The co[n]futacyon of Tyndales answere made by syr Thomas More knyght lorde chau[n]cellour of Englonde

The preface of Tyndall, wyth th•• answere vnto the same.

Tyndall.

[ A] THe grace of our lorde, the lyght of his spyryt, to se and to iudg•• trew repentaunce toward goddes law, a fast fayth in the mercy¦full {pro}mises that are in our sauyour Cryste, feruent loue toward thy neybour after then sample of Cryste and hys sayntes be with the (O reder) and with all that loue the trouthe, and l••nge for the redempcion of goddys elect. Amen.

More.

TIndall here begynneth wyth an holy sa∣lutacyon, and so doth Luther to and so doth fre••e huskyne to / and id doth euery [ B] fonde felow of any of theyr sectys. They begynne theyr pystles in suche aposto∣lycall fashyon / that a man wold wene yt were wryten from saynt Paule hym self. But wolde god they wolde onys rather folow hym truly in fayth and good workes, then in symulacion of lyke sancryte wyth theyr holy salutacyons.

For yf men cōsyder y^t where Tyndal here prayeth holy.+ly for the lyghte of the spyryt to see trew repentaūce / he then techeth hym selfe a sodayne sleyghte repentaūce / forbedyng both confessyō & all doynge of penaūce: they shall yf they be good men sett lytle by hys holy salutacyon. And when they cōsyder that where he prayeth god sende theym a fast fayth / hym selfe techeth a false fayth agaynst y^e sacramētys, and meneth that they shulde be fast in the same: there wyll [ C] no good crysten man can hym thank for that holy prayour. And where he prayeth here ••o holyly for the loue of y^• neygh.+bour / yf men loke on the loue that ys vsed amonge all the maysters of that hole holy secte, & cōsyder theyre lyuyngys, and loke vppon frere Luther the very father of theyr hole secte, and se hym ronne out of relygyon, & fallen to flesshe and caryn and lyue in lechery wyth a nūne vnder name of wedloke, and all the cheyfe heddys of then late monkys & freres, and now apostatas & lyuynge wyth harlotes vnder the name of wyues: he that lokyth on thys and then secth theym and theyr scolers, as Tyndale here and suche other come forth and speke so holyly / wolde he not wene that yt were a sorte of freres folowynge an abbote of mysrule in a Christemas game that were prykked in blankettes, and thē

sholde stande vp and preche vppon a stole and make a mow¦ynge [ A] sermon.

And as lewd sermōs as they make in such noughty games, wold god y^t these mēnys ernyst sermons were not yet mych wurse. But surely as euyll as y^e tother be / yet is there more harme & more dedely poyson to in this one sermone of Tyn¦dalys, as ye shall here or yt come at y^e ende: then in an hun∣dred sermons of frere Frappe, that fyrste gapeth and then blessyth, and loketh holyly and precheth rybauldrye to the peopell that stande aboute.

For there is not the worste thynge that frere Frappe pre¦cheth in a lewde sporte: but fader Tyndall here wryteth mych worse in very great ernest, & mych worse then doth the tother abusyth the scrypture vnto yt.

The tother when he precheth that men may lawfully go [ B] to lcchery / he maketh commenly some fonde textes of his owne hed, and dare not in such madde matters medle wyth y^e very scrypture yt selfe. But Tyndall teacheth vs in good ernest that freres may walke out and wedde nunnes / and is neyther aferd nor ashamed to draw y^e holy scripture of god vnto the mayntenaūce of abhominabyll synne and seruyce of the deuyll.

The tother rybawde in hys fonde sermon medleth but with fleshly vyces and worldly wantonnes. But Tyndall here with an ernest hyghe professyon of godly spyrytuall doctryne teacheth vs a fals fayth & many mortall heresyes, and wolde with scrypture destroye the scrypture / and amyd dys hys ernest holynes falleth in to mokkes and mowes, & maketh madde apysshe iestynge agaynste the holy cerimo∣nyes [ C] and blessyd sacramētys of•• our sauyour Chryste / & the thynges sanctyfyed wyth the blessyd blode of oure sauyour Tyndall turneth in to scorne. Neuer was there any scof∣fynge frere Frappe prechyng vpon a stole, that durste play the knauyshe foole on suche a fasshyon as ye shall se Tyn∣dall do here. For yf any sholde / his audyēce (were they neuer so wanton) wold yet at suche wordes (yf any sparke of chri∣sten ••••••e remayned in theyr hartys) pull downe the rybawld by th•• ••••rte, and breke the stole vppon his hed.

And ••ow where as he saluteth vs wyth the lyght of the spyryte, and entendeth to brynge vs in darkenes of the deuyll / where he speketh of trewe repentaunce, and then wolde put awaye two partes thereof, that is to wyt bothe

[ A] confessyon and satysfacyon / and where he speketh of faste fayth, and thē teacheth a false presumptuouse faythe wy••h such truste put in fayth alone that he rekeneth all good wor¦kes fruteles and vnprofytable, and that fayth alone suffy∣seth to saluacyon, how dyuelyshely that any man lyue be∣syde: we may well {per}ceyue that these tha•• so teache, be wyth theyr holly salutacyons the false ydle prophetes of whome the blessyd apostle Pawle wryteth vnto the Romayns, that by theyr swete blessynges waste oute and emptye the poore wydowes houses. For by such holy salutacyon, as by swete blessynge praynge for them so good thynges as they seme to do: they wynne theyr hartys to assent after to theyr here∣syes, and so expell and kyll trew fayth in theyr hartes / and god so taken from them they make thē wydows, & so waste [ B] and emptye oute the substancyall vertues of theyr soules.

But nowe when he speketh of feruēt loue after the en∣sample of Cryste and his saintes / as ernest as the matter is, who can forbere laughynge when he seeth y^e lecherouse flesh¦ly loue of those freres and theyr nunnes / wherof tyll Tyn∣dall can tell vs some lyke ensamples of Chryste and his sayntis, that any of them were wonte to breke theyr vowes of chastyte and fall to suche fylthy lechery / tyll he can tell vs that, we may well tell hym that hys holy prayer of feruent loue here in his prologe / goeth quyte agaynste his purpose and shameth all his hole boke after.

wherfore good Cristen reders who so shall happē to rede his pernycyous boke, take wysdome wyth you as I dowte not but ye wyll / and be not so ledde wyth a few paynted ho∣ly [ C] wordes as yt were wyth the beholdynge of a pekokkes tayle but that ye regarde therwyth his fowle fete also / and loke well whyther he walketh and to what ende he speketh, and consyder hym by the hed maysters, and archherityques of hys vngracyous secte / whych when they haue spoken as relygiousely as he, yet haue as ye see well shamefully she∣wed them selues open incestuouse harlottes, and that of the moste abhominable sorte deflowrynge relygyous women.

And Tyndall hym selfe (which thynge is worse then the dede doynge) maynteyneth in hys boke theyr dede for well done.

Tyndall.

☞Oure sauyour Iesus in the .xvj. chapter of Iohn̄ at his laste souper whē he toke his leaue of his disciples warned them sayeng, the holy goost s••all come and re∣buke

the worlde of iudgement, that is he shall rebuke the worlde for lacke of trew [ A] iudgement and dyscrecion to iudge, and shall proue that the taste of theyr mou∣thes is corrupte, so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete: and theyr yees to be blynde, so that they thynke that to be very seruyce of god which is but a blynde superstycyon, for zele of whiche yet they persecute the true seruice of god: and that they iudge to be the law of god whyche is but a false imaginacy∣on of a corrupte iudgement, for blynde affeccyon of whiche yet they persecute the true law of god and them that kepe yt.

More.

How sone myght a pore symple soule be ledde to thynke, that all those that beleue not as Tyndall doth, were in a wronge way and in a false belyeff / when he heryth Tyndall here lay agaynst them the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe spoken vnto his dysciples in his laste soupper.

But nowe they that be lerned and know the place in the [ B] gospell, {per}ceyue very well y^t Tyndall here synfully doth ab∣use the holy wordes of Chryste, and manyfestly mystorneth the mynde and sentence of our sauyour, folowynge thexam¦ple of the deuyll that alleged the scrypture vnto Chryste in deserte.

For as the dyuell there falsely wrested y^e scrypture of god and leyd yt agaynste god: so dothe Tyndall here wreste the worde of our sauyour agaynst hym self and his hole chyrch, I say his hole chyrche not the clergye onely, but the hole cō¦gregacyon of all crysten people.

For yt is well knowen that Chryste spake those wordes agaynst the Iewes and Paynyms that refused him and his true fayth / shewynge that y^e holy goost at his comyng shold reproue theyr false iudgemēt and theyr vnsauery taste, that [ C] iudged swete sowre & sowre swete, and that he shold teache his chyrche and his congregacyon the very truthe and lede them in to all trueth that sholde be necessarye for theyre saluacyon.

And this promyse hathe oure sauiour bothe made in the gospell and also fulfylled in dede. For the holy goost hathe not fayled to teache his chyrch all such kinde of truthe from the begynnynge hytherto, nor neuer shall ceace so to do, as well by his owne holy secrete worde vnwrytten in the scry∣pture, and yet by hym selfe wrytten in chrysten mennys har¦tys / as by his holy scripture eyther wrytē in tables of stone or in bestes skynnes / accordynge to his owne wordes spokē as well by y^e mouth of y^e prophete Ezechiel, as of the blessyd

[ A] apostle saynt Paule.

These truthes had the apostles, the martyrs, the confes∣sours, the holy doctours of Crystis chyrche, and the comen crysten people of euery age from Chrystes dethe hytherto. And in this comen knowē chyrche of christendome / excepte suche as at sondry tymes haue fallen there from as Arrius Pelagius, Donatus, wyclyff, and Husse, & such other / and now Luther, and Tyndall, and frere Huskyn, and theyr fe¦lowes) hath euer the true iudgement remayned & the ryght sauored taste / and neuer loste any of those heretyques these necessarye truthes, tyll the dyuell hadde thorow pryde, en∣uye, and malyce, made them set naught by the chyrche. And then dyd he caste them forthe wyth in suche a feuer that they clene loste theyr taste / and then dyd they as Tyndall dothe [ B] nowe, iudge swete that all chrystendome iudged sowre.

And by those truthes and thys fayth alwaye from the be¦gynnynge kept in Chrystes chyrche / be we now very sure y^t thys newe fayth of Luther, Tyndall, and frere Huskyn is very fonde and false, and that theyr mouthes are all out of taaste / syth that from Chrystes dethe hytherto all holy men, all good people, all true chrysten nacyons, haue sauored al∣waye those meatys to be good and holsome, whyche these fonde felowes affyrme now to be bytter & peryllous meate / and haue alwayes affyrmed for vnsauery meate and euyll, suche as now these mad men affyrme to be well seasoned & good / & haue alwayes hytherto reputed for shamefull and fylthy lechery, the flesshly cowplyng to gether of freres and nonnes, that these losels now do boldely put forth & auowe [ C] for good and lawfull matrymonye.

If Tyndall graunte that I say trewe in this / then shall he be fayne to graunte that the wordes whyche he allegeth agaynst vs spoken by the mouthe of our sauyoure be not spoken agayst vs that byleue as all Chrystes chyrche hath byleued euer hytherto / but that they be spokē agaynst hym selfe and his felowys y^t byleue y^e contrary. And on the other syde yf Tyndall deny me thys, and wyll saye that all good men and goddes electes haue alwaye byleued as he & hys felowes do teache / and that they haue alwaye taught and done y^e same: let Tyndall then tell vs one good honest mā, what speke we of honest man? let hym tell vs of ony one so very a starke rybawlde in all this .xv.C. yere afore Luthers dayes and hys, that euer taught that it was lawfull for a

frere to wedde a nunne. If Tyndall shewe you not thys as I wotte well he can not: than be ye very sure that [ A] sythe euery holy man before hys dayes hathe taught the contrary, and hath had yt in detestacyō, & he now defendeth yt for good agaynst all good men y^t hath bene euer synnys Crystes dayes to hys owne / how holy a tale so euer he tell you besyde, & how so euer he paynt yt wyth scrypture, wry∣then and wrested owte of all good course, ye may be sure y∣noughe that hys doctryne ys for all y^t very starke noughte in dede, and that he meanyth no good / and that yf he beleue as he teacheth, as I verely beleue he doth not / hys fayth ys very false

Tyndall

☞And thys same is it that Paule saythe in the seconde chapter of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthians / how that the naturall man that ys not borne a∣gayne [ B] and created a new wyth the spyryte of god, be he neuer so grete a phy¦losopher, neuer so well seene in the lawe, neuer so sore studyed in the scrypture, as we haue ensamples in the pharysies: yet he can not vnderstond the thynges of the spyryte of god / but (sayth he) the spyrytuall iudgeth all thynges, & his spyryte sercheth the depe secretis of god / so that what so euer god commaun∣deth hym to doo, he neuer leueth serchyng tyll he come at the botom, the pyth, the quycke, the lyfe, the spyryte, the marye, and very cause why, and iud∣geth all thynge.

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ye consyder well that Tyndall in these wordes wolde ye shulde wene that these folke of whom saynt Poule speketh in that place / be such as can not sauour the doctryne of Lu∣ther, frere Huskyn, and hym. But then consyder agayn vp∣pone [ C] whome hys wordes fall. For ye dowte not nor hym selfe can not denye / but that hys doctryne ys farre frome y^e taste of saynt Austeyne, saynt Hierōe, saynt Ambrose, saynt Cypryan, saynt Gregory, and all those olde holy doctours of Crystes chyrche vnto Luthers dayes and hys / or els as I sayd let hym tell me whyche of all theym dyd not abhorre that a preste shulde wedde a nunne. And therfore thus ye se y^t by Tyndalys holy tale there were none of all them were they neuer so gret philosophers, neuer so well seen in y^e law, neuer so sore studyed in scrypture / that cowlde vnderstonde y^e thynges of the spyryte of god, bycause they were but na∣turall men not borne agayne nor created a newe wyth the spyryte of god.

How knoweth Tyndale that none of all these that hathe

[ A] bene aduersaryes to his doctrine, y^t is to wytte of all good men that euer were in crystendome syth Cryste was borne vnto Tyndalys tyme, was borne agayne or newe created wyth the spyryte of god. Howe hym selfe vnderstandeth his hyghe spirytuall wordes I wote nere / but I wote well that all those holy fathers were reputed for good crysten / and I wene they were all baptized and borne agayne of water and y^e spyryte as our sauyour sayd vnto Nychodemus / & after y^t they lyued well and spyrytually, and dyed well and spyry∣tually, as apperyth by theyr bookes and hystoryes wry••en of theyr lyues, and myracles shewed for them of god af••er theyr dethys. And vnto suche symple groce carnall peopell as we be / these thynges seme well to shewe that they were borne agayne of god & new created wyth his spyrite and so [ B] by Tyndalys owne tale shold seme able to vnderstande the thynges of the spyryte of god.

But yet wyll Tyndale none of that. For he lyketh not theyr iudgement / but he sayth that y^e spyrytuall iudgeth all thynges. And where as saynte Paule in the place alledged by Tyndale sayth that the holy goost the spyryte of god ser¦cheth euen the depe thynges of god, by cause that vnto that holy spyryte whych is god there is nothynge of god vnkno∣wen: Tyndale taketh that hygh power vnto his wursh••p∣pefull spirytuall sorte / sayēg the spyrituall iudgeth all th••n¦ges, and his spyryte sercheth the depe secretys of god. And with this not satisfyed / he amplifyteh and enhaunceth theyr holy serche vppon heyth / and sayth that the spyryte of theyr spirytuall sorte serche the depe secretys of god so far that [ C] what so euer god commaundeth them to do / they neuer leue serchynge tyll they come at the botome, the pyth the quycke the lyfe, the spiryte, the mary, and very cause why / and so iudge all thynge.

what an hepe of hyghe vehement wordes hath Tyndale here heped vp to gyther? who wolde not wene that he were wyth some holy medytacyon caryed vp in Ennoke and He¦lyas chare. But yet good crysten reder for all his holy tale / remember agayne the frere and the nunne, Luther and hys wyfe Tyndales owne mayster and maystres, the chyeff hed & author of his hygh spyrytuall fayth. For Lutherye wote well (yf Tyndale and his felowes be spyrytuall & electys) must as theyr fyrst author of theyr new spyrytuall secte, be nedys one of the very chyef. Let not therfore Tyndall (good

reder) wyth his gay gloryouse wordes carye you so fast & so far away, but that ye remembre to pull hym bakke / by the [ A] sleue a lytle, and aske hym whyther his owne hyghe spiry∣tuall doctour mayster Martyne Luther hym selfe, beynge specyally borne agayne & new created of the spyryte, whom god in many places of holy scrypture hath commaunded to kepe his vowe made of chastyte / when he then so far con∣trarye there vnto toke out of relygyon a spouse of Cryste, wedded her hym selfe in reproche of wedloke, called her his wyfe, and made her his harlot, and in doble despyte of ma∣ryage and relygyon both, lyueth wyth her openly and lyeth wyth her nyghtly, in shamefull inceste and abominable by∣cherye: dothe he the whyle after Tyndalys hyghe wordes serche the depe secretys, and neuer leue serchynge tyll he come to the botome, the pyth, the quycke, the lyfe, the spy∣ryte, [ B] the mary, and the very cause of that commaundement why, and so iudgeth all thynge?

Thus good reders examyne hym / and then shall ye per∣ceyue how fondly suche an hyghe pure spyrytuall processe, accordeth wyth such a baas fowle fleshly lyuyng. But Tyn¦dale hath an hope that whyle he paynteth his prologe wyth such gay colours of spirytuall vertue: there can no man in the meane whyle remember and consyder what vngracious frute theyr deceytfull doctryne & false fayth bryngeth forth. And therfore to carye the reder farther of / from the remem∣braūce therof / he letteth goo by theyr fylthy lechery and ho∣lyly speketh of loue.

Tyndale. [ C]

Take an example in the great commaundement, loue god with all thyn harte / the spyrytuall sercheth the cause and lok••••h on the benesytys of god, and so cō¦ceyueth loue in hys harte.

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In thys example of the great commaundemēt of louyng of god / there can lacke no causes, but wythout any farre serche there offer them selfe I now at hande, except men wil fully wyll forget them.

But yet all be yt that in many thynges a man may perad¦uenture well and with frute enserche the cause of goddes cō¦maundementys / yet may the spyryte of a man that were as spirytuall as Tyndale is or Luther eyther, and take frere Huskyn to them / go some tyme to far in the serchyng of the depe secretys of god, and wade so farre therin / that he shall

[ A] fynde these wordes of holy scripture true, He that is that the sercher of the maiestye shall be oppressyd of the glorye and he shall fynde the depe secretis of god so depe that y^e secrete botome wyll not be founde oute for hym / and specyally in that thyng in which Tyndall and his felowes be as I shall hereafter shew you moste presumptuously besye / that is in goddys fynall electis & predestinatys wherof saynt Paule cryeth hymself, O altitudo diuitiarū sapientiae & sci••tiae dei•• O y^• he••th and depenes of the ryches of the wysedome & science of god.

And as for that that Tyndall sayth, that what so euer god commaūdeth the spyrytuall man to do, he neuer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 serchynge tyll he come at the botome, the pyth, the quycks, the lyffe, the spyryte, the mary•• and the very cause why•• and iudgeth all thynges: I say as I sayd byfore it may peraduē¦ture [ B] in some thynges do well to consyder the causes of god∣des commaundement, so yt be done moderately and wyth reuerence. But many suche spyrituall persones as Tyndale is and Luther, and frere Huskyn / so be wonte to reason and serche the cause of goddes commaundementys wyth them selfe as kynge Saul dyd / or bytwene the dyuell and the••m selfe as our mother Eue dyd, that they fall vppon fallacyes and false causes / whereby lyke as Saul was deceyued in sauynge of the bestes for sacryfyce, whych bestes god hadde pr••cysely commaunded hym to destroy / and Eue was so by gyled that she thought she myght well ete the apple whyche god hadde precysely commaunded her to forbere: so doth I say to, these men that ar in this new fashyon spyrytuall, the dyuell theyr euyll spyryte and them selfe wyth theyr inces∣saunte [ C] serche fynde out salfe causes, wherof they take occa∣syon to breke the commaundementys of god / whyche com∣maundementys other good seely symple soules wythoute any serche obserue.

As for ensample, lo where as god hath in holy scrypture euydently commaūded, that who so make a vowe shall per¦forme and kepe yt, as is wrytē by the holy Psalmiste, Uowe ye and pay your vowes to our lorde / and where as our bles¦syd lady thought her self bounde therto, & all y^e holy sayntes synnys Cristes dayes vnto Tyndals tyme, haue without a¦ny varyance written & affyrmed y^e same, & not onely they but also all crysten people both good & badde, haue this .xv.C. yer•• abhorted as an abominabyle mōster, and accompted yt in comen talkynge for suche a prodigyouse cryme that euer

monke or frere shold wedde an nūne, as they thought shold [ A] neuer happen in crystendome, & therfore haue alway iested that Antecryste sholde be borne betwene a frere and a nūne: these new spirytuall men haue now, Luther, Tyndall, and frere Huskyn and the dyuell to gyther, so longe enserched the cause of thys commaundement of god, by whych euery man is cōmaunded to kepe his vowe / that they haue with longe serche foūden oute at laste, that monkes, freres, and nunnes, be not bounden by that commaundement at all / but may for all theyr vowe lawfully runne out of relygyon and lye to gyther when they lyste, and call theyr fylthy leche¦ry good and lawfull wedloke.

And thus lo good reder these newe spyrytuall men wyth theyr depe serche interprete and expowne holy scripture, and fynde oute therin suche godly vertues as this is whych the [ B] olde holy doctours coulde neuer fynde therin for lacke of grace by lykelyhod, for we se well they lacked no wyt & had as mych lernynge as these men haue and ten tymes more to, and dyd theyr dylygence to / but they were as yt semyth but naturall onely, not borne agayne nor created of newe wyth the spyryte of god as Luther is and Tyndale & frere Huskyn and hys felowes.

Take ensample sayth Tyndale in the great commaundement, loue god wyth all thyne harte, the spyrytuall serchyth the cause and loketh on the benefytes of god, and so conceyueth loue in his harte.

In these wordes I lay no fawte. But all be yt a man myghte assygne other causes of our loue towarde god then Tyndale doth / as for ensample his owne excellent nature [ C] and goodnes of yt selfe, worthy ••to be loued, lauded, and ho¦nored of vs, though we shold yf yt were possyble receyue to oure selfe no benefyte at his hande at all: yet I very well alow the cause that Tyndale allegeth, that is to wytte the consyderacyon of the great benefytys of god / & yt is a cause of loue in dede both resonable of y•• selfe, and also by many a good and vertuouse man alleged and consydered byfore.

But yet me thynketh that this consyderacyon of loue af∣fyrmed by Tyndale / dothe confounde both Tyndall & Lu∣ther & all theyr hole secte, in that they hold that yt is not lau¦full to loue and serue god neyther for auoydynge of payne, nor for obteynyng of rewarde / callyng this manner of loue and seruyce seruyle bonde and mercennary. This is theyre

[ A] comen opynyon, and Tyndale hath yt often as well in this boke as in dyuerse other. But now remember good reder y^t Tyndale sayth here the contrary whych I am glad to here hym say. For I am better content y^t he say some tyme well then alway naught. And here he sayth ryght well that the re¦specte of goddes benefytys is a cause of oure loue towarde god, and surely so is yt in dede. For all though y^e very good and great excellēt nature of god be worthy to be loued of vs and worshypped and serued to, for the souerayne and sur∣mountynge goodnes of yt selfe, though we sholde our selfe take no manner of benefyte thereby: yet may we well haue mo causes of loue, honour, and seruyce ioyned therunto.

yet am I not sure whyther Tyndale wyll saye that I do hym wrong in that I ioyne seruyce wyth loue, where he s••e¦keth [ B] not of seruyce but of loue onely. But I haue bene bo••d to ioyne our loue and seruyce towarde god to gyther / by∣cause I veryly thynke that Tyndale wyll hym selfe graunt vs, that for what so euer cause yt is lawfull for vs to loue god / for the self same cause yt is lawfull for vs to serue god But Tyndale agreeth that we may loue hym for his bene∣fytys / wherof yt foloweth excepte he say that we may loue for some cause, for whyche it is not laufull to serue hym: els I say muste Tyndale nedys graunte that for goddes bene∣fytys yt is lawfull for vs to serue hym.

Now yf Tyndale graunte vs that conclusyon / we wyll then wade with hym a lytle forther, and ioyne therunto that yf yt be lawfull for vs to serue god for his benefytys, which we haue receyued: yt is also lawfull for vs to serue him for [ C] his benefytis which we longe & hope to receyue. And surely as the respecte of his benefytys whych we haue receyued is a good cause of loue: so is the belyef of hys {pro}mysys & hope of his benefitys to come, a good and a great cause of loue towarde hym.

Then yf we may seru•• god for his benefytys to come / yt semeth no dowte but that we may serue hym for to get he∣uen, whyche is of all benefytys the greateste.

At thys poynte wyll Tyndale happely stykke wyth me / and he well say styfly that fayth we may vse and serue god therwyth, to thentent therewyth to gete heuen / for fayth his felowes and he affyrme to be the thynge whych onely doth iustyfye vs. But then they say playnly that yf we serue god wyth any other good worke, fastyng, prayer, or almose

dede, to thentent that we may therwyth please god the bet∣ter [ A] or the rather come to heuen: this seruyce is vnlawfull, dyspleasaunt to god, and playn vnfaythfulnes / for as mych as we shall as they say be saued onely by Crystes bloode & by oure belyffe in his promyses of the same / & therfore they call yt playne idolatrye to serue god wyth any good workes for heuen, or to thentent that we myght please god the bet∣ter therby. For y^t thynge they say were as mych as to make oure self Cryste, and to saye that we wolde be our owne sa∣uyours by our owne workes / and not Cryste by the worke of hys passyon.

