapes hāde / what have we then of Christe but curse? Thou wilt saye. When we co­me first to the fayth / then Christe forgeveth vs and blesseth vs. But the synnes which we afterwarde committe are forgeven vs thorow soch thinges. I answere: Yf any mā repente truly and come to the fayth and put his trust in Christe / then as ofte as he syn­neth of frayl [...]e / at the sygh of the herte is his synne put awaye in Christes bloude. For cristes bloude purge [...] ever & blesseth ever. For Ihō saieth ī ye s [...]ōde of his first epistle.

This I writte vnto you yt ye sinne not. And though any [...]an sinne (meaninge of fraylte and so rep [...]nte) yet have we an advo­cate with the fa [...]her / Iesus Christe which is righteo [...]s / ād [...]e it is yt obteyneth grace for oure synnes & Heb. vij. it is writtē. But this mā (meaninge Christe) because he lasteth or abydeth ever / hath an everlastinge presthode Therfore is he able also ever to save thē that come to god thorow hī seīge he ever liveth to [Page] make intercessiō for vs. The Bisshopes therfore oughte to blesse vs in preachinge Chris­te and not to deceave vs and to brynge the curse of God apon vs with wagginge their handes over vs. To preach is their dutie only and not to offer their fete to be kyssed or testicles or stones to be groped. We feale also by experience that after the Popes / Biss­hopes or Cardinals blessinge we are no o­ther wise disposed in oure soules then be­fore.

Let this be sufficiēt as concerninge the sacramētes and ceremonies / The protesta­cion of the auctor. with this protestacion / that if any can saye better or im­prove this with Gods worde / no man shal­be better contente there with then I. For I seke no thinge but the trouth ād to walke in the light. I submitt therfore this worke ād all other that I have made or shall make (if God will that I shall moare make) vnto the iudgementes / not of them that furiously burne all trueth / but of them which are ready with Gods worde to correct / if any thinge be said amisse / ād to further Gods worde.

Cōfession robbeth the sacramētes and ma [...]e them frut­lesse·I Will talke a worde or two after ye wor­dly wisdome wih them & make an ende of this mater. Yf ye sacramētes iustifie / as they saye / I vnderstōde by iustifienge forgevenes of synnes. Then doo they wronge vnto the sacramentes / in as moch as they robbe the most parte of them thorow cōfessiō of their [Page cxv] effecte and of the cause wherfore they were ordeyned. For no man maye receave ye body of Christ / no mā maye marye / no mā maye be oyled or an eled as they call it / no mā maye receave orders / excepte he be first shrevē. Now when the synnes be forgevē by shreft afore hande / there is nought left for ye sacramentes to doo. They will answere / yt at the lest waye they encreace grace / & not ye sacra­mētes only / but also hearīge of masse / ma­tēs and evensonge / & receavinge of holy water / holy bred & of the Bisshopes blessinge and so forth by all ye ceremonies.What grace i [...] By grace I vnderstōde ye favoure of God and also the giftes & workīge of his sprite in vs / as love kyndnes / paciēce / obediēce / mercyful­nes / despisynge of worldly thīges / peace / cōcorde & soch lyke.How to kn­ow what iustifieth ād what not or what bringeth gra­and what not. Yf after thou hast her­de so many masses / matēs & evēsonge and after thou hast receaved holy bred / holy water & the bisshopes blessinge or a cardinals or ye popes / yf thou wilt / thou be moare k [...]de to thy neyboure & love hī better thē before / yf thou be moare obediēte vnto thy superi­ors / moare mercyfull / moare ready to for­geve wrōge done vnto ye / moare despisest ye worlde & moare a thurst after spritual thīges yf after yt a prest hath take orders he be les­se covetous thē before: yf a wife after so many and oft pylgremages be moare chast / moare obediente vnto hyr hus [...]ande / mo­re [Page] kynde to hyr maydes and other servauntes: Yf gentyll men / knyghtes / lordes / and kinges ād Emperours / after they have sayd so often dayly service with their [...]ith their chapellayns quod [...]e God geve grace their chapellayn [...] at the last make thē not so mad to saye service alone while they. chapellai­nes know moare of Christ then before and can better skyll to rule their tenauntes / subiectes and realmes christenly then before and be content with their duties / then do soch thinges encreace grace / yf not / it is a lye. whether it be so or no I reporte me to expe­rience. Yf they have any other enterpretati­ons of iustifienge or grace I praye them to teach it me. For I wold gladly lerne it. Now late vs goo to our purpose agayne

¶Gf miracles and worsheppinge of sayntes.

ANtichriste shall not only come with lyenge signes and disgised with falshed but also with lyenge miracles and wonders / saith Paul in the said place. ij. Thessa. ij.True mira­cles drawe to christ. Al the true my­racles which are of god / are shewed (as I a­bove rehersed) to move vs to here Gods worde and to stablish our fayth therin and to cō firme the trueth of Gods promises / that we myght with out all doutynge beleve thē ▪ For Gods worde thorow fayth bryngeth the spri [...]te in to our hertes & also lyfe / as Chiist saith Ihon. vj. the wordes which I speake are sprite [Page Cxvj] & lyfe. The worde also purgeth vs & clenseth vs / as Christ saith Iohn. xv. ye are cleane by the meanes of the worde. Paul saith .j. Timoth. ij. One God / one mediator (that is to saye / advocate / intercessor / or an atonemaker) betwene God & mā the mā Christe Ie­sus which gave hī selfe a raunson for all mē Peter saith of Christ Act. iiij. Nether is there health in any other: nether yet also any o­ther name gevē vnto mē wherein we must be saved. So now Christ is oure peace oure re­dēp [...]iō or raunson for oure synnes / oure righteousnes / satisfaction and all the promyses of God are yee & Amē in him .ij. Cor. j. And we for the greate & infinite love which God hath to vs in Christ [...] love him agayne love also his lawes & love one a nother / And ye deades which we hēceforth doo / doo we not to make satisfaction or to obteyne hevē: but to succour oure neyboure to tame the flesh that we maye wax perfecte & stronge mē in christ and to be thankefull to God agayne for his mercy / and to glorifie his name▪

COntrary wise the myracles of Anti­christ are done to pull the from ye worde of God ād from belevinge his promyses & frō Christ & to put thy trust in a mā or a ceremony wherein Gods worde is not.False mira­cles dryve frō ch [...]iste. As sone as Gods worde is beleved ye fayth spred abrode thē sease ye myracles of god But [Page] the myracles of Antichrist / because they are wrought by the devyll / to quench the fayth / growe dayly moare and moare: nether shall cease vntyll the worldes ende amonge them that beleve not Gods worde ād promyses. Seist thou not how God loosed and sende forthe all the devyls in the old worlde amō ge the hethen or gentyls? And how the de­vyls wrought myracles and spake to them in every image? Even so shall the devyll worke falsheed by one craft or a nother vntyll ye worldes ende amonge them that beleve not Gods worde. For the iudgemente and dā ­nation of hym that hath no lust to heare the trouth / is to hearelyes and to be stablyshed and groūded therin thorow false myracles / and he that will not se / is worthy to be blynde ād he that byddeth the sprite of God goo from hym is worthy to be without him.

Paul / Peter / & all true Apostles preached Christ only. And the myracles did but cōfirme and stablysh their preachinge and those everlastinge promises and eternall testamente that God had made betwene man & him in Christes bloude / and the miracles did te­stifie also that they were true servauntes of Christe. Paul preached not hī selfe [...] he taught not any man to trust in hym or his holynes or in Peter or in any ceremony but in the promyses which God hath sworne only / yee he mightylie resisteth all soch false doctrine [Page Cxvij] both to the Corinthiās / Galathiens / Ephesians and everywhere.He that tea­cheth to trust in a saynt ys a false prophete. Yf this be true (as it is true and nothinge moare truer) that yf Paul had preached him selve or taught any man to beleve in his holynes or prayer or in any thinge / save in the promyses that God hath made and sworne to geve vs for Chri­stes sake / he had bene a false prophet [...] why am not I also a false prophete / yf I teach the to trust in Paul or ī his holynes or prayer / or in any thīge save in Gods worde as Paul did.

Yf Paul were here and loved me (as he loved thē of his tyme to whom he was sent and to whom he was a servaunte to preach Christe / What he shuld praye that prayeth for his neyboure. what good coulde he doo for me or wish me / but preach Christ ād praye to God for me / to open myne herte / to geve me his sprite and to bringe me vnto the full knowleage of Christ? vnto which porte or haven / when I am once come / I am as safe as Paul / felow with Paul / ioyn theyre with Paul of all the promyses of God ād Gods trueth beareth my prayer as well as Pauls I also now coulde not but love Paul and wish him good / and praye for him / that God wolde strength him in all his temp­tations and geve him victory / as he wolde doo for me.The wea [...]e shuld be taughte and not de­ceaved. Never the lesse there are many weak / and younge consciences all wayes in the cōgregation which they that [Page] have the office to preach ought to teach ād not to disceave them.

The spiritualte praye not that we migh­te come to the knowlege of christ.What prayers praye our clergye for vs which stoppe vs and exclude vs from Christ and seke all the meanes possible to kepe vs from knowleage of Christe. They compell vs to hyre freres / monkes / nunnes / chanons / and prestes / and to by their abhominable merites / and to hyre the sayntes that are deed to praye for vs / for the very sayntes have they made hyrclynges also: because that their offeringes come to their profit. What praye all those? that we myght come to the knowleage of Christ / as the postels dyd? Naye verely. For it is a playne case / that all they which enforce to kepe vs from Christe / praye not that we myght come to the know­lege of Christe. And as for the sayntes (whos prayer was when they were a lyve that we myght be grounded / stablyshed and strenghted in Christ only) yf it were of God that we shulde this wise worship them contrary vnto their awn doctrine / I dare be bolde to affirme that by the mea­nes of their prayers we shulde have byn brought longe a goo vnto the knowlege of God ād Christe agayne / though that the­se beestes had done their worste to let it. Late vs therefore set oure hertes at rest in Christ and in Gods promyses / for so I thinke it best / and let vs take the sayn­tes [Page cxviij] for an example only and let vs doo as they both taught and did.The sa [...]tes are but an en­sample.

Let vs sett Gods promyses before oure ey­es / and desyre him for his mercy and for Christes sake to fulfyll them. And he is as true as ever he was / and will do it [...] [...] well as ever he did. for to vs are [...] made as well as to them.

Moare over the ende of Gods myra­cles is good / the ende of these myracles are evyll. For the offeringes which are the cause of the myracles doo but mynister and mayntene vice / Offerynges cause the my­racles. synne and all abhominati­on / and are geven to thē that have to moch so that for very aboundance / they fome out their awn shame and corrupte the whole worlde with the stench of their filthynes

Thereto what so ever is not of fayth is synne / Romanorum. xiiij. Fayth cometh by heringe Gods worde Roma. x. Whē now thou fastest or doest any thinge in the wor­shepe of any saynte belevinge to come to the favoure of God or to be saved therby yf thou have Gods worde / then is it true fayth and shall save the. Yf thou have not Gods worde / then is it a fals fayth su­perstitiousnes and ydolatry and damnable synne.

Also in the collectes of the saītes with which we pray God to save vs thorow the mentes or deservinges off the Sayntes [Page] (which sayntes yet were not saved by ther a­wne deservinges them selves) we saye Per Christum dominum nostrum / that is for christe our lordes sake. We saye save vs good lorde thorow the sayntes merites for Christes sake. How cā he save vs thorow the sayntes merites for Christes sake and for his deser­vinge merites and love? Take an example. A gentill man sayth vnto me I will do the vttemost of my power for the / for the love which I owe vnto thy father. Though thou hast never done me pleasure / yet I love thy father well / thy father is my frende ād hath deserved that I doo all that I can for the &c. Here is a testamente and a promyse made vnto me in the love of my father only. Yf I come to the said gentill man in the name of one of his servaūtes which I never saw never spake with nether have any accoynta­unce at all with & saye: Syr I pray you be good master vnto me in soch a cause. I have not deserved that yee shulde soo do. Never the lesse I praye you do it for soch a serva­untes sake: yee I praye you for the love that you owe to my father do that for me for soch a servauntes sake. Yf I this wyse made my peticion / wolde not men thinke that I co­me late out of Saynt Patrikes purgatory / and had left my wittes behynde me. This do we. For the testamente and promyses a­re all made vnto vs in Christe. And we [Page Cxix] desire God to fulfill his promises for the sa­yntes sake yee that he will for Christes sake do it for the sayntes sake.

They have also marters which never preached Gods worde nether died therfore:All soch mar­ters are the p [...] ­pes marters and no [...] Gods For mart [...] signifieth a wit [...] ­nes [...]erar: now is he not gods w [...]ttenes that testifieth not his worde. but for preveleges ād lyberties which they falsly purchesed contrary vnto Gods ordinaunces Ye and soch sayntes though they be deed / yet robbe now as fast as ever they did ne­ther are lesse covetous now then when they were a lyve. I doute not but that they will make a saynte of my lorde Cardinall af­ter the deeth of vs that be a lyve and know his iugglinge and crafty conveyaunce and will shrine him gloriously / for his myghty­ly defendinge of the right of holy church / excepte we be diligente to leave a cōmemo­racion of that Nimroth behind vs.

The reasons where with they prove the­ir doctrine are but fleshly and as Paul cal­leth them / The reasons which they make for the worshepīge of sa­yntes are sol­ved. entysinge wordes of mans wisdome / that is to wete / sophistry and blawlin­ge argumentes of men with corrupte myn­des and destitute of the trouth / whose God ys their bely / vnto which ydole whosoever offereth not / the same is an herytike / and worthy to be brunte.

The saynte was greate with God when he was a lyve / as it appereth by the myra­cles which God shewed for hī / he must therfore he greate now say they. This reason ap­pereth [Page] wisdome / but is very folyshnes with God ☞ For ye myracle was not shewed that thou shulde put thy trust in the sainte / but in the worde which the saynte preached / which worde yf thou belevedest it / wold save y• / as god hath promysed & sworne / & wolde make y• also greate with God / as it did the saynte.

If a man have a mater with a greate man or a kinge / he must goo fyrst vnto one of his meane servauntes and then hier ād hier tyll he come at the kynge. This enrysynge argu­mente is but a blinde reason of mans witte It is not lyke in the kyngdyme of the worlde and in the kyngdome of God and christ.

It is not lyke with kynges and God.With kynges for the most parte we have none accoyntaunce nether promise. They be also most comenly mercylesse. Moare over yf they promyse / they are yet men as vncō ­stante as are other people ād as vntrue. But with god / yf we have belefe / we are acom­ted and have an open waye in vnto him by the dore Christ which is never shutt but thorow vnbelefe / nether is there any porter to kepe any mā out. By him saith Poul Ephe. ij. that is to saye / by christe we have an opē waye in vnto the father. So are ye now no moare straungers and forenars (saith he) but cetysens with the sayntes & of the housholde of God. God hath also made vs promyses and hath sworne: ye hath made a testamente or a covenaunt and hath bound [Page Cxx] him selfe ād hath sealed his obligaciō with Christes bloude and confirmed it with my­racles. He is also mercyfull ād kynde / and complayneth that we will not come vnto hī He is myghtye and able to performe that he promiseth. He is true and can not be but true / as he can not be but God. Therfore is it not lyke with the kynge and God.

We be synners saye they / God will not heare vs. Behold how they fle from god as from a tyraunte mercylesse. Whom a man counteth most mercyfull vnto him he sonest fleeth. But these teachers dare not come at God. Why? For they are the childern of ca­yn. Yf the sayntes love whom god hateth / then God and his sayntes are devided. Whē thou prayest to the sayntes / how doo they know / excepte that god / whom thou coun­test mercylesse / tell them? Yf god be so cruell and so hateth the it is not lykely that he will tell the sayntes that thou prayest vnto them.

When they saye we be synners:Christ is no synner▪ I an­swere / that Christ is no synner / save a sa­tisfaction / and an offeringe for synne. Take Christ from the sayntes and what are they? What is Paul without Christ? ys he any thynge save a blasphemer / a persecuter / a murtherer / and a sheder of Christen bloud?

But as sone as he came to christ he was no moare a sīner but a mnister of righteousnes [Page] he went / not to Rome to take penaūce apō him / but went and preached vnto his bre­thern the same mercy which he had receaved fre / without doinge penaunce or hyringe of sayntes or of monkes or freres. Moare over if it be Gods worde that thou shuld put thy trust in the sayntes merites or prayers / then be bold▪ For Gods worde shall defende the and save the. Yf it be but thine awne reason / then feare. For God commaūdeth by Moyses Deuteronomion. xij. sayenge: what I cō maunde you that observe and doo / and put no thynge to / ner take oughte therfro: yee & Moses warneth straytly in an hundred places that we doo that only which God commaundeth and which semeth good ād righteous in his sighte ād not in oure awne sighte. For nothinge bringeth the wrath of god so sone and so sore on a man / as the ydola­try of his awne imagination.

