The second parte of the co[n]futacion of Tyndals answere in whyche is also confuted the chyrche that Tyndale deuyseth. And the chyrche also that frere Barns deuyseth. Made by syr Thomas More knyght.

¶The fourth boke, (Book 4)

¶whyther the chyrche can erre.

Tyndale.

THere is a nother question, whyther the chyrche maye erre. Whyche yf ye vn∣derstande of the pope and hys generacyon / is verely as harde a questyon as to aske [ B] whyther he that hath bothe hys eyes out be blynde or no, or whyther it be possible for hym that hath one legge shorter then a nother, to halte.

More.

WHo wolde not nowe wene that thys man had a playne clere open cause and easy to defende / when that euyn in y^• begynnyng in so few wordes, he concludeth all the mater at onys / and that wyth ensamples so playne and euydent, that euery man muste nedys agree them to be trew•• But when ye shall agayne se, that hys ensamples are no more [ C] lyghtsome, then v••lyke the mater that he resembleth them vnto / and that he eyther of wylynesse wyll not, or for lacke of wytte can not perceyue and se the poynt that he shulde towche: then shall euery wyse man well perceyue and se, that hys solempne shewe of suche confydence in hys euyll cause, is nothynge but a playne proclamacyon made by hys owne mouth, of hys owne rebuke and shame.

For here wolde I wytte what thynge Tyndale mea∣neth, by the pope and popys generacyon. If he meane hys carnall kynredde, or the pope and his cardynallys eyther: he then wynketh of wylynesse, and wyll not se the marke. For he knoweth very well y^• neyther of these is the thyng

that we call the chyrche, when we speke of the catholyke [ A] chyrche of Cryste that can not erre.

If he meane by the pope and hys generacyon, all the crystens nacyons not beynge cut of nor caste out for theyr obstynate malyce, nor of wylfulnesse departyng out by se∣dycyouse scysmes: then seeth he y^• marke at the leste wyse. But then whyle he sayth that all these nacyons maye and hath all thys .viii. hundred yere, so entyerly fallen in to he∣resyes and dampnable errours, that by all thys .viii. hun∣dred yeres laste passed vnto Luthers dayes, nor yet vnto thys daye neyther, there hath ben no one knowen congre∣gacyon any where, wherin y^• professynge of the very ryght catholyke fayth of Cryst hath bene so surely kepte, that yt myghte there be surely lerned and knowen: then I saye Tyndale ys as blynde as he that lacketh bothe hys eyes / [ B] in that he seeth not that by thys waye he maketh our sauy¦oure Cryste that is very trewth to saye very false, where he sayth I am wyth you to the ende of the worlde / & wolde make hym farre ouerseen,* 1.1 where he commaunded that who so wolde not here the chyrche,* 1.2 shulde be reputed and taken as Paynyms and Publicans / and in many a playn texte of scrypture mo, as I haue before shewed, as well in my dyaloge as myne other thre formar bokes of this pre∣sent worke, and yet hereafter shall forther.

Moreouer, yf Tyndale saye that all thys knowen corps of crystendome, haue all these .viii. hundred yere ben in a wronge bylyefe / where hath ben all thys whyle the ryght congregacyon of Tyndals chyrche, that hath h•••• the trewe bylyefe? And lette hym tell vs then, whyche con∣gregacyon [ C] it was, or where any suche is yet, of whom we maye surely lerne the trewe fayth and trewe vertues.

If he saye that it hath ben amonge these, and was in thys chyrche but not of thys chyrch / but they haue lurked there a few faythfull folke, amonge the greate many mul∣tytude of the faythlesse, and haue euer bene to the worlde and outwarde syghte of man vnknowen / not so mych kno¦wen as one of them to another, but yet very well knowen to god: to thys, besydes that yf they haue lyen all thys whyle lurkynge therin, they haue be then idolatres by theyr owne iudgemente, in image seruyce and prayeng to

[ A] sayntes (yf Tyndals doctryne be the trewe faythe) and starke ypocrytes in beynge of one bylyefe in theyr hartes, and pretendyng another, both in theyr wordes and dedes / and besyde dyuerse other inuyncyble reasons, wyth which I haue all redy reproued that fonde opynyō in the seconde boke of my dyaloge, where vnto Tyndale hath made so bare answere that it hadde ben more wysedome for hym to haue lette it all alone and medle nothynge therwyth, as euery chylde almoste maye well perceyue that lyste to loke on them bothe, and aduysedly compare them togyder, as I shall my selfe set it forth vnto them when god shall after other thynges done gyue me tyme to come therto / and be∣syde dyuers other argumentes euydent and playne, why∣che I partely haue, partely shall alledge and brynge forth [ B] in thys present work: this one can he neuer auoyde whyle he lyueth, that god had then lefte euery man perplexed in dowte and out of certaynte, what waye he myghte su∣rely take and cleue vnto, eyther in the doctryne of fayth or knowlege of vertuose lyuynge.

For yf he saye that we nede no knowen company, but euery man maye rede the scrypture hym selfe: euery man he woteth well can not rede, nor euery man vnderstand it though he haue it in hys owne tonge / but by the redynge wythout a reder, maye soone fall into the dampnable er∣rour of Arrius, Heluidius, and many a nother heretyke mo / whyche of the scrypture thorow theyr owne pryde toke occasyon of theyr heresyes.

If he then saye that of that vnknowen congregacyon, [ C] we maye haue a trew reder: where shall I seke hym, and wherby shall I knowe hym / yf I happen on hym, howe shall I be sure? For in thys great knowen congregacyon, we be saufe agaynste all suche parell. For we be all agreed vppon the necessarye artycles of the fayth. And yf any wolde preche and teche the contrary / as he that wold per∣case teche that confessyon is not necessarye, and that pe∣naunce nedeth not, and that of the .vii. sacramentes .v. serue of nought, and the syxte of almost as lytell / and that of the seuenth all crysten nacyons be, and all thys .xv. hun∣dred yere haue ben in a very damnable erroure: he that thus wolde preache and teche suche habomynable here∣syes

as nowe Tyndale doth, he maye be soone controlled, [ A] accused and corrected / excepte he ronne awaye as Tyn∣dale doeth.

And wherby can we be sure that hys techynge whyche ys accusyd, ys false and theyrs trewe that correcte hym / but by that we be sure that the comen fayth of the catho∣lyke chyrch is trewe / and that the catholyke knowen chyr∣che can not erre in that fayth, whych from hande to hande hath ben taken & kepte from Crystes dayes and hys apo∣stles hytherto. whyche fayth muste nedes be trewe by Cry¦stes promyse made vnto hys apostles, as teachers of hys chyrche, and not for them selfe but for hys chyrche / that is to wytte,* 1.3 the fayth that saynte Peter professed shulde not fayle, and that god wolde be wyth them all dayes vnto the ende of the worlde.* 1.4 And that the fayth of the knowen [ B] catholyke chyrche, that corre••teth the false fayth of the false precheours and heretykes, is the same fayth whyche the holy doctours of Crystes chyrche in euery age haue be¦leued and taught: saynte Ierome, saynte Austeyne, saynt Ambrose, saynte Chrysosteme, ••aynte Gregory, and saynte Cypryane do well and clerely testyfye by theyr bokes. For whyche holy doctours our lorde hath shewyd many a won¦derfull myracle.

These thynges and many other maketh vs sure, that the prechour whyche prechyth agaynste the fayth of thys congregacyon is a false prechour, and a false wryther and wrester of holy scrypture / howe solempnely so euer he paynte yt.

And yf we were not sure by these meanes, that the fayth [ C] of thys knowen catholyke congregacyon is trewe / how shulde I be sure of the prechour of that vnknowen con∣gregacyon, whyche Tyndale calleth the chyrche. How shuld I know I saye whyther y^e prechour say trew or not. For he hath no knowen congregacyon to reproue hym or allow hym the suerty wherof myght make me sure that he sayth trewe or false.

But then muste I sayth Tyndale, trye hym by y^e trewth of scrypture. what yf I be vnlerned? what yf I can rede & haue it in my langage, and yet vnderstand it but slēderly? what yf I be well lerned, and the false prechour as well ler¦ned

[ A] as I though he were no better: yet he shall haue texte agaynste texte, and glose agaynste glose / and when shall we then agree? Or yf I gyue place to hym or he to me / how shall yet the nomber of vnlerned herers be satysfyed wyth our dowtefull dysputacyons, yf they were not sure by the comon fayth of the knowen catholyke chyrch, why∣che of vs lyed ere euer we came to gyther. By whyche they that neuer redde any scrypture / be now by the holy goost that hath planted the trewe fayth in his catholyke chyrche (y^• holy doctours wherof haue in euery age ben approued by myracles) so inwardly sure of the trewth, that a poore symple woman yf Tyndale and I broughte the trouth in debate and questyon, and that I were waxen so madde to graunte hym that hys false heresyes were trewe / she wold [ B] not lette to byleue and saye so to, that we were two madde folys and false heretykes bothe.

And that thys is trewe shall mych the better apere whē we well examyne and consyder what congregacyon Tyn∣dale calleth the catholyke chyrch••.

Tyndale.

I saye that Crystes electe chyrch is the hole multytude of all repentyng synners that byleue in Cryste, and put all theyr truste and confidence in the mercy of god / felynge in theyr hartes that god for Crystes sake loueth them and wyll be or rather is mercyfull vnto them, and forgyueth them theyr synnes of whyche they repente / and that he forgyueth them also all the mo∣cyons vnto synne, of the whyche they fe••e leste they shulde therby be drawne into synne agayne. And thys fayth they haue wythout all respecte of theyr [ C] 〈◊〉〈◊〉 deseruynges / ye and for none other cause then that the me••••yfull truth of god the father whyche can not lye, hath so promysed and so sworne.

More.

Nowe hath Tyndale here defyned and descrybed vs what he called the chyrche. And for as myche as hys tytell is of hys chapyter, the questyon whyther the chyrche can ••rre / and that he now for the clerynge of the questyon, de∣clareth that there be two chyrches, the tone whyche he sayth that we take for the ch••••••he whyche he calleth the pope and hys genera••yō, and say•••• that there is no dowte but that chyrche bo••••e maye ••rre and in dede so dothe / and th•• tother chyrche ••hy••he hy••sel••e calleth the very chyr∣che; ys thys y^• he now defyn••th: it wold s••me that he wold

afferme that thys chyrche whyche hym selfe descrybeth, [ A] were the chyrche that can not erre. wherin what his fynall and resolute sentence is, ye shall in hys other chapyters hereafter folowyng, at a longe length very scantly percey¦ue / excepte hys wordes be somwhat opened and a lytell more clerely declared, then as it appereth by his wrytyng, hym selfe wolde they sholde be / and nathelesse I truste they shall be.

wherfore to thende ye may the better vnderstāde where about he goeth / & that he longeth to le••e vs in derkenesse, and fede vs forth wyth hys hygh solempne folyes that he wolde were not vnderstanden: let vs a lytell examyne the partys of hys dyffynycyon and descrypcyon of the chyrch.

where he sayth that Crystes electe chyrche, ys the hole multytude of all repentaunt synners, that haue the condy¦cyons [ B] forther expressed in hys descrypcyon: we must fyrst aske hym how taketh he there thys worde electe•• It had ben good reason that he sholde haue declared, whyther he meane electe and chosen as our sauyour. Cryste dyd electe and chose hys chyrche and congregacyō out of the Iewis and the Gentyles, to be dedycate vnto hys seruyce / after whyche maner he fyrste elected and chose hys twelue apo∣stles though they were not all fynally good, of whose elec¦cyon he sayd, ye haue not elected me but I haue elected you / and also sayd vnto them,* 1.5 Haue I not elected and cho¦sen you twelue, and one of you is a deuyll: or ellys that he meane by the electe chyrche the chyrche of the fynall elec∣tes and predestynates to glory, beynge there vnto prede∣stynate in the prescience and purpose of god before the cre¦acyon [ C] of the worlde.

Thys poynte whyther he meane that hys hole multy∣tude of repentynge synners•• ••e the tone electe chyrche or y^• tother, hath he not exp••e••••ed / but h••th lefte vs at large to gesse and arede vppon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 derke rydles after folowynge, whyche of these two 〈…〉〈…〉 m••ane••h. How be it for awght that I can se hys descrypcyō ••greeth wyth neyther of theym bothe••

For as for y^• fyrst ••y••de of elec••yon, a••ter whych Cryste hath chosen hys cat••o••••ke chy••che out o•• the Iewys ••nd Gentyls to be hys c••••••che herein 〈…〉〈…〉 thys kynde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there penyt••ntes ••nd i••pe••ytentes ••••the. For penite••••es are accompted amonge ••he good / and in ••hys ••••y••che ••e

[ A] there bothe good and badde, as our sauyour sheweth hym selfe in the parables bothe of the felde wyth good corne & cocle,* 1.6 and also the nette wyth fysshes good and badde / and the scrypture sheweth by the arch of Noe with bestes clene and vnclene / and Cryste wyth hys aforesayde wordes to his apostles:* 1.7 Haue I not chosen you twelue and one of you ys a deuyll.

Now as for y^• electe chyrch of predestynates yf he speke therof, as it may be verifyed in euery tyme syth it begā as he must yf he speke to the purpose / then are there therin ac¦coūted not onely repētyng synners, but synners also, some y^t yet repente them not, & some also y^t neuer dyd the thyng wherof they shuld repente / as was our blessed lady whyle she lyued here, and our sauyour hym selfe also for any syn [ B] of hym self. For he was neuer penytent synner / but beyng synlesse hym selfe, paynfully payed for ours. So is not y^• electe chyrch all repentyng synners onely, except y^• eyther Cryste were no man or wer•• also a synner, or els his man∣hed not parte of thys chyrche, but the chyrche of predesty∣nates hedlesse. And in this I speke of that electe chyrch of predestynates, concernyng onely the cōgregacyon of such as shalbe saued in the kynde of man. For as for to cōsyder angels therin, is very farre fro thys mater.

yet are there also in thys chyrche of electes many that neuer came to the fayth, but are yet enmyes there vnto / as Iewes, Saracenes, or Turkes, not yet conuerted vnto y^• fayth. And therfore thys electe chyrche wyll in no wyse a∣gre wyth the dyffynycyon or descrypcyon of Tyndale. I [ C] wolde that he therfore to gyue his mater more lyght, had shewed vs as I say, which kynde of eleccyon he meaneth.

How be yt we shall gesse at hys mynde as nere as we can and make the best of hys mater / and then se whyther the beste be able to stande•• He maye seme to meane by Cry∣stes electe chyrche of hys descrypcyon•• a parte of the electe chyrche of the seconde maner / that is to wyt as many ther∣of as be repentaunt synners wyth those other condicyons that are expressed in hys des••rypcyon. For other then thys I can not deuyne what he shold meane. But then as those repentaunt synners be a parte of the chyrche predestynate / so be they a parte of thys catholyke chyrche here mylytaūt after the fy••st kynde of eleccyon, in whych are bothe good and bad / of whych hole nomber the good are y^• tone parte.

yet leueth he vs after thys waye in a nother dowt / why∣ther [ A] the repentynge synners may afterwarde fall to synne agayne, and from repentaunce and so to repentaunce a∣gayne, and yet agayne therfro. He leueth vs also in dowt whyther thys electe chyrche of hys descrypcyon maye be deceyued & erre or not. For in these two poyntes he wrap∣peth vs vp wyth rydles, that he gyueth vs to rede in other chapyters how they may synne and yet synne not, erre and yet erre not / and redeth hys rydles hym self also so fondly, that an olde wyfe wolde be ashamed to rede suche redles so folysshely by the fyre syde amonge yonge chyldren. And yet in this one poynt whyther the chyrch maye erre or not, is in effecte all the hole mater and purpose of hys boke.

And fynally for all that euer he sayth / he leueth it in dowte whyther his repentaunt synners, syth he graunteth [ B] that though they maye not synne yet they maye synne, and y^• in lykewyse though they can not erre yet they can erre, be of thys electe chyrche of hys descrypcyon in these tymes onely in whyche they synne not nor erre not / or ellys in all those tymes to, in whyche they bothe synne and erre. And here speke I of suche synne as is of hys nature dedely, though the soule dye not by eternall dampnacyon ther∣fore / bycause he repenteth that synne agayne ere he dye. And I speke of that errour also, whyche is of hys nature fynfull and damnable though the soule suffer not eternall dampnacyon therfore / bycause he repenteth that erroure afterwarde, and retourneth agayne to the trewth ere euer hys body dye.

Of all these dowtes the more parte he neuer moueth / [ C] and suche as he moueth in other chapyters after, he so fon¦dely soyleth, that all the worlde maye se that he nothynge seketh but corners to trepe in, where he maye luske and lurke in the derke / out of whych we shall I truste so bryng hym in to the lyght, that hys eyen shall dase to loke theron

But in the meane whyle thys ye se, that how so euer he mene by the electe chyrche of hys repentaūte synners, with all the felyng fayth that he can frame therto: yet syth men can neuer knowe whyche be they, there can no man haue any suretye by that chyrch of the trewe doctryne of god / no more then a man coulde by that vnknowen chyrche know whyche is the trewe scrypture of god. And therfore is this electe chyrche of Tyndals descrypcyon deuysed onely to

[ A] ••ugle wythall, and to deceyue our syght, and not to serue in thys mater to any substancyall purpose.

But yet that it can not onely do no good, but is also dremed out by hym to do myche harme: ye shall playnely perceyue, yf ye consyder what repentaūce and what fayth he meaneth. For these wordes wyll sowne very well in the erys of such symple soules, as do not whyle they rede them cōsyder what maner thynges Tyndale meaneth by them, and what thynge he calleth repentaunce and byleuyng in Cryste wyth a felyng fayth. But on the tother syde / he that consydereth that Tyndale wolde haue vs so to byleue in Cryste, that we shold set hys holy sacramentes at nought, and that we sholde byleue that all crysten people haue hy∣therto byleued wronge, that haue byleued that men ought [ B] to be shreuen, or rec••yue any penaunce at the prestes hand, or that haue byleued y^• there ys any purgatory after thys present lyfe, or that put any fayth in the sacrament of the aultare, or any other thynge byleue therof then that it ys onely a sygne memoryall and token of Crystes deth and passyon, and that euery man is in a false bylyefe that wyll any other honour do therto then onely thys bare bylyefe / wherof playnly foloweth that onys to knele or praye ther∣to were open and playne idolatrye / and that he wold haue vs also byleue that to saye the masse wyth the holy canon therin, as all crysten realmes do, and so many hundred ye∣res haue done were heyghnouse dedely synne / and that it were synne also to byleue y^• man by good workes wrought in fayth, any rewarde meryteth towarde god / or fynally y^• [ C] any of the olde holy doctours of Crystes chyrche, synnys Crystes dayes and hys apostles hytherto, were in y^e ryght bylyefe before holy Luthers dayes and hys owne / for sure am I that there was neuer none of all them that in bylyef dyd agre wyth these twayne, nor these twayne bytwene thē selfe: he that thys felynge fayth consydereth in Tyndals techynge, shall soone fele that all hys holy solempne tale of all hys felynge fayth ys not worth a fly, but very fay••h∣lesse heresye.

And also when he hereth hym so sayntly speke of repen¦tynge / and then consydereth that he wolde haue vs rep••nt that euer we were shryuen (for shryfte he calleth the false inuencyon of Sathan) and wolde haue vs also to be such as repent that euer they were of the ryght bylefe, and such

as wolde haue freres and nonnes repente theyr relygyon [ A] and runne out and wedde togyther: he that consydereth thys, shall I saye se that Tyndals electe and chosen chyr∣che, is a chyrche of chosen heretykes, of contrary bylyefe to the chyrche of whyche saynte Hierom was a doctour, and saynt Austayne, and saynt Gregory, and saynte Ambrose, and all the other old holy fathers from the apostles dayes hytherto / or els muste Tyndale tell vs ones agayne, some one of all theym that byleued it lawfull, for a monke or a frere professed vnto perpetuall chastyte, to runne out of re¦lygyon and go wedde a nonne.

Now am I glad yet that he cometh forth wyth repen∣taunce, at the leste wyse one way or other. For fayth alone was wont to do all thorow all a mannys lyfe. And when it was proued them by playne and euydent scrypture, that [ B] fayth coulde not auayle wythout cheryte / then fell they to glose it and say, that fayth could neuer be wythout it. And then beynge therin repreued playnely by saynt Poule and saynt Iamys both / yet stande they styll by theyr worde,* 1.8 * 1.9 & defende theyr wordes onely by wordes agaynst all reason, & agaynst the playne wordes of god not vnwryten whych they set not by, but the very wryten wordes in playne and euydent scryptures, for all that they saye they byleue no thynge ellys. And in that poynt I byleue them well and in more to. For where they say that they byleue nothyng but scrypture, I thynke they saye trewe / for they byleue no thynge besyde the scrypture, nor yet the scrypture neyther, as theyr owne wrytynges do full clerely declare.

But now syth they say styll that fayth alone suffyseth, [ C] and yet saye that there muste be cheryte to / and now saye there must be repentaunce to: they saye none other thynge in effecte, but y^• it is mough to haue fayth alone yf a man haue other vertues to / and that it suffyseth to haue fayth alone, so that fayth be not alone: for and it be alone then is it no fayth at all. Is not thys a nother goodly rydle, wher∣by Tyndale techeth all thynge playnely?

Nor thys poynt wyll neuer be well patched wyth hys felynge fayth and hystorycall, as ye shall hereafter here when we come to the chapyter.

But yet agayn in the meane whyle, bycause he speketh of repentaunt synners, that they make the electe chyrche of Cryste: I wolde wytte of hym whyther one parte of re∣pentynge

[ A] muste not be to repente heresyes. If not / then Crystes electe chyrche maye kepe them styll, and be a chyr∣che of heretykes. And on the tother syde, yf a man muste repente hys heresyes: then aske I Tyndale agayne, how shall an vnlerned man knowe whyche they be. The prea∣cher shall tell theym sayth Tyndale. So saye we to. But what yf y^• preachers do not agre therin / how shall he know the trewe preachers fro the false? Lette hym loke on the scrypture sayth Tyndale, and therby shall he iudge them by the ryght rule of the worde of god. But therto I saye, that, all thynge that we be bounden to byleue and obserue is not wryten in scrypture, as I haue in the thyrde boke more then playnely by the playne scrypture proued. And besydes that, vnlerned men are not able, nor euery lerned [ B] man neyther, surely to dyscerne and iudge the trewe sence of the scrypture, in a greate thynge growen in debate and controuersye, where playne textes of scrypture seme to speke for bothe the sydes. And therfore it muste nedes be, that there is by god prouyded and lefte some such suretye, as maye brynge vs out of all suche perplexyte. And that is as I haue sayde, hys holy spyryte sent and lefte perpetu∣ally wyth hys chyrche, to lede it so by hys owne promyse euer into all necessary trouth,* 1.10 that who so here and byleue hys chyrche, maye be sure that he can not be deceyued / but that yf a false techer wold lede men out of the ryght fayth, the chyrche of Cryste shall reproue hym and condempne hym, and put the people in certentye.* 1.11 For whyche cause saynt Poule sayth that the chyrche is the fyrme ••tablyssh••∣mente [ C] and the pyller of trouth for the inuyolable suerty of doctryne. And therfore that can neuer be no chyrche but a knowen chyrche.

But then sayth Tyndale, that it is trewe that there is all suretye in the chyrche of Cryste. But he sayth that the chyrch•• of Cryste is onely the nomber of repentynge syn∣ners, that haue the felynge fayth whyche hym selfe descry∣beth. Then we aske hym wherby shall a man knowe them, and be sure of them / so that he maye vse them for hys sure and vndoutable iudges bytwene the two contrary prea∣chers, of whyche the tone is trewe the tother false.

It maketh no mater sayth he, though ye knowe them not. How shall I then be putte in surety by them, but yf I knowe that they be the chyrche wyth whom god promysed

to leue hys holy spyryte / and whom he wylled euery man [ A] to here and to obay. ye shall perceyue it sayth he, by that ye se they be good men, and shewe the frewtes of fayth in theyr lyuynge. I can not be therby sure / syth an ypocryte maye fayne them. And also hym selfe graunteth after in hys chapyter, that they synne and yet synne not / so that though they synne not bycause of theyr felynge fayth, and theyr repentaunce folowynge: yet they maye ryght often do synne, in suche wyse that they maye do and in dede do many suche abomynable dedes, as men be hanged for and worthy for myche lesse / and suche that them selfe shulde for the same, sauynge for theyr felynge fayth be dampned in hell perpetually / from which none hystorycall fayth could kepe them, as Tyndale sayth.

Now then yf he saye trewe / it is impossyble for me to [ B] knowe the electe chyrche of felynge faythfull repentaunte synners, to take the sure iudgement by.

Then yf he walke as it were in a mase, and come to the fyrste poynte agayne, and say it forcheth not, for they shall be decerned by the scrypture it selfe: that gappe haue I so stopped all redy, that he shall stycke styll at a stake & reste hys bones in y^• busshes ere euer he gete out there. wherfore whē he shall se hym self vnable to defend hys owne chosen vnknowen chyrche, in y^• poynt in which it sholde specyally serue, that is for y^• sure techyng of the trew fayth: he shall then fynde none other shyft, but to loke whyther he myght make the catholyke knowen chyrche to fall in the lyke de∣fawte / and shall aske vs how we do knowe the trew chyrch of Cryste, by whose doctryne we maye be sure of the ryght [ C] bylyefe. where vnto we shall answere, that therin can no man be deceyued. For it is the comon knowen chyrche of all crysten people, not gone out nor caste oute. Thys hole body bothe of good and badde is the catholyke chyrche of Cryste, whyche is in thys worlde very sikely•• & hath many sore mēbres / as hath somtyme the naturall body of a man, and some sore astonyed, and for a tyme colde and dede / whyche yet catcheth hete and lyfe agayne, yf it be not pre∣cyded and cut of from the body.

Thys catholyke knowen chyrch is that mystycall body be it neuer so syke, whereof the pryncypall hed is Cryste. Of whyche body whyther the successour of saynt Peter be his vycar generall and hed vnder hym, as all crysten nacyons

[ A] haue now longe takē hym / is no parte of this questyō. For to this mater it is inough, y^• thys body mystycall of Cryste this catholyk chirch, is y^• body y^• is animated, hath lyfe spy¦rytuall, & is enspyred with y^e holy spyryt of god y^t maketh thē of one fayth in the howse of god,* 1.12 by ledyng thē in to the cōsent of euery necessary trouth of reueled fayth, be they in condycyōs & maners neuer so syke, as longe as they be cō∣formable & content in vnyte of fayth, to cleue vnto y^e body.

Of this chyrch can we not be deceyued, nor of the ryght faith can we not be deceyued whyle we cleue to this chirch / syth this chyrch is it in to which god hath gyuē his spyryt of fayth, & in this chirch both good & bad {pro}fesse one fayth. For yf any professe the cōtrary fayth, be it any one man or any one coūtrey: they be controlled, noted, and rep••ou••d [ B] by the hole body & soone knowen from the body. Now yf it happen any pryuy heretykes to lurke in this body, yet all the whyle, they agre with y^• body in open professiō of fayth, & teche no thyng cōtrary / they can not begyle vs, though they may by secrete heresyes of theyr hartes, synfully de∣ceyue them selfe. And when they teche the cōtrary / then are they as I say reproued opēly by y^e body / & eyther reformed & cured, or els cutte of fro the body and casten out therof. So y^t this chyrch is knowen well inough / & therfore maye be well vsed as a sure iudge, for to decerne bytwene y^• trew doctrine & the false, and the trew precher & false, cōcernyng the ryght fayth and the decernyng of the trew word of god wrytē of vnwryten, from y^e coūterfete word of man / and in the decernyng of y^e ryght vnderstādyng of the scrypture of god, as farforth as of necessyte perteyneth vnto saluacyō.

[ C] And this aduaūtage y^• I speke of haue we, by y^• that this chyrch is knowē / where as Tyndals chosen chyrch of repē¦tyng synners we can neuer know them, but yf we se them walke in our chyrch in processyon with a candell byfore y^• crosse, or stand before the pulpet with a fagot in theyr nek∣kes. And yet can we not knw thē so neyther / for they may seme repentaūt openly, and yet thynke in theyr hartes full shrewdely, as they comēly do. Now wherby we shall be sure y^t thys knowē catholyke chyrch, is y^• very trew chyrch y^t is to be byleued / & that no man may be surely byleued y^e agreeth not with the fayth of this chyrche / all be it I haue both in my dyaloge & in sondry places of my .iii. formar bo¦kes of this psent worke, well & playnly {pro}ued you: yet shall

I fynally before I fynysshe thys worke by such clere open [ A] markes & tokens shew you wyth euydent reason & playne scrypture furnysshed, that no chylde shall after nede any thynge to dowte therof.

But now consyder in the meane whyle, that Tyndals dyffynycyon or descrypcyon of the chyrch, by whych he cal¦leth it the nomber of all repentynge synners wyth all hys other cōdycyons adioyned therunto / is fyrst full of darke∣nesse. And when it is opened •• it agreed neyther wyth one chyrch nor other. And yet is it by another poynt of his own false doctryne, vtterly destroyed. For he techeth playnly, that who so euer do after baptysme synne onys of purpose wyllyngly, & not onely of wekenes and infyrmyte, he shall neuer be saued / but all his repētaūce after, though he trust neuer so myche in god, & haue after neuer so sure fayth in [ B] hym, shall neuer serue hym to saluacyō but he shalbe fynal¦ly dampned as I shall shew you forther after. And then ye se playnly, that his dyffynycyon of hys electe chyrch, is by his owne doctryne destroyed. For the elect chyrch can not be the nōber of all repentyng synners y^• truste to be saued in Crystes passyon, yf some suche repentyng synners shall neuer be saued by hys passyon as Tyndale playnly lyeth. And therfore syth he hath fayled of his dyffynycyon of the chyrche, and therby loste and spylled all hys purpose: lette vs now consyder whyther he handle any more wysely the remanaunt of hys goodly mater.

Tyndale.

Thys fayth haue they wythout all respecte of theyr owne deseruynges / ye and for none other cause, then that the mercyfull trewth of god the father [ C] whyche can not lye, hath so promysed and so sworne.

More.

I dowte not good reders but ye remember well, that all the doctryne of Crystes chyrche is full of warnynge, that no man sholde put a prowde truste and confydence in hys owne wurkes, nor onys thynke that he can of hym selfe a¦lone without goddes gracious helpe, do any good wurke at all / and greate cause hath to fere and mystruste all hys owne workes, for vnperfyte cyrcumstaunces seldom per∣ceyued by hym selfe. And also that in all that a man maye do he doth but hys onely dewtye / and that the beste worke were noughte worth to heuenwarde of the nature of the worke yt selfe, ne were it for the lyberall goodes of god, y^•

[ A] lysteth so hyghly to rewarde it / and yet wolde not rewarde it so, sauynge for the passyon of hys owne sonne. All these thynges and many suche other mo be so dayly taught and preched in the chyrche / that I truste in good fayth that al∣moste euery good olde wyfe can tell them.

And therfore it ••••pereth well that Tyndale varyeth not wyth vs for so farre / but that he meaneth a farre for∣ther thynge, where he sayth that the electe chyrche trusteth so vtterly to be forgeuyn all synne & mocyons vnto synne, wythout any respecte of theyr owne deseruyng / & playnely meaneth therin (as in other places also he playnely decla∣reth hym selfe, whyche I haue in my formar bokes proued and reproued) not onely that men shold not nede, but also that it were synne to go about any good wurke wroughte [ B] wyth grace in fayth, to deserue any thyng toward the get∣tynge of full and perfayt forgeuenes.

To thys poynte cometh Tyndals holy felynge fayth, that feleth alwaye full forgyuenesse, wythout any regard or respecte of mannys owne endeuour•• deserue it. Thys false felynge fayth hath Tyndale taken of Luther / when he and all the rable of theyr secte saye, that fayth of neces∣syte bryngeth forth good wurkes, as the frute of the tree of faith. And yet they say y^e good wurkes be nought worth and therby make they y^• tre of fayth lytell better. For what good tre can y^t be, wherof y^e good frute is noughte worth.

But Tyndale and Luther bothe lye lowde in bothe the poyntes. For bothe maye a man haue the ryght fayth idle and workelesse, and therfore dede and frutelesse. Dede I [ C] saye, not in the nature and substaunce of bylyefe a fayth / but dede as to the attaynyng of saluacyon. And also good wurkes wrought in fayth, hope, and cheryte, be very pro∣fytable towarde obtaynynge of forgyuenesse and getynge reward in heuyn / excepte y^e scrypture of god be false,* 1.13 when it sayth that as the water quencheth fyre, so doth almoyse dede auoyde synne / and except our sauyour hym selfe saye false, where he sayth,* 1.14 Gyue your superfluouse substaunce in almoyse, and then lo are ye all clene. And in lyke wyse where he promyseth rewarde in heuen in sondry playne places of scrypture,* 1.15 for good wurkes done here in erth.* 1.16

Now yf Tyndale answere, that the good workes be no¦thynge worth of them selfe, nor wythout fayth, as he an∣swereth me in his answere to y^e thyrd boke of my dyaloge:

then maye euery chylde se that he is dreuen to the harde [ A] wall, & fayne to seke a shamfull shyfte. For what thynge is awght worth of yt selfe to heuenward, without goddes grace and the greate goodnesse of god? No fyry cheryte, though men wolde burne for goddes sake, coude deserue heuen of yt selfe wythout the lyberall goodnesse of god. For as saynt Poule sayth,* 1.17 the passyons of thys worlde be not worthy to wynne the glory to come, that shalbe shewed vppon vs.

And yf he saye that good workes be nought worth, by∣cause they be nought worth without fayth / so myght he as well saye y^e fayth were nought worth, bycause it is nought worth wythout cheryte. So that ye maye playnely se that he seketh nothynge but shyftes / whyche wyll yet serue of nought when he hath all together done. [ B]

For ye maye fynally perceyue, that though euery man maye well fere that the workes which hym selfe hath done semed they neuer so good, were yet for some lacke vppon hys parte in y^• doynge, so vnperfyt in the depe secret syght of god, that they were vnworthy to serue hym or be any thynge rewarded / and also that were they neuer so pure & perfyt, they were not yet worthy ••uche rewarde but of god∣des lyberall goodnesse: yet is it a very false fayth and a pestylent heresye, to byleue as Tyndale here techeth vs, y^• god wyll saue suche as maye worke wythout any respecte or regarde vnto theyr deseruynge / as though he rought not whyther they dyd good or yll, but wyll saue all suche as hym lyste do they what they lyste, onely bycause hym lyste / and that hym selfe so lysteth for none other cause, but [ C] onely bycause he hath so promysed and sworen.

For surely, neyther is the promyse the cause as I haue in myne other boke shewed / but y^e goodnesse of god whych caused hym so to promyse. Nor also he hath not so sworne nor so promysed neyther, that he wyll saue man wythout any regarde of good wurkes / but hath bothe promysed & sworne the clene contrary, that but yf we wurke well yf we maye,* 1.18 or repent that we dyd not and be in purpose to do / ellys shall our fayth stande vs in lytell stede,* 1.19 but greately aggreue and encrease the payne of our dampnacyon. And now that hys fayth is proued very playne false and fayth∣lesse / it is a worlde to se how ryally he runneth forth in the prayse, as though it were proued trew.

[ A] Tyndale.

And thys fayth and knowlege is euerlastynge lyfe / and by thys we be borne a newe, and made the sonnes of god, and obteyne forgyuenesse of synnes, and are translated from deth to lyfe, and from the wrath of god vnto hys loue and fauour. And thys fayth is the mother of all trouth, and bryngeth wy••h her the spyryte of all truth, whyche spyryte purgeth vs as from all sy••••e, euyn so from all lyes and errour noysome and hurt••ull. An•• thys f••yth is the fundacyon layde of the apostles and prophetes, whereon Paull sayth Ephe. 2. that we are bylte, and therby of the howseholde of god. And thys fayth is the rocke wheron Cryste bylte hys congregacyon.

More.

Lo what a prayse he hath made you of thys fayth, that feleth that folke sholde nede to do no good workes. How [ B] he calleth it euerlastyng lyfe to come, to the bare knowlege of that fayth that shall take away from vs all respecte and regarde of deseruynge any rewarde or thanke, the rather for any good wurkes. For yf men myght haue any suche respecte / then were it greate parell leste men wolde fall the more to do them. For other greate parell I se none, consy∣derynge y^• we be well taught to put no proude confydence in them, but referre all the thanke of them to god by whose helpe and grace we do them.

Now wote ye well that no good man can deny, but that for lacke of suche wurkes men shall be dampned, as Cryst sayth hym selfe in the gospell.* 1.20 And harde it were that the good nature of god beynge more redy to rewarde then to punysshe / wolde punysshe vs for the lackynge and not re¦warde [ C] vs for the hauynge / namely syth hym selfe sayth in the same gospell,* 1.21 that he shall gyue men heuen for theyr almoyse ded.

But Tyndale as he denyeth the tone, so denyeth he the tother to, and wyth some fonde glose wyll auoyde the go∣spell and all / and then goo boldely forth wyth hys fayth & boste it, and saye thys fayth and knowlege is euerlastynge lyfe. But all faythfull folke wyll saye agayne, thys fayth and knowlege ys euerlastynge deth. For thys fayth hath Luther and frere Huskyn bothe, and yet be farre from euerlastynge lyfe. For bysyde that abomynable heresye it selfe, agaynste all regarde of good wurkes / they be not a∣greed in bylyefe concernynge the sacrament of the awter / the tone byleuynge it to be very brede •• the tother no thyng loweth

ellys but brede, and false bothe twayne. And Tyndale fo∣loweth [ A] the falser of them bothe. And so thys fayth delyue∣reth them not fro lyes, besydes y^t they bothe and Tyndale wyth them, do byleue yf they lye not, that it is lawfull for monkes & freres to breke theyr vowed chastyte and runne out and wedde nonnes. whyche poynt of false fayth, ys no parte of the fundacyon that the apostles byelded vppon / but saynt Poule preched the contrary, sayeng that vowed wydowes wyllynge to wedde shold haue dampnacyon / by cause they had frustrated and broken theyr forma•• fayth,* 1.22 that is to wytte theyr fayth gyuen to god in theyr vowe of abstynence from all carnall knowlege of man / agaynste whyche fayth they wolde now wedde, and geue a seconde fayth vnto man in maryage. But now goth Tindale forth wyth hys tale, & wolde seme to proue it trew by scrypture. [ B]

Tyndale.

Cryste asked hys apostles Matth. 17. whom they toke hym for. And Peter an••wered for them all sayenge, I say that thou arte Cryste the sonne of the lyuynge god, that arte come in to thys worlde. That is, we byleue that thou arte he that was promysed vnto Abraham, shulde come and blesse vs and de¦lyuer vs. How be it Peter yet wyste not by what meanes / but now it is ope¦ned thorow out all the world, that thorow the offeryng of his body and blo••e

More.

Here is it necessary that euery wyse reder marke well & consyder, the cause and purpose of Tyndale, in bryngyng in thys confessyon of saynt Peters fayth / where he sayde thou arte Cryste the sonne of the lyuynge god, that arte co¦men [ C] into thys worlde.

ye shall vnderstande that Tyndale and hys mayster Marten and hys felowys, for as myche as they be fallen from the ryght bylyef in many great artycles of our fayth / and consyderynge that wyth such slender prouys as Tyn¦dale bryngeth for hys parte, and therto so playnely repro∣ueth, euery good crysten man y^t any care hath of hys owne soule wylbe sore afrayed to put it in iuperdye of dampna∣cyon by fallynge in any poynt from the fayth of Crystes hole catholyke chyrche, for the worde of a fonde wedded frere or any fonde felow of hys: he deuyseth here to take a waye that fere, and to make m••n byleue at the leste wyse, that so a man byleue the thynge that Peter then confessed /

[ A] it suffyseth ynough for saluacyon, though he byleue no forther artycles besyde. And thus farre suffyseth for hym, to make folke the lesse aferde to draw towarde hym. But bryngynge vs onys so farre forward / then wyll he forther for his purpose say, that not onely no man is bounden vp∣pon damnacyon to byleue any more, but that forther it is dampnable in some thynges to byleue more / and that in some thynges it neyther auayleth nor hurteth to byleue any more. And therfore it is wysdome to stay well our selfe in the begynnynge. For Tyndale sayth, as I haue in my fyrste boke shewed you, many thynges agaynst dyuerse of the sacramentes, whych he sayth is dedely synne to byleue. And here he putteth for fayth inough, the fayth that saynt Peter cōfessed. And in hys chapyter answered in my thy••d [ B] boke of thys worke, whyther the apostles lefte any thynge vnwryten that were necessary to saluacyon / there sayth he that to byleue or not byleue the assumpcyon of our lady or her perpetuall virginyte and many suche other mo, is but a bylyefe of an hystory and nothynge doth perteyne vnto saluacyon.

And hereafter in his other chapyter, how a crysten man can not erre and how he maye yet erre / in that chapyter he sayth that the very crysten men can not erre in any thynge that sholde be agaynst the promyses whyche are in Cryste / and in other thynges theyr errours be not vnto dampna∣cyon, though they be neuer so greate. wherof he by and by putteth ensample of the perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady / in the not bylyefe wherof he sayth that a man beynge ledde [ C] of ignoraunce by the wordes of the gospell, to byleue that she were not a perpetuall vyrgyne, myght in case for lacke of the contrary techynge dye in that mysse bylyefe and yet take none harme therby, bycause it hurteth not the redem∣cyon that is in Crystes bloude. For though she had none but Cryste. I am (sayth Tyndale) therfore ne••er the more saued, n••y∣ther yet the lesse though she had had / and in suche lyke an hundreth t••at p••••••∣keth not a mannes fayth from Cryste, they myghte erre and yet be neuer the lesse saued, though the contrary were wryten in the gospell.

Lo here haue I welbeloued readers, no thynge letted partely to repete agayne hys wordes wryten in hys other chapyter before, partely to anticypate hys wordes wryten in hys othe chapyter. After whyche wordes of hys I haue out of bothe places taken into thys / to the entent that all

be it I partely haue and partely shall, touch them in theyr [ A] owne proper places: yet ye sholde se the hole somme and effecte of thys tale concernynge the fayth byfore your face layed to gether. whyche he draweth in peces and pulleth into sondry partes / bycause he wolde by hys wyll fayne stele awaye from vs in the darke and leue vs wythout any playne perceyuynge of hys vngracyous mynde.

But now that I haue layed in effecte all hys hole opy∣nyon together as towchynge the fayth (sauyng hys onely dyfference and dyuysyon of hystorycall fayth and felynge fayth, which I shall reserue vnto hys proper place) I shall a lytell examyne thys fayth of his, that ye may loke theron in the lyght, and se whyther it be suffycyent for your salua¦cyon or not.

Fyrste in thys fayth that saynt Peter confessed is neuer [ B] a worde of purgatory.

Now dowte I not but that Tyndale when he redeth thys worde, wyll well and merely laugh therat, and saye no more there nedeth. For that fayth wyll he saye wyll put out and quenche the fyre of purgatory clene.

Then wyll we aske hym how wyll he laugh at the fyre of hell / for of that fyre is there no thynge spoken in that cō¦fessyon neyther, but that he myghte for all that confessyon wene well inough that there were none hell. If Tyndale wyll saye nay / for he muste nedes byleue that the thynge from whyche Cryste the sonne of the lyuynge god was co∣men into the worlde to redeme mankynde, muste nedes be hell / and that therfore Peters confessyon includeth of ne∣cessyte y^• bylyefe of hell: I answere Tyndale agayne that [ C] therin was no necessyte. For Peter myghte byleue at that tyme for any worde that was in hys confessyon, that Cry∣stes comynge was onely to redeme vs not from hell but from the losse of heuyn / from whyche he myght thynke per¦aduenture that all mankynde were bannysshed vnto suche a place as was Limbus patrum though out of payne, yet sus∣pyrynge and syghynge after the syghte of god and ioy of heuen / and into suche estate as chyldren lyue in that dye vnbaptysed. whyche though they entre not heuyn, bycause they dye the chyldren of wrath vnreconcyled: yet the mer∣cyfull anger of god dreueth them not downe into sensyble payne and to the felynge of the infernall fyre.

Thys fayth myghte perad••enture s••ynte Peter haue,

[ A] for any thynge spoken of in his confessed fayth / ye and myghte haue therwyth also a bylyefe, that for actuall syn∣nes men were punysshed after thys lyfe some lesse whyle some lenger, and yet none euerlastyngly / but euery man at length brought vnto peace and reste though neuer no man to the blesse of heuen, but onely by crystes commyng. And thus myghte saynte Peter haue rather a bylyefe of purga¦tory then of hell, for any worde mencyoned in hys confes∣syon, wherin he confesseth not the bylyefe of eyther other. Saynte Peter also nothynge there confessed of Crystes passyon, descencyon into hell, resurreccyon, nor of hys as∣censyon / whyche thynges be not onely pryncypall poyntes of our fayth, but also some such as goddes promyse specy∣ally dependeth vppon.

[ B] Unto whyche promyses Tyndale restrayneth all our necessary fayth. How be it of trouth Tyndale restrayneth ••t therin to sore. For then we be not bounden to byleue that the holy goste were equale with y^e father and the sonne, for y^t was no promyse made vnto vs. And yet are we boun∣den to byleue that trewth, wherof is also nothynge spo∣ken in Peters confessed fayth.

Therfore yt wyll be very harde (yf impossyble be hard) for Tyndale to sustayne that the fayth whyche saynte Pe∣ter confessed than, were suffycyent to serue euery cryst••n man now. And therfore lette no man take any boldenesse vppon Tyndales tale, to thynke as he wolde haue hym, that onely the thynge that Peter there confessed were inough now to byleue / and that in all other thynges that [ C] the chyrch byleueth, whyche Cryste and hys holy spyryte haue taught hys chyrch synnes, were but thynges indyffe¦rent, & no thyng forced whyther they were byleued or not.

Tyndale shall be constrayned to come to thys euyn by hys owne wordes, all be it that he affermeth for faste and sure somewhat more then he maye make good•• For he sayth that Peter ment by his wordes / we byleue that thou arte he that was promysed vnto Abraam, sholde come and blesse vs and delyuer vs. And yet he sayth, Peter wyste not by what meanes Cryste sholde delyuer vs. But nowe it is open he sayth thorow out all the worlde, that thorow the offerynge of hys body and bloude.

Now yf Peter at that tyme knewe not the thynge that muste now nedes be byleued, vppon payne of damnacion:

ye maye therby se that the fayth whyche Peter confessed [ A] then, is not inough now for euery man to be saued by / but we be bounden to the bylyefe also of such thynges as god hath reueled and made open to be byleued vnto hys chyr∣che any tyme synnes. Or ellys muste Tyndale tell vs at what tyme god bade ho, and gaue vs leue to byleue hym no ferther, what so euer he wolde ferther saye to vs.

Consyder yet also that Tyndale agreeth, that the very trew crysten of hys electe vnknowen chyrche / do byleue the artycle of the perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady as soon as they be taught it, and knowledge theyr formar errour / wherby he graunteth that he whyche doth not so is no••e of the electes. Then saye I that theruppon it foloweth by hys owne wordes, that the artycle of the perpetuall virgi¦nyte of our lady is a necessary artycle of our fayth. [ B]

And thus alwaye muste Tyndale vppon hys owne wordes, confesse that all the artycles reueled ferther by Cryste vnto hys chyrche, muste be byleued as fermely as the fayth taat was by Peter confessed / or ellys we be not onely dyscharged of the bylyefe of our ladyes perpetuall vyrginyte, whyche Tyndale is now yet broughte vnware to graunte for an artycle necessary syth it is now taught and knowen / but also of the bylyefe of Crystes deth, des∣cencyon, resurreccyon, ascencyon, and of the godhed of the holy goste, wyth dyuerse other necessary poyntes mo.

But here it is to be consydered, that saynte Peter in cō∣fessynge Cryste to be the sonne of the lyuynge god / dyd cō∣fesse the very poynte wheruppon all the hole fayth han∣geth. For in that poynte alone he confesseth that all hys [ C] doctryne muste nedes be byleued for trew, and all hys cō∣maundementes fulfylled. And theruppon it foloweth fer∣ther, that syth Tyndale wyll byleue no more of hys doc∣tryne then he can fynde wryten in the scrypture,* 1.23 where as the scrypture it selfe sayth that all was neuer wryten / nor wyll not also byleue and obaye Crystes chyrch accordyng to Crystes commaundement / nor wyll not so myche as knowe it,* 1.24 * 1.25 but fondely frameth an vnknowen, whom he for lacke of knowledge can neyther byleue nor obaye: yt foloweth I saye that Tyndale byleueth no pece of the fayth that saynte Peter confessed. And so he doth but pra∣tle and prate of felynge fayth, wythout the felynge of any fayth at all, or any trewe bylyefe hystorycall or other.

[ A] And yet goth he forth in the boste of that artycle of the fayth, whiche as hym selfe confesseth was out of Peter his confessyon. For he sayth that saynt Peter was not ware of Crystes passyon when he made that confessyon.

Tyndale.

That offerynge of Crystes body and bloude, is a satisfaccyon for the synne of all that repente, and a purchasynge of what so euer they can aske to kepe them in fauour, and that they synne no more.

More.

Treuth is it that the passyon of Cryste and offerynge vp of hym selfe vnto hys father vppon the crosse, is a satys¦faccyon for the synne of all that repente / so that we repente a ryght and effectually, by confessyon, contrycyon, and by [ B] penytencyall dedes / reuengynge our synnes vppon our selfe wyth good workes of cheryte, y^e more largely encrea∣ced towarde our neyghbours, doynge frutefull penaunce, bryngynge forth the frutes of penaunce, and accordynge to the coūsayle of saynt Iohn̄ Baptyst,* 1.26 not sleyght frutes, symple, and syngle, but frutes good, greate, and worthy / and yet not of them selfe worthy, but suche as the satysfac¦cyon of Cryste maketh worthy, wythout whyche we coude no thynge satysfye / but wyth whyche we maye, syth hys pleasure is that we so sholde, and not so take his deth for so full satysfaccyon of all to gether, that we sholde therfore be carelesse and slouthfull to do any penaunce our selfe for our owne synne.

Tyndale wyll saye to thys that he can be content, that [ C] we sholde do good dedes but not by waye of penaunce for our synne / and that we sholde somtyme fast and otherwyse afflycte our fleshe, to the entent to tame our fleshe agaynst the synne to come / but nothynge to punyshe it the more for any synne that is paste.

Now is thys teachynge of Tyndale myche lyke, as thoughe he wolde aduyse vs, be neuer the better by∣cause thou haste be noughte, do neuer the better bycause thou haste done euyll, runne neuer y^• faster forth in vertue, bycause thou haste longe sytten styll in synne.