In this poynte they stycke styffely / and when they be an∣sweryd that all though we serue god wyth good workes wrought with his gracyous helpe, to thentēt to please hym the better therby / as hymselfe hath in many places of holly [ B] scrypture cōmaundyd vs / & hope also that suche good wor∣kes shall the rather helpe vs to heuyn, and that we shall in heuyn be rewarded for theym and for the respecte of godd{is} commaundement / and for thys entent also we do them as Cryste hath also gyuen vs good occasyon, where he saythe that who so gyue so mych as a draught of colde water shall not lese hys rewarde, and where he byddeth vs gyue vnto y^e poore to thentent that they may receyue vs in to the eternal tabernacles, and where he sheweth that at the daye of dome men shall haue heuyn for theyr charytable almesse dedes done here in erthe: now when we tell them thus, and that we do neuer the lesse knowlege and confesse therwyth that we neyther do nor can do any good worke wythout the spe∣cyall grace & helpe of god, and that our deades be cōmenly [ C] so defectyue that though good deades well done be rewar∣dable, yet euery man maye fynde in hymselfe great cause to mystruste hys owne, and that we tell them also that all the best y^t the best man maye do, is yet not more than hys deutye for euery man is of his deutye ••ounden to labour for heuyn and to serue and please god aswell and asmych as he maye, and notwythstandynge that we also tell them that the best worke that any mā worketh wyth goddys helpe and grace, is not yet rewardable with heuyn of the nature or goodnes of the worke it selfe, all though he suffred euery daye in a longe lyfe a dowble martyrdome accordynge to the wordes of saynt Paule, the passyons of thys worlde be not worthy the glory that is to come that shall be reueled and shewed

[ A] vppon vs / and notwythstandynge that we tell them to / that all the heuynly rewarde of mannes good workes cometh onely of goddys owne lyberall goodnes, in that it hath plea¦sed hys hyghe bountye to gyue so great a ryche pryce for so poore and symple ware as are all mēnys workes / & all be it that we tell them also that god wolde not rewarde our wor¦kes in such wyse, were it not for the shedynge of hys sonnes blood / and so we fynally referre all the thanke and rewarde of our good workes, bothe the begynnynge, the progresse, and the ende, effectually to god and the merytes of Crystes passyon / when we tell Tyndale and Luther all this yet fare they as though they herde vs not, and styll they synge vs on theyr olde songe that it is ydolatrye to serue god wyth any good workes, to thentent the better to please god there∣wyth, [ B] and the rather to come to heuyn therfore••and that we may not wyth out synne for any helpe to heuynwarde serue god wyth any good worke sauynge onely fayth.

yet when we aske them whyther we may not laufully for the same entent serue god wyth hope to: to that thyng they care not to graunte / but then they confounde the termys of fayth and hope, so as I neyther wote howe nor themselfe neyther. Then yf we aske them farther whither it be not lau¦full to serue god wyth charyte to (whyche now they leue and fall all to lusty loue) wyth intent to get heuyn the rather: to that they let not to graūte also / but they say the cause is for that fayth they say hath alwaye charyte therwyth. But all be it that in that poynte theyr affyrmacyō is fals, as by rea∣son and pleyne scrypture hath ben often proued vnto them: [ C] that is ynough to me that they graunte that a man maye laufully loue god and serue hym wyth charyte to thentent to be the rather saued and come to heuyn therby.

For now semeth me that yf we laufully maye (as Tyn∣dale wyll graūt we maye) serue god with y^e vertues of fayth and hope and charyte, or of any one of them wyth respecte vnto goddys benefytes receyued and also to come / and to thentent therby the rather to be saued & come to heuyn, we may then laufully with lyke respecte, purpose, & intēt, serue god wyth any other vertue that procedeth of fayth, hope, & charyte, or of any suche one of them wyth whyche it is lau∣full for vs for suche respecte, entent, & purpose to serue god: then wyll not Tyndale denye but that prayer, fastynge, al∣messe dede, and contynence and clennesse of body, penaūce,

trouble of the mynde, wyth sufferauns of trybulacyon or af¦flyccyon [ A] of the flesshe wyllyngly taken, wyth many other outwarde and inwarde workes / may procede of fayth, hope and charyte. wherfore I can not se but that Tyndale as he graunteth here y^t we maye serue god wyth loue, entendyng thereby to please hym and be sauyd the rather: so must he nedys graunte and agre that lykewyse may we wyth lyke entente and purpose serue wyth all other workes aboue remembryd, procedynge of a faythfull workynge charyte / wherof he and all hys fonde felowes in euery place holde hytherto the contrary.

And thus haue I now playnly deducyd vppon Tyndals owne wordes the full confusyon of hys owne comen conclu¦syon, so many tymes by hym and hys felowes obiected, and among them all neuer onys yet well prouyd nor neuer able [ B] to be proued, agaynst the profyte of good mennys chrysten workes / for chrysten be theyr prayers, theyr fastynge, and theyr almosse dedys, when they be done in fayth, hope and charyte, and in the state of grace.

Tyndall

And when he is commaundyd to obay the powers and rewlers of the worlde / be loketh on the benefytes whiche god shewyth the worlde thorow them and therfore doeth it gladly.

More.

In this obedyence Tyndale is yet content to haue a re∣specte to the benefytes that god worketh and shewyth the worlde thorow the powers and rewlers of the world, & put∣teth that for eyther the onely or the chyefe cause of hys obe∣dyence, as he putteth it for the onely or chyefe cause of god∣dys [ C] commaundement. In whiche kynde of obedyence se∣meth not the greatest vertue, when a man obeyeth onely for hys owne aduauntage / but the very chrysten obedyence is to obaye specially for that god so cōmaundeth, and not so to serche and lymyte the cause of goddes cōmaundement / as he may therby take hymselfe & gyue to other an easy bolde occasyō to dysobaye, resyste, and rebell agaynst theyr hedys and rulers, pretendynge that they be not profytable.

Thys thynge meanyth Tyndale as it apperyth by hys wordes here in the cause of hys obedyence, to the powers and rulers of the worlde / & as it apperyth in dyuers other places of hys workes and Luther his maysters to. But god all though he wyll that the gouernours and rulers of the

[ A] world sholde be good and profytable to the people / yet wyll he not that the people shall measure the dewty of theyr obe∣dyence by the onely rule and measure of theyr owne profyte and cōmodyte / but that they shall obaye theyr prynces and other rulers and gouernours, bycause that they be theyr go¦uernours and rulers, and bycause that god hath so cōmaū∣ded. For yf they may measure theyr obedyēce by y^• measure of theyr owne profyte as Tyndale telleth vs: they shall sone seke occasyon of sedycion, and therof do themselfe also more harme in one daye then sholde theyr ruler in many yeres, all were he ryght vnprofytable in dede / as apperyd by the vp∣landysshe Lutherans in Almayn, whyche measuryng theyr obedyence by Tyndalys rule gyuen them before by Tyn∣dalys mayster / became all vnrulye and dysobeyd and rebel∣lyd [ B] agaynst theyr rulers, and therby dysobeyd goddes com∣maundement, and brought therby the vengeaunce of god vppon theyr owne heddys, to the slaughter of aboue foure score thowsand of them in one sommer, & the remenaunt the worse entreated euer syns / and that hath made Luther and Tyndale a lytell to retreate syns and set a new glose therto y^• will but shrewdly serue them as I shall shewe you when I come to the place hereafter in hys boke.

Tyndall.

And when he is commaunded to loue his neyghbour as hymselfe / ••e serch•••••• that hys neyghbour is created of god and bought with Crys••es blode, and so forth.

More.

Loo thys is very louyngly spoken, & he sayth very well / [ C] and I praye god that he be one of those spyrytuals that so doeth, but surely many places in euery boke that he writeth seme clerely to declare y^t he hath another maner of spyryte then suche a spyryte of loue. And yet were it herde excepte y^• goddys cōmaundement gyue vs that warnyng / ellys wyll it be somwhat herd for any man vppō the other two causes by any serche to perceyue that he were in reason boūden to loue another aswell as hymselfe though they maye serue to loue hym ryght well.

Tyndale.

And therfore he loueth hym oute of his harte. And yf he be euyll forbereth hym and wyth all loue and pacyēce draueth hym to good as elder brotheren wayte on the yonger and serue them and suffre them / and when they wyll not come they speke fayre and flater and gyue some gaye thyng and promyse fayre, and

so drawe them and smyte them not / but yf they may in no wyse be holpe, re∣ferre [ A] the ponyshement to the father and mother, and so forth. And by thes•• iudgeth be all other lawes o•• god and vnderstandeth the true vse and meanyng of them / and by these vnderstandeth he in the lawes of man whych are ryght and whyche tyrannye.

More.

Useth Tyndale and his spyrytuall mayster thys manes of loue, this forberynge, and this maner of pacyēs to warde the pope and the clergye, and towarde prynces and other tēporall rulers? we se perde thorow all theyr bokes in what lowly louynge fashion they serue and suffer them, and how fayre they speke, and how plesauntly they flater all holy ca¦tholyque crysten people sauyng onely theyr own secte, with as venemouse wordes and as poysen speche as the dyuell can dyuyse them, wyth all the meanes they may to sow dy∣uysyon [ B] and dyssencyon and set the people in sedycyon / & vn∣der colour of true fayth to brynge them in heresyes and de∣stroye both bodye and soule.

But Tyndale wold now y^t we shold for the whyle forget all that he and his mayster wryteth ellys where, and hym selfe in many placys after in this same boke / and that we sholde onely marke these holy louyng wordes that he wry∣teth here in his present prologe / in whych he sayth that they whych be spirytuall do neuer smyte theyr yonger brotherē, that ys to saye, suche as be not in fayth and vertue growen vp as they be, nor wyll not wyth them come forwarde ther∣in, but be euyll and wyll be no better / but the spyritualles as theyr elder brotherē doth flater them and promyse fayre and gyue them gay thynges, and so draweth them forward [ C] in grace / and fynally yf that wyll not helpe them, then the spirytuall elder brother referreth theyr punyshement to the father and the mother, that is as he meaneth to all myghty god, for yf he ment vnto theyr rulers so yt is all redy / for none other hath authoryte to correcte and punysse. And hys mynde he hath declared in that byhalfe in sundry placys / that non man shold in any wyse pursue and punysh any mā specyally for any heresye / for he that pursueth any man is no spyrytuall man. I let passe here that after this waye the worlde, all be yt that yt be badde ynough all redye, wold yet wax then mich worse / and I passe ouer also that as well all wyse men as all good men, and holy scripture also yt selfe, is open and playne to the contrarye.

[ A] And I wyll for the whyle no more but aske of Tyndale whether he accompte the pope & the clergy and y^e temporall prynces for menne borne agayne and renewed with the spy¦ryte of god, and therby spyrytuall or not. If he reken them for suche: thē by hys owne rule they can and do very well iudge all thynge, and so sholde he then thynke that the thyn¦ges that they do be well done / for he sayth hym selfe that the spirytualles do serche the botome of goddes commaunde∣mentes and fulfyll them gladly.

Now yf he say that they be not the spyrytualles, but such as Luther is and frere Huskyn and hym selfe, & suche other as so serche the causes that they care not as Tyndale sayth after, whyther the preste saye masse in hys gowne or in hys cope, and wyll as sone gape for sande as holy salte, and [ B] had as lyefe be smered with vnhalowed butter as enoynted wyth charmed oyle, excepte men can tell them the causes whyche they saye that no man can, and therfore they mocke and ieste therat / nowe yf thys theyr sorte be as Tyndale sayth the spyrytuall and therby y^e elder brothern: then wyll we say to Tyndale and aske hym why do not you Tyndale and your spyrytuall felowes accordynge to your owne wor¦des here, loue out of your hartes the pope, the cardynals, the clergye, the prynces, the people, and so forth, beynge as your younger brothern not yet borne agayne / and why do you not forbere them wyth all loue and pacyence & so forth, and wayte on them and serue them and suffer them and so forth / and when they wyll not wyth you come forth, why do you not then speke them fayre and flater them and pro∣myse [ C] them fayre and so forth, and so drawe them forth and so forth. And yf that for a••l thys they wyll not come forth: why do you not then referre the punysshement to the father and mother and smyte them not / but contrary to your owne wordes vse at your yōger brothern to laughe thē to skorne, to mocke, to ieste, to checke, to chyde, to brawle, & rybaldous¦ly to rayle / callynge them apyshe, peuysshe, popysshe, iu∣glers, theues, murderers, bloodsupers, tormentours, and traytours, Pylatys, Cayphaas, Herodys, Annaas, & An∣tecrystes, Iudaas, hypochrytes, mokenmongers, pryapys∣tes, idolatres, horemaysters, and sodomytes, abomynable, shameles, stark madde, and faythlesse bestes, hangemen, martyr quellers, and Cryste kyllers, serpentes, scorpyons, dremers, and very dyuels / & fynally wyth such venemouse

wordes and other malyciouse wayes the wurste that the dy¦uell [ A] and you deuyse to gether, bysely put forth youre payne to sow debate, dyssencion, scysmes, stryfe, and sedycion / and cause your spyrytuall people y^t ys to wyt the elder brothern borne agayne of the spirite, to ryse and rebell agaynst your yonger brothern, but naturall yet and not borne agayne / and the tone parte to smyte & kyll the tother by thousandys on a daye, as ye haue done in Almayne / prouidynge alway that your selfs the chyeff captayns and authours of such se¦dycion and rebelliouse bloodshed, gate vp vppon some hyll in the meane whyle, and stonde and loke vppon sure & safe a syde halfe out of all gonshot•• and com not at hand strokes in no wise, but serue for trompetours with y^e blaste of youre wordes and vngracyous wrytynges to kynd••e them & call vppon and set them all a worke / and yf yt walke on youre [ B] syde then to gaude and glory, and yf yt go agaynste you & your parte go to wrake, then slynk awaye fro the felde and make as ye cam not there nor neuer entēded harme nor mēt any such mater / or as your mayster dyd in Almayne to put your selfe out of suspycyon, crye to the cōtrary parte to kyll them downe hande smothe, whom your owne wordes ray∣sed vp and synfully set a worke.

And lo thus hath Tyndale cōnyngly declared the grete commaundement of loue, and by hym selfe and his felowes as ye se so louyngly put in vre, that they wolde helpe the to∣ther parte to all the myschyefe they myghte / and wolde that on the tother syde what so euer they do them self be it neuer so myscheuouse, no man sholde ones chyde them nor gyue fowle wordes / but in theyr deuylyshe dedys forbere styll & [ C] suffer them, and take them then ••s younger brothern lytell babys vntaught, and gyue them fayre wordes and pretye proper gere, ratylles & cokbelles and gay goldē shone / and yf the wantons wyll not lerne yet, but byte & scratche theyr felowes / bete not the babys yet in no wyse, but go and tell theyr mother and so forth.

And when Tyndale hath thus connyngly declared the greate commaūdement of loue, and hath so spyrytually set it out to the shew: then concludeth he well & worshypfully that by thys commaundement of loue in suche a wyse waye vnderstanden, his spyrytuall sorte iudgeth all the lawes of god, and vnder∣stande the true vse of them / and by the same in lykewyse vnderstande they all the lawes of man which are ryght and whych tyranny. For by thys then vn∣derstande

[ A] that for the loue that they bere to theyr own wyll / euery glose that they gyue them selfe is the ryght meanyng of the worde of god, and all that all other holy men haue wryten is but fantasyes and false. And in mennis law to let them bete other men for saynge trueth, were well ordeyned and ryghte / but any man to chyde onys any of theym for a hondred heresyes, that were vtter wronge and no lawfull law but playne tyrannye.

Tyndale.

If god sholde commaunde hym to drynke no wyne as he commaunded in the olde testament, that the preste sholde not when they mynistred in the tem••••e and forbade dyuerse metes: the spyrytuall because ••e ••noweth that man and ••uer all other creatures, and they his seruauntis made to be at 〈…〉〈…〉 that yt is not commaunded for the wyne or meate yt selfe that man 〈…〉〈…〉 [ B] in bondage vnto his owne seruaūt the inferiour creature / cea〈…〉〈…〉 the cause. And when he fyndeth yt is to tame the fleshe, and that 〈…〉〈…〉 sober / he obeyth gladly and yet not so supsticiously, that the tyme 〈…〉〈…〉 he wolde not drynke wyne in way of a medycyn to recouer his 〈…〉〈…〉uid ate of the holowed brede, and as Moyses for necessyte lefte the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Israel vncircuncysed, and were yet thought to be in no worse ••a••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they that were circūcised, as the chyldern•• that dyed wythin eyght day•• were 〈◊〉〈◊〉ted in as good case as they that were circuncised / whyche ensamp••es myg••t teache vs many thinges yf there were spyryte in vs.

More.

Now cometh he to those thynges whyche he taketh for indyfferent / that is to wy•• of theyr nature neyther good nor euyll, but takynge theyr goodnesse or theyr euyll of cōmaun¦dement or prohybycyon and of the mynde of the doer wyth [ C] cyrcūstances of the dede / & in these thynges he speketh as one that wolde we shulde we••e that hys hyghe spyrytuall wysdome had a very depe insyghte in that he tellyth vs as a newe straunge tale, that neuer man had herd byfore that the inferyour creatures be subgettes to man and not man to them.

But now this truth•• laboreth he to make a fals ground to byelde his lyes vppō. For by this he wolde haue vs wene that we were at lybertye to construe and interpretate all cō∣maūdementes eyther of Crystes chyrche or of Cristes owne mouth immedyate, after our owne swete wyll, when so euer ••e can fynde out any false glose of the commaundement to flater and begyle our self withall. As here yf god sholde cō∣maunde hym to drynk no wyne as he commaundyd in the

olde lawe whyle they mynystred in the temple: he wolde [ A] anone serche for the cause. And then he sayth that he sholde fynde the cause to be for tamynge of the flesshe and to kepe hym sober, and then for that cause he wolde obay the com∣maundemēt gladly, but yet not so superstycyously but that in tyme of hys dysease he wolde drynk wyne to recouer his helthe / & therof he layeth ensample of Dauid & of Moyses.

But what auayleth hym all thys tale. For we deny not but that the worde and precept of god receyuyth interpreta¦cyon. But we say that the authoryte therof lyeth not in eue∣ry mannys hed at aduenture / & that all though some thyn∣ges be playne and open inough, yet it is peryllous for any man except certeyn reuelacyon of god, to take hymselfe for so far forth renewed wyth y^e spyryte of god, that he boldely lene in such thynges to hys owne wyt leste hys wyll blynde [ B] hys wyt / but let vs lene therin vnto the iudgement of the olde holy enterpretours passed, and specyall to the sense re∣ceyued of the hole catholyke chyrche, not the chyrch of onely electys whyche chyrche no man can knowe but vnto the ca∣tholyke knowē chyrche of all crystē people saue heretykes / whyche catholyke chyrche what so euer Tyndale saye can neuer fall in dampnable erroure.

For yf a mā leue these wayes and boldely cleue to a cause of hys owne serchyng: he is well lykely to breke the com∣maundement.

As here Tyndale presupposeth yf god wolde hymselfe forbedde all men wyne vppon certeyne dayes, or commaun¦de them certeyne dayes to faste: here wolde Tyndale anon [ C] as a man spyrytuall enserche the cause why god wolde cō∣maundyd hym so / and then wolde he fynde that the cause were but onely to tame the flesshe and to kepe men sober, & therfore wolde he obay it.

But now by thys facyon yf god gaue Tyndale a com∣maundement wherof Tyndale cowde fynde no cause at all / he wolde not do it at all.

If our father Tyndale had ben in paradyse in the stede of our father Adam / he sholde neuer haue nedyd any serpēt or woman eyther to tempte hym to eate the apple of the tree of knowledge. For when god had forbed hym the eatynge therof vppon payne of deth, as he forbedeth vs lechery vp∣pon payne of dampnacyon: then wolde he haue serched for the cause of the cōmaundement. And when hys wyt wolde

[ A] haue founden none bycause the flesshe had there no need of tamynge: then wolde he haue eaten on a good pace & haue thought that god almyghty had but played y^e wanton with hym, and wolde not be angry wyth hym for an apple / and so wolde he by his owne rule of serchyng haue founde oute as myche myschyefe as the woman and the serpent and the de∣uyll and all.

And surely now to, by thys spyrituall rule of enserchyng of the cause of fastynge and forberyng meate, and fyndynge the cause to be none other but for tamyng of the flesshe and sobernes / who so euer thynke hymselfe to the synnys of the flesshe not mych inclyned as some of nature are not, nor by moderate drynkynge of wyne any thynge dysposed to dron¦kennesse: shall interprete hymselfe dyscharged of the com∣maundement, [ B] and shall drynke wyne and shall breke hys faste at his pleasure / or yf he forbere wyne or kepe y^e faste he shall at the vttermoste kepe it but for a countenaunce, and as they wryte themselfes in auoydynge the slaundrynge of suche as haue a weke conscyens and wene themselfes boun¦den to y^e kepynge therof. And therfore when they haue kept the faste in syghte / they shall not force to breke all those fa∣stes pryuely, where the weke conscyences of other symple soules are absent and no body by them, but suche as are all spyrytuall and haue a conscyence stronge inough to breke the stronge faste vppon good fryday wythout grudge of cō¦scyence at all. And afterwarde lytell & lytell they shall when they be suffryd amende also and make stronge in the lorde the weke cōscyences of theyr syk brethern, and make them [ C] breke all the fastyng dayes to, wyth laude and thanke gyuē to the lorde that by hys ele••••e prechers in these latter dayes of thys blynde worlde, that coulde not on fastynge dayes fynde theyr meate / hath now illumyned theyr eyghen and gyuen them lyght, by whyche they haue founden they waye in to the crysten lybertye of eatyng, drynkynge, and honeste lykynge lechery, from the bondage and thraidom of all fa∣stynge dayes and all professyd chastyte.

For thys ende we se that theyr spyrytuall doctryne hath all redy brought it in Saxony / for there is now the lent all turnyd in to shroftyde. And there it well apperith all though it were true that Tyndale sayth, that fastynge were of god ordeyned for none other cause but onely to tame the flesshe: yet was it nede for the chyrche to do as it hath done by the

spyryte of god, ordayne and appoynte certeyn comon fa∣s••yng [ A] dayes in whyche the people sholde faste together. For ell•••• yf there were no suche / the moste parte of the people whyche now in y^e comon fastes do tame the flesshe togyther by the commaundement and laudable custome of the chyr∣che of god•• wolde fynde very few dayes therfore of theyr owne mynde•• and many not one thorow the hole yere as ye now se it in Saxony, where they that were woont to faste many, faste now neuer a one.

And surely yf fastynge were not profytable done of any other deuocyon but onely serued for tamynge of the flesshe, and then the custome taken awaye of comon fastyng dayes, in whyche folke faste togyder in obedyence of the commaū∣dement, & those comon dayes taken away / folke were onely lefte to theyr owne lybertye and pryuate secrete conscyens, [ B] to chose theyr fastyng dayes theyr selfes, not of any other de¦uocyon but onely for tamynge of theyr flesshe, when them selfe fele it begynne to boyle: then many wedded men sholde nede few fastynge dayes to theyr payne, hauynge theyr re∣medy so pleasaunt and so present alway redy at hande, and then wolde many an honest maydē be ashamed to faste any daye at all, leste she sholde seme therby to gyue yonge men warnynge that she were waxe warme and byd them yf they wyll spede speke now.

But Tyndale with hys spyrytuall felowes are fallen in to thys foly by the lykynge of theyr owne luste, in fauoure wherof they synfully studye to fynde out fals gloses, to be open glotons wythout reproche / and also wyth the prayse [ C] of suche people as theyr false doctryne hath corrupted and brought in a wronge bylefe, contrary to all doctryne of all the olde holy doctours, and agaynst all holy scripture, euyn the very gospell it selfe and the very wordes of Cryste, by whyche not onely all crysten people hytherto but also the iewes haue from the begynnyng ben taught to byleue, that mannys fastynge hath ben pleasaunt to god for other cau∣ses then Tyndale wolde haue it seme, that sercheth and se∣keth onely the meanes to breke it.

Tyndale and hys mayster be wonte to crye owte vppon the pope and vppon all the clergye, for that they medle phy∣losophy wyth the thynges of god / whyche is a thynge that may in place be very well done, syth the wysdom of phyloso¦phy all that we fynde true therin, is the wysdom gyuen of

[ A] god, and may well do seruyce to hys other gyftes of hygher wysdome then that is. But Tyndale here in this place as it semeth, doeth lene vnto the olde naturall phylosophers all togyther. For as for abstynence to tame the flesshe from in∣temperaunce and fowle lustes also, thys was a thynge that many phylosophers dyd bothe teache and vse. But as for fastyng, that is a nother thynge whyche god hath alwayes amonge hys faythfull people had obserued and kepte, not onely for that purpose, but also for a kynde of payne•• a••••ly••¦cyon, and punysshement of the flesshe for theyr synnes and to put vs in remembraūce y^t we be now in the vale of terys and not in the hyll of ioye sauynge for the comfort of hope.

And all be it y^t Tyndale be lothe to here therof, bycause he wolde not that any man sholde do true penaunce wyth [ B] puttynge hymselfe to any payne for hys owne synnes / yet wolde god the contrary. And as he wyll that men for theyr synnys sholde be sory in theyr hartes / so wolde he that for y^e same cause the sorow of theyr hartes sholde redownde in to theyr bodyes / and that we sholde for the prouocacyon of goddys mercy, humble our selfe before hym / and not onely pray for forgyuenesse but also put our bodies to payne and afflyccyon of our owne selfe, & therby to shewe how heuely we take it that we haue offended hym.

And to thentent that we sholde well knowe that fastyng not onely for tamyng of the flesshe, but also for payne to be taken for our synnys, was pleasaunt vnto hym: he taught hys people by hys prophetes that they sholde faste, and ap∣poynted them certen dayes.

[ C] It apperyth also that fastynge was & is pleasaunt vnto god, when men do for de••ocyon to god not onely forbere theyr pleasure, but also parte of theyr necessary sustynaūs, in occupyeng y^e tyme of vsuall fedyng of y^e flesshe about the plenteouse norysshyng & spyrytuall pamperyng of y^e soule.

Also vnto y^e obtaynyng of great spyrytuall gyftes of god & hygh reuelacyōs, how specyall a thynge fastyng is / bothe our sauyour declareth hym selse in y^e gospell of Matthew, where he sayth y^t that kynde of deuylles which he dyd caste out of the chylde is not caste out but by prayour & fastyng.

And of all these thynges we haue in holy sayntes lyues so many examples, that it were ouer longe to reherse them. But for as mych as we se well y^t Tyndale maketh but mok¦kys of all such maters, and all theyr holy reuelacyons and

myracles taketh but for tryfels: we shall sende hym to loke [ A] better vppon the good bokes whyche hym selfe hath euyll & of euyll purpose translated, the bookes I mene of the holy scrypture it selfe. For therin shall he se that fastynge serueth not onely to tame the fleshe / but for all these good vses also that we haue spoken of before, and yet for many other mo. And there shall he specyally se the thynge that he is moste lothe to let you se / that fastynge and other bodely afflyccyō eyther taken by commaundement of god and hys chyrche, or wyllyngly taken of our owne good mynde done for our synnys, done in true fayth and deuocyon wyth purpose of amendement, is one of the very specyall thynges that ob∣teyne remyssyō of the synne, releace of the more payne, with gettynge greater grace & increace of goddys fauour / whych thynge is y^e same that he & his felowes do so sore oppugne, [ B] that y^e whole chyrche of Cryste prestes and laye men bothe, call satysfaccyon / not meanynge that we can do penaunce inough for our synnes, nor that we coulde do any thynge therof at all wythout helpe of grace, nor that all that we can do coulde be wurth a flye to heuenwarde wythout Crystes passyon / but that wyth helpe of grace and merytys of Cry∣stes passyō, our good workes well wrought, helpe to gete re¦myssyon and purchase vs pardon and releace of payne, and may well be done for that intente, and be by god ordeyned to serue vs to that intente / and for that cause be they by the chyrche called satysfaccyon, for the deuour y^t we shold do to punysshe at the full our offenses our selfe, that god therby y^• rather moued wyth mercy shold withdrawe his great heuy punyshement, whych elles he shall cause to be done vnto vs [ C] hym selfe, and not so sore yf we i••dge and amende our faw∣tes our selfe / accordyng to the wordes of the blessed apostle to the Corynthyes: If we iudged our selfes, we sholde not be iudged of our lord. And surely yf we iudge our self truly, we shalbe content to punysshe our selfe.