Last of al thes argumentes are contrary to the argumētes of Christ and of his apostles. Christ disputeth Luke. xj▪ sayēge: yf the sonne axe the father bred / will he geve him a stone? or yf he aske him fysh / wil he geve him a serpēte? and so forth. Yf ye then (sayth he) which are evell can geve good gyftes to youre childerne / how moch rather shall youre hevēly father geve a good sprite vnto thē that aske him? And a litle before in the sa­me chapter he saith. Yf a man came never s [...] [Page] out of season to his neyboure to borowe br­ed: even when he is in his chambre and the dore shett / and all his servauntes with him. Never the lesse yet if he contynue knockyn­ge and prayenge / he will ryse and geve him as moch as he neadeth / though not for lo­ve / yet to be rydd of him that he maye have rest: As who shuld saye / what will god doo yf a man praye him: seynge that prayer over cometh an evyll man? Aske therfore (sayth he) and it shalbe geven you / seke and ye shall fynde / knocke ād it shalbe opened vnto you. And Luke. xviij. he putteth forth the para­ble or similitude of the weked iudge which was overcome with the importune prayer of the wedowe. And cōcludeth sayenge: He­are what the wycked iudge dyd. And shall not God avenge his electe which crie vnto him nyght and daye? Whether therfore we cōplayne of the intollerable oppressiō & persecuciō yt we sofre / or of ye flesh yt cōbreth ād resisteth ye sprite / God is mercifull to heare vs ād to helpe vs. Seist thou not also how Christ cureth many & casteth out devyls out of many vnspoken to / how shall he not helpe / if he be desyred and spoken to?

When the old phareses / whose natu­re is to dryve synners from Christe / asked Christe why he did eate with publicanes and synners. Christ answered that the whole neaded not the phisicion but the sycke. [Page] That is / Christ ys a gyft gevē to synners. he came to have conversacion with synners to heale them▪ He was a gift gevē vnto synners / & a treasoure to paye their dettes. And Christ sente ye cōplayninge & disdayning phareses to the prophete God loveth mercy. Oseas sayē ge / goo and lerne what this meaneth / I de­syre or require mercy and not sacrifice. As who shuld saye / ye phareses love sacrifice ād Ipocrites lo­ve offerynges offeringe for to fede that God your belyes with all / but God commaundeth to be mer­cyfull. Synners are ever captives and a praye vnto the phareses and ypocrites / for to offer vnto their belies / and to bye merytes / pardons and forgevenes of synnes of them And therfore feare they them awaye from Christ with argumentes of their bely wisdome. For he that receaveth forgevenes free of Christe will by no forgevenes of them. I came (saith Christ) to call / not ye rightwes / but the synners vnto repentaūce. The phareses are righteous & therfore have no parte with Christ / nether neade they. For they are gods thē selfe & savars. But synners yt repēte per­tayne to Christ. Yf we repente / Christ hath made satisfaccion for vs all ready.

God so loved the worlde / that he gave his only sonne / that none that beleve on him shuld peresh / but shuld have everlastinge lyve. For God sente not his sonne in to the worlde / to condemne the worlde / but that the worlde thorow him might be saved. [Page cxxij] He that beleveth on him shall not be dam­ned / but he that beleveth not he is damned all ready. Iohn. iij.

Paul. Ro. v. saith. Be cause we are iustified thorow fayth / we are at peace with god thorow oure lorde Iesus Christe / yt is / because that God / which can not lye / hath pro­mysed and sworne to be mercyfull vnto vs and to forgeve vs for Christes sake / we bele­ve and are at peace in our consciences / we runne not hither and thither for pardon / we trust not in this frere ner that monke ne­ther in any thinge save in the worde of God only. As a chyld when his father thre­atneth him for his faute / hath never rest / tyll he heare the worde of mercy and forge­venes of his fathers mouth agayne / but as sone as he heareth his father saye / goo thy wayes / do me no moare so / I forgeve the this faute / then is his hert at rest / thē is he at peace / then runneth he to no man to ma­ke intercession for him. Nether though ther come any false marchaunde sayenge / what wilt thou geve me & I will obtayne pardō of thy father for ye / will he sofre hī selfe to be begiled / no he will not bye of a wily fox that which his father hath gevē him frely.

It foloweth. god setteth out his love yt he hath to vs / yt is / he maketh it appere / yt mē may perceave love / if they be not moare thē stocke blynde. In as moch saith Paul as [Page] while we were yet synners / Christ died for vs. Moch moare now / saith he (seinge we are iustified by his bloude) shall we be pre­served from wrath thorow him. For if whē we were enemyes we were reconsyled to God by the deeth of his sonne: moch moa­re seinge we are reconsiled / we shalbe pre­served by his lyfe. As who shulde saye / yf God loved vs when we knew him not / mo­ch moare loveth he vs now we know him. Yf he were mercyfull vnto vs while we ha­ted his law / moch moare mercyfull will he be now / seinge we love it and desyre strngth to fulfill it. And in the .viij. he argueth. Yf God spared not his awne sonne but gave him for vs all / how shall he not with hī geve vs all thinges also?

Christ prayed Iohn. xvij. not for ye Apostles only / but also for as many as shulde be­leve thorow their preachīge and was herd / what so ever we aske in his name ye father geveth vs Io. xvj. Christe is also as mercifull as ye saītes. Why we come not to Christ. Why goo we not streght waye vnto hī? Verely because we feale not ye mercy of god nether beleve his trouth. God will at ye lest waye (saye they) heare vs ye soner for ye sayntes sake. Thē loveth he the saynte better thē Christe & his awne trueth. Heareth he vs for the sayntes sake? so heareth he vs not for his mercy. For merites and mercy can not stonde together.

[Page cxxiij]Finally if thou put any trust in thine awne deades or in the deades of any other man of any saynte / thē mynishist thou the trouth mercy and goodnes of God. For yf God loke vnto thy workes or vnto the workes of any other man or goodnes of the saynte: thē doeth not he all thinges of pure mercy and of his goodnes & for the truethes sake which he hath sworne in Christ. Now saith Paul in the last to Titus. Not of the righteous deades which we did: but of his mercy saved he vs.

Oure blynde disputers will saye / yf our god deades iustifie vs not / yf God loke not on oure good deades nether regard thē ner love vs ye better for thē what neade we to doo good deades?God loketh on oure good de­ades. I answere God loketh on our good deades ād loveth them / yet loveth vs not for their sakes. God loveth vs fyrst in Christ of his goodnes and mercy / and po­wreth his sprite in to vs / and geveth vs power to do good deades. And because he lo­veth vs / he loveth our good deades: yee be­cause he loveth vs / he forgeveth vs our evyll deades which we doo of fraylte and not of purpose or for the nonce. Oure good deades do but testyfie only that we are iustified and beloved. For excepte we were beloved and had Gods sprite we coulde nether doo ner yet consent vnto any good deade. Antychriste turneth the rote [...] of the tre vp Warde. Anti­christ turneth the rotes of the trees vpwarde [Page] He maketh the goodnes of God the braunches ād our goodnes the rotes. We must be first good after Antichristes doctrine / and move God and cōpell him to be good agayne for our goodnesses sake: so most Gods goodnes springe out of our goodnes. Naye veryly Gods goodnes is ye rote of all goodnes and our goodnes / if we have any / springeth out of his goodnes.

¶Prayer.

OF prayer and good deades ād of the order of love or charite I have habundantly written in my boke of the iustifyenge of fayth. Never the later that thou maist se what the prayers and good workes of oure mōkes and freres ād of other goostly people are worth / I will speake a worde or two and make an ende. Paul sayth Gal. iij. All ye are ye sonnes of God thorow fayth in Iesu Christe. For all ye that are baptised have put Christ on you (that is ye are beco­me Christe hī selfe) There is no Iew (sayth he) nether greke: nether bōde ner fre: nether man ner woman: but ye are all In christe we are one as go­od as a nother equaly belo­ved and indif­ferently hear­de· one thinge in Christe Iesu. In Christ there is nether frēch ner english: but the frenchman is the englishmans awne selfe / and the english the frenchmans awne selfe. In Christ there is nether father / ner sonne: nether master: ner servant: nether husbande / ner wife: ne­ther kynge / ner subiecte: but the father is the [Page cxxiiij] sonnes selfe and the sonne the fathers aw­ne selfe / and the kynge is the subiectes awne selfe / and the subiecte is the kynges awne selfe / and so forth. I am thou thy selfe and thou art I my selfe and can be no nere of kynne. We are all the sonnes of God all Christes servauntes bought with his blou­de and every man to other Christ his awne selfe. And Collo. iij. Ye have put on the new man which is renued in the knowleage of God after the image of hym that made hym (that is to saye Christe) where is (saith he) nether greke ner Iewe / circuncision ner vn­circuncision / barbarous or sythian / bonde or fre: but Christ is all to a christē man. Christ is all in all thinges. I love the not now because thou art my father and hast done so moch for me or my mother and hast borne me and geven me sucke of thy brestes (for so do Iew [...]s and saracenes) but because of the great love that Christ hath shewed me. I serve the not be cause thou arte my master or my kynge / for hope of rewarde or feare of payne / but for the love of Christe. For ye childerne of fayth are vnder no lawe (as thou seist in the Pistles to the Romayns to the Galathians / in the firste to Timoth. but are fre.The childern of faithe wor­ke of love and nede no law to compell thē. The sprite of Christ hath written the lively lawe of love ī their hertes which driveth thē to worke of their awne accorde frely & willingly / for the greate loves sake only which they [Page] se in Christe / and therefore nede they no law to compell them. Christe is all in all thinges to them that beleve / and the cause of all lo­ve. We are all christ [...]s servaun­tes and [...]arve Christ. Paul sayth (Ephes. vj.) servaūtes obeye vnto youre carnall or fleshly masters with feare and tremblinge / in singlenes of youre hertes as vnto Christe? not with eye service as men pleasers: but as the servātes of Christe: doinge the will of God from the herte: even as though ye served the lorde and not men. And remēbre that what so ever good thinge any man doeth / that shall he receave agayne of the lorde / whether he be bonde or fre. Christe thus is all in all thinges & cau­se of all to a Christen man. And Math. xxv sayth Christe: in as moch as ye have done it to any of ye lest of thes my bretherne / ye have done it to me. And ī as moch as ye have not done it vnto one of the lest of these / ye have not done it to me. Here seist thou yt we are Christes brethern and even Christe hym sel­fe / and what so ever we do one to a nother that doo we to Christe. Yf we be in Christe we worke for no wordly purpose / but of lo­ve. As Paul sayth .ij. Corint. v. The love of Christ compelled vs (as who shuld saye we worke not of a flesly purpose) For (saith he) we knowe hensforth no mā flesly: no though we once knew christ fleshly we doo so now no moare. We are other wise mynded / then when Peter drewe his swerde to fyght for [Page cxxv] Christe. we are now ready to sofre with Christ and to loose lyfe and all for oure ve­ry enimies to brynge them to Christe. Yf we be in Christ we are mynded lyke vnto Chri­ste / Christ kno­weth no thin­ge worldly no not his very mother. which knew no thīge flesly or after the will of the fleshe / as thou seist Matth. xij. when one said to hym. Loo thy mother and thy brethern stōde without desyringe to speake with the. He answered / who is my mo­ther and who are my bretherne? And stret­ched his hande over his disciples sayenge: se my mother and my bretherne. For who so ever doeth ye will of my father which is in hevē / the same is my brother my sister & my mother. He knew not his mother in that she bare him / but in that she did the will of his father in heven. So now as God the fathers will and cōmaundmēt is all to Christ even so Christ is all to a Christen man.

Christe is the cause why I love the why I am ready to doo the vttermost of my power for the / and why I praye for the And as longe as the cause abydeth / so lon­ge lesteth the effecte even as it is all waye daye / so lōge as the sone shyneth. Do ther­fore the worst thou cāst vnto me: take awaye my goodes: take awaye my good name: yet as longe as As longe as christ abydeth so longe a christē mā loveth. Christe remayneth in myne herte / so longe I love the not a whit the lesse and so longe arte thou as dere [...]nto me as myne awne soule / and so longe [Page] am I ready to doo the good for thyne evyll and so longe I praye for the with all my­ne herte. For Christe desireth it of me & hath deserved it of me. Thine vnkyndnes compared vnto his kyndnes is nothīge at all / ye it is swalowed vp / as a litle smoke of a mightie winde / ād is no moare sene or thoughte apō Moare over that evyll which thou doist to me / I receave not of thine hande / but of the hande of God / and as Gods scorge to teach me pacience and to nurtoure me. And ther­fore have no cause to be angry with the moare then the child hath to be angre with his fathers rod or a sicke man with a soure or bitter medicine that healeth him / or a prisoner with his fetters or he that is punished law­fully with the officer that punisheth him. Thus is Christe all ād the whole cause why I love the / And to all cā nought be added Therfore can not a litle money make me love the better or moare bound to praye for the ner make Gods commaundmente gretter.Money byn­det [...] not chri­s [...]en to praye. Last of all / yf I be in Christe thē the love of Christe compelleth me. And therfore I am ready to geve the myne and not to take thi­ne from the yf I be able I will doo the ser­vice frely / yf not / then if thou ministre to me agayne / that receave I of the hande of God which ministerith it to me by the: For God careth for his and ministreth all thinges vnto them and moveth turkes and saracenes and all maner infidels to doo thē good / God careth for his. as [Page cxxvi] thou seist in Abrahā / Isaac & Iacob / & how god wēt with Ioseph in to Egipte & gate hī favoure in the prysō & in every place / which favoure Ioseph receaved of ye hāde of God & to God gave ye thākes. This is God & Christ all in all: good & bad receave I of God. Thē that are good I love / because they are in Christe & the evyll to bringe thē to Christe. When any mā doeth well I reioyse / ye god is honoured / & whē any mā doeth evyll I sorow be­cause / yt God is dishonoured. Finaly in as moch as God hath created all & Christ bought all with his bloude / therfore ought all to seke God and Christe in all & else no thinge.

But contrary wise vnto monkes / freres / and to the other of oure holy spiritualte the bely is all ī all & cause of all love.The bely is a God and cau­se of all vnto oure spiritualte. Offer therto / so art thou father / mother / sister / ād brother vnto thē Offerest thou not / so know they yt not / thou art nether / father / mother / sister / brother ner any kīne at all to thē. She is a sister of oures he is a brother of oures saye they he is verely a good man / for he doeth moch for oure religiō. She is a mother to oure covēte▪ we be greatly boūd to praye for thē And as for soch & soch (saye they) we know not whether they be good or bad or whether they be fish or flesh / for they doo nought for vs we be moare bounde to praye for oure bene­factours (saye they) and for them that ge­ve vs / then for them that geve vs not. [Page] For them that geve litle are they litle bound and them they love litle and for them that geve moch are they moch bounde and them they love moch. And for them that geve no­ught are they nought bounde and them they love not at all. And as they love the when thou gevist: so hate they the when thou takest awaye from them / and runne all vnder a stole and curse the as blacke as pitch. So ys cloyster love All is of the bely ād no thī ge of Christe. bely love / cloyster prayer bely prayer and cloyster bretherhed bely brether­hed. Moare over love yt springeth of Christ seketh not hir awne selfe (.j. Corinth. xiij.) but Christis love For [...]heteth her selfe: but monkes love thin­keth on the bely· forgetteth hir selfe and bestoweth hir apon her neybours profite as Christ sought oure profite & not his awne. He sought not the favoure of God for him selfe / but for vs yee [...]e toke the wrath ād vengeaunce of God frō vs vnto him selfe and bare it on his aw­ne backe to bringe vs vnto favoure. Lyke wise doeth a Christē man geve to his brethern and robbeth them not as freres and mon­kes doo: But as Paul cammaundeth Ephe iiij. laboureth with his handes some good worke to have where with to helpe the neady They geve not but receave only. They laboure not but lyve ydely of the swet of the pore. There is none so pore a wedow / though she have not to fynde hir selfe and hir childern ner any money to geve: yet shall ye frere snach a chese or some what. They preach / saist thou [Page Cxxvij] ād laboure in ye worde.Freres ād mō kes oughte not to preach. First I saye they are not called and therfore ought not: for it is the curates office. The curate can not seyst thou. What doeth the thefe there thē? Secō daryly a true preacher preacheth christes te­stamente only & maketh christe the cause ād rewarde of all oure deades & teacheth every mā to beare his crosse willingly for christes sake: But these are enimies vnto the crosse of christe and preach their bely which is their God Ephe. iij. and they thinke that lucre is the servinge of God .j. Timo. vj. that is / they thinke them christē only which offer vnto their belyes / which when thou hast fylled then spue they out prayers for the / to be thy rewarde / and yet wott not what prayer me­aneth. Prayer is the longinge for Gods promises / which promises as they preach them not so longe they not for thē ner wish thē vnto any mā. Their lōginge is to fyll their [...]a­nch whom they serve and not Christ ād thorow swete preachinge and flatteringe wor­des deceave the hertes of the symple ād vn­lerned. Roma. xvj.