But saynt Poule agaynst Tyndals doctrine, ran forth the faster bycause he began later, and toke the more payne for the fayth, bycause he had ben a persecutour of y^• fayth. And though he neuer thought thus, yf I hadde ben soner

conuerted I wolde haue done lesse good: yet had he thys [ A] mynde, that bycause he began so late he wold do y^• more / & bycause he had ben bad,* 1.27 he wolde be the better / as hym self counsayleth other, as ye haue exhybyted and gyuen your membres to serue vncl••nes and iniquyte, from iniquite to iniquite / so now agayne exhibyte and gyue your membres to serue ryghteousnes, that ye maye be sanctyfyed.

Tyndale.

And Cryste answered vppon thys rocke I wyll byelde my congregacyon / that is vppon thys fayth. And agaynst the rocke of this fayth, can no synne, no hell, no deuyll, no lyes, none errour preuayle. ••or what so euer any man hath commytted / yf he repente and come to thys rocke he is safe. And that thys fayth is the onely waye by the whyche the chyrche goeth vnto god, and vnto the enherytaunce of all hys rychesse / testyfye all the apostles and prophetes, and all the scrypture wyth sygnes and myracles, and all the bloud [ B] of martyrs. And who so euer go to god and to forgyuenesse of synnes or salua∣cyon by any other way then thys / the same is an heretyke out of the ryghte waye, and not of Crystes chyrche.

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Lo these wordes of Tyndale seme very gaye and glo∣ryouse. But when ye shall well examyne them / as gaye as the hed glytereth wyth the pretexte of Crystes owne holy wordes, yet shall ye fynde the tayle of hys tale as poysened as any serpent. For where he bosteth and sayth, Agaynst the rocke of this fayth can no synne, no hell, no deuyll, no lyes, nor none errour pre∣uayle / for what so euer synne any man hath commytted, yf he repent and come to thys rocke he is safe: ye maye not forgete that he meaneth all way, that he whyche repenteth and cometh to the rocke of thys fayth is safe for all hys synnes, wythout confessyon [ C] or any endeuour thorow good workes towarde satysfac∣cyon / and so hys hole tale is a false heresye.

ye shall also consyder that hys tale hangeth euyll to ge∣ther / and the wordes by whyche he proueth that agaynste the rocke of thys fayth, there can no synne, nor no deuyll, nor none errour, preuayle, do not proue that poynte no thynge at all. For though it were trewe that he sayth, that what so euer synne a man haue commytted, yf he repente & come to the rocke of thys fayth he is saufe: yet myght the deuyll preuayle agaynst the rocke of y^• fayth / syth it myght be that the deuyll myght brynge a man hauyng that fayth in to a dedely synne that he sholde happely neuer repente. And therfore yf Tyndale wyll bost that the deuyll can not

[ A] in any person preuayle agaynste the rocke of that fayth / but that the rocke of that fayth shall saue any man y^t onys geteth vp theron: he maye not set If nor And therunto / but he must tell vs then, that eyther who so stande vppon that rocke shall not synne at all, or ellys that he shall be sure to repente hys synne, or fynally that synne he neuer so faste he shall be saufe inough whether he repente or not. For ellys may the deuyll preuayle agaynst y^• rocke of that fayth, by bryngynge a man that standeth on it in to mortall synne whyche he shall neuer repent.

In lyke wyse where he sayth that none errour can pre∣uayle agaynst y^• rocke of this fayth, that saynt Peter there confessed: I wolde fayne wyt whyther he meane that who so euer onys byleue it, can neuer fall fro that bylyefe, nor [ B] by any errour byleue the contrary / or els that a man maye fall fro it by errour / but then yf he repente and returne a∣gayne therto he shall be saufe. If he meane in the fyrst ma¦ner, he muste then put away his If / and not saye yf he re∣pente hys errour and retourne agayne to the rocke of that fayth, then he shall be saufe / for as mych as by that mea∣nyng he shall neuer fall in errour, and therfore shall neuer nede to repente. But then mu••••e he proue vs by scrypture that pryuylege gyuen of god to euery man that hath onys goten that fayth / whych poynt he shall neuer proue whyle he lyueth, but that a man that hath it, maye by hys owne defaut, malyce, or neclygence, eyther at the instygacyon of the deuyll, or of suche heretykes as are warse then the de∣uyll, fall agayne therfro / as many hath done ere thys that [ C] onys byleued full ryght, tyll the spyryte of pryde, enuy, and malyce, blowen into theyr hartes by the deuyll or the de∣uyls instrumentes, haue brought them in to the wronge.

Now yf he meane in the secunde maner, that is to saye that a man whyche hath that fayth may fall therfro / but for all that the gatys of hell can not preuayle agaynst any man that onys hath it, bycause he that falleth from it shall be saufe yf he repente hys errour and retourne agayn to it: yf he meane thus he sayth nothynge to purpose, excepte he saye whyche he shall neuer proue, that who so haue it and fall from it, shall be sure that he shall repente and retourne agayne / for ellys the gates of hell may preuayle agaynste hym for lacke of repentynge and retournynge.

And then yet forther, yf he saye whyche he shall neuer

proue that who so euer onys haue that fayth, yf he fall frō [ A] it shall be sure to repente and retourne agayne•• and so shall be saufe by repentynge: he muste then as I sayde before put awaye hys If / and not say yf he repente, but he muste saye boldely that he surely shall repente and retourne, and so by repentynge and fayth be saued.

And thus good reders ye se that thys man fareth as one that walked barefote vppon a felde full of thornys, that woteth not where to trede.

I wolde be very loth to myssetake hym, or wyllyngly to lette passe and dyssymule any sense that he myghte meane in hys owne wordes, by whyche hys sayenge myght be sa∣ued and be borne. But in good fayth, I se no ferther thyng that he myght po••syble meane in hys wordes, y^• hell gates shall not preuayle agaynst the roche of that fayth, but this [ B] that I haue all redy shewed you / syth he meneth it of eue∣ry man, that hell gates shall not preuayle agaynst y^e rocke of that fayth in any man / excepte he wolde meane that a man may fall from that fayth, and neuer after repente nor turne agayne / but yet the gates of hell can not preuayle agaynste the rocke of that fayth, bycause a man can not synne all the whyle he kepeth that fayth. And yf he meane so / yet sayth he then as false as any thyng can be false. For saynt Poule sayth playnely,* 1.28 that he maye kepe fayth and yet fall from cheryte. whyche thyng yf Tyndale glose and say, that then hys fayth is dede, & a dede fayth is no fayth / and that therfore whyle he kepeth fayth he can not synne, bycause that when he synneth he kylleth hys fayth: I an∣swere that though fayth by synne wax dede, it waxeth not [ C] dede in the nature of fayth or bylyefe / no more then y^• soule that dyeth by dedely synne, waxeth dede in y^• nature of the soule, but is a quycke soule styll as he was before, though he be oute of grace / as the dede fayth is out of the lyuely workes of cheryte,* 1.29 and is as saynt Poule sayed of wantō wydowes, that the wydow which lyueth in delyces is dede euen whyle she lyueth.

But now yf he meane but so, that fayth is so stronge of it selfe for our saluacyon, that synne nor errour can not pre¦uayle agaynste it, bycause fayth wyll alwaye preuayle a∣gaynste them tyll some of them entre in and kyll it: thys were a goodly boste of hym to saye, that the chyrch be non•• but electes, and all that be electes haue the ryght bylyefe

[ A] whyche saynt Peter confessed / and they maye be bolde and sure that they whyche haue that fayth be goddes electes, and in hys fauour, and euer shalbe by reason of that fayth. For Cryste sayed that vppon the rocke, that is to wyt vp∣pon that fayth he wolde byelde hys chyrch, & that agaynst the rocke of this fayth the gates of hell shall not preuayle, that is to saye agaynste this fayth can no synne, no hell, no deuyll, no lyes, no errour preuayle / for there shall no synne nor no errour preuayle agaynste thys fayth but yf it kyll thys fayth. Tyndale to put a man in ••uerty of heuen by y^• strength of fayth, in thys facyon that none errour shall pre¦uayle agaynste fayth, as longe as the fayth preuayleth a∣gaynste it, nor tyll the fayth be the febler and be ouercomē and kylled: doth myche lyke as though he wolde saye to [ B] you, be bolde I warraunt you & fere no deth, for you haue lyfe in you / & as longe as your lyfe lasteth you can neuer be dede / and lyke wyse as longe as ye kepe the trew fayth ye can neuer be false heretykes / nor as longe as ye stande styll in the state of saluacyon ye can neuer be dampned. Here were a goodly tale were it not? And syth that neyther thys may serue hym nor any that I haue towched before / and vtterly I can not diuine what he myghte mene ellys, takynge the waye y^t he taketh, in swaruyng fro the knowē catholyke chyrche vnto hys vnknowen chyrche of electes, whom he calleth all repentaunt synners that byleue the fayth that saynt Peter confessed: I can not perceyue nor I trowe no man ellys, but that hys wordes wyll euyll stande to gether.

[ C] And yet when he hath thus wysely handeled it / then as though the mater were well and suffycyently proued, goth he forth wyth the boste and sayth.

Tyndale.

That thys fayth is the onely waye, by the whyche the chyrche of Cryste goth vnto god, and vnto the enherytaunce of all rychesse / testyfye all the a∣postles, and prophetes, and all the scrypture, wyth sygnes and myracles, and all the bloude of martyrs. And who so euer goth vnto god and forgyuenesse of synnes or saluacyon, by any other way then thys / the same is an heretyke out of the ryght waye and not of Crystes chyrche.

More.

Lo here be lusty hyghe wordes eyther false or ellys of lytell effecte. For yf he meane that no man may go to salua¦cyon by any other thynge, wythout thys fayth that ••aynte

Peter professed / then be they trew. But then are they to no [ A] purpose spoken, nor haue no place in thys mater, in which he reproueth the knowen chyrch, in that they go by confes∣syon, contrycyon, workes of penaunce, & workes of mercy, towarde the remyssyon of the dette of theyr payne and sa∣tysfaccyon. For hym selfe can not saye naye, but that we do all agre that wyth all that euer we can do, we can not gete forth one ynche to heuenward, without the fayth that saynt Peter confessed.

Now yf he meane not that waye, but that we be playne heretykes and oute of Crystes chyrche, yf hauynge that fayth that saynte Peter confessed, we go to heuenwarde wyth any other thyng bysyde then testyfye all the apostles and prophetes, and all the scrypture and sygnes and myra¦cles, & all the bloude of martyrs: then Tyndale is a starke [ B] heretyke in so sayenge. For all these wyll testyfye, that we muste byleue many thynges more then saynte Peter dyde there confesse / or ellys we shall not onely be dyscharged of byleuynge the sacramentes of penaunce, confyrmacyon, extreme vnccyō, order, and matrymony / but baptysme also and the sacrament of the aulter to. For of none of all these dyd saynt Peter make any mencion in his cōfessyon there / nor so myche as of Crystes deth neyther, wherof as Tyn∣dale sayth he had at that tyme no knowlege. So that in Tyndales affermynge that the onely fayth there by Peter confessed, is suffycyent and the onely waye to heuyn: we shall haue Tyndale hym selfe to testyfye y^• Tyndale hym selfe sayth vntrewe.

yet wolde I fayne in good fayth fynde and brynge it [ C] forth, yf I coulde any thyng ymagine, that he myght seme to mene ryght / nor neuer wyll I wyttyngly for the prefer∣ment of my part, cōstrue myne aduersaryes wordes wrōg. And therfore, what yf we myghte vnderstande Tyndale thus, as though he ment that the fayth there confessed by Peter is for euery man suffycient / bycause that who so by∣leue that Cryste is the sonne of the lyuynge god, it can not be but that he shall byleue also that he is trewe in all hys wordes / and therfore he that so byleueth can not fayle to byleue therwyth / all that euer Cryst shall teche hym.

All be it that thys wyll not very fully serue hym, and also hym selfe speketh no thynge of it: yet is this as helpe me god the best glose that I can deuyse for hym. But now

[ A] doth hym selfe caste awaye thys defence / when he sayth in the seconde chapyter folowynge, that there is none errour noysome, but yf it be agaynste the promyses / so that in all other thynges he graunteth and affermeth playnely by ex∣presse wordes y^t a man may erre wythout any parell, euyn though that the trouth contrary to hys errour be wryten in holy scrypture, w••••che is a meruelouse worde in myne ere. For by thys ye may se, that he agreeth that a man may byleue y^t Cryst is goddes sonne, & yet byleue the contrary of some thynges that Cryste shall tell hym, though he tell it hym in scrypture. And therfore he wyll ye se well none of my glose, bycause he wyll not stande in my daynger for it.

And in dede, all be it hym selfe shall for hym selfe neuer fynde a better / yet myne wyll not suffycyently serue hym [ B] neyther. For a man myght byleue that Cryste were goddes sonne, and therby byleue also all that Cryste wolde teche hym. But yet myghte it be that he wolde byleue no more, then those thynges onely that Cryste wolde teche hym per¦sonally present wyth hym by his owne mouth. For though he byleued that Cryste were goddes sonne, and wolde by∣leue therfore all that he wolde tell hym: yet myghte he for all that mystruste and not byleue all other men, that wolde eyther in word or wrytyng tell hym a tale as tolde to them by Crystes owne mouth. ye & this myght he do, all though they preued it wyth myracles / yf he were of Tyndals sto∣make, that can as the Iewys coulde,* 1.30 ascrybe goddes my∣racles to Belzabub, and call goddes hygh meruelouse wor¦kes illusyons and wonders of the deuyll / as he calleth all [ C] the myracles wrought by god in hys chyrche synnes the apostles dayes.

Thys myghte one do that byleued Cryste to be goddes sonne, and to haue redemed vs also by his bloud. And this doth in dede both Tyndale & Marten hys mayster, which byleue of Crystes wordes no more then is wryten / nor of the wryten wordes no more then they lyste / and the rema∣naunt but as they lyste, syth they draw them to what sense they lyste, agaynste all the olde holy doctours, and all the chyrche of Cryst. And thus it appereth y^t neyther my glose nor any glose ellys, can saue Tyndals tale from playne pestylent heresye / bothe in that he sayth there nedeth no more to be byleued, and also in that he sayth that the by∣lyefe alone is suffycyente for saluacyon / and that yt

is heresye to saye that bysyde the bylyefe, any man vnto [ A] saluacyon shold nede any thynge ellys. For though he put in for shame repentaunce therunto, wyth Iffes as ye se: yet shall ye perceyue as well in hys chapyters folowynge, as in thys same chapyter after, that he putteth fayth alone for suffycyent, and repentaunce as a shadowe that neuer can but folowe it. And yet all hys thynges euer so dar∣kely, that he wolde fayne leue hym selfe some startynge hole.

But surely yt ys harde for hym to starte out fro these playne wordes of hys owne: who so euer go to god by any other waye, then thys fayth that saynte Peter confessed / the same is an heretyke out of the ryght waye, and not of Crystes chyrche. For thys is no more to saye, but who so euer bysyde the bare bylyefe, wyth as bare repentynge, adde confessyon, or for synne punysshe hym [ B] selfe by penaunce, or doth the better after bycause he hath done euyll byfore, and hopeth that god shall eyther re∣warde hym the more, or haue the more mercy on hym, or in purgatory punysshe hym the lesse: he is a starke here∣tyke. And of trouth so he is in dede yf thys false tale be trewe / and all trewe men, and all holy sayntes, and all holy scrypture false.

But now gothe he forthe, not in the profe but in the prayse, and sayth.

Tyndale.

For thys knowlege maketh me a man of the chyrche.

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whyche knowledge? the knowledge that a man nedeth no mo artycles in hys fayth now, then saynt Peter confes∣seth [ C] then? and that he maye not bysyde repentaunce and bylyefe, vse any other waye to heuen / that is to wytte he maye not therwythall, vse as a waye to heuen or to remys∣syon, any sacramentall shryfte, or penytencyall workes, or dedes of cheryte towarde satysfaccyon? The knowledge of thys fayth maketh Tyndale a man of the chyrche as he sayth. But of whyche chyrche trowe ye? truely not of the chyrch of Cryste, whych bysyde that fayth hath instytuted y^e fayth in his blessed sacramentes & dyuers other artycles besyde / & which hath playnely declared y^t all be it y^e know∣lege of hym & hys pleasure by fayth, be such a way toward heuen, y^t without it we cā not come thyther: yet if we ioyne not to y^• knowlege good dedes or purpose of good workes

[ A] neyther can that knowlege nor repentaunce neyther serue vs for a suffycyent waye to heuen. And therfore Tyndale is not by thys knowlege made a man of Crystes trewe chyrche / but syth he is content wyth the bare knowledge and setteth all good workes at so short, he is made therby a man of the false chyrch of the deuyll, that is a lyar hym¦selfe and father of all suche lyars.

Tyndale.

The chyrche is Crystes body Collos••. 1. And euery person of the chyrche is a member of Cryste. Ephe. 5. Now it is no member of Cryste, that hath not Crystes spyryte in it / as it is no parte of me nor member of my body, wherin my soule is not present and quyckeneth it. And then yf a man be none of Cry¦stes, he is not of the chyrche.

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[ B] Here Tyndale runneth in iuglynge, by equyuocacyon of thys worde chyrche. For where as hym selfe hath byfore thys tyme, confessed in wrytyng in thys same boke to whi∣che I answere now, that the chyrch in many places of holy scrypture is the hole multytude that professe the fayth of Cryste, whyther they be good or badde: here he fareth as though there were no man of the chyrche, but onely good folke alone in whom is the spyryte of Cryste / wyth an en∣sample put of the body, hauyng some dede parte hangyng theron, wherin were not the soule to quycken it and gyue it lyfe, whyche therfore he sayth is no parte of the body. But he forgeteth that somtyme there is some member a∣stoyned and lacketh bothe lyfe and felynge / whyche yet by the reason that it is not clene cut of and caste awaye, recey∣ueth [ C] after lyfe and felynge agayne / as many a dedely syn∣ner doth in the body of Crystes chyrche take lyfe agayne, that hath in synne lyen full longe dede.

But now is he yet of thys mynde, that the fayth whych hym selfe hath descrybed, is the thynge that it onys goten and hadde of any man / kepeth in the spyryte of god so fast in hys harte, that he ys surely a quycke member of the chyr¦che that ys Crystes body / and that he can not lese that fayth nor that spyryte at any tyme after that he hath onys goten it / so that he haue it as he sayth in another chapyter after, felyngly and not onely hystorycally.

And who so euer haue not the fayth that he descrybeth hym, he rekeneth for an heretyke / and onely hys fayth for the trew, and the byleuers therof for the trew chyrche.

Now hys fayth haue ye herde often inough, that onely [ A] fayth suffyseth or at the leste wyse wyth repentynge / & that shryfte or penaunce toward heuen, or remyssyon of synnes is heresye / and that to wurshyppe the blessed sacrament of the aulter is dyshonour to god / and that there is no purga¦tory / and that frerys maye well & laufully wedde nonnes / and a greate rable of suche deuelysshe heresyes mo, of such maner suit and sort, that as our sauyour sayed vnto saynt Peter at the confessyon of hys fayth,* 1.31 Thou arte blessed Symon the sonne of Ionas, For flesshe and bloude hath not reueled thys vnto the, but my father that is in heuyn: so wyll he saye to Tyndale, for confessynge of thys false fayth of his: Thou art accursed Tyndale the sonne of the deuyll / for neyther fleshe nor bloude hath taught the these heresyes / but thyn owne father the deuyll that is in hell. [ B] And thus well hath he quytte hym in thys chapyter.

Here endeth the confutacyon of thys chapyter of Tyndale, whyther the chyrche can erre.

Here foloweth the next chapyter of Tyndale, in which he sayth that a trew member of Crystes chyrche synneth not, and that he ys yet a synner.

Tyndale.

How a trewe member of Crys••es chyrche synneth not, and how he ys yet a synner.

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NOwe come we to the specyall poynte [ C] wherin Tindale gyueth vs a glorious demonstracyon of hys excellent hygh wytte and lernynge, farre surmoun∣tyng the capacyte of pore popyshe men to perceyue, how it myghte be possyble that any man synneth not and yet for all that synneth all waye styll. But to the entent that Tyn∣dale shall haue no cause to saye y^t I deface hys gay goodly tale, by manglynge of hys mater and rehersynge hym by patchys and pecys: ye shall fyrst concernynge thys poynt here all hys hole chapyter to gether, wythout any worde of hys eyther omytted or chaunged / and after shall we con¦syder & examyne y^• partes. These are therfore hys wordes.

[ A] Tyndale.

Ferthermore, he that hath thys fayth can not synne / and therfore he can not be deceyued with dampnable errours. For by thys fayth we be (as I say••e) borne of god. Now he that is borne of god can not synne, for his seed dw••••••e••h in hym / and he can not therfore synne by cause he is borne of god. I. Iohn̄. ••. whyche seed is the holy goste that kepeth a mans herte from consentynge vnto synne. And therfore it is a fals conclusyō that mayster More hol••eth, how that a man maye haue a ryght fayth ioyned with all kynd••s of abomy¦na••yon and synne. And yet ••uery member of Crystes congregacyon is a syn∣ner and synneth dayly, some more and some lesse. For it is wryten. 1. Iohn̄. 1. yf we saye we haue no synne we deceyue our selues, and the trewth is not in vs. And agayne yf we saye we haue not synned, we make hym a lyar and ••••s worde is not in vs. And Paule Roma. 7. sayth that good which I w••••••e that do I not / but that euyll whych I wolde not that do I. So it is not I t••••t [ B] do it (sayth he) but synne that dwelleth in me. Thus are we synners and no synners. No synners yf thou loke vnto the professyon of our hartes tow••••••e the lawe of god, on our repentaunce and sorowe that we haue, bothe bycause we haue synned and also bycause we be yet full of sinne styll, and vnto the p••o¦mises of mercy in our sauyour Cryst and vnto fayth. Synners are we yf t••••u loke vnto the frayltye of our flesshe, whyche is as the weaknesse of one t••••t is newly recouered out of a greate dysease / by the reason wherof our de••es are imperfecte, and by the reason wherof also, when occasyons be great we fall into hor••yble dedes / and the frute of the synne whych remayneth in our mē∣bres breake••h out. Notwythstandynge yet the spyryte leaueth vs not, but rebuketh vs and bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our possession / so that we neuer caste of the yoke of god from our neckes, neyther ye••••e vp our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnto synne for to serue it, but fyghte afreshe and begynne a new batay••e.

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[ C] Lo now ye haue herde hys hole holy sermon to gether, by whyche he teacheth vs that a trew member of Crystes chyrche doth both euer synne and neuer synne. But as for the tone parte, that the trew membres of Cryste do synne / we shall not mych trouble hym wyth the profe (All be it in that he sayth that euery trewe member synneth and euer synneth, as he sayth in mo places thē one: yf he take synne for actuall synne as he muste here take yt, or ellys he spe∣keth lytell to the purpose / men myghte peraduenture lay a blocke or twayne in hys waye, that wolde breke hys shyn∣nes ere he lepte ouer it) But lettynge that parte passe / lette vs se how he proueth the tother, that a trew member of Cri¦stes chyrch synneth not. Lo thus he proueth it.

Tyndale. [ A]

Forthermore he that hath this fayth can not synne, and therfore can not be deceyued wyth damnable errours.

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Here he telleth vs that no member of the electe chyrche of hys fayth can be deceyued wyth any damnable errour / and proueth it by that none of thē can synne. And in dede it foloweth, he can not synne, ergo he can not be damnably deceyued, syth euery damnable errour is synne. But now let vs se how he proueth hys antecedent, that no man ha∣uynge that fayth can synne. He proueth it thus.

Tyndale.

For by thys fayth we be borne of god. Now he that is borne of god can not synne, for his seed dwelleth in hym / and he can not therfore synne, bycause he is borne of god, the .3. chapiter of the fyrste epystle of Iohn̄. whyche seed is [ B] the holy goste that kepys a mannes harte from consentynge to synne. And therfore it is a false conclusyon that M. More holdeth, that a man maye haue a ryght fayth ioyned wyth all kyndes of abomynacyon and synne.

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Consyder now good reader, that Tyndale telleth vs here thre thynges, to proue therby that who so gete onys the fayth that saynt Peter confessed can neuer synne after.

The fyrste is, that by that fayth we be borne of god. The seconde is, that who so is borne of god, hath the seed of god in hym.

The thyrde is, that who so haue the seed of god in hym, can not synne.

Uppon these thre he concludeth, that who so gete onys that fayth can neuer synne after. [ C]

Let vs now consyder the fyrste, where he sayth that by fayth we be borne of god. And therin dare we be bolde to tell hym, that though it be trew that by fayth we be borne of god as he now sayth: yet is it false that by onely fayth we be borne of god / as he falsely meaneth, and in many pla¦ces as falsely for trouth affermeth, where he wolde make vs wene that bycause we be borne of god and become hys chyldren by fayth, we were therfore borne of god by onely fayth. As wysely as yf he wolde saye, that bycause he was bygotten by hys father / he was therfore bygotten of hys father onely wythout any mother.

And thys hys foly hym selfe so well perceyueth, that in many places he laboreth to couer it wyth sophystycacyon,

[ A] in vsynge thys worde fayth for fayth and hope to gyther, ye and somtyme for cheryte therwyth also / and then wolde make vs wene wyth suche wyse iuglynge, that fayth alone were fayth, hope, and cherite all thre to geder, bycause that ellys the fayth were but dede. And therin vseth hym selfe as wysely, as yf he wolde saye that the body alone eteth, drynketh, walketh, byleueth, loueth, and all to gether. And when hys foly were reproued / wolde then saye that he cal∣led the body alone the body wyth the soule therin, bycause the body without y^e soule were but a dede body that coulde no thynge do.

And thus ye se that ye shall not nede to be deceyued by hys fyrste poynt, that we be borne of god by fayth.

Hys seconde poynt is, that euery man beynge borne of [ B] god hath the seed of god dwellyng in hym. I wyll not here contende wyth hym, whyther the seed of god that dwelleth in the chyldern of god, be the holy goste, or the fayth, or the grace of god / nor in what wyse god and hys holy spyryte dwellen in good folke. But lettynge suche dysputacyons passe / thys wyll I saye, that yf the seed of fayth beynge onely fayth abyde in hym, it is not a thynge that shall so surely kepe hym frō synne, but that he maye synne dedely, and the seed of suche fayth stande styll wyth his synne / and the man for all the seed of suche fayth dwellynge in hym, may be by synne the chylde of the deuyll, and so maye dye and go to the deuyll••

But yet ys the seed of fayth alone, that is to saye the by¦lyefe alone, a very greate occasyon of retournynge to god at hys callynge agayne by the offer of hys grace, and ther∣by [ C] to gete agayne bothe holsome hope and cheryte. But not so great an occasion therof, but that the man may kepe styll hys fayth and hys bylyefe alone, and wythout hope or cheryte eyther, by malyce or neglygence fyrste fall to synne, and after contynue styll in synne, and refuse y^e grace of god yf he wyll / as well as the deuyll dyd in the begyn∣nynge, and so doth euer styll, and wyll do styll in hell as longe as god dwelleth in heuen.

Now yf the seed of god in the crysten man, be ment hys grace by whyche men come to fayth, hope, and cheryte and do good workes wythall, not wythout the consent and ap∣plyeng of theyr owne fre wylles therto / such folke as haue vse of reason workynge wyth god for theyr pore parte to∣warde

theyr owne saluacyon, wyth the instrument y^t god [ A] of hys onely goodnesse hath made and gyuen them ther∣unto / yf he meane that thys seed of goddes grace dwelleth styll in man, to kepe hym from fallynge to synne: I saye that it is very trew, as longe as man wyll cleue therunto & let his owne wyll worke therwith. But whē so euer he wyll withdraw his owne wyll therfro, to folowe the world, the flesshe, or the deuyll: then lyke as his wyll departeth from grace, so doth ordinarily y^e seed of grace depart out of him.

Now yf he meane by the seed of god, that the spyryte of god dwelleth in the Crysten man by any other specyall ma¦ner of dwellynge, aboue such dwellyng as he dwelleth in other men by hys power and presence of hys godhed, then onely by his fauour & grace / which other speciall maner yf Tyndale meane any such, I can not cōceyue, syth I make [ B] my selfe sure that he meaneth no suche dwellynge in vnyte of person, as the seconde person of y^e godhed dwelleth with the manhode of Cryste: yet yf he deuyse and meane any other maner of dwellynge, by whyche the spyryte of god dwelleth wyth the faythfull man, I say that the spyryte dwelleth in hym and helpeth hym to contynue suche as longe as the man wyll by the applyenge of hys owne wyll contynue wyth the spyryte. But I saye that the man may by the frowardnesse of hys fre wyll, at the mocyon of the flesshe, or instygacyon of the deuyll, or entycement of y^e worlde, hys fayth remaynynge / fall from cheryte, and put the spyryt from hym.* 1.32 As dyd the peple of Gerasens, which seynge Crystes myracle wrought vppon the madde man, out of whom he dyd caste the deuyll, bycause he draue the [ C] deuyll into theyr hoggys and therby draue theyr hoggys into the se / though well they perceyue what a myghty lord he was and of what goodnes to, in that they saw hym de∣lyuer the man from the legyon of deuyls, and therfore lo∣ued hym somwhat of lykelyhed, and wolde haue ben glad to haue had hym dwell styll wyth them: yet ferynge that by the castynge out of mo deuyls they myghte afterwarde happely lese mo of theyr hogges, they prayed hym cour∣teysely to gete hym quykly thense.

yet god, when man hath put hym out of hys dwellyng / doth of hys great goodnesse not alwayes vtterly leue hym for hys vnkyndnesse / but though yf the man dye ere god come in agayne, god shall of iustyce for hys vnkyndnesse

[ A] houeth styll about y^e dore of his harte, alway knockyng vp¦pon hym to be by the fre wyll of man let in with his grace into the howse of mānes harte agayn / accordyng to y^e wor∣des of our sauyour in the Apocalipse, where he sayth, I stande at the dore knockyng.* 1.33 How be it a man may be so froward & obstynate in synne, & when he hath expelled god out of his hart, may dreue hym with synne vpon sinne and dispyghtfull cyrcūstaūces so farre of fro the dore, as some of these heretykes do (which in dispyght of vertuouse vo∣wes of chastyte, rūne out & wedde nōnes & lyue in lechery / and in dispyght of y^• lenton faste, eate flesh vpon good fry∣day / and in dyspyght of the blessed sacramētes of y^e awter, cast the precyous body of Cryst out of the pyx) y^• god shall iustely for y^e hougenes of theyr abominaciō withdraw hym [ B] selfe so farre, y^t he shall peraduenture neuer approche nere vnto thē agayn, nor neuer after offer them hys grace. And then muste they nedes neuer cease fallynge tyll they come downe to the deuyll. Thus fynally concernyng hys se∣conde poynt / fayth alone may dwell in a man, and dedely synne togyther. But lyuely fayth, y^t is to wyt fayth not a∣lone, but coupled with hope & cheryte & wyll of good wor∣kes, can not dwell with dedely synne / neyther wyth man∣slaughter, aduowtry, nor any suche lyke / but as the tone cō¦meth in, the tother goth out, whyther the synne be cōmyt∣ted of malyce, weykenesse, or frayltye / wherof Tyndale ve∣ry styffely techeth vs vntruly y^t cōtrary. And yet I say not that all synnes be of one wayght, concernyng the dyffycul∣tye of returnyg to repētaūce, or y^e degrees of payne in hell, after the finall impenytence or punyshement in purgatory [ C] for lacke of penaunce here / but for that yf they dye before they retourne by grace and good wyll vnto penaūce, they be all perpetually dampned in hell the tone as well as the tother, though the tone not so mych as the tother, contrary to Tyndals aforesayd false cōclusyon / whose profe in that poynt specyally dependeth vppon hys thyrde artycle wher¦of the wordes be trew & hys vnderstandyng false. For hys thyrde poynt ye wote well is thys, that who so euer haue the seed of god dwellynge in hym can not synne.

Thys poynt ye remember he proueth, by the wordes of saynte Iohn̄ in the thyrde chapyter of hys fyrste pystle. whyche pystle is vndowtedly one of the moste harde and darke places of all the new testament / and wherof sundry

great heresyes haue rysen, & sondry mo there may, thorow [ A] suche malycyouse myndes as rede the scrypture, to none other entent but to wreste euery word vnto y^• worse parte / and of the playnesse and symplicite that the apostles vsed in the maner of theyr wordes, take occasyō to tourne theyr erneste godly sentence, into friuolouse cauyllacyons and sophysines / as not onely dyuerse heretykes haue done of olde, but also Tyndale hath now of newe, bothe renewed theyr olde & added some of his own, more pestylent & more folysh also then all the olde heretykes durst for very shame haue spokē of. And where as all y^e olde holy doctours vsed alway to make open & expoune the hard & darke places of scrypture, by suche other as were playne clere & euydent: these heretykes alwaye for the profe of theyr heresyes, seke out the hardest places y^t can be founden in scrypture. And [ B] all the playne open wordes in whych can be no dowte nor questiō, they come and expoune by those places y^• be darke obscure, & hard to vnderstand / mych lyke a blynd guyde, y^• wolde when men were walkyng in a darke nyght, put out the candell and shew them the way by the lanterne.

This way vseth Tyndale vnyuersally, as well in euery other thyng y^t he taketh in hand to proue, as in this poynt specyally / y^• he which hath onys the fayth can neuer synne, bycause he hath y^e seed of god dwellyng in hym. For where as it is euydent & playne by clere and open textes of scryp∣ture, full & plentuouse in euery part therof, that there is no man here (excepte some specyall reuelacyon therof) so sure of his owne fynall saluacyon, nor of his own present estate neyther, but that he hath good cause to fere & temper hys [ C] hope of goddys mercy with the drede of his iustyce, lest his ouer bolde hope may happe to stretche in to presumpcion & occasyon of sleyght regardyng synne: Tyndale wolde ex∣poune thē all agaynst them all, by one darke text or twayn taken in this pistle of saynt Iohn̄ / by which he wold make vs byleue y^• saynt Iohn̄ techeth dyuers of the most pesty∣lent heresyes & most repugnaūt vnto god, and y^t in hys iu∣styce and his mercy bothe, wyth the most occasyon gyuen vnto the world vnto the two most heyghnouse synnes and moste contraryouse in them selfe, that is to wytte presump¦cyon & despayre, that euer any heretyke deuysed.

For he gathereth and affermeth vpon saynt Iohn̄s py∣stle, in hys false exposycyon, and also in hys foresayd be∣gynnynge

[ A] of thys chapyter, that saynt Iohn̄ techeth them all these false heresyes folowynge.

Fyrste that who so euer haue onys the trewe fayth, can neuer after synne of malice or purpose / but that all the syn¦nys that he can after fall vnto, shalbe but of wek••nes and frayltye, be they murder, aduowtry, periury, sacrylege, in∣ceste or treason, or any other abomynable dede be it neuer so detestable synne.

Secōdely y^t of all such synnes he that hath onys at any tyme goten y^e fayth, shall haue euer after the grace to repēt.

And thyrdely y^t at the bare repentynge wythout shryfte or penaunce, he shall haue forthwyth forgeuenesse of all synne and payne / so that any satysfaccyon shall not onely no thyng nede, but is also as he sayth a dampnable thyng to do it, for hope or desyre towarde any remyssyon eyther [ B] of synne or payne, and a dampnable e••rour to byleue that god hath ordayned any punysshement or payne eyther in purgatory after thys worlde, or by any afflyccyon in thys world, for any synne that any man onys hauyng the fayth cōmytteth & repēteth hym of, were it neuer so abominable.

For in hys exposycyon of y^e fyrste pystle of saynt Iohn̄, he is come so mych ferther then euer he came before (as farre as I remember) y^t there lyke as I haue shewed you byfore in the preface, he denyeth not onely purgatory but also all punysshement: here he techeth also that who so gete onys the trew fayth, which he calleth the felyng fayth, hath a sure vndowted knowlege that he is in the state of grace, and an electe that can neuer be dampned.

Now of these abomynable heresyes what bold occasyō [ C] of synne men may catche, and how they repūgne agaynste the iustyce of god. I referre it vnto the wysedome of euery good Crysten reder. Then techeth he on the tother syde, y^t who so euer after hys baptysme had, & the story fayth, that is sayth he the fayth with whych we byleue the artycles of the fayth as men byleue a story or a cronicle, do any dedely synne of purpose / y^t is to wytte as he sayth, not of wekenes or freyltye but of malyce or wyllyngly wyth a consentyng to the synne: y^• man shall neuer after be forgeuen in thys worlde nor in none other. For euery such synne sayth he is the synne agaynst y^• holy goste / which shall sayth he neuer be forgyuen, notwithstandynge any repentaunce and pe∣naunce taken and done therfore.

And to the profe of thys pestylent heresye, he draweth [ A] the couert and obscure wordes of our sauyour Cryste in the gospell of saynt Mathew the .12. chapyter / and also the darke and hard wordes of saynt Poule.* 1.34 whych places of them selfe all olde holy doctours confesse for dyffuse and almost vnexplyclable / sauynge that they all expoune them contrary to Tyndals heresye, by y^• artycles of the knowne fayth of Crystes catholyke chyrche, and by many playne open textes of holy scrypture. Of whyche two thynges Tyndale the tone dyssymuleth, and the tother despyseth / and byleueth the olde heretyke Nouaciane the fyrsse au∣thour of that abomynable heresye, better then saynte Cy∣pryane, saynte Hyerom, saynte Austayne, saynte Ambrose, saynt Gregory, and all the olde holy sayntes that haue wryten agaynst it / and better then the hole catholyke chyr∣che [ B] of Cryste of thys .xv. hundred yere, y^• euer hath taught the contrarye, and euer syth the fyrst inuencyon of that he∣resye haue contynually detested and condēpned it, as one of the most execrable heresyes that euer y^e deuyll deuysed.

For as Tyndals other heresye fyghteth agaynste god∣des iustyce / so doth thys dyrectly fyghte agaynste hys mer¦cy / and putteth almoste all crystē people in vtter despayre of heuen, yf men were so madde to byleue one heretyke or twayne, better then all the olde holy sayntes, and all the hole chyrche of Cryste.

Thys heresye as I began to tell you, Tyndale among hys other afore remembred, laboreth to stablysh / not onely by the darke and harde places of scrypture afore remem∣bred, but also by certayne wordes in thys fyrste pystle of [ C] saynt Iohn̄ / where is no more colour to speke therof then of the man in the mone, as euery man maye sone perceyue that redeth hym.

But now for our present purpose, to towch his heresies of thys chapyter of hys, of synnyng without synne / I shall touche you the place in that pystle of saynt Iohn̄, wherby Tyndale wolde proue you that who so gete onys the fayth whyche he calleth the trew fayth and the felyng fayth, can neuer synne dedely after. By whyche ye shall playnely se how playnely he mysseconstrewth the scrypture, to the mys¦chyef of mēnes soules. The wordes of saint Iohn̄ be these Euery man that is borne of god doth not synne, for the seed of hym abydeth in hym / and he can not synne, bycause he is borne of god.

[ A] In the vnderstandynge of these wordes varye Tyn∣dale and we. And whyther he or we mysse vnderstande it, that let vs now examyne. Fyrst we shall I suppose agre to gether bothe that to be borne of god is in the scrypture no thynge ellys, but to be the chyld of god / and to be bo••ne of the deuyll, is to be the deuyls chylde.

we shall I thynke also agre to gether in thys that to be borne of god or to be the chyldren of god, is not mente to be hys naturall chyldren as our sauyour Cryste is by rea∣son of hys godhed / but by fayth, hope, and cheryte•• and the sacramentes, and the folowynge of Cryst in good workes, and kepynge of goddes commaundementes, to be mēbres of hys mystycall body of hys electe chyrche.

But herein peraduenture shall Tindale and we begyn [ B] to vary, not onely for that I saye by the sacramentes and good workes, of whyche Tyndale wyll not here / but also for the electe chyrche y^• is Crystes mystycall body, wherof goddes chyldren be membres here in erth. For all be it that he is so waueryng in his wordes that he woteth not where to holde hym, and therfore speketh so darkely that he wold be loth to be vnderstanden: yet he wyll call as it semeth no man a member of Crystes electe chyrche, but hym that is elected fynally to blysse and saluacyon. And I call h••re the elect chyrche in thys world, neyther all that are chosen in to crystendome and the professyō of the catholyke fayth, nor onely those that shall be fynally saued / but all suche as for the present tyme so stande in the state of grace, that yf they dye before they fall therfro they shalbe saued. Of whi∣che [ C] folke many fall after from it, & so be dampned in dede / whyche folke before theyr fall be the chyldren of god saye I. And when they be fallen into dedely synne, then ceace they to be the chyldren of god, and be become the chyld••en of the deuyll, tyll they be borne of god agayne by grace thorowe penaūce, and become the chyldren of god agayne. And in whyche so euer of these two states a man fynally dyeth in / in that he perpetually dwelleth, and is therby for euer eyther the chylde of god in hys chyrche of the fynall electes in heuen, or ellys the chyld of the deuyll in the chyr¦che of the fynall reprobatys in hell / accordyng to the word of holy wryte, yf a tre fall south or north,* 1.35 in what place so euer it fall there shall it remayne.

But here sayth Tyndale, that who so euer haue onys

the fayth whyche he calleth after the felyng fayth / he hath [ A] the seed of god, the spyryte of god in hym. And bycause he hath the spyryte of god in hym / therfore he sayth by the au¦thoryte of y^• aforsayd wordes of saynt Iohn̄, that man can neuer synne dedely. So that by that reason, who so euer haue onys the fayth, is one of the fynall electes.

Now se you in what maner Tyndale taketh these wor∣des. But agaynste hys takynge, ••tande all the olde holy doctours of Crystes chyrche, from the dayes of hym selfe and hys apostles hytherto. Of all whom, let Tyndale tell me the name of any one that euer dyd vnderstande these wordes of saynt Iohn̄ in such wyse as Tyndale doth / that who so euer gate onys the ryght fayth of Cryste, and put therwyth as greate a felynge therof wyth hope and cherite therto, as euer holy Tyndale hym selfe felte in hys dayes / [ B] coude neuer after fall into dedely synne, or not so depe into it, that he myghte after be perpetually dampned in hell. Let Tyndale I saye tell me any one of the olde holy sayn∣tes, that in thys exposycyon euer toke hys parte / and lette hym take all my teth and my tonge to.

Now yf neuer any good man vnderstode saynte Iohn̄ so byfore / but all holy men clene y^• cōtrary / by what reason loketh Tyndale now, that we sholde now begynne to by∣leue hym alone, in the vnderstandynge of these wordes of saynte Iohn̄, better then all good connynge men thys .xv. hundreth yere before hym.

Now is hys exposycyō bysydes thys, not onely agaynst the catholyke fayth of all crysten people, and the playne de¦termynacyon of Crystes chyrche / but also agaynste many [ C] playne open places of holy scrypture bysyde / whych were in so playne and clere a mater almoste a loste labour to re∣herse. And yet leste an vnlerned reder myght happe to any thynge to dowte, I shall reherse you some.

what saye we by the wordes of the spyryte reueled vnto saynt Iohn̄, agaynste the bysshop of the chyrche of Ephe∣sus / whom where as god praysed for many great vertues, in suche wyse that it appered that he was at that tyme in grace and goddes ryght specyall fauour, yet sayed he vnto hym, I haue for all this a few thynges agayst the, bycause thou hast lefte of thy fyrst cheryte. And therfore remember from whens thou arte fallen, and amende and do the good workes whyche thou were wont to do. For ellys wyll I

[ A] come shortely to the, and I wyll remoue thy candelstycke oute of hys place, excepte thou repent and do penaunce.

Doth it not here playnely appere, that he whyche hath goten so the fayth, and that the lyuynge fayth to, that he worketh so well therwyth that the lyght of hys faythfull lyuely workes shyne bryght before the face of god / maye yet by declynynge from that feruour of deuout workes, in to some slouthfull slaknesse though myche of hys vertue tary, fall yet so low at laste, that god shall reiecte hym and caste his candelstycke, wherof the lyght shall be worne out quyte out of hys place? If thys myghte not be / god wolde not tell hym, it bothe myght and excepte he mended shold.

Doth not saynte Poule saye,* 1.36 he that thynketh that he standeth / let hym beware he fall not.

It apereth there playne by the cyrcumstaunces of the [ B] place, that he speketh there to them whom he rekened for good men and faythfull. For to those that stand he gyueth the counsayle to beware they fall not. whyche by Tyndale yf they onys in fayth fele them selfe stande they nede not, for they can not fall dedely. But saynt Poule there mente dedely falles, as bothe by hys wordes byfore and after appereth.

He sayth also to the Romayns in y^• .10. chapyter,* 1.37 They that is the Iewys are broken of for theyr lacke of bylyefe. But thou standest by fayth / be not proude therof but fere.

There sheweth saynt Poule effectually by a longe pro∣cesse, that lyke wyse as he whyche lacketh fayth maye by grace come to it / so he that hath it and standeth in it hath cause to fere, bycause he may by his own defaut fall frō it.

[ C] Sayth he not also,* 1.38 The rote of all euylles is couetyce / whyche whyle some folke couetyd, they walked out of the waye from the fayth.

He sayth also,* 1.39 Hymeneus and Philetus are fallen from the treuth / sayeng that the resurreccyon is paste all redy•• & they haue peruerted the fayth of some persons.

Here sheweth saynt Poule playne, that men maye haue the fayth and lese it / and that can they not I suppose with out dedely synne.

Peraduenture Tyndale wyll say, that he speketh onely of electys / and that I can not proue these textes to be spo∣ken of electes. Therto saye I that he calleth euery man an electe, that is onely borne agayn of god by fayth, and that

byleueth to be saued by the meane of Cryste / and of suche [ A] speke these textes, and therfore they speke of hys electes.

Then wyll he peraduenture say, that he meaneth of a fe¦lynge fayth onely. I know not what he meaneth by hys fe¦lynge fayth / but I wote well these textes speke of good fayth & lyuely fayth, that worketh wyth loue. If he fynde any other felynge let hym tell vs.

And yet yf there be any other felynge of fayth, then by∣leuyng, louyng, and workyng / the selfe same to, semeth by saynt Poule that it may be lefte of agayn and loste, as ap∣pereth by the same wordes of his in the syxte chapyter vn∣to the Hebrewys / of whyche wordes Tyndale taketh hys chyefe holde of the tother parte of hys heresyes,* 1.40 that is to wytte that who so synne onys dedely after hys baptysme, shall neuer after be forgeuen. Saynte Poules wordes are [ B] these. It is impossyble that they whyche haue onys ben il∣lumyned, and haue tasted the heuenly gyfte, and haue ben made part takers of the holy goste, & haue tasted the good worde of god and the powers of the worlde to come, and be after all thys fallen downe / sholde be renewed agayne by penaunce, for as mych as they as mych as in thē lyeth, cru¦cyfye agayne the sonne of god, and haue hym in derysyon.

Lo syrs where as Tyndale speketh of felynge fayth / saynt Poule speketh here of them that haue felte the taste therof. And where as Tyndale speketh mych of the worde of god / saynt Poule here speketh of them that haue felt the taste of the good word of god. And where as Tyndale spe∣keth myche of beynge borne agayne of the spyryte / saynte Poule here in lyke wyse speketh of them y^t haue receyued [ C] the spyryte. And yet for all that they haue ben illumyned, and haue felte the taste of the celestyall gyfte, and ben part takers of the holy goste, and haue felt the swete taste of the good worde of god, & of the powers of the worlde to come: yet sayth he contrary to Tyndals techynge, that they may for all thys fall downe so farre into dedely synne, that it is impossyble for them to be renewed agayne by penaunce.

what hath Tyndale here to saye to saynt Poule? Su∣rely for the defence of thys folysshe heresye, no thyng hath he to saye at all, that any good colour hath.

But when he shalbe fayne to gyue ouer thys / then wyll he comfort hym selfe wyth that that saynte Poule here se∣meth to ferther hys other heresye, that euery dedely synne

[ A] after baptysme sholde be irremyssyble.

But out of that comfort shall I dreue hym shortely, For I am sure the places of holy scrypture wryten all by one holy spyryte, varyeth not in sentence. And where as these wordes, as well appereth by the olde holy wryters, be full of hardynesse and dyffycultye: yet that the sentēce can not be such as may serue Tyndals heresye, y^t shall we, leuyng all theyr exposycyons whyche are all clene agaynste hym, make hym open and euydent, by the playne & clere wordes of the holy prophete Ezechyell, whose wordes lo be these in the .xviii. chapyter.

If a synner repēt hym of all the synnes y^t he hath done,* 1.41 & kepe all my cōmaūdementes, & deale iustely & ryghteous∣ly: he shall lyue, and shall not dye. Of all y^e iniquitees that [ B] he hath wrought I wyll none remēber: in y^• ryghteousnes whyche he hath done shall he lyue. Is it my wyll sayth the lorde god, that the wicked man shold dye, & not rather that he sholde be conuerted from hys wayes & lyue? But truely yf the ryghtuouse man turne hym selfe awaye from hys ryghtuousnesse, & worke wyckednes in any of all those a∣bominatiōs which the wicked man is wont to worke shall he lyue? Of all y^• ryghtuousnes y^t he hath done, shall none be remēbred. But for the offence which he hath cōmytted, & in the synne that he hath done / for those shall he dye.

Lo syrs here is more then I promysed. For here be both his heresyes destroyed at onys. For god here by the mouth of this holy man, promiseth without any maner excepcion, y^t when so euer the wycked man wyll turne, he shalbe takē [ C] to grace. And in lyke wyse when so euer y^e ryghtuous man synne, his formar ryghtuousnes shall not saue hym from dampnacyon. And this sentence our lorde hath set so sure, that he repeteth it agayne in y^e .xxxiii. chapyter in this wyse.* 1.42 The ryghtuousnes of the ryghtuous man shall not saue hym in what daye so euer he synne. Also when so euer the wycked man turne from his wyckednes / it shall not hurte hym. And the ryghtuous man can not lyue thorowe hys ryghtuousnes, in what daye so euer he synne.

Here haue ye good reders hard this sentence by y^• word of god in thys one holy prophete, dowble cōfermed & ther∣by Tyndals dowble heresye dowble also condempned.

And yet lest Tyndale myghte say, why sholde you not as well expoune and glose Ezechyel by saynte Poule, as

saynt Poule by Ezechyel, namely syth saynt Poule came [ A] after, and therfore of goddes mynde maye tell vs ferther: it apereth I saye that our lorde wyll not that these wordes of Ezechiel be glosed by any other wordes, though they be spoken by god hym selfe / but that his other wordes yf they seme contrary, shall be rather expouned by these. And ther∣of he gyueth vs open warnynge in hys wordes folowynge and sayth.

* 1.43ye and though I wolde saye to a ryghteouse man that he shall lyue, and he then trustynge in hys ryghteousenes commytte and do wyckednesse / all hys ryghteousnes shall be forgottē / and for the iniquyte whyche he hath wrought, for that he shall dye. But yf I saye to a synner, Thou shalt dye / and he then repenteth hym of hys synne, and doth iu∣gement and iustyce, and that the same wycked man restore [ B] the pledge that he hath of an other man, and also make re¦stytucyon of stollen goodes, and walke in the cōmaunde∣mentes of lyfe, and do nothynge that is vnryght: he shall lyue, and shall not dye but be saued, and none of all the syn¦nes which he hath commytted, shalbe layed to his charge. Iugement and iustyce hath he done, and therfore shall he lyue and not dye.