And that fastyng is one of the good workes that bysyde other good & great godly purpose serueth for satisfaccyō of synne & procuryng of remyssyon, grace, and pardone / & that it serueth not onely for the tamynge of the flesshe as Tyn∣dale here wolde haue it seme: ye shall se to manyfestly pro∣ued by many playne placys in euery parte of scrypture.

Fyrst the fastes that Moyses fasted fyrst for the law, and after for the synne of the peple and the synne of Aaron also /

[ A] were thefe fastes for nothynge but for to tame his flesshe.

Item in .xxi. chapiter of the thryde boke of kynges whē Achab had herd these wordes, he tare his garmētis and put on his bodye a shyrte of here, he fasted and slept in a sacke, and went hangynge his hede lowe done / and our lorde sayd to Helyas Thesbites, hast thow not sene how Achab hathe humbled hym before me? And therfore bycause he hath hum¦bled hym selfe for my sake, I wyll brynge no euyll in du∣tynge his lyfe. Doth yt not manyfestly appere by these wordes that kyng Achab fasted not for tamyng of his flessh t•• kepe yt from wyldnes, but he fasted for y^e selfe same cause for whych he ware here and slepte in a sacke, that is to wyt to humble him selfe afore the face of god, and to do penaūce in punyshynge hym selfe for his synne to moue thereby al∣myghty [ B] god to mercy, & to the wythdrawyng of his hyghe punyshement, whyche ellys he fered wolde fall vppon hys hede / whych punishement god at the respecte of the kynges humble penaunce and payne of fastynge and other afliccyō wyllyngly taken by hym selfe, dyd mercyfully wythdrawe from hym, so that in all his dayes he suffred hym to fele no parte thereof.

And so may ye se this place of scripture euydent & playne agaynste Tyndale, and that very repentaunce requyreth of the repentaunte person not onely tamynge of the flesshe a∣gaynste the synne immynent or to come, but also punyshe∣ment by fastynge and other afflyccyon for the synne all redy done.

And now Cryste hath to cristen men promysed of our syn¦nes [ C] forgyuenes, and of our payne releace by vertue of hys payne / but this meaneth he to them that set not theyr owne synnes at so lyght after his great kyndnes shewed, but that theyr own selfe shewe by theyr owne wylf••ll punyshement worthy to suffre payne also them selfe therfore, and then his payne hath gyuen theyr payne the lyfe y^t maketh yt quycke and auaylable, not ent••ndynge yet that hym selfe so sholde take payne that the synners them selfe sholde synne at theyr pleasure and be saued all wyth ease as Tyndale & Luther wolde make vs wene. For that were the way to make men wanton and wax very bolde in synne.

Forthermore in the fyrste boke of Esdras and the .viii. chapyter yt is wryten thus in the person of the people: we haue fasted and prayed to god for this (y^t is to wyt for helpe

agaynst our enymyes, & yt is comen prosperousely to passe. [ A]

ye may here clerely se this pestylent opinyon of Tyndale wyth few wordes confuted. For this faste was not for ta∣mynge of the flesshe, but for auoydynge of theyr pa••ell.

Agayne in the seconde boke of Esdras and the fyrste cha¦piter thus sayd Nehemias: whē I had herd such tydynges, that is to wyt how the walles of Hierusalem were throwen done, the yates burnt, and the chyldern of Israel in great affliccyon and mysery: I sat downe and wepte and mornyd many dayes, I fasted also and prayed afore the face of the god of heuen.

Lo this faste was not for to tame the flesshe / for the man was in heuynes far from such wanton thynges: but he fas∣ted as he wept and mornyd, to moue god to mercy.

Also the great preste of god Eliachym sayth in the .iiii. of [ B] Iudith: Knowe ye that our lorde shall heare your prayers yf ye contynue in fastynge and prayng in the syght of hym,

I suppose no man is of so symple wyt & vnderstandyng, but he may at the bare rehersall of this brief texte well per∣ceyue y^t Eliachim dyd not esteme fastyng as Tyndale doth, nother toke yt not onely for a tamynge of the flesshe, but for a meane also to purchace grace wyth remyssyon & pardon, and also to obteyne ayde and helpe of god in that great ne∣cessyte.

Is not the .iiii. of Hester also clene contrarye to the doc∣tryne of these deuelyshe prechers of fleshly liberty: Go and assemble (sayth that good quene) all the Iewes that thow fyndest in Susan, and praye ye for me. Eate ye not nether drynke not in .iii. dayes and .iii. nyghtes. And I lykewyse [ C] wyll fast wyth my maydens.

wolde she that they sholde forbere mete and drynk to the intent that by theyr fastynge they myght tame her flesshe? nay nor for the tamynge of theyr own neyther. But that by theyr deuoute fastynge and her maydens and her own / they myght prouoke our lorde to pyty•• them and preserue them from that immynent parell that they were then all in.

what sayth Toby? Prayer (sayth he) ioyned with fastyng is good. He sayth not this onely for y••ng lusty folke for ta∣myng of theyr flesshe in auoydyng of intēperaūce, for good crysten fastynge goeth sometyme farre aboue the naturall temperaunce / but he teacheth all men that may wythoute harme to ioyne wyth prayer y^t payne of fastyng, as a thyng

[ A] pleasaunt vnto god in such wyse as the prayer is / and yt is a secrete inwarde effectuall prayer when the payne of all the bodye repentynge and punyshynge the synne, cryeth to god for mercy wyth voyce of the mouth.

In the .xxxiiii. chapyt••r of Ecclesiasticus yt is wrytten: The man that fasteth for his synnes and agayn commyteth the selfe same synnes, what auayleth hym this humilytye.

wherby yt is well vnderstanden that he whych fasteth & amendeth hym selfe / his faste auay••eth and is prof••table. And wherfore? not onely for tamyng of his flesshe for that may be tame inough and yet the man bad inough but yt a∣uayleth for remyssyon of synne and for meryte in heuen. For as holy saynte Austayne saythe: To saye that the faste of a crysten man shall haue no rewarde in heuen is not the opy∣nyon [ B] of a true crysten man, but of an heretyque.

The prophete Iohel in the secōde chapyter: And there∣fore now sayth the lorde turne to me wyth all your herte in fastynge, wepynge, and weylynge. Tere your hertes & not your garmentes, and so forth.

Lo here the prophete exhorteth to fastynge as he doth to harty mornynge and wepyng, not for a coūtenaunce of so∣row, but to be sorofull & to take payne in dede / not in theyr clothes where they fele yt not, but in theyr bodyes and in∣wardely in theyr hertes where they fele yt thorowly / so that they may therby not onely tame theyr flesshe, but also turne agayne to god, that he may take pytye vppon thē and turne agayne to them.

Rede we not in the thyrde chapitre of the {pro}phete Ionas, [ C] that god seynge the Niniuytes chastyse and punyshe them selfe wyth fastynge and other afflyccions voluntaryly done vnto them selfe / dyd mercyfully take quyte away the great and greuous punyshement that was at hande ordeyned by hym selfe for theyr synnes and offenses? wherfore dyd they faste? for to tame theyr flesshe as Tyndale sayth? Nay / they fasted and dyd penaunce for theyr synnes, & therwyth pur∣chased pardon whych Tyndale wyll not perceyue.

I coulde here alledge vnto you crysten reders other te••∣tes owt of the holy prophetes and other places of scripture / as the fyrst chapyter of Iohel, the .ix. of Danyel, the .xxxvi. of Hyeremy, the .xx. of Iudicū, wyth an hundreth places mo very stronge for vs in thys mater of fastynge / but these few may seme to many for a thynge so manyfest and clere. How

be it I wyll alledge vnto Tyndale the word••s of our sauy∣our [ A] hym selfe wrytē in y^e .xvii. of Matthew, where he sayth: Thys kynde of deuylles is not cast out but by prayour and fastynge. The holy euangelyst Luke in the .xiiii. chapyter of the apostles actes wryteth thus: when they had ordey∣neth them preestes in euery chyrche and had prayed and fa¦sted / they cōmendyd thē to the lorde in whom they beleuyd.

Here may ye clerely se good crysten reder, that the holy and blessyd apostle Paule with many other mo / dyd not fast in thys place for the subduynge of the flesshe and tamynge of bodyly lustes. For they fasted here for other folke, that is to wyt for the prestes to whom they had gyuen holy orders, and for the people whom they had commyttyd vnto theyr charge / that god for theyr deuoute prayours and fastynge sholde gyue encreace of hys grace and fauour among them [ B]

Fynally what wyll Tyndale say to the wordes that are wryten in the .vi. of Matthew, and spoken by the mouthe of our sauyour Iesu Cryste, where he sayth: when ye faste make not your selfe sadde lyke hypocrytes, for they waste out theyr faces to y^e entent it myghte be perceyued that they faste. Forsothe I saye vnto you they haue theyr rewarde all redy. But when thou fastest anoynt thy hed and washe thy face, that it appere not vnto men that thou fastest but vnto thy father whyche is in secrete. And thy father that seeth in secrete, shall rewarde the openly.

Lo dooth not our lord here promyse to rewarde all them that for no desyre of mannys prayse or itch of vayne glory, but of mere humylyte & true repentaunce of herte punysshe [ C] theyr body wyth fastynge. whyche one place beyng so playn open & manyfest for the meryte of fastyng though it myght haue ben more then suffycyent to confounde Tyndale and his mayster Luther with all theyr scollers: yet haue I bene therin the longer and haue spoken of thys mater sumwhat the more at large, for y^e manyfestacyō of theyr greate blynd∣nesse, and as it semeth malyce to mennys sowle / and for the comforte of them that hytherto haue had the mynde to pu∣nysshe the flesshe wyth fastyng, that they do not herafter as vnthryftes haue in Almayne done all redy, leue of theyr de∣uocyon to god for the fonde bablynge of suche sensuall here tykes. For yf Tyndale wyll saye that yet all thys was no thynge but to tame the flesshe, that the menne myght praye the more quyetly wythout rebellyous mocyons of y^e flesshe /

[ A] what so euer he shall say therin consyder the placys and his wordes to gyther, and ye shall fynde all hys processe the•••••• a fayre tale of a tubbe. For all be it that Cryste fas••ed fou•••••• dayes and after hungered / yet whyther Moyses hungere•• in his fourty daies or not we be not very sure. And it seme•••• well that he dyd, for he wolde not of lykelyhed haue told it for any greate thynge that he fasted for the synne of Aron, & also for the synne of the people so strayghtly fourty dayes that in the whyle he neyther ete nor dranke / yf he neuer had in the whyle ben neyther an hungred nor a thurste.

How be it yf Tyndale wyll brynge all these fastes in que¦styon: yet of the Nineuites & y^e other aboue rehersed the••e is no maner of dowte but y^t they fasted in hunger & thy••••••••. And it were in dede a madde thynge to thynke that whe•• [ B] they went about to punyshe theyr synnys and humble them selfe before the face of god with fastynge / they fasted but tyll they were a hungred and then gate them to brekfaste. If he wyll saye that the payne of the fastynge was onely to came theyr flesshe that they sholde not synne, he can not so say / for it appereth that they dyd it wyllyngly as well for theyr syn∣nes before passed as for dyuers other causes. If he wyll say that there was dyfference bytwene the repentynge in y^e olde law and the new, and that there was cause why they sholde punysshe theyr synnes them selfe and not we, bycause Cryst hath now done penaūce for our synnys and had not at that tyme so done for theyrs: it wyll not serue hym, bothe by∣cause dyuers of the authorytees for fastynge be alledged in the new law, and also bycause the Iewys had the profyte of [ C] Crystes passyon by theyr fayth that it was to come & sholde be done, as we haue by y^e fayth that it is passed and all redy done / and theyr repentaunce and our repentaūce were lyke, sauynge our pryuylege of more habundaunt grace & per∣don by the sacrament of penaunce whyche Tyndale goeth about to destroye. If he wyll saye that the fastynge serueth but to kepe the mynde calme and quyete in prayour, frō all mocyons of flesshely lu••••es that ellys myghte trouble the mynde: to thys I say that the hungre it selfe maye trouble the mynde and make it lesse quyete, then yf the flesshe were in temperat reste without it. And ouer thys hys answere in that poynt wyll not serue, syth it apperyth well by the cyr∣cumstaunces in many of the places before towched, y^t many whych fasted were not in such ease of herte nor lust of body,

that theyr prayours were at that tyme lykely to be letted [ A] wyth voluptuouse wanton myndes. wherfore let Tyndale say what he wyll: ye shall fynde for trouth that bysydes the tamynge of the body, fastynge and our payne taken therin pleaseth god done with deuocyon, and serueth vs for obtay¦nynge many and greate gyftes of grace.

Nay sayth Tyndale in hys boke of obedyence as for payne takynge, god is no tyraūt / and therfore reioyceth not in our payne, but pytyeth vs / and as it were mornyth with vs and wolde we sholde haue n••ne, sauynge that lyke a good surgeon he putteth payne of trybulacyon vnto the sores of our synne / bycause the synne can not otherwyse be rubbed owt of the flesshe and cured.

we saye not neyther that god reioyceth in our payne as a tyraunt, all be it that Luther and Tyndale wolde haue vs take hym for such one as had more tyrannouse delite in our payne, then euer had any tyraunt / when they by the takyng [ B] awaye of mannys fre wyll woulde make vs wene that god alone worketh all our synne, and then dampneth hys crea∣turys in perpetuall turmentys for hys owne dede.

But we say y^t god reioyceth & delyteth in the loue of mā∣nys herte, when he fyndeth it suche as the man inwardly de¦lyteth, & in hys herte owtwardly to let y^e loue of his herte so redownde in to the body, that he gladly by fastynge & other afflyccyon putteth the body to payne for goddys sake / and yet thynketh for all that, that in comparyson of hys dutye all that is mych lesse then ryght nought.

we saye also that god reioyceth and delyteth in iustyce / & for that cause he delyteth to se a man so delyte in the same, & to take hys synne so sorowfully that he is content of hym [ C] selfe by fastyng and other afflyccyon wyllyngly to put hym selfe to payne therfore. And I saye that yf god had not this delyte whyche is not a tyrannou••e but a good and godly de¦lyte / elles wolde he put vnto man no payne for synne at all. For it is playne false y^t god doth it for necessyte of dryuyng y^e synne owt of y^e flesshe as Tyndale sayth he doth, bycause that otherwyse it can not be cured. For it is questyonlesse that god can otherwyse dryue the synne owre of the flesshe, and by other meanys cure it yf it so pleased hym / & so wolde he sauynge for his godly delyte in iustyce whyche he loueth to se man folowe by fastynge and other penauns / & whyche delyte of folowynge goddes pleasure therin, Tyndale in man by wythdrawyng of penaus clene goeth aboute to de∣stroye.

[ A] Now where Tyndale as a spirituall ensercher of y^e cause of euery commaundement of god, dyd in reprouynge the ••••••perstycyouse maner of thē, that wythout suche a de••e s••yry¦tuall serch do kepe goddys commaundement strayghte•••• brynge in the examples of Dauyd and hys company which for necessyte dyd eat of the offred halowed brede wherof by the law he sholde not, and of Moyses also leuynge the chyl¦dren contrary to the commaundement of god .xl. yere vncyr¦cumcysed in desert / he endeth that mater with thys greate weyghty worde: These ensamples myght teche vs many thynges yf th•••••• were sprete in vs.

what thinges y^e euyll sprete y^t inspirith Tyndale teacheth hym I can not tell. But of any good spyryt he lerneth no ferther in these ensamples, then that in necessyte Moyses y^e [ B] leder of the people vnder god, and beynge also the p••cest of god dyspensed wyth the people in deserte in delaynge y^e cyr∣cumcysyon for parell of sodeyn trauell ther vppon ••yll they sholde come where they myght reste vppon it. And y^t Achi∣melech the preste in lyke wyse for necessyte dyspensed wyth Dauyd and hys seruauntes, that they myghte eat of offred halowed brede / and yet wyth greate dyffycultye, but yf they were clene from any late cōmyxcyō and carnall knowledge of theyr wyuys. And of that poynt myghte Tyndale yf he had a good spryte in hym / lerne at the leste wyse one thynge agaynst the boldnesse of his wedded harlottes monkes and frerys, that from theyr fylthy lechery go so boldely not to y^e halowed brede, but to the body of god in forme of brede. But Tyndales spryte techeth••hym to be bold therin, and to [ C] ••yd euery frere boldely breke hys vow and the commaun∣dement without any necessyte or dispensacyon at all / sayng that freres may no more lyue without nunnes then Dauyd myghte wythout meate.

Tyndale.

And lykewyse of the boly daye, he knoweth that the daye is sauaūt vnto mā / and therfore when he fyndeth, hat•• yt is done because he s••olde not be let from herynge the worde of god, be obeyth gladly / and yet not so superstycyously, that he wolde not ••elpe his neyghbour on the boly daye let the sermon alone for ••••••••ay••or that he wold not worke on the holy day nede requyrynge yt, at suche ••yne as men ••e not wonte to be at chyrche.

More.

Here Tyndale teacheth vs hygh spyrytuall doctryne, y^t chrysten men sholde not be to superstycyously holy on the

holy daye / wenynge that they myghte do no bodyly worke [ A] for necessyte. But the people for aught that I se / knowe y^e well inoughe and more to. But yet to make them the more bolde: he teacheth them that the holy day is seruaunt vnto man, that he maye therfore be bolde vppon the holy daye as vppon hys owne seruaunt to vse it as it please hym.

But yet all be yt that Cryste sayde vnto the Iewes that the sone of man is mayster and lorde euen ouer the sabooeh daye, to vse yt as hym selfe lyste, whych neuer lysted to vse yt but to the beste: yet can I not well se that Tyndale is in suche wyse mayster and lorde of the sabbooth daye, nor no man elles, that he may vse yt as his man, though yt was of god instytute for man and not man for yt / that is to wyt for the spirytuall benefyte and profyte of man as our sauyour sayth also hym selfe. But yet he calleth yt not seruaunt vnto [ B] man as Tyndale calleth yt. For y^e scrypture sayth that god hath sanctyfyed the sabbooth day vnto hym selfe.

And that was the cause why that Criste shewed vnto the Iewes that hym selfe was lorde of the sabbat daye, bycause he wolde that they sholde thereby knowe that he was very god / syth that they had lerned by scripture that the sabbat daye was sanctyfyed onely to god hym self for ma••nys pro¦fyte and no man lorde therof but onely god. A gouernour of people is made for the people and not the people for the go∣uernour / and yet is there no man amonge the people wonte to call the gouernour his man, but hym selfe rather the go∣uernours man. The very manhode of our sauiour hym self was to some purpose ordeyned for mankynde, as the incar¦nacyon of his godhed was ordeyned for man / but yet vseth [ C] no wyse man to call Cryste his seruaunt, all be yt hym selfe of his mekenes dyd morethen serue vs. But we wyll not mych stykke wyth Tyndale for a worde somewhat wrested a wrye / so that we wyste he ment no harme therby.

But I fereme more of his meanyng, leste he wold bryng holy dayes and workynge dayes all in one case. For as for doynge our neyghbour good, and also the workyng for our owne necessyte / the necessyte may be such that the chyrch de¦nyeth yt not. But who so do interprete his necessyte ouer large, or dyfferre vnto the holy daye the worldly workes whyche he myght and sholde haue done vpon the workyng daye byfore, or may as well do yt after, and yet wyll worke yt on the holy daye, and therby wyll for his parte brynge yt

[ A] in custome to wythdrawe the reuerens from the holy daye & make workynge day therof: this man hathe in my mynde mych nede to consyder. Salphat, whych for lyke vsynge of the holy day, gatherynge wood on the holy day y^t he myght haue done on the workynge daye / was by goddes owne iud¦gement stoned vnto deth.

And I lyke Tyndale in this mater y^e worse, bothe for his wordes in his other bokes, and for the custome of his secte now growen in Germany, and also for the onely cause that he fyndeth out here for the kepyng of the holy day, of which he putteth no mo but the onely hearyng of the word of god / so that by the cause whyche he fyndeth out, a crysten man y^t were eyther in deserte or amonge infydeles where he coulde here no prechyng, sholde haue no more respecte vnto Cryst∣masse [ B] day or Ester day, or whytesontyde, to kepe thē for holy dayes hym selfe, then the worst day in the yere, or thē wolde a turke hym selfe. And this is his hyghe spirytuall doctrine concernynge the holy daye.

Tyndale.

And so thorow out all la••es, and euen lykewyse in all ceremonyes and sacra∣mentes / be sercheth the sygnyfycacyons and wyll not serue the visyble thyn∣ges. It is as good to hym that the pres••e say masse in his gowne as in his other apparell, yf they teache hym not somewhat, and that his soule be edyfyed ther¦by. And as sone wyll he gape••while thou puttest sand as holy salt in his mouth, yf thou shew hym no reason therof / he hadde as seyffe be smered wyth vnha∣lowed butter as ano••nted wyth vncharmed oyle, yf his soule be not tought to vnderstande somewhat at therby and so forth.

More.

[ C] Lo good crysten reder this holy spirytuall man, at laste I wyste well wold somwhat shewe hym selfe, what goostly spyryte inspireth hym. For here you se for all his holy saluta¦cyon at the begynnynge, wyth gay wordes of grace & lyght and fayth and feruent loue: he bloweth and blustreth oute at laste his abhomynable blasphemy agaynst the blessyd sa¦cramentes of Cryste, and lyke the deuyls ape maketh mok¦kes and mowes at the holy ceremonyes, that the spyryte of god hathe so many hundred yeres taught hys holy catho∣lyque chyrche.

And here perceyue yet the false wylynes of the deuyll in vtterynge of his dreggys and poysoned draught. He coue∣reth his cuppe a lytle and shadoweth the colour of his enue¦nemed wyne, that yt may be dronken downe gredely ere the

parell be perceyued. For he maketh here as though he foūde [ A] no faute, but in that the sygnyfycacyons of the sacraments be not opened and declared vnto the people, as though yf that were done he were contente / and that he mokketh not the sacramentes but the mynysters that openeth not the by∣tokenynges therof.

But I shall fyrste shewe you that he playeth the deuyls dysor euyn in this poynte, all though he ment no ferther / & then shall I farther shewe you what myschyef he meaneth more, and proue yt you by expresse wordes of his owne.

Fyrste I saye yt is a lewde and a knauysshe raylynge vp¦pon the sacramentes of our sauyour Cryste, to lyken and cō¦pare them in any maner wise vnto such scornefull thynges, as the anoyntynge wyth holy oyle vnto butter smeryuge, wyth other suche lyke knauysshe toyes whyche no wreche [ B] wolde do but such as hath the very name of the holy sacra∣mentes in hatereth and dyspyte.

Now where he sayeth that his holy spirytuall sorte wyll alway so vyllanousely esteme the sacramentes, but yf men tell them the reasons and bytokenynges of them to the edy¦fyenge of theyr soules: yt wyll be great besynes and mych a do to edyfye and buyld vp the soules of such a sorte, which the deuyll hathe by the blaste of his mouth throwen downe so depe and frusshed all to fytters. But I praye god to whō nothynge is impossyble / to byeld them onys agayne vppon y^e rokke of his fayth, frō whiche they shew them self so farre fallen down y^t they be full vnlykely to ryse. For truly if they stode theruppon theyr hertys wolde abhorre to vttre suche frantyque fantasyes. For as touchynge the sygnifycacyōs [ C] and bytokenynges of the blessed sacramentes, the lacke of knowlege wherof Tyndale wolde make seme a suffycyent cause of his vilanouse blasphemy: all good peple that haue the vse of reason and come to these sacramentes wyth good deuocyon, be taught and do thynke and conceyue in theyre hertes, that god was incarnate and borne god and man for our saluacyon, and suffred his passyon, and dyed for our re¦dempcyon, and that we were redemed to heuē wyth his bles¦syd blood, and that wythout hym we sholde neuer haue ben saued but had vtterly loste heuen by the synne of Adam / and for this cause we call hym our sauyour and beleue that he hath promysed vs that yf we be crystened and kepe his holy commaundementes, and for the brekyng be sory and turne

[ A] agayne by penaunce / god wyll brynge vs to heuen that he hath promysed vs and bought vs to. And they beleue th•••• he hath ordeyned here holy sacramentes, whych he wyll that we shall receyue wyth reuerence, and that euery man wyth those sensyble sacramentes excepte the faute be in hym selfe, receyueth some inwarde grace & ayde of god by the merytes of Crystes passyō and by his holy promyse and ordinauns / so that vnto all good crysten men the outwarde sensyble sy∣gnes in all the sacramentes and holy ceremonyes of crystes chyrch, by one generall and comen sygnyfycacyon of them all, bytoken and do sygnyfye and that ryght effectually, an inwarde secrete gyfte and inspiracion of grace ••ffused in to the soule wyth the receyuyng of that holy sacrament by the holy spirite of god.

[ B] This comen sygnifycacyon of the sacramentes haue all y^e comenaltye of crysten people / & they beleue not onely that the sacramentes be tokens of suche grace and do sygnifye it, but also be in some maner wyse a meane to come to the ge¦tynge therof, bycause god hath so ordeyned.

But vnto Tyndale & his holy spirituall sorte, this gere is yet to groce for theyr subtyll thynne wyttes.

For that all crysten people haue this fayth and sygnyfy∣cacyon of sacramentes, Tyndale can not denye them / but if he lyste to bylye them.

But why trow you can not this sygnifycacyō serue. Tyn¦dale? veryly bycause he byleueth yt not / for he byleueth not that any ceremonye or sacramēt eyther is in the worke ther∣of any meane to get any grace at all. And in almoste all the [ C] sacramentes he playnly saythe that they neyther cause any grace nor any grace do sygnifye, nor be no sacramentes at all / as by his owne wordes I shall hereafter shew you.

But in the meane while for as mych as in his preface here he maketh as though he cared but for the declaracyon of y^e tokens and sensyble sygnes of the sacramentes and ceremo¦nyes: I haue shewed hym the great and chyef sygnifycaciō of all / that is to wyt that they betoken the insensyble grace that god geueth them in to the soule thorow the merytes of Crystes holy passyon. And this is the very chyef sygnifyca∣cyon that all holy doctours note & marke in the sacramētes / as apperyth by the dyffynicyons that in theyr bokes they geue therunto.

But nowe wyll not Tyndale sette a strawe the more

by the anoyntynge wyth holy oyle / then by smerynge wyth [ A] vnhalowed butter, but yf men tell hym some ferther thynge therby that may edyfye hys soule and make it better. For as for grace edyfyeth not his soule / for god byeldeth not so fast therwyth as hym selfe helpeth the deuyll to pull it downe agayne and cast it quyte away, so that it is neuer the better. And therfore he wyll y^t hys holy spyrytuall sorte shall set all the holy ceremonyes and sacramētes at naught, but yf men can tell them what other specyall thynge is ment by the wa∣ter of baptysme, and by the oyle in confyrmacyon and eney∣lynge, and by the cerymonyes of the masse, and by the salte, and by the asshes, and by the holy water, & by the blessynge of all suche maner of thynges / vppon all whych for y^e mean¦whyle tyll all thys be tolde & taught hym, he thynketh y^t it becometh hym well agaynst crystes holy sacramētes to ieste [ B] and mokke and mow and rayle and skofe and ryally playe the rybawld resemblyng the salte to sand and the holy oyle to smeryng of some bareld butter. Ah blasphemouse beste to whose rorynge and lowynge no good crysten man can with out heuynes of herte gyue ere.