Finally as Christ is the whole cause why we doo all thinge for oure neyboure / Christ is the whole cause why God lo­veth vs. even so is he the cause why god doeth all thinge for vs / why he receaveth vs in to his holy testa­mēte & maketh vs heyres of all his promy­ses / & powreth his sprite in to vs / & maketh [...]s his sonnes / and fascioneth vs like vnto [Page] Christe and maketh vs soch as he wolde ha­ve vs to be How to kn­ow that we ar Gods sonnes. The assuraunce that we are sonnes / beloved and heyres with Christe ād have Gods sprite in vs / is the consente of ou­re hertes vnto the law of God. Which law is all perfeccion and the marke where at all we oughte to shote.The law ys the m [...]ke: ye and the [...]wich [...]ō where wi­t [...] we ough [...]e to trye oure selv [...]s and se how f [...]r [...]or [...]h we are pur­ged. And he that hitteth that marke / so that he fulfilleth the lawe with all his herte soule and myghte and with full love and lust without all let or resistaunce ys pure golde and neadeth not to be put eny moare in the fyre: he is streghte and righte and neadeth to be no moare shaven: he is full fascioned lyke Christe and can have no moare added vnto him. Never thelesse there is none so perfecte in this lyfe that fyndeth not let and resistaunce by the reason of ori­ginall synne or birth poyson that remayneth in him / as thou maist se in ye lyves of all the sayntes thorow out all the scripture and in Paul Ro. vij. The will is presente / saith he / but I fynde no meanes to performe yt which is good I doo not that good thinge which I wolde: but that evyll doo I which I wolde not. I fīde by ye law yt whē I wolde doo good / evyll is presēt with me. I delyte [...]n ye law / as cōcernīge the inner mā / but I fīde a nother law ī my mēbres rebellinge agēste ye law of mi mīde & subduīge me vnto ye law of sīne.☞ Which law of sīne is nothīge but a corrupte & a poyesoned nature which breaketh [Page cxxviij] in to evyll lustes & frō evill lustes in to wea­ked deades & must be purged with the trew purgatory of the crosse of christe:The ryghte crosse of [...]hrist yt is thou must hate it with all thine herte & desyre god to take it frō ye. And thē what so ever crosse God putteth on thy backe beare it paciently whether it be poverte sycknes or persecucion or what so ever it be / & take it for the righte purgatory & thinke that God hath nayled the fast to it / to purge ye therby He that love­th not the law ād ha [...]eth syn hath no parte with christe. For he that loveth not the law and hateth his synne ād hath not professed in his herte to fyghte a­genst it & morneth not to God to take it a­waye ād to purge him of it / the same hath no parte with christe How to trye the doctrine of oure spir [...]ualte. Yf thou love the la­we & fyndest that thou hast yet synne hāgīge on ye / where of thou sorowest to be delyvered & purged as for an exāple / thou hast a cove­tous mīde & mistrustest god & therfore arte moved to begyle thy neyboure & arte vnto hī mercylesse / not caringe whether he sinke or swym so thou maist winne by hym or gett frō hī yt he hath: thē gete y• to the observaū te which is so purged frō yt synne that he wil not once hādle a peny & with yt wyle doeth y• sotle foxe make ye gose come flyenge in to his hole ready prepared for his mouth with out his laboure or swet & bie of his merites wh­ich he hath īstore & geve thy money not in to his holy hādes but to of him yt he hath hired [...]ther with parte of his praiers or parte of his [Page] praye to take ye synne vpō hym and to hādle his money for hī. In lyke maner yf any par­son that ys vnder obedience vnto Gods or­dinaūce (whether it be sonne or doghter / servaunte / wife or subiecte) consente vnto the ordinaunce / and yet fynde contrary mocions: let hym goo also to them that have profes­sed an obedience of theyr awne makynge / ād bye parte of their merites. Yf thy wyfe geve the .ix. wordes for thre / goo to the char­terhowse and bye of their sylence and so If the praya­ [...]s and meri­tes of our religious purge oure lustes thē are they of valve and else not Yf the abstenynge of the observaunt from handlynge money heale thine herte from desyringe money / and the obedience of them that will obeye no thinge but their awne or­dinaunce / heale thy disobedience to Gods ordinaunce / and the sylēce of the charterhouse monke tame thy wyves tonge: then bele­ve that their prayers shall deliver thy soule from the paynes of that terreble ād fearfull purgatory which they have fayned to purge thy purse with all.

The spiritualte encreaseth dayly. Moo prelates moo prestes / ☞ moo monkes / freres / chanons / nūnes and moo heretikes / I wold saye heremytes with lyke draffe / Set before the the encrease of saynt Fraunces disciples in so few yeres. Rekē how many thousāde. yee how many twenty thousandes / not discy­ples only: but whole cloysters are spronge out of hell of them in so litle space. Pateringe [Page Cxxix] of prayers encreaseth dayly. Their service as they call it / waxeth longer and lōger and the laboure of their lyppes greater / new sayntes / new service / new festes ād new holy dayes. What take all these awaye? Syn­ne? Nay. For we se the contrary by experience and that synne groweth as they grow. But they take awaye fyrst gods worde with fayth / hope / peace / vnite / love and concorde then howse and lōde / rent and fee / toure ād toune / goodes and cattell / and ye very meate out of mens mouthes.What the spi­ritualte taketh awaye with their prayers▪ All these lyve by purgatory. When othe [...] wepe they synge and when other loose th­ey wynne. When other wepe for their frēdes they singe merily when other loose their frendes they gete frēdes. The pope with all his pardons is grounded on purgatory. Prestes monkes / chanons / freres with all other swermes of ypocrites doo but empty purgatory ād fyll hell. Every masse / saye they / delyvereth one soule out of All is of pur­gatory. The [...] phisicions ge­ve no other medicines sa­ve purgation [...] only▪ purgatory. Yf that were trew / yee if ten masses were ynow for one soule / yet were the parish prestes and cura­tes of every parysh sufficiente to scoure pur­gatory. All ye other costly worke mē myght be well spared:

¶The .iiij. senses of ye scripture.

THey devide ye scripture ī to iiij. senses / ye literall / tropo­logicall / allegoricall anagogicall. The literall sence is become nothīge at all. For [Page] the pope hath takē it cleane awaye ād hath made it his possession. He hath partly loc­ked it vp with ye false & counterfayted keyes of his tradicions cerimonies & fayned lyes And partly dryveth mē frō it with violence of swerde. For no man dare abyde by ye litterall sense of ye texte / but vnder a protestaciō / yf it shall please ye pope. The tropologicall sence perteyneth to good maners (saie they) and teacheth what we ought to doo. The allegory is appropriate to fayth / & the anago­gicall to hope and thinges above. Tropologicall & anagogicall are termes of their awne faynynge and all together vnnecessary. For they are but allegories both two of thē and this worde allegorie comprehendeth them both and is ynough. For chopologi­call is but an allegory of maners and ana­gogicall an allegory of hope. Allegory and what it signi­fieth▪ And alle­gory is as moch to saye as straunge speakynge or borowed speach. As when we saye of a wātā childē / this shepe hath magottes in his tayle / he must be anoynted with byr­chī salve which speach I borow of the shepardes ¶ Thou shalt vnderstōde therfore y• the scripture hath but one sence which is ye literall sence.The scripture hath but one sense. And yt literall sence is ye rote and groūde of all & the an [...]re yt never fay­leth where vnto yf thou cleve thou canst ne­ver erre or goo out of the waye. And if thou leve ye litterall sence▪ thou canst not but go [...] [Page cxxx] out of the waye. Never the later the scrip­ture vseth proverbes / similitudes / redels or allegories as all other speaches doo / but that which the proverbe / similitude / redell or allegory signifieth is ever the literall sence which thou must seke out dilgently. As in the english we borow wordes and sentences of one thinge and apply them vnto a nother ād geve thē new significaciōs We saye let the see swell and rise as he will yet hath God appoynted how f [...]rre he shall goo: meaninge that the tyrauntes shall not doo what they wolde / but that only which God hath appoynted them to doo / loke yer thou lepe / whose literall sence is / doo nothinge sodenly or without avisemente. Cut not the bowe that thou stondest apon whose literall sence is oppresse not the co­myns and is borowed of hewers. When a thinge speadeth not well / we Borowed speach▪ boro­we speach and saye / the Byshope hath blessed it / because that nothinge speadeth well that they medyll with all.☜ Yf the podech be burned to or the meate over ros­ted / we saye / the bysshope hath put his fo­te in the potte or the bysshope hath playd the coke / because the bysshopes burn who they lust and whosoever displeaseth them. He is a pontificall fellow / that is / prowd and statly. He is popish / that is / superstici­ous & faythlesse. It is a pastime for a prelate [Page] It is a pleasure for a pope. He wolde be free and yet will not have his heed shaven. He wolde that no man shulde smyte hym & yet hath not the popes marke. And of hī y• is betrayd ād woteth not how / we saye / he hath bene at shrifte▪ she is master parsons sisters doghter▪ he is ye byshopes systers▪ sonne / he hath a cardinal to his vncle / she is a spiritual whore / it is the gentle womā of ye parso­nage / he gave me a Ryrieleyson. And of hyr that answereth hyr husbande vj. wordes for one we saye / she is a sister of the charter house / as who shulde saye / she thinketh that she is not bounde to kepe sylence / their silence shalbe a satisfaccion for hir. And of him that will not be saved by Christes merites / but by the workes of his awne imaginaciō we saye it is a holy worke mā. Thus borow we and fayne new speach in every tonge. All fabels prophesies and redels are allegories as Ysopus fabels and Marliens prop [...]sies and the interpretacion of them are the lite­rall sence.

So in lyke maner the scripture boroweth wordes and sentences of a [...] maner thīges and maketh proverbes and similitud [...]s or allegoryes. As Christ saith Luke. iiij. Phisicion heale thy selfe. Whose interpretacion is doo that at whome which thou do [...]st in straunge places and that is the literall sence. So when I saye Christ is a lābe / I meane [Page cxxxj] not a lambe that beareth woll / but a meke and a paciente lambe which is beaten for other mens fautes. Christ is a vine / not that beareth grapes: but out of whose rote the braunches that beleve / sucke the sprite of lyfe ād mercy and grace and power to be the son­nes of God and to doo his will. The similitudes of the Gospell are allegories borowed of wordly matters to expresse spirituall thin­ges. The Apocalipse or revelaciōs of Iohn are allegories whose litterall sense is herde to fynde in many places.

Beyond all this / The righte vse of allego­ries. whē we have found out the litterall sence of the scripture by the pro­cesse of the texte or by a lyke texte of a nother place▪ Thē goo we & as ye scripture boroweth similitudes of wordly thīges evē so we agayne borow similitudes or allegories of ye scripture ād apply thē to oure purposes / Allegories a­re no sense of scripture. which allegories are not sence of the scripture: but fre thinges besydes the scripture and all to gether in the liberte of the spirite. Which allegories I maye not make at all the wilde adventures: but must kepe me with in the compasse of the fayth and ever apply myne alle­gory to Christ and vnto the fayth.☜ Take an ensample / thou hast the story of peter how he smote of Malchuses eare and how Christ healed it agayne. There hast thou in ye playne texte greate lerninge / greate frute & grea­te edifienge which I passe over because of tediousnes. [Page] Then come I / when I preach of the law and the gospell / and borow this example to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and to paynte it vnto the before thine eyes. And of Peter and his swerde make I the law and of Christ the Gospell sayenge / as Peters swerde cutteth of the eare so doeth the law. The law damneth / the law kylleth / and man­gleth the conscience.

There is no eare so righteous that can abyde the hearinge of the law. The­re is no deade so good but that the law damneth it. But Christ / that is to saye the Gospell / the promyses and testamente that God hath made in Christe healeth the eare and conscience which the law hath hurte. The Gospell is lyfe / mercy and forgeve­nes frely / and al together an helinge playster. And as Peter doeth but hurte and make a woūde where was none before: evē so do­eth the lawe. For when we thinke that we are holy and righteous and full of good deades yf the law be preached a ryght / oure righte­ousnes and good deades vanesh awaye / as smoke in the winde and we are left dānable synners only And as thou seist how ye Christ healeth not tyll Peter had wonded / & as an healinge playster helpeth not tyll ye corrosy hath trobled the woūde / evē so ye Gospell helpeth not / but when the law hath wonded [Page cxxxij] the conscience and brought the synner in to [...]he knowlege of his synne. Allegories prove no thīge This allegory proveth no thinge nether can doo. For it is not the scripture / but an example or a similitud [...] borowed of the scripture to declare a texte or a conclusion of the scripture moare expre [...]ly and to rote it and grave it in the herte. For a similitude or an example doeth prynte a thinge moch deper in the wittes of a mā then doeth a playne speakynge and leaveth behynde hym as it were a stynge to pricke him forwarde and to awake hym with allIf thou can not prove the allegory with an open texte then is it false doctrine. Moare over if I coulde not prove with an open texte that which the allegory doeth ex­presse / then were the allegory a thinge to be gested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hode. This allegory as twichin­ge his fyrst parte is proved by Paul in iij. chap. of his Pistle to the Rom. where he sayeth. The law causeth wr [...]th. And in vij. chapter to the Rom. When the law or commaundmente came / synne revyved / ād I become deed▪ And in the ij. pistle to the Corinth. in threde chapter / the law is cal­led the minister of deeth and dānacion &ce. And as concernynge the seconde parte Paul sayth to the Romayns in .v. chapter In that we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with God. And in the seconde pist­le to the Corinthians in .iij. The Gospyll is called the ministracion of iustifienge and of [Page] the spirite. And Gala. iiij. The sprite cometh by preachinge of the fayth &c.The litterall sense proveth the allegory. This doeth the litterall sence prove the allegory and be­are it / as the foundaciō beareth the hou [...]. And because that allegories prove nothge therfore are they to be vsed soberly and sel­don and only where the texte offereth the an allegory.

And of this maner (as I above h [...]ve done) doeth Paul borow a similitude / [...] figure or an allegory of Genesis to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell / and by Agar & hyr sonne declareth the propertie of the law and of hyr bonde childern which wilbe iustified by deades / and by Sara and hyr sonne declareth ye propertie of the Gos­pell and of hyr fre childerne which are iustified by fayth / and how the childern of the law which beleve in their workes persecute the childerne of the Gospell which beleve in the mercy and trueth of God and in the te­stamēte of his sonne Iesus oure lorde. And lyke wise doo we borow likenesses or alle­gories of the scripture / as of Pharao and Herod and of the scribes and pharises / to expresse oure miserable captivite and perse­cucion vnder Antychrist the Pope.The fayth was loost thorow allegori­es.

The greatest cause of which captivite ād the decay of the fayth and this blyndnes wherein we now are / sprange fyrst of alle­horyes. For Origen and the of his tyme [Page Cxxxiij] drew al the scripture vnto allegories. Whos ensample they that came after folowed so longe / tyll at the last they forgat the order / and processe of the texte / supposinge that the scripture sarved but to fayne allegories apon. In so moch that twenty doctours expounde one texte .xx. wayes / as childern make descant apon playne songe Chopologicall sophisters. Then came oure sophisters with their Anagogicall ād chopologicall sence and with an antetheme of halfe an ench / out of which some of them draw a threde of .ix. dayes longe. Yee thou shalt fynde ynow that will preach Christ / and prove what some ever poynte of the fayth that thou wilt / as well out of a fabell of Ovide Poetry is as good divinite as the scripture to oure scole men. or any other poyet / as out of saynte Iohns Gospell or Pauls pistels. Yee they are come vnto soch blyndnes that they not only saye the literall sence profiteth not / but also that it is hurtfull and noyso­me and kylleth the soule.The litterall sense kylleth s [...]le sophi [...]te [...]. Which damnable doctrine they prove by a texte of Paul. ij Co­rinth. iij. Where he sayeth the letter kylleth but the spirite geveth lyfe. Loo saye they the litterall sence kylleth and the spirituall sence geveth lyfe. We must therfore / saye they / seke out some choplogicall sence.

Here lerne what sophistry is and how blynde they are / that thou maist abhorre thē and spue them out of thy stomake for ever. Paul by the letter meaneth Moyses law. [Page] which the processe of the texte folowinge declareth more bryghte then the sone. But it is not their gyse to loke on ye order of any texte but as they fynde it in their doctoures so allege they it and so vnderstōde it The letter kille this expo­unde. Paul maketh a compareson betwene the law and the Gospell and calleth the law the letter / because it was but letters graven in two tables of colde stone. For the law doeth but kyll and damne the consciences / as longe as there is no lust in the herte to doo that which the law commaundeth. Cōtrary wi­se he calleth ye Gospell the administratiō of the sprite and of righteousnes or iustifienge For when Christ is p [...]eached and the promyses which God hath made in Christe are beleved / the sprite entereth the herte and loo­seth the herte and geveth lust to doo the lawe and maketh the lawe a lyvely thinge in the herte. To love the law is righte­ousnes. Now as sone as the herte lusteth to doo the law / then are we righteous before God and oure synnes forgeven. Never thelesse the law of the letter graved in stone and not in the hertes was so glorious / that Moysesis face shone so bryghte that the childerne of Israell coulde not beholde his face forbryghtnes. It was also gevē in thunder ād lighninge and t [...]reble signes / so that they for feare came tot Moses and desired him that he wolde speake to them & let God speake no moare. Lest we dye (sayd they) Yf [Page Cxxxiiij] we heare him any moare: as thou maist se Exodi twenty. Wherapon Paul ma­keth his comparison sayenge: yf the mini­stration of deeth thorow the letters figured in stones was glorious / so that the childern of Israell coulde not beholde ye face of Moses for the glory of his countenaunce: why shall not the administracion of the sprite be glorious? And agayne: if the administrati­on of damnacion be glorious: moch moa­re shall the administration of righteousnes excead in glory: That is / if the law that kylleth synners and helpeth them not be glorious: then the Gospell which pardoneth synners and geveth them power to be the sonnes of God and to over come synne / is moch moare glorious. And the texte that goeth before is as clere.

