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 syxte boke, [ A] (Book 6)

The defence of the fyrst argument agaynste Tyndale.

Tyndale.

T••e argumentes wherwith the pope wolde proue hym selfe the chyrche are solued.

More.

THys is the tytle of hys chapyter, wherin he descēdeth by degrees as ye se, ferther downe from hys purpose thenne euer he dyd before. For where as before in stede [ B] of the whole catholyke chyrche, he descē¦ded to the clergy alone, whych is but the tone parte: here he leueth all them to / & maketh as though men called the whole catholyke chyrche no mo but the pope hym selfe / that is to wytte an whole greate maigne multytude of many sundry states, maners, condycyons, and kyndes, no moo but one man alone. Is not thys ge••e by Tyndale well and comely deuysed?

And yette forthwyth to shewe hys forther constaunce, when he commeth to the mater selfe / he turneth it agayne fro the pope alone, to the whole company of the clergye / dyssymulyng alway styll the temporal••ye, as though there were of them neyther man nor woman of the chyrche. wher [ C] in I wolde haue excused hys one falshed by hys other, and wolde haue sayd that he ment accordynge to hys heresye, that in the clergye were all togyther cōteyn••d, bycause he maketh euery man and euery woman bothe a preste. But that excuse he taketh awaye hym selfe / and that euyn by & by, when in the next wordes folowynge, he declareth that he speketh of no mo then onely suche as be so shamelesse, that they suffer them selfe to be shauen. For in thys wyse lo the wyse man begynneth.

Tyndale.

Nothwithstandynge a•• bycause as they be all shauen, so they be all shame∣les••e, to afferme that they be the ryght chyrche / and can not erre, though all t••e wo••lde seeth that n••t one of them is in the ryght waye. And that they

[ A] haue with vttre dif••yaunce forsaken bothe the doctryne and the lyuynge of Chryste, and of all his apostels / let vs se the sophestrye wherewith they wolde perswade it. One of theyr hyghe re••sons is this.

More.

Lo syr here Tyndale affirmeth that lyke wyse as all the clergy be shauen, so they be all shamelesse / & therfore hathe his mayster Martyn Luther let his crowne growe, and lyeth with a nonne to lerne of his lemman some very may∣denly shamefastnes. But nat tyll her here was wel growen agayne, ye muste vnderstande / for she was before for lacke of her heare as shamele••se as Luther ye wote well.

But nowe why be all the shauen clergy shamelesse sayth Tyndale? Bycause they affirme that they be the ryghte churche. Nowe whan Tyndale knoweth well that we [ B] speke of the catholyke churche. And than here dissimuleth that the clergye so calleth the ryght churche of Christ / and that they call the hole catholike chyrch nat thē selfe alone•• but them selfe and the temporaltie to gether, as Tindall may well lerne by euery poore freres prayour y^e preche••h: eyther hath Tyndale shauen his ••rowne agayne•• or elles is there as god wolde one yet vnshauen as shameles as any that was shauen this seuen yere.

But yet whan he goeth farther, and sayeth that all the whole worlde seeth that of the whole clergye beynge all shauen, there is nat one of them all in the ryght waye•• but that they haue all euerychone with vttre defiance forsaken bothe the doctryne and the lyuynge of Christe and all h••s apostels: I verely beleue in good faythe, that Tyndale [ C] shall scantely fynde any one so shamelesse amonge h••s owne sorte, that is to say amonge all the sectes of here••y∣kes, but that wyll confesse vppon hys conscyence, that Tyndale here lyeth out of all measure shamefully.

And whan he hathe about the profe of thys poynte be∣stowed all redy hys whole chapyter afore, wherein he c••me forth perdy with his fyue egges / & after a great face made of a great feste, supped them all vp hym selfe without an•• salte / for all his gestes that he bode to supper, myght smell them so roten that they supped of the sauour). Nowe to come forthe agayne with the same tale, and set vs to the same table at supper agayne, with neyther bredde nor drynke, fless••e, fysshe, nor frute / This man well decla∣reth vs that thoughe he be nat shauen, but haue his h••are

of hys vnshavyn crowne growen out at greate lengthe in [ A] despyghte of prestehed, and lyke an Iseland•• curre lette hange ouer hys eyen / yet hath the man as myche shame in hys face, as a shotten herynge hath shrympes in her tayle.

For surely yf there were any one sparke of shame in his whole body, it wolde sette hys face a fyre to speke amonge chrysten men, that other folke are out of the ryghte waye / when he woteth well that hys wrytynge sheweth in what wronge waye hym selfe is, how farre fallen frome Crystes holy techynge, wyth hys bestely doctryne, vnder name of matrymony to cowple to gyther freres and nunnes in le∣chery / and hys abomynable mockynge of Crystes owne blessed body.

But now bycause he speketh of our sophystrye: let vs consyder how substancyally the man soyleth the fyrste rea∣son, [ B] that he wolde were rekened so lyghte. And I truste ye shall se that one reason somwhat better then all hys hole fyue were, which I haue answered in the next boke before.

Tyndale.

One of t••••yr hyghe reasons is, The chyrche saye they was before the herety∣••es, and the heretykes came euer out of the chyrche and lefte it / & they were before all them whiche they now call heretykes and Lutherans, and the Lu¦therans came out of them &c. wherfore they be the ryghte chyrche, and the other heretykes in dede as they ••e called. well I wyll lyke wyse dyspute. Fyrste the ryght ch••rche was vnder Moses & Aaron and so forth, in whose r••ume•• satte the Scrybes & Pharysees and hygh prestes in the tyme of Crist / and they were before Cryste / and Cryste and his apostles came out of theym and departed from them and lefte them: wherfore the Scrybes Pharysees & hygh prestes, were the ryght chyrche, and Cryste and his apostles and dis••y∣••ses [ C] heret••kes and a damnable secte. And so the ••ewes are yet in the ryghte waye, and we in errour. And of trouth yf theyr ••••ynde reason be good then is this argument so to. For they be lyke, and are b••the one thynge.

More.

Now good chrysten reader, thys reason that Tyndale so ryally s••offeth out, wyth a lyke argument of hys owne makynge / he telleth you not where he redde. But it well appereth that he hath redde it in other mennes bokes be∣syde myne / for ellys he wolde not saye one of theyr hyghe reasons, but one of hys hyghe reasons yf he toke the reasō but for myne alone.

But thys is hys fasshyon lo in all thynges / he maketh as though he mocke but men of these later dayes / whyche

[ A] latter dayes hym selfe calleth yet eyght hundred yere and more. But he mocketh in dede those olde holy doctours, whiche dyed and some were martyred aboue a thousande yere agone.

For ye shall vnderstande that this reason whiche Tyn∣dale so scornefully reherseth, and wolde seme to shake of so lyghtly / was nat only made by me in my dyaloge, but also before my dayes by dyuers good and great connyng men. And amonge other, thys reason that Tyndale in scorne calleth an hyghe reason / was made by that great fa••ous doctourand hyghe gloryous martyr saynte Cyprian, a∣gaynste Nouatiane and fortunacian, and other heretykes and scysmatykes, in and before his dayes.

Nowe is saynt Cyprian a man of suche authoryte, that [ B] the greate holy doctour saynte Austayne, alledgeth as reuerently saynt Cyprian as any man now alledgeth saint Austyne.

And thys reason that Tyndale nowe derydeth and mocketh / saynt Cyprian thought so sure, specially so fur∣nysshed with scryptures as he sette hit forthe, that he vseth it nat ones or twyse / but in sondry places so often agaynst heretykes, that it maketh me euyn sory to se howe sore god suffred that good saynte to be deceyued, yf an heretyke myght nowe by a lyke formed argumente lo shortely and so shamefully shake hys reason of.

But I wyll nat do saynt Cyprian so moche dishonour, as to sette hym to dispute with Tyndale. But syth Tyn∣dale and I be somwhat more metely matches. He & I shal [ C] therfore betwene vs twayne fyrst dispute and discusse / and than you good christen reders shall after discerne & iudge, whether the reason that he reherseth and the reason that he maketh, by whiche as by the lyke he wolde fayne seme to soyle it, be as he sayeth they be, bothe lyke and bothe one or not.

For the better perceyuynge wherof, ye shall vnderstāde that where as in my dyaloge I had proued fyrste that the churche of Christe here in erthe, shall euer endure and con∣tynue as longe as the worlde shall laste / whiche thynge is I doubte nat in suche wyse proued there, that Tyndale dare nat hym selfe denye it here: I than in the secōde boke dyd after proue, that the knowen catholike church is that same churche / and none of all the sectes of heretykes, by∣cause

all they be come out of it / and that therfore all they [ A] be but braunches cut of or broken of frome thys vyne of Crystes mystycall body the knowen catholyke chyrche / & that syth they be from the stocke, they therfore drye vp and wythere awaye, and ware worth no thynge, nor mete for no thynge but worthy for the fyre.

And so thys reasō that Tyndale here reherseth, I there laye forth and declare with dyuerse places of scrypture / by whyche I proue at good length thorow all the seconde cha¦pyter, that suche as go out of thys knowen catholyke chyr¦che, be and alwaye haue ben the heretykes, and for herety∣kes be declared by the very scripture it self. wherof I there by some places, as some suche as saynte Cypryane sayeth hym self / how be it of trouth not all the places of scrypture that he layeth for that purpose, bycause I had not at that [ B] tyme redde and marked saynt Cypryane vpon that poynt.

Now commeth Tyndale and barely reherseth my rea∣son, dyssymulynge after hys accustumed fasshyon all that euer I layed forth for the profe. Of all whyche thynges neyther in hys answere here whych he calleth hys solucyō, nor afterwarde when he cometh to the place in hys perty∣cular answerys vnto euery chapyter in order, he neuer ma¦keth any maner mēcy on / but when he cometh to my secōde boke, goeth fro the fyrste chapyter to the thyrde, as though the prenter had lefte the secunde vnprynted.

Is not this fashyō a playne cōfession of his ignoraūce, and that he was at hys wyttes ende, and sawe not what to saye vnto it. And bycause he lefte all my profe of my reason vntouched / he durst not here for shame speke of my name, [ C] nor be a knowen that he redde that reason in my boke / lest men sholde loke for it, and spye that I ••adde so proued it, that Tyndale durst not med••e wyth my prouys.

How be it sauynge that it hadde bene more wysedome for hym to haue dyssymuled and lette a lone all the whole mater / els dyd he more wysely then to haue wrestled wyth that chapyter, out of whyche he shall neuer be able to wade whyle he lyueth / y^• reason I am sure is in it selfe so strōge, before made by saynt Cypryane as I sayde and some other mo, other maner men then Tyndale or I be eyther.

And in good fayth, I neuer loked that euer I shold ha∣ue fownden any man so folysshe as to wene that he were able to soyle it wyth thys argument that Tyndale here

[ A] frameth for a lyke / or that any man were so blynde of wyt as to wene that those two argumentes were lyke.

For remembre nowe good reder, that the churche of Christ must as I haue in my dyaloge proued by scripture, laste and contynue for euer, and christes church can be bu•• one. whervpon it must nedes folowe, that there can none go out of hit to begynne any newe churche of Christe. But those therfore that go out therof, muste nedes be churches of heretykes.