Lo good crysten reders, here se we very playne, that we were farre vnwyse yf we wold folowe the foly of Tyndale, eyther in bolde presumptuose hope or folysshe ferefull des∣payre / eyther wenynge that after any felynge fayth onys had, any dede that we coulde after do, coulde be no dedely synne / or y^• for any dede done after our baptysme, we could be penaunce neuer be saued after. we maye be very sure, [ C] that as saynt Poule playnely reproueth the tone, and ys harde to perceyue what he meaneth in the tother: so that he meneth not as Tyndale telleth vs, we may well know / not onely by all the olde holy doctours and sayntes that expoune saynt Poule, in that he sayth it is impossyble to be renewed by penaunce, that it is impossyble to be by pe∣naunce renewed vnto the state of baptysme. And by that ex¦posycyon they destroye yet a thyrde heresye of Tyndale, concernynge hys full remyssyon of synne and payne and all forthwyth as soone as he repenteth / but also be we well lerned here by the prophete Ezechyell, that all though yt maye peraduenture be, that a man maye go forth in synne so farre, that he shall neuer haue grace of

[ A] repentaūce after offered vnto hym, & for that cause ought euery man stande in greate fere to synne how greate fayth so euer he fele / yet yf we begynne onys to repente, we may be sure that god offereth grace & wyll perfyt our penauns wyth encreace of his grace, and wyll perdone the deth dew for our dedely synne, but yf we fayle on our parte to go for¦warde wyth hys grace, and that we folyshly fall therfro.

Now agaynste all these euydent places of scrypture playnely contrary to Tyndals exposycyon / what thynge hath Tyndale to defende his exposycyō wythall? If he na∣me any men / he shall name you none but a fewe knowen condempned heretykes, agaynst all holy doctours & sayn∣tes and the catholyke fayth of all crysten people. If he pre¦tende any places of scrypture / he shall alledge a few darke [ B] hard and obscure, or no thyng pertaynynge to the mater, agaynste a great many manyfeste, playne and euydent, & clerely prouynge hys exposycyon false.

Fynally ye shall fynde that the hole purpose of saynte Iohn̄ in that pystle, no thynge maketh in thys worlde for Tyndals entent, but rather clerely the contrary.

For saynt Iohn̄ entended there, not to shew them, that who so is onys good can neuer after be badde, as Tindale sayth he ment / but vtterly to gyue all the world warnyng, that be men at one tyme neuer so good, yet when so euer after they do noughte they be nought, and by theyr euyll doyng lese theyr goodnes. And lyke wyse as byfore whyle they byleue well and worke well, they be all that whyle borne of god, & be goddes chyldren, and haue his seed in [ C] them: so when so euer they fall from fayth to heresyes, or from good workes to dedely synne, then lese they the seed of god and be borne of the deuyll & become hys chyldren.

And that saynte Iohn̄ in thys poynt ment none other then thus / the hole processe of hys pystle one parte compa∣red wyth an other, doth more then playnely declare. For he sheweth that y^e deuyll ys the father of euyll folke, and they hys chyldren by folowynge hym in theyr synfull workes / as our sauyour sayd to y^e iewes ye be of your father the de∣uyll, and hys desyres wyll ye do.* 1.44 And the son of god sayth Saynt Iohn̄ came in to this worlde and here appered, to dyssolue and breke the workes of y^e deuyll. And euery man that is borne of god, that is to saye that ys goddes chylde doth not synne, bycause y^e seed of god abydeth in hym / and

he can not synne bycause he is borne of god and is goddes [ A] chylde, as though he wolde say, for yf he fall to synne, then ceaceth he to be borne of god and to be goddes chylde, and begynneth to be borne of the deuyll and to be hys chylde.

And therfore it foloweth forthwyth in the texte, By this be the chyldern of god and the chyldern of the deuyll open. That is to saye, by thys maye ye se who be the chyldern of god and who the chylderne of the deuyl. For he that is not ryghtuouse is not the chylde of god, nor he that loueth not hys brother. And after he sayth, euery man that hateth his brother is a manqueller / and ye knowe that no manquel∣ler hath euerlastynge lyfe abydynge in hym.

Lo good reder, where as he sayd byfore that the chylde of god can not synne, bycause he hath the seed of god aby∣dynge in hym: here he sayth for all that, who so euer hate [ B] hys brother is an homicyde, and therfore hath not euerla∣stynge lyfe abydynge in hym. whyche is the thynge that he before called the seed of god, whyther he ment therby lyue¦ly fayth, grace, or the spyryte of god. Of whyche thre the fyrste two be the begynnynge and the entre in to euerla∣stynge lyfe, whyche shall be perfyted by glory / and the thyrde is hym selfe euerlastynge lyfe of hys owne omni∣potent nature.

And thus haue he the seed of lyfe neuer so stronge and sure at one tyme whyle he is the chylde of god: yet when so euer he falleth after to the hatered of hys brother, he le∣seth that lyfe by the commyttynge of dedely synne, and be∣cometh the chylde of the deuyll.

To thys wyll Tyndale peraduenture say, that I passe [ C] ouer and dyssymule the wayght of saynt Iohn̄s wordes y^t he allegeth, and that I wynke and wyll not perceyue how playnely they proue hys purpose. For though it be trewe that when so euer a man hateth hys brother, he is an homi¦cyde and synneth dedely, and hath not euerlastyng lyfe nor the seed of god abydynge in hym: yet foloweth it not wyll Tyndale saye, that he that hath onys the felynge fayth, & therby is borne of god, and therby hath the seed of god in hym, may synne dedely and lese the seed of god. For he can not lese it but by synne. And the seed of god onys beynge in hym / he can not bycause of that seed be suffered to hate hys brother of purpose, and so to do dedely synne and lese the seed of lyfe / but euer is he by the strength and vertue of

[ A] that seed of euerlastynge lyfe, preserued from all fallynge in to dedely synne. And that I proue (wyll Tyndale saye) by the playne and open wordes of saynt Iohn̄ before alled¦ged / where he sayth that he that is borne of god can not synne, bycause he hath the seed of god abydynge in hym. He sayth not as longe as he hath it / but he sayth he can not synne bycause he hath it. Sygnyfyeng playnely y^t he can neuer synne, bycause he hath the thynge in hym that wyll neuer suffer any dedely synne to entre. And the reason that is made agaynst me vppon other wordes of the same py∣stle, auoydeth (wyll Tyndale saye) myne exposycyon no¦thynge at all. For lyke wyse as it is made agaynste a man onys borne of god, to proue that he maye be after borne of the deuyll: it may as well be made of any angell in heuen. [ B] For yf any angell in heuen wolde fall from the loue of god into malyce / he sholde be turned from an angell in to a de∣uyll. But lyke wyse as that case can neuer fall, bycause the seed of god is in that angell / whyche so kepeth hym & euer shall that he can not haue that euyll wyll so to do: so doth the seed of god onys entred wyth the felynge fayth in to a soule, so preserue it & kepe it by the myghty power of that seed, that that soule can not fall in to that malycyouse wyll that maye make any dede of hys to be dedely synne. And y^• thys is so, I saye yet agayne y^• the wordes of saynt Iohn̄ whyche I haue before alledged, do very playnely proue / in that he sayth that who so is borne of god can not synne, bycause he is borne of god, and bycause he hath the s••ed of god abydyng in hym. And he sayth after in a nother place [ C] of the same pystle, that he whyche is borne of god / hys ge∣neracyō (that is to wytte hys beynge borne of god by the seed of god,* 1.45 wherby he ys begotē & borne of god) doth pre∣serue & kepe hym.

In thys wyse wyll Tyndale peraduēture answere me. And surely I can my selfe deuyse no more effectuall wor∣des that he myghte speke for hys parte / for in good fayth yf I coulde I wolde. For neuer wyll I purposely leue his parte any more fayntely defended thē myne own, as farre as my selfe can se any thynge that hym selfe myghte saye.

But now to thys answere. we shall tell hym agayn that bytwene man & angell is there almoste as greate dyfferēce in thys mater, as there is bytwene them in theyr substaūce and nature. For the blessed angellys that stode styll wyth

god in the deuyls fall, were forthwyth so surely confermed [ A] in grace, that they can neuer fall in to synne after, nor do any thynge wherof god wyll commaunde them the contra¦ry. And of thys in them be we sure in fayth, by the worde of god taught vnto hys chyrche / and they sure in knowledge by hys promyse made vnto them wyth hys worde, whyche he by a meane to vs not imagynable continually speketh vnto them, in the contemplacyon and byholdynge of hys almyghty godhed. But as for man / we fynde no such pro∣myse made vnto hym, that when he is ones good, he can neuer after waxe nought. But we fynde in scrypture the cō¦trary, as I haue by playn scrypture proued all redy before

we se also that the catholyke fayth of all crysten people is to the contrary. For all crysten people excepte a few here¦tykes, both now byleue and all thys .xv. hundred yere be∣fore [ B] euer haue byleued, that good men & chyldren of god maye fall in to dedely synne, and become chyldern of the deuyll / and yet aryse by grace thorowe penaunce, and be made the chyldern of god agayne.* 1.46 Many textes also of ho¦ly scrypture playnely proue,* 1.47 that good folke maye falle & perysshe.* 1.48 * 1.49 And the scrypture is full of good counsayle / ad∣uysynge all good men to stande faste alway and euer lyue in fere of fallynge / but yf any specyall reuelacyon be geuen to some certayne man bysyde the comen ordinary course.

we fynde also playne ensamples, both in scrypture and at our owne eyes, of many vertuouse chyldren of god, that haue fallen from that estate, & becomen by synne the chyl∣dren of the deuyll.

For lettynge passe ouer Iudas, that from the chylde of [ C] god and from an holy apostle torned in to the traytour of god & chylde of the deuyll of hell: we haue seen ouer many in our owne dayes, in whom we haue had experyence of y^e lyke. As of frere Luther, frere Huskyn, Otho the monke, Pomerane the preste, & frere Lambert. For as for Swyn∣glius, I neuer herde of any good vertue in hym. But all these other were the good chyldren of god onys, at suche tyme as grace and deuocyō brought them in to relygyon. And yet can now no good man dowte, but by the breche of theyr holy vowys and promyse made to god, and rūnynge out in apostasye, and lyuynge in lechery vnder pretence of matrymony / & for theyr more corage & boldenesse in suche bychery, to bere it to better out shamelesse wyth vngracy∣ouse

[ A] company, makynge a shamefull secte therof and an abomynable heresye, they be now fallen from Cryste, and haue expelled the seed of god out of theyr hartes by synne very deuylysh dedely. And yet dare I not despayre of any of all these, nor of Tyndale hym selfe neyther. For all hys owne rule, wherby he techeth that they whyche wyllyngly synne, and of purpose malycyousely impugne the knowen trouth, as they and he do, shall neuer come to grace of amē¦dement nor ought not to be prayed for: yet dare I neyther I saye despayre of any of them nor of hym selfe neyther / but hope yet and praye both, that god maye amende them all, yf none of them de dede in theyr synne and gone to the deuyll all redy.* 1.50 For then is there in them peccatum ad mort••m that saynt Iohn̄ speketh of / and vayne were it then & synne also, any more to praye for them then for the deuyll. ••u••a•••• [ B] inferno null•• est redemptio / and the wreches lye there now blas∣phemynge god, and are hys vnchaungeable enemyes as is the deuyll.

But these reasons and these examples I saye, wyth the consent of all the olde holy exposytours of saynte Iohn̄s pystle before / make vs to perceyue surely, that saynt Iohn̄ dyd neuer mene by these wordes, after such maner as Tyn¦dale expouneth hym now / that bycause the seed of god ys onys in hym, therfore there can neuer any dedely synne en¦ter after. For saynt Iohn̄ hym selfe in the same pyste coun¦sayleth euery good man to stande styll in hys goodnes,* 1.51 & beware that he fall not in to idolatry. whyche he myghte haue boden all goddes chyldrē care neuer for, yf they were [ C] as Tyndale sayth sure by theyr felyng fayth, y^• they could neuer fall therto, bycause the seed of god was onys wyth in theym.

But as I sayd before, Tyndale in these wordes of saynt Iohn̄ taketh occasyō of the symplycyte vsed in the maner of speche in holy scrypture, to make cauyllacyons and seke out sophysmes vppon euery worde. And where as saynte Iohn̄ sayth, that the chylde of god can not synne / menyng not precysely that he can not synne dedely by any maner meane, but that it is a greate occasyon to kepe hym from synne, & that he y^• doth dedely synne, is not goddes chylde but the deuyls: Tyndale affermeth hym playnly to mene, that he whyche ys onys goddes chylde can neuer synne dedely after. As though euery man that wolde say, an ho∣norable

mannes chylde and vertuousely brought vp, can [ A] not fall to shamefull vycyouse lyuynge, for hys good edu∣cacyon shall brydle hym, and drede of shamynge hym selfe and hys frendes muste nedes refrayne hym / myghte not meane by these wordes that the yonge man sholde haue a greate occasyon to contynue good, but muste nedes meane that it were impossyble for hym to be other then good / and that he neuer coulde after forgete hys bryngynge vp, and shake of shame and fall to nought.

Or yf one wolde saye, a man that taketh hys wyfe for very loue, can neuer fall to aduowtry, y^• loue that he hath to her must nedes kepe hym to her / nor she can not for very shame begyle hym, for the loue that he bereth to her. Do not folke speke in such fasshyō? And yet though they mene that these thynges be great occasyons to contayne the par¦tyes [ B] in faythfull matrymony, they mene not that it can ne∣uer happen otherwyse.

In suche maner of whyse meaned saynt Iohn̄ in those wordes, when he sayd he that is borne of god synneth not, for he hath the seed of good in hym / and therfore he can not synne, bycause he is borne of god / he ment I saye, not that it is impossyble for hym to synne dedely, but y^• it is a great helpe and occasyon to kepe hym from dedely synne.

yet wyll not Tyndale let to stycke styll in hys errour, & saye that saynt Iohn̄ playnely ment, that it is impossyble for hym to synne that hath the seed of god in hym. For he sayth that he whyche onys hath the seed in hym, can not synne after dedely by no maner menys, bycause he hath the seed of god in hym onys. [ C]

To thys I saye that in y^• sample that I before dyd put, neyther the man nor the wyfe that come to gether for great loue can fall to aduowtry, bycause the loue whyche is in eche of them towarde the other, can not suffer it. And truth it is as longe as it lasteth & endureth in them. But eyther of them both yet, may so farre fall in loue with some other, that the hote loue whych they had bytwene them selfe, may cole and clene be quenched / as is the fyre wyth castynge on water inough.

Saynt Iohn̄ therfore wrytynge those wordes, and vn∣derstandynge as in dede he doth, not after a sophystycall fasshyon, y^t it were vtterly impossyble for hym at any tyme after to synne dedely, that hath onys y^e seed of god in hym /

[ A] but well and resonably menyng after the comon maner of spekyng, y^• it shalbe a great occasyō for hym to abyde good styll, & that as long as the man kepeth y^• seed of god (why∣ther saynt Iohn̄ toke it for lyuely fayth, grace, or the spyrit of god) & cleueth there vnto, so longe he can not synne de∣dely: saynt Iohn̄ I say so sayeng & so menynge, spake as bycame the ryght euāgelyst of Cryst. But Tindale telling saynt Iohn̄s tale, & menyng thereby as he wolde make vs wene that saynt Iohn̄ ment•• that is to wit y^• who so euer is onys borne of god, neyther shall synne after dedely nor ne∣uer can, bycause y^• seed of god is in him able to preserue the man & to kepe out synne / speketh as wysely as yf he wolde fyrst make me this argumēt: He y^• turneth y^• spyt sitteth by the fyre / but he that sitteth by the fyre can not be a colde, by¦cause [ B] he hath a good fire by hym: ergo he that turneth the spyt can not be a colde. And when he had made vs onys this argument, wolde then wene he had playnly proued, y^• who so euer had onys turned the spytte, coulde neuer be a colde after in all his lyfe. For surely after Tyndals vnder∣stādyng of saynt Iohn̄s wordes, the reason is mych lyke. For lykewise as while a man sitteth by the fyre he can not be a cold, bycause y^• fire is by hym that kepeth hym warm: so while the seed of god is in the man he can not synne, by¦cause the seed of god beynge i•• hym doth kepe & preserue hym from synne. But lyke wyse as the broche turner that sitteth warme by the fire, may let the spitte stande, & suffre the mete to burne, and walke himselfe out in the snow tyll his teeth chater ī his hed for colde, and neuer cathe hete a∣gayne [ C] but fall starke dede on the grownd: so he y^t is onys goddes chyld, & hath the seed of god in hym, & therfore cā not synne dedely as longe as he kepeth it and cleueth faste vnto it, may by the foly & frowardnes of his owne fre will expell the seed of god, & reiecte his grace, & neclecte his ho∣ly spyryte, and fall to dedely synne, & continue therin, & dye therin, & go to the deuyll therin to.

And so as it is trewe to saye, that he which hath a good fyre by hym can not be a colde, menyng therby as long as he kepeth hym by it: so is it trew to say, that who so haue y^e seed of god in hym can not synne dedely, menyng thereby as longe as he kepeth it. And thus ment saynt Iohn̄.

And as he that wolde say who so sitteth by the fyre can neuer be a cold, menyng therby that he could neuer go frō the fyre & so cathe, cold after, were a very starke fole: so he

that wold say that who so haue the seed of god in hym can [ A] not synne / menyng therby that he could neuer after lese y^• seed, by the foly or frowardnesse of his owne wyll, & therby synne dedely and be dāpned to, were mych more then mad. And syrs thus meneth Tyndale / and wold make vs all so wyse, as to wene that saynt Iohn̄ ment so to / wherof we se playne the contrary, not onely by many other playne pla∣ces of scrypture, but also by many other places of saynte Iohn̄ in the selfe same pystle, wyth all the olde holy sayn∣tes that euer expouned that pystle of saynt Iohn̄.

And syth Tindale so styffely stycketh in this poynt, that the seed of god onys had in a mānes harte, doth kepe hym for euer after frō euery dedely synne: let hym tell vs wher∣fore it kepeth hym not for euer from euery dedely synfull dede. For Tyndale sayth hym selfe, that though the seed [ B] shall kepe hym from all dedely synne / yet it shall not kepe hym frō aduowtry, nor manslaughter, nor such other hor∣ryble dedes, as poore vnlerned people in some contreys be wont to call dedely synnes.

And therfore good crysten reders, I shall in this poynt ende wyth the good holsome counsayle of saynt Iohn̄, by whych in the selfe same pystle agaynst Tyndale, expressely he byddeth vs all beware of all suche heretykes, as wolde make vs wene y^• some were goddes wanton cokneys in such a speciall wyse, y^t what so euer they do no thyng could displease hym / & some other so lytell set by and so farre out of hys fauour, y^t no repentaūce, no penaūce, no fayth, none hope, no loue of god and theyr neyghbour, coulde brynge them in his fauour. Agaynst which fond and frantyke ima¦gynacyō [ C] / saynt Iohn̄, though he say who so euer cōfesse y^t Iesus is y^e son of god dwelleth in hym & he in hym: yet he warneth vs well and playnely, y^t he wolde no man sholde begyle vs, and make vs wene that wyth y^• confessyon and that bylyefe alone he were a good man / but sayth, by thys shall ye se who be chyldrē of god, and who chyldren of the deuyll / for he y^t is not ryghtuous is not of god. And sayth also, lytle chyldrē let no man begyle you / he y^t doth ryghtu¦ousnesse is ryghtuous, and he y^t doth synne is of y^e deuyll.

Now may we clerely perceyue, that these onely wordes of saynt Iohn̄ vtterly destroye Tyndals heresye, groūded vppon hys false exposycion of saynt Iohn̄s other wordes. For when saynt Iohn̄ sayth here hym selfe, that the chyl∣dren of god and the chyldren of the deuyll be manyfest and

[ A] open by theyr outward workes: how can that stande with Tyndals exposycyon and hys heresye dependynge therup¦pon, by whyche he sayth that the trew membres of the elect chyrch, may fall into the doyng of horryble dedes, thorowe the frute of the synne remaynyng in theyr membres, & vp∣pon great occasyons brekyng out of theyr membres / & yet for all those horryble dedys done by them they be the chyl∣dren of god styll, & neuer become y^e children of y^e deuyll for all y^e doing of theyr horrible dedes, bycause they do thē not of malyce nor of purpose, but of fraylty onely & weykenes.

ye se good reders openly, that yf Tyndale in thys hys heresye & false exposycyon of saynte Iohn̄ sayd trew / then sholde saynt Iohn̄ hym selfe say vntrew, where he sayth y^t by the outwarde dedes,* 1.52 the chyldren of god and the chyl∣dren [ B] of the deuyll be made manyfest & open. For they were not open by the dede, yf notwythstandyng the most horry∣ble dedes y^t coulde be deuysed, yet theyr secret vnknowen fayth & frayltye dyd euer kepe it secrete hydde & vnknowē, whyther they were at the dede doyng y^• chyldren of god or the deuyll. And therfore where as Tyndale wold make vs wene, y^• hym selfe & hys holy felowes had by theyr felynge fayth the spyryte of god, in such a specyall maner entred in to theyr holy brestes, y^t none of theyr abomynable dedes coulde be any dedely synne, bycause y^t the spyryte sayth he dwelleth styll within them: saynt Iohn̄ sayth in the very ende of that thyrde chapyter, who so kepeth goddes com∣maūdemētes, in hym god dwelleth. And by that marke we know sayth saynt Iohn̄, y^• there is dwellynge in vs of the [ C] spyryt y^t he hath gyuen vs. By whych wordes he declareth clerely, y^t when these holy heretykes breke his cōmaūdemē¦tes, by those horryble dedes which Tyndale hym selfe con¦fesseth y^• they do, & as all the worlde seeth frere Luther do, in weddyng the nūne, wyth the brech of theyr both vowys agaynst the cōmaundemēt of god, which hath in holy scrip¦ture expressely cōmaunded them to kepe and fulfyll theyr vowys: saynt Iohn̄ I saye declareth agaynste Tyndals doctryne clerely, that when we se suche dedes in them, we maye well perceyue by them that there is at that tyme ne∣uer a whyt of goddes good spyryte in them.

But now no man dowteth whyther of the two, better vnderstode saynt Iohn̄ / whyther Tyndale or saynt Iohn̄ hym selfe. And therfore good crysten readers, whyle ye se

that these holy fathers and authours of these heresyes, [ A] prechynge so sayntly of theyr felynge fayth, boste them self and theyr felowes for the sure chyldrē of god, that bycause of the spyryte can neuer synne of purpose, and therfore ne∣uer synne dedely, but be certayne and sure of grace and sal¦uacyon / and yet ye se for all this, that beyng professed mū∣kes and freres, they fall to the fleshely felynge of nōnes, of longe purpose, and styll perceuer therin, & fynally dyuers dye therin to: ye maye byleue here saynte Iohn̄, that saye they what they wyll, they be the deuyls chyldren in dede, & all theyr holy doctryne is vtterly no thynge ellys but very frantyke blasphemy.

And therfore fynally, where as Tyndale knytteth vp all hys mater wyth a quyppe agaynste me, and sayth that bycause euery man that onys hath the ryght fayth is born [ B] of god, and therby hath the seed of god in hym, whych pre∣serueth hym so that he can neuer synne / therfore it is sayth he a false conclusyon that M. More holdeth, how a man maye haue a ryght fayth ioyned wyth all kyndes of abo∣mynacyon and synne: ye se now that hys owne conclusyō is so clerely proued false, that it letteth my conclusyon no thynge at all. And yet shall I forther towche hys quyppe where it shall haue better place, after that we shall come to the chapyters, in whyche he shall open and declare hys vt∣termost what he calleth fayth. But fyrste wyll I consyder a lytell hys ferther progresse in thys chapyter, in whych he goth forth in thys wyse.

Tyndale.

And yet euery member of Crystes congregacyon is a synner, and synneth [ C] dayly some more and some lesse. For it is wryten .1. Iohn̄. 1. yf we saye we haue no synne, we deceyue our selues and the tr••eth is not in vs. And agayn, yf we saye we haue not synned, we make hym a lyar and hys worde is not in vs. And Paul Rom. 7. sayth, That good whych I wolde that do I not / but that euyll whyche I wolde not that do I. So it is not I. that do it (sayth he) but synne that dwelleth in me.

More.

Lo now ye here hys wurshypfull rydle / in the fyrst part wherof he hath all redy shewed vs, that a trewe member of Crystes chyrch synneth not, bycause it hath y^• ryght fayth / and so is borne agayne of god and hath hys spyryt, and by cause of that can neuer synne. And now he sheweth vs in the tother parte of hys rydle, that euery trewe member of

[ A] Crystes chyrche, for all that he neuer synneth yet he syn∣neth dayly. And as he proued the fyrste parte by the wor∣des of saynt Iohn̄ falsely taken and vnderstanden / so doth he now proue vs the seconde parte by the wordes of say••t Poule, vnderstanden & construed as falsely as euer he cō∣strued saynt Iohn̄.

For where as saynt Poule in hys pystle to y^• Romayns, speketh of the pronytye and mocyons in the fleshe remay∣nynge, as the relyques of orygynall synne, wherby we be tycled towarde great actuall dedely synnes, and dayly fall in to venyall: Tyndale as appereth by hys wordes nexte after folowynge, wolde we sholde wene that saynt Poule meneth, that euery trew member may dayly fall into great horryble dedes, as periury, manslaughter, and aduowtry, [ B] of weykenes and fraylte / and that all those abomynable dedes be no dedely synnes yet but venyall euerychone, by∣cause it is not the man that doth it, but the synne that dwel¦leth in hym. And whyle saynte Poule sayth the wordes of hym selfe / Tyndale so layeth them forth, that he wolde we sholde take it that saynt Poule hym selfe•• or at the lest wyse yf not hym selfe yet the synne that dwelled in hym, cōmyt∣ted in very dede many suche horryble dedes, as the deuyll and the fleshe dyd moue and styre hym to. And then was it well lykely that he dyd inough. For well ye wote y^• deuyll wolde not fere to set hys f••eshe on fyre, and tempte hym to lechery & manslaughter both / whyle he fered not to ••empte our sauyour hym selfe, to glotony, couetyse, & pryde, deuyll worshyp and selfe slaughte•• to.* 1.53 And saynt Poule hym self [ C] cōfesseth, that for a medicyne preseruatyue agaynst pryde,* 1.54 there was gyuen hym the angell of Sathan, the prycke of the flesh, to dabbe hym in the necke and make hym stowpe and be•••• hym.

And it appereth playnely, that Tyndale taketh saynte Poulys wordes spokē of hym selfe, to sygnyfye not one••y styrynge and incytacyons towarde dedely synfull dedes / but also the very dedes commytted and done as he calleth it of fraylte, by the vyolence of those mocyons. For yf he meane not so / he layed those wordes nothyng to hys pur∣pose, as it appereth openly by those hys owne wordes fo∣lowynge.

Tyndale.

Thus are we synners and no synners. No synners yf thou loke vnto the pro∣fessyon

of our hartes towarde the lawe of god, on our r••pent••unce and sorow [ A] th••t we haue, bothe bycause we haue synned and also bycause we be yet full of synne styll, and vnto the promyses of mercy in our sauy••ur Cryste and vn¦to our fayth. Synners are we, yf thou loke vnto the ••rayltye of our flesshe, whyche is as the weakenesse of one that is newly rec••uered out of a greate dysease / by the reason wherof our dedes are imperf••t, and by the reason wherof also when occasyons be greate, we fall into horrible dedes, and the ••rute of the synne whych remayneth in our membres breketh out. Notwith¦standynge yet the spyryte leueth vs not, but rebuketh vs and bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our professyon / so that we neuer caste of the yoke of god from our neckes, neyther yelde vp our selues vnto synne for to serue it, but fyghte a fr••she and begynne a new b••tayle.

More.

Lo good crysten reders, here haue ye herde a full vncry¦sten tale of an euyll crysten man. For now se ye clerely that [ B] by playne expresse wordes, Tyndale telleth vs that a trew member of Crystes chyrche breketh out in to hor••yble de∣des when the occasyons be great / and yet he sayth that for all that he synneth not dedely. And thys is the thynge, for the profe wherof he bryngeth forth hys fore rehersed wor∣des of saynt Poule / by whyche he wolde make it seme, that saynt Poule dyd hym selfe so to.

And yet kepeth he hys accustumed guyse as farre as he can, in couerynge hym selfe and colourynge hys mater frō knowlege. And therfore he cometh in wyth synnynge and yet not synnyng. And for the redyng of that rydle, he sayth that the trew members of Crystes chyrch are synners and yet no synners. And amonge them he setteth hym selfe / sayenge of hym selfe and hys felowes, we be no synners yf thou [ C] loke vppon the professyon of our hartes towarde the law of god, and on our re¦pentaunce and sorowe that we haue synned and also bycause we be yet full of synne styll, and on to the promyses of mercy that is in our sauyo••r Cryst and vnto our fayth. And synners are we, yf thou loke to the frayltye of our fleshe by whiche we fall into horryble dedes, and the frute of synne whych remay∣neth in our membres breketh out.

Here wolde I that Tyndale sholde somwhat more cle∣rely tell vs what he meaneth in thys mater / whyther he meane that a trew mēber synneth not dedely all the whyle that he resysteth, and doth not the synfull horryble dede, as for ensample māslaughter or aduoutry. And that then agayne he synneth not, when that after the dede done he re¦penteth and is sory for hys euyll dede, and ys forgeuen of

[ A] god thorowe the promises of mercy in our sauiour Cryste, for the repentaunce & sorow & for the fayth. Let Tyndale I say tell vs whyther he mene thus / or ellys that hym self & hys other felowes the trew membres of chrystes chyrch do not synne dedely in the very tyme neyther, in whyche they consent to do those horrible synfull dedes, or rather in the tyme while they be in the doyng / for cōsent to the synne he sayth they neuer do.

By these wordes of hys we be no synners, yf thou loke to the professiō of our hartes to the law of god, & vnto our repentaūce & sorow that we haue synned / it may seme that he meneth the fyrst way, that is to wyt that they synne not all the while that they resiste the mocion to the dede, & that they synne not also, when that after the dede they take re∣pentaunce [ B] & sorow therfore.

Now yf he meane to rede hys rydle on thys fashyon / then he soyleth hys straunge rydle as bloutely, as an olde wyfe of Culnam dyd onys amonge scholers of Oxen∣forde, that sogerned wyth her for deth. whyche whyle they were on a tyme for theyr sporte purposynge rydles among theym, she bygā to put forth one of hers to / & sayed arede my ridle, what is that I knewe one that shott at an harte & kylled an haddoke. And when we had euery body mych mused how y^• myght be, & thā prayed her to declare her ridle her selfe / after longe request she sayd at the laste, that there was onys a fyssher that came a londe in a place where he sawe an hart and shott thereat, but he hit it not / & afterwarde he went agayne to the see and caught an had∣doke [ C] and kylled it. And surely Tyndale redeth hys rydle myche lyke, yf he vnderstande by hys rydle they synne and y••t synne not. That they synne not whyle they resiste y^• mo¦cions, nor when they repent the dede / and that they synne whyle they be in doynge. For that is no more to say but in one tyme they synne, and in another they synne not. And when 〈◊〉〈◊〉 synne then they synne / and whē they synne not than they synne not. were not here a wyse rydle wene ye & well declared, yf he mene it thus? And that he so meneth I saye it semeth by hys wordes afore rehersed / and also by these that he sayth, the spirit calleth vs home agayne. whereby it se∣meth that he meneth, we were onys gone from home and afterwarde be brought agayne.

Howe be it on the tother syde, he maye peraduēture mene

by these wordes, we be no synners yf thou loke to the pro∣fession [ A] of our hartes towarde the lawe of god / that euyn styll in the very tyme in whyche they go aboute to brynge theyre horrible dedes to passe, and in whych they do theym to / yet professe they the lawe of god styl with theyre harte. And so may he seme to mene as well by other wordes in y^• chapitres folowyng, as by these wordes in thys presente chapytre, where he sayth, we caste neuer of the yoke of god from our neckes, neyther yelde our selues vnto synne for to serue it, but fyghte a freshe and begynne a new batayle. By these wordes it semeth, and of trouth so I trow he fully meneth, as appereth by sundry other chapyters of this boke / & yet moste especyally by hys exposicyon vppon the fyrst pystle of saynt Iohn̄: y^• though they synne in that they haue the mocions of synne, the reli∣ques of oryginall synne remaynyng in the flesshe, yet by∣cause [ B] they be borne of god by the ryghte faythe, that is as Tyndale expouneth yt, by the byliefe of the fayth confes∣sed by saynt Peter, that Iesus is Chryste the son of god & our redemer / and bycause they haue that bylyefe, not only thorow the wordes of men preched vnto theym, whyche faythe is as he saythe hereafter but hystoricall, faynte, and sone goone / but haue yt grauē in theyr hartys by god (whych he calleth hereafter the felynge fayth) by whyche fayth he sayth that they fele theym selfe to byleue in god, & put theyr hole hope and truste of saluacyon in god, by the passyon of Chryste without any respecte of any good wor∣kes / & fele and be sure that god loueth theym, & that they be in hys fauour, & be trew chosen mēbres of his elect chyrch, and shall neuer be dampned / and by thys felyng faythe be [ C] borne of god, & that therfore they haue the spyryt of god in theym, by reason wherof they can neuer synne dedely / for y^e spyryt (sayth he) shall neuer suffer theym to synne of purpo¦se, but all the horryble dedes that they shall do, shalbe one∣ly of wekenes and frayletye of the flesshe vppon grete oc∣casyons, when the frute of synne that remayneth in theyre mēbres breketh owte: for thys cause he sayth that though the mocyon of the fleshe towarde horryble dedes be synne, and therfore they synne / yet bycause of theyr felyng fayth, they kepe styll in theyre hartes theyre professyon towarde the lawe of god. And when they haue done the dedes & ta∣ken a fall / yet caste they neuer of the yoke of god of theyr nekkes / nor yelde them self vnto synne to serue it, but whē

[ A] the rage is ones passed, then ryse vp lyke lusty galyardes agayn, & fyght a fresh, & cry a new feld a new, & begynne a new batayle / & then is (saith he) all forgiuē thē quyte, & they clene assoyled of god both from synne & payne / & no payne shall suffer any tyme after for the synne passed before, ney∣ther in purgotory nor in thys worlde neyther. And therfore neyther in goynge about theyr horryble dedes, nor in the commyttyng of them / he sayth they neuer synne dedely nor neuer can, be the dede neuer so abomynable. And suche as farre lesse were dedely and dampnable in a nother man, that were not so borne of god by suche a felynge fayth as they be, nor hadde receyued the seed of god in hym as they haue / whyche seed ones had can neuer suffer them to synne of purpose, and therfore neuer dedely after.

[ B] All be it that as I haue oftē tolde you, Tyndale partely for the vncertayntye of hym selfe in hys opynyons, after whyche he grysped and longe felte aboute here and there in the darke, ere euer he well wyste where he wold reste and setle hym selfe / and partely bycause he perceyued in hys owne conscyence hys heresyes not onely so noughty, but also so sottisshe that he was ashamed of them / and therfo••e euer so labored to set hys wordes in suche obscure & dowt∣full fashyon, that he myghte haue alwaye some refuge at some startynge hole: yet of very trouth in conclusyon, whē he sawe the worlde wax in some partys of Almayne so su∣rely fyxed and confermed in all kynde of heresyes, y^t there coulde none errour so folys••he nor so frantyke be deuysed, but a man myghte he bolde to set it forth, & sholde not fayle [ C] to fynde fonde felowes ••now to folow it / hopyng then that he sholde lytell & lytell at length brynge the people of thys realme vnto the same poynt, he hath fynally so set fo••th the mater in this boke of his answere vnto my dyaloge, & yet mych more opēly in his exposycyō vpon the fyrste pystle of saynt Iohn̄, that any lerned ma•• which aduysedly redeth those twayne, shall neuer after dowte, but y^• his rydle of the trew mēbre of theyr electe chyrche synnyng euer & yet syn∣ning neuer, he meneth very playn & expressely ī such maner as I haue now last declared you. And therfore let vs now cōsider how he may mayntayne his menyng, & what good frute wyll folow therupō, in y^• felyng of such holy mēbres.

Syth Tyndale agreeth, that bothe Luther & hym selfe, and all other the trewe membres of the electe chyrche, may

do greate horryble dedes suche as he denyeth not to be in [ A] other men dedely and dampnable: we must enserche with hym and aske of hym, what is the thynge that maketh the same horryble dedes whyche sholde be dedely in a nother, to be not dedely in Luther or hym, or any suche other trew membre of theyr electe chyrche.

He wyll peraduenture answere vs & say, it is no dedely synne in them, bycause that god doth afterward vpō theyr repentaūce & sorow taken for theyr synne, forgyue them the deth & all maner of payne dew to y^e horryble dede by them before cōmitted / & that therfore it is not dedely to them, by¦cause by goddes remyssyon and pardō it is prouyded that they shall not dye. Thys answere of Tyndale is very slender / for it implyeth the cōtrary of y^t it sholde proue. For it declareth y^t the dede is dedely, & that he synneth dedely. [ B] For ellys god dyd not pardon hym the deth vppon hys re∣pentaūce, yf deth were not dew to hys dede.

And I do not now lay to them the tyme before theyr cō∣sent vnto the dede, nor the tyme of theyr repentaūce after theyr euyll dede / but the tyme in whych theyr wyll cōsen••ed and agreed to do it, & the tyme in which they dyd it in dede / in thys mene tyme say I they synne dedely in dede.

Nay sayth Tyndale, for afterwarde we repente, and by and by god forgyueth vs the deth, for hys mercy in our sa∣uyour Chryst, and for our fayth, and for hys promyses.

Thys wyse answere is mych lyke, as though he wolde tell vs that one which had robbed a chyrche were a thefe & yet not a thefe. A thefe bycause he had stolē away y^e chalyce, & yet not a thefe bycause y^e kyng had gyuē hym a pardon. [ C]

Tyndale wyll yet happely say, y^t the thefe was not sure be¦fore y^t he shold haue his pardō after / but Luther & he & such other trew mēbres of theyr electe chyrch, be sure by goddes {pro}mises, y^t vpō theyr repētaūce they shall haue theyr pardō.

But then aske we hym agayne, though he knowe by the promyse that vpon repentaūce he shall haue pardon / how knoweth he and what promyse hath he, that when he hath commytted horryble dedes, he shall haue after the grace gyuen hym to take such repentaūce as y^e pardō shall folow.

Hereto shall Tyndale saye that hym selfe & hys felowes do fele by theyr felyng fayth, that they be borne of god, and that they haue his seed within them / by whych they be well assured that they shall neuer do any such dede, as they shall

[ A] spyrytually dye for / but is very sure and feleth well by hys felyng fayth, y^t the spyryt wyll call hym home agayn after, be he neuer so farre gone, and wyll cause hym to repente, & so gete hym hys pardon.

Of thys opyniō be they very surely / wherof ye se well fo¦loweth no lytell occasyan of bolde settynge forwarde vnto synne. For yf a prynce wolde promyse euery man a perdon byfore hand, y^t wold so surely truste vpon his promyse, as what so euer he shold do he wolde not let to come & aske it / no mā dowteth I suppose what plenty thys promyse wold make of all kynde of vnthryftes. But as for god, though he haue made a trew faythfull {pro}myse of pardō, to all trew repētaūtes & penitētes what minde or purpose so euer they had byfore (the truth of which promyse Tyndale yet mys∣trusteth [ B] in them y^e synne willyngly & of purpose, & playnely sayth y^t they shall neuer haue pardon) yet hath our lorde of his godnes & wysdome left one brydle boūde about mēnes heddes to refrayne them frō boldenes of synne, y^t is to wyt y^t they can not after theyr synfull dedes repente agayne of thē selfe without his specyall grace. which though he doth of his goodnes comēly offer / yet be they not put in surty by¦fore, y^t it shalbe so offred vnto thē. But y^t yf they so boldely make them self sure therof byfore, y^t the corage therof gyue them occasyō to synne / it may be y^e cause y^t god shall clerely withdraw it frō them, & neuer offer it them after. And thys vncertaynty of grace to folow is y^e brydle y^t refrayneth our boldenes / where as Tyndale & his holy felowes the trewe mēbres of Crystes chyrch, feling by theyr feling fayth that [ C] after theyr horrible dedes done, they shall vndowtedly take repētaūce & so gete theyr pardon / haue this brydle of drede cast of theyr hed, & therfore are redy lyke vnbrydled coltes to rūne out at rouers in all horrible dedes whyther so euer y^e occasyōs of theyr wyld affeccyōs, & the synne as Tindale sayth brekyng out in theyr mēbres, lyst to cary theym. For whē they be caryed out vpō occasyōs by y^e deuyll & y^e flesh / then Tyndale calleth it but frayltye & infyrmyte, & no wyll in no wise nor no malycyous purpose. And therfore of this heresy, without which they can not defēde theyr other, ye se what good frute must folow. And yet suppose y^t Tyndals false heresy were trew, & y^t they were as certayn & sure of re¦pētaūce, & therby of remissyō & pardon, as they say they be / this wold not yet mayntayne his mater. For though that a traytoure were so well acquaynted with the condycyon of

hys kynge, that he veryly knewe that when he hadde all [ A] wrought that he coude in his traytorouse purpose agaynst hym, he sholde yet after obtayne his pardon, and therupon boldely so dyd, vpon some occasion and hope of some hygh promocyon, and afterwarde were not deceyued but obtay∣ned hys pardon in dede: yet had he ben for all that a stark traytour in the meane whyle, and hadde dedely trespassed, though the deth folowed not, but the faute were fully for∣gyuen. And so mych the more traytorouse wretche, in how mych the prynce were of hys nature more benyng and mar¦cyfull. And thus ye se playnely that Tyndale to proue his rydle trewe, that though he synne he synneth neuer dedeli / muste seke some better shyfte then thys.

Tyndale wyll saye that hys felowys & he do not synne dedely in the tyme of the doynge of suche horryble dedes, [ B] bycause as they say they do them not of purpose nor wyl∣lyngly, nor do not cōsent vnto synne to serue it / but all the whyle that they go there aboute, and all the whyle also in whyche they be in doynge, they resyste it in theyr wylles, & haue styll in theyr hartes theyr professyon to the loue of the lawe, and be sory that they shall breke it / & fynally do breke it agaynst theyr wyll by greate occasyons gyuen, whyche cary them forth to the doynge of those horryble dedes, in a rage of the synne brekynge out of theyr membres. whyche horryble dedes after the rage ones passed, they repente all waye and forthwyth be clene forgyuen.

Is not here good reder a goodly defence and a godly? And vndowtedly thys is theyr very defence in defendynge them selfe from dedely synne, as Tyndals awne wordes [ C] as well in thys chapyter as in other folowynge, do playne and clerely shew.

But now seeth euery good chrysten man well inowgh, that they be wyckedly occupyed,* 1.55 in sekyng as holy Dauid saith, excuses for theyr synne. For there is no man doth any suche dede agaynste hys wyll / but all be it that he resyste y^e mocyon of the deuyll and the flesh at the fyrste, & cleuynge to the contrary styrynge of god and hys good angell, re∣pugneth and stryueth agaynste the synne and is peraduen¦ture loth to be brought therto / whych doyng is very godd, and therby good folke fynally caste of and ouercome all those temptacions thorow the grace of god wurkyng with thē: yet suche as in conclusyon fall to the doynge of those

[ A] horryble dedes whyche they be tempted to, though they be not fully so euyll as other that resyste the deuyll nothynge at all, but rather runne on apace towarde hell them selfe, then tary tyll the deuyll come to cary them / yet do they vn∣dowtedly thorow theyr owne defaute fall from the grace wyllyngly, that holpe them whyle they resysted. And as it were a cowarde that had fought a whyle, wolde sodaynly caste awaye bothe bukler and swerde, & fall downe at hys enemyes fete, and yelde hym selfe in to hys enemyes han∣des: so do these folke which cōmytte those horryble dedes, after a whyle resystynge, by whyche by goddes helpe they sholde haue had the victory yf they wolde haue perseuered in the fyght / they chaunge theyr mynde by y^e faute of theyr owne fre wyll, thorow the delectacyon of the synfull dede, [ B] and so consent vnto the same, and then seke them selfe the waye to come therto, and the deuyll helpeth them to fynde it / and so breke they wyllyngly goddes commaundement, and fulfyll the pleasure of the deuyll and the luste of the fleshe. whyche wylfull fallynge from god and hys grace, vnto the deuyll and the flesh / what god man dowteth to be dampnable dedely synne?

And therfore whan Tyndale telleth vs that Luther and he and suche other trewe membres of theyr chyrche, whā they commytte ony suche horryble dedes, do not cōmytte theym wyllyngly, bycause they do commytte theym vpon great occasyons, and be caryed awaye spyte of theyr tethe with the rage of the synne that breketh out of theyr membres: sauynge my charyte syr I beshrewe theyr knauysshe mem∣bres, [ C] out of whiche theyr synne breketh forthe with suche a rage. Let theym cast on colde water with sorow, & quenche that rage.

For without the defawte of theyr owne fre wyll, all the deuyls in hell can neuer caste vpon theym suche an hete, that shalbe able to brynge theym into that vyolent inuyn∣cyble rage, to compell theym vnwyllyngly to do suche hor∣ryble dedes. For god hathe promysed as in playne scryp∣ture appereth, that he wyll neuer so suffre theym.* 1.56 God is faythfull sayth saynt Poule, whiche shall not suffre you to be tēpted aboue y^• ye may bere / but with the tēptacyon shall also make you a way to get out, so that ye may well welde it. And whan saynt Poule hym selfe,* 1.57 leste the greatnes of his hyghe reuelacyons myght haue set hym vp in an hygh

pryde, had thorow goddes great mercyfull goodnes the [ A] angell of Sathan the prycke of the flesshe, gyuē vnto hym to bete hym, & that in suche wyse that he was fayne thryes to cry to god to take it away: our lord agayne shewed hym that it was not good for hym to lacke it so soone, nor to haue it so sodenly taken away from hym / but shewed hym that his grace was suffycyent. whose strengthe in man∣nes feblenes so worketh with the fre wyll of hym that pur∣poseth to contynue good, that all the deuyls in hell shall ne¦uer be able to put hym in suche a rage, that may cary hym towarde horryble dedes one here bredth forwarde agaynst his wyll. And thus ye se that Tyndale as towchynge his ryall rydle of synnynge and synnynge not, is now brought to that poynt that he can not rede his owne rydle hym self / excepte he wyll peraduenture saye that it is neuer dedely [ B] synne though it be doone wyllyngly, but yf a man consent to the synne, and than wyll vnderstande therby, that he cō∣senteth not to the synne that consenteth to the dede, but yf he consent that the dede shulde be synne / & so that he which agreeth to do auoutry doth not synne, bycause he doth not consent that aduoutry shulde be synne, but rather wolde it were none. Excepte Tyndale mene some suche farre fette wyse inuencyon / elles can I not in good faythe perceyue how he can helpe Luther and hym selfe and other holy he∣retyques the trewe membres of theyr electe chyrche, from consentynge to synne / whan they do as he confesseth horry¦ble dedes vpon great occasyons thorow the rage of synne, buddyge and bryngynge forthe the fruyte that bredeth out of theyr vngracious membres. [ C]

For yf he lake for any helpe of these wordes, where he sayth that they yelde not theym selues vnto syn for to serue it / as though other folke whan they do synne do entende to serue synne / but they for holynesse of theyr felynge faythe, in the doynge of theyr synnes do not entende to serue the synne, but to make the synne to serue theym and do theym pleasure at theyr owne luste and lykynge: let hym for an∣swere loke how saynt Austayne mocketh in lyke case an olde fylosopher / whiche beynge asked why he was not ashamed to haue an harlot as other rybaudes had, answe∣red for his defence that there was great dyfferēce bytwene his dede & theyrs. For as for theym they had not the har∣lot but the harlot had theym. But as for hym he had the harlot & not the harlot hym. And ther was by saynt Sym,

[ A] a propre reason and a trym. A fayre bost for a phylosofer to haue an harlot at his wyll, that lay with euery man by∣syde at her wyll. Now Tyndale maketh here a lyke boste for to excuse hym and his felowes, sayenge, we fall whan the oc∣casyons be great into horryble dedes, and the fruyte of the synne whiche remay∣neth in our membres breketh out, but yet we neuer yelde our selues vnto synne to serue it / menyng of lykelyhed that the synne shall serue thē, as the harlot dyd the folyshe phylosofer. But our sauyour hym selfe wypeth a way clene all the worshyp of Tyndales worde, whan he sayth playnly that who so euer do synne, is by the doynge bycome the bonde thrall of synne. And so by y^• very trewe tale of Chryst, Tyndales false tale is auoy¦ded. For whan so euer he yeldeth hym selfe to do horryble dedes, whiche he sayth they fall in vpon great occasyons, [ B] whan the fruyte of the synne remaynynge in theyr mysche∣uous membres breketh out at large / than forthwith for all theyr felynge fayth, by theyr foule fleshly felynge in the do¦ynge theyr fylthy deuelyshe dede, they yelde them selues to serue the synne, and by the synne to serue the deuyll / & the deuyll to serue them agayne, fyrste here for a lytell whyl•• with a lytell fylthy pleasure, and after in hell for euer with blowynge the fyre aboute them.

For as towchyng Tyndales wordes folowynge, where he sayth they wyll ryse and fyght a freshe and begynne a new batayle: these wordes make nothynge to the purpose / for they were neuer able to ryse agayne alone. And yf god lyfte them vp as many tymes he dothe / yet were they not sure that he so wolde for he dothe not euer so to euery man. [ C] And of which sorte hym selfe is, that can he neuer tell what so e••er he bable.

And also yf he dyd alway so, & that they were also sure byfore that he wold allway so do after / yet can it not serue Tyndale in this poynt. For we speke of the dedely synne in the tyme of his fall, and of the seruitude and thraldom that he lyeth in, all the whyle that he lyeth prostrate vnder the deuyls fote, and not that after that god hath goten hym vp agayne / and therfore those wordes wyll not helpe

How be it of trouthe Tyndales wordes wryten a lytell before, yf they were trewe as they be not, wolde make more for the profe of his purpose / where he saythe that thoughe they fall into horryble dedes, vpon great occasyons whan the ••rute of the synne remaynynge in theyr flesshe breketh

out of theyr membres, yet they neuer caste of the yoke of [ A] god fro theyr neckes.