For the holy Apostel Paul sayeth / ye Corinthians are oure Pistle / which is vnder­stonde and red of all men / in that ye are knowē how that ye are ye pistle of Christ mi­nistred by vs and written: not with ynke (as Moyses lawe) but with the sprite of the ly­vinge God: not in tables of stone (as the ten commaundmētes) but in the fleshy tables of ye herte / as who shulde saye / we write not a deed law with ynke & in parchemente / ner grave that which damned you in tables of stone: but preach you yt which bringeth the sprite of lyfe vnto youre brestes / which sprite [Page] writeth and graveth the lawe of love in youre hertes and geveth you lust to doo the will of God. And forthermoare / sayth he oure ablenes cometh of God which hath made vs able to mynistre the new testament / not of the letter (that is to saye not of the law) but of the sprite. For ye letter (that is to saye the law) kylleth: but ye sprite geveth lyfe (that is to saye the sprite of God which entereth youre hertes when ye beleve the glad tydin­ges that are preached you in Christe / quickeneth youre hertes and geveth you lyfe & lust and maketh you to do of love and of youre awne accorde with out compulsiō / yt which the law compelled you to doo and damned you because ye coulde not doo with love and lust and naturally. This seist thou that the letter signifieth not the literall sence and the sprite the spirituall sence. And Rom. ij. vseth Paul this terme litera for the law. And Ro. vij. where he sette [...]h it so playne / that if the great wrath of God had not blynded them they coude never have stombled at it.

God is a sprite and all his wordes are spirituall. His The litterall sense is spiri­tuall. litterall sence is spirituall and all his wordes are spirituall. When thou readest. Mathei. j. she shall beare a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus. For he shall save his people from their synnes This litterall sence is spirituall and everla­stinge lyfe vnto as many as beleve it. And [Page Cxxxv] the litterall sence of these wordes Math. v. blessed are the mercyfull / for they shall ha­ve mercy are spirituall and lyfe. Wherby they that are mercyfull maye of right by the trueth and promise of God calenge mercy. And lyke is it of these wordes. Mathei vj. Yf you forgeve othermen their synnes youre hevenly father shall forgeve you yours. And so is it of all the promises of God. Finally all gods wordes are spirituall / yf thou have eyes of God to se the ryght meanynge of the texte ād where vnto the scripture perteyneth and the finall ende and cause therof.

All the scripture is ether the promyses and testamente of God in Christ and storyes perteyninge there vnto / to strength thy fayth ether the law and stones perteyninge therto to feare the from evell doinge.What is to be soughte in the scripture and in the litteral sense. There is no story nor gest / seme it never so symple or so vile vnto the worlde / but that thou shalte fynde therin spirite and life ād edifienge in the litterall sense. For it is Gods scripture writ­ten for thy lernynge and conforte. There is no cloute or ragge there that hath not preci­ous reliques wrapte therin of fayth / hope / pacience and longe soferinge and of the trueth of God / and also of his ryghtwesnes. Set before the the story of The story of Ruben. Ruben which defy­led his fathers bed. Marke what a crosse G [...]d sofered to fall on the necke of hys electe Iacob. Considre fyrst the shame amonge [Page] the hethen / when as yet there was no mo [...] of the whole worlde with in the testamen­te of God but he and his housholde. I re­porte me to oure prelates which sw [...]re by their Swere they by their honoure? then are they not ready to sofre shame for christes sa­ke. honoure whether it were a crosse or no. Seist thou not how oure weked byl­ders rage / because they se their byldyn­ges burne / now they are tryed by the fyre of Gods worde / and how they stere vp the whole worlde / to quench the worde of God / for feare of loosynge their honoure? Then what busynes had he to pacyfie his childerne? Loke what a doo he had at the defylinge of his dochter Dina. And be thou sure that the brethern there were no more furious for the defylinge of their sy­ster / then the sonnes here for the defylyn­ge of their mother. Marke what folowed Ruben / to feare other that they shame not their fathers and mothers. He was cur­sed and loost the kyngdome and also the prestdome / and his tribe or generacion was ever few in numbre as it appereth in ye stori­es of the Bible.

The adultery of David.The adultery of David with Barsabe is an ensample / not to move vs to e­vell: but yf (whyle we folow the waye of ryghteousnes) any chaunce dryve vs a sy­de / that we despere not. For yf we saw not soch infyrmytes in Gods electe / we which are so weke and fall so ofte shulde [Page Cxxxvj] vtterly despeare and thinke that God had cleane forsaken vs. It ys therfore a su­re and an vndowted conclusion / whether we be holy or onholy / we are all synners. But the difference is / that Gods syn­ners consente not to their synne.The differēce betwene gods synners ād the devyls. They consente vnto the law yt it ys both holy and ryghteous and morne to have their syn­ne taken awaye. But the devels synners cō ­sente vnto their synne and wolde have the law and hell taken awaye and are enemies vnto the righteousnes of God.

Lyke wyse in the whomely ges [...] of Noe / Noe· when he was dronke / and laye in hys ten­te with his pryvey membres opon / hast thou greate edyfyenge in the litterall sen­ce. Thou seyst what became of the cur­sed childern of weked ham which saw his fathers privey membres and gested therof vnto his brethern. Thou seyst allso what blessynge fell on S [...]m and Iaphet which went backwarde and covered their fathers membres and saw them not. And thred­ly thou seyst what infirmyte accompanie [...]h Gods electe be they never so [...]oly / which yet is not imputed vnto them. For the fayth and trust they have in God swaloweth vp all there synnes.The Pope is likened to ham

Not with standynge this texte offereth vs an apte & an honsome allegory or similitude to destribe oure weked hā ātichriste the pope [Page] which many hūdred yeres hath done all the shame that herte can thinke vnto the privey membre of God which ys the worde of promyse or the worde of fayth as Paul calleth it Roma. x. and the Gospell and testamente of Christe wherewith we are begotē / as thou seist .j. Petri. j. and Iames. j. And as ye cursed childern of ham grew in to geauntes so myghty ād greate that the childern of Israel semed but greshoppers in respecte of thē: so the cursed sones of oure Ham the Pope his cardinals / bisshopes / abbotes / monkes and freres are become mighty geauntes above all power and auctorite / so that the chil­dern of fayth in respecte of them / are moch lesse then greshoppers. The will to heven by a waye of there awne makynge. They hepe moun­tayne apō mountayne and will to heven by theyr awne strength and bi a waye of their awne makynge and not by the waye Christe Never the later those geauntes for the w [...] ­kednes and abhominations which they had wrought / did God vtterly destroye / parte of them by the childern of Loth and parte by the chyldern of Esau and seven nacions of them by the childern of Israel. So no dou­te shall he destroye these for lyke abhomi [...]acions and that shortly. For their kyngdome is but ye kyngdome of lyes ād falsheed which must nedes perish at the comynge of the trueth of Gods worde / as the nyght vanesheth awaye at the presence of daye. The childern [Page cxxxvij] of Israel slew not those geauntes / but thē power of God / Gods trueth and promy­ses as thou maist se in Deutero. * So it is not we that shall destroye those geauntes / as thou maist se by Paul. ij. Thessaloni. ij. speakynge of oure ham Antichrist. Whom the lorde shall destroye (sayeth he) with the sprite of his mouth (that is / by the wordes of trueth) and by the bryghtnes of his co­mynge (yt is / by the preachinge of his Gos­pell.

ANd as I have sayde of allegories / evē so it is of worldly similitudes which we make ether when we preach ether when we expound the scripture.The vse of similitudes. The simi­litudes prove no thinge / but are made to ex­presse moare playnely that which is contayned in ye scripture & to leade the ī ye spirituall vnderstōdīge of ye texte. As ye similitude of matrimony is takē to expresse ye mariage that is betwene christe & oure soules & what exceadinge mercy we / have there / where of all ye scriptures make mēciō. And ye simili­tude of ye mēbres / how every one of them careth for other is take to make ye fele what it is to love thy neyboure as thy selfe. A similitude with out scripture ys a sure token of a fal­se prophete. That preacher therfore yt brīgeth a naked similitude to prove yt which is cōtayned in no texte of scripture ner foloweth of a texte / coūte a disceaver / a leader out of ye waye ād a false prophete / & beware of his philosophy and [Page] persuasions of mans wisdome as Paul every where warneth the. Paul. j. Corinth. ij. saith:Paul preach­ed not world­ly wisdome. my wordes and my preachinge were not with entysinge wordes and persua­sions of mans wisdome but in showinge of the sprite and power / that is / he preached not dreames confirminge them with simi­litudes: but Gods worde confirminge it with myracles & with workinge of the spri­te the which made them fele every thinge in their her [...]es. That youre faith / saith he / shuld not stonde in ye wisdome of man: but in the power of God Similitudes and reas [...]ns of mans wisdo­me make no faith but wave­ringe opiniōs only. For ye reasons & similitudes of mans wisdome make no fayth / but wa­veringe & vncertayne opiniōs only: one dra­weth me this waye with his argumēte a no­ther that / ād of what principle thou provest blacke a nother proveth white / and so am I ever vncertayne / as if thou tell me of a thinge done in a ferre londe and a nother tell me the contrary / I wote not what to beleve. But fayth is wrought by ye power of God / that is / [...] Gods worde is preached / the spirite entereth thine herte & maketh thy soule fele it ād maketh ye so sure of it / Gods word maketh sure faith for god can not lye. yt nether adversite nor persecucion / ner deeth / nether hell / ner the powers of hell / nether yet all the paynes of hell coulde ones prevayle a­genst the or move the from the sure rocke of Gods worde / that thou shuldest not beleve that which God hath sworne.

[Page cxxxviij]And Peter. ij. Petri. j. saith we folo­wed not deceavable Peter prea­ched not fabl­es and false si­militudes but the playne sc­ripture. fables / when we o­pened vnto you the power and comynge of our lorde Iesus Christe: but with our eyes we saw his maiestie. And agayne / we have (saith he) a moare sure worde of prophesie / where vnto if ye take hede / as vnto a ligh­te shininge in a darke place / ye doo well. The worde of prophesy was the olde testa­mente which bereth recorde vnto Christe in every place / without which recorde ye Apo­stles made nether similitudes nor argumē tes of worldly witte. ☜ Here of seist thou / that all the allegories / similitudes / pesuasions & argumentes which they bringe wit­hout scripture / to prove prayēge to sayntes / purgatory / eare cōfessiō & that God will he are thy prayar moare in one place then in a nother / and that it is moare meritorious to eate fysh then flesh / and that to disgise thy selfe and put on this or that maner cote is moare acceptable then to goo as God hath made the / & that wedowhode is better then matrimony and virginite then wedowho­de / and to prove the assumpcion of oure la­dy and that she was borne without origi­nall synne / ye and with a kisse saye some / are but false doctrine.Scole doctri­ne.

Take an ensāple how they prove yt wedowhode & virginite exceade matrimony thei brī ge this worldli similitude He yt taketh most [Page] payne for a man deserveth most and to hym a mā is most bounde / so like wise must it be with God ād so forth: now the wedow ād virgyn take moare payne in resistinge their lustes then the maryed wife / therfore is their state holyer. Fyrst I saye / that in their awne sophistry a similitude is the worst and feblest argumēte that can be and proveth lest and sonest disceaveth.Similitudes are no good argumētes amō ­ge the sophi­sters awne selves. Though that one so­ne doo moare service for his father thē a nother / yet is the father fre ād maye with righte rewarde them all a lyke. For though I had a thousande brethern ād did moare thē they all / yet do I not my dutie. The fathers and mothers also care most for the leest ād wekest and them that can do leest: ye for the worst care they most and wold spende / not their goodes only: but also their bloude to bringe them to the righte waye. And evē so is it of ye kingdome of Christe as thou maist well se in the similitude of the riotous sonne Luke. xv. Moare over Paul saith .j. Cor. vij. It is beter to marie then to burne. For the persone yt burneth can not quietly serve God in as moch as his mynde is drawen awaye and the thoughtes of his herte occupied with wonderfull and mōstrous imaginaci­ons. He can nether se / ner heare / ner reade but that his wittes are rapte and he cleane from hym selfe. And agayne / saith he / cir­cuncision is nothinge vncircuncision is no [Page cxxxix] thinge: but the kepynge of the commaund­mentes is all to gether. Loke where in thou canst best kepe the commaundmentes thi­ther get thy selfe and therein abyde / wheder thou be wedow wyfe or mayde / and then hast thou all with God We must cure oure īfirmites withe the reamedies that god hath ordened and not tempte God. Yf we have in­firmites that draw vs from the lawes of God / let vs cure them with the remedies that God hath made. Yf thou burne mary For God hath promysed the no chastite / as longe as thou maist vse the remedy that he hath ordened: no moare then he hath pro­mysed to flake thine hongre without meate

Now to aske of God moare then he hath promysed cometh of a false fayth and is playne ydolatry: and to desyre What temptinge of God ys▪ a myra­cle where there is naturall remedy / is temptinge of God. And of payne takynge this wyse vnderstande. He that taketh payne to kepe ye commaundmentes of god is sure ther by that he loveth god ād that he hath gods sprite in him. And the moare payne a man taketh (I meane paciently ād without grouginge) the moare he loveth God and the perfecter he is ād neare vnto that health which the soules of all christen men longefore and the moare purged from the infirmyte and synne that remayneth in the fleshe: but to loke for any other rewarde or promocion in heven or in the lyfe to come thā that which God hath promysed for Christes sake and [Page] which Christe hath deserved for vs with his payne takynge / is abhominable in the syght of God. For Christe only hath purchesed the rewarde / and oure payne takynge to ke­pe the commaundmentes doeth but purge the synne that remayneth in the flesh / and cerrifie vs that we are chosen & sealed with Gods spirite vnto the tewarde that Christe hath purchased for vs.

I was once at the creatinge of doctours of divinite / where the oponente brought the same reason to prove that ye wedow had moare merite then the vigin / because she had greater payne for as moch as she had once proved the pleasures of matrimony. Ego ne go domine doctor said the respondente. For though the virgen have not proved / yet she imagineth that the playsure is gretter then it is in deade and therfore is moare moved and hath greater temptacion ād greater payne. Are not these disputers they that Paul speaketh of in the sixte chapter of ye first pist­le to Timotheum. That they are not / contente with the wholsome wordes of oure lorde Iesus Christ / and doctrine of godlinesse. And therfore know no thinge: but wast their braynes aboute questions and strifte of wordes / wherof springe envy / stryfe and raylinge of men with corrupte myndes destitute of the trouth.

As pertaynynge to oure ladyes body / wh [...] re [Page cxi] it is or where the body of Elyas / of Io­hn the Evangeliste and of many other be / perteyneth not to vs to know. One thinge are we sure of / that they are where God hath leyde thē. ☜ Yf they be in hevē / we have never the moare in Christe: Yf they be not there / we have never the lesse. Oure dutie is to prepare oure selves vnto the commaundmen­tes and to be thankefull for that which is opened vnto vs / and not to sherch the vnsherchable secretes of God. Of Gods secre­tes can we know no moare then be openeth vnto vs. Yf God shutte / who shall open? How thē cā naturall reasō come by ye knowlege of that which God hath hyd vnto himselfe?

Yet let vs se one of their reasons where with they prove it. The chefe rea­son is this / every man doeth moare for his mother / saye they / then for other / in lyke maner must Christe do for his mother / therfore hath she this preheminence / that hir body is in heven. And yet Christ in the twelf chapter of Mathe. knoweth hir not for his mother: but as ferforth as she kepte his fathers commaundmentes. And Paul in the seconde Pistle to the Corintheans in v. chap. knoweth not Christe himselfe fleshly or after a worldly purpose. Last of all god is fre & no forther boūde thē he bīdeth hīselfe: [Page] yf he have made hir any promyse he is bounde / yf not / then is he not. Finally yf thou set this above rehersed chapter of Math. before the where Christe wolde not know his mother / and the seconde of Iohn where he re­buked hir / and the secōde of Luke where she loost him and how negligente she was to leve him behinde her at Ierusalem vnwars ād to goo a dayes Iorney yer she sought for him thou mightest solve many of their rea­sons which they make of this matter / and that she was without originall synne: reade also Erasmusis annotations in the said places. And as for me I committe all soch maters vnto those ydle belies which have noughte else to doo / then to move soch questiōs and geve thē fre libertie to holde what they lyste / as longe as it hurteth not the fayth / whether it be so or no: exhortīge yet with Paul all that will please God ād obtayne that saluacion that is in Christe / that they geve no hede vnto vnnecessary and braulynge disputacions / and yt they laboure for the knowlege of those thinges without which they cā not be saved And remēbre yt the sonne was geven vs to gyde vs in our waye and wor­kes bodyly. Now yf thou leave the naturall vse of the sonne & will loke directly on hym to se how brighte he is and sochlike curiosite then will the sonne blynde the. So was the scripture gevē vs to gyde vs in our waye [Page cxlj] and workes goostly. The waye is Christe ād the promises in him are oure salvacion yf we longe for them. Now if we shall leave that righte vse and turne oure selves vnto vayne questions and to sherch the vnsherchable secretes of God: then no doute shall the scripture blinde vs as it hath done oure scole mē and oure sotle disputers.