Than muste Tyndale if he make his reason, lyke myne make the ••ynagoge of the Iewes lyke to the churche of Christe, in perpetuitie of lastynge and contenuaunce vpon erthe / or elles shall his argument and hys ensample be as like to myne as I wyste ones a gentyll woman make vnto [ B] her husbande, whyche longed sore to teche her and make her perceyue the treatyse of the spere / & byddynge her con∣syder well what he shulde shewe her. And fyrste he began at the erthe / and to make her perceyue that the erthe han∣geth in the myddes of the worlde by the payse and weyght of hym selfe, and the ayre compasynge the water and the erthe rounde about on euery syde: ye muste quod he lerne and marke well this, that in the whole worlde hygher and lower, is nothynge elles but vtter and in••er / so that of the whole worlde, erth, water, ayre, and all the speres aboue, beyng eche in a rounde compace ouer other, the erthe ly••th in the very myddes, and as we myght say in the wombe•• & that is of the whole worlde from euery parte the innermost place / and from it vpon all sydes towarde the heuen as it [ C] is outwarde, so is hygher / so that as I tell you in y^e whole worlde all is one hygher and more outwarde, lower and more inwarde. And therfore the erthe syth he is in the very myddes, that is the most inwarde place of y^e whole world / he is therfore in the lowest for of the whole worlde / the innest is as I tolde you the lowest. And than syth the erth lyeth in the lowest / hys owne weyght ye wote well muste nedes holde hym there / bycause ye perceyue your selfe that no heuy thing can of hym selfe ascende vpwarde. And than the erthe lyenge all redy in the lowest place / if he shulde fall out of place on any syde, lyke as he shulde fall frome the inner parte to the vtter / so shulde he fall fro the lower place into the hygher. And that ye wote well it can nat, bycause it is heuy. And therfore ymagen that there were an hole

bored euyn thorow the whole erthe / yf there were a mylle [ A] stone throwē d••wen down here on thys syde from our fete, it shulde fynally reste and remayne in the very myddes of the erth. And though the hole go thorow / yet y^• stone could not fall thorow / bycause that from the myddes as it sholde go outwarde from the innermoste parte, so s••old it (whych a myll stone maye not do) ascende hygher from the toweste place / bycause as I tolde you in the whole whorlde vppon euery syde to go outwarde frome the innermoste, is ascen∣dynge / & to go inward from the vttermore is descendyng / & euer the vtter parte is on euery syde of the whole round worlde the hygher, and the inner part the lower.

Now whyle he was tellynge her thys tale, she nothyng wente about to consyder hys wordes / but as she was wont in all other thynges, studyed all the whyle nothynge ellys, [ B] but what she myghte saye to the contrary. And whan he hadde wyth mych worke and ofte interruptynge, brought at laste hys tale to an ende, well quod ••he to hym as Tyn∣dale sayth to me, I wyll argue lyke and make you a lyke sample. My mayde hath yender a spynnynge whele / or els bycause all your reasō resteth in the roūdenes of the world, come hyther thou gyrle, take out thy spyndle and brynge mo hyther the whar••e. Lo syr ye make ymagynacyons I can not tell you what. But here is a wharle and it is rounde as the worlde is / and we shall not nede to yma∣gyn an hole bored thorow, for it hath an hole bored thorow in dede. But yet bycause ye go by ymagynacyons / and I wyll ymagyne wyth you. ymagyne me now y^t this wharle were tene myle thycke on euery syde, & thys hole thorowe [ C] it styll / & so great that a myll stone myghte well go thorow it: now yf the wharle stode on the tone ende, & a myll stone were throwen in aboue at the tother ende, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wolde go no forther than the myddes trowe you? By god yf one threwe in a stone no bygger thā an egge / I wene yf ye stode in the neyther ende of the hole fyue myle byneth the myddes, it wolde gyue you a patte vpon the pate that it wolde make you clawe your hed, and yet shold ye fele none itche at all.

It were to longe a tale to tell you all theyr dyspycyons. For wordes wold she none haue lacked, though they shold haue dysputed the space of seuyn yere. But in conclusyon, bycause there is no mo wordes but one wherby he myghte gyue her a trewe sample, nor she could not perceyue the dif∣ference

[ A] bytwene the worlde & the wharle / but wolde nedes haue them lyke and bothe one, bycause bothe were rounde: her husbande was fayne to put vp hys speere, and leue his wyfe her wharle, and fall in takynge of some other mater.

Nowe playeth Tyndale euyn the same parte with me / and maketh an argument and a sample of the sinagoge, as lyke to the churche of Chryste for the poynte that we speke of, that is concernynge our sauyour with his apostels go∣ynge out of the synagoge of the Iewes, and chrysten peo∣ple goynge out of the churche of Christ / as the wharle was lyke the worlde, concernynge the stone to go thorowe the wharle, & the stone to fall thorowe the erthe, or the whole erthe to fall into the mone whan the sonne were ouer oure hedes and the mone on the tother syde in the contrarye [ B] sygne.

For I thynke that no man wyll desyre to haue it proued that the chyrche or Synagoge of the Iewys was not or∣dayned to laste for euer / but to ceace and gyue place vnto Chryste at hys commynge / and that he sholde then in stede of the synagoge of the Iewys, begynne and contynue hys chyrche bothe of Iewys and Gentyls / and that then sholde be of the Iewys peculyar chyrche & peculyar lawes and sacramentes and ceremonyes an ende / and that the chyrche of Chryst as longe as the world sholde laste, s••olde neuer haue ende. Nor no man wyll I suppose desyre to haue it proued, that the chyrche of Chryste can be but o••e. For these thynges are good reder not onely in euery parte of scrypture so plentuousely proued, but also amonge all [ C] chrysten people so playnely byleued & so comenly knowen, that I shall not nede to spende any tyme in the profe.

Now these thynges beynge thus / consyder good chry∣sten reader how lyke these two reasons are to gyther, Tyn¦dales I mene and myne / whyche two Tyndale sayth be not onely lyke, but also be bothe one.

Chryst and hys apostles and saynt Iohn̄ baptyste went out of the chyrche or synagoge of the Iewys / bycause the tyme was come in whyche by goddes owne ordynaunce, the Iewys chyrche or synagoge sholde haue an ende. And therfore Luther, Tyndale, Huyskyn, and Swynglyus be gone out of the catholyke chyrche of Chryst, whiche whyle the world endureth, is ordayned of god to haue none ende.

Also Chryste & hys apostles went as god had ordayne••

out of the olde chyrche to begynne a new / bycause the olde [ A] muste by goddes ordynaunce be lefte of and chaunged. And therfore Luther, Tyndale, Huyskyn, and Suinglius be gone out of the olde chyrche to begynne a new / bycause the olde chyrche by goddes ordynaunce, shall neuer be left of in erth, nor neuer no new bygonne.

Also Cryst and his apostles went out of the olde chyrch to begynne one new chyrche of all people agreynge in one fayth ether wyth other. And therfore Luther, Tyndale, Huyskyn, and Suinglius, be gone out of the olde chyrch, to begynne a great many new dyuers chyrchers, of whych neuer one shold agre with other / nor almost in any of them any one man wyth other.

Fynally Chryste went wyth hys apostles out of the old chyrche to begynne a newe, that was prophecyed to be a [ B] perpetuall chyrche wythout ende, agaynste whych the ga∣tes of hell sholde neuer preuayle.* 1.1 And Luther, Tyndale, Huyskyn, and Suinglius, be gone out of the olde chyrche to begynne a great many newe, whych are all prophecyed by Chryste and hys apostles to be starke heretykes / & that none of them all shall endure and laste no more than hath done the chyrches of Arrius, Heluidius, Pelagian, or Ma¦nicheus, wyth fourty suche sectys mo. All whome the very gates of hell haue so preuayled agaynste / that they haue gotten them in and shette them faste in and fast kepe them in wyth the dampned deuels wyth flame and fyre in the depe dongeon of hell.

And thus haue I nowe good chrysten readers shewed you so many playne dyfferences bytwene Tyndals reason [ C] and myne, whyche twayne he sayeth be bothe one / that I wene he wyll not shewe you so many dyfferences bytwene hym selfe and a sole / and yet he wyll not saye that they be bothe one.

But now shall you ferther se, that the ferther he wadeth on in hys solucyon, the deper he synketh in to the mudde, and the faster he stycketh in the myre. For lo thus he wa∣deth on.

Tyndale.

But in as myche as the kyngedome of god st••ndeth not in wordes, as Poule sayth. 1. Cor. 4. but in power: therfore loke vnto the mary and pyth of the thynges selfe, and let vayne wordes passe.

[ A] More.

Uery well remembred lo. For there is one dyfference more bytwene Tyndals reason and myne / whyche dyffe∣rence sauynge that Tyndale here putteth vs in remem∣braunce, I hadde ellys almoste forgoten. And that is, that as he putteth me well in mynde, the kyngedome of god is not in wordes but in power.

Now dyd Chryst therfore and hys apostles, proue theyr departynge to be lawfull from the chyrche or synagoge of the Iewys, not by bare wordes onely, but also by myghte and power in workynge of many wonderfull myracles for the profe therof.

And on the tother syde, Luther, Tyndale, Huyskyn & Suinglius, proue theyr departynge frome the catholyke [ B] chyrche, to be lawfull by bare wordes and babelyng onely, wythout any power of myracles at all. In stede of whyche power to be shewed for them by goddys hande, they haue assayed to gete helpe and power of the deuyll by y^e myghte of mannes hande, in raysynge of sedycyon, stryfe, debate, and warre, amonge rebellyouse and vnruly people / by whyche many a thousande haue bene in few dayes kylled and slayne, and the far moste harme fynally fallen vppon theyr owne heddys. And Suingli{us} theyr chyefe capytayne vnto whome Tyndale swarued from Luther, bycause his heresye ferther blasphemeth the blessed sacrament / was ta¦ken, slayne, and burned / and many by that meane returned from theyr heresyes vnto the trewe fayth agayne. And yet god hath not done / but what harme so euer such heretykes [ C] as goddes scourge be suffred to worke for the whyle, hys mercy shall not fayle in conclusyon,* 1.2 both to prouyde for the perpetuall saufgarde of hys catholyke chyrche (whyche he hath promysed neuer to forsake / but though he vysyt theyr iniquytees wyth the rodde of correccion, yet hys grace and good wyll he hath warraunted neuer to take from theym) and also shall of hys goodnes turne agayne frome theyr errours, some suche as those malycyouse archeheretykes deceyue / and them whose malyce he shall fynde vncurable he shall as an olde noughty rodde, before the face of hys faythfull chyldren of hys catholyke chyrche, when he hath beten and corrected them therwith, do as the tēder mother doth, breke y^e rodde in peces & caste it in the fyre. But nowe shal you se how Tindale goth forth, & declareth his soluciō

Tyndale. [ A]