These wordes yf they were trewe, wolde make in dede somwhat for theyr purpose. For yf it so were that for all the doynge of theyr horryble dedes, they dyd neuer cast of the yoke of god fro theyr neckes: than myght it seme that in the tyme of the doynge they dyd not yet synne dedely, syth theyr neckes were yet styll bouden within the yoke of obe∣dyence to the loue of god, & that they had not shaken that yoke of.

But of truthe those wordes are vntrew. For whan they do those horryble dedes, whiche god hathe vpon peyne of eternall dethe precysely forboden them / & whiche no temp∣tacyon can cause them so to do agaynst theyr wyll, but that they myghte by goddes helpe leue yt vndone yf they [ B] wolde, syth god neuer vseth to deny the helpe of his grace, tyll man leue of his holde by slouth or frowardnes of his owne fre wyll / therfore I say whan they do those horryble dedes thorough the frute of theyr synne brekynge out of theyr bestely membres, they do by the dysobeyng of his pre¦cepte, shake of the yoke of god for the whyle / as an euyll ta••ched horse shakes of somtyme the brydle & runneth out at large. And than agayne yf it happen that at goddes cal∣lynge on, they repent & do penaunce, & purpose to amende & be better, than is the yoke put on agayne / as an vnbryd∣led horse somtyme whan he is folowed standeth styll & stay¦eth at his mayster his whystelyng, and suffreth his brydle to be put on agayne.

Now yf Tyndale say styll, that bycause of his felynge [ C] fayth, whiche whan he hathe ones goten he sayth he can ne¦uer lese after, and that therfore he can neuer after do dede∣ly synne, not euen whyle he is in the doynge of suche horry¦ble dedes, as he consenteth that he may fall in thorow the frute of the synne that breketh out of his mēbres: I wolde aske hym yet ones agayne, what is y^• thynge that after the rage passed h•• so sore shuld repent and sorowe. For as hym selfe sayth, that thorow suche repentaunce he may haue re∣myssyon / why shuld he be so sory for the dede, to the entent to be by sorowfull rep••ntaunce made partener of pardon and mercy and restored to lyfe, yf he cōmytted in the doyng no maner of dedely synne.

If he say for sorowe that he hathe offended god, whiche

[ A] greueth hym for the loue & reuerence that he bereth hym, and not for any fere of hell / whiche fere is but seruyle and bonde, and therfore not metely for suche holy folke as Lu∣ther is and hym selfe: I answere hym yf that he say tr••w, that he consented not, but all was done agayne his wyll / god was not angry with hym nor offended by hym, nor his synne no synne at all. For as saynt Austayn sayth, yf it be done without the wyll it is not synne.

Fynally yf he stycke styll in this poynt, that in y^e doynge of those horryble dedes, theyr lyuely felynge fayth, whiche can not as they say but worke well, standeth styll in theym all the whyle that they be doynge these horryble dedes that they fall in vpon great occasyons, thorow the frute of the synne that breketh out of theyr mēbres / and that they ther∣fore [ B] do not those horryble synfull dedes them selfe, but the synne that remayneth in theyr membres / and that they re∣syst the dede all the whyle they be in doynge, and do not con¦sent nor agre there vnto, nor do it not with theyr harte but onely with theyr mēbres: it wylbe then a wonderous case in my mynde to consyder, what maner a medytacyon and what maner conflycte haue they in thē selfe bytwene theyr harte and theyr membres, when the frute of the synne that remayneth in theyr flesshe agaynst the professyon o•• theyr harte to the lawe of god, breketh out of theyr membres in∣to suche horryble dedes, as take theyr bodyes that were the membres of god,* 1.58 and make them as saynt Poule sayth the membres of a stynkynge harlot. Fyrst when the deuyll vp∣on some syght of a wanton woman, putteth that suggesty∣on [ C] in theyr hartes / they make no crosse of lykelyhed ney∣ther on theyr forehed nor on theyr brest nor any wher about theyr body. Fo•• suche blessynge and crossynge Tyndale cal¦leth waggynge with fyngers in the ayre, a••d dum ceremo∣nyes and ymage seruyce. But lyke holy spy••ytuall fathers borne agayne of god and the spyryte, they resyste manfully fyrste, and a great whyle. But whan they resorte vnto her and talke with her more and more, and all agaynste theyr wyll ye wote well / for the deuyll dryueth them thyther, and he must nedes go whom the deuyll dryueth: then all the way they go they say to god and them selfes, ywys though I go thyther with my fete, yet I wyll not agre to go thy∣ther with myne harte lo. Nor I wold not come at her at all good lorde, sauynge that vpon the great occasyon that I had when I saw her ones / I then lyked her so well that I

am now caryed thyder euē in a rage. But yet for all y^• rage [ A] I wyll not cast of thy yoke good lord, but I wyll cary thy yoke styll about my necke to bedde with her, & put it about her necke to, & yoke vs bothe to gether. And yet after all this lo, when all the rage is paste y^t now haryeth me forth in an hete thorow the frute of synne, which remaynynge in my flesshe, breketh out of my members / then wyll I repent it good lorde & be sory therfore, and retourne agayne from her to the, or ellys brynge her yoked with me to. And then wyll I pray the of pardon. And then thou most nedes good lorde forthwith at the fyrst worde, gyue me full remyssyon of synne & payne, & all by our holy father the popys leue, so that I shall neuer be punysshed therfore, neyther in hell, purgatory, nor ī this world neyther. And this good mynde good lorde wyll I kepe styll and neuer let it fall out of my [ B] harte / so that all the whyle that I lye bassyng with Besse, & I am doynge y^• horryble dede with my body / yet wyll I neuer agre therto wyth my harte. Or yf I myshappe for weykenes and fraylte to consent vnto the dede / yet wyll I neuer consent to the synne of the dede / for it shall neuer be synne by my cōsent. Or yf I do cōsent to the synne / yet wyll I not cōsent of purpose & of malyce as the deuyll doth, but of weykenes and fraylty as other holy folke do. Nor at the ferthest I wyll consent no ferther to the synne, but that the synne shall serue me, & not I to serue the synne in no wyse, I wyll be well ware of that. For I thanke the good lorde the seed of thy spyryt that thorow my felyng fayth is in me, can neuer suffer my harte to consent to be seruaunte to any synne, how horryble synnys & how many so euer my mem∣bres [ C] do. And therfore euyn whyle I am in doyng / y^t thanke be thyne good lorde I do neuer synne dedely, nor neuer shall, nor can / nor neuer am by any synne out of thy fauour nor neuer stande out of the state of grace for any synne that I do or can do, be they neuer so many or neuer so horryble / and suche as one of these peuyshe popysh papystes shall be dampned to the deuyll, yf they do but the fyftenth parte of some suche one, and all for faute of suche a felynge fayth, and suche good medytacyons as I haue.

Is not here a godly medytacyon trew ye. Forsothe I suppose ye shall not fynde suche a nother in all the medyta¦cyons of saynt Barnarde, as holy a man as he was. And I assure you Tyndale and hys felowys, yf theyr holy here syes be trewe / muste nedys in the doynge of euery such hor¦ryble

[ A] dede as Tyndale telleth vs that they fall in, by the ragyouse occasyōs of the synne brekyng out of theyr wred¦ched membres / they must I say nedes haue some such ma∣ner of medytacyō in theyr holy hartes, yf they shall both do those horryble dedys, & yet in the tyme of the doyng neuer consent vnto the synne to serue it, but cōtynually kepe styll in theyr myndes the professyon & purpose towarde the law of god / & in all y^e tyme of theyr horryble doyng / neuer onys shake of y^e yocke of theyr bond toward god / but both abyde boūden styll vnto god, and yet ronne lose at large after the deuyll. These twayne bothe at onys wythout some suche medytacyon can neuer stande to gyther.

Fynally for cōclusyon of this his worshypfull chapyter of euer synnynge & neuer synnynge, where as Tyndale as [ B] though he had clerely proued the thyng wherof he proueth nothyng, cōcludeth agaynst me in thys wyse, And therfore it is afals cōclusion that M. More holdeth, how that a man may haue a ryghte fayth ioyned withall kyn••e of all abommacyon and synne: I conclude agaynst Tindale y^• he cōcludeth clerely y^e same. And yet cō∣clude I farther for all y^e, that I cōcluded trew & that he cō¦cludeth false. And thus bycause y^t in this chapiter•• Tindale is as it semeth by his euer synnynge & neuer synnynge, set vpon redyng of rydles for his recreacyon: I put hym my rydle to, y^• he & I be agreed, & yet we be not agreed / & that he sayth as I say, and yet I say not as he sayth. For where as I sayd & trew I sayde, that a ryghte fayth may stande & abyde with all abomynacyō / menyng therby that the trew ryght bylyefe of all the artycles of y^e catholyke fayth maye [ C] be in a man, & yet he may (that bylyefe styll stādyng) fall in to many dedely synnes, without any wrong opyn••o taken agayst the ryght bylyefe: now cometh Tyndale & agreeth vnto that, so y^• he & I be therin agreed. But than wolde he fayne saue his worshyp with sayeng nay / & therfore he de∣nyeth that we be agreed. For he sayth y^t the thyng which I call the ryght fayth, is not the ryghte fayth. For though a man byleue ••ayth he neuer so ryght, without any wronge opyniō in any artycle of the fayth / yet but yf he haue trewe trust & full vndowted hope in god, & cheryte therwith also, which sayth he must nedes ensew therupon, els hath he no ryghte fayth. And so Tyndale auoydeth me not with any prouynge, that abomynacyon and synne can not stande wyth the thynge that is in dede a ryghte fayth / but that

abomynable synne can not stande with the thynge whych [ A] hym selfe calleth the ryght fayth / bycause it pleaseth not hym to call a ryght fayth, that bylyefe that is right inough and hath none artycle wronge therin for as farforth as per¦teyneth to the nature of onely fayth, but yf it be both fayth and hope and cheryte to / wherin amonge all lerned men that here vs bothe and se hys sotle shyfte, he wynneth so mych worshyp therby, that he maye surely be mych asha∣med therof, as often as he thynketh therof.

But marke well good reder, that he cōmeth forth after and sayth, that hym selfe and suche other hys holy compa∣nyons the trewe membres of theyr electe chyrch, as haue y^• ryght fayth and the felynge fayth to, that is to wytte after hys owne doctryne full fayth full hope and cheryte bothe, so surely that it can neuer fall from theym / maye yet for all [ B] theyr ryght fayth fall into abomynable synfull dedes, vpō great occasyons brekyng out of the frute of the synne that remayneth in theyr synfull membres / and maye for a space perseuer in those horryble synfull dedes, and yet all that whyle theyr ryght fayth doth contynue, and theyr abomy∣nable synfull dedes to gyder. And so by Tindale hym selfe all abomynacyon and synne maye stande to gyther wyth the ryght fayth, that is not onely wyth the ryght bylyefe alone as I affermed, but wyth the ryght bylyefe & wyth good hope & che∣ryte to as Tyndale sayth, whyche I say is playnely false. For surely the thynne sotelty therof my groce wytte can [ C] in no wyse per∣ceyue. And thus good chrysten reders for con∣clusyon, ye now clerely se to what folysshe conclusyon he hath brought hym selfe in conclusyon / and all thys chapyter of his with his royall rydle of synnynge and not syn∣nynge, is royally ronne to ryghte nought.

[ A] How •• chrysten man can not erre, and how he may yet erre.

Tyndale.

ANd as they synne not, so they erre not. And on the tother syde as they synne, so they erre / but neuer vnto deth and damnacyon. For they neuer synne of purpose, nor holde any errour malycyously synnynge agaynste the holy goost / but of weakenes and infyrmitye. As good obedyent chyldren, though they loue theyr faders commaundementes, yet breke them ofte by the reason of theyr weakenes. And as they can not yelde them selues bond vnto synne to serue it / euyn so they can not erre in any thynge that sholde be agaynste the promyses whiche are in Chryste. And in other thynges theyr errours be [ B] not vnto dampnacyon, though they be neuer so greate, bycause they holde them not malycyously.

More.

I Shall good chrysten readers make no longe worke aboute thys chapyter. For syth the hole somme therof is as ye se no thynge ellys in effecte, but that the trew membres of Tyndals electe chyrche, do oftē erre and yet neuer erre, euyn in lyke maner as they often or rather alwaye synne and yet neuer synne / whyche hys manyfolde folyshe heresyes in euer synnynge and neuer synnynge, I haue many maner wyse playnely refelled and confuted in the chapyter nexte before: I maye therfore & wyll ••ake a great [ C] dele the lesse laboure and busynesse in thys.

I wyll therfore but put you in remembraunce that all hys mater standeth onely in thys, that hys trewe membres of hys electe chyrche, after that they haue onys goten the trewe fayth that saynt Peter confessed / vnderstandyng the same in suche erronyous wyse as Luther and Tyndale teche them wyth many playne pestylent heresyes therin, as I haue before openly and clerely declared you / and when that they haue onys attayned that fayth, not wyth an hy∣storycall maner as a man maye beleue a story, but wyth a felyng fasshyon as the chyld byleueth that the fyre is hote, bycause he hath burned hys fynger, as Tyndale wyll tell you in a nother chapyter after / who so (sayth he) hath onys in suche a fasshyon attayned and goten that fayth / that is

to wytte who so euer is ones enfect with ••hose heresyes, in [ A] such a fast felyng fashyon, can neuer after erre dāpnably. And why? For two causes sayth Tyndale. One bycause y^• lyke as they can not synne of purpose, but of weykenesse & infyrmyte / so can he neuer erre in any thynge at all, y^t shuld be agaynst the promyses that are in Chryste.

A nother cause is, bycause what other errour so euer such a trew faythfull electe mēber of his electe chyrch happen to falle into, so that it be not agaynst the promyses that are in Chryst, can not be dāpnable be it neuer so grete / all though the trueth that is contrary to that errour, be wryten sayth Tyndale euyn in the very gospell it selfe. And why can it be no dedely synne? bycause sayth Tindale that an elected men ber of his, can not holde it malycyously.

So that by this ye maye clerely se, that Tyndale affer∣meth [ B] & techeth for a treuth, that in all other thinges bysyde the promyses / a trewe member of hys electe chyrche maye somtyme erre, but neuer malycyously / and that is to wytte neuer but of weykenesse and furmentye, as hym selfe hath often all redy declared. And therfore they can not in any suche thynge synne dedely nor dampnably, be the thynge neuer so greate, and also wryten in the very gospell as he sayth after to.

By thys also ye may clerely se, that concernyng the pro∣myses that are in Chryst / he sayth that a trew member can not erre at all, neyther malycyously nor of fraylte. For syth he graunteth errour of infyrmyte in other thynges onely that towch not the promyses / ye may clerely perceyue that concernynge the promyses he holdeth that a trew mēber of [ C] his electe chyrch can not erre at all in any maner of wyse, neyther of malyce, nor purpose, nor fraylte, nor weykenes, nor infyrimte. So y^t as he putteth ī all other poyntes, onely malycyouse errour to be dedely synne & dāpnable / so put∣teth he concernyng the promyses, euery maner of errour to be dedely synne and dāpnable / be it of purpose and malice, or of infyrmyte, fraylte, or weykenes / and for that cause a trew member of his electe chyrche can neuer fall therin.

For yf he ment not thus, he wolde not so deuyde•• these two kyndes of errour / one agaynst the promyses, and the other agaynst other thinges, as ye se hym do / but yf it were to teche vs that the tone were dedely synne and dāpnable euery waye, and the tother neuer dampnable, but yf it were

[ A] holden of malice / and that therfore the trew member of his electe chyrch maye erre in the tone kynde, so it be not maly∣cyously, bycause that ellys it is not dampnable nor dedely synne. But in the tother concernyng the promyses, he can neuer erre at all. And why? but bycause that euery errour therin were dedely synne and dampnable / & that one of his heresyes is as ye haue herd byfore, that a trew member of the elected chyrche can neuer synne dedely. And thys ye se therfore is hys playne doctryne / whych what treuth it hath we shall nowe playnely shew you.

Let vs fyrst begynne with errours agaynst y^• promyses in Chryst. And therin let Tyndale tell vs fyrste wherfore a trew mēber of his electe chyrch, can not erre in any thynge that is agaynst the promyses y^• be in Chryst / in suche wyse [ B] as they may in other great artycles of the fayth, that be no promyses. what hath he other to say, but bycause y^• euery maner errour though it be not holden malycyously, is yet dedely synne & dāpnable, yf it towch any promyse / and that none other errour is dedely synne or dampnable, whyche towcheth no promyse, but yf it be holden malycyously.

Then must we forther aske hym, wherby he woteth and wherby he proueth, y^t euery maner errour in euery artycle of any promyse y^t is in Chryst, is dedely synne & dāpnable, though it come but of weykenes and fraylty / and none ••r∣rour in any other artycle, be it neuer so great is dampnable & dedely, but yf it be holden of malyce.

we must aske hym wherby he knoweth y^• it is inowg•• for his saluacyō, to byleue y^• promyse of god in Chryst, tha•• [ C] thorow Chryste he shalbe saued / & byleue not that Chryste & the holy goste be one equale god wyth y^• father, by which thre persons & one god he shalbe saued. For y^e Chryst is one god equale with the father, it is no promise made vnto vs / nor y^t the holy goste is so neyther / but it is a thyng by god tolde vnto vs. And I maruayle mych by what menys Tin¦dale can proue vs, that there is any lesse parell in not byle∣uynge of goddes other wordes, then in the wordes of hys promyses / syth he byndeth vs to byleue them both a lyke.

The cause of our saluacyō is not the bylyefe of the pro∣myse, nor the truste therin neyther, of any proper nature of that bylyefe in the promyse / no more then the nature of our good workes, is able of it selfe for our saluacyon / but the ordynaunce of god, that it pleaseth hym to saue vs for

our obedyence of hys commaundement bothe in the by∣lyefe [ A] and the worke. For as he coulde yf it so pleased hym, brynge vs all vnto the blysse of heuen wythout any good worke at all / so coulde he yf he lyste, brynge vs all thyther wythout any fayth at all. For he coulde brynge vs thyther wythout any knowledge gyuen vs therof, tyll we came thyther and had it. So it appereth clerely, that the cause of the saluacyon standeth all in the obedyence of goddes cō¦maundement / wherby he byddeth vs, and by hys byddyng byndeth vs, to captyue our vnderstandynge in to the obe∣dyence of fayth and byleue hys promyses.

Now yf thys be thus as of trouth it is / what dowte is there but that we be as vpon lyke rewarde, so vpon lyke parell & payne, bounden to byleue all other thynges y^t god telleth vs, as well as the thynges whych he promyseth vs. [ B]

And therfore yf Tyndale wyll to the contrary loke to be byleued of any man in thys poynt / he muste accordynge to hys owne rule•• brynge forth playne and open scrypture, by whyche god hath tolde vs by wrytynge, that yf we byleue onys hys promyses, care for no more. For as for all other thynges that be no promyses, he wyll that we be at lyberty to byleue as we lyste / so that there be no malyce in vs. And why at more lybertye of byleuynge god in hys other wor∣des, then in hys promyses? I can not perceyue what cause Tyndale can imagyne / but yf he be so madde to thynke, that god wyll in all hys other tales that hym lyste to tell vs, though they be wryten in the very gospell as Tyndale sayth after, haue vs yet at lybertye in beleuynge hym, by∣cause hym selfe wolde be at lybertye to tell vs for hys plea∣sure [ C] somtyme trew talys, and somtyme suche as Tyndale telleth, that is to wytte vntrewth and lyes.

Surely this is a maruelouse tale of Tyndale in my mynde / & a maruelouse dyfference that he putteth bytwene the bylyefe of the promyses and the bylyefe of all the other artycles of the fayth. As though the bylyefe of the promy∣ses onely, were so farre aboue the bylyefe of any other ar∣tycle / when euery man that any wytte hath, maye well and clerely se, that the bylyefe of the promyses do so depende vpon some other artycles, that the bylyefe of those artycles gone, the bylyefe of the promyses and all to gyther were gone. As who so were (as many haue ben) so madde to by∣leue that there were no god at all / wyth hym were goddes

[ A] promyses quyte gone. And hys synne were as greate that erred in not byleuynge there were any god, as hys that by∣leuynge there were a god, erred yet in that he byleued not that euer he made any promyse to man. And yet in goddes promyses Tyndale meneth onely y^• promyses of god made vnto mankynde / for so farre go saynt Peters wordes,* 1.59 qui in hunc mundum venisti, is Tyndals exposycyon to. And therfore as for Tyndale, ye se well so that he byleue that hys electe chyrche of mankynde shalbe saued / he maye wythout any parell chese whyther he wyll byleue that euer any angell is eternally saued or not / notwythstandyng that Chryst sayd of saynt Iohn̄ the baptyst, that the lest in heuen was greter then he.* 1.60 yet bycause it was but a tale tolde by the mouth of Chryst, and not a promyse made / & specyally syth it was [ B] no promyse of any gyfte gyuen to man: Tyndale maye dystruste it and denye it yf he lyste, yf hys wytte haue any such wekenes, and so that he do it not of malice / for all that it is playnely wryten in the very gospell, and there tolde by goddes owne mouth.

Concernynge yet the promyses made to man / let vs cō¦syder whych thynges be promyses, and whych thynges be not the very promyses, but other artycles besyde. That we shalbe saued thorow Chryst and by Chrystes passyon, is a promyse. And yet that Chryst hym selfe was the same very person, by whom that dede shold be done, is more properly a tale then a promyse. And it maye be that a man byleuyng the promyse that mankynde shall be saued thorow Chryst, may yet erre in not byleuynge y^• Iesus the sonne of Mary [ C] was that Chryste. And of trouth eyther in that errour or very nere to that errour, be all the hole secte of Iewes. So that it is as great parell not to byleue god in hys tale, whē he sayed thys is my welbeloued sonne in whom I myche delyte / as not to byleue hym in hys promyse made vnto Habraam,* 1.61 that of hys seed sholde such a sauyour come.* 1.62 For it is not all one to promyse that of hym sholde one come by whom the worlde sholde be saued, and to tell hym thys is the man that in my promyse I spake of. For a promise and a tale be not both one thynge. For though euery promyse by in dede a tale, syth no man can make a promyse but yf he tell it: yet is not euery tale a promyse, as euery chylde perceyueth. And therfore saynte Peter toke a sure waye, when he sayed, Thou arte Chryst that arte come into thys

worlde / takyng it for a pryncypall poynt to byleue goddes [ A] tale. For the tale that thys was he whyc•••• as our sauyour sayde, the father in heuen had hym selfe tolde vnto Peter, that tale Peter confessed, that Iesus was Chryste whyche was then comen into the worlde. But the promyse whyche was the sauynge of the worlde that sholde be wrought in hym / that thyng saynt Peter spake not of there, as a thyng byleued and loked for afore / nor of the mene of the sauyng that it shulde be by hys passyon, that thynge saynte Peter as Tyndale sayth at that tyme knewe not of / so that y^e tale and the promyse were not all one.

But surely cōcernyng the bylyefe of goddys promyses / Tyndale semeth to fare as the Iewes do. For lyke as many of them byleue, that thorow Chryste the world shall be saued / and yet they lese the frute of that bylyefe, bycause [ B] they wyll not knowe who is Chryste: euyn so Tyndale sayth,* 1.63 that he byleueth Chrystes promyse made vnto hys chyrche here in erth, that hys holy spyryte shalbe therwith vnto the worldes ende, and teche it and lede it into euery trouth.* 1.64 But he leseth yet the frute of that bylyefe (yf he by∣leue it as he sayth he doth) bycause that he wyll not knowe whyche is Chrystes ••hyrche here in erth. But lyke as the Turkes in stede of the trew sauyour of the world, worshyp the false deceyuer Machomet / so Tyndale in stede of the trew catholyke chyrche of Chryst (of whych chyrch Chryst wolde that euery man sholde lerne the ••routh, whyche the holy goste by Chrystes promyse techeth, and euer shall tech vnto it•• and whyche chyrche muste for that cause nedes be a congregacyo•• knowen) Tyndale taketh not onely a se∣crete [ C] scatered company vnknowen, but also a rable of fals malycyouse heretykes, techyng to the doctryne of goddes spyryt abydyng by Chrystes promyse in his catholyke chyr¦che, euyn clene the contrary.

And also where as Chryst when he turned the brede into his own precyouse body, & the wyne into his blessed blode, & cōmaūded the same to be done for euer in his chyrch after in remēbraūce of his passyō,* 1.65 & dyd in so cōmaūdyng make a faythfull promyse, y^t hym selfe wolde be for euer with hys chyrch in that holy sacramēt / & for a perpetuall memory of hys bytter passyon that he suffered for vs, wolde gyue hys owne flessh•• that suffered passyon, & hys owne blode that was shedde in hys passyon, to abyde perpetually with vs,

[ A] accordynge to hys owne wordes spoken vnto hys chyrche, when he sayed,* 1.66 I am with you all dayes vnto the ende of the worlde: Tyndale wyll not now byleue that promyse at all / but as I haue in my fyrst boke by hys owne wordes proued you, maketh mockes and mowes at that blessed sa∣crament, and calleth it but cake brede, and reasoneth it ra∣ther for starche full lyke a starke heretyke god wote, and sayth it is neyther body nor bloude at all.

And thus where he so hyghly magnifyeth the bylyefe of goddes promyses onely, settynge all other artycles of the fayth as thynges of a seconde sorte / hym selfe byleueth as ye se the promyses as lytell as the tother.

But now let vs go ferther in hys wordes, & se for what cause he sayth, that none other errour in any thynge saue [ B] the promyses can be dampnable, be they neuer so greate. Lo thus he sayth,

Tyndale.

In other thynges that be not the promyses, theyr errours be not vnto dampnacyon, though they be neuer so greate, byca••se they holde them not malycyously. As now, yf some when they rede in the new testament of Chry¦stes bretherne, wolde thynke that they were our ladyes chyldren after the byrth of Chryst, bycause they knowe not the vse of the spekynge of the scryp∣ture / or of the Hebrues how that nygh kynnesmen be called bretherne, or hap¦pely they myghte be Iosephes chyldren by some fyrste wyfe, neyther can haue any to teache hym for Tyranny that is so greate / yet coude it not hurte hym thowgh he dyed therin, bycause it hurteth not the redempcyon that is in Chrystes blood. For though she had none but Chryst / I am therfore neuer the more saued, neyther yet the lesse though she had had. And in suche lyke an [ C] hundred that plucke not a mans fayth from Chryste, they myghte erre and yet be neuer the lesse saued / no though the cōtrary were wrytē in the gospell. For as in other synnes, as soone as they be rebuked they repent / euen so here as soone as they were better tawght, they sholde immedyately knowledge theyr errour and not resyste.

More.

Here haue ye good reders the reason and y^e cause, wher∣fore the trew membres of Tyndals chyrch can neuer synne dedely, though they erre in any artycle that is no promyse, be the article neuer so great. The cause is sayth he, bycause that lyke wyse as in all other synnes as soone as they be rebuked they repente / euyn so as soone as they be better taught, they repēt theyr errour, and byleue the trouth, and resyste not / and for that cause it is no dedely synne in the

mene season, before they be rebuked and taught better, all [ A] though they dyed in those errours, were the artycles neuer so great, and the contrary trouth wryten in the gospell, so that they be none of the promyses.

Thys is the hole somme and effecte of thys hole chapy∣ter, though he tryfle with other thynges bytwene. And therfore wyll we fyrste aske hym by what scrypture or by what reason, he proueth that euery person whych is elected to be saued, shall repent as soone as euer he is rebuked of any synne that he doth.

He wyll shew peraduenture, that Dauid dyd so, & hap∣pely some other to. That wyll be a very bare argumente. Dauid was an electe person / and he dyd so, ergo euery elec¦ted person doth so? Thys argument wyll be very lyke the forme of arguynge, that yonge chyldren vse in grammer [ B] scholes. Asinus meus habet aures, & tu habes aures, ergo tu es asinus meus. Myne asse hath eares, and thou hast eares / ergo thou arte my a••se.

Fyrste I suppose y^• Tyndale wyll hym selfe agre what so euer he sayth here, that suche rebukynge at whyche hys electe persone shall alwaye so soone repente and retourne, hadde nede to come after the rage passed•• as hym self sayth, that when the rage is paste he shall repente. For yf suche a rebuker come whyle the rage is on hym, whyle the man is forwarde vppon hys vyage, and as Tyndale sayth vpon hys greate occasyons caryed forth wyth concupyscence, thorow the frute of the synne that breketh out of hys mem∣bres / the rebuker may fortune at that tyme to speke twyse ere he go backe agayne wyth hym. ye and what so euer [ C] Tyndale say, when the great ••••ge is passed to / yet is there many a man in heuen that hath after baptysme fallen full often to synne, and not repented alway at the fyrst rebuke / but not withstandyng many rebukynges & mych callynge vppon, bothe by theyr frendes and good gostely fathers, ha••e yet lyen l••nge th••••in / and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all that haue a••ter amē∣ded and pro••ed full ve••tuou••e men, and elles g••d forbede. And thys poynt is so open and euydent, not onely in scryp∣ture, but ••lso at euery ma••nes eye / that I nothynge fere but that euery wyse man, wyll in thys poynte take Tyn∣dals ••al•• for a very false inuented foly.

A•••• then syth he mak••th thys poynt the gro••••de of the tother•• that is to wytte that euery electe pers•••• shall•• in lyke

[ A] wyse at the fyrste techyng, as soone as he is better taught, repente euery errour that he holdeth / it shall well folowe that the seconde is as false and as folysshe as the fyrst, and so is it in very dede.

For it maye be full well that a ryght good man maye be mysse ledde by suche as Tyndale is / & thorow such folkes false perswasyons, maye fall in errours and heresyes mo then one, not onely besyde the promyses, but also in the pro¦myses to / extendynge some to farre and cuttynge some to shorte, as Luther, Huyskyn, and Tyndale do. And theyr vntrewe doctryne maye be so depe entred and roted in the good symple soule, that when he is by better men better taught, he shall not repent hys errours at the fyrste nor at the seconde tyme neyther, but defende them many a tyme & [ B] ofte / and yet shall at length wyth helpe of goddes grace, applye hys wyll rather indyfferētly to perceyue the treuth, then frowardly to stycke styll in heresye / & so shall fall in to y^e ryght way agayn, and very clerely se that those blynde heretykes had ledde hym in darkenes before.

For ellys yf Tyndale sayd trew, that euery elect person wolde be reformed at the fyrste / it muste folow that who so euer dyd not when he were better taught, retourne and be reformed at the fyrste, w••re a fynall reprobate and sholde neuer be saued. And then were it vayne to talke wyth hym ofter then onys, yf he wold not tourne at the fyrst as soone as he were onys well taught. For by Tyndals tale, he y^• is electe shall by and by a••sent vnto the trouth, as soone as it is tolde hym, and forthwyth repent hys errour.

[ C] If the olde holy doctours and sayntes had ben of Tyn∣dals mynde / they sholde haue lefte in heresye many a man whom they coulde not conue••te at the fyrste, and yet con∣uerted them after very well. And truely yf saynt Ambrose had taken it for an vndowted token of inuyncyble malyce in heresye, when so euer hym selfe was not at the fyrst te∣chynge byleued and obayed / it is very lykely that he neuer sholde haue c••••uerted saynt A••stayne to the treuth, from mo erro••••s then one.

For th••ugh saynt Poule counsayle Titus,* 1.67 that y^e man why che••er•• an ••••retyke, he sholde after one warnynge or twayn•• e••••••we•• y••t ment he not to forbyd hym the oftener callynge vp••n hym after, wyth good & holsome coūsayle.

For as ••aynt Chrysosth••m sayth, yf the deuyll do not

dyspayre to turne a man at last from god vnto hym selfe, [ A] though he myste hys purpose oftentymes before, and that so farforth that he letted not to a••say Iob agayne & agayne for all the pacyence that he founde in hym, and all y^• prayse also that god gaue hym hym selfe / it were a great shame yf a good man sholde dyspayre to conuerte a synner from the deuill to god, bycause he can not bringe it to passe at onys. And yet by Tyndals doctryne, yf a synner dyd not repente at the fyrste rebukynge, and he that were in errour leue his errour at the fyrst trewe techyng / we muste nedes perceyue therby that he were none electe, and consequently that he were a playne reprobate, that fynally sholde be dampned what so euer were sayd or done vnto hym / and that it were therfore in vayne to go any more aboute to tourne hym agayne to god, but l••ue hym styll to the deuyll. were not [ B] thys wene you good reders a godly wyse waye?

I dare boldely saye that Tyndale hym selfe yf he shold mete wyth a man of the trewe catholyke fayth, and sholde fynde hym fas••e therin when he wolde teche hym hys here∣syes / though he coulde not at the fyrste techynge nor at the seconde neyther, brynge hym from the trouth, yet wolde he not leue hym so by hys wyll / but wolde assaye hym ofter, and prece vpon hym styll, not without hope to wynne hym and begyle hym at the laste. Now saye I then to Tyndale, that hys hope of the mannes chaunge to hys secte, eyther bycause hym selfe shall in the laborynge of hym to drawe hym to it, playe the deuyls parte, and thynke that though an electe shall turne from euyll to good alway at the fyrste mocyon, and that therfore yf he turne not at the fyrste it is [ C] in vayn to go any more about hym / yet a reprobate though he turne not from hys present good state vnto synne at the fyrste, shall turne after well inough / and therfore he wyll laboure hym styll to his secte. And then in thynkyng thus, Tyndale taketh y^• catholyke fayth for good and his owne secte for nought. Or elles yf he take the catholyke fayth for false, from whyche he g••th about to gete the man / and hys owne secte for good, to whyche he lab••reth to brynge hym: then I saye that syth he wyll not leue of when hys doctryne is resysted at the fyrste, he condem••neth play••ely the hole tale that he telleth here. For yf euery pe••son electe, shall as he sayth here, repente hys errour alway•• at y^• fyrst, as soone as he is taught the treuth / then th••s man that at

[ A] the fyrste after the treuth onys taughte hym by Tyndale, dyd for all that resyste it / made Tyndale surely to knowe, that he was none of the electes, and that he therfore was a reprobate of god, that fynylly sholde be dampned with the deuyll / & so shold Tyndale lese no more labour about hym.

And thys were thus after Tyndale, though the mānes errour were but in suche artycles as be no promyses. For yf it were in any of the promyses, that Tyndale shold fynd a man after baptisme byleue as y^e chyrch byleueth, agaynst the heresyes that he byleueth / that is to wytte byleuynge agaynste Tyndale, that goddes promyse of saluacyon in the blode of Chryste, doth not quyte put awaye shryfte and all penytencyall workes towarde satysfaccyon, and all pu∣nysshement for any synne repented, to be sustayned eyther [ B] in thys worlde or purgatory / but that so to byleue & truste in goddes promyse, is a dampnable erroure agaynste god∣des promyse: yf Tindale I say fynde such a man, he shold by hys owne tale here perceyue that man forthwith for a desperate heretyke / bycause that yf hym selfe saye trewe, that none electe person can after hys baptysme euer fall in to any errour concernynge any of the promyses, then shold hym selfe knowe that he whom he founde in that errour cō¦cernynge goddes promyse•• were a fynall reprobate / & then sholde let hym alone and lese no labour in turnyng of hym. And sauyng my cheryte, I beshrewe hym hartely that he dothe not so.

But thus good Chrysten reders ye maye well perceyue, that there is no treuth in Tyndals tale. And that the profe [ C] of all hys hole conclusyō in thys chapyter, that none electe can fall into any errour agaynste the promyses / and that all other artycles they ••epente theyr errours as soone as they b•• taught the t••••uth•• and that they repente all theyr other synnes as ••oone as they be rebuked / hangeth all by the mone shyne. And that neyther of both hys heresyes, to∣warde the profe wherof he wolde make thys conclusyon serue / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 why••h two the tone is that none electe person can after hys baptysme synne of purpose nor wyllyngly, and y^e ••other that necessaryly dependeth theruppon, that who so euer after baptysme breke any of goddes cōmaundemētes wyllyngly and of purpose, shall neuer after be saued / can take here none an••••e holde at all. But as they be bothe twayne by the blast of the deuyls mouth blowē out abrode,

agaynste the stronge rockes of Chrystes catholyke chyrch, [ A] and the myghty magesty of god / so be they bothe twayne there fallen to wrake, and shatered all to fytters.

yet for bycause that Tyndale in suche thynges as be no promyses / in all whyche thynges he sayth be they neuer so greate, the electe maye erre and dye in that errour for lacke of good techynge, and yet neuer be dampned therfore, by∣cause they hurte not the redempcyon that is in Chrystes blode: bycause Tyndale I saye for hys ensample of suche kynde of thynges as be no promyses, putteth y^• perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady / it is good to cōsyder in what maner he handeleth it.

Tyndale.

If some of them (that is to wytte the trew membres of the electe chyrche) when they rede in the new testament of Chrystes bret••e••••e, wolde thynke [ B] that they were our ladyes chyldren after the byrth of Chryst, bycause they knowe not the vse of the speky••ge of the scrypture / or of the Hebrues how that nygh kynnesmen be called brether••e, or happely they myghte be Iosephes chyldren•• by some fyrste wyfe, neyther can haue any to teache hym for Ty¦ranny that is so greate / yet coude it not hurte hym thowgh he dyed therin, bycause it hurteth not the redempcyon that is in Chrystes blood.

More.

Consyder good reder, how many thynges here falle vp¦pon Tyndals hedde at onys, by hys owne fond handelyng of thys ensample.

Fyrste it is foly for hym to put, that for tyranny nowe any man sholde lacke techynge, that those chyldren were not borne of our ladyes body / syth that artycle is as well & comenly knowen as any of y^• promyses / and as longe hath [ C] ben knowen, and as fully, and as comenly byleued thorow Chrystendome, as any other artycle of the chrysten fayth. And none artycle is there almost in the chrystē fayth which hath not had mo heretykes agaynste it, then this artycle of our ladyes perpetuall vyrginyte / so that it is now so well knowen, and that solucyon also of nygh kyn••ed called bre∣therne amonge the Hebrews, that Tyndale neuer neded to cumber hys boke therwith.

Bysydes this, hym selfe & his owne doctryne destroyeth hys owne solucyon. For he sayth that we be bounden to by¦leue none artycle, but yf it be proued by playne scrypture. Now though he teche now the trew members of hys electe chyrche, the thynge that euery chylde can tell all redy, that

[ A] amonge the Hebreus the nere kynnesmen were called bre∣therne: what hath he taught thē therby? any other thinge, then that the scrypture doth not proue, y^t our lady had euer any mo chyldren then Chryst. He doth not yet by the scryp∣ture teche his trew membres, to perceyue y^t she had no mo, but onely that the scrypture sayth not playne the contrary. But then doth he by hys owne rule bysyde, teche them that they maye byleue at theyr lybertye yf they lyst, that she had mo chyldren in dede. And ferthermore he techeth them, that they shold in no wyse take it for any sure article of theyr by lyefe, that she was a perpetuall vyrgyn, and neuer had mo chyldren after Chryst. Thys poynt he techeth playnely af∣ter his maister Luther, as ye haue herd all redy thorow out his hole tytle, wherin he laboreth to proue that y^e apostles [ B] haue lefte nothyng vnwryten, the bylyefe wherof were ne∣cessary to saluacyō. whych false assercyon of his I haue in dyuers places of my formar bokes clerely cōfuted / & in the ende of my thyrd boke haue answered and auoyded all his hole chapyter therof. But now syth in thys present place, Tyndale hym selfe graunteth, that the cause why an electe person shall be saued, though he happen to erre & thynke y^t our lady was not a perpetuall vyrgyn, is bycause that he shall repente that errour when he is taughte the contrary: playne it is to any man, y^t hym selfe therin cōfesseth now, y^t it is a necessary artycle for saluacyon, that to euery man at the leste wyse to whom it is opened & taught / syth the cause of his saluacyon whyche before byleued the contrary, is by Tyndale hym selfe the repentyng of hys formar errour.

[ C] Now then it is so that Tyndale doth in sundry places, confesse & agre that thys poynt can not be proued by playn and euydente scrypture. Ergo he confesseth here playnely, the cōtrary of that he so fastely before hath affermed, whyle he taught that there is no thyng to be byleued for a suerty, but yf it be proued by playne and euydent scrypture / and that the apostles haue lefte no thynge vnwryten, whyche men are bounden to byleue vppon payne of dampnacyon.

Thys doctryne of hys mayster and his owne hath he as ye now se by hys owne handelyng of this mater, here vtter¦ly destroyed and dampned.

Now yf he wyll happely for shame, laboure to seke some shyfte, and saye that he meaneth no more but to put thys dyfference bytwene the artycles of the fayth in the promy∣ses,

and all other artycles, that none errour in any of the [ A] other is dampnable, tyll the man that mysse byleueth be better taughte the trouth / and that then he is bounden to byleue them, whyther they be in scrypture or not / but in the bylyefe of the promyses, euery errour and ignoraunce also is dampnable ere euer they be taught. For no man shalbe saued but yf he be taught them and haue the faythfull by∣lyefe of them: thus muste Tyndale nedys saye for aught that I can se / or ellys muste he cōfesse, that one pece of his doctryne playnely destroyeth a nother, cōcernyng his dyf∣ference bytwene the promyses and other artycles.

But yet abedeth styll agaynste hym, that syth he confes∣seth the perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady, to be now that it is taught necessary to be byleued, whiche is not wryten in scrypture: styll I say standeth it styffely agaynst hym, that [ B] he hath destroyed all his pryncypall grounde, where about his mayster & hym self haue taken so great labour to make men wene that nothyng was necessaryly to be byleued, but yf it were euydentely wryten in holy scrypture.

But now concernynge his dyfference, bytwene the ne∣cessyte of the bylyefe of the promyses, and the bylyefe of the other artycles / we shall tell hym y^• it wylbe peraduenture hard for hym to proue his sayenge trew, specyally takyng the promyses as hym selfe taketh them.

For in the begynnyng vpon the fyrst prechyng of saynt Peter,* 1.68 when there were so many so sodaynly chrystened therupon / wherby can Tyndale proue y^t all they were fully taught y^• fayth of the promyses before they were baptysed, or that none dyed ere euer they were taught any ferther / or [ C] that yf they dyed forthwith vpon theyr baptysme, that then theyr chrystēdome stode theym not in stede for lacke of fer∣ther instruccyō of the promyses. Concernyng which I dare be bolde to say, that they were neuer taught the doctryne y^• Tyndale calleth so necessary, y^• he techeth the lacke of that fayth in the promise to be dampnable. For they were I say neuer taught, y^• they must byleue that y^• promyse shold saue them & gete thē of all theyr synnes at any tyme after theyr baptysme cōmytted, at theyr bare repentaūce, alway full re¦myssyō of synne & payn, & all in purgatory or in this world eyther, and without any regarde of any good wurke at all, or of any purpose therof, other then bare repentaunce and fayth in the promyses. I dare well saye they dyed all that

[ A] were th•••• baptysed, ere euer they herde any thynge of this poynt ••f fayth in the promyses / whych was neuer thought vpon by saynt Peter nor any of hys felowes then, nor yet no man elles, tyll it was deuysed by the deuyll, & put forth by heretykes whē cheryte waxed cold many a wynter after.

If Tyndale make vs many questyons of them y^• were so sodaynly chrystened so many at onys in the begynnyng: we wyll yet be bolde to tell hym y^• many chyldren dye now soone after y^t they come from chrystenyng, ere euer they be weshed out of y^• chrysome / of which I suppose y^t some were neuer taught fully the fayth of the promyses ere they dyed.

If he say to thys that though they were not taughte it actually, yet by the gyfte of god in the sacrament, it is taught and infunded into theyr soules habytually: then [ B] wyll we aske hym wherby he proueth then hys dyfference, bytwen the fayth of the promyses and of the other articles / but yf he proue vs that onely the fayth of the promyses is infused, and of the other artycles not. whych when he pro¦ueth you, byleue hym / and in the meane whyle, byleue that hys euasyon is not worth a fly.

If he wyll say that the chyldren baptysed, and so forth∣wyth departynge, haue no fayth at all / but be saued onely by the fayth of theyr frendes, and by that our lorde hath re¦ceyued them to the sacrament of baptysme, and by the sa∣crament of baptysme hath receyued them to grace & glory, without any fayth of theyr owne: then gyueth he to the sa∣crament agaynste all hys other doctryne, a great effycacite of grace, and maketh it not onely a sygne. And yet graun∣teth [ C] he then bysyde, the thynge that he denyeth / that is to wytte that some maye be saued beynge ignoraūt, not onely of some of the promyses, but also of them all.

Besydes thys, yf we wolde graunte hym the thynge that he can neuer proue: yet were he neuer the nere. For though it were trewe that wythout bylyefe of all the pro∣myses, no man myghte be saued / but that the bare igno∣raunce of any of them were dampnable, and that the igno¦raunce of any other artycle were not dampnable, nor the contrary bylyefe tyll they were opened and taughte: yet syth men were (as Tyndale hath here confessed) bounden vpon payne of dampnacyon to byleue the perpetuall v••rgi¦nite of our lady, and to repente theyr forma•• errour to the contrary as soone as they be taughte it, notwythstandyng

that it can not be proued by playne and euydent scrypture: [ A] then muste Tyndale graunte that it is lyke wyse of euery other lyke artycle, that is to saye of euery artycle, whych is trewe and muste be byleued when it is taught bysyde the promyses, though it can not be proued by scrypture, no more then the artycle of y^• perpetuall vyrginite of our lady.

Then aske we Tindale how knoweth he those artycles whych be necessary artycles of the fayth, of which artycles the contrary bylyefe were dampnable after the trouth of those artycles taught, the same artycles not beynge wrytē in scrypture. Doth Tyndale knowe them by any other meane, then by the chyrche / syth they be not taught hym by scrypture? For it were harde that he sholde in such a mater byleue y^• authoryte of any one man, but yf that eyther god byd hym byleue hym, or that for lacke of scripture he proue [ B] the trouth of hys doctryne by myracle, or by myracle proue hym selfe to be appoynted by god to teche hym / by reason wherof he myghte be ••yleued, though he proue not euery partyculare poynt of hys doctryne by a seuerall myracle / excepte as great or greater myracles be done or haue b••ne done by some y^t techeth or hath taught y^• cōtrary. In which {per}plexite god wyll eyther neuer brynge vs or neuer leue vs.

Therfore conclude I, that Tyndale must nedes graūt, that he knoweth not those articles but by the chyrch.* 1.69 which chyrche hath proued it selfe by myllions of myracles,* 1.70 and which chyrche god byddeth hym byleue,* 1.71 and sayth he wyll dwell therwyth alwayes, and sende hys spyryt to teche and enforme it, and lede it into euery trowth.

Of thys chyrch therfore must Tyndale lerne those arty¦cles, [ C] or els can not be bounden to byleue them, & to repente hys forma•• errours to the contrary, but yf he say that hym selfe haue them by specyall reuelacyon of god, pryuately shewed vnto hym selfe. And then yf he saye so, he muste eyther byleue them alone / or elles yf he wyll be byleued in them / & haue other men byleue them with hym / then muste he proue vs them by scrypture or myracle. And syth I dare answere for hym, that in suche artycles he lacketh those two / there is no remedy for hym but he must nedes confesse that he is taughte the suerty of those artycles, and lerneth whyche they be, onely by the chyrche of Chryste.

Then aske we Tyndale forther, whyche is that chyrche of Chryste, by whyche he is taught to know those necessary

[ A] artycles from all other / the bylyefe wherof is not necessary to saluacyon. He can not saye that he lerned it of any vn∣knowen chyrche, for no suche company can he knowe for the chyrche / but he muste nedes confesse that he lerneth to knowe those artycles by the knowen chyrche. And then by whych knowen chyrche? let hym name any whych he wyll, excepte the knowen catholyke chyrch whyche hym selfe im∣pugneth / and he shall name a company of no credence in that poynt. For by hys owne agremente they muste lacke scrypture for those artycles (for of such artycles we speke) and they haue no myracles. wherfore fynally when he hath all done / thys artycle alone of the perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady (the cōtrary errour wherof after y^e trouth taught, hym selfe confesseth to be dampnable) dreueth hym of very [ B] fyne force, to confesse that the chyrch by whych he knoweth the vndowted treuth of thys artycle, syth he knoweth it not by playne and euydēt scrypture, is not his owne secrete vnknowen chyrche of elec••es, whych as ye se hym selfe can not yet well descrybe vs, udr any knowen chyrche of here∣tykes / but the very comen knowen catholike chyrch, which hym selfe goth all thys whyle aboute to impugne and de∣stroye. In whyche onely chyrche Chryste hath promysed to dwell and abyde, to teche it euery necessary treuth vnto the ende of the worlde / & vnto the onely fayth of which chyrch, he hath promysed and g••uen the gyfte of wurkyng myra∣cles. whyche myracles ••yth we clerely se perseuer and con∣tynue in thys chyrche onely / we maye clerely therby se, that thys chyrche onely is that chyrche also, to whyche onely the [ C] tother promyse of the holy gostes perpetuall resydence and inspyracyon was made.

To thys poynte is Tyndale now good chrysten r••der dreuen of necessyte / but yf he wyll saye that thys hole mul∣tytude of y^• knowen catholyke chyrch, is not the very chyr∣che, but onely the good men & electes y^• be within the same.

Now yf he wene to escape out so / he shall be soone set in. For then at the leste wyse he knowledgeth, that there are no good men out of thys chyrch / nor no man hath any trew sure fayth but it be lerned of thys chyrche, or of some mem∣bres of the same. And then syth hym selfe and hys felowes be out of thys chyrche / both wylfully fyrst departed out, & after worthly cast out: them selfe be none of them of whom the trouth can be lerned. Also to say y^t he therin byleueth

onely the good men of the knowē chyrche / that thyng hath [ A] hym self made impossyble to serue hym / for they be by hym the onely electes, whych may by hys own doctryne though they can do no dedely synne, do horryble dedes yet, and so seme very nought. And in thys comon knowen chyrch, the comon knowen fayth or bylyefe is all one, bothe wyth the good and the badde, though the lyuynge be dyuerse. If Tyndale dare denye that / lette hym loke in the workes of saynt Austayne, saynt Hierom, saynt Cypryane, saynt Am∣brose, saynt Basyle, saynt Gregorye, saynt Chrysostome, & all the other olde holy doctours and sayntes, of euery tyme thys fyftene hundred yere / and he shall not for very shame saye nay, but that agaynste Luther & hym those holy sayn∣tes had the same fayth that y^e comon catholyke lay people haue yet vnto thys daye / as for ensample, that it is an hor∣ryble [ B] abomynacyon, that any monke or frere sholde wedde a nonne. wherin yf Tyndale dare say that I lye / let Tyn∣dale as I haue often sayd, brynge forth of all the olde holy sayntes, some one that sayde the contrary / whyche I am very sure he can not. So that fynally, Tyndale is comen agayn to the same poynt, that he must in fayth and bylyefe of such artycles, byleue the comon consent of the hole chyr∣che / and not take hys doctryne of any one man or any few, that wolde in fayth vary, swarue, and fall from the comon fayth of the hole catholyke chyrche / not though there fell awaye parcell mele, so many that they lefte the chyrche for the fewer parte.