ANd as they are false prophetes which prove with allegories / similitudes ād wordly reasons that which is no where made mencion of in the scripture. ☜ Even so counte them for false prophetes which expounde the scriptures drawinge them vnto a worldly purpose cleane contrary vnto the In expoundinge of the scripture we must have a respecte vnto the ly­vinge and practisinge of christ ād of his apo­stels and pro­phetes· example / lyvinge / and practisinge of Chri­ste and of his Apostles and of all the holy prophetes. For saith Peter. ij. Petri. j. no prophesy in the scripture hath any private interpretation. For the scripture came not by the will of man: but the holy men of God spa­ke / as they were moved by the holy goost. No place of the scripture maye have a priva­te exposition / that is it maye not be expoun­de aftyr the will of man or aftyr the will of ye flesh or drawē vnto a wordldly purpose cō trary vnto the open textes and the generall articles of the fayth ād the whole course of the scripture and contrary to the lyvinge ād practisynge of Christe and the Apostles and holy prophetes. For as they came not by the [Page] will of man so maye they not be drawen or expound after the will of man: but as they came by the holy goost / so must they be expounde and vnderstonde by the holy goost. The scripture is that where with God dra­weth vs vnto him and not where with we shuld be leade frō him. The scriptures sprin­ge out of God and flow vnto Christe / and were geven to leade The scripture was geven to leade vs vnto Christe. vs to Christe. Thou must therfore goo alonge by the scripture as by a lyne / vntyll thou come at Christ / which is the wayes ende and restynge place. Yf any man therfore vse the scripture to dra­we the from Christe and to nosell the in a­ny thinge save in Christe / the same is a fal­se prophete. And that thou maist perceave what Peter meaneth / it foloweth in the texte. ☞ There where false prophetes amonge the people (whose prophesies were bely wis­dome) as there shalbe false teachers amō ­ge you: wich shall prively brynge in dam­nable Sectes or or­ders. sectes (as thou seist how we are di­vided in to monstrous sectes or orders of religion) even denienge the lorde that hath bought them. (For every one of them taketh on hym to sell the for money that which God in Christe promyseth the frely) ād many shall folow their damnable wayes / by whō the waye of trouth shalbe evell spoken of (as thou seist how the waye of trouth is be­come heresie sedicious or cause of insurrec­cion [Page cxlij] and breakynge of the kynges peace and treason vnto his hynes). And thorow covetousnes with fayned wordes shall they ma­ke merchaundyse of you. Covetousnes Covetousnes ād desyre of honoure ys the ende of all fal­se doctrine ād that which false prophetes seke. is the conclusion: for covetousnes and ambici­on that is to saye / lucre and desyre of honoure is the fynall ende of all false prophetes and of all false teachers. Loke apon the Po­pes false doctrine / what is the ende therof and what seke they there by? Wherfore ser­veth Purgatory. purgatory? but to purge thy purse and to polle the and robbe both the and thy hyeres of house and landes and of all thou hast / that they maye be in honoure. Ser­veth not Pardons. pardons for the same purpose? Wherto perteyneth Prayenge to sayntes. prayenge to sayntes but to offer vnto their belies? Wherfore ser­veth Confession. confession / but to sitte in thy con­science and to make the feare and tremble at what so ever they dreame and that thou worshepe them as Goddes: and so forth in all their tradicions / cerimonies / and coniuracions they serve not the lorde: but their belyes. And of their false expoun­dynge the scripture and drawynge it con­trary vnto the example of Christe and the Apostles and holy Prophetes vnto their damnable covetousnes and fylthy ambici­on take an example.An example of false expo­undinge the scriptures.

Math. xvj. When Peter saith to Christ thou arte the sonne of the lyvinge God / [Page] and Christe answered / thou arte Peter and apon this rocke I will bylde my congrega­ciō. By the rocke interpret they Peter. And then cometh the pope and wilbe Peters successor / whether Peter will or will not / yee whether God will or will not and though all the scripture saye nay to any soch succession / and sayeth / loo I am the rocke / the foundaciō ād heed of Christes church Christe the faith and Gods-word is the rocke and not the pope Now sayeth all the scripture that the rocke is Christe / the fayth and Gods worde. As christe sayeth Math. vij. he yt heareth my wor­des & doeth therafter is lyke a man yt byl­deth on a rocke. For the house yt is bylde on Gods wordes will stōde / though hevē shulde fall. And Iohn. xv. Christe is ye wine & we ye braūches / so is Christe ye rocke / ye stocke & fundaciō where on we be bylde. And Paul. j. Cor. iij. calleth Christe oure fundacion & all other / whether it be Peter or Paul / he calleth oure servātes to preach Christe & to bylde vs on hī. Yf therfore ye pope be peters successoure / his duty is to preach Christe only ād other auctorite hath he none.The auctori­ce of peters successoure is but to preach. And .ij.xj. Paul marieth vs vnto Christe and dry­veth vs from all trust ād confidence in man And Ephesio. ij. sayeth Paul. Ye are bylde on the fundacion of the Apostles and pro­phetes / that is on the worde which they preached / Christe beinge / sayth he / the hed cor­ner stone / in whom every byldinge cou­pled [Page cxliij] to gether groweth vp in to an holy tem­ple in the lorde / in whom also ye are bylde together and made an habitaciō for God in the spiryte. And Peter in the seconde of his fyrst pistle bildeth vs on Christe / contrary vnto the Pope which byldeth vs on hym selfe. Hell gates shall not prevayle agenst it / that is to saye / agenste the congregation that is bylde apō Christes fayth and apon Gods worde. Now were the Pope the rocke / hell gates coulde not prevayle agenste him. For the housse coulde not stonde if the rocke and foundacion where on it is bylde did perish: but the contrary se we in oure Popes. For hell gates have prevayled agenste them many hūdred yeres / and have swalowed them vp: if Gods worde be true & the stories that are written of them: yee or if it be true that we se with oure yes. I will geve the ye keyes of heven saith Christ / and not I geve. And Iohn. xx. after the resurrection payed it and gave the keyes to thē all indifferently. What soever thou byndest on erth / it shalbe boūde in heven / and what soever thou lousest on erth it shalbe loused in heven. Of this texte maketh the Pope what he will / and expoun­deth it contrary to all the scripture / contrary to Christes practysinge / and the Apostles / and all the prophetes. * Now the scripture geveth recorde to him selfe and ever expoundeth it selfe by an other open texte. Yf the [Page] Pope then can not brynge for his exposici­on the practysinge of Christe or of the Apostles and prophetes or an open texte / then is his exposicion false doctrine.That exposi­cion ys false which is agēst the epen scripture or agenst the practisinge of christ ād of his apostles.. Christe expo­undeth him selfe. Mathei. xviij. sayenge: Yf thy brother synne agenste the rebuke him betwixt him and the alone. Yf he here the thou hast wōne thy brother: but yf he here ye not thē take with ye one or two & so forth as it stādeth in ye text he cōcludeth sayēge to thē all what so ever ye bynde in erth it shalbe bounde in heven and what soever ye louse on erth it shalbe loused in heven. Where byndinge is but to rebuke them that synne and lousynge to forgeve them that repente. And Iohn. xx. Whose synnes ye forgeve they are forgeven and whose synnes ye holde they are holden. And Paul. j. Corinthiorum. v. bindeth / and .ij. Corinthiorū. ij. louseth after the same maner.

Also this byndinge and lousinge is one power / and as he byndeth so louseth he:Byndynge ād lowsinge is o­ne power. yee and byndeth first yer he can louse. For who can louse that is not bounde. Now what so ever Peter byndeth or his successoure (as he wilbe called and is not / but in deade the very successoure of Satan) is not so to be vnderstonde / that Peter or the Pope hath power to commaunde a man to be in deedly synne or to be damned or to goo in to hell sayenge: be thou in deedly synne / be [Page cxliiij] thou damned / goo thou to hell / goo thou to purgatory. For that exposicion is contrary to the everlastinge testamēte that God hath made vnto vs in Christe. He sente his son­ne Christe to louse vs from synne and dam­nacion and hell / and that to testifie vnto the worlde sente he his disciples Actes. j. Paul also hath no power to destroye / but to edefie .ij. Corithiorum. x. and .xiij. How can Christe geve his disciples power agēst him selfe and agenst his everlastinge testamente? Can he sende them to preach salvacion and geve them power to damne whom they luste? What mercy and profite have we in Christes deeth and in his Gospell / yf the Pope which passeth all men in wekednesse hath power to sende whom he will to hell / and to damne whom he lusteth? we had thē no cause / to call him What Iesus signifieth. Iesus / that is to saye saver: but myghte of ryghte call him destroy ar. Wherfore then this byndinge is to be vnderstōde as Christe interpreteth it in the places above rehersed and as the Apostles practysed it What byndī ­ge meaneth· and is nothinge but to rebu­ke men of their synnes by preachinge the law. A man must first synne agenste Gods lawe yer the Pope can bynde him: yee and a man must fyrste synne agenste Gods law yer he nede to feare the Popes cur­se. What cursyn­ge meaneth. For cursinge and byndinge are both one and * no thynge save to [Page] rebuke a man of his synnes by Gods lawe. It foloweth also then that the lousynge is of lyke maner / and is no thinge [...] forge­vinge of synne to them that repente thorow preachinge of ye promyses which God hath made in Christe in whom only we have all forgevenes of synnes / What low synge meaneth. as Christe interpre­teth it and as the Apostles and prophetes practysed it. So is it a false power that the pope taketh on him to louse Gods lawes / as to geve a man licence to put awaye his wife to whom God hath bounde him / and to bynde them to chastite which God commaundeth to mary / that is to wete them that burne and can not lyve chaste. It is also a false power to bynde that which Gods worde maketh fre / makynge synne in the crea­tures which God hath made for mās vse.

☞The Pope which so fast lowses and purgeth in purgatory / can not with all the low synges and purgacions that he hath ether lowse or purge our appetites and lust and rebellion that is in vs agenst the law of God And yet the purginge of them is the right purgatory. Yf he can not purge them that are a lyve / where with purgeth he them / that are deed? * The Apostles knew no other wayes to purge / but thorow preachinge Gods worde which worde only is that that purgeth the herte / as thou mayst se Ihon xv. Ye are pure / saith Christe / thorow the [Page cxlv] worde. Now the Pope preacheth not to thē whom the fayne to lye in purgatory / no moare thē he doeth to vs that are alyve. How then purgeth he them? The Pope is Robyn good­felow. The Pope is kyn­ne to Robyn goodfellow which swepeth the howse / washeth the disshes ād purgeth all by nyghte. But when daye cometh ther is no thinge founde cleane.

Some man will saye the Pope byndeth them not / they bynde them selves. I answare he that byndeth him selfe to the pope and had lever have his lyfe & soule ruled by the Popes will thē by the will of God & by the Popes worde then by the worde of god / is a fole. And he that had lever be bonde then fre is not wise. And he that will not abyde in the fredome wherin Christe hath sette vs / is also madde. And he that maketh deedly synne where none is and seketh causes of hatered betwene him and God is not in his right wittes. Forther moare no man can bynde him selfe further then he hath power over him selfe. He that is vnder the power of a nother man can not bynde him selfe without lycence / as sonne / doghter / wife / servante and subiecte. Nether canst thou geve God that which is not in thy power. Chastite canst thou not geve God further then God lendeth it the / yf thou can not li­ve chaste thou arte bounde to mary or to be damned. Last of all for what purpose thou [Page] byndest thy selfe must be sene. Yf thou do it to obtayne therby that which Christ hath purchased for the frely / so arte thou an infi­dell and hast no parte with Christe and so forth. Yf thou wilte se moare of this mater loke in Deuteronomion ād there shalt thou fynde it moare largely entreaded

Take an other ensample of there false expoundynge the scripture. Christ saieth Ma­thei. xxiij.A nother ex­ample. The scribes and the phareses sitte on Moyses seate / what soever they byd you observe / that observe and doo: but after their workes doo not. Loo saye oure sophisters or ypocrites / lyve we never so abhominably / yet is oure auctorite never the lesse. Do as we teach therfore (saye they) and not as we doo. And yet Christ sayth they sitte on Moses seate / yt is as lōge as they teach Moyses do as they teach. For the law of Moyses is the law of God. But for their awne tradici­ons and false doctrine Christ rebuked them and disobeyed them and taught other to be ware of their leven. So if oure phareses sit­te on Christes seate ād preach him / we ought to heare them: but when they sitte on their awne seate / then ought we to beware as well of their pestilente doctrine as of their abho­minable livinge.

Lyke wise where they fynde menciō made of a swerde / they turne it vnto the popes power. The disciples said vnto Christe Luke [Page cxlvi] xxij. Loo here be two swerdes. And Christe answered two is ynough. Loo / saye they the Pope hath two swerdes / the spirituall swerde and the temperall swerde. And therfore is it lawfull for hym to fyghte and make war­re.

Christ a litle before he wente to his passi­on / axed his disciples sayenge: when I sente you out without all provision lacked ye any thinge. And they sayed nay. And he answered / but now let him that hath a walet take it with hym and he that hath a scrippe ly­ke wise / & let hī that hath never a swerde sell his cote and by one: As who shulde saye / it shall goo otherwise now then then. Then ye wente forth in fayth of my worde and my fathers promyses and it fedde you and made provision for you and was youre swerde and shilde and defender: but now it shall goo as thou readest Zacharias. xiij. I will smyte the sheparde and the shepe of the flocke shalbe scatered. Now shall my father lea­ve me in the hādes of ye weked & ye also shal be forsakē ād destitute of fayth / & shall trust in youre selves & in youre awne provision & in youre awne defence. Christ gave no commaundemente / but prophesied what shuld happen. And they because they vnderstode hym not / answered here are two swerdes. And Christe to make an ende of soch baby­lynge answered two is ynough. For yf he had [Page] commaunded every man to by a swerde / how had two bene ynough? Also yf two were ynough / and pertayned to the Pope on­ly / why are they all commaunded to by­every man a swerde? By the swerde therfore Christe prophesied that they shul­de be lafte vnto their awne defēce. And two swerdes were ynough: yee never a one had bene ynough. For yf every one of them had had ten swerdes they wolde have fled yer mydnyghte.

In the same chapter of Luke not .xij. li­nes from the forsaid texte. The disciples evē at the last soper axed who shulde be the greatest And Christ rebuked thē ād said it was an hethenish thinge & ther shulde be no soch thinge amonge them / but that the greatest shulde be as the smallest / and that to be greate was to do service as Christ did. But this texte because it is brighter then the sonne / that they can make no sophistry of it / therfore will they not heare it ner let other know it

FOr as moch now as thou partly seist the falshed of oure prelates / how all theyr study is to disceave vs and to ke­pe vs in darknes / to sit as Gods in oure cō sciences and handle vs at their pleasure ād to leade vs whether the luste: therfore / I red the / gete the to Gods worde ād therby trye all doctrine and agenst that receave nothinge. Nether any exposicion cōtrary vnto the [Page cxlvij] open textes / nether contrary to the general articles of the fayth / nether contrary to the livinge and practisinge off Christ and off his Apostles.Fathers fa­thers. And when they crye fathers fathers / remembre that it were the fathers that both blinded and robbed the whole worlde and brought vs in to this captivite whe­re in these enforse to kepe vs styll. Forther moare as they off the olde time are fathers to vs / soo shall these fowle monsters be fa­thers to thē that come after vs / and the ypocrites that folowe vs will crye of these and of their doinges fathers fathers / as these crye fathers / fathers / of them that are past. And as we feale oure fathers / so did they that are past feale their fathers: ne­ther were there in the worlde any other fathers then soch as we both se ād feale this many hundred yeres / as there decrees beare recorde and the stories and cronycles well testifye. Yf Gods worde appered any where they agreed all agenst it. When they had brought that a slepe / then strove they one with a nother aboute their awne traditions and one pope condemned a nothers decrees and were some tyme two / yee thre popes attonce. And one bisshope went to law with a nother and one cursed a nother for their awne fantasies and soch thinges as they had falsly goten. And the greatest sayntes are they that most defended the liberties of [Page] the church (as they call it) which they fals­ly gote with blyndinge kynges / nether had the worlde any rest this many hundred yeres for reforminge of freres and monkes and ceasinge of scismes that were amonge oure clergy. And as for the holy doctours as Augustine / Hierom / Cipriane / Chreso­stomus and Bede / will they not heare. Yf they wrote any thinge negligently (as they were men) that draw they cleane contrary to their meaninge and therof trihumphe they. Those doctours knew of none auctorite that one Bishope shuld have above a nother / nether thought or once dreamed that ever any soch shuld be / or of any soch whisperīge or of pardons / or scouringe of purgatory / as they have fayned.