Vnder Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, was the chyrche greate in fayth and small in numbre. And as it encreased in numbre, so it decreased in fayth vn∣tyll the tyme of Moses. And out of those vnbeleuers god stered vp Moses, and brought then vnto the ryght fayth agayne. And Moses left a gloryous chyrche, and in fayth and clea••ynge vnto the worde of god / and dely••ered them vnto Iosu••h, ••leaz••••, Phineas, and Cale••. But as soone as the ••enera∣cyon of them that sawe the myracles of god were dede / they fell to ••••olatrye immedyatly, as thou seyste in the byble. And god when he hadde delyuered them into captyuyte for to chastyse theyr wekednesse / stered them vp a pro¦phete euer more, to call them vnto hys testament ••gayne. And so he dyd well nye an hundred tymes I svppose yer Chryst came / for they neuer bode any space in the ryght fayth. And agaynste the comy••ge of Chryste, the scrybes Pharysees, Ca••ph••s, Anna, and the elders, were crepte vp in to the sete of Moses, Aaron, and the holy prophetes and patriarkes and succeded them ••i∣nal••y, [ B] and had the scrypture of god but euyn in c••ptyuyte, to make marchaū dy••e of it and to abuse it vnto theyr owne glorye and profyt. And though they kepte the people from outwarde idolatrye of worshepyng of images with the ••ethen: yet they broughte theym in to a worse inwarde idolatrye of a false faith & trust in theyr own dedes, and in vay••e tradyciōs of theyr own faynynge. And they hadde put out the sygnyfycacyons of all the ceremonyes and sacramentes of the olde testament, and taught the people to byleue in the workes selfe / and had corrupte the scrypture with ••al•• gloses. As thou mayest se in the gospell, how Chryste warneth his discyples to be warre of the seuen of the Pharises, whyche was theyr false doctryne and gl••ses. And in an other place he rebuked the scrybes and the pharises, sayenge: wo be to them, bycause they had taken awaye the keye of knowlege, and had shut vp the kyngdome of heuen, and neyther wolde entre in them selues nor suf••e them that wolde. How had they shut it vp? verely wyth theyr tradycyons and false gloses [ C] whyche they had sowed to the scrypture in playne places / and in the takynge away the meanynge of the ceremonyes and sacryfyces, and teachynge to by∣leue in the worke.

More.

Tyndale hath here made vs a longe dyscourse frome Abraams dayes vnto Chryste shewynge that euer in tyme fayth hath decayed. But he myghte for y^e purpose haue by∣gonne at Adam a greate deale a fore Abraam / and ende at the daye a dome a great whyle after Chryste.

Now it is no newe thynge amonge mo people to haue mo taught.

But what auayleth Tyndale all thys tale / proueth it any other but that yet that company was styll, the chyrche

[ A] contynued on frō the begynnyng vnto the byrth of Chryst as saynt Austayne ordrely deduceth by a seryouse goodly processe, in hys booke of the cytye of god?

Now that many tymes god punysshed them / so doth he now, & hys mercy alwaye wyll, when hys wysedome seeth it necessary•• what of all thys?

ye sayth Tyndale but he rered vp alwaye prophetes in dyuerse tymes, an hundred to turne theym home in to the ryght waye agayne. Be it that he sent so many / what hel∣peth thys vnto Tyndals mater? For well we wote that all the fautes of the people for whyche they were punysshed, and agaynst whyche god sent so many prophetes to prech, were not euer more idolatrye / but somtyme other synnes,* 1.3 & specyally the synne of the flesshe for whych the hole world [ B] was wesshed wyth Noes floode to purge the fylth therfro / and Sodome and Gomor burned vp wyth brymstone for the foule synne of the flesshe agaynst y^e nature of the flessh. And now god wyll I fere fynde out yet some newe more horryble turment to punisshe and reueng the fylthy sty••ke of the flesshely caryn•• that hath caste his cou••agyouse cor∣rupcyon so farre agaynste god hym selfe, that freres bre∣kynge theyr vowys and wedded wyth nonnys, be so sha∣melesse to bycome prechers, & fynde wreched bestely people to bere it, and be content therwyth.

But now that god raysed vp so many prophetes to call the people home / what fyndeth Tyndale for hys purpose therin? Fyndeth he that god raysed any suche as Luther•• Suinglius, Huysken, and hym selfe, that to call men from [ C] lechery become lechours, and abyde therby and to call men from erroure become heretykes, & exhorte men to heresye-Dyd god sende any suche? yf he dyd, lette Tyndale tell vs one. If he dyd not / wherof serueth hys processe of his hun∣dred prophetes?

Also god punysshed his peole / and then sent his prophe¦tes, not to make sedycyone and sectes amonge hys people, but to gouerne and lede hys whole flocke and hys whole people to gether. As he caused Moyses to cōuaye hys hole people out of Egypte / and the other prophetes, iudges, & prestes after, in to the lande of byheste. was there euer any of those heretykes whom the catholyke chyrche hath from the begynnynge condempned, that euer so dyd? Let Tyn∣dale name vs one.

Then yf he wyll saye that euery prophete dyd not so, [ A] but some dyd as he doth and suche other as we call herety¦kes, as wrongfully as yf we called an••w a shepe / that is to saye they dyd call vppon the people, and wynne in some agaynste the mynde of the multytude and of the prestes & prynces: I saye that those prophetes agreed in theyr fayth and preched a lyke. and then can not Tyndale and hys cō∣panyons whome we call heretykes, be any suche prophe∣tes sent vs by god, sythe of these neuer one agreeth wyth an other.

Besydes thys, those olde prophetes proued them self by myracles to be messengers sent frome god. But Luther, Tyndale, Huyskyn, and Suinglius, shew no myracles at all to shew them selfe messengers sent by god but by theyr euyll doctryne clerely proue them selfe messengers sent by [ B] the deuyll.

And fynally as farre as the chyrche or synagoge of the Iewys was decayed in fayth, or good lyuynge decayed by the false doctryne or false glos••s of the scrybes and phary∣sees, Cayphas, Anna, and thelders / whyche were as Tyn∣dale sayth crepte vp into the seate of Moyses, Aaron, and the holy prophetes and patryarche agaynst the commyng of Chryste / and whom Chryste for theyr false doctryne dyd rebuke: yet confesseth Tyndale hym selfe, that they kepte the people frome outwarde idolatrye of worshyppynge of idols wyth the hethen.

And Tyndale muste confesse ferther, that neyther scry∣bes nor pharysees, nor preste, nor elders, as he calleth them no nor yongers neyther yf he wyll haue all the temporalty [ C] called yōgers, as he wyll haue all the clergy called elders / were not euyn at y^• tyme all of one sorte / but as there were many naughte of euery sorte, so was there of euery sorte ryght good folke also.

And as for theyr tradycyons and doctryne, of whyche was many vayne, some euyll & some superstycyouse, wher∣by the people amonge them toke harme in the folowynge: suche as were euyll thynges were not so fully determyned but that some were of one mynde some of other / and therin men myghte folowe the beste doctryne yf they wolde, wher in they had doctours and teachers to / and myghte yf they were desyrouse of the beste, very well decerne them concer∣nynge the glosyng of scrypture, by the olde vertuouse doc∣tours

[ A] that had in sondry ages longe before the false expo∣sicions and false doctrine of the phariseis or false scribes began, truely constred and expowned bothe the law & the prohetes / by whose exposicions they myght trye and con∣troll the false doctrine of the noughty scribes & euyll phari∣seis (for good scribes were there and good phariseis to / as by the newe testament appereth). And that there were of olde in euery age suche trewe doctours and expositours amonge the Iewis, maye well appere to euery man that considereth variaunce in the exposicions of the scripture, by the Iewis that were of olde before the byrthe of Christ, and theym that expowned it after.

And also Tyndale saith hym selfe, that betwen the tyme of Moyses and the cummynge of Christe / god styred vppe [ B] an hundred prophetes. And therfore I am sure of the re∣menaunt besyde the .xii. that we haue, he meneth for some, that kinde of doctours and expositours that I speke of or elles I wene he wyll cum shorte of his whole summe, and lacke fyue of his hundred.

And thus thoughe god dyd nat prouide so fully for the chyrche of the Iewis, as for the chyrche of Christe / as in whiche he hathe prouided and promised to dwell hym selfe for euer: yet prouided he for it so sufficiently, that they myght therin be saued and entre heuen when it were after open / and that in euyll doctrine and supersticiouse tradi∣tions, they coulde nat be dampned, if they were desirouse & diligent about theyr owne soule helthe. And al be it that bycause the thynge had than so great difficultie, that ma∣ny [ C] for lacke of sufficient diligence perisshed: god of his great mercy suffred not those noughty scribes & false pha∣riseis to continue long / but to make an easy way in which no man coulde be deceiued excepte suche as were ouer ne∣cligent or maliciouse, but shulde sone be lerned the sure truthe and vndoubted way to heuyn, sent his owne sonne to begynne a new chyrche of a new fasshion, of a nother maner of perfection / in whiche he wolde so be present and assistent for euer hym selfe and his owne holy spirite, and so teche it and so lede it into euery trouthe, that no man coulde be deceiued, but he that wold nat byleue his chi••ch / and he wolde make his chirche so open and so well knowē, that no man coulde but know hit, excepte suche as of ma∣lice wolde nat knowe hit. And yet as I say, tyll hym selfe

dyd set vp his chyrche / the sinagoge was the very chyrch / [ A] and with suche as were nat wyllyngly blynde, was kno∣wen for the very chyrche of god diuided from all the world byside, by goddes law, by gouernours of his assignement by trewe prophetes, trewe precheours and miracles, for all the false prophetes and false precheours that were therein byside. And the right faithe was lerned no where els. A••d who so had gone out of that chyrch except onely into Chri∣stes / hadde gone wronge.

And thus it appereth lo, that concernyng the synagoge euyn at the comynge of Chryst / Tyndale hath here wonne lytell grounde to buylde hys purpose vppon / but that euen there was yet at that tyme the very chyrche and a chyrche also knowen. And therfore when he goth now ferther and resembleth it vnto the knowen catholyke chyrch of Chryst [ B] though they were lyke: yet were Tyndale ouerthrowen. But now when ye shall here the remanaūt ye shall se Tyn∣dale fall euer deper and deper in the myre. For lo thus cre¦peth he forwarde lyke a crabbe.

Tyndale.

In lyke maner is the clergye crepte vp in to the sete of Chr••ste and his ••p••∣stles by succession / not to do the dedes of Chryste and his apostles, but ••or lucre onely / as the nature of the wyly f••••••e is to gete hym an hole made with an other bestes labour, and to make merchaūdyse of the people ••yth fayned wor¦des, as Peter warned vs before / and to do accordynge as Chryste and all his apost••es prophecyed, how they sholde begy••e and ••ede out of the ryghtewaye all them that dyd not loue to folow and lyue a••ter the treuth.

More.

Tyndale here good reader playnely cōfesseth hym selfe, [ C] that the clergye be those whiche (though he call it crepyng) be by succe••syon here in erth comen into the seate of Chryst and hys apostles. Now can not Tyndale nor wyll not I wote well saye naye, but that whyle Chryste entended not that hym selfe and hys apostles sholde for euer personally dwell styll here in erth conuersaunt wyth vs in lyke maner as they were whyle they lyued here among vs / and yet en∣tended that hys chyrche here in erthe sholde alwaye haue amonge them techers and prechers / syth he entended that hys chyrche sholde as Tyndale agreeth as longe laste in erthe as the worlde sholde endure / & none other hath there ben had synnys Chrystes dayes and hys apostles in chry∣stendome, but the clergye by contynuall successyon: then

[ A] hath euer the clergye of euery age bene that parte of Chry¦stes very chyrche, to whome Chryste specyally spake, spe∣keth, and euer shall speke these wordes,* 1.4 Go ye and preche the gospell to all creaturs. And also these wordes: who so hereth you hereth me / and who so dyspyseth you dyspyseth me. And these wordes also,* 1.5 who so receyue you receyueth me / and what so euer cytye receyue you not, Sodome and Gomorre shall be more easely delt wyth then that cytye in the daye of iugement.