Nowe can men and do also for the more parte of these thynges gyue good causes and playne open reasons, bothe of the sygnyfycacyons and of the spyrytuall profyte and bo¦dyly bothe. And yf that of any suche sacramentes or ceremo¦nyes gyuen of olde by god vnto his blessyd apostles, and by them delyuered vnto hys chyrche, and therin euer synnys fro hand to hand contynewed / it hath pleased the spyryte to let his people haue and enioye the profyte wythout declara¦cyon [ C] of the specyall betokenynge, other then the secrete grace gyuyn thē therin: is not Tyndale wene ye well ouer seen to mocke the sacrament and refuse the grace, bycause god wyll not make hym so secret of hys counsayll as to tell hym why he toke such an owtward sygne rather then suche an other / and then aske god almyghty why he wolde rather haue vsed for a ceremonye salte then sande whyle sande is so good a scorer, and why rather asshes then erthe syn man was made of erthe and not of asshes, and why in baptysme rather water then wyne whyle wyne wyll wasshe as clene, & why rather oyle then butter whyle y^e tone wyll sinere aswell as y^e tother wyll anoynte, and then why rather an halowed candell then an vnholowed torche y^t wyll gyue more lyght, and fynally why any bodyly ceremonyes or sacramentes at

[ A] all, about grace to be gyuē to the spyrytuall sowle that god myghte aswell do wythout / and yf god lyste not to make Tyndale an answere and tell hym all thys gere: then wyll he lyke a spyrytuall man set all suche bodyly ceremonyes & sacramentes at nought / and say god what he wyll, Tindale wyll glose hys texte as it please hym, and then byleue as he lyste who shall let hym.

when our lorde in y^e olde testamēt descrybed so seryously all the apparell of the preestes / dyd he tell the people ther∣wyth all the causes why. Of sume we se that he dyd, as why he wolde not haue Aaron ascēde vnto the awlter by degrees But of all hys apparell, and all the fasshyon of the taberna∣cle, and the awlter, and the arche of the testament, and the ceremonyes of the expiacyon or purgyng of the tabernacle, [ B] and sanctyfyeng of all the vessels, and consecratynge of the preestes wyth the rytys and ceremonyes of all theyr sacry∣fyce: dyd god I saye tell the people what all the outwarde ceremonyes fygnyfyed? nay, nor what sygnyfycacyon had the sacrament of cyrcūsycyon neyther, other then that who so obserued it not amonge them sholde fall in hys indygna¦cyon and therby perysshe•• and who so fulfylled it sholde be in hys fauour and ascrybed therby in to the nomber of hys electe and peculyer chosen peple. But why he rather wylled them to haue the marke and token of cyrcumsicyon then an other, or why that in the tabernacle, arche, and awlter, appa¦rell, sanctyfyeng, and sacryfyce, our lorde chose those out∣ward sygnes and fasshyons that are wryten in Exodo, Nu¦meri, and Leuitico before other, or what he sygnyfyed and [ C] ment by euery of the same: that I se not that god taughte y^e people / and yet had they thanke for the kepynge, and sholde haue ben shent for the brekynge.

Now yf our spyrytuall father Tyndale had ben there, y^t in euery commaundement wyll neuer cease serchynge tyll he come to the very botom and so iudgeth all thynge / when he sholde in all those thynges haue serched and sowght and cowlde fynde few thynges other then allegoryes, of whyche dyuerse men dyuersly diuyne, and all whyche he lyttell set∣teth by, and sayth they proue nothyng / and the very causes and sygnyfycacyons he cowlde not haue founden though he wolde haue mused out hys brayne: then wolde he not haue set a ry••••he by all that god had deuysed nor wolde ha∣ue kept it at all, lest he beynge so spyrytuall sholde haue ser¦ued

as he sayth visyble thynges. Is nothere a wyse worke [ A] of Tyndale.

But he wyll happely say that in the olde law thys was lesse mater / for that was the law that was all in shawdoes and darkenes of fygures. But now in the law of lyghte in whyche the veyle is taken away and all set open: Tyndale can not abyde it to be ignorant of any sacrament or cery∣monye of any thynge set therby, but yf he serche and fynde the vttermost sygnyfycacyon therof. Surely as lyghtsome as it is, and as open as all thynge is now that the veyle of the temple is withdrawen: yet wyll not Tyndale fynde out the proper causes and sygnyfycacyons of these sacramētes and ceremonyes of the olde law, thys seuen yere seuentene tymes tolde.

But go me to the new law & to those sacramentes which [ B] Tyndale agreeth for sacramentes, whyche be onely twayn, baptysme and the sacrament of the awter / in whych though he be content to call them sacramentes, yet hath he dyuerse¦full erronyouse opynyons and very fals faythes. But be∣gynne therfore as I sayd at baptysme, when our sauyoure shewed vnto Nichodemus that except a man were borne a∣gayne of water and the spyryto, he cowlde not enter in to y^e kyngedome of heuyn: he tolde hym there the necessyte of baptysme, but not the proper sygnyfycacyon of the water why it pleased god to put it for the sacrament, by whyche we sholde enter in to heuyn. Nor when he sent hys disciples to go forth and baptyse: he shewed them not as farre forth as the gospell telleth, for what proper sygnyfycacyon god [ C] set the water in that sacrament before any other thynge / but onele shewed them that so he wolde it sholde be, & bad them go shewe it and do it. Nor I fynde not that in theyr bapty∣synge, they shewed vnto the people that thyng, that bycause water wassheth and clenseth, therfore god had appoynted it vnto the sacramēt that wassheth and clenseth our soules. And yet who so shall say that the water hath for that cause a conuenyent symylytude for the mater / shall saye very well. And he shall also saye well, that wyll saye as doth the holy apostle Paule, where he lykeneth the baptysme to a kynde of beryenge wyth our lord in hys sepulcre, and the rysynge out therof to a kynde and maner of risyng agayne with our lorde in hys resurreccyō in to a new maner & kynde of clene lyfe. And when he sheweth that the brede is made one of

[ A] many greynes or cornes, and the wyne made one of many grapes: he toke a very conuenyent allegorye and symyly∣tude and sygnyfycacyō where vppon he myghte shewe that all we chrysten people that are made pertycypant of that ho¦ly brede and that holy wyne, chaunged and turned in cryst•• holy flesshe and blood (of whyche twayne euery one is euer more with the other) ought of many men to be made as one and in Cryst and with Cryst our hed, encorporate all in one mystycall body.

But yet though these thynges be meruelously well sayd and other thynges mo bothe haue ben and may be founden, that may be well alleged for good and conuenyent sygnyfy¦cacyons of those two sacramētes: yet doth not y^e apostle tell vs that those sygnyfycacyons be the very thynges and the [ B] onely propretees for whyche god appoynted those outward sygnes of water in the tone sacrament and brede and wyne in the tother byfore all other ••ensyble thynges, of whiche he myght haue made the outwarde sygnes of those sacramen∣tes yf it had lyked hym. But as the hygh knowlege of god for saw all those propretees that haue ben founden, and all that any man cowlde fynde forther therin: so saw he many moo peraduenture whyche no man hath founden yet, and wh••rof he hath made no man of hys coūsayle / no more then why he wolde haue any vysyble token at all in the thynge whyche he cowlde haue pe••fytlydone wythout them and in many personys hath so done and doth.

And therfore Tyndale taketh and euyll way to stykke vppō that poyute so styffely, that he letteth not wyth open blas∣phemy [ C] to say that he had as leue sande as holy salte, and be smered wyth vnhalowed b••tter as anoynted wyth the holy chrysme, whyche he calleth charmed oyle, bycause god wyll not shewe hym euery specyall thynge that they sygnyfy be∣syde the generall sygnifycacyon of inuysyble grace, for that is comonly taught all redy, and euery specyall sygnyfyca∣cyone that the scrypture expresseth is openly preched also. And bys••des that, suche ••ygnyfycacyons as are not there expressed & may seme conuenyent for them, be bothe taught and wryten. what wyll Tyndale aske more?

But no reason can contente hym / for he sayth playnly, that who so euer do not vnderstande all the sygnyficacions of all the outwarde sy∣gnes in the sacramentes: yt were as good to leue the sacramentes vnmynystred vnto hym as mynystred. where vppon yt foloweth whereso euer

at an Ester the people sholde be houseled, all be yt that they [ A] be taught and do byleue that in y^e forme of brede is the very holy body of our sauyour Cryste hym selfe, and that yf they receyue hym wyth vnbylyef oute of hope or oute of charyte, and be not in peace and crysten loue wyth all people, or ••n∣tēde to kepe styll & cōtynew in any dedly synne, they receyue theyr housell to theyr harme and parell of dampnacion / and yf they receyue yt the contrarye wyse, they shall re••eyue of god great spirytuall grace therwyth, thorow goddes holy ordynaunce by the merytes of Crystes passyon / and so haue geuen them such good counsell and exhortacyon on farther as the pore preste can: yet thynketh Tyndale that except he tell them ferther other sygnifycacyons of the sacrament, the pe∣ple were as good vnhowseled as howseled. But god be thā∣keth he is eyther deceyued or lyeth. [ B]

Now foloweth yt also that yf the sacramēt were as good vnmynistred as mynistred to who so euer is not taught the proper sygnifycacyons of the outwarde token in the sacra∣ment, as Tyndale here vnder a blasphemous iestynge fas∣shyon telleth vs: then foloweth yt I saye that there was ne∣uer chylde crystened synnys crystendome fyrst begane, but that yt hadde bene as good to haue lefte it vncrystened, and neuer to haue let water touche yt, bycau••e yt coulde not be taught what the water sygnifyed. And let hym say what he wyll, but how so euer he couer and colour yt for the whyle / surely so wold he haue yt. For whyle he goth aboute to geue all our saluacyon to fayth alone, and to take all grace & all meryte vtterly from all outward workes, and yet seeth that he may not boldely at the begynnyng vtterly dyspyse bap∣tysme [ C] nor y^e blessed sacramēt of the auter: he wolde go fyrst as nere yt as he may. And therfore reiectynge the remanaūt by and by / he suffreth them twayne to tary for y^e whyle. But he wyll haue them serue but for bare sygnes & tokens, and sayth that they profyte nothynge, but onely by the declara∣cyon of theyr sygnifycacyons. And thereby meaneth he fyrst that where so euer occasyō of such declaracyō fayleth: there the sacrament sholde serue of nought. And so ye se that as for chyldern he wolde haue none baptysed in dede / and that thynge ones obteyned, wythin a whyle after no more he wolde no menne neyther.

Lo thus ye se to what a dyuelyshe ende Tyndals tale cō∣meth, wyth his rebauldouse raylynge vppon y^e sacramētes,

[ A] all though he ment no worse then he maketh for here in his preface / in which he wolde peraduēture seme to meane none other, but y^t the sacramētes coulde serue of nought, excepte theyr proper sygnyfycacyons were declared and taught to them that receyue them, other sygnifycacyons or otherwyse declared thē they haue ben wonte these many hundred yeres to be. wherin if he ment but so / yet haue I shewed you many festly that he hath a very frantyke foly therin.

But to thentent that ye shall not be so deceyued by hym: I shall shewe you farther that he meaneth yet mych worse / & that he meaneth vtterly as he playnly sayth / y^t of the .vii. holy sacramētes fyue be none at all, & that thoder twayne be nothynge fr••tefull neyther. And ye shall farther well per∣ceyue, y^t Tyndale hym selfe in neyther nother of the twayn, [ B] that is to wyt neyther in baptysme nor in the sacrament of the auter / doth byleue a ryght. For the clere perceyuynge of all whych thynges / I shall reherse you his own wordes wry¦ten in diuerse places of his abhominable boke of obedience. And fyrste wyll we speke of these fyue whych he sayth be no sacramentes at all / that is to wyt confyrmacyon, penaunce, order, matrymony, and anelynge.

Tyndale.

That they call confirmacyon, the people call byshoppynge. They thynke that yf the byshope butter the chylde in the forhed, that than yt is safe.

More.

If I sholde here call Tyndale by a nother name, yt were no nyk name at all / and yet wolde there some then say, that yt were not honest so to do / & this wyll some such folke say, [ C] as in the vyllanouse wordes of his spoken by this blessyd sa¦crament, wyll fynde no faute at all. But me semeth surely that at the fyrste herynge of such a shamell worde spoken by the mouth of such a shamelesse heretyque by this holy sa¦cramēt of Cryste: the hole crysten company present, sholde not be able to contayne them selfe from callyng hym knaue all wyth one voyce at onys.

Now where as there be for y^e sacramēt both of cōfyrma∣cyon & of holy orders, open & manyfest places in holy scry∣pture, aswell in the actys of the apostles as in the pistles of saynt Paule / by whych placys yt apperyth playnly that by the apostles handes layd vpon them whych were before ba¦ptysed, they had the holy goost geuen in thē / and by thandes of saynt Paule layd vpon Tymothee in makyng him prest,

he receyued of god a specyall grace wyth that holy order / [ A] and lykewyse the deacons by the puttynge of the apostles handes vppon them in the gyuynge them that order: Tyn¦dale telleth vs in his boke of obedyence that all this is no∣thynge, and that the laynge of the apostles handes vppon them was but a maner of the countre, as a man putteth his hande here vppon a boyes hed and stroketh yt when he cal∣leth hym good sone. were not the tyme well loste that were spent vppon Tyndale in allegynge holy scripture to hym, y^t can fynde in his herte thus to gyue yt a mokke in stede of an answere? he sayth that the scripture and the sacraments be not both of one authoryte / but he maketh them bothe a lyke when he mokketh them both a lyke.

Of matrymonye.

Tyndale. [ B]

Matrimonye (sayth he) was or••eyned of god for an of••yce, wherin the hus∣bande serueth the wyffe, and the wyfe the husbande. It is ordeyned for a re∣medye and to encreace the world, and not to sygnyfye any promyse that euer I herd or redde of in the scripture It hath a promyse that we synne not in that state, yf a man take his wyfe as goddys gyfte, and the woman her husbande lykewyse / as all manner of ••••eate hath a promyse that we synne not yf we vse them mesurably wyth thankes to god. If they call matrymonye a sacrament, bycause the scrypture vseth the symylytude of matrimonye, to expresse the maryage or wedloke that is bytwene vs and Cryste: so wyll I make a sacra∣ment of mus••erd seed, leuen, a nette, kayes, brede, water, and a thousande other thynges.

More.

This holy sacrament of matrymonye was bygonne by god in paradyse, and whych when he bygan, he there insty¦tuted [ C] to sygnyfye the coniunccyon bytwene hym selfe and mannys soule, and the coniunccyon bytwene Criste and his chyrch / for whych saynt Paule sayth that yt is a great sacra¦ment, and for such euer more hath yt bene taken in Crystes chyrche. And though in those whyche for his sake forberyth yt he coupleth hym self to theyr soules with more grace: yet in that couplyng of matrymonye (yf they couple in hym) he coupleth hym selfe also to theyr soules wyth grace, accor∣dynge to the sygne that is to wyt the maryage whyche he hath set to sygnyfye that grace / and wyth that grace yf they applye to worke therewyth, he helpeth them to make theyr maryage honorable, and theyr bedde vndefyled. And wyth that grace also he helpeth them towarde the good educa∣cyon

[ A] and bryngynge vp of such chyldren as shall come by∣twene them.

And to this effecte wayed that holy blessynge that god gaue our fyrst father and mother in paradyse / whyche bles∣synge reason wyll y^t we take and vnderstande to haue bene geuen by god, accordyng the kynde of them that yt was ge∣uen to / that is to wytte to worke not in the bodye onely of reasonable folke, but mych more effectually to exercyse his strength in the resonable soule. where as Tyndale wyll that goddys blessynge was no better to mankynde then to the kynde of dogges and cattes / wherby sholde yt allmoste fo∣lowe that in generacyon vsed onely for respecte of goddys commaundement, had ben towarde god no more meritory∣ouse then to those other kyndes of brute bestes, the gettyng [ B] of a whelpe or a kytlynge.

And where saynte Paule for those holy sygnifycacyons sayth that matrymonye is a great sacrament, Tyndale dare say nay to his teeth / and sayth he can make as good a sacra∣ment of leuen, of kayes, of mus••••••d seed, or ellys of a net. He sholde rather yet leste the grace get oute perde make yt of a sakke. But there is no grace therin sayth he. And why say we. Bycause sayth he that god hathe none promysed•• whereby wote you y^t saye we. For I neuer redde yt in scrypture sayth he. where rede you then in scripture say we that god hath made you a promyse that he neuer made promyse nor neuer none wolde make, but he wold fyrste sende you worde by wrytyng. what Tyndale can saye to this I can not tell. But tyll he can say better to this then euer hym self or his mayster eyther could [ C] say to yt yet, or euer shall saye whyle they lyue / euery man may sone se what menne may say to hym.

Luther yet in his boke of Babilonica, where he sayth as Tyndale now sayth that matrymonye where saynte Paule sayth yt is a great sacrament, hath no grace nor is no sacra¦mēt: he answereth sayn•• Paule well and pertely and sayth, that saynte Paule sayed yt peraduenture of his owne hed not of goddes spiryte. Then when the kynges grace had an¦swered hym, and that he saw that for aught he could do mē wold beleue saynt Paule better then hym, & that styll folke toke matrymony for a sacramēt, and that they though that to faythfull folke god wyth that holy knot gaue grace to∣warde the kepynge and ordeyned yt hym selfe so to do: he swore then in great anger and made a great vowe that he

wolde playnly proue the contrary, and ranne out of religy∣on [ A] and wedded fleynge cate his nunne, to shew to the world hym selfe a matrymonye of his owne makynge, that was neyther any holy sacrament nor had any grace therin. And tyll that Tyndale do y^e same as he sayth prestes both may & muste: he shall neuer any other waye proue his conclusyon trew whyle he lyueth.

Of the sacrament of aneylynge, these be his wordes.

Tyndale.

Aneylynge is wythout promyse, and therfore wythout the spyryte, and with out profyte, but all to geder vnfrutefull and superstycyouse.

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Here is a shorte sentence and a false erronyouse iudge∣ment gyuen by Tyndale, vppon all crystē people that haue [ B] ben aneyled synnys crystēdome fyrst began. And he is ledde therto by two specyall motyues / the tone foly, the tother falsshed. For of hys foly he rekeneth hym selfe sure euery thyng to be false that is not euydently wryten in holy scryp¦ture / whyche one thynge is the tone halfe of all the fals fun¦dacyon wheruppon Luther and Tyndale haue bylded all theyr heresyes. For vppon thys Tyndale sayth there is not any promyse of thys sacrament wryten in scrypture: erg•• there was no promyse made by god. whyche argument is so good, that euery boye in scolys laugheth it to scorne & well they may / for all the worlde can neuer make it good.

Hys other motyue is falsede, whyche is the antecedent of the same argument / that is to wyt that thys sacrament [ C] hath no promyse in scrypture. For it hath an expresse pro∣myse in the ••pystle of saynt Iamys / where he byddeth that yf any be syk, he shall induce the preestes to come and praye for hym and anoynte hym wyth oyle, & the prayour of ••ayth shall hele the syk man / and yf he be in synne they shall be for¦gyuen hym. Nay sayth Tyndale here we maye se that the aneylynge doth nothynge / for saynt Iamys sayth that the prayour of fayth shall hele the man. Thys is a sure argu∣ment. Lo, bycause saynt Iamys geueth the great effecte to the faythfull prayour: therfore the oyle doth nothynge at all. If it do nothynge at all towarde the remyssyon of syn∣nes: why wolde saynt Iamys haue it there, that myght sa∣uyng for the sacramēt as well be thens as there / except that Tyndale wene that saynt Iamys were so wyse in naturall

[ A] thynges, that he thought oyle a mete medycyne for euery sore.

Thys place in saynt Iamis dyd so preace vppō Luther / that he was fayne to say that the epystle was neuer of saynt Iamys makynge, nor nothynge had in it of any apostoly∣call spyryt / but he that so sayd was full of an apostatycall spyryte.

Of the sacrament of penauns.

Tyndale.

Penauns is a word of theyr owne forgynge, to deceyue vs with all.

More.

Here ye se that the sacrament of penauns he setteth at lesse then nowght / for he sayth it is but a thynge forged and contryued to deceyue vs with. But euery good crysten man [ B] knoweth that such folke as he is, that agaynst the sacramēt of penauns contryue and forge suche false heresyes / sore deceyue them selfe, and all them whom the deuyll blyndeth to byleue them. Now whē he hath spokē his pleasure of the thynge: ye shall here what he sayth of the partes.

Of confessyon.

Tyndall

Shryft in the eare is verely a worke of Sathan, and that the falseste that euer was wrought, and that moost hath deuowred the fayth.

More.

If the deuyll sholde hym self syt & deuise to speke spyght¦fully / what coulde he say more lyke hym selfe agaynste this parte of the holy sacramēt of penaūs, thē he now speketh by the mouth of thys hys holy spyrytuall man.

[ C] Here hathe ben a shrew•• sort of crysten folke thys .xv. hundred yere / yf euery mā haue serued Sathan all y^e whyle they were a shryuynge.

ye maye se now to what perfeccyon thys gere groweth wyth Tyndale.

Luther yet that was Tyndales mayster, as lewde as he is played neuer the blasphemouse fole agaynst confessyon so farre yet as Tyndale doth. For Luther all be it he wolde make euery man and euery woman to, suffycyēt and meate∣ly to serue for a confessour: yet confesseth he that shryfte is very necessary and dothe mych good, and wolde in no wyse haue it le••••e. But Tyndale amendeth the mater, and sayth it is the very worke of Sathā / & they therfore serue Sathā and worke hys worke yf they shryue them selfe secretly and

speke softely at y^e preestes ere. But by lykelyhed he meaneth [ A] that yf they speke owt lustely that euery man may here thē, all is well inough. For wyll waw forbade rownyng.

Of satysfaccyon.

He wyll that we shall for oure synnes nomore but onely repente. For as for goynge about to punysshe our selfe any thynge for oure owne synnys, by penauns doynge, wyth fa¦stynge, prayour, almeyse dede, or any bodyly afflyccyō that god maye haue the more mercye vppon vs, whyche thynge all good chrysten people haue euer vsed to do, and whyche the chyrche calleth satysfaccyon: thys thynge Tyndale cal∣leth as ye shall here.

Tyndale.

Synne we thorow fragilyte neuer so o••••e, yet as sone as we repēt and come in to the ryght waye agayne, and vnto the testament whych god hath made in [ B] Crys••es blood: our synnes vanysh awaye as smoke in the wynde, and as darke¦nes at the commynge of syght, or as thou cast a lytle blood or melke into the mayne see. In so mych that who euer goeth aboute to make satisfaccyon for his synnes to god warde, sayeng in his herte, thus mych haue I synned, thus mych wyll I do agayne, or this wyse wyll I lyue to make amendes wyth all, or this wyll I do to gete heuen wyth all: the same is an infidele, faythlesse, and damned in his dede doynge, and hath lost his parte in Crys••es blood, bycause he is diso••edyēt vnto goddes testamēt, and setteth vp a nother of his owne ima¦ginacyon, vnto whych he wyll compell god to obey. If we loue god: we haue •• commaundement to loue our neyghbour also, as sayth Iohn̄ in his pystl. And yf we haue offended hym to make him amēdes / or yf we haue not wherewith, to aske hym forgyuenesse, and to do and to suffer all thynges for his sake to wynne hym to god and to norish peace and vnyte: but to go••warde Cryste is an euerlastynge satisfaccyon and euer suffycyent. [ C]

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The begynnyng of these wordes seme very godly, for y^e magnyfyeng of the great mercy of god. But cōsyder y^e hed, the myddes, and the tayle to gether & ye shall sone perceyue that he bosteth mercy, but to mak•• a man haue so lytell care for hys synne and maketh hym selfe so sure of sodayne and short remyssyō, that he shall forse full lytell how sone he fall therto, when he beleueth that how often so euer he synne or how sore, there nedeth hym no more but onely bare repen∣tauns, and then all forgeuen and forgettē synne and payne and all euen by and by an hūdred tymes in a daye. Neyther purgatory nede to be fered when we go hens, nor penauns nede to be done whyle we be here / but synne and be sory and

[ A] syt and make mery, and then synne agayne and then repent a lytell and ronne to y^e ale & wasshe away the synne, thynke ones on goddys promyse and then do what we lyste. For hopynge sure in that, kyll we .x. men on a daye we cast but a lytell blood in to the mayne see. But he that setteth so mych by hys synne and is so sory therfore, that to prouoke our lord to mercy the more by punysshynge hym selfe, and ta∣kynge payne therfore, eyther of hys owne mynde or by pe∣naūce enioyned: he is a starke heretyke, it were euyn almese to burne hym. For he that wyll take any payne for his owne synne / weneth that Crist had not payne inough. Is not here a mad doctryne of hym that wolde seme a crysten man.

For as for that he telleth hys tale, as though men dyd reken theyr penauns for a thynge suffycyent to satysfye for [ B] theyr synne / that is but a pece of hys poetrye. For he is not so folysshe but that he knoweth well inowgh that all christē men byleue that no penauns is of it selfe suffycyent for the leste synne, but the passyon and payne of Cryste maketh our penaunce auaylable, to them that set not so lytell by theyr synne, but that they be content and thynke them selfe well worthy to take payne and penaunce for theyr synne them selfe.

But bycause he wyll that men repent the doyng of theyr synne, and then no more but fayth: I wolde wyt of Tyn∣dale what calleth he repentynge, a lytell short sorow, or a great sorow and a longe? If a lytell prety sorow and very shortely done: I wolde as fayne he sayed trew as I fere y^t he lyeth. If a great seruent sorow wyth grefe and trouble of [ C] mynde, not shortely shot ouer but kepte & contynued longe: then force I lytell of his heresye. For no dowte is it but that Tyndals tale to suche a man shall seme god wote full fond. For he that hath suche repentaunce, wyll to shryfte I war∣raunt you, and take penaunce of the preste, & do mych more there to what so euer Tindale tell hym. And he that is criste¦ned & careth for no shryfte: repenteth neuer a dele / but they that repente not at all be Tyndals repentaunt synners.

wyll ye se that it is so? Go me to Martyn Luther the fyrst mayster of Tyndale in thys mater, though now hys scoler passeth hym. whyle that frere lyeth with his nonne, & woteth well he doth nought, and sayth styll he doth well: let Tyn∣dale tell me what repentynge is that. He repenteth euery mornynge, and to bedde agayne euery nyghte / thynketh on

goddys promyse fyrste, and then go synne agayne vppon [ A] truste of goddys testamēt / and then he calleth it castynge of a lytell mylk in to the mayne see.