For god shall for the knowledge of hys trewe chyrche euer more amonge many other thynges, specyally prouyde [ C] twayne. One, that they whyche departe out therof shall neuer agre to gether in one bylyefe. Another, that y^• lyghte of myracles shall neuer shyne amonge any of theyr chyr∣ches, but onely in hys olde trewe catholyke chyrche remay∣nynge. And therin shall they styll contynue, wythout any wonders wroughte in any of the false coūterfeted chyrches of heretykes, vntyll that Antychryste shall come hym selfe / whyche as helpe me god I very greately fere is now very nere at hande. But when he is ones comen / our lorde be thanked he shall not very longe endure, ere Chryste shall hym selfe wyth the blaste of hys blessed mouth, blowe that prowde beste to noughte.

[ A] Now good Chrysten reder, syth it is proued playnely vpon Tyndals owne handelynge of thys artycle of our ladyes perpetuall virgynite, that Tyndale coude not haue lerned y^• trouth of that artycle of any man, but yf he lerned it by credence gyuen to the comon knowen chyrche, whych he wyll not knowe for the very chyrche, but impugneth it / and syth hym selfe graūteth also, that the contrary erroure of that artycle is dampnable after the trouth taughte, for as mych as hys owne elected persons that so haue erred be¦fore, can not be after saued but by repētaūce of that errour: he muste nedes confesse also, that of all other lyke artycles whyche come in questyon, & are not in the scrypture eyther spoken of at all, or not playn & euydentely proued / the sure trouth and certeyntye can not be had by no man, but it be [ B] fyrste comenly lerned of the same chyrche, by credence gyuē therunto, for the truste of Chrystes promyse made therto, that hym selfe and hys holy spyryte wolde for euer be resy∣dent therin,* 1.72 and teche it euery necessary trouthe / that is to wytte euery trouth,* 1.73 to the bylyefe wherof he wolde haue hys people bounden.

Now foloweth it forther good chrystē reder vpon this, that Tyndale is in thys mater so caught in a nette of hys owne makyng / y^t he must eyther lye tomblyng styll therin lyke a fole, and the more he stryueth therwyth the more all waye meshe and entangle hym self faster and faster therin / or wysely gyue vp hys heresyes and renounce hys formar errours / and from hensforth vtterly knowlege & confesse, that agaynste hys hole purpose he is vpon hys owne wor∣des [ C] clerely conuynced & concluded, not onely that the very chyrche is the comon knowen chyrche whyche hytherto he hath denyed and styffely stryueth agaynst, but also that in the sacramentes, vowes, fayth, and good wurkes, and fy∣nally euery thynge wherin the catholyke knowen chy••che and hym selfe haue bene at varyaunce / he muste lerne the trouth of the same chyrche,* 1.74 and therin byleue that chyrche, & gyue credence therunto. whyche yf he do not endeuour hym selfe to do, but resyste theyr doctryne / god whych hath commaunded hym to byleue and obay the chyrch, shall ne∣uer worke wyth hym towarde the bylyefe.

And thus good chrysten reders for the fynall conclusyō of thys chapyter / here ye maye playnely se, that I myghte well yf I wolde wyth thys same chapyter make an ende of

all the hole mater. For ye well remēber that all our mater [ A] in this boke, is bytwene Tyndale and me no thynge ellys in effecte but to fynde out whyche chyrche is the very chyr∣che. For syth he seeth hym selfe playnely bounden to gyue credence to that chyrche whych so euer be it / he therfore in all hys boke bryngeth it in to darkenes, & laboreth to make it vnknowē / bycause he wold not by the knowlege therof, haue hys heresyes knowen and reproued.

And now ye se that as our lady wolde, by hys folysshe handelynge of the artycle of her perpetuall vyrgynyte, he is quyte ouerthrowen / and hath it playnely proued vnto hym vpon hys owne wordes, that the very chyrche is none other, but thys that he denyeth / that is to wytte the comon knowen catholyke people, clergy, lay folke, and all / whych what so euer theyr lyuynge be (amonge whom vndowtedly [ B] there ar•• of bothe sortes many ryght good and vertuouse) do stande to gether and agre in the confessyon of one trew catholyke fayth, wyth all olde holy doctours and sayntes, and good chrysten people bysyde that are all redy passed thys fyftene hundred yere byfore, agaynste Arrius, Otho, Lambert, Luther, and wyclyffe, zuinglius, Huten, Hu••se, and Tyndale, & all the rable of such erronious heretykes.

And therfore as I say, sauynge that I wyll go ferther to shew you som what of hys ferther foly / ellys myghte I well euyn here bothe ende thys present chapyter, and also thys hole worke / wherin with a few of hys owne wyse wor¦des, Tyndale hath confounded hym selfe, and stroyed all hys hole mater.

For as towchyng hys accustumable raylynge in y^• ende [ C] of hys chapyter, wyth whyche he wolde seme to touche the catholyke chyrche / it is all so clene agaynste hym selfe, and so clerely describeth and depeynteth hym selfe and his own felowes, that yf we wolde laboure sore to fynde oute what euyll we myght say by thē we coulde fynde no better thyng to put vs in remembraūce of euery poynt of theyr mysche∣uouse maters, than Tyndals owne wordes that he wry∣teth here hym selfe. Lo thus he sayth.

Tyndale.

But they whyche malicyously mayntayne opynyons agaynste the scrypture, Here shold he say as for ensample they that mayntayne that frerys maye wedde nonnes.

or that that can not be proued byscrypture, One of these thynges is

[ A] as ye haue herd, y^• perpetuall vyrginite of our lady, which hym selfe hath cōfessed in this same chapyter, that the trew membres of his electe chyrch, must nedes byleue after that they be ones taught it. And then yf them selfe be bounden to byleue it, they be bounden to stande therby & mayntayne it. And so speketh Tyndale clere agaynst hym selfe.

or suche as maketh no mater vnto the scripture, He meneth such thyn∣ges as were not of necessyte requysyte to be wrytē in scryp¦ture / and therfore he wryteth lyke hym selfe. For there is not one article of the fayth y^• of necessyte neded to be wrytē, but that god coulde both haue taught them & kepte them without wrytyng. As he hath taughte & kepte some / as for ensample y^• {per}petuall virginite of our lady, which Tyndale hath both denyed, & confessed, & denyed agayne, & woteth [ B] neuer where to hold him / y^• deuyl so troubleth his braynes. and to saluacyon that is in Chryste, whyther they be trew or no / The chyr∣che hath none suche as make no mater to saluacyon. For euery thyng that god wyll haue byleued pertayneth to sal¦uacyon / syth the contrary bylyefe is dysobedyence to god that so taughte it hys chyrch, bycause he wolde haue it by∣leued. And y^• the perpetuall virginite of our lady is of such sorte, Tyndale hath hym selfe openly & playnely agreed / & yet wold he now secretely stele backe agayn. Not wyttyng∣ly peraduenture, but y^t the deuyl pulleth hym backe by his cote skyrte vnware.

and for the blynd zele of them make sectes, brekyng the vnyte of Chrystes chyr¦che, for whose sake they oughte to suffer all thynges / and rese agaynste theyr neyghbours (whom they ••ught to loue as them selues) to sle them: suche men I [ C] saye are fallen from Chryst and make an idole of theyr opinions. For except they put truste in suche opinions and thought them necessary vnto saluacyon, or wyth a cancred conscience went about to disceyue for some fylthy purpose / th••y wolde neuer breke the vnyte of fayth or ye sle theyr bretherne. Now good reder, cōsyder who make sectes, y^• is to saye sondry partes & dyuisiōs, & breketh the vnite of Christes chyrch, whyther the catholyke chyrch y^t was agreed all of our mynde, byle∣uyng purgatory, & the equall godhed of Chryste wyth hys father and the holy goste, and the blessed body and blode of Chryst in the sacramēt of the aulter, & all the other holy sa∣cramentes, & the perpetuall virginite of our lady, & prayed vnto her and other holy sayntes, & dyd reuerence to theyr relykes, images, & kept holy dayes and fastyng dayes, and byleued all very faste & fermely y^t is was abomynable sacry¦lege

for a frere to wedde a nonne. In all these thynges and [ A] many other good thynges mo, were all good chrystē peple agreed in one by the spyryte of god without any varyaūce / as appereth playnely bothe by the olde cōtynued bokes of s••ruyce vsed in the chyrches thorow chrystendom, & by the bokes of y^• old holy doctours & saintes ī euery age of tyme / sauyng onely when such heretykes as Arrius, wycliffe, Lu¦ther, Lambert, Huyskyn, Husse, & Tyndale, and such other lyke, here & there, some in one tyme, some in another, and the very wurst in our tyme, haue ben by y^• deuyll styred vp, to stroye y^• trew fayth & vary frō the catholyke corps of chri¦stendom, & make new fond sectes of theyr owne folysh bray¦nes. And where he speketh of kyllyng and sleyng theyr bre¦therne / hym selfe can tell well inough y^• good chrysten pryn¦ces & other vertuouse people, dyd in y^e begynnynge gretely [ B] forbere such heretykes / tyll y^• they were fynally fayne in a∣uoydyng of theyr sedicyous trouble, & for the repressyng of theyr inemendable malice,* 1.75 to folow thensample of saynte Poule / and as he betoke some of them to the deuyll, to the punysshement of theyr bodyes in helpe of theyr soules or ceacynge of theyr synfull blasphemy: so by tēporall lawes & bodyly punyshemēt, to fynysh y^e infynyte malyce & intole∣rable trouble of those heretykes, for the sauegarde of good people in peace & trāquyllite. which comon peace & quyete yf the heretykes had not perturbed / they had ben them self mych more esely handeled. But as Tyndale knoweth that this is trew / so knoweth he well agayn that the heretykes haue ben those, y^• dyd in chrystendom begyn to fyght, kyll, and sle, before y^• thē selfe were kylled & slayne, or any thyng [ C] foughten withall / and y^t they began to be kylled & foughtē withall, by theyr owne importune malice, wherby y^• catho¦lyke people were constrayned and cōpelled to kyll them in the necessary defence of innocentes. And y^• this is trew / Tindale knoweth very well, both by the storyes as well of England as of other places, and also by y^e experyēce of his own dayes in Almayn, thorow the cruell insurreccyō there of his owne felowes the heretykes of his own secte. which rose there, and robbed, burned, and killed, not one noughty knaue or two in a towne as good kynges and prynces do these horryble and incorigible heretykes, and yet somtyme s••ant ones in tenne yere, & in some good towne not onys in tenne score yere / but hole goodly monasteries they burned

[ A] vp and destroyed / and some where all the chyrches almost thorow the hole contrey, robbed, spoyled, and bare awaye all that euer they fonde / dyspyghted the sayntes images, relykes, the crucyfyx & the blessed sacramēt, robbed mayhe∣med, and murthered many good vertuouse people. And by goddes good sufferaunce, they ceaced not at the clergye / b••t fely••g frute, went ferther & fell to theyr lordes landes. So that they that wynked and cared not for goddes part, were fayne to wake within a whyle & care for theyr owne part. And then they fell vpō the heretykes agayn, & kylled of thē aboue .iii. score thousand in dyuers places all in one somer. Synnes which tyme in Swycherlande euyn thys laste yere zuinglius set his heretykes in a rage agayne, to pyll & spoyle the trew catholykes of his owne countre. But [ B] god gaue the victory to his faythfull folke, that were full loth to fyghte wyth them, sauyng y^• very force draue them to the felde, where they bare ouer theyr enmyes. And zuin∣glius hym selfe tharcheretyke of all / was there dedely woū¦ded & taken, & after y^• burned vp. Such fayre fortune had Tindals master there, of whō he toke his heresies agaynst the blessed sacramēt. And therfore, where Tyndale speketh of kyllynge of heretykes whom he calleth his crysten bre∣therne / he knoweth it well hym selfe y^t his owne vnhappy felowes the heretykes I say them self, began fyrst y^• guyse. And as they begā it euē so they kepe it styl. And surely there is no dowte but that Tyndale hym selfe hath longed long, & yet euer loketh for, y^t as the Lutheranys & zuinglianys haue begon to ryse & ruffle in rebellyon in sondry partes of [ C] Almayne / so he myght se his disciples assay some fete here. But I trust ī goddes grace & in the kinges goodnes, theyr hartes shall all faynt ere they come therto. And yf y^e deuyll were so stronge with thē as to styre them vp / I wold wyshe Tindale among them & frere Barns to. For I lytell dowte yf they dyd, but both captayns & cōpany (as zuinglius and his bushment came shortely to myschyefe) yf god syt where he sat, sholde haue lyke lucke.

Now is this a playn cōclusyō, that bothe they that trust in theyr owne workes, Lo what a parell here were, yf a frere sholde put any truste in chastyte & kepynge of his vow. But & yf he trust in leche¦ry with weddyng of a nonne, then is he saufe inough / by∣cause that wurke is not hys owne wurke but the wurke of the deuyll, and of the synne that breketh out of his mēbres.

And they also that put truste in theyr owne opinyons / be falle•• from Chryste, [ A] and erre from the waye of fayth that is in Chrystes blode / and therfore are none of Chrystes chyrche, bycause they be not buylt vppon the rocke of fayth. Thys doth hym selfe and hys felowes that are heretykes. For the artycles that the hole catholyke chyrche put trust•• in, be not the opynyon of any man but the sure doctryne of god. wherof the certayntye of the truth depēdeth vpon the promyse of our sauyour hym selfe, whyche hath promysed that they holy goste shall teche hys chyrche all trouth and lede it there vnto. And therfore yf it be trew as in dede it is, that the whych truste in theyr owne wurkes, and make idols of theyr owne opynyons, and breke the vnyon of the chyrche, and make sondry sectes, and kyll theyr chrysten bretherne, be fallen from Chryst & from the waye of fayth that is in Christes blode / and therfore are none of Christes [ B] chyrche, bycause they be not buylt vpon the rocke of fayth: then must it nedes folow, that Luther, Lambert, zuinglius Huskyn, and Tyndale, and all other of theyr sondry sec∣tes, be fallen from Chryste and are from the waye of fayth that is in Chrystes blode / and therfore are none of Christes chyrche, bycause they put trust in theyr owne vayne inuen∣cyons, and make idols of theyr owne fals opynyons. For whyche they breke the peace and vnyte bothe of the chyrch and of the fayth, by makynge of sectes and sownyg sedy∣cyon and dyssensyon to styrre vp rebellyon and insurrecciō agaynste theyr neyghbours and theyr gouernours, and therby cause the robbery, pyllage, spoyle, and murder of theyr good catholyke Chrysten bretherne. And do put also theyr truste in theyr owne workes, not in fastyng, prayeng, [ C] almoyse, or any good wurke / but in destruccyon of mona∣steryes, castynge oute of relygyon, expulsyon of chastyte, wyth weddynge of nonnes and lyuyng in lechery, propha∣nyng of chyrches, pollutyng of aulters, blasphemynge of sayntes, rasshyng downe theyr images, castynge out theyr relykes, dyspyghtynge our lady, de••ylynge the crucyfyxe, and fynally mockynge and mowynge at the blessed sacra∣ment. And thus abusynge them selfe, they declare lo very clerely that they be not buylte vpon the rocke of fayth / but wyth the breth of dampned spyrytes be blowen downe to the deuyll. I praye god amende them, and set them on that rocke agayn. And here an ende of this chapyter / in which ye se lo to what pleasaūt passe fyrst his ryall ridles of synne

[ A] and not synne, erre and not erre / & after hys ryall raylynge of makynge sectes•• brekynge of vnite, kyllynge of chrys••en bretherne, trustyng in theyr wurkes, is by the perceyuyng of his owne wordes fynally brought ••nto / and euery mys∣chyefe that he layth agaynst the knowen catholyke chyrch, eche after other fall in his owne necke / wher•• that fagotte lyeth so surely bounden on hys sholder•• that as longe as he lyueth wyth all the shyftes he can fynde, he shall neuer well shake it of.

Faythe is euer a••••a••ted and fought withall.

Tyndale.

[ B] MOreouer this fayth whyche we haue in Chryst••, is ••••er fought agaynste, euer assayled and bete•• at with desperacyon / not when we synne onely, but also in all temptacyo••s of aduersyte, in to whiche god ••••yngeth vs, to now••t••e vs and to shewe vs our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hartes, the ypocrysye and fals thoughtes that here lyehydd•• / our almost no fayte at all and as lytell loue, euyn thē ha••pely when we thowght our selues moste perfecte of all. For when temptacyons come, we can not stande. When we haue synned, fayth is feble. When wronge is done vs, we can not forgyue. In sykenesse, in losse of goodes, and in all tribulacyons we be impacyent. When our neyghbour nedeth our helpe that we muste departe with hym of ours, then loue is colde. And thus we lerne and fele that there is no goodnesse nor yet power to do good, but of god onely. And in all such tem∣tacyons [ C] our fayth preyshed not vtterly, neyther our loue and consente vnto the l••w•• of god / but they be weak••, lykke, and wounded, and not clene dede.

More.

THys chapyter hath Tyndale put in for no great effecte, but onely with a comely florysshe, to set out and furnysshe hys he¦resyes of the chapyter next before. wher∣in he techeth that in the trewe membres of hys electe chyrch, the fayth doth neuer fayle but euer contynueth, and that ther¦fore they do neuer synne dedely, how hor¦ryble dedes so euer they do as he confesseth that they do many / & yet synne neuer dedely, bycause they do them not of malice nor of purpose, but of fraylte onely & of wekenes,

thorough the frute of the synne that remayneth in theyr [ A] flesshe, & breketh out of theyr sely weke and frayle mēbres.

Now for the fe••ther ga••nysshy••ge of thys hys horryble heresye, hath he brought in this chapyter / in whych he ney∣ther proueth any thynge therof, nor any thyng go••h ab••u•• to proue / but onely falleth to prechyng, and telleth vs f••ll holyly that y^• fayth is euer fought ••n agaynst, as though no man had euer herde that before. where as euery chyld well woteth, that the faith is alway assawted & fought agaynst, whyther he speke of hys owne false fayth and heresyes, or of the trew catholyke ••••yth of Chryst. For lyke as the trew catholyke fayth is & euer hath ben oppungned and assaw∣ted, by the deuyll and all hys dyscyples suche heretykes as Tyndale is, from the begynnyng vnto thys present tyme: so hath euer hys false fayth and heresyes ben impugned, [ B] assayled, and condempned, by god and all hys prophetes, by Chryste and all hys apostles, and all hys holy doctours and sayntes, and by all the hole corps of chrystēdome from the begynnynge hytherto. And thys conflycte and batayle shall neuer ceace, tyll Chryste shall fynally refourme the worlde and fynysshe it, and delyuer the kyngdome to the father.* 1.76

And as for euery mannes fayth pryuately / who know∣eth not though Tyndale tell vs not, that the deuyll dayly laboreth to quenche it, as he laboreth to destroye hope and cheryte and all other vertues.

Nor thys we nede not to lerne of Tyndale / neyther that men by temptacyons lerne to fynde and fele, that there is no goodnesse ne yet power to do good, but of god onely / yf [ C] Tyndale mene that as the trouth is, that all goodnesse co∣meth of god, & that man hath none nor none coulde haue, neyther man nor angell but by god••e•• gyfte / nor coulde haue yet any power to do good, yf god wolde wythdrawe hys grace. How be it yf he mene in thys place as he sayth wyth hys mayster Marten in many places, that m••n hath no power by y^e fredome of his wyll to do any good, in wur∣kynge hym selfe wyth goddes grace, and in resystynge of temptacyon to, and wurkynge wyth god in the ke••ynge of hym selfe from synne / but muste nedes in all suche thynges syt styll hym selfe ••stonyed & amased in a rechele••se s••outh, and let god wurke alone: then saye I that Tyndals holy sermon is very dampnable heresye.

[ A] Now where that in all the synnys that he reherseth, he sayth that our fayth peryssheth not vtterly, nor our loue & consent vnto the lawe of god / but that they be weke, syke, and wounded, and not clene dede: I say that his tale is to lytell purpose. For yf by fayth he mene the belyefe / then is it not of nece••syte loste at all in no dedely synne excepte he∣resye. For the ryght bylyefe and other dedely synnes maye stand to gyther well inough. For a man may byleue trewly and do falsely, byleue ryght and lyue wronge, byleue well and be nought.

And yet maye he be an electe person and fall from the trewe fayth, that is to saye the trew bylyefe, and lese it vt∣terly byleuynge lyes and heresyes / and fall from grace for the tyme, and yet after that wyth helpe of gra••e fynde the [ B] fayth and fall therto agayne, and fynally dye therin.

And yf Tyndale here by the name of fayth, vnderstande hope and truste in god, as he iugleth cōtynually with that worde / for suche equyuocacyons and dyuers vnderstan∣dynges of one worde, serue hym for hys goblettes, hys gal¦lys, and his iuglynge stycke in all the proper poyntes of hys hole conuayaunce and hys lygier de mayne / but as I sayde, yf by fayth he meane hope: I graunte that it dyeth not alwaye wyth the synne, nor gothe not therwyth away. But it waxeth by Tyndals doctryne oftētymes ouer grete. For by the dredeles truste of theyr techyng, the man falleth into boldenesse of synne. In whiche when he hath ferelesse longe contynued / he waxeth forcelesse and carelesse, and set¦teth not by synne, tyll sodeynly the deuyll out of hys hyghe [ C] harte & hawte corage stryketh hym into cowardouse drede and vtter desperacyō. For y^e outragyouse encrease of theyr hope, is no very ryght hope, though it be a greater hope then it sholde be / no more then the hete of a feuer is a ryght naturall hete, though the body be more hote then it was in helth. And therfore in suche affeccyons the soule somtyme falleth from one contrary qualyte in to a nother / as y^e body in an agew chaūgeth from colde to hete, and frō hete some tyme into colde agayne. Of whiche maner of chaunges of the soule, whom the deuyll dryueth out of one vice into his contrary / may be well veryfyed these wordes of holy scryp¦ture, They shall frō colde water of the snowe, go into farre passynge hete.* 1.77 And yet I say that with these synnes, a trew member may lese all hope and fall in dyspayre / and after

by grace come vnto hope agayne. [ A]

Now where he sayth that loue and co••sen•• to the lawe of god, is not lost by a trewe member of the electe chyrche: I wote not whyther Tyndals loue remayne or no / but I am sure that by synne chrysten cheryte goth away. For ney¦ther cheryte nor grace can stande to gether wyth synne. For as saynt Poule sayth,* 1.78 what felysshyp can there be bytwene lyght and darkenes, bytwene Chryst and Beliall.

I saye also that all hys gaye goodly tale that he telleth vs here, of hys electe membres wyth theyr holy felynge fayth / to whom he wold approper some specyall pryuylege of kepynge styll fayth, hope, & cheryte, wyth all theyr heuy hepe of horryble deuelysshe dedes / I saye that as farforth as in hys wordes is any treuth, hys pryuylege is not pro∣per to the membres of hys electe chyrche, but comon to the [ B] very fynall electes, & to the fynall reprobatys to. For bothe the tone and the tother may synne and repente, and amend and synne agayne, and amende agayn of••er then Tyndale hath fyngers on hys handes and toos on hys feete to. But he that fynally repenteth hys synnys in a ryght fasshyon, is an electe foresene to god from the begynnynge. And he that finally dyeth impenytēt, as dyuers wedded freres dye in theyr lechery / or he that after Tyndals doctryne repen∣teth without care of shryft, & dyeth in a fals heresie agaynst hys holy howsell: such folkes be fynally reprobates, fore knowen vnto god before the worlde was wrought, y^t they wolde fynally for impenytence fall vtterly to nought.

And the other part of hys tale, whyche can not be very∣fyed in the reprobatys, that is to wytte the kepynge of che∣ryte [ C] styll in the doynge of horryble dedes, can not be very∣fyed in the electes neyther. And so is his tale on euery syde folysshe, false, and nought. For the semely settynge forthe wherof to make it appere fayre and lykely / bycause he can neyther bryng reason, scripture, nor other good authoryte: ye shall now se what ensample he bryngeth forth.

Tyndale.

As a good chyld whom the father and moder h••••e t••••ght nurtour a••d wise∣dome, loueth his father and all his commaundementes / and perceyueth of the goodnes shewed hym that his father loueth hym, and that all his fathers pre¦ceptes are vnto his welthe and profy••e, and that his father commaūdeth hym nothyng for any nede that his father hath therof, but seketh his profyt onely / and therfore hath a good fayth vnto all his fathers promyses, ••••d loueth all

[ A] hys comma••••d••mentes, and dothe them wyth good wyll, and wyth good wyll goeth to scole. And by the waye happely he seeth companye playe / and wyth the syghte is taken ••••d ra••••shed of hys memory, and forgetteth hym selfe, and stondeth and byholdeth and falleth to play also, forgettynge father and mother, all theyr kyndnes, all theyr lawes, and his owne profyte therto. How be it the knowledge of hys fathers kyndnesse, the fayth of hys pr••my∣ses, and the lo••e that he hath agayn vnto his father and the obedyēt mynde, are not vtterly quenched but lye hydde, as all thynges do when a man sle∣peth or lyeth in a traunc••. And as soone as he hath played out all hys lustes, or be warned in the meane season / he cometh agayne vnto his olde professyon. Neuer the later many temptacyons go ouer his harte, and the lawe as a ryght hangman tormenteth hys conscye••ce, a••d gothe nye to persuade hym that his father wyll caste hym awaye and hange hym yf he ••etche hym, so that he is lyke a greate whyle to r••••ne awaye, rather then to returne vnto [ B] his father agayne / feare and drede of rebuke, and of los••e of his fathers loue, and of punysshement, wras••ell wyth the truste whyche he hath in his fathers goodnes, and as it were gyue hys fayth afall / but it ryseth agayne as soone as the rage of the fyrste brunte is past, and his mynde more quyete. And the goodnes of hys father and his olde kyndnes cometh vnto remembraunce, ey∣ther of hys owne corage or by the comforte of some other. And he byleueth that hys father wyll not caste hym awaye or destroye hym, and hopeth that he wyll no more do so. And vppon that he getteth hym home dysmayed, but not all to gyther faythlesse. The olde kyndnesse wyll not lette hym dyspayre. How be it all the worlde can not set hys harte at reste vntyll the payne be paste, and vntyll he haue herde the voyce of hys father that all is forgyuen.

More.

[ C] I neyther haue yet euer herde nor neuer loke to here, any very wyse worde in all Tyndales workes. But yet herde I neuer a more peuisshe processe then this his holy prechynge is / nor therewith more pestilently perelouse, while he pretendeth to make this chapiter of faythe, and then iugleth it in to truste and hope / and yet wolde make vs bileue, that neither nother at any tyme faileth any man that ones hath goten them / nor that any man whiche ones hath the faythe y^• hym selfe describeth, & thereby is ones a true mēbre of his electe church (as euery man is by his do∣trine y^• ones attaineth that faith) can at any tyme after lese it nor fall awaye there from, & for that cause can neuer do dedely synne, though he do neuer so many dānable dedes,

or (to call them as hym selfe calleth them) horryble dedes. [ A] For as for dampnable, happely Tyndale wyll saye they be not be they neuer so horryble, bycause the seed of god, that is to wytte theyr felynge fayth, can neuer suffer suche tre••e membres of hys electe chyrche, do those horryble dedes wyllyngly or of purpose, but onely for weykenesse and frayltye / for whyche they can be sayth he no dedely synnes in those blessed bodyes, be the dedes neuer so de∣uelysshe.

And now to proue vs thys wonderfull straunge para∣dox, thys opynyon inopinable, to be very playne, open, euy¦dent, and clere / he furnyssheth it wyth samples so feble and so dymme, that the faynt syghte of our sore eyes can scant attayne to perceyue, how the samples any thynge touche the mater. [ B]

For where he sholde to make vs clerely beholde it, put hys ensemples in greate and horryble dedes, suche as hym selfe before in another chapyter confesseth that hys holy membres do: he forgetteth here now suche horryble dedes as wolde make the reders abhorre the doers of them, and speketh fayre & easely that they be feble somtyme in temp∣tacyon, and than they can not stande / and that after they haue synned theyr fayth is faynte, and when they sholde helpe theyr neyghboure theyr loue is colde, and they be not pacyent in trybulacyōs, and when they suffer wronge they can not forgyue lo, and when men take away theyr goodes they be angry, so they be lo.

Lo how angry Tyndale is wyth hys trew membres of his electe chyrche, and how sore he layeth theyr synnes to [ C] theyr charge. And yet bycause we sholde take theyr fautes for myche the sleyghter, he mynyssheth all the mater and maketh it myche the lesse, by resemblynge and lykenynge them to a good lytell chylde, as though theyr fawtes were all but chyldyshnes / and as it were a babe that wepeth and waxeth angry wyth the kyghte, for catchynge awaye hys brede and butter, and wold complayne to hys mother, and byd her go take a rodde and bete the kyght.

But syth that Tyndale now goth aboute to playe the the mayster, and sette all the catholyke chyrche agayne to scole / and wolde haue vs lerne suche harde lessons as we neuer herde of the lyke / as that men maye comenly do mys¦cheuouse

[ A] dedes wythout any dedely synne, bycause they do them not wyllyngly where no body compelleth them: lette hym at the leste wyse syth he wyll make vs all yonge chyl∣dren, teche vs our lesson as a good mayster techeth hys yonge chyldren. And let hym not teche vs our lesson in a small ragged hande, wherin a yonge begynner can scante perceyue one letter from an other / but let hym teche vs in a fayre greate letter of some texte hande, that is more easy to lerne vppon. And therfore we shall pray hym to lette passe ouer for thys onys hys longe chyldysshe ensample of hys good chyld, which for all the nurture of hys father and hys mother, and all the wysedome that he lerned of them, and all his loue to them and to theyr cōmaundementes, and all the trust in his fathers promyses, for whyche he goth with [ B] good wyll to scole / fyndynge yet by the waye some compa∣nyons that fall to playe, is ra••ysshed of his remembraūce / and forgetyng father and mother, and all theyr promyses, & all theyr kyndenes, & all theyr lawes, & all the wisedomes that he lerned of them, and all the nurtur turtur that they taught hym, standeth styll and loketh on them / and after falleth to wurke wyth them at some suche prety playes of lykelyhed as chyldrē be wont to playe, as chyrystone mary bone, bokyll pyt, spurne poynt, cobnutte or quaytyng: let vs leue I say thys good chylde at hys game, tyll he be fette eyther home wyth hys father, or to scole wyth hys mayster wyth thre strypes for hys taryenge and trewauntynge by the waye (whyche is more mete for suche a chylde, then af¦ter hys lustes played out, Tyndals tragycall processe of [ C] remembraunce of hys olde professyon, wyth temptacyons ouer hys harte, and the lawe hys ryght hange man, turmē¦tynge of conscyence, fere of destruccyon and almoste despe∣rate drede of hangyng) Now let Tyndale therfore in stede of thys chyld, take for ensample some of the trew members of hys owne electe chyrche, that hath the felynge fayth of hys owne false heresyes / and not a lytell chylde, but a great slouen slouche, that out of hys boyes age is twenty wynter stepte into hys knauys age. Then let Tyndale put in hym for ensample not as he doth here, the beynge angry wyth them that doth hym wronge, or lacke of dew loue to the ly∣berall helpe of hys neyghbours nede (wyth whych mynde and softe ensample•• of infyrmyte•• feblenesse, imperfec∣cyon, and frayltye, Tyndale couereth and kepeth a syde

the hatefull herynge and beholdynge of theyr abomynable [ A] dedes) but let hym put for ensample that hys trewe mem∣ber thys Iak slouch that we speke of, is so frayle and so fe∣ble in temptacyons, that thorow the frute of the synne re∣maynynge in hys flesshe, and as Tyndale sayth brekynge out at his membres / he falleth into horryble dedes (for that is Tyndals worde) as into aduoutry wyth hys mother, poysenynge hys father, and murderynge hys brother, in sa¦cryledge, and incest as frere Luther doth wyth hys nonne, fall to mockynge of almyghty god as Tyndale doth in the blessed sacrament.

Now syth we haue for ensample taken no lytell prety synnes, but great and horryble dedes / and haue also taken for ensample no lytell prety boy, but an olde greate knaue fytte and mete for the mater, as in whom may well and cō∣uenyently [ B] be veryfyed all Tyndals tragycall termes of tempcyons and turmentry, destruccyon, hangeman, and galowes, & all to gether: let vs in thys abomynable beste now, and in these horryble crymes, as in a great text hand, loke vpō our lesson that mayster Tyndale techeth vs, & se whyther there be wryten therin the thynge that he wolde haue vs lerne / or whyther that (syth we haue now suche a boke wyth so great large letters, as we can spell vpon and do to gether or selfe) it shall peraduenture appere that he went aboute byfore wyth a smale ragged hande, to begyle vs and make vs rede false.

ye remember good reders that he sayth, that hys trewe membres vppon greate occasyons, as vppon the syghte of suche thynges as delyteth them, be rauesshed of theyr me∣mory, [ C] and forget them selfe (as hys lytell good chylde doth at the syghte of the playe) and so contynueth styll in the fo∣lowynge and fulfyllynge of hys luste, as it were a man in hys slepe or one that laye in a traunce / and neyther is hys fayth loste in all that whyle, nor his loue to the law of god / but though they lye hydde, yet they contynue styll bothe twayne, and hys hope and hys truste in god also. And ther∣fore though our Iak slouche do all those horryble dedes y^• we dyd put for ensample: yet beynge a trewe member of Tyndals electe chyrche, bycause of hys felyng fayth which so lyeth hydde in hys harte that he feleth no thynge therof / he consenteth not in hys mynde to none of those dedes, nor doth none of them wyllyngly nor of purpose, or at the leste

[ A] wyse not malycyously (for that worde into hys olde tale putteth Tyndale of newe in hys false exposycyon vppon the fyrste pystle of saynt Iohn̄) and therfore in hym there can none of all those horryble dedes be dampnable or dede∣ly synne.

we myghte here lette Iak slouche alone / & aske Tyn∣dale whyther a nother slouche of hys acquayntaunce hys owne mayster Marten Luther, not onely a trewe member but also one of the chyefe membres of hys electe chyrche, hath lyen all thys whyle a slepe by the space of so many yeres to gether, syth he fyrst ranne out of hys order in apo∣stasye, and after wedded hys nonne, & yet contynueth with her styll. Thys frere and hys nonne, dranke well of lykely∣hed ere they went to theyr bryde bedde, yf they lye styll and [ B] slepe yet.

But for as myche as Tyndale wyll not agre, that frere Luthers lechery wyth hys nonne, is any euyll dede at all, but very well done & vertuously: therfore though we nede none other ensample agaynste hys frantyke heresye to the earys of any good chrysten man, yet for Tyndale hym selfe we muste leue Luther lyenge styll a slepe wyth hys lēman, and retourne agayne to Iak slouche / whose dedes Tyn∣dale wyll graunte and agre to be horryble, though he deny them to be dampnable bycause of Iakkes felynge fayth / whyche though he fele it not bycause he lyeth a slepe, ke∣peth in hym styll yet the loue to goddes lawe, and suffereth hym not to consent vnto the synne, nor to do any suche de∣des wyllyngly nor of purpose, or at the leste wyse not [ C] ma∣lycyously.

Let euery man here agaynste Tyndals folyshe tale and shamelesse inuencyon, take testymony and wytnesse of hys owne wytte / whyther he that by the deuyls entycement de∣fowleth hys mother, poyseneth hys father, and mordereth hys brother, and mocketh almyghty god, and suche other horryble and abomynable dedes oftentymes, doth delybe∣rately wyth longe deuyce and studye bystowed about it, do thys gere wyllyngly and consent there vnto / or ellys doth all vnwyllyngly, as he were a slepe or in a traunce. Let Tyndale tell vs what he wyll / he shall I wene fynde no wyse man in thys poynt agre, that these bestes do theyr de¦testable dedes vnwyllyngly, wythout consent vnto synne.

Now towchynge Tyndals tother goodly refuge, that

the horryble dedes of hys trew membres of hys elect chyr∣che [ A] be neuer dedely synnes, bycause they do them neuer of no malyce: thys is be ye sure a very comely deuyce, whych euery wyse man ye wote well muste nedes alowe and com∣mende. For in our ensample of Iak slouche / what indyf∣ferent iudge wolde not holde the good man excused of all those abomynable dedes, yf it myghte appere to the court, that y^• defoylyng of hys mother was not for any dyspyght or malyce borne to hys father, but of vnnaturall affeccyon and very bestely luste. And also that the poysenynge of his father, grew not of anger or euyll wyll to hys person, but of loue and longynge for hys substaunce / and suche other excusys lyke, for all hys other detestable crymes, wherupō it myghte appere, y^• none of them all rose of anger or euyll wyll / but some of pryde, some of couetyce, some of lechery, [ B] or such other rybaldouse appetyt. what coulde hys iudge in suche case saye to hym for very pytye, yf the poore man sayde onys he were sory / but stroke hys hed, and byd hym go home, and be a good sonne, and do so no more. And ther¦fore for as myche as the same Iak slouche dothe none of those detestable dedes of pure malyce to any other body, but of some kynde of affeccyon towarde hym selfe, hys loue is not vtterly quenched / and therfore he is one of Tyndals electes, that synneth neuer how bad so euer he be.

For where as fynally Tyndale techeth vs, that his trew membres of hys electe chyrche do neuer synne dedely, by∣cause that after the luskes haue played out all theyr lustes, then they repent agayne and remember them selfe & theyr fathers formar kyndenes, and be sory: thys is a fayre tale [ C] of a tubbe tolde vs of hys electes. For euery man well wo∣teth that thus do the fynall reprobates, and be by dew re∣pentaunce dyuers tymes in theyr lyues restored agayne to the state of grace. And then by thys tale of Tyndale, were there no dede dāpnable nor dedely synne in any man, were it neuer so abomynable / but onely those last synnes in whi∣che he dyed impenitent. And then were all Tyndals hyghe descrypcyons and dyfferences of electes and reprobates all brought to thys poynt at the laste, that theyr dedes be all one, and theyr fasshyons and theyr faythes and theyr louys to the lawe of god a lyke chaungeable thorow the re¦manaunt of theyr lyues, sauynge that the tone sorte dye re∣pentaunt, and the tother sorte impenytent. And thys is the

[ A] same thynge that we saye. And so is Tyndale after all his longe folysh varyaunce, at laste maugry his teth agaynst hys purpose, compelled to saye the same that we haue all waye sayed and he alwaye denyed.

But then saye we one thynge forther, that where as the electes be by hys owne agreement the penytentes onely and the trewe repentauntes: neyther hym selfe whyche re∣penteth not his abomynable heresyes, but stuburnly stan∣deth by them and sayth he wyll dye in them / nor his may∣ster Marten Luther, whyche notwythstandynge that the luske hath often tymes played out his luste, wyll not yet leue his lechery, but lye styll with the nonne, and defende for lawfull matrymony theyr fylthy lyfe that is afore god and all good men a very bestely bychery / shew them selues [ B] clerely to be any of the trewe penytentes / but vtterly to be such, as but yf they repent better ere they dye, shall elles be none of goddes fynall electes, but very wreched reproba∣tes accursed out of goddes company, and myserable mem∣bres of the deuyls dampned chyrche in hell.

yet sayth Tindale forther in y^• ende of all thys chapiter, that all be it the olde kyndenesse of the father can not let the good chylde vt∣terly dyspayre, for all that he hath played at spurne poynt by the waye in goynge at scolewarde: yet all the world can not set his harte at reste, vntyll the payne be past, and vntyll he haue herde the voyce of his father that all is forgyuen.

These wordes wolde I haue Tyndale apply me well to hys gostely purpose / and turnynge the sample of hys good chylde into some olde shrewe, and the playenge at spurne [ C] poynt into some detestable dede: let Tyndale then tell vs, where, what voyce, and by whom, hys trew member of his elect chyrche shall here that voyce of remyssyon. If he mene any worde spoken in scrypture all redy / then is he soone spedde, and shall not after hys synfull cryme cōmytted, fall at any greate conflycte in hym selfe bytwene hope and dys∣payre, hys fayth almoste catchyng a fall for fere, and at last wyth myth worke rysynge agayne. All thys gere is soone done, yf the voyce of hys father grauntynge remyssyon set hys harte at reste, and that voyce be hys worde wryten in scrypture / for then he herde the worde before he dyd y^e dede. And that worde beynge suche / yf it were vnderstanden as Tyndale techeth, that forthwyth at the bare repentynge without shryft or penaūce, all were forgyuē, synne, payne,

and all, bothe eternall and temporall, bothe in hell and [ A] purgatory and in this worlde to: that worde were than I say all redy bifore the dede, not a forgyuenes onely of the synne passed, but a lycence almoste also of all horryble dedes to be done. And if he meane to here the voyce of his father afterwarde, not wrytten before / he muste here it by the mouthe of his goostely father vpon his humble shryfte and confessyon, whiche Tyndall calleth the crafte and in∣uencion of Sathan.

And this is lo the conclusion of Tyndall in this his chapitre, of his false faithe euer assawted / whiche is as ye se nowe taken here with assawte, pece mele on euery syde wounded, spoyled, and bounden / and quycke of felyng as any blayne or botche, but vtterly dede of grace sent downe vnto the deuyll. [ B]

Tyndale.

The maner and ordre of our election.

EVyn so goth it wyth goddes electes. God choseth them fyrste, and they not god, as thou redest Iohn̄. 15 And then he sendeth forth and calleth theym, and sheweth them hys good wyll which he beareth vnto them, and maketh them se both theyr owne dampna¦cion in the lawe, and also the mercy that is layed vp for them in Christes blode, and thereto what he will haue them do. And then when we se his mercy, we loue him agayne, and chose hym, and submitte our selues vnto his lawes to walke in them. For when we erre not in wytte, reason, and iudgement of [ C] thinges, we can not erre in wyll and choyse of thinges. The choyse of a mans wyll dothe naturally and of her owne accorde, folowe the iudgement of a mans reason, whether he iudge right or wronge. So that in teachinge, onely resteth the pythe of a mans lyuinge.

More.

THis chapiter dependeth vpon the chapi∣ter before, in whiche he compared hys true membres of his electe chyrche vnto his good child, whom his father taught nurter and wysedome, and sent hym to scole, & he lyke a mycher & a trewaunt plaied at bokle pytte by the way / & when the game was done, fell almoste in dispayre of lyfe for fere

[ A] of hangyng, yf hys father caughte hym / and yet sone after well and wysely ••••cō••orted hym selfe, wyth the remēbraūce of hys fathers olde goodnesse / and so came home agayne lyke a good lytle boy, & herde hys fathers voyce of forgeue¦n••sse / whych sette hys hart at reste / & than he wentte to sup∣per meryly / & than the mayed put on hys byggē & brought hym to bedde / and thā he cared for no more, but was mery in the mornyng, and redy to go playe the boy agayne as he dyd before. And now therto Tyndale ioyneth thys chapy∣tre / saynge, Euen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it w••th goddes electe.

yet sith he resembleth goddes electe vnto the lytle boy / he shuld haue put into the sample of his litle chyld, that his lytle chyld sometyme whan he hathe played the lytle yong trewaunt, for all hys r••membraunce of hys fathers good∣nes, [ B] is for fere of hys fathers angre glad to go to some o∣ther frendes of hys fathers, and pray theym to bryng hym home, and helpe to skewse hym and kepe hym frō betynge. And than he shulde haue begon thys chapytre as he dothe now and say, Euen so goth it with goddes ele••t. For yf the sample of hys good chyld maye pr••ue all the remenaunte for hym / than may it preue thys one pece as well for vs, y^• the electe after hys offence, seketh vnto sayntes as hys fa∣thers fr••des, and prayeth them to helpe to entreat for hym / for so do many tymes suche good chyldren ye wote well as Tyndale putteth hys sample by.

But we wyll nat now for thys tyme trouble Tyndale moche wyth that mater. I wolde that in thys chapytre all were well saue y^•. Forsu••ely thys chapytre is very nought / [ C] and hath in hit the secrete seed of Tyndales chyefe poyson, whereby he laboreth after Luther, vnder colour & pretexte of goddes elecciō, to destroye the fre wyll of man, & ascribe all thyng to desteny. whyche thynge is natte in hyt selfe so false / but Tyndale proueth it as folysshely, as ye shall per∣ceyue anone.

But fyrst consydre howe darkly the man walketh in his way styll. For yet he handeleth it of that fasshyon, that he wold nat we shuld se, whyther he mene by this•• word elect, the man that is electe for the tyme, after the maner of any of those eleccyons that I declared you byfore in the begyn∣nyng of my fourth boke / or whyther he meane of those ele∣ctes

y^t are of god byfore the begynnyng of the worlde for∣sene, [ A] to be suche as by hys gyfte and grace and good wyll wurkyng therwyth, in folke of age and wytt therto, shulde and wolde dye in the state of grace and be saued, and there∣fore be called some tyme small electes, sometyme eternall.

Thus whyche kynd of electes hym self•• meneth, Tyn∣dale leueth vndeclared / & wyll we shall gesse at hys mynde vppon hys vncertayne wordes, to the ende that he myghte euer haue some refuge into a startyng hole / and whanne he were playnely cōfuted and reproued, crye out vpon me thā and say that I mysse take hym.

But I am content to take hym therfore, that waye that may•• be the strengest for hym selfe / and that way that hys wordes gathered oute of dyuers of his chapitres, some by∣fore and some here after, shewe moste lykely that he shulde [ B] mene, whan they be consydered to gyther. And that is as me semeth, that he meneth of those electes that are called y^e fynall and eternall electes / all be it that the place of scryp∣ture in y^• .xv. chapytre of saynt Iohn̄ whych Tyndale alled¦geth here for hys electes, lytle ma••eth for hys purpose con¦cernynge that fynall or eternall eleccyō / nat onely bycause the wordes of Chryste spokē there to hys apostles, can nat conuenyently serue for those whyth ••wa•••••• from the trew doctryne of Chrystes catholyque chyrche that the apostles taught, into false heresyes / but also for that our sauyour in those wordes when he sayed vnto them, you haue nat cho∣sen me but I haue chosen you, and apoynted you that you shall go forth and bryng frute, and your frute shall abyde / he spake there not of there small eleccion to saluaciō / which [ C] eleccion hym selfe foresawe in hys godhed byfore y^• world was made, and whyche eleccyon therefore is called eter∣nall. But he spake there of that eleccyon onely, by whiche he chose and elected thē to be hys apostles and messengers, to be sent about the worlde to prech hys gospel / as playnly appereth by those aforesayd wordes, I haue chosen you, & appoynted you to go and bryng in fruyt / and fynally is the same eleccyon, wherof he spake whan he sayd,* 1.79 Haue I nat elected and chosen you twelue, & lo one of you is a deuyll. And therfore as I say, the man layeth the scrypture very farre from hys mater.

But now takyng him as he wold say if his wyt wold serue

[ A] him, y^t is to wyt that by his worde electes, he meneth the fynall and eternall electes: lette vs se and consider what high doctrine and before vnherde, maister Tindall techeth vs of them.

He sayeth that after that god hathe chosen them (and telleth nat whan / whither after their commynge into the worlde, or before the worlde were made / so that he leaueth it by those wordes yet in doubte which eleccion he moueth, whether vnto saluacion in the churche tryumphaunte in heuen, or onely in to the churche here milytaunte in erthe) god he sayeth sendeth forthe and calleth vpon them, and sheweth them his good wyll whiche he bereth vnto them.

Nowe here falleth Tyndall in two fautes. One is that these wordes of hys can nat be verifyed vpon all electes, [ B] syth many dye in theyr cradelles, and many in theyr cryso∣somes / but yf he teken all those for none electes, bycause they can vnderstande no prechynge. A nother faute is, y^• y^• thyng whiche he semeth here to approper vnto the elec∣tes, be commune bothe to the electes and reprobates. For all this god dothe to them to, that are nat his electes, but vnto suche also as wyll be & therfore shalbe, fynall repro∣bates. For god of his goodnes wyllinge as the scripture sayth all men to be saued / sent his sonne in to this worlde, to call vpon the whole worlde. And he sent his apostelles aboute the worlde as a lorde and god indifferent, without accepcyon of persones as sayd saynt Peter.

But than gothe Tyndall farther and sayth, that god ma∣keth his electes see bothe theyr owne dampnacion in the lawe, and also the mer∣cye [ C] that is layde vp for them in Christes bloode, and therto what he wyll haue them do.

These wordes men wolde wene were but well & plainly ment. For they may seme to good playne meanynge men, to be well & plainly spoken, and as well and plainly ment. But yet as ye shall shortely see in these wordes, that god maketh his electes se his mercy / as playne wordes as they be, and as innocent and as simple as they seme, yet in them meneth Tyndale couertly to come forthe with his poyson of false prechynge the predestinacyon of god, with destru∣cion of the fre wyll of man concernynge any maner of de∣uoure of them selfe towarde the ••eleue and faythe. For he ••••neth here, that god alway maketh the electes to se these thynges, without any wyll of theyr owne any thynge wor∣kynge

with god towarde the syght thereof / and that all the [ A] reprobates that shalbe dampned for lacke of the beleue, be reprobated and reiected and lefte vnchosen, and kept from the syght and perceyuynge of the thynges to be beleued, without any demeryte or euyll deserte of theyr owne, onely bicause god lyste nat to make them see.

And that Tyndale thus falsely meneth by those fayre playne wordes / ye shall farther perceyue by other wordes of Tyndals owne wrytynge, afterwarde in his answere to to the fyrste chapyter of the thyrde boke of my dyaloge. For where as I there shewed, that the very bokes of the scripture if selfe, can nat make men beleue y^t scripture, nor very surely knowe whyche were the very true scripture of god, and whiche were scriptures countr••fete, sauyng that the catholyke churche techeth vs to knowe the scrypture / [ B] and the spirite of god, with mannes owne towardes and good endeuoure, worketh in man the credulite and belefe by whiche we bothe beleue the churche in techyng vs whi∣che is the scripture, & also by whiche we beleue the thinges that are wrytten in the scrypture: to this bycause I sayde there, that whan we here the scrypture or rede it, if we be nat rebellious but ende••our our selfe to beleue, & captyue and subdue our vnderstandyng to serue and folowe fayth, prayenge for goddes gracious ayde and helpe, god than worketh with vs, and inwardely dothe inclyne our harte in to the assent of the thynge that we rede / and after a lytell sparke of our faythe o••es had, increaseth the credence in our incredilyte: Tyndale to this in mo••kage of mennes endeuour towarde the belefe, and in scornynge that we [ C] wolde captyue our vnderstandyng into y^e seruyce of fayth, answereth me with an 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as exclamacion / and cryenge out vpon my fleshe••••••es and foly, ••o••eth out his hyghe spirituall sentence in this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 o••.

Tyndale.

O ho••e betlebly••de is flesshely reason. The wyll hath none operacion at all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the workynge of faythe in my soule, no more 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the chylde hathe in the begettynge of his fathe••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (sayeth Paule) it is the gyfte of god and nat of vs. My 〈…〉〈…〉 s••ewe ••e 〈…〉〈…〉 or an appatent cause why, yer my wyll haue any workynge at all••

More.