And also sithe they must be the techers / it foloweth that they be & must be that parte of his chyrche, to which parte these wordes were also specyally spoken:* 1.6 I shal sende you the holy goost whiche shall teche you all trewthe and lede you into euery trouthe / and I am with you my selfe vnto* 1.7 [ B] the worldes ende.

For though god in these wordes promised to sende his spirite, nat into the clergy onely but into his whole catho∣lique chirche / nor to be with his clergy onely, but also with his whole catholique chirch / nor to lede his clergy only in∣to euery trouth, but the lay peple of his chirch also: yit sith he {pro}uided specially the clergye to be the prechers, of whose mouthe the lay people shulde here the trouthe / by meane of which herynge with theyr owne good endeuo••r, god wold hym selfe wryte it in the herers hartes / whiche ordre of cū∣mynge to the faith appereth plainely, by sundry places of holy scripture / as where saint Paule sayth,* 1.8 Faith is made by herynge. And how shall a man here without prechyng / And how shall a man preche but yf he be sente to preche. [ C] And than that a man m••st at the heryng do his own good endeuour, Christe saith,* 1.9 Be thou nat an vnbileuer but a byleuer. And that he thā writeth hym selfe in the hart wit∣nesseth the prophete Ieremy:* 1.10 I shal write my law in theyr hartes. In whiche place he sayth spekynge of the chirch of Christ, Euery man shall nat teche his neighbour,* 1.11 but they shall all be the scholers of god, and I shall write my lawe in theyr hartes: he meaneth nat that there shall be no pre∣chynge, for that were ye wote well contrary to the wordes of saynt Paule / but he meneth therby the techynge whiche the precher techeth, without whiche sainte Paule sheweth that they can nat ordinarily cum to the faithe, is yit no te∣chyng wherof any fru••e can cum / but if god therwith write vpon the hert, whiche he neuer faileth to do yf the party do

hys parte, and be not by hys neglygence or frowardenesse [ A] the lette.

And all be it that these wordes of the prophete be spe∣cyally spoken for the dyfference, bytwene the olde law that was called the lawe wryten, bycause that Moyses recey∣ued and delyuered the lawe by wrytynge / and the new law wherof Chryste neyther receyued nor delyuered any parte by wrytynge: yet maye those wordes well serue for thys purpose also, syth the trouth of them is also in thys poynt veryfyed / to whych trouth saynt Poule subscrybeth,* 1.12 where he sayth that no man can say and confesse our lorde Iesus but by the holy gooste.

Now these thynges I saye beynge thus, though god wryte in the hartes of euery sorte of hys catholyke chyrche as well the laye people as the clergye, as well women as [ B] men, and so teche them inwardly and l••de them into euery necessary trouth: yet syth the precher muste haue it ere he preche it / and muste preche it ere the herer here it / and the prechers by Chrystes order muste be, or at the leste wyse by Tyndals owne confessyon in dede be thorow chrystendom none but the clergye / nor of trouth hyther to none but the clergye haue be, nor as appereth by many playne places of scrypture none but the clergye maye be the ordynary my∣nystres of goddes holy wordes and sacramentes vnto the people / it muste I saye vppon Tyndals confessyon nedes folow that of all the wordes of god before remembred, why¦che so euer our sauyour sayed vnto hys whole chyrche, yet euer he sayd it pryncypally to the clergye and so by Tyn∣dals owne cōfessyon, syth that the clergy be the successours [ C] of Chryst and hys apostles / and be for the gouernaunce of Chrystes chyrche now in hys and his apostles place: Tyn¦dale is bounden by Chrystes worde to receyue them, here them, and obaye them. Aud in that he wyll not so do, but in stede of receyuynge them refuseth them, in stede of herynge them mocketh them, and in stede of obayenge them despy∣seth them and persecuteth theym, and teacheth hys false heresyes contrary to the treuth that Chryste hath by hys holy spyryt accordyng to hys owne promyse taught them: he is fallen I saye into the maledyccyon & curse of Chryst, that hath ordeyned them / and on Tindals hed falleth that ferefull worde of Cryste,* 1.13 He that hereth you hereth me, and he that despyseth you despyseth me / and he that hereth not

[ A] the chyrch, take hym for a publicane & a very painym / and in better case shall Sodome and Gomor be,* 1.14 than he shall at the day of Iugement.* 1.15 And thus hath Tyndale denoun∣ced his owne dampnacion hym selfe, plainely pursuynge vpon his owne confession.

Now if Tindale wyll paraduenture say, that it is in the clergy now as it was in the scribes & phariseis in Christes tyme / and that as they and that people were thā fallen frō the trewthe into false errours, so be now the clergy and the christen peple: I haue all redy shewed him the plaine scrip¦tures, in which god hath made many suche plentiouse pro∣mises of his assistence with his holy spirite in his chyrche, perpetually to kepe it from all dampnable errours, by te∣chynge it and ledynge it into euery trouth / that though he [ B] suffre many great piecis of people to fall out therof, and so lytle & litle the body to be minisshed & made a small flocke in comparison, till his pleasure shalbe to increace it againe yet shall he neuer neither suffer it to be distroyed / nor the flocke that remaineth how many braunches so euer the de∣uyll blow of, to be brought vnto the scarcite either of faithe or vertue, that the sinagoge of the Iewis was at Christes cummynge / though there neuer was any tyme long to ge∣ther, nor neuer shall there be / but that in Christes chyrche as longe as it dwelleth in erthe there shalbe many nought, yit shall alway the doctrine of his chyrche with which hym selfe hath alway promised to be,* 1.16 & lede it into euery trouth, be so good and so sure, that vnto those that shall be well wyllynge to lerne the trouthe, it shall alwaye be knowen [ C] where they may lerne it / & that for the clerynge of all doub∣tes and auoidyng of all errours, it shal euer be trew to say that the chyrch is as saint Paule saith,* 1.17 the pylar & the fote or groūde / that is to say the sure strengthe or fastenynge of the trouthe. And this chyrche must be that knowen catho∣lique chyrche / of whiche from age to age the scripture hath ben receiued, and the people taught / and not a chyrche vn∣knowen of onely good men or electes onely, in whiche is neither precher nor people assembled to preche vnto, nor sa¦cramentes ministred by any man as a ministre of that vn∣knowen chyrche, nor people of an vnknowen chyrch to mi∣nistre them vnto / among whom can be no suche assēble•• for no man can know where to call a nother, nor how to know another yf they cam togyther by happe.

And thus I saye that neyther can Tyndale stande by [ A] hys vnknowen chyrche, nor for his purpose suffycyently re¦semble the catholyke chyrch of Cryst vnto y^e synagoge of y^e Iewys, nor the clergye of the tone to the scrybes and pha∣ryseys of the tother / syth god gaue these two chyrches not lyke begynnyng / nor Moyses that was the lawyere & be∣gynner of the tone, was not lyke vnto Crist the begynner & lawyer of the tother / nor the promyses of god concernyng his assystēce & preseruynge, were not lyke in the tone chyr∣che & the tother. And yet by Tyndale, god had so lytell re∣garded his great promises in that point, that where as the scrybes & pharyseis had ben but a whyle in respecte, & god had sent the synagoge sundry prophetes, & Cryst hasted to come because they shold not deceyue lōge: god had suffred y^e catholyke chyrch of his own onely bygotē sonne to be as [ B] falsely deceyued & wurse to, & ferther to be ledde out of the ryght way into errours & into dāpnacyon, more then this viii.C. yere togyther, without any man sent to shewe them the ryght vnderstandyng of scrypture & the ryght way, by any such mene as the peple myghte perceyue that the man were comen frō god / but one of them alway varyenge fro the doctryne of an other and all varyenge fro the doctryne of all the sayntes, whom god had proued hys messengers by myracles / wherof these men shewed none at all, and yet the moste parte euer as they were examyned and oppossed, abiured theyr owne doctryne to. And thus as I saye Tyndale can not resēble the clergye of Crystes chyrche to the scrybes and pharyseys of the Iewys chyrche.

But yet yf Tyndale stycke so sore thereto, that he wyll [ C] nedes haue theym lyke / and whyle he can neuer proue it, wyll yet wyth greate wordes and othys happely to, bere me downe ryght styll in hande it is so: let vs to stoppe his mouth with, graunte hym for thys onys that it were so / & se than what he coulde yet gete therby, that for his purpose were well worth a flye.

Though it so were in dede / yet must Tyndale be boūdē to obaye theym perde, as ferforth at the leste as Chryste cō¦maunded the Iewys to obaye the tother.

Than yf Tyndale wyll saye that it can extende no fer∣ther, then euen barely to as farforth as they teche & preche the gospell truely / and that euery man and woman whom they teche and to whom they preche, maye saye not onely

[ A] to one of them that he constreweth the scrypture wronge & techeth the people false, but also that the same techynge of that one man beynge examyned and affermed for trewe by the whole clergye assembled to gyther, ye and by the pryn∣ces and the lordes, and by bothe the lerned and vnlerned laye people to, maye yet tell them vppon Tyndals mouth or Luthers, that they lye euerychone / & all the clergy false∣ly constreweth the scrypture, and all the temporaltye fo∣lysshely foloweth theyr construccyon / and so the tone blynd wyth malyce ledeth the tother blynde wyth foly into the dych of dampnacyon / and there they lye tomblynge to gy∣ther, whyle thys lyghtsome elect of Tyndale that shall tell all the chyrche thys tale, seeth playnely the trouth / and is illumyned by Luther, Tyndale, frere Huyskyn, or Suyn∣glius, [ B] and lawgheth the foly of all the knowen catholyke chyrche to scorne: yf Tyndale come to thys poynt, he wyll at the leste wyse euer gyue vs leue to resorte to the Iewys synagoge, wyth the scrybes and the pharyseys, to whyche he resembleth vs.

Now let vs thenne ymagyne that Tyndale as he was borne hethen and chrystened in England, so had ben borne a paynyme & cyrcumcysed in Hierusalem, foure yere before the byrth of Christ, by the reason that beyng at yeres of dys¦crecyon, & heryng of the stories & the temple & maners of y^• Iewys, he had of deuocyon sodaynly fallen into theyr sy∣nagoge, and dwelled in Hierusalem / wheruppon yet after hys cyrcumcysyon consyderynge that there were amonge them dyuers sortes & sectes, as pharyseys and Saduceys, [ C] and scrybes and leuytes, and prestes, and laye people / and though they were all Iewes and agreed in cyrcumcysyon, and came of olde all of one stocke, yet be now seuered a sun¦der in doctryne and in bylyefe, and that not in small thyn∣ges but in suche thynges as the one secte dyd reken and accompte the tother to stande in greate errour and damp∣nable: what wolde Tyndale haue done in thys case? wold he wythout any other reder haue taken the bokes of theyr scryptures into hys owne hande / and therof wythout any credence gyuen vnto any man, pyke out the trouth by hym selfe? he sholde haue therin a very hard worke / and were very lykely to frame hym selfe a newe fayth in many great thynges, agreyng wyth no man but wyth hym selfe. Then shal he fynde also dyuers coūsayles in the same scriptures,

forbedynge hym that folysshe proude fasshyon of study & [ A] ••ernynge / and byddynge hym that he shall not lene vnto hys owne wyte.* 1.18

Then wold he of lykelyhed haue had recourse to them, and enquere of them the solucion of those dowtys. For out of the chyrche or synagoge of the Iewys, it is not lykely y^t euer he wolde haue loked to haue y^e treuth of those dowtes determyned, whyche dowtes ryse vp theyr lawe and vpon the construccyon fo theyr scryptures.