Of the sacrament of order.

Tyndale.

By a preste in the new testament, vnderstande nothynge ellys but an elder, to teache the yonger, to brynge them to the full knowlege and vnderstandyng of Cryste, and to mynystre the sacramentes whych Cryste ordeyned.

More.

By the wordes, he meaneth that y^e holy order is no sacra∣ment, nor is nothyng ellys but an elder to teache the yōger, and to mynystre the sacraments suche as Cryste ordeyned. And in this wyse he sayth we be all prestes both mē and wo¦men to. For he sayth in the same boke precysely and in this boke to, that women may consecrate the holy body of Crist. [ B] Agaynste whych folysh blasphemouse bablynge were very great foly to dyspute, syth of as many good holy vertuouse women as hathe bene in crystendone syth crystes deth vnto this daye / was there neuer none yet but that her harte wold haue abhorred, yf such an hygh p̄sumptuous thought shold ones haue fallen in her mynde.

And what wold yt auayle to dyspute wyth hym, syth he mokketh and skoffeth out the wordes of saynte Paule wryt¦ten vnto Tymothe / in whyche the sacrament of order ys so playnly proued, that all the worlde can not denye yt, but yf they make a mokke at saynt Paule as Tyndale doth.

Now in that he sayth the sacramentes that Cryste ordey¦ned / he meaneth nothynge ellys but his playne heresyes a∣gaynst all the sacramentes saue twayne / that is baptysme [ C] and the sacrament of the aute••, as yt haue all redy sene in all the remanaunt. And now syth he leueth but thē twayne / I pray you consyder how holyly he handeleth them twayne, and ye shall se that he myght allmost as well deny thē both as handle them after the fashyon. And fyrste here how he hā¦deleth the holy sacrament of baptysme.

Of the sacrament of baptysme, these be his wordes.

Tyndale.

The sacramētes which Criste hym self ordeyned, which haue also promises and wolde saue vs yf we knew them and byleued them / them they mynyster in the latine tonge. So a•• they also bycome as vns••rutefall as the tother.

And after he sayth forther: Baptisme is called volowy••ge in ma••ny

[ A] places in Englande, bycause the preste sayth volo saye ye. The chylde was well volued say they / ye and our vicare is as fayre volwer as any preste wyth in this twentye myses.

More.

All this great scoffynge ariseth onely, bycause that chyl∣dern be crystened in latyne. For whyche onely cause he sayth that the baptysme is vtterly frutelesse / ye & by his tale worse then frutelesse to. For he sayth they be now in lyke cause as ar the tother sacramentes, whych he sayth haue no promyse in scrypture, and therfore are (he sayth) supersticyouse. And lo thus fyrst ye se that as longe as euer any chyldern haue in Englande ben crystened in laten / there was neuer chyld•• the better for the cristendome. And then yf this lye be trew: there is yet neuer a crysten man nor neuer a crysten woman [ B] in all England, excepte happely som well latyned Iewes cō¦uertyd, or ellys suche Englysh chyldern as lerned theyr grā¦mer in theyr mothers bely.

Howe be yt I wolde euery other thynge were as ethe to mende as this is / for this mater may be sone eased. It may be now vppō this faute foūden, be prouyded vppon Tyn∣dales counsell that all the Englyshe chyldern shall be cryste¦ned in englyshe, and then they shall vnderstande all the ma¦ter well inough ye wote well, and speke for them selfe to.

But then fyndeth Tyndale twoo great fautes for which he sayth that all the baptisyng of the chylde is fruteles. One he sayth bycause of the false byleue that the plungyng in the water saueth them / a nother for y^t the promyse is not taught them.

[ C] But there I wolde fayne wyt of Tyndale, syth he sayth that the baptysme is frutelesse for such causes, and syth he muste nedes meane at the tyme of the cristenynge, for yf he shold meane no more but y^t the chylde sholde lease y^e frute at lenght for lake of suche instruccyon after, then were his wordes false though he sayde therin trewe / for then were not bapaysme vnfrutefull, for yt were very frutefull at the leste wise to a great many that god calleth hens ere euer the lacke of such lernyng can be layed to theyr charge: thus I saye Tyndale must nedys meane therfore, that for these fau∣tes the frute of the baptisme is lost euē at y^e fonte, & no grace goten therby / or ellys his tale were false. And ye wote well in no wyse wyll he lye for that were poetrye.

Now syth he sayth thē, that the baptysme is frutelesse at

the founte for these causes: I wolde wit of hym whyther it [ A] be voyde because these thynges be not at the fount preached to y^• godfathers, or because they be not preached there vnto the chyld yt self. If he say y^t yt is frutelesse for lakke of pre∣chyng there vnto y^• chyld yt self: then I deny not but y^e Tyn¦dale sayth ryght well and reasonable, and I shall speke to the persone of our parysshe that he shall preche to the chyld at the fount, and tell hym many good talis in his ere. But surely yf he say that the baptysme is frutelesse at the founte for lakke of such thynges there taught vnto y^e godfathers / therin coulde I not agre wyth hym, for they come not to be crystened there them self / and so the lakke of that prechyng there can not hyndre theyr cristēdome. And as for the chyld, if neyther they nor the preste nother well vnderstande theyr dewtye nor well byleued in baptysme neyther / ye & though [ B] they were turkes, Iewes, or saracens, or that worse were then all thre very starke heretyques: yet so that in the bap∣tysynge they purpose to make the chyld crysten, & therin do as the chyrch doth / all theyr lakke can not make the baptys¦me lese his frute. And yf that Tyndale knowe not this he is very porely lerned / and yf he know this, and then saye as he sayth, that for lakke of such teachynge at the founte the baptysme there is frutelese, what is he then say you?

But now is yt good to se somwhat of Tyndales mynde concernynge these twoo thynges, that is to wyt the fayth set on sensyble tokens in the sacrament, and the prechynge of the promyses.

Fyrst for the visyble sygnes, there be twoo thynges to be consydred. Thone that Tyndale beryth vs in hand that the [ C] clergye maketh vs byleue that the visible sygnes alone doth all to gether, & therin he saythe false / a nother that hym self byleueth that they do no good at all, and therin he byleueth false.

For the fyrst poynt these be his wordes.

Tyndale.

They make vs beleue that the worke selfe wythoute the promyse saueth vs, whych doctryne they lerned of Aristotle.

More.

In this poynte he playnely bylyeth the clergye, whyche doctryne he lerned of the deuyll. who taketh baptysme but for a sacrament ordeyned of god for mannys saluacyon, by whych god hath promised that he shalbe saued except synne

[ A] after let hym, and wythout whych he shall not be saued, ex∣cepte ryght specyall cases, & those be very few neyther able to be playnely proued by scrypture, and yet wyll Tyndale agre them agaynste his maysters rule.

How be yt Tyndale hath here a nother rule and that as false as the tother, by whych as I was aboute to saye he re¦keneth the outwarde tokens of the sacrament to be of none effecte, but onely bare tokens of that grace that is wrought wyth the worde, and that the worde of Cristes promyse.

For he sayth y^t the sacramētis be as yt were a precheour, and do onely preache goddes promyses / and therfore for to mynystre y^e sacramentes, is (he sayth) nothynge ellys but to preache goddes promyses. And for this he alleggeth y^• wor¦des of saynte Paule in the fyfte chapyter of his pystle to the [ B] Ephesies: Criste clensed y^e cōgregacyon in the founteyne of water thorow the word. And also the wordes of saynt Peter where he sayth in the fyrste of his fyrste pystle: ye are borne of new, not of mortall seed but of immortall seed, by the word of god whych lyueth and lasted euer. He alleggeth al∣so the worde of saynte Iamys in the fyrste chapyter of his pystle, where he sayth: Of his good wyll bygate god vs wyth the worde of trouthe, that is sayth Tyndale wyth the worde of promyse. He sayth also: Thou seeste that it is not the worke but the promyse that iustyfyeth vs thorow fayth. He sayth also that as y^e preste purgeth by prechynge of the promyse, so do the sacra¦mentes and none otherwyse / bycause he sayth that the sacra¦mentes be but sygnes and tokens that betoken and preache the promises. And so he meaneth that as the preste prechyng [ C] the promyses, doth geue vs a knowlege of them, or putteth vs in mynde of them, and yet he doth but shew vs of the pro¦myses & of grace, & doth not gyue vs any effecte of any pro∣myse or grace, nor we by that preching do not gete no grace but by goddes worke bysyde: so though he minystre y^• sacra¦ments, yet we do not attayne & gete any grace neyther by y^• preste, nor by the sacramentes, nor by that worke or dede y^t is done in mynystrynge or receyuynge the sacramentes, no more than by the prestes prechynge / but onely by the pro∣myse of god thorow fayth to the infoundynge wherof the sa¦crament doth nothyng worke, nor is no cause therof nor co∣operant thereto, nor meane nor instrumēt therin / but onely a bare sygnyfyer and a shewer thereof. And yet worse then thus: that lykewyse as yf a preste standyng vp in the pul∣pet

to preche, do there stande styll and preche nothyng at all [ A] but so come downe agayne and say nothynge, doth vnto y^• people no profyte at all: so the sacramentes syth they be but bare sygnes as he sayth, and serue of nothyng but to sygny¦fye certeyne thynges, he sayth therfore that bycause the my¦nysters of the sacramentes do not open and declare those sy¦gnyfycacyons to the receyuers of the sacramēt, therfore the sacramentes be frutelesse / and mē take no more profyte by the receyuynge of them, then by the stondynge of the preste in the pulpet that standeth there and precheth not.

And it it to be consydered that thys is hys opynyon as well of the blessed sacrament of the auter as of the holy bap¦tisme. wherby what mynde he hath of that blessyd sacramēt, he leueth lytell doute to them y^t haue eyther lernyng or wyt.

If thys opynyon of Tyndale were trew that the preest [ B] doth in mynystrynge the sacramentes no more but preche the promyses / and in the mynystrynge he purgeth but as he doth by hys prechynge / and when he precheth not the sygny¦fycacyons then he purgeth not: then were there wyth the baptysme no grace at all geuen vnto chyldren for the preest precheth not then / & though he dyd we fynde not yet that he sholde suffycyently purge the chylde wyth prechynge. And yet yf baptysynge be nothynge ellys but prechynge as Tyn¦dale sayth / then after that the preest had well preched all y^e were to be preched and shewed what the token and the sa∣crament meaneth / he myght as it semeth by Tyndals tale send home the chyld agayne & neuer put water vppon hym. Tyndale wyll haue vs byleue no thynge but playne & euy∣dent scrypture / I wolde he sholde therfore proue hys tale [ C] here by playne and euydēt scripture / for as for these placys that he layeth proue it no thynge at all.

For the wordes of saynt Paule to y^e Ephesyes, Criste clē¦sed the congregacyon in the fountayne of water thorow the word, is the thynge that all we say to / that is to wyt that by the holy wordes of baptysme comy••ge to the water god clē∣seth the soule accordynge to the wordes of saynt Austyne accedit verbum ad elementum & fit sacramentū. But Tyndale bycause saynt Paule sayth there / in the fountayne of water thorow the worde, we••eth that he setteth the water but for a sygne / as yf y^e one wolde say, a man doth in hys body faste, watch, gyue almesse, and praye thorow the deuocyon of the soule, Tyndale wolde then saye that the body were set but for a

[ A] sygne and in all these thynges doth nothynge at all.

Hys texte also of saynt Peter is nothynge in thys world for hys purpose. For whē saint Peter sayth: ye are borne of new, not of mortall seed but of immortall seed•• by the worde of god whyche lyueth and lasteth euer: what meaneth he other then that by our sauyour hym selfe whyche is the ly∣uynge worde of god that lyueth & lasteth euer•• we be borne agayn by the sacramentall water & the sacramentall word, whyche bothe he there vnderstandeth, for he there expressely speketh of neyther nother, but of the worde that is goddes sonne.

The wordes of saynt Iamys also, that god of hys good wyll begate vs wyth the worde of trouth, how proue these wordes that the water of baptysme serueth but for a sygne.

[ B] The worde of trouth sayth Tyndale is here vnderstanden the worde of ••ys promyse. How proueth Tyndale that? by••ause that Crystes promyses be trew, muste it therfore nedys be that saynt Ia∣mys in that place ment the worde of promyse / as though there were no more trew of all that euer Cryste spake but onely of hys promyses. why may not in that place the word of trouth wyth whyche god hath of hys good wyll bygoten vs, be vnderstanden our sauyour Cryst hym selfe / by whom god hath bygoten vs in dede, and whych is the very trouth it selfe as hym selfe wytnesseth of hym selfe, where he sayth: Ego sum via, veritas, & vita, I am the waye, the trouth, and the lyfe. Thus maye ye se that thys texte proueth Tyndales purpose nothynge at all.

But now suppose that the very wordes of saynt Iamys [ C] were, that god had bygoten vs wyth the worde of hys pro∣mese / what had thys made for the mater? How had thys pro¦ued that the water and the sacramentall wordes were but bare sygnes & tokens? If saynt Iamys sayde that god had bygoten vs by hys goodnes / do these wordes exclude all y^• meanys that hys goodnes vsed towarde it? If god wolde saye to Tyndale: I haue brought y^• in to thys world which thou doste now corrupte, and I haue made the crystendom whyche thou gooste aboute to dystroye, and I haue bydden the beware of hell in to whyche thou rennest a pace: dyd he therin exclude Tyndalys father and hys mother, and hys sacramēt of baptysme and the mynyster therof, and the pre∣chers and ••echers of the tother? So ye maye playnly se that Tyndales ••extes serue no thynge at all to proue that the sa¦cramentes

serue but onely for sygnes. [ A]

Thys opynyon hath Tyndale taken of Luther, whyche gyueth to the sacrament nothynge at all / but he sayth that god gyueth all the grace by the fayth alone, and not by the sacramentes any thynge at all. Now the chyrche beleueth & techeth that god hath not so bounden hym selfe to his sacra¦mentes, but that where he gyueth the gyfte of fayth to any that can not come to baptysme, there he of hys power maye and of hys goodnes wyll gyue vnto that man the gyfte of such grace to come to heuyn without baptysme. But where god gyueth grace by the baptysme / there it is harde to set y^e baptysme at so short, as to saye that it serueth but for a bare sygne / and wythout the sygnyfycacyons preched at the font standeth in no more stede then a precher that precheth not.

Albe it that god maye cure a sore without a medycyne, & [ B] do a myracle in a mannys helth, and that for the regarde of the mānys good fayth and hys truste in god: yet yf it please god to hele hym by a plaster though hys fayth be the cause why god dothe it / yet is the plaster a meane in the doynge, and serueth not for a bare sygne.

And surely when our sauyour set thys order therin, that who so were baptysed in water in the name of the father & the son and the holy ghooste he sholde be saued / and that ex∣cepte a man were borne agayne as well of the water as of y^e spyryte, he sholde not entre in to the kyngdome of heuyn: god set it to serue for a more effectuall thyng then for a bare sygne voyd of any frutefull effecte. For thys were yet at the ••ai•• wyse no lesse, then yf a lord wolde say to a poore felow: take the here thys badge or thys lyuery gowne of myne / & [ C] yf thou take it and were it I wyll take the for myn houshold seruaunt and in myne houshold gyue the meat and drynke & wages / or ellys yf thou were it not, thou shalte not come wythin my dorys. Thys lyuery gowne gyueth hym neyther meat nor money / but yet it is more then a sygne that he shall haue it / for the werynge therof helpeth hym to get it, not of any nature of the lyuery but by hys lordes ordenaunce.

And so lyke wyse though it were trew that the sacramen¦tes dyde nothynge worke in them selfe, nor had no power in them selfe no more of god then of nature to purge & clen∣se the soule: yet were it more then a bare token or sygne of grace, in that it hath by goddys promyse hys owne specyall assystens, whyche at y^e sacramentes mynystred doth infoūde

hys grace.

[ A] How be it many good vertuouse men hath there ben of olde, that haue had yet a mych hygher estymacyon of the sa¦cramentes then so / and that haue thought that the sacramē¦tes haue not onely god by hys promyse assystente to purge y^e soule and to infunde hys grace, but also that he hath vsed them therin as effectuall workyng instrumentes in the do∣ynge therof, by reason of a certeyne influens of hys power, wherby he made them mete to worke in to the soule thorow the touch of the body.

And in to thys mynde they were ledde by the wordes of holy scrypture, and partely for the excellence of the sacramē¦tes of the new law in respecte of the sacramentes of the olde law / bytwene whych two kyndes of sacramentes semeth to [ B] be as greate dyfference, as bytwene the two kyndes of the lawes them selfe / and that is no lesse then bytwene fygures, ymagys, symylytudes or shadowes, and the very thynges them selfe / as sayth saynt Paule: Omnia in figura contingebant ••••is, all thynge vnto them came in fygures.

Then syth the sacramentes of the olde law had god by hys promyse assystēt wyth them in remyssyon of synnes, as by the playne wordes of many places of scrypture doth ap∣pere: it semed to those olde holy vertuouse doctours, that the sacramentes of the new law for the preemynence ouer them, sholde of goddys especyall influens haue some effec∣tuall vertue, force, and power, as an instrument of god in y^e workynge therof. To whyche mynde they haue ben moued not onely for the cause afore remembred / but also as I sayd [ C] before for that the very wordes of holy scrypture semen to lede them to it / when they redde in the actes, that by the put¦tynge of the apostles handes vppon them that were cryste∣ned, the holy gooste forthwyth came in to them, and by my∣racle shewed hym selfe by theyr spekyng in dyuers tonges. And when they redde saynt Paule wrytyng to Tymothee: Neglecte not that grace that is in the, whych is gyuen the by prophecye, wyth the puttynge vppon of the handes of y^e preesthed / and vnto hym also those wordes: I warne the that thou resuscytate and ••tyrre vp the grace of god that is in the by the imposycyon or puttynge vppon of my han∣des: these placys were very playne for theyr mynde, when they here redde that grace was by god infused wyth the re∣ceyuyng of the holy order of preesthode, by the outwarde sa¦crament

of puttynge the bysshoppys hande vppon hym. [ A]

It semeth also y^t the wordes of god spoken by the mouth of the prophete Ezechiel souneth to y^e same / where he sayth: I haue wasshed the wyth water, & I haue clensed thy blood. By whych wordes yt semeth to be sygnyfyed that the oute∣warde wasshynge of the water of baptysme, sholde be an ef∣fectuall instrument of the inwarde wasshynge of the soule. And by the mouth of the same prophete, in prophecyeng of the sacramēt of baptysme our lord sayth also: I shall shede out vppon you clene water, and ye shall be clensed from all your fylthynes. These wordes shewe that the water shall was••••e the fylthe. And what fylthynes meaneth he but y^e fyl∣thynes of the soule? and that doth no water wasshe but the water of baptisme. And where to wolde our lord by y^e mouth of his {pro}phete call it clene water / but for y^e differēce y^t it hath [ B] in makynge clene the soule by influēce of goddes gyfte ouer that other waters haue? for ellys as for elementall clennesse of that water in yt selfe, other water is as clene as yt.

Those holy doctours consydered also the yet more open wordes of y^• {pro}phete zacharie: There shall go forth he sayth quykke lyuely waters oute of Hierusalem, the one halfe of them to the oryentall see, the other halfe to the very vtter∣most see. These wordes veryly descrybe the holy water of y^• sacrament of baptysme, the water that welleth oute of holy chyrch whyche strecheth to two sees of synnes, that is to wit both of synne orygynall and of all the actuall synne that the man hath done, all were he neuer so olde ere he were bapty∣sed. And why calleth the prophete this water quykke and lyuely / but for the dyfference betwene it and other waters y^t [ C] are but deede? in token that the water of baptysme hathe by the secrete sanctyfycacyon of god, a certayne strength of spi¦rytual lyfe infoūded in to that corporall element / wherby it is not onely a bare dede token, and sygne of grace, and clen¦synge of the soule, but also a quycke lyuely workynge me∣dycyne meane and instrument.

By these places of scrypture and dyuerse other / many good holy men of old, all be yt y^e no man othe••wyse thought nor thynketh, but that the pryncypall worke and the hole workes in the clensyng of the soule and infundyng of grace is god hym selfe, and that he doth yt for the merytes of Cry¦stes passyon as he hath promysed to do, and that vppon our parte is requyred in suche as haue vse & reason at the tyme

[ A] of baptysme repentaunce of the euyll lyfe passed, with fayth and bylyef of the worde of god, and hope of saluacion wyth loue and charyte towarde god and our neyghbour, and a purpose of workynge of good workes: yet dyuerse god ho∣ly doctours haue tought as I say by such placys of scryp∣ture, that god in the workynge of such clensynge of y^e soule, and infusyon of grace, vseth the sacramentes not as a bare sygne but as an instrument, wyth whyche and by whyche it pleaseth hym to worke them.

And they that thynke otherwyse / that is to wyt they that thynke that the sacramentes be but as yt were the lyuery gowne wherof I gaue you the ensample, and hath no sp••cy¦all power nor influēce gyuen of god, by whych it any thyng may worke in clēsyng of the soule: all they haue none other [ B] thynge for them selfe as far as I haue redde and could per∣ceyue, but argumentes grounded vppon philosophye and metaphisycall reasons / by the cōstraynte wherof I wyll not say they be dreuen and compelled, but say that as yt semeth me, they dryue and compell thē selfe to fynde gloses to these scriptures, & vnto y^e wordes of other good holy doctours to.

For as for my parte, I wold not let to deny an hole hepe of those reasons in maters of the sacramentes, whych hang all vppon goddes will and pleasure and his omnipotēt po∣wer. For all be yt y^t we se no lykelyhed how that bodely wa¦ter can worke vpon the spyrytuall substaūce of y^e soule / yet god can make y^t fyre which is a bodely substaūce as well as is the water, to worke not vppō soulys onely discharged of theyr bodyes in purgatory, but also vppon y^e euyll angelles [ C] the deuyls whose substaūce is as spirituall as is the soule: I can not greatly se why we shold greatly fere to graunte & agre, that by goddes ordynau••ce the water may be goddes instrument in purgynge and clensynge of the soule.

whyche argument for ought that I perceyue among thē is to myne vnderstandyng so symply soyled / that till I here eyther better or perceyue them better: I lyke as yet that ar∣gument better then I lyke all theyre solucyons that they make thereto.

For some of them be fayne for theyr solucyon, to graunt almoste that theyr payne in the fyre were but a detaynynge therin by some strēger power then them selfe / and then were the payne but as a prysonement and restraynt of lybertye, if the fyre burne them not. And then why more in fyre then in

water, yf they be for the fyre neuer the warmer. And vn the [ A] tother syde yf that by the kepynge of them in y^e fyre the fyre do worke vppon thē and burne them, as I thynke y^e trouth is: then so maye by goddes ordynaunce the water helpe to wasshe and clense the soule.

And surely syth experyence teacheth vs that the soule whych is of yt selfe a spyrytuall substaunce, god hath of his hygh wysedome and power foundē the meane so to put it in a bodye and so to knyt yt therto, that not onely by fyre or fro¦sen water putte aboute yt, but also wythoute any outwarde thynge put vnto yt, by the onely boylynge of the distempe∣red humours wythin yt selfe, y^e soule is in such gryef, pay••e and torment, that it wold be as fayne out of the body as the bodye wold be rydde of it: syth we fynde this thus, I dowte nothynge at all but that god can by mo meanes then men [ B] can thynke or imagyne, so bynde the spyrytuall soule to the fyre, that he shall fele the feruour of y^e fyre as he nowe feleth the hete of his ague here / and yet shall not the fyre and he be made one person as the soule and the body be now. which thynge who so wolde aske me howe maye that be / myght as well aske me how myght the worlde be made when there was nothyng to make yt of, and a thousand madde questy∣ons mo. But to the purpose this I say, that god may by his power make the water in the sacrament an instrument with an efectuall influence of power geuen by god thereto at the tyme to purge the soule / as well as y^e fyre eyther to purge yt or punyshe yt. In whych thynge syth the scryptures seme to say that he dothe so, & no scrypture sayth the contrarye / and many good holy mē haue bene of that mynde / I see not why [ C] we shold thynke otherwyse.

when our lord heled Naaman Syrus by his {pro}phete He lyzeus in the water of Iordane / no man dowteth but tha•• god dyd the dede. yet were yt a great boldenes to afferme that the water there dyd worke ••othynge therin at that tyme, and yet had the water no such nature of ytselfe.

No more had also the water of whych yt is wryten in the gospell of saynt Iohn̄, where at the mouynge therof who so nexte were let downe thereto was there cured by the angell of god / and yet is yt well lykely that god gaue an influence of his power at the tyme, by which the water self was made an instrument of that helth.

And lykewyse where the woman was heled by the touch

[ A] of Crystes garment, wherof saynt Luke speketh in the .viii. chapyter: the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe seme to shew some influēce gone forth from hym selfe in to his garment, suche as by his myght with the touche of his garment vsed as an instrument therin, was able to gyue helth vnto that good faythfull wom••n.

when our sauyour as is wryten in y^• .ix. chapyter of saynt Iohn̄ dyd take the dyrt of the grounde, and dyd spytte there vppon and made therof a plaster, & layed it vppon the blyn∣de mānys yien and so gaue hym his syghte: I thynke that god gaue an influence of hys power in to that plaster, wher¦by he cured his yien. yet mighte he haue done it by his onely worde or by hys onely wyll, wythout any suche outwarde thynge layed there vnto. But it pleased hym to let them se [ B] that he not onely coude do it hym selfe, but coude also make the very dyrte of the strete able to do suche curys / as not all the plasters in all the surgeons shoppes were able to attay∣ne vnto.

Now yf they wyll saye that it is not lyke in curynge the body and clensynge of the soule: I saye it is lyke, sauynge for the reason by whyche they say that the bodyly water can not worke vppon the vnbodyly soule. And therfore thereto I saye, that by no naturall power nor by no power excepte onely goddys / coude these bodyes that is to wyt those wa∣ters, garment, and plaster, haue in suche wyse wrought vp∣pon the bodyes wherein they were workynge instrumentes of these meruelouse cures. And then I saye by hys power maye the bodyly water as well be a workynge instrument [ C] vppon the vnbodyed and vnbodyly soule, be it in clensyng, pourgyng, or punysshynge / as vppon the body.

For as for that reason by whyche some doctours reken the mater the more easy in the sacramentes, bycause the out warde sensyble thynges therof worke as they reken vppon the soule, as parte of the holeman by touchynge the body therof / as the fyre touchynge the body payneth the soule & all, all be it I repungne not thereat: yet I nothyng groūde my selfe theron, syth I neuer founde amonge them all one reason yet, wherby me thoughte it proued otherwyse, but y^e god may make the bodyly corporall water, able to worke vppon the vnbodyed incorporyall soule. whyche yf it maye / syth god hath set the sacramentes as meanys by whiche we come to clensyng of the soule and to saluacyon / all be it that

no man denyeth but that the power of god is chyefe, & that [ A] he regardeth chrystes passyon and our owne fayth wyth dy∣uerse other thynges: yet I se not why we sholde take all ef∣fecte of workyng from the sacramentes them selfe, and leue them voide of all grace, and call them bare gracelesse tokēs. For yf that any man were of y^e mynde that he thoughte the sacramentes do nothynge to the clensynge of the soule, by∣cause that all that euer is done is done by the power of god: so myghte he thynke that no medecyne doth any thynge in the cure of any dysease, bycause that all the nature of the me¦dycyne is gyuen vnto it by the power of god to.