Miracles miracles.And when they crye myracles myracles remembre that God hath made an everlas­tinge testamente with vs in Christes bloud / agenst which we maye receave no myracles no nether the preachinge of Paul hym selfe yf he came agayne / by his awne teachinge to the Galathiens / nether yet the preachin­ge of the aungels of heven. The woman of lēster was a solem miracle Wherfore ether they are no myracles but they have fayned them (as is the myracle that saint Peter halowed westmester) or else / yf there be myracles that confirme doctrine con­trary to Gods worde / then are they do­ne of the devell (as the mayde of ypswich [Page cxlviij] and of kent) to prove vs whether we will cleve fast to Gods worde and to descea­ve them that have no love to the tru­eth of Gods worde ner lust to walke in his lawes.The armoure of the spiritu­alte.

And for as moch as they to disceave with all arme them selves agenst the with argumentes and persuasions of fleshly wisdome / with worldly similitudes with shadowes / with false allegories / with false exposicions of the scripture contrary vnto the livinge and practisinge of Christe and the Apostles / with lyes and false myra­cles / with false names / dome ceremoni­es / with disgisinge of ypocresy / with the auctorites of the fathers and last of all with the violence of the temperall swerde: The armure af a christē mā ys gods word and fayth. the­refore do thou contrary wise arme thy selfe / to defende the with all / as Paul teacheth in the last chapter to the Ephesians Gyrde on the the swerde of the spirite which is Gods worde and take to the the shilde of fayth / which is not to beleve a tale of Robyn hode or Gestus Romanorum or of the Cronycles / but to beleve Gods worde that lasteth ever.

And when the Pope with his falsheed calēgeth tēperall auctorite above kynge and Emperoure: set before the fyve and twen­ty Chapter off Saynte Mathew. Whe­re [Page] Christ cōmaundteth Peter to put vp his swerde. And set before the Paul. ij. Corin. x. Where he saith the wepons of oure warre are not carnall thinges but myghty in god to bringe all vnderstandinge in captivite vnder the obedience of Christ / that is / the we­pons are Gods worde and doctrine ād not swerdes of yeron and stele / and set before the ye doctrine of Christe ād of his Apostles and their practise

And when the Pope calengeth auctori­te over his fellow Bisshopes and over all the congregacion of Christe by succession of Peter set before the the fyrst of the Actes where Peter for all his auctorite put no mā in the rowme of Iudas / but all the Apost­les chose two indifferently and cast lottes desyringe God to temper them that the lot­te myght fall on the most ablest. And Actes viij. the apostles sente Peter / and in the .xj. call hym to rekenynge and to geve acomp­tes of that he hath done.

☞And when the Popes law cōmaundeth sayenge: though that the Pope lyve never so wekedly and draw with hym thorow his evell ensample innumerable thousandes vnto hell / yet se that no man presume to rebuke him / for he is hed over all and no man o­ver hym: set before the Galath. ij. Where Paul rebuketh Peter openly. And se how both to the Corinthians ād also to the Ga­lathiens [Page cxlix] he will have no superior but Gods worde and he that coulde teach better by Gods worde. And because when he reher­sed his preachinge and his doynges vnto the hye Apostles / they coulde improve no thinge / therfore will he be equall with the best.

And when the freres saye / they doo moare then their dutie when they preach and moare then they are Freres be not bound to pre­ach· bounde to:☜ to saye oure service are we bounde (saye they) and that is oure dutie and to preach is moare then we are bounde to. Set thou before the how that Christes bloud shedinge hath bo­unde vs to love one a nother with all oure myghte and to doo the vttemost of oure po­wer one to a nother. And Paul sayeth .j. Corinth. ix. Wo be vnto me yf I preach not: yee wo is vnto hym that hath where with to helpe his neyboure and to make him bet­ter and doo it not. Yf they thinke it moare then their dutie to preach Christe vnto you then they thinke it moare then their dutie to praye that ye shuld come to the knowle­ge of Christe. And therfore it is no mervell though they take so great laboure: ye and so great wages also to kepe you styll in dar­kenes.

And when they crye furiously hold the heretikes vnto the wall and if they will not revoke burne them without any moare a doo [Page] reason not with them / it is an article con­demned / by the fathers. Set thou before the the sayenge of Peter. j. Petri. iij. To all that axe you be ready to geve an answere of the hope that is in you and that with meakenes. The fathers of the Iewes ād the biss­hopes / which had as great auctorite over thē as ours have over vs / cōdemned Christ and his doctrine. Yf it be ynough to saye the fathers have condemned it then are the Ie­wes to be holde excused: yee they are yet in the ryght waye and we in the false. But and yf the Iewes be bounde to loke in the scripture and to se whether their fathers ha­ve done right or wrōge / thē are we lyke wyse bounde to loke in the scripture whether ou­re fathers have done right or wronge / and ought to beleve no thinge with out a reason of the scripture and auctorite of Gods wor­de.

And of this maner defende thy selfe agenst all maner wekednes of oure sprites / armed all waye with Gods worde ād with a stronge and a stedfast fayth ther vnto. Without Gods worde doo nothinge. And to his worde adde nothynge nether pull any thynge there from / as Moyses every whe­re teacheth the. How god ou­ghte to be ser­ved. Serve God in the spri­te / and thy neyboure with all outwarde service.☞ Serve God as he hath appoynted the and not with thy good entente and good [Page cl] zele. Remembre Saul was cast awaye of God for ever for his good entente. God re­quyreth obedyence vnto his worde and ab­horreth all good ententes and good zeles which are without Gods worde. For they a­re nothynge else then playne ydolatry and worshepinge of false Goddes.In Christ ys rest of consciē ­ce only.

And remembre that Christ is the en­de of all thynge. He only is oure restinge place and he is oure peace. Ephesiorum se­conde chapter. For as there is no salvaci­on in any other name / so is there no pea­ce in any other name. Thou shalt never ha­ve rest in thy soule nether shall the worme of conscience ever cease to gnaw thyne herte tyll thou come at Christ: tyll thou heare the glad tydynges / how that God for his sake hath forgeven the all frely. Yf thou trust in thy workes there is no rest. Thou shalt thynke / I have not done ynough. Have I done it with so greate lo­ve as I shulde doo? Was I so glad in do­ynge as I wold be to receave helpe at my neade? I have left this or that vndone and soch lyke. Yf thou trust in confession / then shalt thou thynke. Have I tolde all? Have I tolde all the circumstances? Did I repente ynough? Had I as greate so­rowe in my repentaunce for my synnes as I had pleasure in doynge them? Lyke wyse in our holy pardons and pylgremage / [Page] gettest thou no rest. For thou seist that the very Gods them selves which sell their par­done so good chepe or some whiles geve thē frely for glory sake / trust not therin them selves. The byld colleges and make perpetui­tes to be prayed for for ever and lade the lyppes of their beidmen or chaplaynes with so many masses and diriges and so longe service / that I have knowen of some that have byd the devell take their founders soules for very impaciencye and werynes of so pay­nefull laboure.

Doo good deades ād trust in Christ.As perteyninge to good deades therfo­re / do the best thou canst ād desyre God to geve strēgth to do better dayly / but in Christ put thy trust and in the pardon and promy­ses that God hath made the for his sake / and on that rocke bylde thine howse and there dwell. For there only shalt thou be su­re from all stormes and tempestes and frō all wyly assaltes of oure weked spirites which stody with all falsheed to vndermy­ne vs. And the God of all mercy geve the grace so to doo / vnto whom be glorie for ever. Amen.

¶A compendious re­hersall of that which go­eth before.

[Page Clj] I Have described vnto you the obedience of childerne servan­tes / wives ād subiectes. Thes iiij. orders are of Gods makynge and the rules therof are Gods worde. He that kepeth them shalbe blessed: yee is blessed all ready and he that breaketh them shalbe cursed. Yf any person of impaciency or of a stoburne and rebelli­ous mynde withdraw him selfe from any of these / and gete him to any other order: let him not thinke therby to avoyd the ven­geaunce of god in obeyenge rules and tradicions of mans imaginacion. Yf thou pol­ledst thine heed in the worshepe of thy fa­ther and breakest his commaundmentes / shuldest thou so es [...]ape? Or yf thou payntedst thy masters image on a wall ād stekedst vp a candle before it / shuldest thou there with make satisfaction / for the breakinge of his commaundmentes. Or if thou wareste a blew rote in the worshepe of the kynge and brakest his lawes shuldest thou so go quyte? Let a mans wife make hir selfe a sister of the charterhouse and answere hir husband whē he byddeth hir holde hir peace / my brethern kepe sylence for me / ād se whether she shall so escape. And be thou sure God is moare gelouse over his commaundmentes thē mā is over his or thē any mā is over his wife.

Because we be blynde / God hath apoyn­ted [Page] in the scripture how we shulde serve him and please him. As perteyninge vnto his awne person he is abundantly pleased when we beleve his promyses and holy te­stamente which he hath made vnto vs in Christe / ād for the mercy which he there shewed [...]s / love his commaundmentes. All bodyly service must be done to man in gods stede. We must geve obedience / honoure / tolle / tribute / custome / and rente vnto whom they belonge. Then if thou have ought moare to bestowe / geve vnto the pore which are left here in Christes stede that we shew mercy on them. Yf we kepe the commaundmentes of love then are we sure that we fulfull the law in the syghte of God and that oure blessinge shal be everlastinge lyfe. Now whē we obeye paciently and without grudginge evell princes that oppresse vs and persecute vs and be kynde and mercyfull to them that are mercylesse to vs and doo the worst they can to vs and so take all fortune paciently and kysse what so ever crosse God layeth on oure backes: thē are we sure that we kepe the commaundmente of love.

I declared that God hath taken all vengeaunce in to his awne handes / and will avenge all onryght himselfe: ether by the powers or officers which are appoynted there to or else / yf they be negligente / he will sende his curses apon the transgressours and [Page Clij] destroye them with his secret iudgemen­tes. I shewed also that whosoever aven­geth him selfe is damned in the deade doinge and falleth in to the handes of the tem­perall swerde / because he taketh the office of God apon hym and robbeth God of his most hie honoure in that he will not paciently abyde his iudgemente. I shewed you of the auctorite of princes / how they are in Gods stede and how they maye not be resisted do they never so evell / they must be resarved vnto the wrath of God. Never the later yf they commaunde to doo evell we must then disobey and saye we are other wise commaundet of God: but not to ryse agenste them. They will kyll vs then sayest thou. Therefore / I saye is a christen cal­led / to sofre even the bitter deeth for his ho­pes sake and because he will doo no evyll. I shewed also that the kynges and rulers be they never so evell are yet a great gyfte of the goodnes of god / and defende vs frō a thousande thinges that we se not.

I proved also that all men without ex­cepcion are vnder the temperall swerde / what so ever names they geve them selves. Because the prest is chosen out of the laye men / to teach this obedience / is that a lawfull cause for hym to disobeye? Because he preacheth that ye laye mā shulde not stele / is it therfore lawfull for hī to stele [Page] vnpunished? Because thou teachest me that I maye not kyll / or yf I doo the kynge must kyll me agayne / is it therfore lawfull for the to kyll ād goo free? Other whether is it ra­ther mete that thou which art my gyde to teach me the righte waye shuldest walke the­rin before me? The prestes of the olde law with their hye Bisshope Aaron and all his successours / though they were annoynted by Gods commaundmente and appoynted to serve God in his temple and exempte frō all offices and ministeringe of wordly ma­tters / were yet never the lesse vnder the temporall swerde / yf they brake the lawes. Christe saith to Peter / all that take the swerde / shall perish by the swerde. Here is none exception. Paul saith all soules must obeye. Here is none excepcion. Paul hym selfe is here not exēpte. God saith Gene. ix. Who so ever shedeth mās bloude / by mā shal his bloude be shede agayne. Here is none excepcion.

Moare over Christe became pore to ma­ke other men riche / and bonde to make other fre. He left also with his disciples the law of love. Now love seketh not hir awne pro­fitte: but hyr neybours: love seketh not hyr awne fredome / but becometh suertye ād bonde to make hir neyboure fre.The pope ha­th a law that none of his sprites maye be suerty. Damned ther­fore are the spiritualte by all the lawes of God / which thorow falshed and disgised [Page Cliij] ypocrisy have soughte so great profite / so great riches / so greate auctorite and so gre­ate liberties / and have so bedgerd the laye and so broughte them in subieccion and bondage and so despice them / that they have set vp frauncheses in all townes and villa­ges for whosoever robbeth / morthereth or sleyeth them / ād even for traytours vnto the kynges person also.

I proved also that no kynge hath power to graunte them soch libertie: but are as well dāned for their gevinge / as they for their false purchasinge. For as God geveth the fa­ther power over his childern: even so ge­veth he hym a commaundmente to execu­te it / and not to sofre them to doo wekedly vnpunished but vnto his damnacion / as thou maist se by Hely the hye prest &c. And as the master hath auctorite over his serva­untes: even so hath he a commaundmente to governe them. And as the husbande ys heed over his wife: even so hath he comma­undmente to rule hyr appetites and is damned yf he sofre hyr to be an whore ād a misse lyver / or submit hymselfe to hyr and make hir his heed. And evē in lyke maner as god maketh ye kīge heed over his realme evē so geveth he hym cōmaūdment to execute the la­wes apon all men indifferently. For the law is Gods and not the kinges. The kynge is but a servaunte to execute the law of god ād [Page] not to rule after his awne imaginacion.

I shewed also that the law and the kynge are to be feared / as thinges that were geven in fyre and in thōder and lyghtenynge and terreble signes. I shewed the cause why rulers are evell ād by what meanes we myght obtayne better. I shewed also how whol­some those bitter medicines evyll princes are to ryghte Christen men.

I declared how they which God hath made governers in ye worlde oughte to rule yf they be christē. They ought to remēbre ye they are heedes & armes / to defende ye body to mynister peace health & wealth ād evē to save ye body / ād yt they have receaved their offices of god to mynister & to doo service vnto their brethern. Kīge subiecte / Master ser­vaūte / are names in ye worlde: but not in christe. In Christe we are all one & evē brethern No mā is his awne but we are all christes servaūtes bought with christes bloude. Therfore oughte no mā to seke hym selfe or his awne profite: but Christe and his will. In Christe no man ruleth as a kynge his subiectes or a master his servauntes: but serveth as one hande doeth to a nother and as the handes doo vnto the fete and the fete to the handes / as thou seist .j. Cori. xij. We also serve not as servaūtes vnto masters: but as they which are bought with Christes bloude serve Christe hym selfe. We be here all ser­vauntes [Page cliiij] vnto Christe. For what so ever we doo one to a nother in Christes name that doo we vnto Christe / and the rewarde of that shal we receave of Christe. The kynge counteth his comens Christe hym selfe and therfore doeth them service willingly sekynge no moare of them then is sufficiente to mayntene peace and vnite and to defende the Realme. And they obeye agayne willingly & lovingly as vnto Christ. And of Chris­te every man seketh his rewarde.

I warned the iudges that they take not an ensample how to minister their offices / of oure spiritualte / which are bought ād solde to do the will of Sathan: but of the scrip­ture whēce they have their auctorite. Let that which is secret abyde secret tyll God opē it / which is ye iudge of secretes. For it is moare then a cruell thinge to breake vp in to a mans hert and to compell hym to put ether soul or body in ieoperdy or to shame hym selfe. Yf Peter ye great piller for feare of deeth forsoke his master / ought we not to spare weke consciences?

I declared how ye Kynge oughte to rydde his realme frō the wily tyrany of ye ypocri­tes & to bringe ye ypocrites vnder his lawes: yee & how he oughte to be lerned & to heare & to loke apō ye causes hī selfe which he will punysh & not to beleve ye ypocrites ād to geve them hys swerde to kyll whom they will

[Page]The kynge oughte to count what he hath spent in the Popes quarell sens he was kynge. The fyrst viage cost apon .xiiij. hundred thousande poundes. Reken sens what hath be spent by see and londe betwene vs and french mē and scottes and then in tryhumphes and in Ambasiasies and what hath bene sent out of the Realme secretly and all to mayntene oure holy father / and I doute not but that will surmounte the some of .xl. or .l. hundred thousande poundes. For we had no cause to spende one peny but for oure holy father. The kynge therfore oughte to make them paye thys money every far­thinge / and fette it out of their myters / croses / shrines and all maner treasure of the church / and paye it to his comens agayne not that only which the Cardinall and his Bysshopes compelled the comens to lende and made them swere with soch an ensam­ple of tyranny as was never before thought on: but also all that he hath gadered of thē. Or else by the consente of the comens to kepe it in store for the defence of the Real­me. Yee the kynge oughte to loke in the cronicles what the popes have done to kyn­ges in tyme past and make them restore it also / And ought to take awaye from them their londes which they have goten with their false prayers and restore it vnto the ryght heyres agayne or with consente and [Page clv] advisemente turne them vnto the maynte­nynge of the pore and bringynge vp of youth vertuously and to mayntene necessary offi­cers and ministers for to defende the co­men welth.