And also consyderynge the myracles that god hadde so greate and so many very oftentymes shewed in euery age for that synagoge, and that in that synagoge some conty∣nued styll, suche as hym selfe had sene in the pole of the tē∣ple seruyng for the sacryfyce: he myght styll haue thought that in the synagoge of the Iewys, bothe had bene & then [ B] were yet, the very trewe waye both of bylyefe and lyuyng, and in none other chyrche. And then coulde he not dowte but that in y^• same synagoge, were some good folke alwaye that had the very treuth / of whyche parte of that synagoge yf he myghte happen, he sholde surely know the trouth.

Now semeth me that it shold haue ben no great maystry for hym then to fynde them out. For it is no dowte but that yf he sholde haue taken vnto hym suche as were called cun¦nynge, twayne at onys at good lays••ure, one on the tone syde and an other of the tother / as for ensample on the tone syde the proude pharasy that dyspysed the publycane; and on the tother syde Gamalyell: now where as the proude pharasey wold haue tolde hym for hys part, we haue with vs mayster Tyndale of the scrybes and the pharyseys the [ C] more parte, and we haue men of honeste and good lyuyng, and well lerned in the lawe and in the scrypture, and that are also the rulers / and therfore it is moste reason in the cō¦struccyon of the scrypture, and the fayth and maners depē¦dynge theruppon, ye sholde byleue vs: Gamalyell wolde haue tolde hym agayne, ye M. Tyndale / but I am a pha∣rysey as well as he / and there are on our syde though not so many, yet pharyseys and scrybes and rulers of the peple to, bothe as good, as honest•• and as well lerned also bothe in the lawe and in the scrypture, as the beste of all them be. And where he can not hym selfe saye that hys part passeth vs by nothynge but by nomber / I shall proue you that in th•• nomber selfe they be farre fewer then we / and that yet

[ A] besyde•••• that, we farre passe them in thynges of farre grea∣ter wayghte.

For M. Tyndale as late as ye were cyrcumcysed, yet this ••ote ye well your self / or at the leest wise ye thynk it is so that god hath stired vp among vs syns the time of Moi∣ses almoost an hundred prophetes. And surely he hath sty∣red vp very many / of whom besyde the .xii. that are accomp¦••ed in parte of our scripture, we haue many of sundry ages passed, in whose bokes we fynd wryten expositions & com∣mentes vppon our scriptures / and those men were good & holy men / & for whome god shewed many greate miracles, and for none of our aduersaries he neuer shewed one. And in theyr olde bokes fynde we that in the pointes for which these men and we vary now a dayes, those olde prophetes [ B] and interpretours of the scripure were of the mynde that we be, and the people of theyr tymes to, till that these men of the tother side brought in this newe doctrine whiche is vntrewe, but euyn now of late in comparison of the longe tyme in whiche the contrary was taught by holy men, and bileued by the people afore. So that this beynge wayed & considered / we passe them in nombre, tyme, and miracles / that is to say beside the lengthe of tyme and the nombre of men, we passe theyr parte by one whose eternitie passeth all tyme, & whose infinitie passeth all nombre, that is almigh∣ty god hym selfe / which hath for thexpositours of our part, many times by miracles declared his fauour against those that expowne the scripture on theyr parte, for whom he ne∣uer shewed none.

[ C] For as for the myracles don in the temple,* 1.19 or in the tem¦ple pole, they can nat draw to theyr parte agaynst vs / sithe they be nat shewed to declare the trouthe of any particular man / but onely to gyue knowledge that the chyrche or sina¦goge of the Iewys, is the chyrche of god here in erthe / in whiche as well we as they, that is to wyt as well the tr••w as the false, as well the good as the bad be for the while to¦gyther, tyll Messias come that shall make a new chyrche, a greater and a better •• and the trew from the false moche better knowen to.

I doubte nat but Tyndale shulde at that tyme amonge the Iewis in Ierusalem haue herd his doute disputed and debated thus. And than coulde he nat with any good rea∣son haue douted, but that the false phariseis had ben well

answered by the trew / and so shulde he haue knowen euyn [ A] than of the very chyrche there, whiche parte he shulde haue bileued, though the thing had sum difficulty there, bicause the sundry sectes abode styll to gyther / but y•• it the continu∣aunce and succession of the trouthe from the begynnynge, shulde into that darkenes haue cast a me••ely good ••••ght.

Now yf Tindale wyll here denye me and say that ••here were no suche holy men of them, that from age to age lefte any suche bokes behynde theym: when so euer he so shall answere me, he shall then here what I shall saye more vnto hym. But as for thys tyme I shall not nede to let therfore.

For though there had not bene suche in dede•• nor that Tyndale coulde not haue harde any man in Hierusalem at that tyme, that coulde haue told hym that tale & proued his tale trew: yet shal Tindale neuer be able to w••••hstand [ B] it, but that yf it had ben so answered and so proued, he had ben than well and wyth good reason satysfyed. Agaynste whyche yf he hadde not rebelled, but endeuored hym selfe for hys owne ••••rte to be plyable to the trouth / god sholde haue wroug••t wyth hym into the full consent and bylyefe therof.

Now saye I than, that syth that a••swere yf 〈◊〉〈◊〉 myghte haue bene proued trewe, sholde & of reason ought, ••o h••ue contented Tyndale at that tyme in Hierusalē, concernyng the chyrch of the Iewys: he shall neuer auoyde it here, but that in the knowen catholyke chyrche of Chryste though we leue of the promyses of god made vnto thys chyrche,* 1.20 by whyche promises it appereth clerely that he wyll n••ue•• suf¦fer it to come to suche a confu••yon or dyf••ycultye / ye•• yf it [ C] it dyd and were in that poynt lyke ••nto the chyrch that the Iewys had agaynste the commy••ge of Chryste, infected by many false folke wyth false doctryne, and the scrypture adulterate and vi••iate wyth false gloses and wronge expo¦sycyons / and that they whyche so hadde marred all, were crepte vp in to the place of Chryste and hys apostles, and were waxen a greate deale the more parte of those that had the authoryte in theyr handes / and therby had mysse ledde the people bothe in to wronge bylyefe and wronge wayes of lyuynge / makyng them to wene that they dyd well whē they dyd nought: yf it were I saye comen in the catholyke chyrch euyn vnto this poynt / whyche thynge god kepyng hys promyses afore remēbred were more then twyse impos¦sible

[ A] to happen / yet yf it so were in dede as Tyndale lyeth and falsely sayeth it is, yet vnto folke that longe to know the trouth, it could nat be but perceyued easyly whiche doc¦trine were the troethe / that is to wyt whyther theyrs that thus were crepte vp and had falsely taught, or elles suche trew men as wold rebuke and reproue them / and teche the people the contrary, and constre the scripture otherwyse

wherby shuld it be perceyued wyll sum man say, surely•• well, and playnely by this way.

God hathe sythe the dethe of Christe and his apostles, styred vp in his knowē catholique chyrche I dare well say, many mo than an hundred prophetes / whom he hath with moo than a thousande myracles declared to be his messan∣gers. Now of these holy doctours and prophetes we haue [ B] the bookes of euery age, sum frome the dethe of Christes apostles euyn vnto our owne tyme. Now myght it than by theyr bokes be perceyuyd, that these folke now crept vp as Tyndale sayeth by succession into the place and sete of Christ and his apostles, as the scrybes and pharyseys were at Christes cummynge crepte vp into the sete of Moyses / dyd in doctrine & exposicion of scripture, agree with those olde holy doctours and prophetes of euery age and tyme / or els contempned and contraryed them•• and in fayth and lyuynge began a new dyuerse & contrary doctrine of theyr owne, in thynges necessary to saluacion, or peryllouse to∣ward dampnacion. And than yf they so dyd, and that there cam other that wolde call men home from theyr euyll doc∣tryne and from theyr false exposicions of scripture where∣vpon [ C] the false doctrine dependeth, vnto the olde doctryne and olde trew declaracion of scripture / in whiche those old holy doctours / and as saynt Paule sayth prophetes vpon scripture, dyd consent & agree: by this marke I say myght it be perceyued & knowen, whither parte were the trewe, & whither parte were the false.

Let vs now thā settyng for y^e whyle all other markes a¦syde, of whiche there are very many: let vs I say consyder but this marke alone / for euē this marke alone shalbe suf∣ficiēt to dyscerne & know the chyrch now for the trew part, and Tyndale and Luther and all theyr sectes for the very playne false.

For al••e it that Luther in the begynnynge professed in hys wrytynge, that he wolde stande for the profe of hys doc¦tryne,

vnto the tryall of those olde holy doctours and pro∣phetes [ A] of euery age / wenynge that men for the delyght of the newe schole maters, neglected the olde holy doctours, and lysted not to loke vppon them: yet when he sawe hym selfe deceyued, & hys deuelysh doctryne by the wrytyng of y^• old holy sayntes of euery age brought out on euery syde, vtterly throwen downe & ouer whelmed / then began he to chaūge his tale and sware from them, & set theyr authoryte clere at noughte, and wrote that he cared not for tene Au∣stayns, nor for an hundred Hieroms / nor for as many saynt Cypryanys. For he sayd he was sure that he had hys doc∣tryne from heuyn / and that the scrypture what so euer all they sayed, was playne and clere for hym.

And thus though some of these folke be glad to catche a patche of an olde sayntes sayenge somtyme, yf they may [ B] mangle it and make it seme to serue any thynge for them: yet maye ye clerely perceyue by theyr mayster Martyn Lu¦ther hym self, that they can not say nay them selfe, but that the consent of the olde holy sayntes, is wyth the catholyke chyrche, playne agaynste theyr deuelysh doctryne.

And thys poynt them selfe so clerely perceyue to be per∣ceyued and knowen / that they begyn to make in a maner mockes opēly / and gyue the people counsayle to gyue lytle credence to the olde holy sayntes wrytynges / & they scoffe at them that agaynste suche heresyes alledge them / and in thys maner they ••este and saye in theyr sermons: men laye forth now a dayes vnto you for the profe of theyr doctryne the olde sayntes, and call them fathers / but we laye for our doctryne the Euangelistes, and apostles, and Chryste hym selfe / and these be graundfathers. And therfore as they cry [ C] vnto you fathers fathers, we crye vnto you graūdfathers graundefathers whyche are myche more to be byleued thē those fathers.