How be it in thys mater whyther that the sacramentes haue any influence of power gyuen them by god, whereby they may be workers and instrumentes in the purgynge or clensynge of the soule / or ellys that they be but in such wyse [ B] meanys and cause of the grace, as the lyuery gowne wherof I dyd put the ensample is of the seruauntes fyndynge in y^e lordes housholde / is not the thynge wherin I wyll gretely stykke. But in my mynde the scrypture most serueth for y^e fyrst opynyon / and good holy doctours and of y^e eldest haue ben of that opynyon, and nothyng but phylosophicall rea∣sons haue drawen other from that opynyon. And synnys that some other hath fallen to the tother opynyon, whyche gyueth to the sacramentes lesse force and effycace then doth that fyrste opynyon: there are now come these new men, Luther, frere Huskyn, and Hy••hen, and such other lewde fe¦lowes, that wolde leue the sacramentes by theyr wyllys n•• maner strength at all. And therfore so myche lyke I the bet∣ter the fyrste waye that most h••ly men helde, and that fer∣theste [ C] goeth from the doctryne of those heretykes, whyche make the sacramentes as they sey to serue onely for prestes and prechers / & then they preche them selfe that y^e preesthed is no sacrament at all, and turne them all in to mokkes and iestes, comparyng sand with holy salte, and butter smeryng to the anoyntynge wyth the halowed chrysme / & such other folysshe blasphemy.

Now where they saye that all the saluacyon standeth in promyse of god, and nothynge in the sacramentes at all / by¦cause that they be but the tokēs therof: by this reason they wyll wythin a whyle take a way the reuerēce from the very promyse to. For of trouth the promyse of god worketh not our saluacyon no more then do the sacramentes, but god

[ A] worketh our saluacyon hym selfe / and the promyse is the token wherby we knowe he doth so. For yf he had not pro∣mysed it / we had not so surely knowen it, nor had not had so greate a cause of good hope thereof / but yet myghte he haue saued vs though he had neuer promysed vs. And now them that he saueth, he saueth not so myche by the force of hys promyse as by reason of the selfe same goodnes y^t made hym to make the promyse. So y^t his owne lyberall goodnes worketh our saluacyon, and the promyse gyueth the know∣lege of our saluacyon.

Now saye these men allwaye that god saueth vs by hys pro¦myse, as thoughe they were sure that yf he were not surely boūden by his promyse, he wold not now do it at all / and sa¦uynge that his promyse is onys passed hym somewhat as [ B] they make it vnware: he wold elles yf it were now to make, take a better auysement ere he bounde hym selfe so farre.

In menne such chaunge and such repentaunce happeth, that where one of his good wyll sometyme byndeth hym selfe to geue / the tother maye thanke the bonde yf euer the promyse be kept. But goddes hygh prouydence so foreseeth what he promysed / that he can neuer forthynk yt. And his inestimable goodnes is so great / that he geueth not bycause he promyseth, but he promyseth bycause he wyll geue / and wolde geue though he neuer promysed as he determyned to geue byfore he promysed / and wold yet promyse yf he had not promysed / not that his promyse sholde be y^• cause of hys gyfte, but that we shold by his promyse haue knowlege of his gyfte and comfort of the hope.

[ C] Now maketh me Ty••dale the sacramentes nothynge but a token of the promyse / and the promyse he maketh the cause of the gyfte: where of trouth as well the promyse as the sacramentes be tokens of the gyfte / and goddes good∣nesse is the cause of the gyfte. And god hath from the begyn¦nyng determyn••ed that he wolde after the fall of Adam ordi¦naryly not geue yt wythoute the sacramentes. But though he determyned also to make a promyse / yet neuer determy∣ned he that he wolde not geue yt wythoute he made a pro∣myse. And so be both the sacramentes and the promyses to∣kens of the gyfte / and yet semeth the sacrament rather then the promyse a cause of the gyfte. For the sacrament after the instytucyon, semeth a cause of the gyfte, at the leste wyse in some kynde of cause, and the promyse semeth no cause in no

kynde neyther synnys nor afore. And thus ye maye se what [ A] a wyse processe Tyndale maketh vs.

But wolde god yet that thys were the worst pece of Tyn¦dales techyng cōcernyng Crystes promyse. But he frameth crystes promyses after hys owne fasshyon. He sayth that we make promyses in sacramētes where cryste made none / but he maketh promyses that Crystes made neuer suche. For Chryste promyseth heuyn yf men labour for it: Tyndale wolde make vs wene we nede no labour at all. Chryste pro∣myseth forgeuenes thorow the sacrament of penaūs yf men amende and wyll do penauns: Tyndale of the sacrament putteth two partes awaye, and almost the thyrde to, & pro∣myseth forgyuenes for a very shorte skant repentynge at y^e fyrst thought by and by / and to do penauns he taketh for idolatrye. Cryst promiseth vs heuyn yf we do good workes [ B] wyth our fayth: Tyndale sayth to do good workes wyth intent y^• rather to come to heuyn shall brynge a man to hell, and lese the reward of fayth. And thus Tyndale whych cry∣eth out promyse promyse, and wyll haue nothynge taught but Crystes promyse: yet in these thynges and an hundred moo stryueth and fyghteth agaynst goddys promyses, and vtterly goth aboute to destroye them.

Fynally where as Cryste hath made a promyse, one of the grettest, most solempne, most assuredly made, & therto most frutefull & most necessary that euer he made / that is to wyt that he wold be wyth hys chyrch of crysten people all dayes vnto the ende of the worlde, and that he wolde sende also y^e holy ghoost vnto them that sholde teche them all thynge & lede them in to euery treuth: Tyndale fyrst (leste he sholde [ C] seme to gaynsay thys promyse) wolde shyfte it from y^e kno∣wen chyrche and company of all crysten people professynge the name and fayth of Cryste, vnto a secrete cōpany of suche as they call good men and electe / whyche who they be who can tell? And yet syth there can be no dowte but suche as be or haue ben very electes, haue alwaye ben partys of thys knowen crysten company / and syth they were not false dys∣symylers: they haue byleued as they shewed, and they haue shewed that they byleued as we byleue in suche thynges as Tyndale now calleth myssebylefe, for they haue done therin as we do, and alwaye the best haue wryten these thynges that we byleue / and neuer was there any company tyll with in this twenty yere, that byleued as Tindale sayth that he

[ A] byleueth. And he sayth also that hys bylefe is so necessarye to saluacyō•• that the cōtrary bylefe is damnable / for ellis he wold not of his courtesye crye out so sore vppon the clergye for techynge the contrary. where vppon yf Tyndales lye be trewe / there must then of necessyte folowe that there must be trew also one of these two very playne falsedes / that is to wyt that Cryste hath neuer synnys hys deth tyll holy Tyn∣dales dayes had in thys worlde here any chyrche at all / or ellys that yf Cryste haue had here any chyrche, yet from hys owne deth tyll holy Tyndalys dayes, the holy ghost whom hym selfe sent, neuer taught hys chyrche the treuth. Now then yf cryst had all this whyle no chyrche in erthe / his pro¦myse was clerely broken, by whych he promysed to be with hys chyrche hym selfe all dayes vnto the worldes ende. For [ B] how were he wyth hys chyrche here vnto the worldes ende / yf before the worldes ende so many hūdred yeres to gether, ••e had here no chyrche at all.

And on the tother syde yf he had here all thys whyle any chyrche / and then the holy ghost haue not taught y^t chyrche the trewth: then hath Criste broken that promyse, by which he promy••ed that the holy ghoste sholde teche hys chyrch all thynges and leade them in to all trewth. For how had the holy ghoste taught it all thynges yf he haue suffered the de∣uyll to teche it some thynges. And let Tyndale whē he wyll answere thys poynt. Marke well and remembre that we speke here of bylefe and fayth / not of workes and dedes, lest after hys custumable fasshyon lettynge the bylefe go by: he answer vs wyth raylynge vppon mennys maners, and so [ C] lede the rea••er more then ••myle fro the mater.

And how hath the holy ghoste ledde the chyrche all thys whyle in to all trewth / yf one holy truth be, that freres whē they lyst may wedde nōnes notwithstandyng theyr vowes, and the holy ghost hath almost this fyftene hundred yere to¦gyther, suffered all hys hole chyrche (neyther good nor bad excepte) to byleue that breche of such vowes is dedly synne, and suche maner maryage pleyne incestuose lechery, and to dāpne Tyndales fayth in that poynt for very false heresye.

And thus good crysten reders here ye playnly se what maner of fashyon Tyndale techeth Crystes promyses. For where as he seueth all at nothynge sauynge onely Crystes promyses made to man: he techeth men agayne to breke theyr promyse made to god / and so bryngeth all hys maters

in conclusyon to that poynt, that yf he lyed not as he doth / [ A] Cryste had broken hys promyse made to hys chyrch / besyde thys that of Crystes promyses he denyeth many, and them that he graunteth he byleueth shrewedly, and wolde make them serue vs onely for a blynde boldenes of synne.

Of the sacrament of the auter.

For as mych as he seeth y^t the masse is the speciall thyng in whych the sacrament of the auter is honored, & in which yt is moste frutefull, in so mych as there the very body and bloode of our lorde is not onely receyued by the preste hym selfe and for hym selfe, but is also for his owne synnys and other mennys to, offred vppe to god as an holy hoost, ob∣lacyon, and sacryfycye / representyng the same sacryfyce in whych our sauyour both beyng the preste and the sacryfyce, offred vp hym selfe for the synne of the world vnto his fa∣ther [ B] in heuen, and acceptable sacryfyce vppon his paynfull crosse: therfore doth Tyndall after his maysters doctryne ••este and rayle and make mokkes at the masse, wherof these be his wordes.

Tyndale.

What helpeth yt that the preste when he goeth to masse ••••sgyseth hym selfe wyth a great parte of the passyon of Cryste, and playeth oute the reste vnder sylence wyth sygnes and profers, wyth noddynge, beckynge, and ••owynge, as yt were ••acke a ••a••••s / when nether he hym selfe nether any man else woteth what he meaneth, nor whereof no man can gyue a good reason as he saythe sone after.

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Here he mokketh and playeth hym selfe as ye se in mok∣kynge these holy ceremonyes vsed, as well in thapparell of [ C] the preste as in the secretes of that holy sacryfyce. whyche he sayth do no good but mych hurt, and make men supersty¦cyouse / bycause as he sayth there, they haue the more deuo∣cyon therby / & therfore he wold haue them l••••te, as though the deuocyon that is increased by the beholdynge of those holy ceremonyes were superstycyon, bycause they vnder∣stande them not.

If Tyndale say trew in this / then dyd god by hys owne cō∣maundement make his chosen people of Israel to fall in to su{per}stycyon in stede of deuocyon, wyth the ceremonyes vsed aboute the sacrafyces in the olde lawe, bycause they vnder∣stode them not.

After this he mengleth hys lyes therwyth, saynge that

[ A] crysten menne thynke that they haue done habundauntly ynough for god, ye and deserued aboue measure, yf they be present ons in a day at such a mummynge.

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what may not such a man be bolde to saye that is not a shamed to lye so shamefully? for he knoweth y^t all y^e readers well know that he lyeth when they rede yt / and yet he is not ashamed to wryt yt. what man wolde be so folysh to thynke that he hath done ynough for god?

yet layeth he a nother incommodyte that the infydelys wyll mokke vs and abhorre vs, in that they se nothyng but suche apes playe amonge vs, whereof no man can geue a reason.

Lo what an hygh reason hath Tyndale here foūde out, y^• such holy ceremonyes wherof Crystes chyrch hath receyued [ B] many, by the blessed apostles them selfe, & from theyr dayes vsed euer hytherto, as apperyth by the wrytyng of holy do∣ctours far aboue a thousand yere a go / we muste now geue ouer, for fere left infideles as Turkes and Saracens wold lerne of Tyndale to mokke vs for them / because we can not tell them a good reason for eche of them. Be ye sure this ys a ryght solemne reason / and Luther in dede maketh a mych lyke, so that ye may se that they haue wayed it well bytwene them, or ellys Tyndale wolde not after so longe a laysour alledge yt agayne so solemnely.

But now wold I wyt of wyse. Tyndale whyther yf men could and dyd gyue a good reason vnto Iewes Turkes & Saracens and Paynyms / as for ensample such causes as Tyndale telleth some for great hydde mysteryes that no mā [ C] could tell but he, whych he set out late of a good frerys boke called Rationale diuinorum/shewyng what sygnyfyeth the albe, the amys, and stole, and so forth: wold the•• all the Iewes, Turkes, Saracens, and other infydelys hold them selfe sa¦tisfyed & mokke no more? yf they so wolde / thē were they all mych lesse infydeles thē Tyndale is / for he hath sought out such thynges, and yet mokketh styll. How be yt that is lytle meruayle. For in dede he bryngeth all such thynges forthe but for to make mokkes at them.

But then wold I wyt of wyse Tyndale farther, whyther yf all these infydeles that he speketh of, as Iewes, Turkes, and Saracens were present at the masse / and no such cere∣monye at all vsed thereat, but onely knelynge, knokkynge on brestes, and holdyng vp of hādes at the syght, leuacyon,

and receyuynge of that blessed sacrament / and that thereup¦pon [ A] merueylynge on the manner therof, they were tolde the very trouth that the cause of all this reuerent behauour, is bycause that there vnder that forme of brede and wyne is the very blessed body and blood of oure sauyour hym selfe, the same y^t hynge vppon the crosse when he suffred his pas∣syon for our redempcyon: wold those infydeles then holde them selfe all content, and neuer mokke at yt more? Naye will none of them besyde the blessed sacrament mokke at all the hole mater, both at the incarnacyon, deth, resurreccyon and all?.

Lo thus ye se good crystē readers, that by Tyndales rea¦son we must caste of clene all our hole fayth / leste such infy∣delys as hym selfe is, shold make mokkes there at as he doth. what crystē eares can abyde such blasphemouse foly? [ B]

yet wolde some vnwyse man wene peraduenture, that Tyndale dothe for all this not meane any thynge agaynste these holy ceremonyes of the masse / but onely mokketh the preest bycause he speketh not all the secretes of the masse a lowde / and also bycause he teacheth not all y^• paryshe what all those cerymonyes meane.

Surely there nedeth no man to dowte, but he that can fynd in his herte to make such mokkes vppon the deuoute obser¦uaunces vsed so many hundred yeres about the masse / hath a lewde bestely mynde agaynste the very sacrament yt selfe.

But yet to thende that euery man may se yt the more cle∣rely: ye shall perceyue by his owne wordes that accordyng to Luthers bablynge in his boke of Babilonica / Tyndale teacheth playnely that the blessed sacrament is in the masse [ C] no sacryfyce, none hoste, nor none oblacyon / by whych abo∣mynable herefye he taketh ••uyte a way the very speciall pro¦fet and frute of all the masse. These be his very wordes:

Tyndale.

There is a worde called ••n latyne ••••cerdos, in greke hiere••s, in hebrue coha••/that is a mynyster, an offycer, a sacryfycer, or a preste / as A••••on was a preest and sacryfyced, for the peple, and was a mediatour be••wene god and thē / and •••• the englyshe shuld yt haue had some other name then preest. But Antecrist•• hath deceyued vs wyth vnknowen and straunge termes, to brynge vs in to con¦fusyon and superstycyous blyndnes. Of that maner is Criste a preest for eu••r, and all we prestes thorow hym / and nede no more of any such preest on erth to be a meane for vs vnto god.

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[ A] By these wordes yese, that where as the prestes in y^e old law offred sacryfyces for the people and that of dyuerse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 des, as appereth in Leuitici and Numeri and other plac••s of holy scrypture / in stede of all whyche sacryfyces Cryste hath in his new law instytuted one onely sacryfyce, his own blessed bodye and blood to be offered vp to his father for his people by the handes of the preest in forme of brede & wy••ne / of whych holy offerynge in the masse nowe, the offerynge of Melchisedech that offred bred and wyne, was a solemne fi¦gure: Tyndale telleth vs here that bycause Crist is a preste for euer, and that all we be prestes thorow hym man & wo∣man / ye muste vnderstande we nede therfore he saythe no more of any such preste on erth, that sholde be a meane be∣twene god and the people, to offer vp any sacryfyce to god [ B] for the people. For he sayth farther, that Cryste hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vs in to the inner tēple wythin the veyle and vnto the mercy stole of god, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 coupled vs vnto god / where we offer euery man for hym selfe the desyres and petycyons of his herte / and do sacryfyce and kyll the lustes and appetytes of his fleshe, wyth prayour, fastynge, and all maner of gol••y lyuynge.

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wyth these gay glytterynge wordes wolde Tyndale so blere our eyen / that he wold make vs to reken our selfe ta∣ken in so nere to god and so coupled wyth hym, that euē vp¦pon god almyghtyes mercy stole we offer euery man so suf∣fycyently for hym selfe y^e desyres and petycyons of his hart, and so suffycyently sacryfyce and kyll the iustes and appe∣tes of his fleshe, wyth prayour, fastynge, and all manner of good lyuynge: that we nede now no preste as meane be∣twene [ C] god and vs, to offer vp for vs to god the holy hoste and sacryfyce of all sacryfyces, the blessed bodye and blood of our holy sauyour Cryste.

This is the goodnesse that he bryngeth all his holy pro∣cesse to. And where as in other places all is nought among vs, and all is but synne: yet here leste we sholde nede the sa∣cryfyce of the masse, we be all goddes good sonnes, & kyll and sacrifyce full well the lustes and appetytes of our flesh, wyth prayour, fastynge, and all manner of godly lyuynge.

How be it when Tyndale sayth that we offer our desires of our harte at god almyghtyes mercy stole / & that we kyll and sacryfyce the lustes of our fleshe with prayour, fastyng, and all godly lyuynge: he meaneth none of vs peuysshe, popysshe popystes, but the lyuely lyghtsome Lutheranys.

For they perde as ye se by Luther hym selfe and hys holy [ A] nōne / kylle & sacryfyce theyr flesshely lustes, with prayour, fastynge, and mych godly lyuynge, euery man and woman woteth how.

I meruayle yet in what place of scrypture Tyndale fyn¦deth / that men sacryfyce theyr synnes. we fynde that men offer sacryfyce for synne and that men kyll synne / and then peraduenture offer them selfe clene depured from synne. But to offer vppe synne in sacryfyce / me semeth it is a very stynkyng sacryfyce, and of suche a scryptured man not very scrypturely spoken. But therfore Tyndale turneth those .ii. wordes out of theyr ryght frame, to iugle and blere our yiē wythall. For he sayth not that we kyll and sacryfyce oure flesshely lustes / leste we sholde haue spyed that it were no metely sacryfyce. But he sayth that we sacryfyce and kyll [ B] them / as though that in the olde lawe men had ben wont to sacrifyce the bestes fyrst, and burne them vppe hole / or ellys burne parte and eate parte and then kyll them after.

But Tyndale careth not how he set hys wordes, so that he maye make vs to byleue, that we nede no preest to offer vppe dayly y^e same sacryfyce that our sauyour offred onys, and hath ordayned to be by the prestes perpetually offred in hys chyrche. For thys is hys labour to take out of our by∣lefe / and thys is Luthers labour, of whom he lerned it in hys booke of Babilonica. And for this cause be they wroth wyth the holy canon of the masse, bycause the sacrament is in the masse called as it is in dede, a sacryfyce, an hooste, & an o••̄rynge.

Thys wolde they haue vs leue of for the onely spyghte [ C] that they bere to preesthed / bycause they se y^t in thys poynt that holy order of preesthed hath an excellent pryuylege, in whyche none angell hath the lyke authoryte.

And all be it that Tyndale telleth vs many tymes as the man is somwhat shamelesse, that we wyll not byleue saynt Hierom, saynt Austyne, saynt Ambrose, saynt Gregory, and the other olde holy doctours of Crystes chyrche: yet kno∣weth Tyndale that in thys one poynt amonge many other, they be quyte agaynste hym euerychone. And bycause it wolde here make a longe worke to reherse many of theyr wordes: therfore that Tyndale shall not denye but that I therin saye trewth, I shall alledge hym Luther hys owne mayster / whyche in hys booke of Babilonica playnly con∣fesseth

[ A] the same, and answereth it wyth saynge that the go∣spell of god is playne agaynste them all / as thoughe that amonge them all, eyther neuer none had redde the gospell of god / or ellys neuer none had vnderstāden it but hym self. And then agaynst them all he construeth that gospell so fo∣lysshely / that afore god a man wolde wene almoste that a goslynge had as mych wyt as he. And yet now wolde hys wyse dyscyple Tindale haue vs for his pleasure in hatered of the order of preesthed / byleue that the preest doth at the masse make none offryng of y^• holy sacryfyce for our synne. wyth whyche heresye he clene taketh awaye the very frute of the masse, in whiche that blessed sacrament is both moost honored of y^e people, and is also most profytable to y^e people

But yet shall ye se ferther that as fayre as he couereth [ B] hym selfe in hys spekynge of thys holy sacrament in some other places: yet in some he sheweth his affeccyon full well: for these are hys wordes.

Tyndale.

The sacrament of Crystes body after this wyse preche they: Thou muste by∣leue that it is no more brede but the very body of Cryste, flesshe, blood, and bone, euen as he went here on erthe, saue his cote. For that is here yet I wote not in how many places.

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Is not here a fayre mokkynge maner in rehersynge of that holy sacrament? But yet to couer his infydelyte / he ma¦keth here a colour, as though he were angry that they teche no more. But he is angry in dede that they teche so mych / or ellis coude he neuer fynd in his herte to speke so mokkeshly [ C] of such a mater as he doth.

For euery man well knoweth that where he maketh af∣ter as though they whiche teche the people thys / dyd not te∣che them also y^e profyte of the receyuyng nor the promyse of god: he doth vntrewly belye them. For who is there so sym¦ply taught, but that he well vnderstandeth y^t the receyuyng of y^e holy body of our lord in suche wyse as men are taughe to receyue it / is holsome to the soule and that by goddys or∣dynaunce? And therfore is in Tyndale but a shamelesselye, wherof euery man well knoweth the contrarye. wolde god hym self beleued as well of this holy sacrament, as the sym∣pleste lerned preest in a contrey teacheth his paryshe. whych yf he dyd / his herte I dare saye wolde not serue hym so fo∣lyshely to ieste therat. For he speketh there of prechynge of

{pro}mise, for no other cause but onely to bryng in his worshyp¦full [ A] ieste of our lordis holy body beyng in y^e sacramēt, to say he is there all saue his cote. Of whych holy sacramēt he y^t ie¦steth so / beleueth of lyklyhed y^t there is no more of his body there thē of his cote. I haue in his boke of obedyēce cōsyde∣red his wordes of this holy sacrament / & I haue aduysed thē y^e better for certayne wordes y^t I haue herd of hym: & I se not one worde by whych he may be bounden to saye that euer he confessed yt to be the very body and blood of Cryste. How be yt yf he had / yt were not yet wyth that sorte mych y^e surer. For they maye do as theyr mayster hath, saye the con¦trarye after / and when they say worse, thē tell vs that they haue sene more synnys and lerned better.

How be yt he is in dede comen to that poynt all redy, as ye shall perceyue by his wordes in his boke made agaynste [ B] me / wherof I shall reherse you parte anon. And yet we nede not mych more profe, whē we se that he mokketh at y^• masse, and wolde haue no preest at all, nor the sacrament to be ta∣ken as a sacryfyce / and now iesteth vppon the doctrine that teacheth vs to byleue that in the sacrament is the blessed bo¦dye and blood of our lorde, to turne yt to a mokke, ye sayth this fole all saue his cote / a worshyppefull ieste in a crysten mannes mouth / y^t mouth is more mete in dede for sand then holy salt.

What auayseth sayth he to teache folke this, that the very bodye and bloode of our lorde is in that sacramēt / the deuyll knoweth that Criste dyed on a fry∣daye and the Iewes to / and what are they the better. we haue a promyse. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

why steppeth he from thexample of the same sacrament. why saythe he not the deuyll kn••weth this to be trewe, that [ C] vnder the forme of brede is Cristes owne bodye, and yet the deuyll is neuer y^• better. Surely bycause hym selfe beleueth that the deuyll knoweth yt not at all nor god neyther. And for bycause he wold not yet haue vs therin {per}ceyue his mīde to the vttermoste: he ioyned the Iewes wyth the deuyll to f••e fro the sacrament to the fryday, where he myght haue se∣uered them and spoken of both / or ellys wyth the Iewes & the deuyll, he myght haue ioyned hym selfe, and haue boun¦den all thre in a bundell. For he byleueth lesse then the tone / and is as malycyouse as any of them both.

yet to thentēt that ye may perceyue clerely, y^t he is playne of Luthers heresye / that the sacrament of the auter is very brede styll: ye shall vnderstande that where as I in my dya¦loge

[ A] reherse Luthers heresyes, and amonge other thys he∣resye y^t I now speke of, Tyndale in hys answere affyrmeth Luthers heresye for good and trew, sayeng: That that is broken, and that the preste ••ateth wyth his teth / is yt not brede what is yt elles.

And after those wordes he goth forth in iestynge & mok∣kynge god wote full lyke hym selfe.

And sone after in a nother place he sayth in defense of Lu¦thers heresye, bycause he wold haue folke set lesse therby & haue lesse reuerence therunto: It were a perilouse case yf men and wo¦men touched yt, bycause the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath not oyled them.

And afterwarde he sayth: At Oxforde aboute the sacrament was no smale question of late dayes, whyther yt were brede or none / some affermyng that the flowre wyth longe lyenge in water was turned in to starch.

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[ B] what a cankerd mynde this heretyque hath / there can I trow no man dowte that hereth what folysh gaudes he de∣uyseth vppon it of his own frantyque hed. For yf euer there were any such folysh fantasye spoken there / yt was by hym selfe & one or twoo wretched felows of his owne secte, syt∣tynge and blasphemynge god vppon theyr ale benche.

But now shall ye yet more playnely se, to what poynt he goth aboute to brynge you.

Tyndale.

It is the sacrament of Crystes bodye and blood, and Cryste calleth yt the new and euerlastynge testament in his blood, and commaundeth that we shuld so do in the remembraunce of hym / that his bodye was broken and his blood shede for our synnes. And Paule commaundeth therby to shew or preache the lordes deth. They say not pray to yt, neyther put any fayth therin. For I [ C] maye not beleue in the sacrament, but I muste beleue the sacrament, that yt is a true syg••e, and yt true that is sygnyfyed thereby (whych is the onely wor¦shyppynge of the sacrament, yf ye geue yt other worshyppe ye playnely dys∣honour yt) as I maye not beleue in Crystes chyrche, but beleue Cristes chyrch, that the doctryne whych they preache of Cryste is true. If ye haue any other doctrine / teache vs a reason and leade vs in syght, and we wyll folowe.