Yf he will not doo it: thē oughte the co­mens to take pacience & to take it for Gods scorge and to thinke that God hath blyn­ded the kynge for their synnes sake & committe their cause to God: And then shall God make a scorge for thē & dryve thē out of his temple after his wōderfull iudgemente.

ON the other syde I have also vttered the wekednes of ye spiritualte / ye fals­heed of the bysshopes & tuggulīge of the Pope / & how they have disgysed thē selves / borowīge some of their pōpe of ye Ie­wes & some of ye gētyles / & have with sotyll wyles turned ye obediēce that shuld be gevē to Gods ordinaunce vnto them selves. And how they have put out Gods testamēte ād Gods trueth and sette vp their awne tradicions and lyes / in which they have taught the people to beleve & there by sitte in their consciences as God / and have by that me­anes robbed the world of londes and goo­des / of peace and vnite / and of all tempo­rall auctorite / and have broughte the peo­ple in to the ignoraunce of God and have heped the wrath of God apon all realmes and namely apon the kynges. Whom they [Page] have robed (I speake not of worldly thyn­ges only) but even of their very naturall wittes. They make them beleve that they are most Christen / when the lyve most ab­hominably and will sofre no man in their Realmes that beleveth on Christ / and that they are defenders of the fayth / when the burne the Gospell and promyses of God / out of which all fayth springeth.

I showed how they have mynistred Christe / kynge and Emperoure out of the­ir rowmes / and how they have made them a severell kyngdome which the gote at the fyrst in deceavynge of princes / and now perverte the whole scripture to prove that they have soch auctoryte of God. And lest the laye men shuld se how falsely the al­lege the places of the scripture / is the gre­atest cause of this persecucion.

Confession▪They have fayned confession for the same purpose to stablysh their kyngdo­me with all. All secreates know they ther­by. The Bysshope knoweth the confession of whom he lusteth thorow out all hys di­oses. Ye and hys chaunceler commaun­deth the gostly father to delyver it writ­ten. The Pope / his Cardinals and Bissho­pes know the confession of the Emperour kynges and of all lordes. And by confessiō they know all their captives. Yf any beleve in Christe / by confession they know hym. [Page clvj] Shrive thy selfe where thou wilt / whether at sion charterhousse or at the observauntes thy confesson is knowen well ynough. And thou / yf thou beleve in Christe / arte wayted apon. Wonderfull are the thinges that therby are wrought. The wife is feared and cō pelled to vtter not hir awne only but also the secrettes of hir husbande and the servaunte the secretes of his master. Besydes that thorow confession the quench the fayth of all the promises of God and take awaye the effecte & vertue of all ye sacramētes of Christe

They have also corrupte the sayntes ly­ves with lyes and fayned myracles and ha­ve put many thinges out of the sentence or great curse / as reysinge of rente and fines & hyringe men out of their houses / and what soever wekednes they them selves doo and have put a greate parte of the stories and cronycles out of ye waye lest their falsheed shul­de besene. For there is no myscheve or disorder / whether it be in the temperall regimēte or else in the spirituall where of they are not the chefe causes and even the very foun­teyne & springes & as we saye / the well heed so that it is impossible to preach agēste any mischeve excepte thou begynne at them or to sette any reformacion in the worlde excepte thou reforme them fyrst. Now are they in­durate & tough as Pharao & will not bow vnto any ryghte waie or ordre. And therfore [Page] persecute they Gods worde and the prea­chers therof / and on the other syde lye awayte vnto all princes and stere vp all misheve in the worlde and sende them to warre and occupie their myndes there with or with o­ther voluptuosnes / lest they shuld have leyser to heare the worde of God and to sette an order in their realmes.

By thē is all thynge ministerd and by thē are all kynges ruled: yee in every kynges cō science sit they yer he be kynge and persua­de every kynge what they lust and make thē both to beleve what they will & to doo what they will. Nether can any kynge or any realme have rest for their busynesses. Beholde kynge Henry the fyft whom they sente out for soch a purpose as they sente out oure kynke that now is. Se how the Realme is in­habited. Axe where the goodly townes and their walles and the people that was won­te to be in thē are become & where the bloud ryall of the realme is become also. Turne thyne eyes whither thow wilte & thou shalt se no thinge prosperous but their sotle pol­lynge. With that it is flowinge water: yee & I trust it wilbe shortly a full see.

In all their doinges though they pretēde outwardly ye honoure of God or a comē we­alth / their entente and secret councell is only to brynge all vnder their power ād to take out of the waye whosoever letteth them [Page clvij] or is to myghty for them. As when they sende the princes to Hierusalem to conquere the holy londe and to fyghte agenst the Turkes. What so ever they pretende out­wardly their secret entēte is / while the prin­ces there conquere them moare bysshoperi­kes / to conquere their landes in the meane season with their false ypocresy and to brin­ge all vnder them / which thou maist easely perceave by that they will not let vs know the sayth of Christe. And whē they are ones on hye / then are they tyrauntes a bove all tyrauntes / whether they be turkes or sarace­nes. How minister they provinge of testa­mētes? How causes of wedlocke? or yf any man dye intestate? Yf a pore mā dye and leave his wife and halfe a dosen younge chil­dern and but one cow to fynde them / that will they have for a mortuary mercylesse: let come of wife and childern what will. Yee let any thinge be done agenst their pleasure and they w [...]ll interdite the whole Realme sparinge no person.

Reade the cronycles of Englōde (out of which yet they have put a greate parte of their wekednisse) and thou shalt fynde them all wayes both tebellious & disobediente to the kynges & also churlysh & vnthākefull / so that / whē all ye realme gave the kynge some what to mayntene hym in his ryghte / they wolde not geve a myte. Cōsidre the story of [Page] kynge Iohn / where I doute not but they have put the best and fayrest for thē selves and the worst of kīge Iohn / For I suppose they make the cronycles them selves. Compare the doinges there of holy church (as they e­ver call it) vnto the lernynge of Christe and of his Apostles. Did not the legate of Rome assoyle all the lordes of the realme of their due obedience which they oughte to the kynge by the ordinaunce of God? wolde he not have cursed the kynge with his solemne pompe / because he wolde have done that office which God commaundeth every kynge to doo and wherfore God hath put the swerde in every kynges hande? that is to wete / because kynge Iohn wolde have punished a weked clerke that had coynned false money The laye mē that had not done halfe so greate fautes must dye / but the clerke must goo scapfre. Sēt not the Pope also vnto the kynge of France remission of his synnes to goo and cōquere kynge Ihons realme. So now remission of synnes cometh not by fayth in the testamēte yt God hath made in Chri­stes bloude: but by fyghtinge & murtheringe for the popes pleasure. Last of all was not kinge Iohn fayne to delyver his crowne vnto the legate & to yeld vp his realme vnto ye Pope / wherfore we paye Peter pēce. They my­ght be called ye pollinge pēce of false prophetes well ynough. They care not by what myscheve [Page clviij] the come by their purpose. Warre ād conqueringe of lādes is their hervest. The wekeder the people are the moare they have the ypocrites in reverēce / the moare they feare thē and the moare they beleve in thē. And they that conquere other mens lādes / whē they dye / make thē their heyres / to be pray­ed fore for ever. Let there come one cōquest moare in the realme / and thou shalt se thē gete yet as moch moare as they have (yf they can kepe downe Gods worde that their iuggulinge come not to lyghte) yee thou shalt se them take the realme hole in to their han­des and crowne one of thē selves kynge the­reof. And veryly I se no other lykelyhode / but that the lond shalbe shortly conquered. The starres of the scripture promyse vs no­ne other fortune / in as moch as we denye Christ with the weked Iewes and will not have hym regne over vs: but wilbe styll childern of darknes vnder Antichrist ād Antichristes possession / burnynge the Gospell of Christ and defēdynge a fayth that may not stond with his holy testament.

Yf any man shede bloud in the church / it shalbe interdited / tyll he have payd for the halowīge. Yf he be not able the parysh must paye or else shal it stonde all wayes interdi­ted. They wilbe avenged on them that never offended. Full wel prophesied of them Paul in ye secōde pistle to Timothe. iij. [Page] Some man will saye / woldest thou that mē shulde fight in the chruch vnpunished? Nay but let the kinge ordeyne a punishmente for them / as he doeth for them that fyght in his palace and let not all the parish be troubled for ons faute. And as for their halowīge is the iuggelinge of Antichrist. A Christē mā is the temple of God and of the holy goost / and halowed in Christes bloud. A Christen mā is holy in him selfe by reason of the spri­te that dwelleth in hym and the place whe­rein he is / is holy be reason of hym / whe­ther he be in ye felde or towne. A christē hus­bande sanctifieth an vnchristen wife and a christen wife an vnchristen husbande (as concernynge the vse of matrimony) sayth Paul to the Corinthians. Yf now whyle we seke to be halowed in Christ / we are founde vnwholy ād must be halowed by the groun­de or place or walles / then died Christ in vayne. How be it Antychrist must have where with to sitte in mens consciences ād to make them feare where is no feare and to robbe them of their fayth and to make them trust in that can not helpe them / and to seke holynes of that which is not holy in it selfe.

After that the olde kynge of ffraunce was brought downe out of Italy / marke what pageauntes have be played and what are yet a playenge to seperate vs from the [Page clix] Emperoure (lest by the helpe or ayde of vs he shulde be able to recover his ryght of the Pope) and to couple vs to the French men whose myght the Pope ever abvseth to ke­pe the Emperoure from Italy. What pre­vayleth it for any kynge to mary his dough­ter or hys sonne or to make any peace or good ordinaunce for the wealth of his Re­alme? For it shall no lenger last then it is profitable to them. Their treason is so se­cret that the worlde can not perceave it. They dissimill those thinges which they a­re only cause of and simyll discorde amon­ge them selves when they are most agreed. One shall holde this and a nother shal dis­pute the contrary: But the conclusion shal­be that most maynteyneth their falsheed / though Gods worde be never so contrary. What have they wrought in oure dayes / ye and what worke the yet / to the perpetu­all dishonoure of the kinge and rebuke of the Realme ād shame of all the nacion in what so ever Realmes they goo?

I vttered vnto you partly the malicious blindnes of the Bisshope of Rochester / his iuggelinge his conveyenge / his foxy wilenes / his bo [...]epe / his wrestynge / rentin­ge and shamfull abvsinge of the scripture / his oratory and alleginge of heretikes and how he wolde make the Apostles auctours of blynde cerimonies without significacion [Page] cōtrary to their awne doctrine / & have set him for an ensample to iudge all other by. What so ever thou art that readest this. I exorte the in Christ / to cōpare his sermō and that which I have written and the scripture together & iudge. There shalte thou fynde of oure holy fathers auctorite / ād what it is to be greate ād how to know the greatest.

Thē foloweth ye cause why laye mē cā not rule temperall offices which is the falsheed of the Bisshopes. There shalt thou fynde of miracles and cerimonyes without signifi­cacion / of false annoyntynge and lyenge signes and false names ād how the spiritualte are disgised in falsheed / and how they rowle the people in darknes & do all thinge in the latine tōge ād of their pety pyllage / Their pollinge is like a sokynge consumciō where in a mā complayneth of feblenes ād of fayntynes and wotteth not whence his discease cometh: it is lyke a pocke that freateth inwarde and consumeth the very ma­ry of the bones.

There seyst thou the cause why it is im­possible for kynges to come to the knowlea­ge of the trouth. For the sprites laye away­te for them and serve their appetites at all poyntes and thorow confession by and sell and betraye both them / and all their true frendes and laye beytes for them and ne­ver leve them tyll they have blynded them [Page clx] with their sophistry and have broughte them in to their nettes. And then when the kynge is captive they compell all the rest with violence of his swerde. For yf any mā will not obeye them be it ryght or wronge they cyte hym / suspende him and curse or excomunicate hym. Yf he then obey not they delyver him to Pilate / that is to saye / vnto the temporall officers to destroye him. Last of all there fyndest thou the very cause of all persecucion / which is the preachinge agenst ypocrisy.

Then come we to the sacramentes / where thou seyst that the worke of the sa­cramente saveth not / but the fayth in the promyse which the sacramente signyfieth iustifieth vs only. There hast thou that a prest is but a servaunte to teach only and what so ever he taketh apon hym moare then to preach and to mynister the sacra­mentes of Christ (which is also preachinge) is falsheed.

Then cometh how they iuggle tho­row dome ceremonyes and how they ma­ke marchaundice with fayned wordes / penaunce / a pena et a culpa / satisfaccion / attricion / character / purgatory pyckepurse and how thorow cōfession they make the sa­cramētes and all the promise of none ef­fecte or valve. There seist thou yt absoluinge is but preachinge the promises ād cursinge [Page] or excommunicatinge preachinge the law / and of their power / and of their keyes / of false miracles and of prayenge to sayntes. There seist thou that cerimonies did not the miracles but fayth: evē as it was not Moses rodde that did the miracles but Moses fayth in the promise of God. Thou seist also that to have a fayth where God hath not a promyse is ydolatrye. And there also seist thou how the Pope exalteth him selfe abo­ve God ād commaundeth him to obeye his tyranny. Last of all thou hast there that no man ought to preach but he that is called.

Then foloweth the bely brotherheed of monkes and freres. For Christ hath deser­ved nought with them. For his sake gettest thou no favoure. Thou must offer vnto their belyes and then the praye bitterly for the. There seist thou that Christ is the only cause: yee ād all the cause why God doeth ought for vs and heareth oure complaynte. And there hast thou doctrine how to know and to be sure that thou arte electe & hast Gods sprite in the. And hast there lernynge to trye the doctrine of oure spirites.

Thē folow the foure senses of the scriptu­re of which thre are no senses ād the fourth that is to wete the literall sence which is the very sence hath the Pope taken to hym sel­fe. It maye have no other meanynge then as it pleaseth his fatherhode. We must abyde [Page] his interpretaciō. And as his belles tynke so must we thinke / though it be impos [...]ible to gather any soch meanynge of the scriptu­re. Then hast thou the very vse of allegory­es and how they are nothinge but ensam­ples borowed of the scripture to expresse a texte or an open conclusion of the scriptu­re & as it were to paynte it before thyne eyes / that thou maist feale the meaninge and the power of the scripture in thine herte. Then cometh the vse of worldly similitudes / and how they are false prophetes which bringe a worldly similitude for any other purpose / save to expresse moare playnly that which is cōteyned in an opē texte. And so are they also which draw the scripture cōtrary to the open places and contrary to the ensample lyvinge ād practisinge of Christ / the Apost­les and of the holy Prophetes. And then finally hast thou of oure holy fathers power and of his keyes and of his byndinge and excomunicatinge and of his cursynge and blessinge with ensamples of every thinge.

¶The table of the boke.