Here is lo a goodly false folysshe fallace, to begyle the poore vnlerned people / wyth turnyng theyr myndes from the poynt that is in questyon, and make them gase & muse vppon an other thynge / and wene that the clergye wolde haue them thynke, that the old holy doctours were more to be byleued then Chryste and hys apostles them selfe. where as in dede the questyon standeth in thys, whyther the olde holy doctours and sayntes whome we call the fa∣thers, ••e better to be byleued in the construccyon and the

[ A] vnderstandynge of Chryste and hys apostles and the olde prophetes to, whom we be cōtent that these men call graūd¦fathers and great graūdfathers to / or els these yong new naughty nephews, that make them selfe graciou••e godly, and wyse, y^t they can tell all thynge from afore the wo••lde was wrought, & theyr fathers so gracelesse & so folysh, that they neyther had grace, lernynge, nor wyt to perceyue any thyng at all, what y^• wrytyng of theyr graūdfathers ment.

Also that these folkes doctryne can not agre wyth the olde holy doctours / appereth playn, by thys that these m••n teche & renew the self same old roten heresyes, whych those holy doctours by theyr full consent & agreme••t cōdempned•• both in great assembled coūsayls, & by theyr owne bokes se¦uerally made agaynst thē, as agaynst theyr h••r••si••s y^• the•• [ B] now teche agaynst fre wyll, agaynst presthed, ag••••nste pe∣naūce, agaynst y^• other sacramēt{is}, agaynt vowes, agaynst holy dayes, & fastynge dayes, & specyally the ••ent, agaynst generall counsayls, & agaynste the catholyke chyrche and many an other abomynable heresy besyde.

Of this cōsent of the holy doctours & sayntes agaynste theyr heresyes, cometh this enuy & hatred that these here∣tykes bere vnto thē all agayn so great, that lest men shold bycause they be sayntes haue theyr doctryne the more in re¦uerence & estymacyō, they haue deuysed a new heres••, wher¦with they wolde make men byleue that there were none of them all yet in heuen. And lest theyr malice & enuy toward them shold appere, & the cause also wherfo••e they bere i•• ••f they shold so saye, be no mo sayntes but those y^• were wry∣ters [ C] & doctours of the chyrch: they let not to saye the same vtterly of all the remanaūt, our blessed lady & all, y^• excepte our sauyour hym selfe, there is none yet in heuen at all•• ney¦ther in body nor soule. And lest men myght thynke that yf there were purgatory, some went frome thense to heuyn amonge / that is one of the causes, why they put that there is no purgatory neyther. Then syth they se that yf go•• gyue yet before domys day vnto no man, rewarde & blysse for his fayth & good lyfe, it were hard to thynke that beyng so lyberall, good, and mercyfull as he is, he wolde be more prone to punysshe then to reward / & for theyr euyll dedes or infydelyte before that day, send men into payne therfore tyll domys day: they wolde haue the worlde byleue there were none hell neyther, for any soule of man.

And then leste they sholde be dreuē to confesse that the••

byleue the thynge, whyche yf they durst for shame shewe I [ A] wene they byleue in dede / & wyll hereafter come forth with∣all yf they may gete onys theyr other heresyes in mennes hartes fastely fyrste confermed: leste they sholde before I saye be dreuen to confesse, that they byleue the soule to be mortall, and vtterly dye wyth the body / they saye for the whyle that vntyll domes daye, they lye styll all and slepe / as Luther wryteth playnely in a sermone vppon the go∣spell of the ryche gloton and Lazare.

And therfore yf we tell theym of that story of Abraam, Diues, & Lazarus, the twayn in reste and welthe the thyrd in fyre and flame, the storye that Cryste telleth hym selfe / they call it but a parable, and almost make a potte at it.

Then all apparycyons they mocke at / and all the myra¦cles they blaspheme, and say the deuyll doth all. And thus [ B] whyle thaffeccyon of these heretykes to the olde heresyes, maketh them to declyne from the olde holy doctours that euer condempned those heresyes, and agaynste theyr expo¦sycyons construe the scrypture wronge: the deuyll hathe dreuen them downe myche ferther, and made theym fall to blasphemye agaynste goddes sayntes and hys myracles, and gyue the honour of goddes great workes vnto the de∣uyll,* 1.21 as the very wurst sorte of the Iewys dyd / and vnto all theyr olde heresyes to lynke an whole chayne of newe, suche as the worste and the moste shamelesse sorte of herety¦kes that euer were of olde, wolde haue ben yet ashamed to thynke vppon.

If Tyndale denye that hym selfe and all theyr sectes be agaynst all the olde holy doctours, and all the olde holy doctours agaynste them: he can not saye naye but that be∣syde [ C] the abomynable weddynge of frerys and nonnes, Lu¦ther confesseth hym selfe in his babylonica, that all the old doctours are agaynste hym, in his heresye that he holdeth agaynste the canon of the masse.

And so for conclusyon of thys poynt, that Tyndale may se what he hath wonne wyth hys resemblynge of the catho¦lyke chyrche vnto the synagoge of the Iewys that was at the comynge of Cryst / and the clergy of the catholyke chyr¦che to the scrybes and pharyseys that then were in the sy∣nagoge / he hath now by occasyon of that resemblaūce luc∣kely founden out, that thoughe these heretykes dyd styll dwell wyth the chyrche, and neyther departed awaye them selfe nor the chyrche dyd vomyte and spew them oute / but

[ A] that the trew and the false though they taught dyuersely and con••rary, contynued yet styll to gyther as they dyd in the synagoge of the Iewys: yet this one marke alone of the olde holy doctours of the catholyque chyrch, condemp∣nynge the heresyes of Tyndale and Luther and all theyr other sectys, clerely wolde gyue a lyght, by which the trew doctryne myght be knowen frō the false. And therfore this marke alone as opēly marketh Luther, & Tyndale, & Hu••s¦kyn, and Suynglyus, and all the rable of theyr folowes, for open & playne heretykes / as yf the deuyll had his owne handes marked eche of them an. H. in the forehede, with a fayre hote yron fet out of the fyre of hell.

This one marke whiche Tyndale hathe here caused to be founden out, doth yet ferthermore shake of all his ray∣lynge [ B] and scoffynge, and reiecteth them and casteth theym all backe agayne, & maketh them euerychone to fall vpon his owne pate.

For by thexposicions of the olde holy sayntes / we know that the wordes of saynte Peter / with whiche Tyndale here rayleth vpon the chyrche,* 1.22 were by saynt Peter spoken agaynst suche heretykes, as taught opinions agaynst the chyrche / as playnely appereth by many olde doctours of the chyrche.

And also the very wordes of saynte Peter wyll declare the same. For he sayth that those false lying maysters, shal be the bryngers in of dampnable sectys. wherby it well ap¦pereth, that he speketh agaynst those archheretykes, which agaynst the one catholyke chyrche, whiche in the necessary [ C] pointes of the fayth agreeth and euer hath agrreed well in one to gyther, by that holy spyryte of god whiche by Chri∣stes promyse ledeth it into euery necessarye trewthe,* 1.23 & ma∣keth all of one mynde in that house / do brynge and haue brought an hundred sundry sectys of her••syes erroneouse false and vntrew, wherof neither any one consenteth with a nother, nor amonge theym all one man almooste with a nother.

And where saynt Peter sayth, that many men shall fo∣low theyr dampnable abhominacions / that is so clerely v••¦ryfyed in these heretykes nowe, that all the worlde hathe cause to wepe that it is so well spied.

Also where he sayth that by them the way of trouth shal be blasphemed / is very manyfest & open, spe••••ally in these

new heretikes as Luther, & Tyndale, Huyskyn, & S••in∣glyus [ A] / whiche nat onely blaspheme amonge them the olde holy doctours & sayntes, & the myracles of god, wrought and shewed by them, for the stablysshynge of the trouthe: but also Christe hym selfe in the blessed sacrament / whiche is as hym selfe sayth, both the way and the trouth, and the lyfe therwith.

And whan he speketh of auaryce and fayned wordes / as for fayned wordes they vse none other, yf playne fals be fayned / as appereth by theyr playne false heresyes agaynst the blessed sacramentes.

And as for auarice, though many of them fall at the last to beggery, by the very vengeaūce of god full sore agaynst theyr wyllys: yet se we well inough how gredely the pede∣lynge knauys that here brynge ouer theyr ••okes, gryspe [ B] about an halfe peny, and had almoste as leue hange vp his euangelycall brother as lese a peny by hym.

And syr Tho. Boulde, reported here theyr lyd••ralytye very well. For besyde myche other euangelycall auatyce, he tolde vs here, that all be it he sawe golde greate plentye in Tyndals purse / yet coulde he gete but one small pece to go out of Almayne vnto London on hys errande, bothe to sow hys euangelycall sede, & to stele an euangelycall boke out of a poore frerys lybrary / and when he hadde stolen it then brynge it into Almayne to hym. And for all thys long labour of hys goynge, & his besynes of tyllynge and sow∣ynge, and besydes that hys lygyer demayne in stelynge, wherof a man myghte happe to fall to hangynge / he could as he sayd gete of Tyndale no more for all thys gere, but [ C] one poore pece of golde.

Now as for makynge of merchaundyse, that saynt Pe∣ter speketh of and Tyndale here layeth agaynst the clergy of the catholyke chyrche / what merchaundyse these herety∣kes make I can not well tell. But thys ys well knowen, that when our euangelycall Englysshe heretykes fall in acquayntaunce beyonde the see wyth some of our merchaū¦tes factours / they mylke them so euangelycally, that whē theyr maysters call theym home, they gyue theym a very shrewed rekenynge.

And surely as all the wordes of saynt Peter with why∣che Tyndale here iesteth agaynste the catholyke chyrche, were by saynt Peter spokē agaynst these heretykys onely:

[ A] so wyll these wordes of hys at laste be verified playne vp∣pon them, in whyche he sayeth that the iudgement ceaseth not, but is redy a good whyle a go agaynste them / & theyr perdycyon slepeth not but waketh and grouneth for them.

But as for that that Tyndale sayth, that the clergy cre∣pynge into the seat of Christe and his apostles by successy∣on, do as the wyly foxe dothe, whose nature is to entre into an hole made with an other beest: I can nat well perceyue what he meneth by his wyly symylytude of the wyly foxe. For sythe he sayeth they cum into the place by successiou / he layth nat any inuasiō, or intrusion, or other vnlawfull c••mynge therin to. And as for theyr wylynes in folowyng the wylynes of the foxe, whose nature is to get hym an hole made with an other beestes labour: he can nat meane any [ B] thyng to the purpose that I can perceyue / but yf he meane to mocke the wordes of our sauiour hym selfe, which sayth to his apostles them selfe, bothe for them selfe and all that shulde by succession in theyr offyce folowe theym that they shuld in a mane•• folow the nature of the foxe in that fasshi∣on. For he sayde vnto them•• I haue sente you to repe that that ye laboured not / for other men laboured, and ye haue entred vpon theyr labours.

And therfore I can nat dyuyne what mistery Tyndale meaneth by his folowynge of the wyly foxe, whose nature is he sayeth to get hym an hole made with an other bestes labour. Nor I purpose nat to lese y^• tyme in musyng what he may meane therby, nor to be so curyouse & inquysytyue as to•• enquyre whither peraduenture he haue founde out [ C] any suche fasshion in Saxony, that theyr prestes, theyr fre∣rys, and theyr monkes vse there in theyr maryages that wyly maner of the wyly foxe. How be it in dede suche as cum thense / vnasked saye they do, and comonly can do none other.