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No man can desyre better knowledge of hym then he sheweth of hym selfe in these wordes. For here he sheweth playnly that though to blere our yies wythall he calleth it the sacrament of Crystes body and blood, and his new and euerlasty••ge testament in hys bloode / and sayth that we be commaunded by saynt Poule therby to preche the lordes dethe: yet he wyl•• not in any wyse y^• men shall praye therto

nor put any fayth therin. And it is no dowte but he y^• hath [ A] that mynde, byleueth nothyng at all that it is the very body of Cryste, wherwyth hys holy soule is coupled, and hys al∣myghty godhed ioyned / from whyche fro y^e fyrst assumpcyō therof it was neuer seueryd.

And therfore vnto all hys other gaye gloryouse wordes he hath a false glose / by whyche he meaneth that the blessed sacrament is nothynge els but a token & a fygure ordayned for a remembrauns of Cryste, and not the very body and bloode of hym selfe.

It is also to be noted whereuppon he groūdeth this holy precepte of hys, that men sholde not praye to the sacrament nor put any fayth therin. He sayth bycause that y^e scrypture doth not commaunde it / therfore it is dyshonoure to the sa∣crament to do it. Doth not these wordes alone teche vs suf∣fycyently, [ B] to knowe the myscheyfe of that heresye / by whych they say that there is nothyng to be byleued without playn and euydent scrypture / when we se now y^• Tyndale vppon that doctryne of hys, forbedeth vs to honour the holy sacra∣ment of the autre.

ye may se now y^t Tyndale vttered not all his false ware at onys. For fyrst he bygan wyth ymages / then wyth rely∣ques, then wyth sayntes, that we maye wurshyppe none of all these. And now at laste he techeth vs that we maye not worshyppe Crystes owne body in the blessed sacrament of the autre, nor put any fayth therin. Put ye no dowte but he wyll saye the same by hys soule within a whyle, & sone after that by hys godhed to / and at the laste by the godhed of the father and the holy ghoste bothe, and vttrely deny all thre. [ C]

God is good lorde whyche maketh thys blasphemouse fole speke in the ende of hys blasphemy a few trew wordes, wyth whyche hym selfe destroyeth all hys whole abomyna∣ble doctryne. For he cōfesseth as ye haue herd / that though he maye not byleue in Crystes chyrche, as though y^e chyrche were hys sauyour: yet he muste byleue Crystes chyrch / that the doctryne which they preche of Cryste is trew. And with these wordes of hys owne, will I strayne hym faste & sure. For I aske no more but these few wordes of his owne, to y^e confoundyng of all that euer he techeth agaynst our fayth. For now hath he wyth these wordes destroyed theffecte of hys heresye / wherwyth he wolde draw all to an vnknowen chyrche of electes. For syth we muste byleue the doctryne &

[ A] the prechyng of y^e chyrche of Cryste, as Tyndale sayth hym selfe, and that can we neuer do but yf we know them whom we byleue / and who be electys we can not knowe: farewell the force of all that heresye by Tyndales owne tale.

And now syth he hath bounden hym selfe to confesse that the chyrche of Cryst is & muste nedys be a chyrche knowen here to men, and none suche can he name but onely the ca∣tholyke knowen chyrche of all Crysten nacyons, frō whych he hath and doth labour to flyt and fle vnto a darke unkno¦wen chyrche of electes / the strength of whyche heresye hys owne wordes here haue cōfounded: he must nedys confesse that Crystes chyrche is the chyrche that we be of, and out of whyche hym selfe is downe fallen by vnfaythfulnes in to y^e depe dongeon of the deuyll. And now syth of hys owne con∣fessyon [ B] he must byleue the doctryne of the chyrch of Cryste / and of the same confessyon of hys owne it foloweth that the chyrche of Cryste is thys comon knowen chyrche, that hath from Crystes dayes hytherto contynued / and that it is euy∣dent also that by the doctryne of that chyrche the doctryne of Tyndale concernynge the blessed sacrament is false / for euer hath it ben by that chyrche of Cryste taught that the blessed sacrament shold be worshypped, and fayth to be put therin wherof Tyndale techeth y^e contrary: it is ineuytably concluded vppon Tyndales owne wordes, that Tindale is agaynste Crystes owne blessed person, a dedly deuel••she heretyke.

Now syth ye playnely perceyue good crystē reders, that thys malycyouse man entendeth to tourne pore symple sou∣lys [ C] out of the very fayth / and of the .vii. holy sacramentes wolde take fyue awaye / and the other twayne that he wolde seme to leue, he handeleth yet in such wyse as men may well se that he leueth them as frutelesse as the other / and fynally in effecte beleueth neyther nother: there wyll no good man loke that we sholde now nede to proue these holy sacramen∣tes to be trew, which all crystē peple haue this .xv.C. yere be¦leued / bycause that now a fonde felow and a folyshe here∣tyque denyeth them / excepte that any man were so madde to dowte whyther there were any god at all, yf he happed to here any man so madde to say nay.

And surely there was neuer secte of heretyques yet, that there was so great madnes to beleue as these. For of other heretyques that haue bene of olde / euery secte had some one

heresye or ellys very few. Now these heretyques come in [ A] wyth almoste all that euer all they held and yet mo to. All the other heretyques hadde some pretexte of holynes in theyr lyuyng: these shamelesse heretiques lyue in opē sham¦full incestuouse lechery and call yt matrymony.

The olde heretyques dyd stykke vppon scrypture whē yt was yet in a manner new receyued / and they contended vp¦pon the vnderstandynge at such tyme as there had few crys¦ten wryters expowned the scrypture byfore them, so as they myght the better say to the catolyque chyrch, why may not we perceyue y^e scrypture as well as you: but these new here¦tyques be so farre fro shame / that in the vnderstandynge of scrypture, and in the affyrmynge of all theyr heresyes / they wolde be byleued by theyr onely worde, agaynste all the old holy doctours that haue bene synnys the deth of Criste vn¦to [ B] this daye / and that in those roten heresyes to, whych they fynde condemned to the deuyll by the generall counsayles of all crystendome a thousande yere afore theyr dayes / and moost madde of all in denyeng the sacramentes whych they fynde receyued & byleued, vsed & honoured so clerely from the begynnynge / that neuer was there heretyque that durst for very shame so boldely barke agaynst them, tyll that now in these latter dayes the deuyll hath broke his chaynes, and of all extreme abomynacyon hathe set his poysoned barell a broche / frō y^e dreggy draught wherof god kepe euery good crysten man, and such as hath dronkē therof geue thē grace to vomyte yt out agayne by tyme.

This longe dygressyon haue I made you / to lette you playnly se the sommary purpose and effecte of Tyndales do¦ctryne [ C] touchynge the holy sacramentes / whych knowen vn¦to good mēne suffyseth to make theyr hertes abhor••e his dy¦uelyshe doctryne wythout any ferther argumēt. And as for them that at the bare herynge therof abhorre yt not / they be surely so sore infected, that excepte the meruelouse mercy of god, neuer shall there eyther reason or authorite make them sauour the trouth.

But nowe that Tyndale hath commended vnto you the hygh spirytuall wysedome of vnfaythfull heretiques / he be¦gynneth on the tother syde to rebuke and reproue the trew fayth of all good faythfull people.

Tyndale.

But the world capty••ateth his wyt, and aboute the law of god maketh hy••

[ A] wonderfull ymagynacyons / vnto whyche he so faste cleueth, that t••̄n•• I••hn̄ Baptistes were not able to dyspute them out of his hed.

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Now that Tyndale hathe done with his owne spyrituall parte, & hath as ye haue herd holyly declared how hygh spy¦rytuall wysedome they vse in serchynge the very botome of the cause in euery commaūdement that god geueth / and ac¦cordynge to the thynge whych they take for the cause, so or∣der them selfe eyther kepe the commaundement or breke yt: now commeth he to thoter parte / that is to all that are no heretykes, whom he before called naturall and not borne a∣gayne nor renewed with y^e spyrtie, all which folke he calleth here the worlde / and sayth that the worlde captyuateth hys wyt, & about the law of god maketh hym wonderfull yma∣gynacyons / vnto [ B] whych he so faste cleaueth that tēne Iohn̄ Baptystes were not able to dyspute them oute of his hed.

Here he meaneth that hym selfe and his felowes spyry∣tuall heuenly men / be not captyuate vnto the lawe of god, as we pore worldely mē of mydle erth be. For they be no fer¦ther bounden to the law, but as the cause of the law sought out by them selfe, leadeth them to and fro / and therfore they be in an euangelycall and in manner angelycall lybertye to do what they lyste / so y^t they geue the lawe some cause that may serue theyr luste, as they haue geuen to the law and cō¦maundement of vowes / from whych they haue set them self in such a spyrytuall lybertye, that munkes and freres maye lawfully lye wyth nunnes and lyue in lechery, and call yt wedlocke.

[ C] And in dede they may call yt wedlocke and they wyll as lollardes dyd of late, that put a pygge in to the water, on good frydaye / and sayd go in pygge and come oute pyke / and so when they had chaunged the name, they toke yt for fyshe and ete yt. And so may these holy new spyrytuall men, when munkes and freres wedde nunnes, they may call yt wedloke & they will. But as the pore plough man sayd vnto the tauerner y^t gaue hym water in stede of wyne, god thank you mayster wyner for your good wyne, but in good fayth sauynge for the worshypfull name of wyne iche had as l••ue a dronkē water: surely so may we well saye to these new ho¦ly spyrytuall maryed munkes and frerys / sauynge for the worshypfull name of wedloke, yt were as good they lyued in lecherye, as in suche byched bychery.

But we sely sowles of the worlde here, be captyuate and [ A] bounde he sayth and not in suche an heuynly lybertye / but make our selfe wonderfull ymagynacyons aboute the lawe of god, whyche thynge mych I meruayle of. For the worlde is not often wonte to muse mych vppon the lawes of god, nor greatly to studye vppon them, but let them go by well and easely & thynke lytell on thē / nor nede not Iohn̄ Bap∣tyste to dyspute out of theyr hedys any wonderfull ymagy∣nacyons that they haue studyed aboute the law of god.

But Mary on the other syde, these new spyrytuall men, haue wyth theyr new lybertye made them selfe wonderfull ymagynacyons to which they cleaue so faste, that .xv. Iohn̄ Baptystes can not dyspute them out of theyr hedys. For they haue to the greate wonder of the worlde made them an ymagynacyon, that frerys maye lyue in lecherye wyth [ B] nunnes, and neuer nede do penaunce neyther for that nor for any synne ellys, but repente and do so styll and byleue that all is well, & do no penaunce nor take no payne for any synne at all.

Now euery man well woteth that saynt Iohn̄ the Bap∣tyste dyd dyspute agaynst these ymagynacyons of theyrs, bothe wyth hys lyuynge and hys techynge. For agaynste theyr lechery his lyuyng dysputed wyth chastyte / & agaynst theyr heresye of penaunce, he dysputed wyth prechynge pe∣naunce. For he bad them, not euery boye go forth and take hym selfe for an apostle and go preche, but he cryed vppon them to do penaunce / and not onely bad them repente and do penaunce, but also bad them yf they wolde auoyde hell and y^e wrath that ellys was to come, they shulde do worthy [ C] frutes of penaunce. And bycause that they sholde not wene that it was but a worde of offyce, and that it suffysed to by∣leue well in goddys promyse, and so go theyr way & thynke them selfe saue: he shewed them in hym selfe and hys owne lyuynge, for theyr instytucyon not for the deseruyng of his owne synne, a forme and fashyon of a repentaunt synner in what wyse he sholde do penaunce. And therfore he lyued so∣lytary, sauynge that hys vertues caused hym to be vysyted. He lyued in holy vowed chastyte and neuer ••edded womā in hys dayes, nor neuer wolde haue done though he had ly∣ued twyes as longe as Luther•• He lyued in pore and payn∣full apparell. He lyued in watche and prayours, in fastyng and forberynge meate. He dranke no wyne, but was cont••••

[ A] wyth water. Thys maner of penaunce doynge dyd saynt Iohn̄ Baptyste teche and dyspute, contrary to y^e fa••se yma∣gynacyons agaynst penaunce, and wonderfull deuyses of lewde lecherous lyuynge that these new spyrytuall men ha¦ue in theyr fantasye framed / whyche neyther saynt Iohn̄ Baptiste nor such tenne saynt Iohn̄ Baptystes, nor our sa∣uyour Cryste hym selfe can dyspute out of theyr hedys.

Tyndale.

He byleueth that he loueth god bycause he is redy to kyll a Turke for his sa••e that byleueth better in god then he / whom god also commaundeth vs to ••••ue ••nd to leaue nothynge vnsoughte to wynne hym vnto the knowlege ••f the ••routhe, though wyth the losse of our lyues.

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Here Tyndale foloweth hys mayster Luther that wold [ B] haue all crystē men suffer the Turkes and fyghte not with them. How be it I vnderstonde by Tyndale in hys boke af∣ter, that Luther hath eaten vp his worde agayne afterward for fere, when he saw his countrye prepare thē selfe agaynst the Turkes. But now Tyndale that is out of suche fere / is as it semeth dysposed to maynteyne and set forth hys may∣sters formar errour agayne. For he layeth it to the charge of the catholycall chyrche, as a chyefe and pryncypall fawte y^t we take it as token of loue to god yf a man haue a mynde for goddes sake to go fyghte agaynst the Turkes. But as madly as he mokketh it / a good token is it of loue to god for all that. For he that is for goddes sake content in the defence of other folke hys innocēt crysten brethern agaynst the infidelys the enemyes of god and them, to put his owne [ C] lyfe in payne and parell of deth: we maye be bolde wyth Tyndales lycence whyle we haue Luthers leue all redy to warraunt that it is a token of good and ordynate loue to god, and for god to hys neyghbour.

For though we sholde loue infydelys to make thē fayth∣full and be glad to suffer for them / yf our suffrauns wolde brynge them to the fayth, yet are we not bounden to loue them ••boue the householde folke of Cryste, and famylyars of our owne crysten fayth / and namely so farre, that whyle they come, not to lerne y^e crysten fayth but to kyll the crysten men, a prynce that hath the rule of vs sholde suffer them to ••yll on and sto••de styll by and preche.

I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ot therfore but how holyly so euer it pleaseth father Tin••••le here preche in fauour of y^e Turkes / a prince

may assemble hys hoost, and of good zele with grete thanke [ A] of god, go agaynst them and kyll them aswell and better to, then Moyses kylled the Egypcian that foughte wyth the Hebrew.

And therfore we shall not I truste greatly nede to fere y^e great worde that Tyndale in the Turkes fauour speketh, agaynst those that wyll go and fyght agaynst them / where he sayth that the Turke byleueth better in god then suche a crysten man. wherin yf Tyndale sayde trew as god be than¦ked he lyeth: how byleueth then Tyndale hym selfe in god, whych (as his charytable bokes well declare) wold be well content that heretyques and infydeles, shold wyth sedycyō or open warre kyll vp the clergye of the catholycall chyrch, and the great parte of such good people bysyde, as wolde be aduersaryes to theyr pestyferouse heresyes. [ B]

Tyndale.

He supposeth that he loueth his neyghbour as mych as he is bounde, yf he be not actually angrye wyth hym / whom yet he wyll not helpe frely wyth an halfpenny, but for auauntage or vayne glorye or for a worldly purpose. If any man haue displeased hym, he kepeth his malyce in and wyll not cha••e hym self aboute yt, tyll he se an occasyon to auenge yt craftely, and thynketh that well in••ugh. And the rulers of the worlde he obeyth thynketh he, whē he flatereth them, and byndeth them wyth gyftes and corrupteth the offycers with rewar¦des, and begyleth the law wyth cauteles and sotyltyes. And because the loue of god and his neyghbour, whych is the spyryte and the lyffe of all lawes, and wherfore all lawes ar made, is not writen in his herte: therfore in all inferiour lawes and in all worldly ordynaunces, is he betell blynde.

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All this gere is but a fardell full of lyes / and that woteth [ C] Tyndale hym selfe well inough. For all be yt that there be mo thē inough that in the catholycall chyrch of Cryste that vse to cōmytte such synnes: yet vse they not to thynke that they do well, and fulfyll the law of god in doynge / but they both byleue and confesse the contrarye, and to theyr confes∣sour knowlege yt as yt is for synne.

For though men in the catholyque chyrch do synne / yet to take yt for no synne, but for holynes & vertue / this is ney¦ther the doctryne nor māner & gy••e of the catholyque chyrch of Cryste. But this is in very dede the belye•• or at the le••te wyse the gyse and custome of Tyndales chyrch & Luthers and frere Huskens. For they haue the loue of god and theyr neyghbour, the spyryte and lyfe of all lawes so well and wy¦sely

[ A] wryten in theyr hartes / y^t they can not be but feruently taken in theyr lewde lecherouse loue / nor be not in inferiour lawes and worldly ordynaunces so betyll blynded, but that a frere can fynde the way to a nunnes bed and it be at myd∣nyght, and after in the open day abyde thereby, and auowe the breche of theyr vowe boldely for very well done and ho¦lyly / and when he thus doeth, begyleth not the lawes wyth cawtels and subtyltees, but boldely breketh them vp lyke a stronge man, and bereth it owt bygly wyth shamelesse de∣uelysshe heresye.

Tyndale.

And yf he be commaunded to absteyne from wyne, that wyll he obserue vnt•• the deth to / as charterhouse munkes had leuer dye then eate fleshe. And as for the sobernes and chastysynge of the members wyll he not loke for / but wyll [ B] powre in ale and beare of the strongeste wythout measure, and heate them with spyces and so forth.

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As for the munkes of the charterhouse, wolde god we were no ferther from very vertuouse deuocyon, then those good men be from vnlawfull superstycyon / amonge whom god be thanked we se many lyue to very greate age, and ne∣uer herde I yet that any dyed for lacke of eatynge flesshe / & yet herde•• I neuer that any of them haue eaten any, sauyng some suche as haue comen from theyr cloysters in to Lu∣thers chyrche / as Otho dyd in Almayne, whyche ronne out of the charter house and lefte fysshe and fell to flesshe all to∣gyder, and toke a wyfe for sobrenesse and chastysynge of his monkely membres as Tyndale speketh.

[ C] Tyndale.

And the holy daye wyll he kepe so strayte, that yf he mete a flee in hys bedde he dare not kyll her / and not ones regarde whe••fore the holy day was ordeyne•• to seke for goddes worde / and so forth in all lawes.

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Tyndale I thynke hath not knowē many kepe the holy day so strayte / y^• wolde feare to kyll a flee as it pleaseth hym to ieste. But yet•• a•• I leuer y^• men ••old kepe it so strayt as he speketh / thei•• kepe it so losely as they do. But they y^• kepe i•• ••o losely / be neyth••r afe••d I warr••••t you to kyll a fle nor to do ••••rs neyther. And who so euer wold kepe it so strayt, as 〈…〉〈…〉 of a••••e in hys bed: wolde kepe it bett••r then do the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Luthers c••••••che, that let not on the holy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to 〈…〉〈…〉 to 〈◊〉〈◊〉. For as for herynge

of goddys worde, in many places in Almayne among theyr [ A] holy sectys, where they were in the begynnyng wonderfull hote vppon sermons: they be now blessed by god waxen colde inough.

Fyrst in many places they sange the seruyce in theyr mo∣ther tonge, men and women and all / and that was a prety sporte for them for a whyle. But after a lytell vse therof, the pleasure of the neweltye passed, and they set somwhat lesse therby then by a thre mannes songe. They chaunged also the masse / and sone after that many cast it vp cle••e.

Then was all theyr luste layed vppon prechynge, specy¦ally bycause euery man myghte preche that wolde / sayenge that they folowed the counsayle of saynt Paule / whyle one wolde byd the precher holde hys peace a•••• let hym speke a nother whyle, affyrmynge that the spyry•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reucled hym [ B] the right sense, and that the precher lyed. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••s turned they sermons in brawlynges, so that somtyme t••e people parted them from poyntynge theyr prechynges wyth syste•••• But now as I here saye that maner is well amended / th••••••an suffer one to preche as longe as it please hym, and no man ones interrupte hym / for they be there waxe•• womē and all so cunnynge, that scantly come any to here hym. And thus doeth Tyndales chyrche and Luthers syt at home in theyr stewys in honour of theyr holy daye.

Tyndale.

And in ceremonyes and sacramentes there be c••pt yuateth his wyt and vnder¦standyng•• to obey holy chyrch, wythout askynge what they meane or desy∣rynge to knowe / but onely careth for the kepynge, and loketh euer wyth a payre of narow eyes and wyth all his spestacles vppon theym leste ought be [ C] lefte oute.

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The ceremonyes and sacramētes Tyndale maketh his mokkynge stokke / but let hym beware by tyme lest god mokke hym agayne.

Better is it good 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reader to do the thynge y^t Tyn¦dale here reproueth / that is to wyt a 〈…〉〈…〉 hys wytte and vnderstandynge and ob•••• 〈…〉〈…〉 in the ce¦remonyes and sacra••••••••••••, and 〈…〉〈…〉 well wythoute ferther serche: then to do as 〈…〉〈…〉 done, that with hys curyouse serche hath s•• 〈…〉〈…〉 pryed vppon them, wyth betle bro••es and his bryt•••• spectacles of pryde and malice, that the deuyll hath stry••en hym starke 〈◊〉〈◊〉

[ A] and set hym in a corner wyth a chayne and a clogge, & made hym hys ape to syt there and serue hym and to make hym sporte, with mokkynge and mowynge and pottynge the sa∣cramentes, whyche yet the deuyll dredyth hym selfe & dare not come anere them.

Tyndale.

For yf the preste sholde saye mas••e, baptyze, or here confessyon wythoute a stole aboute his necke / he wolde thynke all were marred, and doute whyther he had power to consecrate / and thynke that the vertue of the masse were l••ste and that chylde not well baptysed or not baptyzed at all / and that his absolu∣cyon were not worth a myte.

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Thys is another ferdell full of lyes, and that he woteth well inough. For yf the preste lefte of hys stole / folke wolde [ B] then saye he dyd lewdely as they myght well saye in dede. But Tyndale knoweth full well that folke do not reken the sacramēt hurted therby. For he knoweth well that chyldren be somtyme crystened of the mydwyfes hande / and y^e people knoweth well that she vseth no stole. And thus euery body well perceyueth how shameles Tyndale is in these lyes.

Tyndale.

He hadde leuer that the byshopes shold wagge two fyngers ouer hym / then that another man shold saye god saue hym and so forth.

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Blessynge of bysshopes Tyndale iesteth vpon in mo pla¦ces then one. And for as mych as he knoweth well that all crysten people haue and euer haue had a good faythfull by∣leue in blessynge, both where a man or woman blesse them [ C] selfe, and also where as any that hath authoryte ouer them gyuen by god to blesse them, whyche is a kynde of prayour and inuocacyon of goddes grace vppon the partye so bles¦sed wyth the sygne of the crosse / as the naturall father or the godfather blesseth the chylde, or the curate his paryshen, or the bysshope his diocesa••••e: such thynges Tyndale taketh for tryfels, and laugeth such blessynge and crossynge to skorne.

For in his boke of obedyence, the laynge of the bysshops hande vppon the preste in geuynge the sacrament of holy orders, he resembleth to the layeng of a mannes hande vp∣pon a boyes h••d whē he calleth hym good sonne. And y^e bles¦synge as he calleth yt here the waggynge of two fyngers / so he calleth yt there the waggynge of the hande in the ayre.

How be yt we nede not mych to meruayle though Tyn∣dale [ A] and Luther and frere Huskyn aud theyr felowes, sette lytle by the sygne of the crosse made by a mannes hande in the ayre / syth we se that they set so lytle by an ymage of the crucyfyx, and also by Crystes holy crosse yt selfe / wherof Lu¦ther wryteth that yf he had all the peaces, he wolde caste thē all there as neuer sonne shold shyne vppon them. But all crysten men syth Crystes deth hytherwarde / hath set mych by that kynde of blessynge, in whych the sygne of the crosse is made vppon a mā eyther by hym selfe or by a nother. And not a few storyes are there that testyfye great thynges done in the vertue of that sygne / not onely amonge good crysten men, but also sometyme amonge euyll men and the very in¦fydeles them selfe.

And though that I entende not to prolonge this worke [ B] wyth wrytynge of storyes•• yet commeth there one to my mynde so mete for the mater, and wryten by so great autho∣ryte, that I cane not let yt passe.

Saynt Gregory Nazianzene the great famouse olde do∣ctour, wrytynge in his seconde oracyon made agaynste the great emperour infydele cōmenly called Iulianus aposta∣ta, wryteth that when that man was fallen from the fayth of cryste vnto paganysme and gentylyte / geuynge hym self therewyth not onely to the persecucyon of crysten men, but also to the folowynge of euery kynde of superstycyouse fo∣ly: he toke with hym on a tyme certayne necromācyers, and went in to a caue to coniure vp spyrites, to enquyre of them certayne thynges wherof he was very curyouse to knowe. And when he was in the pyt amonge them with theyr coniu¦racyons, [ C] there appered many terryble syghtes, so far forth that all be yt wyth the truste of his coniuracyons he bare yt oute a whyle, yet at the laste the terrour and feare so sore en¦creased, that he was fayne for the surest refuge to blesse him selfe wyth the sygne of the crosse, whych he so pursued and hated. At whyche onely sygne so made wyth the waggynge (as Tyndale calleth yt) of his hande in the ayre, as euyll an hande as yt was: yet were all the deuyls so sore a frayed, y^t all theyr ferefull illusyons fayled & vanyshed quyte away.

Lo what a force and strength hathe that fasshyon of bles¦syng that Tyndale setteth a•• so lyght•• wherin many a man dayly fyndeth great profyte, in au••ydynge of temtacions of our goostly enimye the deuyll, and in manye a soden fere of

[ A] the fende.

And I lytle doute but as Tyndale foloweth Iulianus apostata in fallynge from the ryght fayth: so wold he at a nede folowe hym also in blessynge to. For as lytle as Tyn∣dale setteth by blessynge now: yet yf he myghte ones mete y^• deuyll in the darke, he wolde I warraunte you crosse and blesse a pace. And I beseche our lorde to gyue hym grace so to blesse hym self by tyme, that he mete not the deuyll in eter¦nall derkenes, where who so myshape to mete hym, cā haue no grace to crosse and to blesse hym selfe / but shall in stede of crossynge and blessynge, fall all to cursynge and desperate sorowe and furyouse blasphemynge wythout comforte and wythoute ende.

Tyndale.

[ B] Wherfore beloued reader in as mych as the holy gooste rebuketh the worlde for lacke of iudgement / and in as mych also as theyr ignoraunce is wythoute excuse / before whose faces inough is set to iudge by, yf they wolde open theyr yies to se, and not captyuate theyr vnderstandynge to beleue lyes / and in as mych ••s the spyrytuall iudgeth all thynge euen the very botome of goddes se¦cretes, that is to say the causes of the thynges whych god commaundeth: how mych more ought we to iudge our holy fathers secretes, and not to be as an oxe or an asse wythout vnderstandynge.