Nowe perceyue you good christen reders, what an vn∣christen mynde this euyll christen man hathe in those wor∣des,

[ A] that seme so fayre and playne in this present chapyter. For thoughe he speke nat out so plainly in this chapyter, as he dothe after in his answere to my thyrde boke as ye haue here herde: yet that he falsely meneth in eyther place alyke, ye may yet more plainly perceyue by hys wordes y^• in this chapiter immedyatly folow / which are such sa may be as well ioyned to his foresayde wordes of his answere vnto my thyrde boke, as to the wordes vnto whiche they be knytte in this present chapyter. In whiche whan he hathe sayed that god maketh his electes se theyr dampna∣tion in y^• lawe, and also the mercy that is layed vp for them in Christes bloode, and therto what he wyll haue them do / it foloweth than forthwith,

Tyndale.

[ B] And then when we se his mercy, we loue hym agayne, and chose hym, and submytte our selues vnto his lawes to walke in them. For when we erre not in wytte, reason, and iudgement / we can not erre in wyll and choyse of thyn∣ges. The choyse of mannes wyll doth naturally and of her owne accorde, fo∣low the iugement of a mannes reason, whyther he iudge ryghte or wronge, so that in techyng onely resteth the pyth of a mannes lyuynge.

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Now trust I good reders, that it is inoughe that we perceyue and se, what Tyndale entendeth in thys chapitre of the ordre of our eleccyō / and that for all hys great excla∣macyon, we be nat yet so betle blynd, but that we spye well inough whyche way this wyly serpēt walketh / and that he goth about vnder colour of the prayse and commendacyon of goddes predestinacion•• and ordynaunce vtterly concer∣nyng [ C] fayth, to put a way the wurke of mānes fre wyll / and yet ouer that though ••om what more couertely, of trouthe concernyng all other good workes to.

And all be it that he seme here to gyue mannes wyll in maner lyke place, in the acte of our loue toward god, as he gyueth god in the worke of our belyefe and fayth in vs: yet whan he is well perceyued, he bryngeth all to suche in∣euytable necessyte, that both in the tone and the tother, and in all maner of good workes, he taketh vtterly away all manes of meryt from the good men and electes / & gyueth vnto the euyll peple and reprobatys an excuse for thē selfe, and an occasion to lay the wight of there iuste dampnaciō, to the vniusty••e of goddes eternall ordynaunce and moste ryghtuouse predestynacyon. And yet are all hys reasons

in thys greate mater so small, that a man may nat well wyt [ A] whyther they be more wykked or more wyttelesse.

Nowe all be it that I shall purpose to treat of thys mat∣ter more at longe wyth Tyndale, whan I shall come to the cōnfutacion of hys fond answeres made vnto the thyrde & fourth bokes of my dyaloge: yet can I nat presently for∣bere som what to shewe you of hys abomynable errour in thys poynt. And yet in good fayth me semeth no very great nede / hys folyes after hys wordes of bothe the places bro∣ught forth and layde togyther, be now so playne and euy∣dent of them selfe.

For who is so betle blynde, that seeth nat clerely y^• darke deuelysh heresye of thys hyghe spyrytuall heretyque, that sayth it is a betle blynde fleshely reason, to thynke that the good endeuour of the mannes parte in wyllyngly confor∣myng [ B] hym selfe towarde the fayth, and captyuyng and sub¦dewyng hys reason and vnderstandyng in to the obsequy and obedyent seruyce of belyefe, shulde be no maner helpe nor furtheraunce towarde the gettyng of any ••rysten fayth but y^• the wyll hath none operacyon at all in the workynge of fayth in mannes soule, no more than the chylde hath in the bygetting of his father. For here ye se wel that we speke of suche as are of age and haue the vse of reason.

If mannes wyll had no more part towarde the attay∣nynge of the belyefe, than the chylde hath in the bygettyng of hys owne father / I se nat wherfore our sauyoure shulde call vppon the people and byd them do penaunce, and be∣leue the gospell,* 1.80 as he dothe in the fyrste chapytre of saynt Marke. [ C]

For though it be very trew, that wythout goddes helpe and goddes grace preuentyng and foregoyng, no man can beleue: yet yf there were nothynge in the man hym selfe, wherby he myght receyue it yf he wolde wyth grace whych god of hys goodnesse o••••reth apply hym selfe towardely to the receyuing therof, & wherby on the tother syde he myght frowardly refuse it, or of slouth and necligence so sleyghtly regarde it that he were worthy to lese it: yf there were I say no suche thyng in the man whe••by he hym selfe myght som what do therin wyth god, our lorde wolde nat call vppon men, and ••xhort them to beleue, and prayse them that wyll beleue, and rebuke them that wyll nat byleue, as he doth in many playne places of the scrypture.

[ A] But now agaynst god and hys holy scryptures, it is a worlde to se what slēdre thynges Tyndale alledgeth. Fyrst he sayth that it is a betle blynd fleshely foly, to reken that y^• good endeuour of man shuld be any thyng worth towarde the atteynyng of fayth, because that ••aythe is the gyfte of god. Is nat here an hygh reason? who denyeth that faythe is a gyfte of god. But what letteth that, that a man maye nat by hys towardnes, endeuour hym selfe to receyue the gyfte of god by goddes goodnes frely offred vnto hym / or by hys ••rowardnes slougth or neclygence, lese and forgo y^• gyfte of god. Is it any thyng agaynst the nature of gyfte, to be as wyllyngly receyued and taken as it is offered and gyuen? If a man wolde gyue Tyndale a cuppe of golde / wolde Tyndale call it no gyfte, yf hym selfe dyd with good [ B] wyll put forth hys hand to take it. Doth the willyng byha¦uyour of the taker, chaunge the name and the nature of the gyfte, or any thyng mynyshe the fre lyberall mynde of the gyuer. In good fayth I muste nedes confesse my selfe so betle blynde, that I can se no reason at all neyther fleshely nor goostly in thys reasō of Tyndale / nor as I wene Tyn¦dals owne sharpe egle yien neyther.

what good thynge is there that is nat the gyfte of god? hoope, charytie, coutynence, pitye, lernyng, wysedome, or any thynge in this worlde y^• ought is. For as sayeth saynt Iames, euery good perfyte gyfte is frome aboue discen¦dynge from the father of lyghtes.* 1.81 And saynt Poule sayth,* 1.82 what haste thou y^• thou haste nat receyued? And of whome ment he all thinge receyued, but of goddes gyfte. Nowe [ C] shall euery man than in Tyndals hyghe spirytuall iudge∣ment, be taken for flesshely and betleblynde, that wyll be so folysshe to put any endeuoure of his owne to laboure and worke with god, in the gettynge of hope or charytie, pyte∣full affeccion or chastyte, lernynge, iustyce, wysedome, or any other good thynge. Bycause they be all gyftes of god, a man muste therfore sytte euyn styll and do nothynge to∣warde it, tyll god come and gyue hym all thynge vnware. For if he may beware before / than muste he by Tyndal, do nat so m••che as be willyng to receyue it. For he that by his wyll receyueth it, and whiche shulde els for his frowarde∣nesse and contrarye wyll go without it: he dothe ye wote well somwhat more in gettyng therof, than doth the sonne in the begettynge of his owne father / wherein the sonnes

wyll that is yet vnb••goten, can nothinge make nor marre. [ A] where as in the gettynge, attaynyng••, and receyuynge of these vertues / the wyll of the man conformable & toward, worketh with god ••••d doth somwhat / not as a dede vesel, where into Tyndale putteth and powreth hys bere / but as a quycke instrume••t as the hand of y^e man that wyttyngly and wyllyngly receyueth a gyfte of a nother mannes ly∣berall offer.

Now yf Tyndale wolde here labour to make vs betle∣blynde wyth hys bl••nte soteltees, and tell vs that we can do thyng tyll god ••reuent vs wyt•• his grace nor nothyng but as hys grace goth on forth wyth vs: these tales when they be all tolde, be n•••• worth a whystle. For ye maye tell hym agayne, that we saye not that mannes endeuoure can any good do wythout god. But we saye that when men en∣deuoure [ B] them sel••e towarde so good a thynge / they maye then make them selfe sure, that god hath preuented theym wyth hys grace, for elles they coulde not so do / and that he is redy wyth hys grace to walke forwarde wyth them. And syth theyr endeu••••re ••owarde good is good: therfore yf they wyll styll perceyuer and walke on styll wyth god, he wyll walke on styll wyth them. And theyr endeuour shall not be a voyde folysshe thynge as Tyndale calleth it / but a frutefull worke towarde the attaynynge of fayth, though Tyndale wolde saye nay therto.

I wolde also very fayne wytte of Tyndale / yf hym selfe were as ferme and as faste in the trewe chrysten fayth, as he is in hys heresyes / and then shulde happen to fall in cō∣pany wyth eyther Paynyme, Turke, Saracen, or Iewe, & [ C] wolde exhorte them to the chrysten fayth / and that all be it they graunted hym the bylyefe of one almyghtye god, yet for aught that he sayd vnto them, he founde them farre of from the bylyefe (not onely of the sacrament of the awlter, from whyche hymselfe is now as farre of as any of them) but also farre of from the bylyefe of the sonne & holy goste, and fynally from the takynge of our scryptures for holy or for wrytynges worthy credence: what aduyce and coun∣sayle wolde Tyndale gyue them? wolde he not aduyse and counsayle them to pray vnto god, and to call ayde of hym, that it myght please hym to helpe to lede them in the waye of the ryght bylyefe / and that he wold with his grace helpe theym to inclyne theyr hartes in to the folowynge of that

[ A] thynge, that shulde be vnto hys pleasure and the saluacyō of theyr owne soules / whych kynde & prayour they myght assente vnto wythout any preiudyce of theyr owne fayth. wolde he not also counsayle them to faste and forbere wo∣men, to the entent theyr prayour myghte be the more clene and pure / and aduyse them also to gyue good almoyse for goddes sake, as dyd Cornelius whō saynt Peter was sent vnto hym therfore. wolde he not also counsayle them to be not wylfull nor obstynate, but conformable and wyllynge to here and lerne the trouth and vpon the herynge therof gladly to prente in theyr hartes those thynges that moste make towarde the mouyng and inclynacyon of theyr myn∣des, toward the credence therof. And wold he not tell them that thorow suche towarde and wyllynge demeanure on [ B] theyr parte (in the doynge wherof, theym selfe not lackyng nor beyng slouthfull, god wolde not fayle to preuent them wyth hys grace, helpe, & fauour, and be before them) god wolde lede them and go forth with them, & neuer leue them nor forsake them, tyll he wolde wyth theyr owne good en∣deuoure walkynge and workynge with hym, brynge them fyrste into the ryght bylyefe and good hope and godly che∣ryte, with other many vertuouse and good wurkes proce∣dyng therupon / & fynally by that meane, after thys transy∣tory lyfe, into y^e perpetuall blesse & eternall ioyes of heuen.

whyther wolde Tyndale aduyse them thus? whyche yf he dyd / then sholde he teche them that mannys endeuoure towarde fayth, is not a thynge to be mocked as hym selfe mocketh it now / but that mannes own wyll doth somwhat [ C] more towarde it, then doth the chylde to the bygettynge of hys owne father. Or ellys wolde Tyndale forbydde them all suche thynges in any wyse, & tell them that theyr owne endeuoure wolde rather hynder, and make theym ascrybe the fayth that is y^e gyfte of god vnto the meryte & goodnes of theyr owne wyll, theyr owne towardenesse, theyr owne prayours, theyr owne cōtynence, almoyse dede, & fastynge, and all theyr other endeuoure. All whyche thynges yf Tyn¦dale take for nought or peryllouse / then is it lykely that he wolde of consequence aduyce those dyscyples of hys to be well ware of all suche thynges, & do none of thē in no wyse, for the counsayle to such thynges coulde come but of betle blynde flesshely reason. And therfore Tyndales dyscyples,

towarde the gettyng of the fayth, to the entent they shulde [ A] take therof no parte vnto theyr owne prayse, but gyue the hole glory to god / sholde I saye by hys aduyse vse none en∣deuoure at all, nor do no thynge, nor saye no thynge, nor thynke no thynge, but sytte euen styll sadly, and gape by daye agaynste the sonne, by nyght agaynste the mone, tyll eyther some blynde betle or some holy humble bee come flye in at theyr mouthes, and buzze in to theyr brestes an vnholsome hepe of flye blowen errours and motthe eten heresyes.

And thus good chrysten readers, the reason that Tyn∣dale maketh vs agaynste the endeuoure of man towarde the attaynynge of fayth / whyche endeuoure he mocketh & calleth it a counsayle of betle blynde reason, bycause fayth is the gyfte of god: I dowte not I saye but that hys rea∣son [ B] is suche, that a man that were betle blynde in dede, may perceyue well inough that Tyndale for lacke of good en∣deuoure, hath had of the gyfte of god lytell wytte and lesse grace, in makynge of that feble and vnlawfull reason.

Tyndals other reason agaynst the good endeuour of mannes wyll is thys.

Tyndale.

My wyt muste shewe me a trewe cause or an apparent cause why, yere my wyll haue any workynge at all.

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Lette Tyndale set hys consequente and conclusyon to thys antecedent made of thys reason, and saye, My wytte muste fyrste shewe me some cause eyther trewe or somwhat [ C] semynge trewe, before that my wyll can any thynge do at all: ergo none endeuoure of my selfe in conformynge and applyenge of my wyll, can any thynge do at all. And now when hys argumēt is all made vp / ye shall fynde it as full of reason as an egge full of mustarde.

For what though my wytte and reason muste fyrste set my wyll a wurke / can yet my wyll when it is ones moued dyuersly bytwene two reasons, no thynge do at all in remo¦uynge an obstynat le••ynge to the tone syde, or a conforma∣ble inclynacyon towarde the consent of the tother.

If all the fayth of suche trewthes as are taughte, were in suche wyse inspyred into euery mannes harte that is a

[ A] faythfull man, as he by that inwarde inspyracion had such a full perfayt and clere perceyuynge therof, in the inwarde syghte of the vnderstandynge, as the bodyly eye hath of y^• thynge that it playnely seeth and loketh vppon / or as the syghte of the soule hath in suche euydent and open conclu∣syons, as it dothe playnely and openly byholde / suche I meane as are the generall petycyons in the fyrste boke of Euclidis geometry, as that euery hole thynge is more then hys owne halfe or suche other lyke: then wold I well agre wyth Tyndale, that when the thynge were so shew••d vnto my wytte, I coulde not but agre therto wyth my wyll. But I say that all be it god is able in suche wyse to inspyre and infounde the fayth yf that hym lyste: yet I saye that ordy∣naryly into hys faythfull folke, neyther fynall reprobates [ B] nor fynall electes (for faythfull are at sundry tymes of both the sortes) he gyueth not the bylyefe or fayth on that fas∣shyon. For yf he dyd / then were it not fayth nor byly••fe, but very syghte and knowlege. And suche kynde of so cer∣tayne and open reuelacyon, were vnto the man occasyon of bylyefe and credence necessaryly, surely, and ineuytable / but therfore as it semeth, neyther thankworthy nor rewar∣dable.

Now dothe god wyth hys chrysten folkes ordynaryly take that waye in the gyuynge theym theyr bylyefe and fayth, that though they do not meryte wyth any forgoyng good dedes, nor deserue the gyfte of byleuynge / yet maye they wyth good endeuoure and obedyente conformyte, de∣serue and meryte in the beleuynge.

[ C] And therfore syth god wyll for that cause bynde vs to the bylyefe, bycause he wyll that we meryte and be rewar∣ded for our bylyefe (the reason of whyche deserte and meryt on our parte, standeth in the respecte and regarde that god hath to our obedyence, by whyche we wyllyngly submytte our selues to the credence of goddes worde wryten or vn∣wryten, tellynge vs any thynge agaynste oure owne rea∣son tellynge vs the contrary) then yf our bylyefe loste hys meryte (as that holy pope saynte Gregory sayth it shulde) yf reason playnely proued vs the thynge that we byleue: so were the meryte of our bylyefe loste in lyke wyse, yf the thynge were in suche wyse gyuen vs as we more perfytely perceyued it then we perceyue any suche as reason maye moste perfytely proue vs.

And therfore I say, that god dothe nat ordinaryly gyue [ A] into men the faythe in suche maner / bycause he wyll nat vtterlye take awaye the meryte fro man / for as moche as he hathe ordayned hym to ioye by the meane of some meryte, some conflycte, passyon, or payne vpon his owne parte,* 1.83 though nat sufficient & worthy (for as saynt Poule sayth, all the passyons and sufferaunces of this worlde, be nat worthy the glory that is to come that shalbe releued in vs) yet suche at the leste wyse as his hyghe goodnes ac∣cepteth and rewardeth for worthy, thorowe the force and strength of those merytes y^t are in dede sufficient & worthy / the merytes I meane of y^• bytter payne and passyon of his alone onely begotten and tenderly beloued sonne. Than say I nowe, that syth y^• faythe is nat ordinaryly with suche open ineuitable and inuincyble lyghtsomnes inspyred in [ B] to the soule, that the man muste of necessyte and very fyne force clerely perceyue and agree it / but by god prouyded so sufficiently to be shewed & taught, as he that wyll be con∣formable and walke with goddes grace, may fynde good cause inoughe to captyue his reason to the belefe / and yet nat so great and vrgent causes, but that he whiche wyll be yll wylled and frowarde, may let grace go, and fynde him selfe cauellacyons prowdely to test vpon his owne reason agaynste the worde of god / eyther sayenge that his reason seeth it nat sufficiently proued for goddes worde (as Tyn∣dale sayeth in all goddes wordes vnwrytten) or elles that goddes worde is nat so ment as all Christes churche vn∣derstandeth them (as Tyndale sayeth touchyng y^• playne scriptures agaynste the maryages made bytwene freres & [ C] nonnes) the poyntes of the faythe are nat I saye in suche wyse shewed, nor the wytte in t••em so thoroughly and so clerely instructed / but that the thynge whiche in the wytte lacketh and remayneth imperfyte, may by the wyll be per∣fyted and made vp / and in stede of sure and certayne sight, be from distruste or doubtefull opinyon broughte by god workynge with mannes wyll into sure faythe and vndou∣ted belefe. And this I say for the tyme of this presente lyfe / and in the lyfe to come, than turned into full syghte and ineuitable contemplacyon.

And that thys is the ordynary maner of the fayth geuen by god into the soule, wyth the plyable and cōfortable wyll of man / and not an ineuytable syght of the trouth inspyred

[ A] into the man whyther he wyll or not, in suche maner wyse that he can not chose but bileue it / the scryptures be playne and euydent.

Doth not saynt Poule vnto the Hebrewes in the dyffy∣nycyon of fayth,* 1.84 openly and clerely declare, that the faythe is an argument or mater of thynges that appere not. Now yf the resurreccyon of our owne body were in thys worlde in suche maner apperynge vnto vs, as it shall after the re∣surreccyon when we be in heuen / it were now no fayth at all but a sure knowlege. And therfore sayth saynte Poule also, that we se now as it were but in a glasse, & perceyue & beholde but as it were in a darke rydle / but in the tother worlde shall we se face to face.

To shewe also that god geueth not ordynaryly y^e faythe [ B] to folke, but wyth some maner of towardnes and confor∣myte of theyr owne good wyll / our lorde sayth hym selfe vnto the cytye that he so sore longed to conuerte,* 1.85 Hierusa∣lem Hierusalem, how oft haue I wylled to gather thy chyl¦dren to gether, as an hēne gathereth to gether her chykēs, and thou woldeste not.

No man here dowteth, but that our lorde yf he wolde haue vsed some suche wayes as he coulde / it was in hys power to inspyre the knowlege of hym selfe into theyr har∣tes, and of all thynge that he wolde haue them byleue / and that in suche wyse, that they sholde not chose but byleue, for they sholde not chose but knowe it / & that in suche wyse that they coulde not haue thought the contrary. But god had determyned to brynge man to saluacyon, not in suche [ C] ineuytable wyse, nor wythout some wyllynge conuersyon and turnynge of man towarde hym / though man can not turne vnto hym without preuencyon & concurraunt helpe of goddes especyall grace. But syth the goodnesse of god prouydeth, that his grace is euer redy to hym that wyll vse it / therfore though the wyll of man maye no thyng do with out grace, yet wythout any spekynge of grace we comenly let not to saye, man maye do thys, and man maye do that, as byleue, and hope, and loue, and lyue chast, & do almo••se, and faste, & many such other thynges / not menyng though we make no mencyon of grace, that man can therfore do them wythout grace. Lyke as we saye that a man maye se to threde a nedle and speke no thyng of the lyght, and yet mene we nat that he can threde it in the darke.

And therfore let nat Tyndale loke to bryng vs in dar∣kenesse [ A] / and because mannes wyll can nothynge do with∣out grace, therfore tell vs that mannes wyll can nothynge do, nor tell vs neyther that mannes wyll hath no parte in belefe and faythe / and make vs wene it were so, bicause the wyll can nat as he sayeth go before the wytte / wherof expe∣ryence proueth many tymes the contrary, and sometyme with Tyndale to. But thoughe a man can nat haue any wyll at all in that thynge wherof he hathe vtterly nothyng knowen nor herde tell of, nor hadde imagynacion in hys mynde, nor any thynge thought vpon: yet when y^e mynde with dyuers reasons and argumentes is ones moued of a mater, the wyll as it happeth of other occasyons at y^e tyme to be well or euyll affectionate, so may gyue it selfe into the consent and agrement of the tone syde or of the tother / ye [ B] and that somtyme on that syde for affection, vpon whiche syde he seeth leste parte of his wytte and reason. And ther∣fore it is nat alwaye true that Tyndale sayeth in these wordes,

Tyndale.

And than whan we se his mercy, we loue hym agayne, and chose hym, and submytte our selfe to his lawes to walke in them.

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Here semeth he to gyue as moche to the workynge of mannes wyll concernynge charyte, as he before toke from it concernynge faythe. For here he sayeth that we chose god, and submitte our selfe to his lawes / where as of truth without his grace, bothe preuentyng vs and concurraunt with vs, we can in these thynges neyther, do nothynge [ C] at all.

Nowe meneth Tyndall ferther for all this, that mannes wyll in these thynges yet dothe nothynge worke at all but of necessyte. For he sayeth y^e god maketh thē to se his mer∣cy by fayth, without any maner working of their wylles, as ye haue herde. And than he sayeth that vpon the sight thereof / they loue god, and chose hym, and submytte them selfe to his lawes. But yet sayeth he, that their wylles do this of ineuitable necessyte. And than can no man if Tyn∣dals lye be trewe, neyther in faythe nor charyte haue any meryte at all. For what can a men deserue, in beleuynge y^e thynge that he thoroughly seeth, or in doynge a thynge whan he can do none other. Nowe that Tyndale so saieth,

[ A] is open and playne by these wordes that he consequentely sayeth.

Tyndale.

For whan we erre nat in wytte, reason, and iu••ement / we can nat erre in wyll & choyce of thynges. For the choyse of mānes wyll doth naturally and of her owne accorde, folowe the iudgement of a mannes reason whether he iudge ryght or wronge / so that in techynge onely resteth the pythe of a mannes lyuinge.

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Here ye se that Tyndale in louynge and chosynge by whiche man loueth and cheseth god, putteth a playne ne∣cessyte that mannes wyll can none other do, bycause he seeth the mercy of god by faythe / whiche as Tyndall fayde before, man seeth also of necessyte, and so consequently no [ B] meryte in neyther nother.

But Tyndale sayeth vntrue in bothe. For man neyther of necessyte seeth the tone, nor of nece••syte dothe the other, but may do the contrary bothe in the tone and the tother / and therfore in doynge bothe, meryteth in bothe what so euer Tyndale saye.

But yet sayeth Tindale vntrue in these other two thin∣ges also / that is to wytte bothe where he sayeth, that whan a man seeth the mercy of god, than he loueth and choseth god, and submytteth hym selfe to walke in goddes lawes / and also where he sayeth for the profe of that poynte, that whan we erre nat in wytte, we can nat erre in will / but that the choyce of the wyll dothe euer folowe the iudgement of the reason. For fyrste what question is there, but that [ C] many whiche ryght surely beleue the mercy of god, do nat yet loue god in suche wyse as is requisite vnto saluacyon / that is in the preferrynge his pleasure before theyr owne, and to forbere synne for the loue of his lawe, and for the re∣garde of his goodnes to fulfyll hys commaundementes. But we fynde it many tymes farre contrarye, that the ouer great regarde of his mercy, turneth truste into presump∣cyon, and maketh men the more bolde in synne / so forsothe that neyther loue of god, nor desyre of heuen, nor drede of hell, is able to pulle them backe.

Nowe as touchyng the tother point, that whan we erre nat in wyll and iudgement, we can nat erre in will & choyce of thynges / but that the wyll alway doth naturally accorde and agree to folowe the iudgement of reason, whether it

iudge ryght or wronge: we shal differ the sotletees of that [ A] disputacyon, tyll we come to the place in hys answere vnto my thyrde and fourthe boke of my dyaloge, where I pur∣pose god wyllyng, to touche this matter more full / & wyll at this tyme nothynge els obiecte agaynste hym, than the playnest profe that can be, that is to wytte euery mannes owne experyence and expresse perceyuinge of the contrary. For many a wretche that dothe an abominable dede, seeth and perceyueth full well that he dothe very noughte, and that he shulde nat do so / and his wytte and his reason for∣bideth hym. But his wyll fallynge from the folowynge of his reason, to the fulfyllyng of his fleshely desyre & beestly luste and deuelysshe appetite, accomplyssheth his detesta∣ble dede / nat for any lacke of wyt and reason, but thorowe faute of the frowarde wyll wyttyngly workynge for plea∣sure [ B] agaynste reason.

Many a man that hathe a great wytte and a great rea∣son to, and moche lernynge ioyned vnto them bothe, dothe yet more folysshely and more vnresonably, than doth some other whose wytte and reason is very farre vnder his, and as for lernynge hathe vtterly none at all. And wherof cō∣meth this? but in that the tone with no lernynge & no great wytte, hath great good wyll to worke with goddes grace and do well / and the tother with moch wytte and lernyng, lacketh the wyll to worke well after his reason / & therefore letteth grace go by, and wylfully foloweth affeccion.

And yf Tyndale in this beleue nat me, nor all the wyde worlde besyde / he wyll I truste at the leste wyse beleue him selfe. Nowe than sayeth he in mo places of his boke than [ C] one, that I se the truthe well inoughe, and that I se well inoughe that I shuld nat do as he sayeth I do, wyttingly and wylfully wryte agaynste the truthe. wherin if he wyll nowe confesse that he sayeth vntrue / lette hym reuoke hys lye and call it backe agayn, and than god forgyue him and I do. And if he wyll abyde styll by that worde that he said than / than muste he go fro this worde quyte that he sayeth nowe. For yf I wote well I do nat well, and yet for all that I do it / than is there one man at the leste wyse whose wyll foloweth nat his wytte. And than if I be suche one, I shall nat I truste lyue all alone / but shall rather than fayle, fynde Tyndale hym selfe so good a felowe, as to fal∣cefye his owne wordes here and bere a pore man company.

[ A] And that his wordes here be very false in dede / dothe yet farther appere by hys conclusyon that he concludeth theron, if his conclusyon do necessarily folowe. For hys conclusyon is this, that in teching onely standeth the pythe of a mannes lyuynge. For if this be false as in dede it is / than if it necessarely folowe vpon hys other wordes, hys other wordes must nedes be as false as it / for vpon a truth nothyng can there folowe but truthe, as euery man lerned well knoweth.

But nowe knoweth euery man very well, that all the pythe of a mannes lyuynge standeth nat in onely techyng. For many be full well taught howe they shulde lyue, ye & so well taught that they be able to teche it other full well / & yet lyue them selfe full nought. we shall nat nede to seke [ B] longe for ensample, syth no man douteth but that Iudas Scariothe had so good a scole mayster, and was with him so longe, that if he had any wyt he was metely well taught howe he shulde lyue. And that he was nat all wytlesse, thoughe by defaute of good wyll ••e waxed in conclusyon gracelesse / appereth well, in that so wyse a mayster as oure sauyour was, sent hym forthe amonge other for one of hys vsshers, to teche in his owne tyme.* 1.86 And yet as well taught as he was, and as well as he taught other to / yet was hys owne lyuynge nat very good, whyle he was bothe a the••e and a traytour bothe to god and man.

And yet that we shall nat nede to seke so farre as fyftene hundred yere ago / I wene it wyll be no great difficultie to fynde folke inoughe euyn nowe in our owne tyme, that can [ C] preche and gyue good counsayle to theyr neyghbours, a∣gaynste the vyces in whiche they lyue them selfe. So that thoughe to good lyuynge, good techynge be necessary / yet may euery fole se that in good techynge, standeth nat all y^• pythe of good lyuynge, as Tyndale sayeth it dothe / sythe many men haue ben well taught, and yet lyued nought.

But this wyse reason amonge many lyke, lerned Tyn∣dale of his mayster Luther / whiche at wormes in Almayne at his beynge there before the Emperour sayd, that yf the gospell were well taughte, there shulde nede none other lawe. And this sayd he there, & this sayeth Tyndale here / bycause they and theyr felowes wolde fayne take away all lawes, and leaue nothynge but sermons. And than after that theyr vngracious he••esyes myght be frely preched for

the gospell of god, & no lawe to let them / when after many [ A] soules sent vnto the deuyll by theym, they shulde as they haue done in Almayne all redy, begynne sedicion and re∣bellyon, and fall to ryflynge, robbery, murdre, and man∣slaughter / who so shulde than without force of punysshe∣ment onely, teche and preche vnto suche vnruly rebelles, shulde (ye wote well) haue a deuoute audyence.

But Tyndale in this matter whā he hath tolde vs this tale, that the pythe of mannes lyuynge standeth all to ge∣ther in techynge / he addeth thervnto by and by & sayeth,

Tyndale.

Howe be it there be swyne that receyue no lernynge but to defyle it / and there be dogges that rent all good lernynge with theyr tethe.

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If there be suche swyne and suche dogges as in dede [ B] there be, as our sauyour hym selfe wytnesseth in the gos∣pell / if this I say be truthe as it is,* 1.87 that Tyndale telleth vs nowe / than is it false that Tyndale tolde vs afore, that is to wytte that all standeth in techynge. For those swyne & those dogges will be nought for all the good techyng. And than to kepe suche from doynge harme, we must nat onely teche and preche / but vnto suche as wyll be lyke swyne, we muste yoke them for brekynge hedges, and rynge them for wrotynge, and haue bande dogges to dryue them out of y^• corne with bytynge, and leade them out by the eres.

And yf there be suche dogges as in dede there be, that rent all good lernynge wyth theyr teth / then standeth not all the pyth of good lyuynge in good teachynge. For what auayleth to tech them that wyll not lerne but rent all good [ C] lernyng wyth theyr teth. And therfore to such dogges men may not onely preche, but muste with whyppes and battes bete them well, and kepe them from terynge of good ler∣nyng with theyr dogges tethe / ye and from barkyng both / and chastyce them and make them couch quayle, tyll they lye styll and herken what is sayde vnto them. And by suche meanes be bothe swyne kepte from doynge harme, & dog∣ges fall somtyme so well to lernynge, that they can stande vp vppon theyr hynder fete, and holde theyr handes afore them pretely lyke a mayde, ye and lerne to daunce to after theyr maysters pype / suche an effectuall thynge is punys∣shement, where as bare techynge wyll not suffyce.

And who be now more proprely suche dogges, then be

[ A] these heretykes that barke agaynste the blessed sacramen∣tes, and tere wyth theyr dogges tethe the catholyke chrystē fayth, and godly exposycyons of the olde holy doctours & sayntes? And who be more proprely suche hoggys, then these heretykes of our dayes, of such a fylthy kynde as ne∣uer came before / whyche in suche wyse defyle all holy vo∣wed chastyte, that the very pure scripture of god they trede vppon wyth theyr foule dyrty fete, to drawe it from all ho∣nest chastyte, into an vnclene shamefull lybertye of frerys to wedde nonnes. And therfore vnto these hogges & these dogges y^e pyth of good lyuyng standeth not all in techyng. For no good thynge wyll they lerne wythout bytynge and betynge.

yet goeth Tyndale forther and sheweth mo kyndes of [ B] folke / to whom for all his other wordes all y^e pyth of good lyuynge standeth not in techynge.

Tyndale.

And there be popeholy / whyche folowynge a ryghtuousenes of theyr owne faynynge, resyste the ryghtuones of god in Chryste.

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These wordes lo good reder, expowne very well & very playne declare, what techynge it is that Tyndale all thys whyle so bosteth, wherin he sayeth all the pyth of good ly∣uynge onely standeth / that is as he taketh it, the techynge of hys abomynable heresyes, in whyche he techeth vs that onely fayth suffyseth, and that neyther good workes haue reward in heuen, nor that any euyll workes shall haue any punysshement eyther in thys worlde or in purgatory•• no [ C] nor in hell neyther, yf the synner be but a bare penytent & onely byleue and repent, and be well ware in any wyse that he go to no shryfte nor do no penaunce for hys synne. For all those that do, they be those of whom he rayleth here and calleth pope holy, & sayeth they make them self a ryghtu∣ousnes of theyr owne faynynge / and resyste the ryghtuous¦nes of god in Chryste, bycause they resyste Tyndals vn∣ryghtuouse heresyes / whyche vnder pretexte of goddes onely mercy, taketh awaye goddes ryghtuousnes / and not onely that, but vnder the same pretexte of praysynge and settynge forth a more mercy, couertely and craftely depra∣ueth and dysprayseth the very trewe mercy it selfe, that god of hys godnesse ordynaryly vseth towarde vs.

For Tindale maketh as though it were no mercy at all,

after a lytell penaunce in thys worlde done by the partye [ A] for many great mortall synnes / or after a temporary payne endured in purgatory, to set the mery••es of Chrystes pas∣syon for the remanaunt, whyche wolde ellys be infynytely tenne hundred thousande thousande tymes longer. Thys taketh Tyndale for n•• mercy, whyche is in dede the very mercy that our lorde ordynaryly vseth. But thys order the beste blasphemeth / and as well in thys deuelysshe wurke of hys, as in dyuerse other, calleth it expresse tyrānye.

yet goeth he fynally forther to a nother kynde of suche folke, as techynge can not for a whyle helpe, and yet after doth / and of them thus he sayth.

Tyndale.

And there be that can not attende to harken vnto the truth for rage of lustes / whiche when lustes abate, come and obaye well inough. And therfore a chry¦sten [ B] man muste be pacyente, and suffer longe to wynne his brother to Chryst, that he whiche attendeth not to daye maye here to morowe. We se some at theyr very latter ende when colde fere of deth hath quenched the hete of theyr appetytes, lerne and con••ente vnto the trouth / wherunto before they coulde gyue none ••are, for the wyld rages of lustes that blynded theyr witt{is}••

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Lo good reders here ye maye se, what constaunce is in thys man, here he sayth (and sayth trewe) that men wyll at some tyme not lerne nor harken to the trouth, though it be neuer so well taught them. And yet in a nother chapyter be¦fore, he sheweth that the electes as soone as euer they be taughte the trouth, assente forthwyth and wyll neuer re∣syste / so he that hath a false parte to defende, neuer woteth where to holde hym. [ C]

But at the leste wyse, thys that he now sayth is trewe & more to. For not onely when the rage is passed then men harken / but also when the rage cometh agayne, then many fall nought agayne and into dedely synne / and that of such as after waxe good agayne and fynally shalbe saued. And lyke wyse some good faythfull folke, when false shrewys come, and false heretykes / do by ••alse doctryne fall fro the ••rewe fayth agayne, though they hadde it before ryghte ly∣uely. And yet of suche, some turne agayne by grace from theyr dedely heresyes into the lyfe of fayth / and some be so sore nowseled in the fal••e heresyes, and in theyr obstynate frowardnesse take suche a deuelysshe delyght, that fynally they dye therin / as dyd Bayfeld, Bayn•••• and Tewke••b••ry.

[ A] And yet in some as Tindale here telleth vs, euen in y^• very latter ende when the colde fere o•• deth hath quenched the hete of theyr appetytes / god worketh wyth them towarde the consent of the trouth, wherunto before they wolde gyue none eare / as he dyd in dede in that good and contryte pe∣nytent & open confessour both of hys fayth and hys fawte, M. Tho. Bylney. whiche•• beynge onys good, faythfull, & vertu••use, dyd after by the false delyght of Luthers & Tyn¦dales bokes, fall in to theyr false heresyes, and helde on in them thorow the delectacyon and vayne glory that he toke in the prayse of that secrete sect and scatered congregacyō / tyll fynally at hys deth god of hys goodnesse opened hys eyes / and he loked vppon him selfe, and considered that all those vayne praysours he muste go from them by fyre / and [ B] sawe that yf he dyed in those heresyes he sholde neuer mete wyth them more but in the fyre of hell where he shold neuer fro them / then turned he to the trewe fayth agayne, and ex∣horted them all vnto the same.

And thus good reders ye se that of hys order of eleccyō Tyndale hath in thys chapyter hytherto sayed no thynge to purpose / & now shall ye se that as lytell he sayth to pur∣pose in thys that after foloweth.

Tyndale.

And though goddes electe can not so fall that they ryse not agayne, bycause that the mercy of god euer wayteth vp••n them to delyuer them from euyll / as the care o•• a kyn••e father wayteth vppon his sonne, to warne hym and to kepe hym from occasyōs, and to call hym backe agayn yf he be gone to farre: yet they forgette them selues oftymes, ••nd synke downe into traunces; and [ C] fall a slepe in lustes for a season. But as soone as they be awaked they repent and come agayne without resystaunce.

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Here maketh Tyndale as thoughe he sayde a greate thynge. And whan his wordes are well examyned / he both meneth very falsely, & speketh folysshe wylyly. For where he sayeth, that an electe can nat so fall, but that he shal ryse agayne / he meaneth that of necessyte the electe muste ne∣des ryse agayne, thor••we the mercy of god that euer way∣teth vpon him / whiche is very false.

For all be it that of trouthe the electe shall aryse agayne by meane of goddes grace and mercy / yet myghte he if he wolde lye styll in synne, whan goddes grace and mercye calleth vpon him and byddeth hym ryse / as many repro∣bates

do vpon whome goddes grace and mercye wayteth, [ A] and calleth as faste as he calleth vpon hys electes, and is as redy to helpe them vp agayne as y^• tother, if they wolde ryse, and that the malyce or slouthe of theyr owne wylles letted them nat to take holde of goddes grace, and made them nat lye styll in synne lyke swyne.

Nowe that Tyndale thus meneth, appereth playne by the whole processe of his worke. wherin as concernynge saluacyon and dampnacyon, he laboreth to make vs wene that the wyll of man dothe nothynge wyllyngly, but were vtterly forced and ineuitably necessytat by the eternal elec∣cyon of god vnto glory and his eternall reprobacyon vnto payne / whiche is as moche, as to say that the wyll of man is no wyll at all, any more than as he myght saye that the wyll of, a tre were to growe and brynge forthe frute & lea∣ues, [ B] and that the wyll of an axe were to hewe downe the tre whan a man smyteth the tre therwith.

And that ••e thus specially meneth in thys chapyter of the ordre of our eleccycon, appereth as well in generall by the hole progresse therof, as by this also that he assigneth that thynge as the onely difference betwene the electes and the reprobates / alledgynge that the electes can neuer so fall but that they shall ryse, by the reason that mercy way∣teth euer vpon them. wherby it well appereth that Tyn∣dale meneth, that no reprobate, that is to wytte none that finally shalbe dampned, hathe goddes mercy whyle ••ely∣ueth waytynge vpon him to call vpon him, and styrre him to ryse out of his synne. For excepte he ment so / he shulde put electes & reprobates all in one case, if he sayde that the [ C] mercy of god which onely thinge he sayeth waytyng vpon the electe, reyseth hym out of synne, wayted vpon the re∣probate to / but if he shulde put some dyfference bytwene them by reason of y^• different workyng of theyr fre wylles, whiche Tyndale wyll none of in no wyse.

Now menynge falsely thus / he vseth yet in hys speche a folysshe wylynes, as doth a cony that couereth her hed, and weneth all were well when all her loynes be open.

For he sayth that the electes can not so fall but that they shalbe so saued, bycause mercy wayteth vppon them. And therin he sayth truth. For yf god had not foresene that they wolde fynally turne agayne to hym, and wyth helpe of hys grace deserue to be parte takers of the mer••tes of Chry••tes

[ A] passyon, and so to be saued / he wolde not haue elected thē to saluacyon. But he meneth that they shall necessaryly be sa∣ued, so that they shall not mow other then repent & amend, as soone as god of hys mercy calleth vpon them to repent. And thys though he thus mene, yet doth he dyssymule it / and sayth not, that bycause mercy wayteth euer vpon̄ them, therfore they muste nedes ryse after theyr fall / but bycause mercy wayteth vpon them, therfore they shall ryse. But thys poynt he layeth so open in many places of his worke, that it is but a folysshe wylynes of hym to wene it well couered thus.

wherfore he were as good to speke out playnely, & tell vs whyther he mene, y^• after a fall mercy wayte any more vpon any reprobate or not. If he say nay, he sayth agaynst [ B] the scryptures playne. For as in the begynnyng god of his greate mercy calleth vppon all people bothe electes and re¦probates to come to hym / so doth he after bothe twayne cō∣men and receyued, and gone a waye by synne agayne, call ordynaryly vppon them bothe of hys lyke mercy styll, as longe as they lyue in thys worlde here, and wolde yf they wolde assente therto them selfe and obaye, be as gladde to fynde them agayne as euer he was to wynne them before / as the wordes of holy wrytte be playne in the Apocalyps, I stande at the dore and knocke.

And yf Tyndale wyll auoyde thys / he muste then saye* 1.88 that all the wordes of holy scrypture by whyche god called vppon the people to repentaunce, be spoken onely to the electes. And thē must he tell euery man, how he may know [ C] hym selfe for electe / leste he maye wene that they pertayne not to hym. And then shall he by the same reason saye, that all the cōmaundementes be wryten vnto the onely electes to / and then the reprobates can not be reproued for the not obseruynge of them, yf they were not wryten for them.

But surely if Tyndale tell vs that the mercye of god wayte vpon the onely electes, and onely calleth vpō them / he telleth vs a vayne folysshe tale. And so he dothe in dede / for so he meneth in dede agaynste the playne scripture and all the olde interpretours of the same, and agaynste all the olde holy doctours of Chrystes churche, and agaynste the catholyke faythe of all christen nacyons this .xv. hundreth yere, from the tyme of our sauyour hym selfe & his blessyd apo••telles, euen vnto lowsy Luther dayes.

And yet natwithstandinge that he semeth to assygne the [ A] cause of the rysynge of his electes out of theyr synne, to be by the mercy of god alwaye waytyng vpon them / yet han∣deleth he the mater so, that a man may nat well wytte by these wordes of his, whether he meane that whā his electe is sonken downe into his traunces, and fallen a slepe in his lustes as he calleth it for a season / whether he meane I say that mercy calleth vpon hym in his traunce, & shaketh hym out of his slepe, or els let him slepe styll in hys lustes, and the deuyll rocke the cradle tyll the babe awake by him selfe. And surely he rather semeth to say, that god nat awa¦keth hym out of his luste / but letteth hym slepe in his luste vntyll his luste haue lefte him. As though goddes callyng of men from glotony, were nat to put them in mynde and call vpon them besely, and inspyre good thoughtes of tem∣peraunces [ B] whyle they be at theyr mete / but lette them than alone as in a traunce and a slepe, tyll they be so wery of eatynge, that the grefe and gryndyng in theyr belyes stan∣dynge a strutte with stuffynge, call theym vp and awake them. And that is a good easy waye to / for than be they the more easy to entreate, to faste and forbere / but nat moche lenger than tyll they waxe an hungered agayne. And as it fareth in the traunces and slepes that folke fall in by the bely / so fareth it lykewyse in the traunces and slepes that folke fall in by those partes that are benethe the bely. For whan the rage is thereof (as Tyndall sayeth) ouer passed, and that they haue in theyr traunce and theyr slepe played out all theyr luskysshe lustes / than they awake. And than as sone as they be awake / they repent as Tyndale sayeth, [ C] ano come agayne to chastyte without resystence. But euer more I wold that Tyndale shulde remembre, that all this tale whiche he telleth vs here, is for his purpose of electes a tale of very lytell effecte. For this tale of suche slepynge and awakynge of electes, is nothing propre to the electes / but a thynge commune bothe to the electes and to the re∣probates to. And these rages, and these traunces, & these slepes in synfull flesshely lustes, into whiche folke fall, and out of whiche they wake agayne and repent / the thynge that Tyndale telleth vs here as a thynge farre fatte and sought, and serched out of the very botome of his depe di∣uinite / y^e same thyng in a maner as for thus farforthe, doc∣tour Ouide descrybeth vs well & plainly, in his pleasaunte

[ A] poetry entytled the remedy of loue. where he declareth af∣ter Tyndals fasshyon full clerkely, how some wanton lo∣uers after theyr rages passed and theyr lustes played out, lye then wakyng, and haue medytacyons of amendement, and of leuyng of theyr lecherouse loue euyn lyeng by theyr lemmans sydes, and thynke they wyll come there no more, and wolde wyth good wyll that they hadde not come there than neyther.

In thys chapyter whyche Tyndale entytleth the order of eleccyon / I loke alwaye that he sholde as reason is, tell vs those thynges that properly pertayne vnto the electes / & the thynges that contrary wyse appertayne properly to the reprobates / by whyche maner of handelyng of y^e mater, we myght clerely perceyue & vnderstande what he meneth, [ B] and what order of goddes wurkyng or of the wurkynge of mannes owne wyll, he putteth in the course & progresse of the tone sorte and the tother towarde theyr fynall ende, the tone of euerlastynge lyfe, the tother of eternall dāpnacyon,

And alway whyle I loke for this / Tyndale, besyde that hys conclusyons be false heresyes in the ende, telleth vs no thynge almoste by the waye (excepte onely peraduenture y^t laste repentaunce before the deth) but that they be comune as well to the fynall reprobates as to the fynall electes / as thys is also that in hys chapyter foloweth, where he wry∣teth in thys wyse.

Tyndale.

God now and than withdraweth his hand, and leueth them vnto theyr owne strength, to make thē fele that there is no power to do good but of god onely / leste they sholde be proude of that whiche is none of theyrs.

[ C] More.

Tyndale maketh these wordes for a grounde of a great mater, concernynge the order of god vsed towarde the elec∣tes. And vpon thys fundacyō he specyally rereth hys byel∣dynge, of the traunces, and the slepes, and slydinges of the electes into synnes and errours / in whyche synnes yet they synne not, and in whyche errours yet they erre not, bycause of theyr felynge fayth. From whyche though they fall yet they fal not, bycause they fele it still though they fele it not.

But what is there good reder in these wordes of hys y^• he speketh of the electes, that is not veryfyed bothe in the electes and in the reprobates to. Now yf he say that he spe∣keth here specyally of the electes, bycause at somtyme god wythdraweth hys hand from them, & that from reprobates

he wythdraweth his hande of helpe and grace alwaye. If [ A] he saye thus, he sayth vntrewe. For doeth not god, as he of hys goodnesse calleth them, and at theyr comynge recey∣ueth them / so when they fall awaye by false fayth, or faynte harte, or flesshely delectacyon, calle vppon them agayne, as he doeth vppon hys electys, wythout accepcyon of per∣sons or parcyall fauour indyfferently / tyll he eyther some tyme for theyr immesurable outrage, or comenly for theyr fynall impenytence, fynally reiecteth and refuseth them? Amonge whych fatherly cure and care for them, as well as for hys electes before theyr fynall fall / he vseth the same wayes to wynne & saue them, that he vseth to the other. ye and doth somtyme peraduenture gyue more of hys gracy∣ouse ayde & helpe in this world toward saluacyon in heuen vnto some reprobate wretche, that wyll for all that be dam∣ned [ B] / then to some of hys electes, that wyll so wurke wyth hys grace that he fynally shall be saued. As I dowte not but some two soules haue ben saued and now syt in heuen, wyth the tone halfe of the grace that Iudas had, and caste of, and fynally fell into hell.

And therfore thys that Tyndale here telleth vs of elec∣tes, that god somtyme wythdraweth hys hande and leueth them to theyr owne strength / he maye as well tell vs of the reprobates as of the electes.

Now the cause why god wythdraweth hys hande and hys helpe, is not alwaye the cause that Tyndale here alled¦geth, bycause he longeth alway to make a glaunce agaynst all the meryt of mannes fre wyll / but to auoyde the pryde of the mynde, and the farre lesse boldnes presumynge vpon [ C] the surtye of hye holy lyuynge or fayth / whyche many men maye fall in by takynge them selfe for god almyghtys my∣nyons, though they gyue all the thanke to hym selfe, and ascrybe no thynge to theyr owne strength at all, nor wene they haue no fre wyll at all neyther. For the proude pha∣rysey that dyspysed the pore publycane,* 1.89 though he were proude of hys dedes, yet ascrybed them not vnto hym self, nor sayd not all thys haue I done good lord of myne owne strength. But he sayd, I thanke the therof good lorde that I am suche / and that thou haste made me better, and gyuē me the grace to lyue more holyly then thys publycane / and sayed not, I thanke therof my selfe. And therfore as I say, god wythdraweth hys hande to shewe hys electes and

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[ A] the dede all thynge rekened from the fyrst to the laste, came onely of god hym selfe. And saynt Poule sayeth, what hast thou that thou hast nat receyued / and than what gloryeste thou,* 1.90 as thoughe thou haddest nat receyued it. He sayeth nat as thoughe it were thyne owne. For whan I haue re∣ceyued it, it is than myne and so may I call it.

Another false entent wherfore Tyndale telleth vs thys tale of withdrawynge of goddes hande somtyme from his electes, is bycause he wolde haue it stande with his heresye that he gothe so faste about / that is to wytte that the electes do not sinne dedely in theyr dedely synnes, bycause they do it nat wyllyngly but of infirmyte for lacke of power. In∣pursuynge of whiche purpose he wolde make it seme, that god withdraweth his hāde from them without their faute, [ B] and than leaueth them no power to resyste, & so no blame in them nor no synne, thoughe he be cōtent to call it synne, after y^e maner y^t the mocyon toward synne which rymayne of origynall synne be called synne. This is Tyndalles en∣tent in this matter, by whiche he excuseth the synne of the electes by the withdrawynge of goddes hande from them / nor for any defaute of theyr owne, or any synne that they haue done,* 1.91 but to kepe them onely from the synne that they wolde els do at another tyme. And where as god dothe for this poynt bothe for electes and reprobates all after one, that is to wyt neuer withdraweth his grace from the tone nor from the tother, tyll they begynne theym selfe to with∣drawe theyr wyll from hym / he dissymuleth that poynte, & goeth forth in his mater that he byeldeth vpon that foun∣dacyon, [ C] and sayeth.