Now where he sayth that the clergye do entre for onely lucre / he taketh vppon hym to iudge the power of god, in iudgynge euery mannes mynde / but yf he thynke it a suf∣ficient profe that they cum therto for nothyng els, bycause they say nat take away the landes and all the fruites from the benefyce, or els I wyll none of hit. As thoughe the a∣postle sayd nat hym selfe, that reason wold they shuld haue theyr lyuyng by the autre / ye and though he counsayled thē to be content with bare meate and drynke•• and clothynge /

yet sayd he that one of them doynge theyr dewtye,* 1.24 is wur∣thy [ A] the double that another man is.

Nay sayth Tyndale. For they gouerne not well, nor do not as saynt Poule saythe, sowe spyrytuall thynges. For they be sayth Tyndale false techers, and do begyle & lede out of the ryght way, all them that haue no loue to folowe and lyue after the truth.

Let Tyndale here speke out, and tell vs whyche treuth is that that the people loue not to folow and lyue after / & that therfore god suffereth the clergye to lede them out of the ryght waye far wronge. Thys treuth is good chrysten reader a very false treuth / wherof not onely y^• clergy now but thapostles also theym selfe, euer clerely taughte the cō¦trary / as that folke shold not praye for theyr fathers soules nor do penaunce for theyr own synnes, nor honour the bles¦sed [ B] body of Cryste in the blessed sacrament, nor set by no sa¦crament ellys, but call incesteouse lechery good and law∣full maryage, haue holy vowes in derysyon / & in dyspyght of matrymony and vowed chastyte bothe to pollute theym bothe at ones, wedde freres and nonnes to gyther.

Lo these thynges & such other are the sure tryed truthes ye wote well, that Tyndale wolde haue the people byleue & lyue after / and the spyrytuall thynges whyche he complay¦neth that the clergy wyll not preche. whych spyrytuall seed bycause they wyll not sowe / he wolde they shold repe none of our carnall corne / nor not onely be rekened vnworthy to receyue as saynt Poule sayth, the dowble auauntage that an other man sholde, but also to receyue so myche by Tyn¦dales wyll, as an othe•• mannes olde clowted shone. And [ C] yet the marke that we spake of, of the olde holy doctours & sayntes, marketh hym from the chyrche for a playne here∣tyke in these pestylent poyntes to. And that they all so do / he knoweth hym selfe so well, that I thynke as shamelesse as he is he wyll not for very shame say naye. But now run¦neth he forth and rayleth on ferther thus.

Tyndale.

And in lyke maner haue they corrupte the scrypture, and blynded the ryght waye, wyth theyr owne constytucyons, wyth tradycyons of domme ceremo∣nyes, wyth the takynge away the signyfycacy••ns of the sacramētes to make vs byleue the worke of the sacramentes fyrste, wherby they myghte the bet∣ter byleue in workes of theyr owne settynge vp afterwarde.

[ A] More.

Now wolde I that Tyndale shulde here haue rehersed with what con••tytucyons of theyr owne the chyrche hathe corrupted the scripture, and blynded the ryght waye. How be it he may say that I am to blame to byd hym reherse thē agayne he hath reherced thē so often all redy / as orderyng that men shulde haue matyns and masse, and kepe the son∣day and sum other holy dayes, and that they shuld be boū∣den to kepe fastynge dayes, and namely as Tyndales fe∣low Brightwell sayth, whom sum folke call Fryth, the fo∣lyssh fast of the Lent / wherby there is taken away the euā∣gelycall lyberty, that folke may nat eat f••essh on good fry∣day for compassion of Christes passion.

And with thys ordynaunce be they wondre wrothe / as [ B] though the chyrche ordayned that folke shuld distroy them selfe with forberynge theyr meate / and kyll them selfe with abstynence. And yet are the lawes of the chyrch mittigated and made easy with exceptions and libertyes almoost moo than ynough / prouydynge for sycke men, chyldern, olde men, laborers, pylgrymes, nursys, wymen with chyld•• and pore folke, and well nere as farre as men myght go / but yf these heretykes be angry that the chyrch had nat prouyded for gorbely glottons to, that they myght cast in and cast vp gorge vpon gorge, and with a full bely before they be an hungred, pampre in theyr pawnches a fresshe.

And yet in this poynte to, the marke that I spake of•• of the olde holy sayntes, doth marke these men for heretykes. For these ordynaunces are nat bygon by the clergye that [ C] now is, nor by the clergy of this eyght hūdred yere passed / but hathe ben bygon and continually kepte and obserued•• from aboue a thousande yere, ye fourtene hundred yere, ye from the dayes of the apostles them selfe / and bygan also by them selfe, as it not onely doeth appere playne by other autentyque wrytyng, but verely well also by the very scrip¦ture it selfe, as I partely haue all redy shewed, and partely shall yet herafter.

Than sayth he that the clergye hathe blynded the ryght waye with dōme ceremonyes. yet aske I Tyndale here a∣gayne whiche clergy, and whiche ceremonyes? I saye that in this poynte agayne, the marke that hym selfe made me fynde out, the olde holy doctours and sayntes, marke hym for an heretyke and a lyer bothe.

For it is euydent and open, that great parte of the cere∣monyes [ A] whiche the chyrche vseth now, were of olde vsed in the tyme of the eldest of them, and before the eldest of them to / and that suche ceremonyes cam from the apostles them selfe. And Tindale neuer brought out yet either boke, lefe, or lyne, to proue vs one wo••de of all his bybyll bable trew, that euer the ceremonyes that he calleth now dūme, spake euer in olde tyme so muche as a mumme, more than they do now. Truthe it is y^t men myghte then make allegoryes of them, and so may they now, and so many prechers do, & so doeth that good man that made the booke of Rationale diuinorum / with which kynd of allegoryes Tyndale cum∣meth furthe in his boke of dysobedyence, in suche a goodly fasshion as it semeth y^• but yf the preest alway tell that tale to the people, he wolde haue the people pull the preest from [ B] the auter, and the amys from his hed.

But to what purpose he maketh all this brablynge vp∣pon dumme ceremonyes, appereth well vppon the nexte worde after, where he sayth that the chyrche hathe taken a∣way the significacion frō the sacramentes. yet I aske Tyn¦dale agayne which chyrche, and which significacions? Let vs go agayne to our olde marke / and I dare laye a wager with hym, he shall fynde no mo signyfycacions of the sacra¦mentes in the bokes of the eldest of al y^• olde holy doctours and sayntes, than I shall fynde hym in the bokes of euery age nowe this two or thre hundred yeres from Eester last passed vpwarde, and so forth in the other ages next aboue that, tyll he cum to the olde tyme of that holy doctour whō so euer hym selfe wyll alledge. And than it well appereth [ C] parde, that the clergy that now is, hath taken away no syg¦nyfycacyons of the sacramentes at all.

we wyll also demaunde of Tyndale, sythe he sayth that the clergy hath taken away the sygnyfycacyons of the sa∣cramentes / whyther were those sygnyfycacyons that they haue takē away, necessary to saluaciō or nat. If they were nat / thenne is there not so greate losse of theym. And on the tother syde yf they were so necessary, that wythout the knowledge of theym the thynges that we be com∣maunded to do, and whyche we maye nat without disobe∣dyence of good leue vndone, be bycomme noyouse, sup∣erstycoyuse, and dampnable / thanne sythe as many suche sygnyfycacyons as be wrytten in the scrypture, do re∣mayne

[ A] styll and be preched: the tother of whose takyng a∣way Tyndale complayneth beyng necessary for saluacion to be knowen, were neuer wryten in scrypture.* 1.25 And then falsefyeth hym selfe hys owne doctryne, that no such neces¦sary thynge was by thapostles lefte vnwryten.

If he saye that mo then haue theyr specyall sygnyfyca∣cyons wryten in scrypture, be not necessary: therin wyll not onely the marke that we spake of of the olde holy sayn∣tes, marke hym for an heretike / but so wyll the very scryp∣ture to, by whyche it appereth that all the seuyn sacramen¦tes were by god gyuen to hys chyrche, as thynges by god∣des instytucyon necessary for mannys saluacyon / in suche wyse at the lest wyse as the neglectynge and contempte of the grace that god geueth in theym, is able to brynge the [ B] dyspyser to dampnacyon.

But it appereth clerely what holy purpose Tyndale hath in thys mater. For he speketh not so myche of the syg¦nyfycacyons, for any ca••e that he careth for the sygnyfyca¦cyons / but onely bycause he wolde haue vs ••ake the sacra∣mentes for no thynge ellys, but onely for the bare sygnes of some loste sygny••ycacyons / and therfore as thynges not onely noughte worth and superfluouse, but also supersty∣cyouse and noyouse.

And in thys wyse wolde he make vs wene, that for the sacramētes we were neuer the better / and that to take them for any other thynge then a bare token, and to thynke that the blessed sacrament of the aulter were the very body and bloude of Cryste, or any thynge ellys then wyne and cake [ C] brede set vp for a bare sygne, as a tauerners busshe or ta∣pysters a••e stake, were a very superstycyouse thynge / and not onely peryllous he sayth for the thynge in it selfe, but also bycause it myghte happe to be a meane to make vs by¦leue, that the thynges whyche the chyrch calleth good wor¦kes, were any thynge frutefull or merytorious. And which workes be those trowe ye? fastyng, & watchyng in prayou•• & doynge of almoyse dedes. were it not a perylouse thynge to byleue that suche thynges wolde do vs good? beynge done as the catholyke chyrche techeth vs to do them, to by¦leue that none of them all c••n gete vs any rewarde in heuē of the nature of the dede it selfe, but onely bycause the lybe∣rall goodnesse of god hath appoynted such a rewarde ther to, thorow the merytes of our sauyours passyon / and that

yet we maye well fere in all our good dedys, suche imper∣feccyon [ A] vppon our owne parte in the doynge, that it shal percase haue no suche rewarde at all / and for all that feare, hope well and pray therewith, that the goodnes of god sup¦ply vpon his parte, the dew perfectyon requysyte that lac∣keth vppon our owne parte. Is nat this doctryne of suche bylyefe and trust in good workes so peryllouse, that rather than men myght be the rather drawen into good workes therwith, Tyndale sholde make vs take all the seuē sacra∣mentes and caste them clene awaye / whych he sayth in mo places then one, be now not onely frutelesse, but also harm∣full and perilouse? In whyche poynt euery man marketh well, that yet agayne the marke that we spake of, the comē consent of the olde holy doctours and sayntes, marke thys man for a very myscheuouse heretyque. [ B]

And euer thys the farther he walketh, the deper is this marke prented in hys forhed / that he can neuer wander so farre oute of the waye, but the deuyll wyll well inough by that marke perceyue hym and chalenge hym for hys own. For lo thus goth he forth,

Tyndale.

And with false gloses whiche they haue patched to the scrypture in playne places to destroye the lyterale sense, for to set vp a false fayned sense of al••ego¦ryes when there is none suche / and therby they haue stopped vp the g••tes of heuen, the true knowlege of Cryst, and haue made theyr ••wn belyes the dore. For thorow theyr belyes m••ste thou crepe, and there leue all thy fatte be∣hynde the.