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It appereth well that the holy goost accordynge to the wordes of our sauyour at his laste souper, whyche wordes Tyndale wold falsely wreste a wrye / dyd rebuke the Iewes and the gentyles for lacke of iudgement, and that he taught the chyrch of Cryste the true iudgement / by whych euer syn¦nys [ C] Crystes dayes by the iudgement of holy sayntes and all good crysten people bysyde, such thynges as now Luther & Tyndale and fxere Huskyn do teache, haue ben alway iud∣ged for heresyes. And this is open afore euery mānes yies / excepte we wold wyllyngly captyuate our vnderstandynge to byleue Luthers lyes•• And therfore those that folow them of theyr ignoraunce / haue none excuse when they se agaynst the hole consent of crystendome so many hundred yeres con¦tynewed, foure our fyue fond frerys runne oute of relygyō and lyuynge in lechery, take vppon them selfe to preche and saye to the people of them selfe, we be the spyrytuales, we serche the botome of goddes secretes, we serch the causes of goddes cōmaundemēt, we vnderstande the scrypture in his ryght sen••e / and all that haue ben called holy doctours & in∣terpreters

byfore our dayes, were eyther false or folys, and [ A] haue eyther of euyll wyll or of ignoraunce brought all crys∣ten nacyons oute of the ryght fayth / tyll now that god hath of hys hygh goodnes sent vs & our wyues to preche fayth, and teche heresye, and shew lechery / to torne the worlde to grace.

Now he that wolde in the declaracyon and vnderstan∣dynge of the scrypture of Cryste and hys apostels, byleue suche a few flesshly blynde apostatas agaynst so many holy blessyd doctours and sayntes: what excuse coude hys igno¦rans haue afore god? were not he a very oxe & an asse wyth out wyt or vnderstandyng?

Tyndale.

Iudge therfore crysten reader, whyther the pope wyth his be the chyrche.

More [ B]

when Tyndale speketh of the pope wyth hys / here vseth he a lytell sophystrye. For he leueth vs in dowte what he meaneth by these wordes, the pope wyth hys. If he meane the pope wyth hys cardynals / then speketh he lytell to the purpose. For I neuer called nor no man ellys, the pope and the cardynals the hole catholyke chyrche. But yf he meane by the pope and hys, the pope and all the crysten reames and countrees that haue not by scysmes and heresyes de∣parted and seuered them selfe from y^e corps of crystendome: he that then iudgeth the pope and hys to be the chyrche of cryste, iudgeth as it is in dede.

Now yf Tyndale brynge in questyon whyther the pope be of all those crysten countrees the chyefe spyrytuall hed vnder god and generall vycare of cryste: thys questyō wyll [ C] not helpe hym. For yf there eyther yet be, or any tyme hath ben, that eyther the Grekes or any other parte of trewe cry∣stendome dyd not recognyse the pope for theyr chyefe spyry¦tuall gouernour vnder god: yet alwaye those that were ler¦nyd or good men amonge them, and the hole people wyth them, in the necessarye artycles were of the same fayth, and confyrmed them selfe to the see of Rome, in such thynges as amonge them bygan to be disputable / as well appereth not onely by saynte Chrysostome and other olde holy docto••••s of the Grekes, but also by the generall counsayles, in which the Grekes in matters of dowte and questyon, fynally con∣fermed them selfe to the Latyns and to the see apostolyke.

And for conclusyon bothe the Latyn chyrch & the Greke

[ A] chyrche and pretour Iohn̄s chyrche to, and euery chyrche that bare the name of any good crystendome / ye and euery chyrche also of any honest heretykes to, and the chyrche of Panymes and Turkes to, and the chyrche of Saracyns to (syth Tyndale wyll haue them all called chyrches) and fy∣nally the chyrche of all mankynde synnes the erth was well inhabyted, as many as euer haue knowen so mych as the name of god: hath euer hytherto dampned the chyrche of Luther and Tyndale & frere Huskyn, that care not to breke theyr promyse made to god, and contrary to all honestye make mokkes of theyr vowes / and voyde of shame auow theyr fylthy lechery for honeste wedlocke and lawfull ma∣trymonye.

Tyndale.

[ B] Iudge whyther theyr author yte be aboue the scrypture, whether all that they teache wythoute scrypture be equall wyth the scripture, whyther they haue erred and not onely whyther they can.

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Iudge here good reader whyther that Tyndale playe y^e parte of an honest man, when the power & authoryte whiche the chyrche ascrybeth vnto god and hys holy spyryte / Tyn∣dale wolde make you byleue that they do take and ascrybe it vnto them selfe.

For no man sayth that any man is aboue the worde of god / but we saye boldely that hys worde vnwryten is egall and as stronge as hys worde wryten / and that he is aswell to be byleued wythout wrytynge as wyth wrytynge / & that hym selfe and hys holy spyryte, vnderstondeth hys owne [ C] wrytynge better then all the creatures of the hole worlde. And then we say also that god by the mouth of our sauyour hath promysed that hymselfe wyth hys holy spyryte shall euer be assystent with hys ••hyrch / & that he shall alwaye in∣structe hys chyrche and lede it in to euery trouth. And we say that he kepeth, and ••uer hath kepte, and euer shall kepe that promyse. And therfore we say y^t he teacheth hys chyrch all trewth / I meane all trewth necessary as hym self meant for theyr saluacyon, that is to wytte all suche thynge as he wyll vppon payne of damnacyon haue them bounden to byleue. I say also that vppon thys it muste nedys folow, y^t all be it our lord doeth suffer his chyrche to erre in the know¦ledge of a ••••••te or dede done among men: yet wyll he neuer suffer yt to erre and be deceyued in the knowledge of hys

lawe, to whych he wyll haue it bounden, and in the tyme in [ A] whyche he wyll haue it bounden therto. And therfore wyll he neuer suffer hys chyrche to take, repute, & iudge a thynge for synfull and damnable, that is of trouthe good & plea∣synge to god. For then sholde he therby cause hys chyrche to leue good vertuose thynges vndone them selfe, and also to forebede it other folke as thynges vycyouse and dysplea¦saunt to god / and then were hys promyse broken, syth that the holy goost had not then tawght them the trouthe neces¦sary, but had suffred them to be ledde in to dampuable vn∣trowth.

Then saye I ferder that yt consequently foloweth also, that god shall mych lesse suffer his chyrche to take for good and pleasynge to god the thynge that is very nought and odyouse vnto god and damnable to yt selfe. For then shold [ B] his chyrche by such errour not onely leue the good vndone, but also do the euyll, and not know whych way to mende it. And of these thynges I saye y^t yt foloweth necessaryly, that though the chyrch be not aboue the scripture and holy wryt: yet yt is so taught by the spyryte of god and his holy secrete in warde worde vnwrytten, that yt can not be dampnably de¦ceyued in the vnderstandynge of his holy scrypture wryten. And theruppon yet farther foloweth, that all such as so con¦ster the scrypture that they wolde make the scrypture seme to be contrarye to the fayth of Cristes chyrch: do damnably conster yt contrary to the teachynge of god and his holy spi¦ryte. whyche by his owne promyse dothe alwaye teache his chyrche, and alwaye ledeth yt and alway shall lede yt, in to euery necessary trouth / and that vnto thende of the worlde [ C] accordynge to the wordes of our sauyour Cryste hym selfe.

Of these poyntes Tyndale denyeth vs thre. One is that any thynge is certaynly to be byleued, excepte onely the scri¦pture, and yet that muste be as Luther sayth euydent open and playne / of whych y^e cōtrary hath ben so often proued vn¦to hym, so euydent, open, and playne, that if Tyndale were not euydent, open, and playne shamelesse, his herte wold ne¦uer serue hym for very shame to speke any more of y^t poynt. The t••ther poynte is, that he denyeth the catholyke knowē chyrch to be the chyrch of Cryste, and putteth yt in question whych is the chyrch / and fynally putteth for the chyrche of Criste here militaunt in erth the onely secret vnknowē folke that are predestynate. The Thyrde is that he putteth also

[ A] in questyon, whyther the chyrche maye fall in to dampnable errour. And thereto he sayth that the chyrche of electes doth erre, but yet it doth not erre. And for asmych as these thyn∣ges be the chyefe thynges wherof hys boke treateth, lyke wyse as they that haue wyt and lernynge do all redy fynde hys handelyng of these maters full of malyce & very voyde of trewth: so I trust when we come hereafter to the places, to make ryght meane lerned folke and meane wytted to perceyue that all hys hygh inuencyon that he wolde haue seme so sothe, is in very dede a very madde mannys dreme.

Tyndale.

And agaynste the myste of theyr sophystr••ye take the ensamples that are paste in the olde testament, and autentyke st••ryes, and the present practyse whych thou seest before thyne yies.

[ B] More

we be well content that these thynges trye the myste of bothe partyes / so that Tyndale take wyth hym one thynge or twayne more, which I meruayle wherfore he now leueth oute, sauynge that he seeth well that they wyll clerely dyssy∣pate and dyscusse the myste that he fayne wolde walke in. For ellys why leueth he clene out the new testament now. we must praye hym that we may take in that to.

And for asmych as we do on bothe the sydes agre vppō the texte of scrypture, and that the questyō mych lyeth why∣ther Tyndale and hys felowes vnderstond it ryght or ellys the hole chyrche of all crysten nacyons: we shall praye hym to be content that we may laye forth in y^• behalfe the mynde of the olde holy doctours and sayntes, whych wrote of these [ C] maters so many hūd••ed y••••es ere euer thys busynes began, and wrote not for the pleasure of eyther other partye. And them wyll we the rather allege, bycause Tyndale aswell in hys boke of obedyence, as in dyuers places of thys boke is not ashamed to say•• that we wyll not byleue the olde holy doctours, but that they ••o and be of y^e bylefe that those holy fathers were / and as I say he is not ashamed to wryte this, ye and that very often, when he woteth well that amonge them all he can not fynde one that euer byleued other, but that it was a shamefull abomynable sy••e a monke to mary a 〈◊〉〈◊〉, whyche thynge hereafter in thys boke Tyndale so folyshly 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that sauynge for pytye to se any man so madde, one that ••••ye sore sycke coude not forbere to lawghe at it.

Tyndale. [ A]

Iudge whyther yt be possible that any good sholde come oute of theyr domme ceremonyes and sacramentes in to thy soule. Iudge theyr penounce, pysgry∣mages, pardones, purgatorye, praynge to postes, domme blessynges, domme ab¦solucyons, theyr domme paterynge and halowynge, theyr domme straunge ho¦ly gestures, wyth all theyr domme disgysynges, theyr satisfaccyons and iuste∣fyenge. And because thou syndest them false in so many thynges / truste them in nothynge, but i••dge them in all thinges.

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Iudge good crysten reader whyther yt be possyble that he be any better then a beste / oute of whose brutyshe bestely mouth, cōmeth such a fylthye fome of blasphemyes agaynst crystes holy ceremonyes and blessed sacramentes, sent in to his chyrche out of his owne blessed bloody syde. And for by∣cause ye fynde this felowe so frantike and so false in the ray [ B] lynge and iestynge agaynste the sacramentes of Cryste: ye may well iudge that who so can delyte or be cōtent with his blasphemouse rybauldy, hath great cause in hym self to fere that his crysten fayth begynneth to fayle and faynte.

Tyndale.

Marke at the laste the practyse of our fleshely spirytualtye, and theyr wayes by whyche they haue walked aboue .viij. ho••dred yeres / how they stablyshe theyr lyes fyrst wyth falsyfyenge the scrypture, then thorow corruptyng with theyr ryches wherof they haue infynyte treasure in story, and laste of all with the swerde.

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ye mary marke I praye you. For this is mych to be mar¦keth lo, y^t Tyndale can not bere the flesshelynes of oure spy¦rytualtye, bycause the flesshelynes of theyr chyrch is spyry∣tuall. [ C] For the flesshely wedded harlotes of theyr chyrche be theyr chyef holy spyrytuall fathers, and holy spyrytuall mothers, monkes, freres, and nunnes. And bycause theyr holy chyrch is but new bygonne / Tyndale wolde we shold wene, that this .viii. hundred yere and more Criste hath had no chyrch in the worlde at all. For so longe sayth Tyndale all hath be nought / by the reason that all this whyle the cler¦gye hath falsyfyed the scrypture, and hyred men wyth gyf∣tes, and compelled them wyth the swer••e to byleue them / & so all this .viii. hundred yeres sayth Tyndale by these mea∣nes all the crysten nacyons haue in ••tede of true fayth byle∣ued false lyes, and so haue ben out of the fayth & all nought.

If Tyndale dyd not lye now, as blyssed be god he doth /

[ A] here had ben a grete gappe in crystendome thys .xv.C.yere. And where had Crystes promyse ben then all thys whyle? with his electes? Nay yf this chyrch haue had all this while false sacramentes / Cryste hath had none electes all thys whyle. For they haue vsed what so euer Tyndale saye, the same sacramentes that theyr neyghbours dyd.

I wolde also that he had tolde vs how mych more then xv.C. yeres the chyrche hath had false sacramētes / lest that y^t he calleth now more, he shall hereafter call yet mych more. For therto shall he be faine to fall, or els to call these .viii.C. bakke agayne, and confesse the sacramentes true / or fy∣nally (whyche he is most lykely to do) bable on styll agaynst all reason agaynst all good men and agaynst all scrypture / and so that he be talkynge neuer care what, whereof, nor [ B] how. For I am sure that in the sacramentes and in y^• know∣lege of the chyrche, hys malycyouse folye is reproued by the olde holy doctours aboue hys .viii.C. yere almoste as many mo, and ouer that by playne scrypture to.

Tyndale.

Haue they not compelled the emperours of the erth and the great s••rdes and bye offycers, to be obedyent vnto them, to dispute for them / and to be theyre tormentours / and the samsumyms them selfes do but ymagen myschyef and inspyre them.

More.

Here is all the great anger that greueth this good man / that eyther lorde, kynge, or emperour medleth any thynge for the mayntenaunce of the fayth, or set to theyr handes to the repressynge of heresyes.

[ C] But yf Tyndale fynde thys for a fawte / he must go farre aboue hys .viii.C. yere. For it is farre aboue a thousande synnys that as euyll lordes, prynces, and emperours, haue holpē and mayntened heretykes / so lyke wyse good lordes, prynces, & emperours haue set to theyr handes to subdewe them. And theyr maynteners haue vanysshed awaye wyth them, and theyr amenders and punysshers god hath mayn∣tened and favoured / and good godly men haue called vppon prynces for theyr•• ayde and assystence in suche case, and at theyr instaunce and pursuyt haue prynces and emperours bothe punysshed them, & made many good lawes agaynste them.

Tyndale.

Marke whether yt were euer trewer then now. The scrybes, pharyseys, Py••∣late,

Herode, Cayphas, and Anna / are gathered to gether agaynste god and [ A] Criste, but yet I truste in vayne / and that he that brake the counsell of Achi¦tophell, shall scatter theyrs

More.

Marke now good crystē reader whē Tyndale hath told vs that the ryght fayth is heresye and heresye ryght fayth / and when he weneth that he hath made men so wyse, that we wolde at his worde take whyte for blacke and black for whyte, and god for the deuyll, and the deuyll for god: then when he weneth that he hath made men so blynde, he byd∣deth loke and marke that all emperours, kynges, prynces, lordes and prelates, and euery kynde of crysten people that any thynge do or saye agaynst heretyques / all they be Py∣lates, Herodes, Cayphas, and Annas, and are gathered agaynste Cryste sayth Tyndale, that is to wytte in dede a∣gaynst [ B] heretyques that labour both wyth false heresyes to destroy the true fayth of Cryste, and also wyth theyr trayto∣rouse settynge forth of sedycyōs to rayse rebellyons as they dyd in Almayne, and therby destroye Crystes good crysten people.

For surely good reader though men may haue fayth and yet lacke charyte, as saynt Paule sayth, and saynt Iamis to, euery one of whyche two is worthy more fayth and cre∣dens, then fyften hundred thousand Tyndales that telleth vs the contrarye / but though a man maye as I saye haue fayth and lacke charyte: yet yf he lacke fayth, he may well haue loue, but he can not haue no charyte.

And therfore syth Tyndale is thus runne out of y^e ryght fayth / neuer truste his fals loue lakkyng charite. For surely [ C] to wynne his conclusyō, and brynge in his heresyes, and to get therof the vayne glorye to be taken for an apostle: he wolde se seuen cytees burne & warme hym selfe by the fyre.

And euen in this place he maketh a māner of mocyō ther¦of, shewyng hym self to haue some trust to worke wōders at length. For he maketh as though y^e princes y^t wold represse heresyes were as Absolon with his army & achytophell ther¦in, that preserue kynge Dauid / as though frere Luther & his wyfe, wyth his fond felowes & theyr lēmans, were lyke to kynge Dauid and his hoste. And then hath Tyndale a truste that some Chusye that is some chyeftayn of Luthers counsayle, whych he meaneth as yt semeth shalbe hym self / shall by his hygh wisedome make as though he were a faith¦full

[ A] frende and begyle all the company, and so scater them and make them to be takē and slayne, as Absolon was and his folke. But lyke wyse as Tyndales hole storye serueth here all agaynste his purpose, bycause that here the trueth doth of good mynde labour to put downe falshed / an Tyn∣dale wyth his mayster & his fonde feleshyp wyth theyr fay∣ned fayre holy speche lyke absolon wyth his fayre here, en∣force them selfe to brynge in false heresyes and destroy the true fayth: why Tyndale sholde be lyke to Chusy that can I nothynge se, sauynge onely for one thynge, that for po∣licye Chusy made a lye, and therin Tyndale ouer matcheth hym far, for he sayth neuer trew.

Tyndale.

Marke whyther yt be not true in the hyest degre, that for the synne of the [ B] people hypocrytes shall raygne ouer them. What shewes, what faces, and cō∣trarye pretenses are made / and all to stablysh them in theyr thefte, falshed, and damnable lyes / and to gather them to gether for to contryue sotyltye, to oppresse the trueth, and to stoppe the lyght, and to kepe all styll in darkenes.

More.

Tyndale is a great marker / there is nothynge with hym now but marke, marke, marke. It is pytye y^t the man were not made a marker of chases in some tenys playe. For in good fayth he sholde be therin mych better occupyed than he is in this / when he sytteth and marketh all other mennis fautes and leueth his owne vnmarked / whych euery other man marketh well inough.

He byddeth the people marke that theyr prynces are hypocrytes in the hyghest degre / and so he teacheth theyr [ C] subiectes to haue them in good opynyon and reuerens. But I am glad as helpe me god on the tother syde, that the holy spyrytuall hedes of Tyndales heresyes, as frere Luther & frere Huskyn, and all the hole pakke of the pryncypall fa∣thers of all theyr frantyque sectes, haue lefte of a pece of theyr hypocrysye, and by theyr fylthy weddynge shewed thē selfe playne open rybaudes.

Tyndale.

Wherfore yt is tyme to a wake and se euery man wyth his owne eyes and to iudge, yf we wyll not be iudged of Cryste when he cometh to iudge. And re∣member that he whych is warned hath none excuse, yf he take no hede. Here wyth fare well in the lorde Jesu Cryste, whose spyryte be thy gyde and do∣ctryne thy lygth to iudge wyth all. Amen.

More

Tyndale neuer spake better then he doth euyn here. For [ A] of trouth good crysten reader it is hygh tyme to awake and loke euery man wyth hys owne eyes / and that tyme was neuer so conuenyent as now. For in all other heretykes be∣fore thys tyme / euery man was not able to perceyue them with hys owne eyes. Heresyes were comenly sumwhat sub∣tyle and hadde apparent textes in scrypture, that falsely ta∣ken semed to make for them. And then had theyr lyuynge such a pretence of honesty and clennesse / that these thynges so blered the vnlerned peoples eyes, that they were not able to iudge these men and theyr maters euery man hym selfe wyth hys owne eyes / but they folowed the iudgement of wyser and better and better lerned / and by theyr teachynge and good holy doctryne, they sawe and perceyued y^e tother [ B] fayned and false.

But mary now god hath (lawd and thanke be to hym) brought these felowes and theyr heresyes in a nother case. For he hath suffred them of hys hygh goodnes to shewe thē selfe at laste, & to falle in to such open bestely fawtes, frerys & nunnes crepyng to bedde to gyther, and then to preche & teche theyr shameles lechery boldely about for god & laufull matrymony, that they haue therby now set out theyr gere so syghtely, that euery man maye well & playnly se suche open rybawdry wyth hys owne eyes, and well and easely iudge the thynge for synne and bestely bychery, and the defence therof for a shamefull shameles heresye, and the prechers therof for more then monstruose heretykes. And therfore of thys be Tyndales wordes well verefyed / that euery man [ C] maye and must awake, and se wyth hys owne eyes thys abo¦mynable bychery of these bolde bestely prechers, that laye frerys and nonnys abedde togyder and call them man and wyfe. This must euery man iudge for abomynable heres••e / yf we wyll not be iudged of Cryste whē he cometh to iudge.

And therfore when Tyndale closeth vp hys preface with a solempne threte / byddynge men to remembre now that he whych is warned hath none excuse yf he take none hede: he sayth as trewe as the gospell but all agaynst hym selfe. For thys open heresye of frerys fylthy matrymony gyueth vs so playne and open warnynge of theyr worldly flesshly de∣uylysshe spyryte, so playne agaynste all holy scrypture and all good honest men: that we neuer coude haue excuse afore

[ A] god, yf we wolde gyue suche prechers so bolde in suche ry∣bawdry, eyther fayth or credence or fauorable herynge: na∣mely syth there was neuer in all crystendome syth the fayth fyrst begā any holy doctour, nor doctour good or bad before Luthers dayes that any thynge hath wryten / but he hath abhorred and detested it to the deuyll of hell, that euer any person eyther man or woman, that hath vowed them selfe monke, frere, or nunne / sholde afterward ronne out of theyr relygyon, caste theyr vowe at theyr bakke, and fall to fleshe and wedde.

And therfore good crysten reders, syth holy scrypture hath warned you of suche techers as Tyndale is y^t techeth suche bestely weddyng wyth contempt of theyr holy vowys made before to god / and syth that all holy men that haue [ B] wryten vppon scrypture haue gyuen vs warnyng that it is playnly prohybyted, as well by the trew sense of scrypture as by the playne open wordes / and all good honest people of crystēdome thys .xv. hundreth yere haue had such bestely weddyng in grete abomynacyon / and now ye se that all the captaynes of these pestylent heresyes whiche Tyndale now techeth you, haue gyuen you warnynge them selfe by theyr owne dedes in theyr named wedlocke theyr very synfull le∣chery, that they them selfe be suche as all this .xv.C. yere be∣fore, the scrypture hath reproued and all the worlde hath wondred on / and syth ye se Tyndale now teche and allowe theyr lechery and auowe it solempnely for god and laufull matrymony: I nothynge fere your iudgement in this ma∣ter. For I make me bolde in our lorde, that ye be so wyse in [ C] the wisedome of god and so fastened in his fayth, that when ye here an hyghe holy worde come out of suche a mouth as prayseth munkes maryages and mokketh Crystes sacramē¦tes, and then precheth lyke a player in a fonde enterlude / & playeth somtyme the frere, sometyme the fox, sometyme the fole, and somtyme the oute ryght rybawde: ye wyll not be so vnwyse to wene that he were an holy man and therfore herken to hym / but take hym such as ye se he is, and let the deuyls dysour go. Delyte not in his deuelyshe doctryne, y^t ye se your selfe is nought, what so euer he set therewyth to make yt seme solemne: but cleue ye fast to y^e fayth of Criste which Tyndale goth aboute to destroy / and byleue the olde fathers y^t ye se be sayntes in heuen. For as Tyndales inter¦pretacyon of scrypture and the vices byelded theruppon, is

the very brode waye to lede men to hell: so is those holy sayntes exposycyons with the vertues that they taught and [ A] shewed, the very strayt path that ledeth folke to heuen. In whyche our lord for his paynfull passyon gyue vs all grace so to walke / y^t we come to gether to y^t place, where we may fynde our charyte not chaunged but increaced & perfay¦ted, our hope turned in to hauynge and possessyon of blesse, and our fayth cōuerted & chaunged in to clere and lyghtsom knolege / of whych fayth Tyndale so preacheth vs the name, that who so byleue hym well, is lyke to lese all the frute

¶Thus endeth the fyrste boke.

Notes

• Rom. 16
• Tyndale 〈◊〉〈◊〉 now y^• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 goste sent ••o∣wne from heuen to ••e••uke y^• iugement of all crystendome thys. ••v.C. yere passed.
• Ezech. 11.
• •••• Tyndale ta∣keth here saīt Po∣ule at his pleasure For saīt Po••le spe¦keth not there of b••rne agayne nor new created wyth y^• spyryt / but that sen••uall mē as tho¦se that be carnal•• & cōtenciouse be not mete for the perfit doctrine of spyritu¦all ieuelaciōs. and the•• by that place Tyndales spirytu¦al•• s••rte be not spi¦rytuall nor mete ve••••els to receyue & gyue ••ut the do∣ct••ine of y^• spyrite / for there be no peo¦ple so carnall & so ••••t••cic••se as they
• Saynte Poule in that place spekyth n••t of eny serche that spirytuall mē shuld make of the cause of godd is cō¦maūdementis / but Tyndall fayneth y^• thing to finde by y^• se••che of y^• cause some dyscharge of the cōmaundmēt.
• Pro••er. 25
• R•• ••. 11
• R••••••••. 1•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••
• Psal. •• 5 Ecc.c. 5 Esaiae. 19 Ionae. 2
• Mar. 9
• Lucae. 16.
• Rom. 8
• 1. C••r. 13 Iac••bi. 2
• Owt of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••erte not in hys he••••e.
• Tyndale taketh gre•••••• ••easu••e in often bryngynge in the••e wordes, And so forth.
• Leuitici. 1••.
• Leuit. 23. Zachar. 8.
• Matth. 17.
• 1. Cor. 11
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• 1. Reg••••. ••1
• Mar. 2
• Exodi. 1.••
• Nume. ••5
• Exodi. 28
• Exodi. 2••. Exodi. 26. ••, 27. ••euiti••i. 16. Exodi. 29
• I••••an. ••
• Co••••s. 2
• Actuum .8 Hebre. 6 2. Timoth. 1
• Act••. 6
• Ephe. 5
• ••ene. ••
• Iacobi .5
• Ephe. 5
• 1. Petri .1
• Iacobi .1.
• Ephe. 5
• S. Austinus
• I••••••bi .1.
• Corin. 1••.
• Leuiti. 4.5. &. 6
• A••t••um .8
• 1. Timoth. 4
• 2. Timoth. 1.
• Ezecl. 16.
• Eze••••. ••. ••6
• Zachar. 14
• ••. Regum. 5
• Iohan. 5
• Lucae .8.
• Iohn̄. 9
• C••••••. 14
• ye maye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pe••••ceyue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 th•••• 〈…〉〈…〉 Tyn••••••••.
• Matth. 3.
• Lucae. 1.
• 1. Ceri. 14
• Grego. Nazi.
• Matth. 28. Iohn̄. 16
• 1. Cori. 13 Iacobi .2.