Tyndale.

God sayed so so••e a wayghte of persecucyon vppon Dauides backe, that pas∣sed hys strength to beare. So that he cryeth o••te out in hys psalmes, sayenge that he had lyued well and folowed the ryghte waye of god in vayne. For the more he kepte hym selfe from synne, the worse it wente with hym as he thoughte / and the better with hys enemye Saul, the worse he was. Yet god lefte hym not there, but con••orted hym and shewed hym thynges whych be∣fore he wyste not of ••ho•••• that the sayntes must be pacyent and abyde goddes heruest, vntyll the w••y••enes of vngodly synners be full rype, that god may repe it in dewe season. God also suffred occasyons stronger then Dauid to ••ail vppon hym, and to carye hym clene out of the waye. Was he not redy for a chursysshe answere to haue slayne •• ••bell, and all the males of hys howse, so myche as the chyld in the cradell. How be it god withhelde hym and kept

hym backe from that euyll, thorowe the wysedome of Abegall. How longe [ A] s••ombred he, or rather how harde in slepe was he in the adultery of Bathseba, and in the murder of her husbonde Vriah. But at lothe tymes as so••ne as he was rebuked and hys faute tolde hym / he repented immedyately, and turned agayne mekely. Now in all that longe tyme from the adultery of Baths••be vntyll the prophete Nathan rebuked hym, he had not lost his fayth, nor yet his loue vnto the lawes of god no more then a man loseth his wyttes when he is aslepe. He had forgotte hym selfe onely / and had not malycyously caste of theyr yoke of goddes commaundementes from of his necke. There is no man so good, but that there cometh a tyme vppon hym, when he fealeth in hym selfe no more fayth or loue vnto god, then a syke man of tymes feleth the taste of his meate whyche he eateth.

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Lo good reders, here ye se that by Tyndales doctryne, Dauid dyd no dedely synne / but was euer out of faute and [ B] nat blame worthy, neyther by impacyence drawynge nere to dispayre in persecucyon, nor by y^e purpose of moch man∣slaughter at an angry worde, nor by auoutry conceyued at the sight of another mannes wyfe, nor by the trayterous destruccyō of his frendely seruaūt in recompence of truthe & amendes of his mysdede. All this was no dedely synne in hym, bycause he was an electe.

But yet is Tyndale ashamed to confesse and say bolde∣ly, that to be electe is inoughe, and that he may do what he lys••e and synne at his pleasure, and that god will gyue him leaue to do it, & cause hym to be repentaunt whan he hathe done it, and forgyue hym forthwith whan he repenteth, & and so forth totiens quotiens a pena et culpa, so that he be∣leue it well and surely truste thereto, leste for faynte hope & [ C] feare he fall the lesse to synne. This tale is Tyndale (I saye) somwhat ashamed to tell vs euen well and playnely forthe / and therfore he deuyseth another waye, and wolde make vs beleue that they be so preserued by the fayth, that they do neuer any dedely synne. But theyr dedes be suche, as men may well se that they be nat to be blamed for them be they neuer so bestely, but very babis••he and veniall / and suche as god can do no lesse of very ryght and reason than remytte and forgyue / and that for thre great causes here specifyed by Tyndale.

Fyrste for they neuer synne but vpon greate occasyōs farre aboue their strength. Secondely, for after theyr hor∣ryble dedes done, they repent vpon rebukyng without re∣systence.

[ A] And thyrdely (whiche mooste is of all) all the whyle that they be in doynge, the poore babes wote nere what they do, but be all the whyle a slepe, as he putteth here his ensample by Dauid. And therfore lette vs con∣sydre Dauid his dedes with Tyndals wordes, & examyne in them these thre godly reasons.

Fyrste he sayeth that Dauid synnes arose vpon great occasyons aboue Dauid his strength / whiche great occa∣syons god suffred to fall vpon hym and cary hym awaye. For whan he wolde haue slayne Naball and all his sonnes euen to the childe in the cradell, he fell nat into that mynde without great occasyon ye wote well. For the rude felowe had as Tyndale well reherseth, gyuen hym a churlyshe an¦swere. And what man were there so vnreasonable, y^t wolde [ B] not thynke that a kynge or a great man had cause inough to kyll twenty paysans & vyllayns, for a churlysh answere of one of them? Now when he fell to aduoutry & therby to manslaughter / had he not a great occasyon to it & impor¦table to bere? For he saw y^• woman as he loked out at his wyndow. And therfore who so euer haue ones the syght of a womā, is excusable yf he take her when he can catche her / & no man greatly to blame, but eyther a blynde man, or he that taketh one in y^• darke whom he neuer saw in y^• lyghte.

But we must here yet remēber lest we mystake Tyndale, that these great & stronge occasyōs were not so very greate & stronge of thē selfe / but they were as Tyndale sayth strō∣ger then Dauyd, and able to cary hym awaye•• whych•• he sayth, to shew vs y^t they were of y^• strength in cōparison of [ C] y^• person, not so mych by the force & strength of theyr owne nature, as by y^e lyghtnes, fraylty, & feblenes of Dauid / as a small burdē is a great wayght vpō a child, & able to bere hī downe / & a lytell wynd able inough to blow away a fether.

Then wolde ye wene that he accuseth Dauyd and the electes, bycause they be so lyght and so frayle to falle vpon suche occasyons as be stronge to them, by reason of theyr owne feblenesse. Nay forsoth. For here ye muste remember that to prouyde theym theyr excuse in thys poynt, was the cause for whyche as I tolde you before he layed for a fun∣dacyon / that god at soche tymes fyrste wythdraweth hys hande of hys helpe, & then muste they nedes be weke, feble, and frayle. And so theyr fall cometh of the occasyons / & the occasyons be myghty to them, by reason of theyr feblenesse.

And theyr feblenesse cometh of the wythdrawynge of god∣des [ A] hande. And he wythdraweth it wythout any desert and defawte of them, onely to kepe them from the synne of ta∣kyng their good workes for theyr owne. And so is there in all the progresse of theyr dede, n•• dedely synne in them self / syth the occasyons that bryng them to it, be wythout theyr owne fawte strenger then they / and by reason of theyr faw∣teleste feblenesse, cary them clene awaye.

And thys is as ye se the fyrste goodly cause, for whiche Tyndale wyll make vs wene, that the abomynable dedes of electes be no dedely synnes bycause of the greate occasy∣ons. Agaynste whyche yf the mater were worth the argu∣ment, we wolde prece vppon hym sore wyth the synnes of the reprobates / and bere hym in hande that some of theym haue as greate occasyons of theyr synnes somtyme, as is [ B] a churlysshe answere to the kynge of a man, or the syght of a naked woman out at a wynddwe for aduowtry. And we wolde then aske hym suche questyons forther, eyther of hol¦dynge of goddes hande ouer them, or wythdrawynge hys hande of helpe from them, wyth other dyuerse dependaun∣tes theruppon, whyche euery ler••ed man may some fynde out hym selfe and almoste vnlerned to•• whiche when Tyn∣dale sholde answere to / he sholde soone make euery wyse man se, that in thys chapyter of the order of theyr eleccyon, he hath elected and chosen a very folysshe order.

But for as myche as the foly therof is open and playne of it selfe / we shall let the forther dyspycyons of thys poynt passe,* 1.92 as agaynst which saynt Poule playnely speketh and sayth vnto vs, God is faythfull whyche suffereth you not [ C] to be tempted aboue y^• that ye maye bere, but maketh wyth the temptacyon a way out also, that ye maye well weild yt. By whyche wordes thys poynte of occasyons aboue our power is clene caryed awaye / and it is clerely determyned, that god suffereth no suche temptacyon to come vnto vs, but suche as we maye bothe reprobates and electes be able to wythstande if we wyll, thorow the assystence of goddes gracyous hande / whiche he neuer wythdraweth but in the fawte of our owne wyll, and neuer denyeth to put it forth vnto vs yf we call therfore and wyll take holde vppon it. And therfore syth as I saye the reprofe of thys fyrst poynt is playne / I wyll now passe it ouer and se what substaunce is in the seconde.

[ A] The seconde thynge is, that as soone as they be rebu∣ked and theyr fawtes tolde them, they repente immedya∣tely and turne agayne mekely. For thys he sayd .ii. or .iii. tymes in two or thre chapyters / and now he confermeth it wyth hys ensample of Dauyd, whyche dyd so as he sayth at bothe tymes.

But yet is thys but barely layed forth for the order of y^• electes. For of trouth thus do some reprobates to amōge repente, not onely when they be rebuked, but also before to / and be forgyuen at theyr repentaunce and penaunce as well as be y^e electes as longe as they do so repente, tyll they be dampned bycause they dye at laste impenytent.

And also thys is not proued to be alwaye trewe, that euery electe repenteth at the fyrste rebuke, and mekely re∣turneth [ B] wythout resystence, though Dauyd so dyd twyse. There is I truste many a man in heuen, that was rebuked thryes of some one fawt, and defended it full styffely before he repented, and yet amēded after full well. And for ensam∣ple we nede no ferther than the blessed apostles / and specy¦ally saynt Thomas of Inde,* 1.93 whyche lefte not hys dyffy∣dence and dystruste, neyther at the fyrste spekynge nor the seconde, nor tyll he put hys fynger in god almyghty hys syde. But Tyndale excuseth all that by beynge amased, as he doth all the electes horryble dedes, by beynge in traun∣ces and slepes, as he doth Dauyd here. For that is y^e thyrd poynt and the moste specyall excuse of all electes from all dedely synne, in that they be a slepe all the whyle they do it. For thus sayth he of Dauyd, as ye haue herde.

[ C] How longe slombred he, o•• rather how harde in slepe was he in the adultery of Bethsaba, and in the murder of her husbonde Vriah.

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Dauyd was here in a very longe slomber & a very depe dede slepe in dede, yf he dyd all those deuylysshe dedes in hys slepe. Tyndale of lykelyhed laye nere hym and herde hym all the whyle snorte and ••owte. And yf he so saye that he dyd / then is hys tale as full proued as is any parte of all hys heresyes. And except he saye it of hys owne certayn knowlege, he shall ellys neuer make me byleue, y^• Dauyd dyd spye her, and sent for her, and talke wyth her, and gete her wyth chylde, and sent for her husbande, and deuyse the murder, & wryte y^e leter, & sent the man to hys deth, and all these dedes in dyuers dayes, & all thys whyle styll a slepe.

But Tyndale wyll haue hym a slepe nedes, for the de∣fence [ A] of hys owne folysshe heresye, wherby he techeth vs y^• the electe is by fayth borne of god, and therfore doth neuer synne wyllyngly, nor consent to synne, nor caste of the yoke of the lawe, nor the loue to the lawe of god. And therfore he sayth,

Tyndale.

Now in all that longe tyme from the adultery of Bethsabe vntyll the pro∣phet Nathan rebuked hym, he had not loste his fayth nor his loue vnto the lawes of god, no more then a man loseth his wyttes whyle he is a slepe.

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Lo bycause he was all this whyle a slepe / therfore in all thys whyle he loste neyther fayth nor loue to the lawe, no more then a man loseth hys wyttes when he is a slepe. Is not here a wyse tale trowe ye? excepte that Tyndale hadde eyther loste hys wyttes, or els were hym selfe a slepe whyle [ B] he wrote thys / he coulde neuer for shame tell vs thys tale. what calleth he losynge of fayth or loue? no thyng but such departynge therof, as he neuer cometh to it agayn? If that be so / then Tyndale setteth our sauyour Chryste to scole, and techeth hym to speke. For he sayth in the gospell, that a man loste one of hys hundred shepe,* 1.94 and lefte the rema∣naunt and soughte the loste shepe, and founde it. And that the woman had lost her money, though by ransakynge vp her howse and sekynge she founde it at laste agayne. Now Tyndale is not so madde I suppose, as to saye that yf a man lette fall hys rynge in the mayne see, though he fynde it fyue wekes after in a fishes maw, that therfore he neuer loste it bycause he fyndeth it agayne. The comon peple say amonge, that nothynge can be founden tyll it be loste / sa∣uynge [ C] y^t of a thefe they saye in sporte, he can fynde a thyng ere it be loste / and so they prayse hym in hys cunnyng, that he can do suche a maystry as no trew man can.

Now yf a thyng may be loste in dede for a season, though it be after founden agayne / how proueth Tyndale here, y^t Dauyd in all thys longe whyle bytwene the fyrste syght of Bethsabe and the rebuke of Nathan, neuer loste neyther fayth nor loue.

He proueth it vs in this wyse by ensāple. A man y^t lyeth a slepe leseth nat his wyttes / and therfore in likewyse Da∣uid lyenge in lechery, loste neyther faythe to god nor loue to his lawe. Is nat this well lykened? yes by my she••he. Lesse lyke than Poules steple to a dagger sheth••, tyll he

[ A] proue vs thorowly that Dauid was that whyle in a very slepe in dede.

For god hathe naturally prouyded slepe for mannes reste from laboure, and for his refresshynge agayne to la∣boure. And the withdrawynge of the vse of our wyttes is there nat forbeden by goddes ordinaunce, excepte we slepe whan we shulde nat. And so is neyther aduoutry nor suche maner of manslaughter / but ••e thynges of god forbeden & of theyr nature abomynable. And in the slepe also there is onely a suspendynge of the vse of the wyttes, and no con∣trary wylfull doynge agaynste the wytte / as there was a wylfull workynge of Dauid, agaynste the faythfull loue of goddes lawe in his horryble dedes.

For as for his faythe, as farforthe as concerneth onely [ B] the nature of faythe, that is to wytte of belefe / I wyll well agre with Tyndale that he lost it nat in all the whyle. And in Tyndals faythe for one poynt, in y^t he ••ugleth faythe in to hope / I wyll well agree also that Dauid had all that whyle inoughe therof styll, and peraduenture a lytell to moche to.* 1.95 But surely as for the lyuely faythe that worketh as saynt Poule sayeth by loue / that kynde of faythe had he loste for that whyle in which he wyllyngly wrought euyll / except Tyndale say that all his lechery & his manslaugh∣ter to, was wrought by loue, bycause all that euer he dyd was done for the loue that he bare to Bethsabe. And if Tyndale tell me so / than dryueth he me to the harde wall. For than can I go no farther in that poynte, but as for as concerneth his faythe I muste nedes gyue it ouer.

[ C] Howe be it yet as touchynge his loue vnto the lawe of god / very fayne wolde I here howe Tyndale can defende it, that he loste nat that loue in no poynte of all that longe whyle, in whiche he wyllyngly wrought agaynste it, fyrste his foule aduoutry, and after myscheuous manslaughter to. Thys shall I (sayeth Tyndale) defende you well inoughe. For ye touched your selfe ryghte nowe, the very poynte at whiche I wolde my selfe haue you / whan ye said that in the naturall slepe the wytte is onely suspended, and the wyll therwith in lykewyse, so that a man dothe nat wit∣tyngly nor willyngly any contrary acte agaynst the wytte, as ye sayde that Dauid dyd in his dedes. But nowe say I that Dauid dyd none of these thynges wyttyngly nor wyllyngly, but vpon those occasyons his wyttes were ra∣uisshed

awaye / and bothe his wytte and his wyll suspen∣ded [ A] as it is in the naturall slepe, so that he had forgotten hym selfe, and for the whyle neyther had wytte nor wyll. For if his wytte had shewed hym hys faute / his wyll muste nedes haue folowed. But his wytte was all that whyle though nat loste, yet caryed away clene with the rage of the luste. And whan the wytte is awaye, the wyll is gone therwith. For it can nothy••ge do but as the wytte sheweth it as I haue sayd before. And than was the wytte a slepe and the wyll folowed the fumes that he fell into the fante∣sye, and so no consentyng to synne / but as the man was in maner all a slepe, so were all his dedes in maner but a dreme.

Here is Tyndals profe pyked out vnto the beste that I can perceyue of his wordes. But nowe this reason of his, [ B] neyther defendeth Dauid agaynste the losse of loue, and yet vtterly loseth hym by Tyndals doctryne the most espe∣ciall faythe. For Tyndale as ye shall here after rede, cal∣leth the faythe of the electes a felyng faythe. Nowe if Da∣uid were in a slepe, all that whyle & had thereby forgotten his faythe and hym selfe to / than though his faythe had all the whyle the lyfe, yet at the leste hit loste for the whyle the felynge. For so dothe the man ye wote well in the slepe.

But lette this passe this ones as for thys tyme / and se howe he proueth that Dauid was fallen to suche a dede slepe, that he had in all that whyle neyther wytte nor wyll / and therfore consented nat vnto synne agaynste the lawe of god. Profe layeth he none ī this worlde, but onely sayth it was so. Nowe myght he lye by possybilyte, though his [ C] tale were likely. But yet am I content if his tale be lykely, let hym be belyued. But nowe if his tale be very farre vn∣lykely, reason were he brought one wytnesse wyth hym at the leste.

Nowe than whan Dauid firste began to spye her, lette that be chaunce and occasyon of one rysynge in his slepe / but whan he lyked her and longed for her, and stode styll & loked on her, and kyndled his hete hym selfe, and set hym selfe sore a fyre / was he all that whyle a slepe? whanne he thought he wolde haue her, whan he sent his messinger for her; whan he stode and talked with her, whan he brake the matter to her, whan he wanne her assent to the synne, whā he fulfylled his fowle fles••hely luste, whan he sente for her

[ A] husbande to coloure and cloke theyr offence, whan he com∣passed and contryued to kepe her for hym selfe and kyll her good husbande his owne faythefull seruaunt, whan he de∣uysed and wrote the trayterous dedely lettre, and delyue∣red that innocent man his owne dethe in his hande, to de∣lyuer ouer to hym that shulde sette hym where he shulde be slayne / dyd Dauid in all this whyle amonge all these euyll thoughtes, all these vngracyous wordes, all these abomynable dedes, neuer fall from the loue of the lawe of god / but was all thys whyle a slepe, and neuer consented to synne, nor dyd none of all these thinges wyllyngly? No sayeth Tyndale. I say no more but it is lykely yes. And therfore let Tyndale tell vs whereby he proueth the con∣trary. I proue it sayeth he by that that he was an elected [ B] persone that fynally shulde be saued / and therfore bycause of that felynge faythe with whiche he was borne of god, he coulde nat consent vnto synne. Uery well. Than if a repro¦bate had done the lyke vpon the like occasyon or greatter / he had synned dedely, for lacke of felynge faythe, onely by∣cause he was nat elected. And if he repented alyke vpon lesse occasyon, yet he shulde nat be forgyuen, for lacke of y^e felynge faythe which was neuer gyuen hym, but euer kept from hym, onely bycause he was nat elected.

If I aske Tyndale here howe he knoweth or why he beleueth, that Dauid was elected to saluacyon / what wyll he answere. He wyll nat say I am sure, bycause the church so techeth hym, leste I shulde aske hym agayne whyche churche. For than were he forced to graunte that he bele∣ueth [ C] the techyng of this comen knowen catholyke churche of ours, sythe that his owne vnknowen churche can teche hym nothyng to be the better beleued vpon the credence of that churche, nat beynge knowen for the churche. Nowe shall he nat fynde as farre as I remembre, any playne eui∣dent scripture prouing his finall saluacion. Than if Tyn∣dall answere that he fyndeth in scripture of his faythe and his repentaunces, and nothynge of hys fynall dampna∣cyon, and therfore he beleueth of these lykelyhedes that he was electe to the fynall saluacyon, and shall come to heuen at the day of dome (for Tyndales secte beleueth nat that he shall come thyther afore) I wyll nat here preace vpon hym with y^e samples of suche as he hath sene here lyue well & beleue well after his owne opinyon, bothe whyle he be∣leued

well hym selfe and syns he beleued wronge, of whose [ A] saluacyon yet he maketh nat him selfe so sure as of the sal∣uacyon of Dauid / but holdynge my selfe for this tyme sa∣tisfyed that he beleue it so well vpon good likelyhedes, that he shulde nat beleue a man that wolde without good profe tell hym the contrary / I shall no more but praye hym to be so resonable and so indifferent agayne towarde vs, as to gyue vs leaue in lykewyse to beleue vpon good lykelyhe∣des that Dauid consented to synne, and nat to beleue him, that without good profe wolde with his bare worde make vs wene the contrary, and boldely bere vs in hande that whyle he wrought so moche wyckednes he was all y^e while a slepe.

In whiche poynte, as I haue before proued in another chapyter by lyke mater, if he were so a slepe, his very fyrste [ B] fallynge into suche a slepe was hys owne wylfull necly∣gence / whyle he beginnynge to be moued vnto leudenes at the fyrste syght of Bethsabe, stode styll and fedde hys de∣uelysshe delyte in beholdynge her, and thereby wyllyngly suffred the dethe of synne to entre into his hart by the glas wyndowes of his eyen•• wheruppon all that euer he dyd after pursuyng therupon, all had he bene in such rage that he neyther wyste what he dyd nor where he were shulde haue bene imputed vnto hym / as he that synfully drynketh hym selfe dronke dedely synneth, and shall dye also yf he kyll a man in that dronkenesse.

Nor it excuseth nat Dauid nor no man elles that Tyn∣dale sayeth, There is no man so good, but that there cometh a tyme vppon hym, in whyche he fealeth in hym selfe no more fayth or loue vnto god, then [ C] a syke man oftymes feleth the taste of his meate•• whyther thys happe∣neth vnto the best men or nat, god wote I can nat tell / I wote nat what affeccions they fele / for I am none of them, nor I fere me Tyndale neyther, as wyse and experte as he maketh hym selfe of theyr felynge. wolde god we were bo∣the of the beste, so the beste were neuer the worse, nor waxen as euyll as we, and we made theyr matches in that maner wyse. But this dare I surely saye, that whan so euer the best is in such case / it excuseth nat Dauid fro dedely synne. For than is the ••este very nought.

And fynally for conclusyon of Dauid his dedes, where Tyndale sayeth he coulde nat synne dedely bicause he was an electe / for whiche cause god kepte hym thorowe the fe∣lynge

[ A] fayth from consentynge to the seruyce of synne, and fro the malyciouse castynge of / of the yoke of goddes com∣maūdementes from hys necke: it appereth wery well that of hys necke was it ones, whyther hym selfe caste it of, or Bethsabe toke it of bycause he shulde not come yoked to bedde. For well we wote it hylde hym not wythin y^e hedge of goddes commaundementes, but that he thruste hys hed thorow and brake a couple of them, and ranne vnyoked a good whyle. And it wyll I wene well appere also, that he caste of the soke hym selfe / & then wyll all the dowte stande vppon thys onely worde malycyously. whyche worde how Tyndale taketh, that can I not tell / but excepte he take it for no malyce, by cause it was all for loue. Ellys yf he agre that the contempte and dyspysynge of goddes lawe maye [ B] be called malyce, and a malycyouse castynge of of the yoke of goddes lawe bothe fro loue and drede, as I wene it is expouned in god almyghtys vocabulary: then drede I no thynge but that it wyll well appere agaynste Tyndale all the hole mater / bothe that Dauyd agreed and consented to synne, & wylfully caste of goddes yoke & malycyousely to. This wyll well appere I say by p••ayne & euydēt scrypture.

For after those horryble synnes so comytted by Dauid, hys dedely dedes so dyspleased god, as it is wryten in the xii. chapyter of the seconde boke of kynges,* 1.96 that he sent Na¦than the prophete vnto hym. whyche by the cōmaundemēt of god, after y^• he had put vnto hym the parable of the rych man that toke away the pore mannes shepe, & therby made hym gyue sentence vnware agaynst hym selfe / he sayd for∣ther [ C] vnto Dauid as in the person of almyghty god, in this maner wyse as foloweth.

why haste thou then set my worde at nought, and done euyll in my syghte? Thou haste kylled wyth swerd Uryah Hetheus, and hys wyfe hast thou taken to thy wyfe, & hym hast thou slayne wyth the swerde of the sonnes of Ammon. And therfore the swerde shall neuer be taken awaye from thy howse, bycause thou hast despysed me, and taken to thy wyfe the wyfe of Uryah Hetheus. And therfore thus sayth our lord: Byholde, I shall reyse vp euyll agaynst the, euen out of thyne owne howse / & I shall take awaye frō the thy wyues before thy face, & gyue thē vnto one y^t is nyghest vn¦to the, & he shall lye with them in y^• syght of this sonne. For thou haste comytted thys dede pryuely / but I wyll accom∣plyshe

this my worde in y^e syght of all Israell & this sonne. [ A]

Lo good reders, here se ye very clere, that where as Tyndale sayth that Dauid in all those horryble dedes dyd yet no dedely synne, bycause he sayeth he consented not to synne, nor dyde none of these dedes wyllyngly, nor cast not of the yoke of loue towarde the lawe of god / god here sayth that Dauyd dyd in those horryble dedes dyspyce bothe his lawe and hym selfe to. And how dyd he then kepe styll his loue to the lawe of god, in the whyle in whyche he dyspysed both the lawe of god and god hym selfe also? Or how sayth Tyndale that Dauyd cōsented not to the synne, when god hym selfe that beste knewe hys thoughte layed hys synnes so sore to hys charge, that he appoynted an endeles plage for the punisshement therof? tyll by hys repentaunce & his humble confessyon, god as he forgaue the dedelynesse of [ B] the synne, and translated it from mortall in to venyall, so chaunged the punysshemente from endeles in to endynge.

For where as the prophete, had before hys repentaunce and confessyon sayed vnto hym by the byddynge of god, The plage shall abyde in thyne howse for euer world with ende / forthwyth after hys repentaunce and hys confessyon made, he sayed vnto hym, Our lorde hath translated thy synne that was, from dedely to venyall / that is to wytte the punysshement from eternall to temporall. And therfore the prophete sayed, that yet the chylde that he bygatte vp∣pon her in that auoutry, sholde dye as it dyde after in dede. And yet was not Dauyd out of hope wyth other penaunce (whyche he hadde leuer sustayne) to purge and redeme y^e punisshement to / and therfore fasted and prayed to saue the [ C] chylde, vntyll the tyme that it was dede in dede.

And thus good chrysten reders ye maye clerely se, that all Tyndals proper processe of kynge Dauyd, concernyng the order of hys eleccyon, that he was therby preserued for euer frome all dedely synne, ys clerely comen to noughte / and all hys wordes reproued by the very playne wordes of scrypture. And yet by the same scrypture for aduauntage, is there a nother of Tyndals heresy destroyed / by whyche he teacheth that after repentaunce all is forthwyth forgy∣uen vnto the electe, bothe synne and payne and all / so farre fo••th that for the synne passed, the partye shall neuer after be punusshed nor suffer any payne, neyther in thys world; purgatory, nor any where ellys. The playne reprofe wher∣of

[ A] of appereth euydentely / the dedely synne translated, and y^• temporall punysshemente reserued by thys open place of scrypture. By whyche is reproued Tyndales other here∣sye that we now go aboute / in whyche he techeth vs that Dauyd dyd none of hys horryble dedes wyllyngly, nor con¦sented to synne, nor malycyously caste of the yoke of loue towarde the lawe of god, and therfore synned not dedely. wherin as ye se agaynste Tyndale tellynge vs thys / very god hym selfe telleth vs the contrary / and that Dauyd syn¦ned so dedely, that he synfully despysed bothe goddes lawe and god hym selfe therwyth.

And now that Tyndale hath of kyng Dauyd tolde vs hys wyse processe of not synnynge, suche as ye se it proued / he procedeth forth from Dauyd, and telleth vs as wyse a [ B] tale of Chrystes blessed apostles. Of whom thus he sayth.

Tyndale.

And in lyke maner the apostles of ••hryste at his passyon were astonyed and amased / and in suche a storme of temptacyons, for the soden chaunge from so greate glory into so vyle and shamefull deth, that they hadde forgotte all the miracles & all the wordes which he had told thē before, how that he shuld be betrayed and delyuered on the same maner vnto deth. Moreouer they neuer vnderstode that sayenge of his deth, bycause theyr hartes were alwaye heuy and ouer ladde with erthly thoughtes. For though they sawe hym reyse vppe othe•• / yet who sholde reyse hym vp when he were dede they coulde not com∣prehende. Rede what thou reder canst / and thou shalte fynde no temptacion lyke vnto that from the creacyon of the worlde, or so greate as it by the hun∣dred parte. So that the wondrefull soden chaunge, and the terryble syghte of hys passion, and of hys most cruell and moste vy••e deth, and the losse of whom [ C] they so greately loued that theyr hartes wolde fayne haue dyed with hym, and the feare of theyr owne deth, and the impossybylyte that a man shulde ryse agayne of hys owne power / so occupyed theyr myndes and so astonyed them and amased them, that they coulde receyue no comforte, eyther of the scrypture or of the myracles whiche they had sene Cryste do, nor of the mony¦cyons and warnynge wherewith he had warned them before, neyther of the women that brought them tydynges that he was rysen. The swerde of tem∣ptacyons, with feare, sorowe, mornynge, and wepynge, had so depely perced theyr hartes, and the cruell syghte had so cumbered theyr myndes / that they coulde not byleue vntyll Chryste hym selfe came, deth put of and ouercome•• ye and when they fyrste sawe hym, they were astonyed for wonderynge and ioye to gyther, that thoughtes arose in theyr hartes, Alas is this he, or dothe some spyryte mocke vs / he was fayne to lette them fele hym and to eate with them to strength theyr faythes.

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More. [ A]

Here haue ye herde good deuout chrysten people, a pece of Tyndals deuout godly collacyon, in whyche the man is not so farre fallen into deuocyon, but he is mych forther fal¦len from hys wytte / wherby he neyther perceyueth y^• poynt that he sholde proue, and ouer that seeth not that hys ser∣mon sayth more agaynst hys mater then we that impugne hys purpose.

For hys purpose is to proue vs that none electe can at any tyme synne dedely. And now forgetteth he that poynt, & telleth vs that the apostles neuer loste theyr fayth. which yf it were graunted hym, yet wanne he not hys purpose. For they myghte kepe styll the fayth in theyr harte,* 1.97 and yet syn••e dedely by the denyeng therof wyth theyr mouth. For as holy saynt Poule sayth, In harte byleue we for our iu∣styfycacyon [ B] / and wyth the mouth we confesse it for our sal∣uacyon. Shewynge by those wordes, that neyther are we ryghtuouse by sayeng wyth our mouth that we do byleue, but yf we byleue in our harte / nor shal be saued by the by∣lyefe of our harte, but yf no fere can let vs to cōfesse it with our mouth. wherto consenten the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe,* 1.98 where he sayth, who so denye me before men, I shall deny hym to before my father, whyche is in heuen. And thus for the fyrste poynt Tyndale in hys holy sermon is so depe in deuocyō, y^t he forgetteth where about he goth.

Now for the seconde poynt, where I sayed no more but that they loste the suffycyent fayth, that is to saye the lyfe of theyr fayth / he goth about as I tolde you, to proue vs that the apostles suche as were electe neuer loste theyr fayth at [ C] all, nor at any tyme fell therfro. And thys poynt handeleth he so properly, that euer he telleth vs that they loste it not, and euer he proueth vs that they loste it. And by the selfe same wordes by whyche he sayeth that they kepe it alwaye styll, by the selfe same I say alwaye styll he proueth y^t they kepte it not styll in dede, but were very farre fallen therfro.

For fyrst rede me all those wordes of hys agayn / and as gayly as they be cowched, wyth astonyed, and amased, & stormy temptacyons, terryble syghtes wyth theyr hartes perced, and theyr myndes cumbred, with syght of his deth, and fere of theyr owne, that ere they coulde byleue hys re∣surreccyon, he was fayne to eate and drynke wyth them & to lette them fele hym / is not all thys tale excuses of theyr

[ A] faythe fallen from them, and no profe of the kepyng? what was that in them, but the lacke & losse of the faythe y^t Tyn∣dale telleth vs, that they thoughte it impossyble that he shulde ryse agayne, bycause they thought he coulde neuer of his owne power, and coulde nat thynke or deuyse who shulde rayse hym elles?

Nowe where he sayeth that all this happed theym tho∣rowe tēptacyon / that wyll we well agre. But yet is that no more to saye, but lyke as Dauid dyd auoutrye thorowe temptacyon, and kylled his good frende thorowe tempta∣cyon / and as Eue ete the forbeden frute thorowe tempta∣cyon, and Adam ete hit also thorowe temptacyon / and Iudas bytrayed Chryste also thorow temptacyon: so tha∣postels fell from theyr faythe, and l••ste it, and all thorowe [ B] temptacyon. Let Tyndale excuse euery synne that cōmeth of temptacyon / and whose synne shall he leaue vnexcused, excepte peraduenture the deuyll.

But the synne of men standeth in thys, that they breke the commaundement of god, in that they do nat as he byd∣deth them, stryue and resyste the temptacyon. whyche tyll they cease to do, if they truste in god and call helpe of hys grace / there can no temptacyon be so great that it can ouer come them / as wytnesseth our lorde by the mouthe of saynt Poule: God is faythefull,* 1.99 whiche suffreth you nat to be tempted aboue that ye may bere / but gyueth with y^• temp∣tacyon awaye out that ye may well wyelde it.

But let Tyndale say for excuse of their synne what him lyste / whyche thoughe thoccasyons and circumstaunces [ C] may minysshe or aggreue, and so may theyrs be lesse gre∣uous than the synnes of some other / and the synne of some one of thē selfe also lesse than another of his owne felowes: yet shall Tyndale neuer make it good, but that whan he sayeth they coulde nat beleue, if he saye true, the lacke of theyr belefe was a greuons synne.

For where as Tyndale wolde seme to saye well for the apostels, in that he sayeth they wold fayne haue dyed with our sauyour, sauynge for the feare of theyr owne dethe: Christe had before forbyden them suche feare of temporall dethe vpon the payne of eternall dethe, whan he sayd vnto them, feare ye nat them that kyll the body / whiche whanne they haue kylled the body haue nothynge that they can do more. But I shall shewe you whom you shall feare. Feare

you hym whiche whan he hathe kylled the body, hathe the [ A] power to caste the soule into the fyre of hell. And in ano∣ther place he tolde them accordyng to the same, who so will saue hys soule in this worlde,* 1.100 shall lese it / And who so shal lese hys soule in thys worlde, kepeth it styll for the euer∣lastynge lyfe. And fynally to shewe theym that all these wordes moost proprely perteyned to the puttynge away of that fere of dethe, by whiche folke for feare of dethe wolde forbere and refuse to dye for hym and his faythe: he ••ayde the wordes whiche I before remembred, who so denye me before men,* 1.101 I shall denye him also before my father whiche is in heuen.

And therfore Tyndale in vayne goeth about to excuse the synne of Christes apostels, which they rather will haue knowen, and the great mercy of god therwith / and ther∣fore [ B] they wryte it them selfe. & the rebukes therewith that our sauyour gaue them therfore / to thende that we shulde bothe beware of fallynge in the lyke, and yet if it in oure owne defaute misfortune vs to fall, nat dispayre therfore, but repent and aryse with goddes helpe as they dyd / and than shall he forgyue vs as he forgaue theym. And thys wolde rather Christes blessed apostels y^• Tyndale shulde tell vs truthe, than vnder pretexte of theyr excuse, teche vs false heresyes / and make vs wene that vpon temptacyon to forsake our sauyour for feare of temporall dethe, were no dedely synne. wherof oure sauyoure hym selfe as ye se techeth vs playne the contrary / and wyll nat admytte for vs I feare me, the excuse of Tyndale for thapostles, if we come and say, By my faythe good lorde I was a ferde and [ C] so forgate all that euer thou taughtest me.

Howe be it that they synne nat in lesyng of theyr fayth, I lette no man to beleue Tyndale, whan sa euer he proue hym selfe more credyble than Christe. But here ye se that as I tolde you that they loste theyr faythe in dede / Tyn∣dale proueth vs after his maner in his fore rehersed wor∣des, wherein he sayeth nay.

And yet is the man of so good remembraunce, and so good hede taketh where aboute he goeth, that forthwith in his nexte wordes after he sayeth very playnly more and more, that they coulde nat beleue the resurrection / and ex∣cuseth them thus, that for all that they hated hym nat in theyr harte. Lo thus he sayeth.

[ A] Tyndale.

Howe be it there was none of theym that was fallen in hys harte frome Christe.

More.

who can more plainly say that they were fallen from the faythe and lacked the belefe, than Tyndale sayeth here? For thoughe he sayeth that none of them was in his harte fallen from Christ / yet he sayeth they coulde nat beleue the substancyall artycle of the fayth of Christ, that is to wytte the belefe of his resurreccion / without the belefe wherof all the remanaunt wolde nat than serue them to saluacyon.

And that they beleued nat that artycle, Tyndale here sayeth expressely. For he sayeth that thoughe they ran to the sepulchre, and wolde fayne haue beleued that he was [ B] rysen / yet they coulde nat beleue it / the wounde of theyr temptacyon was so greate, that they coulde nat beleue it at the prechynge of a woman, without any other myracle. Than aske I no more but thys tale of Tyndale. For if they coulde•• nat beleue, than dyd they nat beleue / and so lacked they than the belefe. For as for that they came therto agayne, and that Iosephe of Arimath••a,* 1.102 and Ny∣chodemus, and the wo••••en came afterwarde to strength & boldenesse,* 1.103 and that hys two discyples towarde Emaus burned in theyr brestes to here speke of hym: all this ma∣keth to Tyndales purpose in this poynte nat the value of a poyntes ende. For we speke of his apostels, in the tyme in whiche him selfe sayeth here they beleued nat, nor coulde beleue it. At that tyme say I, y^• syth they than beleued nat, [ C] as they dyd nat if they coulde nat, they than had for that whyle the lacke of the faythe.

And also to what purpose telleth Tyndale vs, that they coulde nat beleue at the bare prechynge of the woman? As thoughe they were nothynge to blame for that, bycause they were but women / whan the apostels them selfe kn••we these women for suche, as they were worthy more credence some one of them than some many men.

And for to excuse the apostels in the lacke of belefe, by∣cause the messyngers were but women / Tyndale dothe therein no more but lay lacke and ouersyght in oure sauy∣our, that in a thynge that he wolde haue beleued, sent out suche women on his myssage.

But Tyndale woteth well if he beleue the gospell, that

no more they dyd whan they sawe the myracle of hym selfe [ A] commyng in before them the dores beynge shette, and spe∣kynge vnto them / but were so farre fro the belefe of his re∣surreccion at the fyrste, that they had went that he had ben some spirite, tyll he nat onely preched to them, but also rea∣soned with them there vpon.

Nor yet saynte Thomas, whiche as Tyndale sayeth coulde nat beleue tyll he sawe Chryste / neyther dyd beleue the woman nor all his awne felowes, nor our sauyour him selfe vpon the syght neyther, tyll he felt him fully, and put hys fynger in his syde. And this he dyd of stoberne stan∣dynge in his mysse belefe / in that after his belefe lackinge, he went nat about to seke the truthe, and endeuoure hym selfe to beleue them that tolde him the trouthe / but as it se∣meth by the gospell, obstinately stode in his distruste, and [ B] sayd tyll he dyd (that he thought of lykelyhede he neuer shuld) that is to wytte tyll he felte hym and put his fynger into his woundes, he wolde neuer beleue it.

And I saye plainly, who so euer beynge enfourmed of any artycle of the faythe whiche god byndeth vs to beleue, beleueth it nat / the cause why he beleueth nat is nat by∣cause he can nat, but bycause he wyll nat. For if he wolde do the thynge whiche Tyndale taketh for foly, that is to wytte nat resyste but endeuour hym selfe to submytte hys reason vnto faythe, with askynge helpe of god for the for∣theraunce of his imperfeccion / he thus doynge hys parte, god wolde I say nat fayle on his parte agayne, but wolde effectually worke with hym to perfyte in hym the faythe in whyche he preuenteth hym by g••ace / whyche preuencyon [ C] was whan he gaue hym the grace and occasyon to be fyrst tolde of the mater.

But euer cometh Tyndale by degrees / & euer he seeth hym selfe lykely to be dreuen fro steppe to steppe. And ther¦fore where he sayd y^t the elec••e can nat synne dedely / fyrste he alledgeth for the cause therof that he synneth neuer, but vpon great occasyons. And seynge that a man may therto say what than? He goeth to another steppe, and saieth that he neuer consenteth to synne. And than seynge that steppe wyll nat be defended / he goeth to another, and sayeth he consenteth nat to synne to serue it. And perceyuynge that he can nat stande sure there / he steppeth downe to y^e nexte, and sayeth that he casteth nat of from his necke the yoke of

[ A] of loue toward the law of god. And yet perceyuynge y^• that steppe wyll not holde hym neyther / he cometh at laste vnto a nother steppe, and sayth he casteth it not of malycyously / trustynge bycause we can not loke into the mannes breste, to se whyther he bare any malyce therin, we shold neuer be able to conuycte hym of that worde, when he put on ys ther to malycyously. And yet from y^e steppe haue I dreuen hym / & therin haue I begyled his hope, as ye before haue herde in the synnes of king Dauid, by the wordes of god spoken by the mouth of Nathan the prophete.

Now as he played there / so playeth he by the apostles here. For fyrste he sayth they lost neuer the fayth, bycause they were amased, & then astonyed, and then aferde, & th••n bycause they coulde not perceyue the thynge for poss••ble. [ B] Ans yet at last he cometh so nere to the grauntynge y^t they lacked it, y^t by playne wordes at length he sayth the same thyng hym selfe / affermyng y^t they byleued not nor coulde not byleue. And yet wolde he now make vs wene, that though they byleued not, yet had they no lacke of the fayth / bycause in the lacke of theyr bylyefe they hadde no malice. And that thynge he proueth thus.

Tyndale.

There was none of them that euer ••aysed on hym, and came so farre f••rth ••o say he was a deceyue••, and wrought with the deuyls cra••te all this whyle, & se wherunto he is come in the en••e, we defye hym false wret••he that he was and his false doctri••e also. And therunto music they haue com•• at the las••e, when feare, sorow, and wonderynge had ben pas••e, yf they had not ••en p••e∣uented and holpen in the meane season.

[ C] More.

Lo good chrystē reders, here hath Tyndale taught vs, y^t who so byleue not y^e resurreccyō of Chryst / yet all y^• whyle he rayleth not vpō hym & calleth him wrech, & defieth him, he is saue inough. For all y^e whyle though they byleue not, yet lacketh he not hys kylyef. And then if he be an ••lecte •• he shalbe preuented of god, & holpen before, ere euer he fall in to suche blasphemy. But & yf he be a reprobate / then whan he cometh onys into y^e case that y^e apostles were in as Tin∣dale sayth / he shall for lacke of suche preuencyon & helpe, fall i••to suche raylyng and blasphemye / & then is he reme∣dylesse he sayth. And therfore sayth he bothe here and in dy¦uerse places, that the seed of god preu••nteth alwaye, and kepeth & preserueth the electes from fallynge into y^e case.

Here is a goodly tale be ye sure. But now wherby shall [ A] Tyndale of thys doctryne make vs sure?

The gospell to begynne wyth for one pece, maketh vs sure of the contrary.

For therin we fynde that the traytoure Iudas, whyche was I wene as farre from the bylyefe of the resurreccyon as euer was saynt Thomas of Inde / came neuer yet vnto suche raylynge and blasphemynge of Chryst / as Tyndale sayth that the apostles bycause they byleued not, had they not ben by grace preuented, must nedes haue comen vnto.

For when he went about to make his bargayn, & bytray hym and sell hym / we fynde not that he called hym false wretche, nor no suche vylanouse word. And after we fynde that when he repented and brought agayne the money, he was farre from raylynge vppon hym, and sayed I haue [ B] offended god in bytrayenge the ryghtuouse blode. And su∣rely though he had at the sellyng rayled as mych vpon him toward hys passyō, as Tyndale in hys bokes now rayleth & iesteth vpon hym in the blessed sacrament after hys resur¦reccyon: yet dare I be bolde vpon hys mercy to say, that yf that olde Iudas in his repentaūce, had with the loking vp¦pon hys own synne loked also vpō the great mercy of god / and also that yf Tyndale now thys new Iudas wyll repēt hys raylynge agaynst Chrystes blessed body the sacramēt of the awlter, & aske our lord mercy therfore: both the tone sholde haue had, & the tother shall haue, remyssyon and for¦gyuenes of that dedely synne wyth chaūge of hell into pur∣gatory / into whych the tone in vayne now fayne wold, and the tother except he mende herafter shall as mych in vayne [ C] wysshe to come.

Now Tyndale wyll peraduenture stycke vppon some sotle coniecture of hys owne and styffely bere vs in hande, that though it be not wryten in the gospell, yet dyd Iudas when he solde Chryste, speke of hym some blasphemouse wordes, & had opprobrouse lauguage agaynste hym / and that the blasphemy therof was the very cause why that he coulde neuer after by any repentaunce be forgyuen hys synne, and receyued agayne to grace.

If Tyndale thus tell vs, and wyll wene by thys waye to wynde out / we wyll for thys ones forgette to putte hym in mynde of hys owne rule, that we nede not byleue hym forther then he fyndeth in playne and euydent scrypture.

[ A] But we wyll tell hym then, that there is as great lyklyhed and somdele more to, that saynte Poule when after the re∣surreccyon of Chryste, and the stonyng of saynt Stephen,* 1.104 persecuted and punysshed so cruelly the chrysten people / dyd rayle ••nd blaspheme the name of Chryste, and hys doc¦tryne, and myracles, and all that he taughte and dyd. And yet for all thys was he receyued after to grace & forgyue∣nesse / & was after elected, ye and for the foresyghte of his re¦pentaunce, chaunge, and penaunce, was a chosen vessell before god byfore the worlde was made / and hadde ones the ryghte bylyefe of lykelyhed, as myche as he was boun¦den to before the gospell preched, and then stode in state of grace / and yet was suffered thorow his owne fawte to fall therfro, by refusynge the gospell of Chryste, and after fell [ B] in hatynge and persecutynge of hys name and doctryne / and not as it semeth wythout blasphemynge of hys name, his lyuynge, hys deth, hys doctryne, and his resurreccyon, and all that euer he dyd / and yet by repentaunce and pe∣naunce receyued to fayth and to forgyuenesse agayne. And therfore nedeth not Tyndale to dyspayre, but that as euyll as he is, he maye yet repente and be forgyuen yf he wyll.

But by thys one ensāple of saynt Poule, are in y^e meane whyle vtterly destroyed, not onely Tyndals wordes laste aboue rehersed / but ouer y^e all this his hole chapyter of the order of our eleccyon / wherof the hole purpose is in effecte, that god kepeth them euer from all dedely synne.

And thus good reders ye se how well he defendeth the [ C] apostles fayth, whyche he sayth they neuer lost at no tyme / and yet confesseth hym selfe that at one tyme they neyther byleued nor coude byleue. And yet whyle they byleued not, they lost not theyr bylyefe bycause they rayleth not / and by¦cause that after they came agayne to bylyefe, therfore they lacked it not at any tyme before it came.

Is not here good reders a wyse and well tolde tale? It is inough for me, that how so euer Tyndale excuse theyr mystruste and vnbylyefe / I se them selfe wryte, that our sauyour him selfe accused it,* 1.105 and rebuked thē sore of theyr incredulyte and harde harte, for that they had not byleued them that they hadde sene hym ryse. And now that Tyn∣dale hath so wysely defended them all / he cometh partyca∣larly to saynt Peter and sayth.

Tyndale. [ A]

Ye and Peter as soone as he had denyed Chryste / came to hym selfe imme∣dyately, and went out and wepte bytterly for sorowe. And thus we se that Peters fayth fayled not, though it were oppressed for a tyme.

More.

Tyndale euer laboreth to lede vs a myle fro the mater. For well ye wote the chyrche techeth not, nor no man was there euer any where so madde to saye, that the chosen and electes do dye in dedely synne / but that they somtyme do dedely synnes / that is to wytte, such synnes as yf they dyed in them wythout repentaūce of them, they sholde be damp∣ned for them.

Agaynste thys doctryne of the catholyke chyrch / taketh Tyndale in hande to proue vs, as well by dyuers other ty¦tles of thys boke, and by hys exposycyon vppon the fyrste [ B] pystle of saynt Iohn̄, as by all the processe of thys hys pre∣sent chapyter of the order of theyr eleccyon / that the electes neuer do no dedely synnes. That is ye wote well as myche to say, as that they do no suche synnes / whych done in such maner as they do them, be of theyr nature dedely / that is to saye suche as yf the person that doth them dye before he re∣pent them, he sholde be dampned for them.

Now good chrysten reders the poynte consydered that is in debate bytwene vs / ye perceyue very well that eyther muste Tyndale take and vnderstande dedely synne, for some other thynge and in some other maner then all other men do, and otherwyse then it is taken and vnderstanden by y^e catholyke chyrch of Chryst agaynste which he dyspu∣teth / whych maner of hys dysputacyō yf he otherwyse toke [ C] it then hys aduersaryes do, were on hys parte to shamefull and folysshe, as euery man well seeth y^• any lernyng hath / for then dysputed he but vppon the worde and not vppon the mater, whyche he wyll not I wene for very shame be so madde to do: or ellys yf he take I saye thys worde dedely synne as in dede he must nedes do, thā do you good reders I dowt•• not very well and clerely se, that Tyndals tale of saynte Peter hys repentaunce and sorowe after hys deny∣nyenge of Chryste, nothynge proueth Tyndales purpose / whyche is and muste be that saynt Peter before hys repen∣taunce, synned not dedely at the tyme when he forswore Chryste.

For Tyndale yf he wyll proue that he dyd therin no de∣dely

[ A] synne at the tyme / it is nat inoughe for hym to tell vs that he repented after, and was by repentaunce restored to the state of saluacyon. But he muste proue vs that his for∣swerynge of our sauiour, yet shulde nat haue letted hym from saluacyon, all thoughe he had forthwith vpon that dede deceased without repentaunce, or any remembraunce after of that synne.

This shulde he proue vs ye wote well / & this ye se well he dissembleth. And to proue that saynte Peter synned nat dedely before / he telleth vs that he repented after. whyche is the very thynge wherby it is declared in holy scrypture, that his synne was greuous. For what was the thinge he so repented / but the synne of his denyenge. And therfore y^e more sorowfully that he repented it, the more bytterly that [ B] he be wepte and bewayled it, the more payne that he toke for it / the more hym selfe sheweth vs the sore offence a••d heynous dedelynes therof.

And nowe commeth Tyndale on the tother syde / and by the selfe same sorowe, wolde make men wene it was no dedely synne / by whyche it specially dothe appere the con∣trarye.

And than thus handelynge the matter, he is nat asha∣med to tell vs in conclusyon, that we nowe se by this wyse reason, that saynt Peter his faythe fayled nat. whereof he hathe as ye se proued vs nothynge / but hathe hym selfe tolde vs by playne expresse wordes the contrarye, whan he tolde vs that thapostles coulde nat for all y^e womens wor∣des, beleue that Christ was rysen / nor well in a good while [ C] after, at the syght of our sauyour hym selfe.

Howe be it all thys he sayeth was no faylynge of Pe∣ters faythe, but an oppressynge for the whyle / as thoughe I or any man elles had any tyme sayde that Peters fayth feyled for euer.