  • AAron lv [...]j
  • Absolucion C
  • Adversite is profitable xlvij
  • antichriste is knowen by his deades xiiij
  • antichriste turneth the rotes vpwarde xvj
  • annoyntinge is borowed of ye Iewes lxxiij
  • annoyntīge / Christ was annoynted lxx
  • [Page]annoītinge / apostles were not annoī. lxxi
  • annelinge cvij
  • apostles were longe weake xxiij
  • apostles who slew them and why lxxxi
  • apostles had lyke auctorite lviij
  • armoure of a christen man cxlviij
  • armoure of the spritualte idem
  • aristotle & scripture are cōtrary xvij
  • aristotle xvj
  • a [...]tricion xcviij
  • allegories cxxix
  • allegories the right vse of them cxxxj
  • allegories are no sence of scripture idem
  • allegories prove no thinge cxxxij
  • allego. must be proved with an opē texte. idē
  • allegories have destroyed the fayth idem
  • auctorite of the Pope is improved liiij
  • auctorite yt Christe gave his disciples cij
  • auctorite of Pauls Gospell lxj
  • auctorite of pe. successours is to preach. cxli [...]
  • Badges lxxxiiij
  • baptim lxxxix
  • baptim lasteth ever C
  • baptisinge of belles cv
  • bely is all to oure spritualte cxxvi
  • bedgers ought none to be lxxij
  • bisshopes betraye thorow confession cxi
  • bisshopes divide all amonge them cv
  • bisshop. why they make thē a god on erth. lx
  • bisshopes have ministred both Christ / kīg [...] and Emperoure out of their rowmes idem
  • bisshopes how they binde (at ye hāde) xxxi
  • [Page]bisshopes can not rule temporally and spri­tually both lv
  • bisshopes xxviij.xxxix
  • bisshope what it signifieth lxxi
  • bisshooes will let no laye man know what they doo lxxiiij
  • bisshopes yt preach not are not of god lxxv
  • bisshopes how sotle they are lxxxvi
  • bishopes how they teach kynges vi
  • byndinge & lowsinge. cj.cij.liiij.cxliij.ciiij
  • blessinge of bisshopes ciij
  • blessinge how the apostles blessed idem
  • blessinge what it meaneth xcij
  • wha [...] blessinge foloweth the kepinge of the law xxx
  • borowed speach cxxx
  • bōdage how to come out of it xlvj
  • Care of a Christen man x
  • ceremonies are estemed (at the hand) cvij
  • ceremonies bringe not the holy goost cv
  • coremo. did not ye miracle but fayth lxviij
  • ceremo. what thei signifie shuld thei tell. lxix
  • dome ceremonies quēch ye fayth idem
  • chastisinge perteineth vnto all gods chil­dern ix
  • christ was accused of insurreccion xxj
  • christ who slew hym and why lxxxi
  • christ is a trayter lxxxi
  • childern how thei shuld be brought vp. xlviij
  • character xci
  • a christen receaveth all of God xlix
  • a christen can but suffer xlvi [...]
  • [Page]christ prophesieth of antichrist ciij
  • christ is oure satisfaccion xcix
  • christ is a gyft geven to synners cxxj
  • christ is all cxxiiij. and .cxxvij
  • christ knoweth nothinge worldly. cxxv
  • to christ why we come not cxxij
  • christ is the rocke cxlij
  • christ is the only rest of the cōsciēce cl
  • contricion xcviij
  • cotes are waxed holy xix
  • confessiō tormēteth ye cōsciēce &c. lxxxiij
  • narowe consciences lxxxv
  • coniuracions lxxvij
  • confession cxj.cxiiij.xxxix.xlij.lxxvij
  • cōfessiō is put downe amōge ye grekes. xcvij
  • cōfesse to him whō thou hast offended. xcix
  • counterfayted keyes liiij
  • confirmacion cv
  • cōsciēce hath no rest but in Christ cl
  • crosse of Christe cxxviij
  • curates wotte not what a bible meaneth. xiij
  • what curse foloweth breakīge of ye lawe. xxx
  • curse is to be feared cij
  • to curse doeth ye pope cōmaūde God ciiij
  • they curse foure times in ye yeare lxxiiij
  • how they eurse in ye marches of wales. ciiij
  • cursinge what it meaneth cxliiij
  • ¶ David v xxxi cxxxv
  • devels have none of Pauls fayth lxvij
  • good deades doeth God loke on cxxiij
  • deades of mercy which ye ypocri. teach lxxxj
  • deade declareth what a man is xliij
  • [Page]deade fulfilleth ye lawe before yt worlde. xlij
  • deade maketh fealinge and certifieth ye herte and iustifieth before the worlde xcvj
  • deacon what it is & his dutie lxxij
  • good deades must we do but trust ī christ. cl
  • disorder of scole doctrine xviij
  • dispense to kepe whores doeth ye pope. lxxiij
  • disobedience is a spirituall thinge xxix
  • doctrine of Christ is peaceable xxiiij
  • doctours are īnumera. one agēst a noth. xvj
  • doctri. of ye pope cōmaūdeth morther. xxiij
  • doctrine of the pope is bloudy xxiiij
  • doctrine of God will God defende idem
  • doctrine of ypocrites how to know cxxviij
  • ¶Electe fall and why xij
  • exāple of false expoūdīge scripture. cxlv.cxlij
  • ¶Fayth is tryed iiij
  • fayth is the rote whēce love sprīgeth. lxv.xlij
  • fayth dryveth away devels lxviij
  • fayth how Poul & Iames take it diversly lxvi
  • fayth is the rocke cxlij
  • false names lxxiij
  • false similitudes xix
  • false anoynted lxx.lxxij
  • false marters cxix
  • false miracles cxvj
  • false prophete & how to know him cxvij
  • fayth did ye miracle & not ye cerimonie lxviij
  • father and mother xxv
  • fayth without a promyse is ydolatrie. cxiij
  • fathers / fathers cxlvij
  • feare xxxvij
  • [Page]first masse lxxvij
  • flocke of christ is a litle flock xxij
  • foure senses of scripture cxxix
  • freres lxxvij.ciij.cxlix
  • frewill xxxv
  • fre chapell lxxvi
  • ¶Gildas xi
  • god destroyeth one weked by a nother xxiij
  • gospell what it signifieth lxi
  • god how he ought to be served cxlix
  • god what thinge he is xix
  • god loketh on good deades cxxiij
  • gospell of paull lxi
  • grace what it is cxv
  • grace / to know what encreaseth it idem
  • ¶Halowinge of churches &ce. lxxvij
  • heven cometh by Christe xxxv
  • hi [...]ronimus agenst bisshopes ci
  • holy dayes xiij
  • holy dayes how they came vppe lxxij
  • husbāde how he shulde rule his wife xlix
  • ¶Ioseph v
  • iudges what their dutie is lij
  • iudges are warned idem
  • iudges xxx
  • iustifienge what it meaneth xliij
  • iustifienge of [...] xc
  • iustifienge of deades xcvi
  • iudas whether he were a preste xciiij
  • ¶Reyes liij.liiij
  • counterfayted keyes liiij
  • keyes how peter practised them idem
  • [Page]kynges are downe lxxxiij
  • the kynge only ought to punish sinne. lxxviij
  • kynges are captive lxxviij
  • kynges ought to know what they doo. lxxix
  • kynges are the popes hangemen lxxx
  • kynges how they ought to rule li.lxxviij
  • the kynge was geven in thunder xliiij
  • kynges are warned liij
  • kynges xxxi.xxxij
  • kynges have no power to geve the sprites soeh liberties xxxiij.xxxiiij
  • the kynge is a greate benefite xxxiij
  • kynges have a iudge lxxxvij
  • kynges have nought to doo but to wayte on the popes pleasure xxxviij
  • kynges be sworne to the bisshopes cxi
  • Landes why they were geven to the spritualte lxxij
  • law wherfore it serveth xliij
  • laweyars lade hevy burthens lxxxiij
  • laye can not rule and why lxvij
  • latine destroyeth the fayth cvij
  • all in latine lxxiiij.ciiij
  • law was geven in thunder xliiij
  • law he that loveth not hath no parte with Christ cxxviij
  • lawe of the kynge is Gods lawe l [...]i [...]
  • law is oure marke cxxvij
  • law / yf we love it / certifieth vs that we are Gods sonnes idem
  • leven liiij
  • libertie xxij
  • [Page]Lyenge signes lxxiij
  • litterall sense proveth the allegory cxxij
  • litera occidit / the literall sence kylleth is ex­pounde cxxxiij
  • literall sence is sprituall cxxxiiij
  • love to ye law certifieth vs that we are Gods sonnes cxxvij
  • londlordes l
  • love lasteth as lōge as christ is in vs cxxv
  • love fullfilleth the law xlij
  • love forgetteth hirselfe & hir profit cxxvj
  • right lowsinge cij
  • lousinge what it meaneth cxliiij
  • to love the law is righteousnes cxxxiij
  • lustes xxxij
  • Mariage xxvj
  • mariage do oure spiritualte shame xxvj
  • matrimonie is no sacramente xc
  • masters how they shulde rule l
  • marienge of the childern perteyneth to the­ir elders xlix
  • false marters cxix
  • merites of sayntes ciij
  • merites of Christ idem
  • merites are solde idem
  • mercy doeth God love and ypocrites sa­crifice cxxj
  • myracles xxxvj.cxv.cxvj
  • myracles myracles cxlvij
  • myters lxxiij
  • myracles why they are false xlv
  • true myracles cxv
  • [Page]mortuaries lxxvj
  • money byndeth not a christen man cxxv
  • Noe cxxxv
  • nette liiij
  • necverse xxxiiij
  • Observauntes testamente lxix
  • offeringes how they came vppe lxxij
  • offeringes lxxvj
  • offeringes cause myracles cxviij
  • orders cxlj
  • order of teachinge xvij
  • one order is holyer then a nother xix
  • order of readinge doctours xxiiij
  • othes vnlawfull lxxviij
  • oyle where with ye apostles were annoī. lxxj
  • Paul how he proveth his auctori. lxi.lviij
  • paciēce is a christē mans fyghtinge vi
  • parish prest lxxvij
  • Paul is greater then the hie Apostles and then Peter▪ lviij
  • person xv.lxxvij
  • pardoner lxxvij.cxlij
  • peter chefe of ye apostles what it mean. lxiij
  • peter wēt never to scole at ye arches lxxv
  • pety pillage lxxvi
  • penaunce xciiij
  • pena culpa ciij
  • peyne takynge cviij.cix.cx
  • perpetuites lxxxij
  • pistles of paul are gospell lx
  • places are holyer one then a nother xix
  • poetrie is good divinite cxxxiij
  • [Page]pope xxxviij
  • popes power is improved xxxix
  • pope dispenseth to kepe whores lxxiij
  • pope forbiddeth matrimonie idem
  • pope (at the honde) cxliiij
  • pope hath one kīgdome moare thē god. lxxv
  • pollaxes lxxxviij
  • pope is robyn good fellawe cxlv
  • pope calengēth power over god ci
  • pope byndeth angels idem
  • pope how he regneth vnder Christ ciij
  • pope is mightier then god idem
  • pope is mercifuller thē god idem
  • pope selleth Christes merites idem
  • pope cōmaundeth god to curse ciiij
  • popes commaundmentes are moare feared then Gods lxviij
  • pope is likened to ham cxxxvi
  • pope persecuteth ij
  • papistes will to heven by awaye of their awne makynge cxxxvi
  • philosophy xvi
  • prayer helpeth not his master lxxxij
  • prayer was not solde in olde time lxxxij
  • prayer breaketh gods cōmaundmente. lxxxiij
  • prayer of fayeh doeth miracles cvi
  • prayer / what mē ought to praye cxvij
  • prayar cxxij
  • to praye doeth not money bynde cxxv
  • prayer of ye spir. what it taketh awaye. cxxix.
  • prayenge to sayntes cxlij
  • [Page]preachers are one cōtrary to a nother xv
  • prelates / how they succede Peter lxxxv
  • prelates never taught to obey god lxxxv
  • preachinge absolveth from synne liiij
  • prelates why they are weked xliiij
  • prestes disgise thē with ye passion lxix
  • prest what he shulde doo & have lxxij
  • prelates / how craftily they move warre. lxxv
  • prelates / kepe kynges lowe idem
  • prelates are faythlesse lxxxvi
  • prelates swere by their honoure cxxxv
  • prelates worke secretly lxxxvi
  • prelates are clothed in redde lxxxviij
  • presbiter xci
  • prestes shuld not be annoynted idem
  • prest / what is his office idem
  • prest / what maketh the prest xciij
  • prest is to saye an elder lxxi
  • preachinge was the auctorite that Christ gave his apostles lix
  • preacher that is sente / how to know him cxij
  • prestes vnderston no latine xiiij
  • preachers / why they are not beleved xiij
  • privey tythes lxxvj
  • promises do all and fight for vs iiij
  • prosperite is a curse vij
  • promises conforte x
  • prophetes who slew thē and why lxxxi
  • professinge lxxvij
  • promises lawfull maye not be brokē lv
  • promises vnlawfull ought to be brokē idē
  • promises iustifie xliiij
  • [Page]Prophesy of Christ is fulfilled lxix
  • prophesy of Christ must be fulfilled lxx
  • promises are put out or levended Ciiij
  • promises of ye sacramēte iustifie lxxxix
  • promyse is all (at the hande) Cviij
  • promise is left out Cviij
  • protestacion of the auctor Cxiiij
  • false prophetes what they seke cxlij
  • purgatory lxxxij. and xlij.
  • puttinge on of handes xciiij & cvi
  • purgatory is the popes creature ci
  • purgatory purgeth all cxxix
  • ¶ Questions lxxix
  • ¶Repētaunce cometh by preachīge. liiij
  • repentaunce xciiij
  • repentaunce is signified by baptim idem
  • they that repente are receaved xij
  • reason blinde is ye spiritualtes gyder xcvij
  • a righteous is a sinner in ye law xlviij
  • righteousnes cxxxiij
  • rochester lvi.lxi.lxiij.lxv
  • rulers are gods gyft xliiij
  • ruben cxxxv
  • rulers why they are evell xliiij
  • evell rulers are a signe of gods wrath xlv
  • ¶Saītes are prayed to & prayed for lxxxij
  • satisfaction is made to man lxx
  • satisfaction makers to god are dāned lxxij
  • sacramēte of Christes body & bloude lxxxix
  • sacerdos xci
  • sacramente idem
  • satisfaction xcix
  • sacramentes how they iustifie xc
  • oure satisfactiō to god is christ xcix
  • [Page]sacra. how tho know the true frō ye false. cxiij
  • saintes are but ensamples cxviij
  • sacra. of god preach gods worde cv
  • sacra. of the pope are dome idem
  • salvacion is with in vs cx
  • scripture how it is fasly expound. cxlij.cxlv
  • false doctrine & scole divinite. lxxxi.cxxxviij
  • scole doctrine corrupteth youth lxxxi
  • scripture hath but one sense cxxix
  • scripture what to seke there in cxxxv
  • scripture thou must not se tyll thou be cor­rupte with sophistry xviij
  • scala celi lxxxij
  • scripture the right waye to vnderdōde lxxv
  • scripture ought to be in the mother tōge xij
  • scripture tryeth all doctrine xvi
  • scripture must be sherched xiij
  • scripture perteyneth to all men lxxx
  • scrip. why it maye not be in english lxij
  • servauntes xxviij
  • sentuaries xxxiiij
  • sectes cxli
  • shaven only wilbe spirituall lxxix
  • shavinge is borowed of the hethen lxxiij
  • sheringe what it signifieth lxxv
  • shrift xcvi
  • synne is the best merchaundice that is ciij
  • synnes to know they are forgeven. cvij
  • lyenge signes lxxiij
  • sinnes are lowsed thorow preachinge liiij
  • false similitudes xix
  • synner is righteous in Christ xlviij
  • [Page]siners are we all but there is differēce. cxxx [...]
  • similitude without scripture betokeneth a false prophete cxxxvij
  • similitude cxxxvij
  • similitudes make no fayth idem
  • similitudes are no good argumētes. cxxxviij
  • sofraganes cv
  • sophisters cxxxiij
  • spirituall lawe lxxvij
  • spiritualte ever wīne some what. cxxix lxxxv
  • sprit never taught to obeye gods ordina. idē
  • sprit. so teach yt no mā is lerned lxxix
  • sprit. officers what is their dutie lxiiij
  • sprit. take servaūtes frō their masters xxviij
  • sprit wilbe holier thē the laye xcii
  • sprit. ought to obeye ye tēporall swerde. xxxi
  • sprit. take greate wages & teach not xiij
  • sprit. praye not that we maye come to ye kno­wlege of Christ cxvij
  • sprit. synge when other wepe cxxix
  • ¶ Temporall swerde xxxi
  • testamente lxxvi
  • temptynge of god cxxxix
  • tirauntes cā not doo what they will ix
  • tithes are not gods comaundmēt lxxij
  • tithes lxxvi
  • totquot lxxv
  • tribulacion is our baptim vij
  • tribulacion is a blessinge idem
  • tribulacion is gods gyft idem
  • tri. certifieth vs yt we are chosen viij
  • tropologicall sophisters cxxxiij
  • [Page]trowble foloweth true preachinge xxij
  • ¶Vēgeaūce perteyneth to ye officer. lxxvij
  • vengeaunce or wreake xi xxx
  • vicar xv.lxxvij
  • voloinge cvij
  • ¶ Wedlocke xc
  • weake shuld be taught cxvij
  • wisdome of the serpent vi
  • wisdome of mā maketh no fayth cxxxvij
  • worde of god maketh fayth idem
  • wisdome of mā is ydolatry xix
  • worde of god must be persecuted ij
  • worde of god fighteth agēst ypocrites iij
  • worde of god is not cause of evill xxiij
  • worde of God shulde iudge doctrīes. lxxxvij
  • worldly wisdome xxxv
  • worde of god perteyneth to all mē lxxxvi
  • worshepinge of saintes cxix cxv
  • worke with out a promise saveth not cvij
  • workes cviij cix cx
  • ¶Ypocrites / by what craft they fight agēst Gods worde iij
  • ypocrisy / twich not that scabbe lxxxvij
  • ypocrites / how they binde & lowse lxxxi
  • ypocrites love sacrifice & offeringes cxxi

¶The fautes of printinge.

The .xviij / lefe / fyrst syde .xx. line / for the tex­te / reade the circumstances of the texte. le. xx / sy. ij / ly. vij / report / red recorde le. xxx / sy. ij / ly. xxix / deutr. xxij / red. xxxij: [Page] le. xlvi [...]. sy. ij / ly. xix / lane / red. lawe. le.lxi / sy. ij. ly. iiij / remaunt / red. remnaunt. le. lxij / sy. i / ly. xxx / ingle / red iugle. le. lxxi / sy. i / ly. xviij / wust / red. must. le. xcij / sy. ij / ly. vi / pharishes / red. parishes le. xcix / sy. i / ly. ye last / god had / red. god hath le. cx / sy. ij / ly. xx / thus reade the texte. As God thorow preachinge of fayth doeth pur­ge and iustifie the herte / even so thorow workynge of deades doeth he purge and iusti­fie the membres / makynge vs perfecte both in body and soul after the likenes of Christ. Le. cxxx / sy. i / ly. x / red. let the see rise as hye as he will.

le. cxxxi / sy. i / ly. xx / not sense / red. no sense. le. cxli / sy. i / ly. iij / longe for them / put there to and the law is our worke.

¶At Marlborow in the lāde of Hesse The seconde daye of October. Anno. M.CCCCC.xxviij / by me Hans luft.

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