I say that it fayled for the whyle, not for euer. And yet sayd I no ferther in my dialoge therof, but that his liuely faythe fayled for y^e whyle, bycause it wrought nat by loue. But if his belefe stode styll / it was a bare belefe, barayne of the frute of charyte / with whiche it wroughte nat in the harte, whan it brought nat forthe the confessyon of Christe by the mouthe.

But mary Tindale hath sayd yet more / and hath taken away from hym boldely bothe quicke fayth and dede faith

and all as for the whyle. [ A]

In whyche poynt whan Tyndale hath all done / he can neuer whyle he lyueth auoyde it, but that in sayenge that there was a tyme in whyche the apostels coulde nat byleue that Christe was arysen agayne, he is agreed with vs as for the matter. For in those wordes he confesseth, that in that tyme theyr faythe was fallen from them. But he stry∣ueth styll with vs vpon the worde, & wyll in no wyse haue that fall called faylynge, but amasyng and astonyenge vp∣on great occasyons, & with the great burden oppressynge.

well than sythe we be metely well agreed together, Tyn¦dale and I in the matter / we wyll for thys ones no lenger debate about a worde, and styll dyspute all daye, whether fallynge may be called fayling. But I am content to gyue it ouer, and lette Tyndale haue hys wyll, & abyde thereby [ B] styll / that thoughe saynt Peter dyd fall and his faythe to, yet shall nat Tyndale be bounden to call that fallyng fay∣lynge / but amasynge yf he lyste, or estonyenge vpon great occasyons and by sore burden oppressynge.

And in lyke wyse am I content, that yf vpon great oc∣casyon of a longe wery way, with a depe myre and a great blocke in the botome, Tyndals horse happen vnder hym fyrste to snappre and stumble, and after that faynt and fall downe in the myre and tumble, and his mayster & he there lye to gether and iumble, tyll some good felowe helpe them vppe and brynge them to an inne, where they tary together tyll the horse be with mete and reste better growen in hart: let Tyndall for me whan he rydeth agayne, call his fall no faylynge nor no fallynge neyther. But yet shall he neuer [ C] let other men to call it as it is.

Nowe Tyndale yet after hys fowle falle, dissymulyng hys ouerthrowe as thoughe no man sawe it / ryally tryum∣pheth and bosteth in this matter, that he hathe in hys cha∣pyter of the ordre of eleccion, so wel and wysely quytte him selfe so lyke a pretye man. For ioye and glorye whereof, he fynyssheth hys chapyter with a pleasaunte proper taunt, wherin he taunteth me.

Tyndale.

Therfore we nede to seke no gloses for the texte, that Chryst sayde to Peter howe that hys faythe shulde nat fayle. Yes sayeth mayster More, it fayled in hym selfe, but was reserued in our lady. But lette vs se the text and theyr glose together. Chrys•• sayeth Luke the .xxii. Symon Symon,

[ A] Sathan seketh you to sy••te you as men syfte whete. But I haue prayed for the that thy faythe shall nat fayle. wherfore whan thou arte come vn∣to thy selfe agayne, strengthe thy bretherne. Nowe put thys wyse glose therto, and se howe they agre to gether: Symon, Sathan seketh to sy••te you as ••hete / but I haue praye•• for the that my mothers faythe shall nat fay••e. wherfore whan thou arte come to thy selfe agayne, accordynge as my pray∣our hathe obtayned for the that my mothers faythe shall nat fayle, strength thy bretherne. Howe say ye is nat thys a proper texte and well framed to gether? do ye nat thynke that there is as moche wytte in the hede of madde Colyns, as in the braynes of suche expositours.

More.

Tyndall here good reder felynge his matter very fayn•• and feble, and that by reason, scrypture, or other good au∣thoryte, he neyther can impugne his aduersary nor defēde [ B] him selfe / wolde very fayne walke away thus without any pece of his purpose prouyd, and make men wene all were wonne with his mery scoffe.

Howe be it if Tyndale had here rehersed you my very wordes of my Dyaloge, as I am in suche cases wonte to reherse his / it wolde (and that he sawe well) haue made his quycke mery scoffe waxe very dulle and more thanne halfe dede / as ye shall well perceyue I truste, whan I come to that place in the replyenge to hys seuerall answeres made vnto the chapyters of my sayde worke. whervnto I shall reserue the substaunce of myne answere to thys wyse cauellacyon of hys, agaynste myne exposicyon and bettre mens to than myne, of those wordes of our sauiour spoken vnto saynte Peter, I haue prayed for the that thy faythe [ C] shall nat fayle.

But where as he can in no wyse beare the comen opy∣nyon of good Chrysten people, that the faythe abode at any tyme onely in our lady / and therfore mocketh and ma∣keth a gaye game, that saynt Peters faythe shulde be pre∣serued in our lady, and that her fayth shulde be his faythe: I wene it wyll be no very great sotell thynge to perceyue, that the faythe whyche saynt Peter confessed, may bothe be his owne in that he confessed it, and yet our ladyes to in y^• she beleued it / and the thynge also beleued, is all one bothe in hym and in her / sauynge that it is hers in that she bele∣ueth it, and hys in that he byleueth it. And yet if he loste y^• belefe therof, it may be called styll his / vnderstandynge by that spekynge, that he fyrste confessed it. And therfore in

good faythe I can nat well se, wherfore we may nat saye [ A] saynt Peters faythe was in our lady, as well as we maye say wyclyffes heresyes are in Tyndall.

And therfore, where for the saltynge and seasonynge of his vnsauery scoffe, he chaungeth and mysse reherseth my wordes, and the very wordes of Chrystes gospell to / and hathe a pleasure to playe betwene our lady and saynte Peter, and to tosse the faythe lyke a tenys ball frome the tone to the tother, with fonde wordes of hys owne folisshe framynge, nothynge nere to the matter whan the place in my dyaloge shalbe as it shall ones be by goddes grace, surely sene and examyned: I truste to make you than se, that all his propre sportynge wherin he playeth his page∣aunte betwene saynt Peter and our lady, may for any wyt hit hathe, serue hym for a pastyme, if he satte saddely by [ B] frantycke Colyns and pyked rysshes in Betheleem. And happy were Tyndale, yf he were as well recouered of his fransyes, as I truste in god Colyns is at this day of hys.

But yet reseruynge as I say y^• farther answere to myne other place, to which this mater moche more ap{per}tayneth: yet syth Tyndale sayeth here hym selfe that the cause why no suche glose nedeth to those wordes of oure sauyour, is bycause that saynt Peters faythe neuer fayled in his owne persone / he confesseth thereby that if it euer at any tyme fayled in his person, than at the le••te wyse some glose there nedeth. And than dare I be bolde to say, that if there any nede / the glose thā that he mocketh let him reherse it right, is suche as he wyll nat thys fyue yere fynde a better.

But leauynge that glose as I say, tyll I come to my [ C] dyaloge: yet to se in the meane whyle whether any glose neded or none, syth Tyndale agreeth that there neded if y^• faythe at any tyme fayled in saynt Peter / I shall nat lette for his pleasure ones agayne to serche, whether the faythe at any tyme fayled in saynt Peter or no.

And to thentent that we may deale well and playnly to gether / let hym & me fyrste agre to gether, what the thinge is whervpon we dispute. For he vseth often whan he is conuycted, to say that he toke thys worde or that worde o∣therwyse than we take hym therein.

Let vs therfore fyrste, bycause we speke of faythe, here hym declare what hym selfe calleth faythe.

To thys after that he sawe hym selfe shamefully con∣futed,

[ A] concernynge hys heresye of fayth alone suffycyent for saluacyon / he sayth that he calleth not a dede fayth any fayth / but he meaneth all waye by fayth, a very chrysten fayth that hath the loue therwyth, by reason wherof it can not but worke well.

Now shall ye se how courteysely that I shall handle Tyndale. For all be it ye se well that I myghte by many meanes and many playne authorytees,* 1.106 as well of saynte Iamys as saynte Poule, and the very gospell to,* 1.107 conuycte hym in that poynte / as I haue often done all redy:* 1.108 yet shall I for hys pleasure lette all that passe for thys tyme,* 1.109 and take fayth as he sayth he taketh it hym selfe.

But then aske I Tyndale thys tyme, whyther that in the tyme in whyche Peter forsoke and forswore Chryst, [ B] he dyd byleue wyth suche a bylyefe, that then wroughte well wyth loue. If he saye ye / then syth the worke that he then wroughte was the forsakynge and forswerynge of Chryste, it muste nedes folowe that he sayth, that the for∣sakynge and forswerynge of Chryste was a good worke. And then wyll it theruppon folow, that syth saynte Peter wepte sorowfully therfore, he was vere sory and sore repen¦ted hym that he hadde well wroughte wyth loue, and done a good worke. So that I se no remedy, but that Tyndale muste nedes, be he neuer so loth, confesse and graunth vs, that saynt Peter in that tyme dyd not byleue wyth loue y^• wrought well.

Now thynketh me than that bytwene Tyndale and me there lacketh now but one thynge / and that is what we call [ C] faylynge. For the better perceyuynge wherof I wyll aske Tyndale thys.

If saynt Peter had holde on styll in that forsakyng and that periury styll all hys lyfe, & so fynally dyed therin, and had yet for all that all the whyle byleued in hys herte all the artycles of y^e trew fayth, & the cōtrary of all y^t he sayd, & not onely rayled no thyng all y^e whyle agaynst Chryst, but also loued hym to, sauyng not so well but y^t he wold rather for∣swere y^t euer he sawe hym, then to suffer payne & sorow for hym: I aske I say of Tyndale, yf saynt Peter had conty∣nued his lyfe & dyed in this state, had not then at no tyme in his lyfe his fayth y^t Tindale calleth fayth, y^t is to say his bylefe with well workyng loue fayled hym? yf he say no / thē wyll it folow vpō Tindals word, y^t there may be many

faythfull folke wyth a well workynge loue, eternally [ A] dampned in hell / excepte it be false that our sauyour sayth, He that denyeth me before the worlde, I wyll denye hym before the angels of god / and he that wyll saue hys lyfe,* 1.110 in thys worlde shall lese it.* 1.111

The moste parte I suppose that of the chrysten people shall be dampned / the cause of theyr dampnacyon shall be, that where as they byleue ryght and loue god also, so farre forth as he wyll let them liue as they lyst and make mery, and bynde theym to nothynge that they haue no lust to do / loue hym not yet so suffycyentely, as for the loue that they bere hym, they wyll rather forbere the pleasours of theyr lyfe / and also rather dye then dedely to dysplease hym, by the doynge of any suche thynge as he wyll rather that they shall dye then do it. [ B]

Now se I therfore no remedy, but that Tyndale muste nedes agre, that yf saynt Peter had in such state lyued and dyed / hys fayth well workynge by loue had fayled hym.

Then syth it hadde then in sometyme at the leste wyse fayled hym / lette vs deuyde that tyme of that state of hys from hys fyrste denye••ge and forswerynge, vnto the very minute of hys dyenge, supposynge to contynue styll and dye to in the same state, into fyue egall partes yf it please hym / and then haue we fyue tymes all of one fasshyon / to whyche fyue tymes Tyndale yf it please hym maye gyue names to, and call them A, B, C, D, E.

Now saye I than, syth Tyndale muste nedes agre y^t n•• some of these fyue tymes Peters fayth fayled / I aske in whyche of them. wherto syth they be all fyue of one fashyō [ C] concernynge hys fayth, he muste nedes graunte that in all fyue it fayled hym.

Let vs now then somwhat chaunge our case, from that that myghte haue ben in to that that was in dede. And af∣ter that Peters fayth had fayled in the thre fyrste tymes, that is to saye those that are named ABC partes of the hole tyme, wherof ABCDE were all the partes / lette vs put, that in the fourth parte ••hyche we called D, Peter re¦••ented by helpe of goddes gr••ce, thorow y^e meane of Chry∣stes foresayde prayoure / and th••t hys l••••ynge bylyefe so came to hym agayne in that ••yme why••h we ••••lled D / and that he wolde euer after ••ather suffer tenne tymes to dye, then onys to forsake god agayne.

[ A] Now aske I Tyndale whether y^• not faylynge of his fayth now in the latter partes of hys tyme, y^t is to wyt in D & E / doth now make it trewe that hys fayth fayleth hym not be∣fore, whyle it fayled hym in dede in the thre formar tymes ABC the thre partes of hys hole tyme ABCDE.

Now what Tyndale must nedes answere vnto thys, he can tell well inough I warraunt, when he loketh in hys carde vpon those letters in hys crosse rowe. For there he muste nedes se, that though hys fayth fayleth neuer after whyle it fayled not / yet before whyle it fayled, it ••ayled {per}de. wherof the prefe is so playne vppon hys crosse row that he muste nedes se it.

Now yf Tyndale wolde wynk at these letters lyke a wanton ladde that no man coulde make hym loke vp: yet [ B] shall I shew you that he hath redde them all redy, & spyed full well that Peter synned dedely / & lyke a shrewed wyly lad hath scraped it out of hys boke.

For ye wote well that in those wordes of our sauyoure vnto saynt Peter, he sayth vnto hym: And thou after that thou shalt be conuerted, conferme thou and make stronge thy bretherne. As though he myght say, I haue prayed for the that thy fayth shall not fynally fayle. But though it ••ayle for a tyme by forsakynge of me, as I tell the tru••ly thou shalt thryes do ere the cocke crow / yet shall it come in to the agayne, by the meane of my prayour. And therfore when thou shalt be conuerted agayn, that is to wytte after that thy lyuely fayth fallen and faylynge for the tyme, and thou therby turned fro me to my enemy thorow forsakyng [ C] & forswerynge me, for dedely synfull drede of bodyly deth / after this ••••en thou shalt I say by myne helpe and meane of my prayour, wyth applyenge of thyne owne wyll there∣wyth, haue gotten grace and repented, and attayned they fayth agayne, and be thy sel••e conuerted and turned from myne enemye vnto me agayne / then do thou conferme and strength thy bretherne.

Now se for goddes sake where Tyndale hath scraped out and altered one worde / in whyche one worde standeth the makynge and marrynge of all the hole mater.

For where as our sauyour sayed, when thou arte onys conuerted, then strength thou thy bretherne / Tyndale put∣teth out cūuerted, and maketh our sauyour say, when thou art come to thy self agayn, then strength thou thy brethern.

And ••here as he in hys translacyon hadde put in thys [ A] worde conuerted / yet bycause he sayed here before in thys chapyt••r, that the apostles we••e not by faylynge of theyr fayth, nor by any dede••y synne turned in any wyse at any tyme from god / but were onely a••••sed and astonyed and paste all remembraunce: therfore he ••••w hath put out here thys worde conuerted, whyche syg••yfyeth a turny••ge to god, and therin doth euer imply a turnynge awaye fro god before / & hath putt•• in the stede ther••f these wordes, comen agayn to thy selfe / to make it agre wyth his other wordes, ama••ed, astonyed, an•• forgettynge of them selfe, whyche hym selfe sayed of them before.

Now thys ye s•• good reders very well, that though we g••aun•••• vnto Tyndale that a man may be turned to good, & turned to be bad, and turned to vertue, & turned to vice, [ B] turned to god, and turned t•• the deuyl to / yet where so euer in the scrypture that worde turned standeth so alone, it is euer taken for turnynge vnto god. And specyally the word conuerted, whyche is the worde y^t he hath chaunged / wher so euer in scrypture it so standeth a lone, is neuer taken for turnynge of a man vnto hym s••lfe but vnto god. For in tur¦nynge to hym selfe, he maye turne from god vnto y^• deuyll / as Lucyfer by turnynge to hym selfe, turned to the deuyll.

And now ye se that Tyndale to make the gospell seme to agre wyth hys heresye, chaungeth in his exposycyon the very chyefe effectuall worde, wherupon the pyth of all the mater hangeth. I wyll not therfore aske ye now y^• question that Tyndale doth, whyther ye thynke not as myche wytte in the hed of madde Colyns as in the bray••es of suche an [ C] exposytour. But oat of questyon, I wene ••••••wyse men thynke that the same deuyll or his mate that made Colyns madde / hath sucked out the bray•••• of thys exposytoure, & blowen hys empty scalpe full of bysy frantyke heresyes.

For elles wolde he neuer for shame speke of that folyshe heresye, that none electe at any tyme dothe dedely synne / whyche thynge he seeth so playnely reproued by the scryp∣ture / and excepte a very ••ew heretykes, ellys, by the agre∣ment I wene of all the hole people of the worlde both chry∣sten and hethen to, as many as byleue the soule to be im∣mort••••••••

And yet is it a better sporte to se, howe in the very point in whyche he weneth hym selfe to deale the mooste wylyly,

[ A] therein vttereth he hys foly moste folysshely.

For where as all hys purpose of thys chapyter of the ordre of our eleccyon, is onely to proue that none electe at any tyme synneth dedely: euen in the very laste ende there of•• where he weneth leste, where he weneth him selfe to sytte surest in the chayre of his gloryous tryumphe, and mooste merely mocketh and scoffeth at hys aduersary / euen there in his false exposicyō of this text of scrypture, And thou be∣ynge ones conuerted confirme and strength thy bretherne / by hys vnwyse wyly chaunge of this worde conuerted in to, comen to hym selfe / he is fallen from hym selfe and per∣ceyued nat that he that chaunge hath made euery man wel perceyue, that hym selfe whan he so chaunged that worde perceyued very well, that the worde conuerted, that is to [ B] god turned agayne, proued clerely that saynte Peter was o••es from god auerted, and synfully turned away. And therfore hathe he by that wylye chaunge, euen in the very laste ende of hys chapyter, with hys owne wytnes agaynst his owne purpose, all his whole matter peruerted, & quyte ouer turned and ouer throwen hys tryumphant charyotte / and with the very wordes of his mery mocke, layed all his matter in the myre.

¶ The recapitilacyon of all Tyndalles processe con∣cernynge the churche, from the be∣gynnynge hytherto.

[ C] FOr nowe shall you good reders vnder∣stande, that as concernynge hys decla∣racyon what is the churche, here hys whole processe endeth. And wyllynge that we shulde nowe wene, that he had well declared and proued vs whyche is the very churche: he nowe begynneth after this chapiter another newe mater / that is to wytte to proue that the comen knowen catholyke churche, is nat the churche.

And therfore sythe here is an ende of his owne part / it is necessary that we brefely gather to gether and consyder, what thynge he hath proued vs therein, or at the leste (for proued hathe he nothynge) what thynge he hathe tolde vs therein from the begy••nynge hytherto.

Remembre fyrste good reders, that the occasyon of hys [ A] boke, is for answere of my dyaloge / wherein I speke of the churche, by whiche we be and muste be taught and en∣formed. And I shewe there that it is the comen knowen catholyke churche of all christen people, neyther gone out nor put out / and that the doctryne of this churche is sure, & can nat erre in any thynge necessary to saluacyon. whyche thynge I there sufficyently do proue.

Nowe commeth Tyndall, to teche vs that the churche is another churche whiche he wyll shewe you, and nat the churche that•• I tolde yo••. And whether the churche that he sheweth you can erre or nat, he wyll tell you. And therfore he maketh the tytle of thys boke, what is the churche, and whether it may erre or nat / wherein harken well nowe what he hathe hytherto taught you. [ B]

Fyrste he tolde vs in the begynnynge, that thys worde churche hathe dyuers significacyons / amonge whyche at laste he bethought him vpon twayne. One a generall sig∣nificacyons, by whiche it is taken for all that embrace the name of Chryste, though•• theyr faythes be noughte, or thoughe they haue no faythe at all.

A nother, by whiche it specially signifyeth onely the e∣lectes / in whose hartes god hathe wrytten hys lawe with his holy spiryte, and gy••en them a felynge faythe of the mercy that is in Christe Iesu our lorde.

All hys other signifycacyons I lette passe, as thynges nat properly pertaynynge to this present questyon of the catholyke churche / excepte onely that whyche he hathe also diffined false, that is to wytte the pertyculer churches of [ C] euery chrysten countrey / whiche be nat as Tyndall there taketh them, all the people in the towne or the countrey chrysten or hethen or open professed heretykes, but onely suche as are the partes of the catholyke churche.

But in all his declaracyons of all the signifycacyons / he hathe as ye haue sene in my fyrste parte of thys worke, neyther rehersed them all, nor taken ••yght almost any one of these that he hathe rehersed.

For lettynge as I say the remenaunte passe as nowe nat pertinent proprely to this matter, & reproued in myne fyr••te parte ••f this worke: of these two laste significacions hathe he done hys parte in neyther nother / but hathe as I there shewed, lyfte out the chefe significacyons of all,

[ A] and whervpon all the matter moste especially dependeth / that is to wytte the catholyke church of Christ of all trewe christen people.

For as touchynge the fyrste of hys two laste, if he wyll say that he ment that for the catholyke churche, than I say that he defamed it false. For the generall catholyke chur∣che is nat the nombre of all y^• embrace the name of Christ, whether they haue faythe true or false, any faythe or none.

For heretykes suche as Luther is, and zwinglius, and wyclyffe, and hym selfe, that fyrste wylfully leaue and for∣sake the catholyke church and the catholyke faythe therof, and be therfore after precyded and cut of there fro, and cast out therof / neyther be nor neuer haue bene accompted, ey∣ther in the churche or of the churche / thoughe they styll call [ B] them selfe christen men, and embrace hys name, castynge of the truthe of hys faythe and fyghtynge agaynste good workes by sectes dissoluynge the vnyte, and beynge sepa∣rate from the socyetie of the catholyke churche.

Than as touchynge the seconde signifycacyon of the onely electes, whiche is the churche wherof he ••abereth in all this worke / and wolde haue it onely taken for the chur∣che of Christe milytaunte here in erthe: let vs consydre or∣drely from the begyn••ynge to the ende, what he telleth vs therof, and to what wyse ende at laste he bryngeth all hys purpose.

Aft••r his defence of his translacyon very fondely de∣fended, to proue vs that the churche is onely the nombre of electes / in whose har••es god hathe wrytten his lawe, & [ C] gyuen them a felynge faythe of the mercy that is in Christ Iesu our lorde: he fyrste moueth a ques••yon of hys owne ••euysynge, whether the worde were ••efore the churche or the churche before the worde / as though that questyon had in suche wyse benne pu•• by vs, and that we had affyrmed the churche to be before the word••.

There with scoffes and mo••kes he concludeth agaynst vs, that the worde was before the churche / whereof neuer no man sayd the contrary.

But that the wrytten worde was before the churche, whiche was the thynge that him selfe had sayd and mente, and whiche e••er was an•• is his princypall grounde and foundacyon, wherof we had sayd and yet say the contrary therof / in all that chapyter neyther any thyng proueth he,

nor any thynge so moche as speketh. And so that chapyter [ A] nothynge at all to purpose.

More ouer, sythe he bryngeth forthe that chapyter, for the profe that the onely electes be the churche, for there a∣bout goeth all his matter / and well ye wote the worde of god bothe wrytten and vnwrytten, may be and is beleued bothe of the electes and of the nat elected: therfore is also that chapyter nothynge at all to purpose.

Fynally syth he speketh of the lawe wrytten by the spy∣ryte of god in the harte / nowe sythe that lawe so wrytten there, is rather y^• worde of god vnwrytten, than his worde wrytten in the bokes of the scrypture that we haue / of whi∣che wordes onely, Tyndale maketh all his matter, and ab∣horreth euery worde that god wolde eyther speke or wryte besyde the scrypture that we haue all redy: this chapyter [ B] of Tyndals nat onely nothynge maketh for his purpose, but also rather semeth greatly to make agaynste it.

Than goeth he forthe with his other chapyter, wherein he laboreth to proue that the apostels lefte nothynge vn∣wrytten that were necessary to saluacyon / meanynge that we be bounden to beleue nothyng, but onely that that they haue wrytten / & that (as Tyndals mayster Martyn Lu∣ther sayeth) euidently and plainly wrytten. wherin who so consyder what I haue answered hym / shall I truste well perceyue that it had bene better for hym to haue lefte that matter vntouched.

For bothe is his purpose on hys parte vnproued, and the contrary to hym proued / besyde that it is in many pla∣ces proued, that the sacramentes whiche he reproueth be [ C] wrytten in the scrypture in de••••.

Howe be it he cor••ecteth and amendeth therfore his doc¦tryne of that chapiter, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 another chapiter after. For where as in the former chapiter, he t••c••eth that we be bounden to beleue nothinge of necessyte, but onely that that is wrytten in the scrypture: yet ••este we shulde be thereby concernyng our belefe, ouer ••••••••••tely re••••rayned of our euangelycall lybertie / he bethynketh hym selfe better / and in hys other chapyter after he techeth vs that we be nat of necessytie bounden to beleue all that neyther / but so that we beleue the promyses, we may be saued well inoughe he sayeth, be∣leuynge nat other thynges wrytten euen in the very go∣spell it selfe.

[ A] This is hys doctryne in his chapyter / where he techeth vs that the churche may erre and that yet it can nat erre / sauynge that sodeynly vnware he confesseth euen there the contrary.

Thanne commeth he forthe in hys chapyter with thys questyon, whether the churche can erre or nat. And there he fyrste sayeth, that thys comen knowen catholyke chur∣che bothe may erre and dothe erre / and proueth it by hys bare worde. And than he sheweth what hym selfe calleth the electe church / and sayeth that it is the whole multytude of all repentynge synners that beleue in Chryste, and put all theyr truste and confydence in the mercy of god / felyng in theyr hartes that god for Christes sake loueth them, and wyll be or rather is mercyfull vnto theym, and forgyueth [ B] theyr synnes of whyche they repente, and all the mocyons vnto synne, of whiche they feare that they shalbe drawen into synne agayne / and this they beleue and fele withoute any respecte of their owne deseruynge and onely for the re∣specte of goddes trouthe and promyse.

Than goeth he forthe, and bosteth hyghly thys maner of felynge faythe that is heresyes in stede of faythe, as I haue in myne answere proued / and therein he spendeth vp that chapyter.

But yet thoughe he thus descrybe the electe churche: yet dothe he nat proue that this is the churche whyche we muste here and obeye. For god hathe commaunded vs to complayne to the churche, and here the churche, and obey the churche. And therfore though we agreed euery thyng [ C] that he sayeth in his chapyter / he had yet sythe his electes are vnknowen, proued thereby no pece of hys pryncypall purpose, that is to wytte whiche is the churche.

Also where hys tytle of that chapyter is, whyther the chyrche maye erre: Tyndale sayenge that the catholyke chyrche maye erre / whyther the electe chyrche whyche hym selfe taketh for the chyrche maye erre or not, he sayth not in all that chapyter any one worde. And so is hys chapyter neyther any thynge towarde hys pryncypall purpose / nor yet, whyche is more shame for hym, any thynge conteyneth in it belongynge to the mater of the tytle.

Then cometh he forth wyth hys other chapyter that a trewe member of Chrystes chyrche synneth not, and is yet

for all that a synner. whiche chapiter besydes that it is but [ A] a fonde rydle, with nothynge but a hepe of folysshe here∣syes as I haue proued: yet is it also towarde the mater, that is to wytte whiche is the churche, nothyng to the pur∣pose at all / for as moche as thoughe he sayeth that they can do no dedely synne, yet he confesseth that they may do suche horryble dedes as muste nedes make them be taken for the chyldren of the deuyll.

After commeth his other goodly rydle, that a chrysten man can nat erre and howe he may yet erre. And therein he telleth vs as I haue before shewed you, y^t the electes can nat erre in y^e promyses of god / & as for all other errours, none can (he sayeth) be dampnable to theym, thoughe the contrary of theyr errour be wrytten in the very gospell.

By whiche doctryne of hys ye may se, that errours of [ B] doctryne in maner of liuynge Tyndale taketh for a small matter, bycause they be no promyses of god. And therfore is Tyndale nat greatly to be beleued, whan he techeth vs that freres may wedde nonnes / bicause it is no promyse of god, but a promyse of the frere to the nonne, & of y^• nonne to the frere, eche of them wedded and bedded with other, and bothe twayne wedded and bedded with the deuyll.

yet ye se well that thys chapyter yf it were all as trew•• as it is all false / proueth yet no thynge whyche is the chyr∣che. where as he sholde fayste haue proued that the electes onely be the chyrch, and then after serche whyther they can erre or not.

Then cometh he forth wyth hys other chapyter•• that the fayth whyche he hath before descrybed, is euer foughten [ C] wythall. But in y^• electes it is in suche wyse inexpugnable, y^• whē they ones haue it, it cā neuer at any tyme after fayle.

Now this great conclusyon wherof he maketh this cha¦pyter is such, that as ye se well therupon dependeth many greate maters. yet doth he not in all thys chapyter brynge forth any maner thynge for the profe, eyther reason, scryp∣ture, or other authoryte / but onely by hys owne bare word, telleth vs that it is so. Now yf he tolde vs a thynge well knowen or comenly byleued, I sholde not blame hym. But now to tell vs suche a thynge so straunge, and vnto euery man saue hym selfe so inopynable, & such as no man wold wene were lykely to be trew, & byd vs so boldely byleue it,

[ A] and saue his owne bare wurshypfull word tell vs no cause why: it is eyther a poynt of a man more authorysed then an apostle, or ellys lesse wytted then a very fole.

Fynally cometh he forth at laste wyth hys chapyter, of whyche he calleth the maner & order of our eleccyon.

Therin he telleth vs concernynge electes, and y^• order of theyr chosyng, that god doth fyrste chose them, and after calleth them, & techeth them, & maketh theym se theyr dāp∣nacyon in the lawe & mercy layed vp for them in hym, and what he wyll haue them do. And thē they chose god agayn & submytte them selfe to hys lawes to walke in them. And that thynge he sayth the man doth of necessyte, bycause his wyll can do none other / but hys wytte muste nedes se the thynges that god maketh hym se, & his wyll muste nedes [ B] agre to folow so the thynge that hys wytte s••eth.

Then he telleth vs that the mercy of god allwaye way∣teth vpon the electe / by reason wherof he can neuer so fall, but y^t he shall ryse agayne. But yet he sheweth vs forther, that for all thys the electe synketh downe somtyme, & ••al∣leth into traunces and slepes, by whyche he forgeteth hym selfe, and then doth dyuers horryble & abomynable dedes in hys slepe. But yet in all hys horryble dedes he doth no dedely synne, bycause he doth them all of fraylte and infyr∣myte, and none of them of purpose or wyllyngly. For wyl∣lyngly can he not do them, bycause he lyeth a slepe / nor in all y^• whyle hys fayth neuer fayleth at any tyme. And thys he proueth vs by thensamples of kynge Dauyd, and saynt Peter, and saynt Thomas of Inde, and the other apostles. [ C] For there was he sayth none of these that in all y^• euer we rede in the scrypture reproued in theyr dedes, as aduoutry manslaughter, not byleuyn••, forsakyng, or forsweryng of god / y^• euer was any dedely synne yet, or any faylynge of fayth at any tyme whyle they dyd it. And thys he nothynge proueth but telleth, and loketh that for the wurshyp of hys bare worde, we sholde byleue it.

And here is all Tyndals hole tale, that he hath from the begynnynge hytherto tolde vs / wherby we sholde lerne of hym whyche is the chyrche, and whyther the chyrche maye erre or not. In all whych who so loke it thorow & myne an∣swere therwith / shall well perceyue y^• he hath not in all his hole processe halfe a lefe to gyther nor almost halfe a lyne, without one great foly at y^• lest, or els a lye and an halfe.

Consyder nowe that of hys electes, whyche is of hys [ A] wordes mych a do to perceyue, they be so darke and so in∣tryked of purpose wythout any dependence or order / yet in the ende when all is gathered to gyd••r and aduysed well, thys is the hole somme, that god choseth a certayne whom he lyketh. And when he choseth them Tyndale telleth not, whyther before the worlde made, or after them selfe borne. But vnto them he sendeth forth, & calleth them, & theym he gyueth a felynge fayth, wherby they fele surely that they shall be saued, wythout any regarde of good workes / and then they chose hym agayne, & agre to walke in his lawes. But before theyr felyng fayth had, they neuer ones thynke vppon hym.

For as for any endeuour of theym selfe at goddes good mocyon towarde the fayth, they do no more he sayth then [ B] doth the chylde towarde the gettynge of hys owne father. And hys mercy wayteth euer vppon them. And theyr fayth doth neuer at any tyme fayle them / nor they do neuer sinne dedely, what horryble & abominable ••edes so euer they do.

And syth these folke that are Tyndals electes, haue or wene they haue, suche a felynge fayth, that therby they fele or ellys wene they fele that they can not be dampned / but haue here lerned of Tyndale now, that what horryble de∣des so euer they do, they can neuer do dadely synne / and be also very sure to repente, and the•• to be neuer punyshed in hell, purgatorye, nor in thys lyfe neyther. (For so farre sayth Tyndale now) but wyth a shorte repentaunce after longe lyenge in synne, sayenge ones Chryste helpe for the maner sake, as it were after a snesynge / the fre••ys may frō [ C] y^• nonnes beddes stye euen vp strayght to heuen: they may therfore be ••olde & hardy & hardly so they be, to fall to what workes they wyll. For syth theyr fayth is both full of false heresyes, & also can neuer fayle them / they may make them selfe sure you se well, that they shall be no worse parde, not when they be at the very wurste, then faythfull harlottes, faythfull auo••trers, faythfull vowbrekers, faythfull the∣uys, faythfull murdres, faythfull traytours to men, and faythfull heretykes to god.

And these be as ye se nowe Tyndalys specyall electes / whyche onely nomber by hys hygh spyrytuall doctryne, he wolde we sholde take for the chyrche.

Now good Chrysten reders yf we wolde graunte vnto

[ A] Tyndale, that all hys lyes were trew that he hath made in all thys hole proce••se of his vnto the ende: yet were he farre from the prouynge of hys pryncypall purpose, that is to tell vs and teche vs whyche is the chyrche / towarde the techynge wherof he hath no thynge ellys done, but onely gyuen vs two dyffynycyons. Of whyche so declared as they be, neyther nother is suffycyent for hys purpose / and yet the secunde mych lesse then the fyrste.

For where as in the fyrste he defyneth it to be onely the electys, in whose hartes god hath wryten hys lawe wyth hys holy spyryte, and gyuen them a felynge fayth of the mercy that is in Chryste Iesu our lorde: afterwarde in the secunde he sayth that it is the hole multytude of all re∣pentynge synners, that byleue in Chryst, and put all theyr [ B] truste and confydence in the mercy of god / felynge in theyr hartes that god for Chrystes sake loueth them, and wyll be or rather is, mercyfull vnto them, and forgyueth them theyr synnes of whyche they repente, and all the mocyons vnto synne, of whyche they fere that they shall be drawen into synne agayne / and thus they byleue and fele wythout any respecte of theyr owne deseruynge, ye and for none other cause, then that the mercyfull trouth of god the fa∣ther whyche can not lye, hath so promysed and sworne,

Now ye remember that Tyndale hath put you by the waye, two specyall greate heresyes. One that who so euer after baptysme ••ynneth ones of purpose and wyllyngly, shall neuer haue remyssyon after. The tother, that who so haue onys hys felynge fayth, can neuer synne dedely [ C] after.

Lette vs now se in the ende, besyde that these heresyes of hys be all redy otherwyse impu••ned and reproued: let vs yet forther se how hys dy••fy••ycyon of the chyrche and hys heresyes, wyll iumpre and agre to gyther amonge theym selfe.

And fyrste I aske Tyndale, whyther he that haue ones after hys baptysme synned of purpose and wyllyngly, and sette malycyousely therto / maye after by goddes helpe re∣pente agayne that euer he s•• dyd / and byleue therwithall, that he is bounden to byleue and loue god and hys neygh∣bours as god byddeth ••ym to do. Maye he after suche a synne done, do thys by go••des helpe o•• not?

Tyndale wyll peraduenture say he maye not. Then I [ A] aske hym how he proueth that. Therto peraduenture he wyll saye that the wordes of saynte Poule,* 1.112 * 1.113 It is impossy∣bl•• that they whyche haue ones ben illumyned &c. and the wo••des of oure sauyoure hym selfe spoken of the synne of blasphemye agaynst the holy goste, do prou•• it / whyche I wyll then denye. For those places takynge them as falsely as any heretyke can construe theym, saye yet at the vtter∣moste no more but that hys synne shall neuer be forgyuen hym / and sayth not that he shall neuer agayne repente, nor that he shall neuer well byleue, nor that he shall neuer after loue god nor hys neyghbour.

wherunto yf Tyndale wyll saye, that yf he myght come to very repentaunce and very bylyefe and loue, he n••des muste haue hys synnes remytted and be saued / and syth [ B] god sayeth he shall neuer be forgyuen, and so neuer sa∣ued, he sayth he shall ne••er so repent and byleue and loue: to that I answere Tyndale two thynges. One that god in all hys threttes reserueth hys specyall prerogatyue of hys mercy, by whyche hys absolute power is neuer bounden vnder any rule of his ordina••y iustyce. Secundely I say, that for as myche as those wo••des be ••ynatory and thret∣tes they be all of trouth none ••••herwy••e to be vnderstan∣den, then excepte he repent. As god hym selfe playnely ex∣pouned 〈…〉〈…〉 suche wo••••es by the mouth of hys owne holy proph••te Ezechiel / saynge•• Thoug•• I sholde saye to a synner,* 1.114 thou shalte dye / and the same ••ynner repent hym of hys synne, and deale iustely and ryghtuousely, and de∣lyuer agayne the pledge, and make restytucyon of the ••o••∣bery [ C] th•••• he hath commy••••ed, and walke in the commaun∣dementes of lyfe, and 〈…〉〈…〉 vn••yght••ouse thyng: he shall lyue in lyfe, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall 〈…〉〈…〉. Of all hys synnes none shall be layed to hys charge•• He 〈◊〉〈◊〉 delte iustely, and ryght••∣ously he shall lyue in lyfe.

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[ A] ye, he destroyeth hys heresye / for then he graunteth that he whyche after baptysme sinneth malycyousely, maye for all that be saued. If he saye nay, then he destroyeth hys dyffy∣nycyon / for then maye there be some repentaunte synners wyth all that euer in hys dyffynycyon foloweth, and yet they shalbe none of the chyrche of hys electes.

And thus muste eyther his heresye distroye hys diffini∣cyon, or his diffinicion muste destroy his heresye. Of wh••∣che twayne yet it wyll be more honestie for hym to kepe his diffinicyon styll, whervpon all his whole mater hangeth / and let his heresy go to the deuyll y^t gaue it to hym / & than vnderstande those places of scripture whervpon the deuill taught hym to grounde it, that eyther the blasphemye a∣gaynste the holy goost is finall impenitence, and the tother [ B] no restytucyon by the penaunce to the reuocacyon of bap∣tysme / or els that the sore wordes of the both places after a certayne vehement maner of speche vsed in holy scripture, somtyme signifyeth onely great hardenes and difficultie, & nat as hym selfe techeth vs, an vttre impossybilyte of re∣myssyon. But nowe let vs se howe hys diffinicyon wyll stande with his seconde heresye.

you se well and perceyue, that in his seconde diffinicion he restrayneth his electe churche, vnto onely repentaunte synners that beleue as hym selfe sheweth you.

And than hathe he confessed vnto you, that his chosyn electes plainly do somtyme abominable dedes / whiche de∣des yet they repent nat alwaye, tyll the rage be paste / and tyll as Tyndale saieth y^t they ha••e played out their lustes / [ C] ye and somtyme to, tyll the ••olde feare of dethe turne them to gyue an eare to good counsell. Nowe se you than very well, that they be by Tyndals seconde diffinicyon, all this whyle expressely put out of ••he churche, tyll they repente agayne. And than consyder ferther, howe farre agaynste all reason.

ye remembre very well I wote well, that he techeth vs playnly, that none of hys electes dothe at any tyme synne dedely, thoughe theyr dedes be neuer so horryble and abo∣mynable, bycause of theyr felynge faythe whiche can ney∣ther at any tyme fayle, nor suffre any of theyr horryble de∣des, to be dedely synne. And therfore are they consequent∣ly neuer out of the fauoure of god, nat euen in the tyme

wherein they do theyr horryble and abom ynable dedes, [ A] and before the repentynge of them, whiche may be ye wote well many tymes longe betwene. In all whiche tyme they be by Tyndall out of all dedely synne / and therfore good folke and faythefull and goddes good chyldren styll.

And therfore syth they be so / wherefore dothe Tyndale that is in some places so angery with y^t catholyke churche, for the puttynge out of euyll folke by excommunicacyon / excōmunicate good folke now & put out of his elect church hym self & faythfull / and finally suche as thoughe they be fallen a slepe in lechery, thefte, sacrilege, inceste, & murdre, stande yet hyghly styll in goddes especiall grace & fauour.

Nowe the fautes that are commune to bothe hys diffi∣nicyons, and yet more open in the seconde than in the first / I shall nat nede to reherse you. For bothe haue I touched [ B] some of them before, and also many of theym be to euery good christen man so open at his eye, that he can nede none other way to gyue hym warnynge of them.

For where all hys electes depende vpon his felynge faythe and hys repentaunce / whyle hym selfe sheweth what false artycles he techeth his electes for theyr faythe euery good faythefull man very well feleth, that the more that Tyndals electes fele his false faythe, the lesse faythe haue they, and the more faythlesse be they.

And whan he techeth them to repent the ryght belefe of Christes sacramentes, and therein the right rule and ordre of repentaunce: euery true repentaunte persone well per∣ceyueth, that Tyndals repentaunte electes, abhorrynge from shryfte, and reiectynge the sacrament of penaunce••but [ C] if they mende and repente better, wyll in stede of pur∣gatory whiche they nowe mocke and ieste at, wepe and re∣pente in ••ell this folysshe frutelesse fassyon of theyr impe∣nitent repentaunce.

But nowe suppose that all were very well that Tyn∣dale here hath sayd / yet howe hath he with all that proued hys purpose? He hathe tolde vs that the whole multytude of his fassyoned electes is the church. But what one worde hathe he tolde vs towarde the profe? neyther reason nor one authoryte of any olde holy saynt, nor any one texte of scrypture / but onely one or twayne suche as nothynge ma∣keth for his matter, but vtterly clere agaynste hym.

[ A] And therfore thoughe we graunte vnto hym, that the whole multitude nat of his false framed electes, but of the very fynall electes, be a churche of Christ / as he dothe and muste graunte vnto vs, y^t the whole multytude of christen people nat gone out nor put out is a churche of Chryste / of whiche the churche of very electes be, though the better parte, yet a parte and but a parte, and peraduenture the lesse parte / and Tyndals electes, eyther no parte or but a parte, and the very worste parte: yet that the onely electes thoughe they be a churche, be the churche (whiche is the thynge that he shulde proue) that hathe he neyther proued nor any thinge brought effectuall towarde the profe, no more than if he neuer had ment it nor thought it.

And therfore nowe hathe he nothynge proued whyche [ B] is the churche / thoughe we wolde yet of our courtesye fer∣ther graunte hym, that all hys whole heresyes were the very faythe / and that the very electes were onely those, in whose hartes the deuill hath wrytten his lawe / or els (whi∣••he were yette farre worse) that the very electes were onely those, in whose holy hartes god hadde hym selfe so wrytten his wyll with hys holy spiryte, that they shulde thereby fele that spirituall folke shulde please god with waxynge flesshelye, and freres with weddynge nonnes / and that if they wolde be saued, they ••••ulde haue therein no respecte vnto good workes, but thinke that onely fayth in the promyse and bare repentaunce withoute shryfte or penaunce shall sufficiently saue theym / so that they beleue sure that all the seuen sacramentes serue of nothynge, but [ C] be but bare signes and tokens, and vtterly as gracelesse as them selfe are wytlesse / and specially, so that they be∣leue that the blessyd body nor blode of Christ be nat in the sacrament of the auter, nor that they do none other honour in no wyse therto, but onely beleue & remembre that there is nothynge but a me••••••yall of his passyon in a cuppe of wyne and a gobbet of cake brede / and yet in doubte and questyon whether it be brede or sterche. And than that with this godly belefe they se surely to theym selfe, y^t they serue no sayntes, but rayle vpon theyr reliques, and dispyce theyr ymages, and there with the crucifyxe to, and the holy crosse it selfe also / and than leste they myght happe to lese an hole day in goddes seriuce, kepe them selfe well & ware∣ly

frome all holy dayes, and specially (for so these here∣tykes [ A] in theyr bokes call it) from the folisshe faste of lent. And thus lyuinge, and therewith beleuynge these afore∣sayde heresyes, so fermely that they thynke verely they fele theyr false faythe with theyr very fyngers endes / be bolde than hardely, and beleue verely that theyr felynge faythe shall neuer fayle them / but at all tymes so preserue them, that they can nat onely neuer be dampned, but ouer that can neuer do dedely synne, thoughe they do neuer so many deuelysshe dedes / but for all theyr falshede, thefte, auou∣try, vowe brekynge, treason, murdre, inceste, & periurye, shall for theyr onely felynge faythe be good and faythfull false faythlesse wreches, and therfore god almyghtye hys owne mynyons styll.

And thus good christen reders, syth ye nowe playnly [ B] perceyue, that Tyndale hathe here for his owne parte no thynge proued vs that hys false framed electes, nor yet that onely the very trewe electes be the churche of Chryst in erthe, nor hathe nothynge shewed vs whiche is / & ther∣fore onely with all his longe processe, vttred and taughte his errours and his heresyes / and lefte the mater nat vn∣proued onely, but vntouched to, which he toke vpon him and professed to proue, that is to wytte wh••che is the chur∣che / but as though he had well and playnly proued it whi∣che he hathe nat so moche almoste as spoken of, leaueth of his owne parte nowe and turneth hym to impugne ours: I shall leaue hym for his parte a whyle in the myre, in whiche him selfe hathe ouerthrowen his mater / and shall shewe you shortely howe angrely he ryseth vp, and ryally [ C] rayed in dyrte, bycause he can nat proue the churche of Christe here in ••rthe to be a congregacion vnknowen, layeth hys myry handes vpon the knowen ca∣tholyke churche of Chryste, and fayne wolde pulle that downe to•• and so leaue no churche at all.

Here endethe the fourth boke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••atth. 28.
• * 1.2

  Matth. 1••.
• * 1.3

  Matth. 16.
• * 1.4

  Matth. 28.
• * 1.5

  Iohā. 15. Iohā. 6.
• * 1.6

  Matth. 13. Matt••. 1••••
• * 1.7

  Iohā. 6.
• * 1.8

  1. Cor. 13.
• * 1.9

  Iacobi. 2.
• * 1.10

  Io••••. 16.
• * 1.11

  1. Ti••••••••. ••.
• * 1.12

  Psalmo. 67.
• * 1.13

  Ecc••••••ias••icae. 3.
• * 1.14

  ••uc••. 11.
• * 1.15

  M••t••••. 1••.
• * 1.16

  ••uc••. 1••.
• * 1.17

  Roma. 8.
• * 1.18

  Psalmo. 10••.
• * 1.19

  Matthei. 25.
• * 1.20

  Matt••. 25.
• * 1.21

  Matt••. 25.
• * 1.22

  1. Timoth. 5.
• * 1.23

  Iohā. vltimo.
• * 1.24

  Matth. 18.
• * 1.25

  Lucae. 10.
• * 1.26

  Matthei. 3.
• * 1.27

  Roma. 6
• * 1.28

  1. Cor. 13.
• * 1.29

  1. Timoth. 5.
• * 1.30

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.31

  Matth. 16.
• * 1.32

  Mat••he••. 8.
• * 1.33

  Ap••calip. ••.
• * 1.34

  Hebr••. 6.
• * 1.35

  Eccle••iastae. 11.
• * 1.36

  1. ••••r. 1••.
• * 1.37

  Rom••. ••••
• * 1.38

  1. Timo••••. 5.
• * 1.39

  2. Timo••••. 2••
• * 1.40

  Hebrae. 6.
• * 1.41

  Ezec•••••••••• 1••.
• * 1.42

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.43

  Ezechiel. 33.
• * 1.44

  Ioh••̄. ••.
• * 1.45

  1. I••••••. 5
• * 1.46

  Ezechiel. 18.33.
• * 1.47

  Roma. 11.
• * 1.48

  1. Cor. 1••.16.
• * 1.49

  Psalmo. 32.33.
• * 1.50

  1. Iohā. 5
• * 1.51

  1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• * 1.52

  1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.53

  Matt••••••. ••.
• * 1.54

  2. C••r. 12.
• * 1.55

  Psalmo. 140.
• * 1.56

  1. Corint••. 1••.
• * 1.57

  2. Corint••. 12.
• * 1.58

  1. Corint••. ••.
• * 1.59

  Matth. 16.
• * 1.60

  Lucae. 7.
• * 1.61

  Matth. 17.
• * 1.62

  Genesis. 22.
• * 1.63

  Matth. 28.
• * 1.64

  Iohā. 16.
• * 1.65

  Lucae. 22.
• * 1.66

  Matth. 28.
• * 1.67

  Ad Titum. 4.
• * 1.68

  Ac••uū. 2.
• * 1.69

  Lucae. 10.
• * 1.70

  Matth. 28.
• * 1.71

  Iohā. 16.
• * 1.72

  Matth. 2••.
• * 1.73

  Iohā. 1••.
• * 1.74

  L••cae. 10.
• * 1.75

  1. Timoth. 1.
• * 1.76

  1. Corinth. 15.
• * 1.77

  Iob. 24.
• * 1.78

  2. Corinth. 6.
• * 1.79

  Iohā. 6
• * 1.80

  Marce. 1.
• * 1.81

  Iacobi. 1.
• * 1.82

  1. C••rm••••. 4.
• * 1.83

  Roma. 8.
• * 1.84

  Hebrae. 11.
• * 1.85

  M••tth. ••••.
• * 1.86

  Matth. 1••.
• * 1.87

  Matth. 7.
• * 1.88

  Apoca••••••. ••••.
• * 1.89

  Lucae. 18.
• * 1.90

  1. Corin••h. 4.
• * 1.91

  Matt••. ••••.
• * 1.92

  1. Corinth. 10.
• * 1.93

  Ioh••. 26.
• * 1.94

  Lucae. 15.
• * 1.95

  Ga••a. 5.
• * 1.96

  2. Reg••m•• 12
• * 1.97

  Roma. 10.
• * 1.98

  Matth. 10.
• * 1.99

  1•• Corinth. ••.
• * 1.100

  Iohā. 12
• * 1.101

  Matthei. 10.
• * 1.102

  Iohā. 19.
• * 1.103

  Lucae. 24.
• * 1.104

  Ac••uū. 9.
• * 1.105

  Maici. 16
• * 1.106

  Iacobi. 2.
• * 1.107

  1. Corinth. 13.
• * 1.108

  Gala. 5.
• * 1.109

  Matth. 2••.
• * 1.110

  Lucae. 12.
• * 1.111

  Ma••ci. 8.
• * 1.112

  Mat••hei. 17.
• * 1.113

  Hebr••. 6.
• * 1.114

  Ezechiel. 33.