More.

If Tyndale haue yet rayled inough / glad wolde I be [ C] to haue hym come onys to some reason. For as for hys cre∣pynge thorow folkes belyes, wherof he so sore cōplayneth: I wolde he had declared how he crepte in, and into whose mouth he crepte, and by what crafte he scaped the teeth for bytynge, and how longe he lay in the bely, and howe he gate downe thorow the smale guttes, and in the crepynge oute what stykkynge his face founde byneth, & how myche grece he lefte there behynde hym / & for the bely greace that he lefte behynde hym, whyther he brought oute any gutte greace wyth hym. For suche folyshe testynge and raylyng as he maketh here vpon the clergy, myght any knaue haue made vppon the apostels in the begynnynge, when euery man that came into chrystendome, dyd geue all that euer

[ A] he had in to theyr handes all to gether, and kepte hym selfe ryght nought,* 1.26 nor durst not vppon payne of deth after the vengeaunce of god fallen vppon Ananyas and Saphyra for kepyng parte of theyr owne a syde for them selfe. Then myghte lo some suche as Tyndale is now, haue ray••ed & sayed to any that were wyllyng to come in to chrystendom, Brother beware of the apostles, for thorowe theyr belyes must thou crepe, & there leue all thy fatte behynde the.

And as it semeth, some suche felow bygan to sowe such seed of euyll rumour amonge y^e people agaynst thapostles euyn than, and set some suspycyouse or inquyete myndes vppon grudgynge.

Nor I can not now so greatly se, who is cōpelled to be at so great coste wyth the clergye. Suche as haue of the••r [ B] owne make no great exaccyons bysyde that I he••e of. And suche as nought haue of theyr owne, yet is no man comp••l¦led to gyue them aught but of hys owne deuocyon & che∣ryte / whyche yet such heretykes haue in some places not a lytell coled, and in some places vtterly quenched•• when the people se theym so bestely to breke theyr vowys and wedde.

Now where he sayeth that the clergye vseth to dystroye the lyterall sense of the scrypture wyth false fayned allego¦ryes / this is falsely sayd of hym. For the allegorye neyther destroyeth nor letteth the lyterall sense / but y^e lyterall sense standeth whole bysyde.

And where he sayeth that there is none allegorye sense [ C] as Luther and he saye bothe, and that in mo places then one: yet shall oure olde marke of olde holy doctours and sayntes, marke hym for an heretyke agayn. For I am sure he shall not lyghtely fynde any of those olde, but that he vsed allegoryes.

Luther and Tyndale wolde haue all allegoryes and all other senses taken awaye, sauynge the lytterall sense a∣lone. But god whose plentuouse spyryte endyghted the scrypture, foresaw full well hym selfe that many godly al∣legories holy men sholde by hys inspyracyon at dyuers ty∣mes draw out therof. And somtyme he endyghted it, & our sauyour hym self somtyme spake his wordes in such wyse, that the letter had none other sense then mysteryes & alle∣goryes / as comēly all his parables be, of which he expow∣ned some him self & some he expouned not, but hath left thē

to be expowned by holy doctours after hys deth / and some [ A] of them hath he holpē dyuerse to expoune dyuersly, as his hygh wysdome saw that dyue••s good frute sholde folowe and ensew theruppon.

Somtyme also though the lyterall sense be full good / yet dothe god gyue the grace to some man to fynde oute a ferther thynge therin. whyche sence god that endyghted the letter, dyd when he made it fore see•• and more dyd sette therby then by the sense that immedyately ryseth vppon the letter / whych letter hys hygh wysdome so tempered for the nones, that suche other sense myghte be perceyued ther¦in and drawen out therof, by suche as hym selfe had deter∣myned to gyue the grace to fynde it.

* 1.27And for ensample our lorde sayth in the booke of Deu∣teronomy, Thou shall not bynde the mouthe of the oxe as [ B] he goth in the flowre and thressheth the corne. The very letter is of it selfe good / and techeth men a certayne reason and iustyce to deale well and ••ustely, euyn wyth the very bestes that labour wyth them / & to abhorre wythout good cause eyther to pyne them or payne them. Now thoughe this sentence be good•• and the Iewes were bounden by the letter of the law, to order theym selfe in that wyse towarde theyr oxen / seynge no ferther therin, nor some so farre ney∣ther peraduenture: yet dyd thapost••e fynde out an other se¦crete sense therin / and that sense suche as in respecte therof he set the tother at nought / and shewed that god ment ther¦by that the preste which laboreth spyrytually in his offyce, muste haue his temporall lyuynge therfore. And to proue that the spyryte of god entended thys sense and vnderstan¦dynge [ C] therin / ••e sayth,* 1.28 Careth god awght for the oxen / as though he wolde saye nay. And yet in dede god careth and prouydeth for the lyuynge of euery lyuynge thynge. For it is wryten in the psalme,* 1.29 that god geueth the mete to the bestes and to the yonge byrdes of the crows that calle vp∣pon hym. And our sauyour sayth hym selfe, Loke ye vpon the byrdes of the ayre,* 1.30 they neyther sowe nor spynne / and yet your father that is in heuyn fedeth them.

And thus it apereth that god careth for the fedynge of all that euer he hath made.

But yet saw saynte Poule, that god so myche cared for the prestes leuynge, aboue that he careth for the oxes le∣uynge / that in respecte of the tone compared wyth the to∣ther,

[ A] god cared not for the oxe at all / but wolde we sholde vnderstande therby, that we sholde in any wyse prouyde that the preste whyche laboreth wyth vs in spyrituall besy¦nes, shold haue of vs his temporall leuynge. And I wene Tyndale is euen angre wyth saynte Poule for that expo∣sycyon.

Now are there many other textes in the olde law, which in lyke wyse receyue lyke exposycyon, by goodly and frute¦full allegoryes, as in the olde holy saynts bokes appereth. All whych will Tyndale here haue wyped oute in any wise and wyll haue none allegoryes at all.

Holy saynt Hierome expowneth by an allegorye the text of scrypture,* 1.31 that the holy prophete Dauid by the co••̄sayl•• of his physycyons when he waxed very colde for age•• toke [ B] to wyfe besyde all his other wyues, the fayrest yonge may¦den, that coulde be founden in all the countre aboute, to do hym pleasure in his presence by daye, and lye in his ar∣mes and kepe hym warme a nyghtes. Thys texte was trew in dede. And yet doth that holy doctour saynt Hi••rom in all that euer he can, drawe from the consyderacyon of the letter, to the lokynge vppon the allegorye. For be the wordes of the texte neuer so trewe / yet thoughte as ••t se∣meth that blessed holy saynte, that god caused that storye to be wryten in the scripture, rather for the frute that folke shall take by some good holesome allegorye that god wold in to some man inspyre theruppō, then to make vs 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & studye and dyuyse vppon the onely sample of kynge D••∣uyds dede, wherby some olde husbandes wolde lerne to [ C] let his olde wyfe lye, and take colde in a bedde alone, and ••••m self take a yonge prety prym to bed to kepe his bakke warme for physyke.

Fynally I dare well say, that the allegoryes wryten vp¦pon the texte of holy scrypture be very frutefull, what so euer Tyndale say / and ellys wolde god neuer haue suffred so many blessed holy men bystowe so myche tyme aboute theym / but that hym selfe both foresaw the frute•• and de∣uysed those textes in suche wyse also, that thorow good fol¦kes laboure wyth the swete warmth of his owne inspy••a∣cyon, such holsome frute shold plentuously sprynge th••rof.

Go me now thorow all these poyntes agayn, that Tyn¦dale hath vnder the name of the clergy, layed agaynste the catholyke chyrche, crepynge vp in to thapostles place re∣specte

of lucre, ledynge in a wronge way, begylynge the [ A] people, makynge of constytucyons, vsynge of ceremonyes takynge away the sygnyfycacyons of sacramētes, and ma¦kynge of false gloses / and ye shall fynde good chrysten re∣ders of all these fautes that they falsely ley to our charge, theyr owne bosoms full.

For theyr archeheretykes accompte theym selfe for the prechers, and chalenge the apostles place, not by succession but by inuasyon. For they go and preache and be not sent / and though pryde prykke them forth wyth lybertye to le∣chery, yet not wythout lucre neyther. For some one of them puttynge oute hys felowes such as wyll be religyouse and contynue chaste, kepeth all theyr leuynge alone, sauynge for an harlot taken vnto hym to be called hys wyfe, and gete vppe a couent of bastardes betwene theym / and then [ B] they begyle the people wyth theyr false preachynge, & lede them a very wronge way excepte the strayght wey to hell be the ryght waye to heuen.

Now as for cōstytucyons wherof they wold haue none amonge vs / theym selfe haue ben fayne in some cytyes of Almayne as late as they be bygonne, to make mo constytu¦cyons and more bourdenouse to the people, more greuous and more sore to kepe vppe theyr heresyes wyth, then the chyrche hath made in many yeres to kepe vp the trew chry∣sten fayth.

Ceremonyes also whyche amonge vs they mokke and call them dūme / Marten Luther hym self Tyndales great mayster, after that he had lefte theym of, was by the profe and experyence dreuen lytle and lytle to take them almoste [ C] euerychone vppe agayne, sauynge fastynge lo. For that ce¦remonye frere Luther wyll none in no wyse, le••t yt sholde feble hys fleshe and let hym from getynge of chyldren, and hyndre his harlot of temynge.

Now touchynge the sacramentes, where of they say the chyrche hath taken away the sygnyfycacyons / these herety¦kes take from theym all the thynge whyche they chiefly sy¦gnyfye, that is to say, the grace inuisyble that god geueth wyth them, and wherof he maketh them an effectuall tokē and instrument.

And ouer this of the seuen they take away fyue quyte, & leue the tother twayne frutelesse / and from the tone take they the swete carnell wythin, the blessed body of Chryste, and leue the people the shalys.

[ A] Then as for truste in workes / the catholyque chyrche scantely teacheth so bolde trust in abstynēce, almoyse dede, prayour, and chastyte, as theyr archeheretyques teache in glotony, spoilyng of chyrches, despyte of all holowes, and in relygyouse lechery.

Fynally for makyng of false gloses / them selfe do mych more then that. For they where they lyste boldely deny the texte / and wyll take for scrypture but what they lyst theym selfe / for so reiecte they dyuerse partes whyche the whole catholyque chyrche doth receyue / and so myghte they by the same reason reiecte the remanaunt to, and so they wyll I wene at laste, and some haue done all redy.

And then as for false gloses, they make theym selfe the worst that euer were wroughte. As Luther to make men [ B] wene that matrymony were no sacrament / where the kyn∣ges hyghnes as a moste erudyte prynce and a moste fayth∣full kyng, in his moste famouse boke amonge many other great authorytees & reasons, preced hym sore wyth that that the gloryouse apostle saynte Poule calleth yt a great sacrament hym self:* 1.32 Luther I say, letteth not in this wyse to glose saynte Poules wordes, and say that saynte Poule peraduenture sayed yt of his owne hed.

Is not there an hamer hed more mete to make horshone in hell, then to constre the scrypture in erth, that is so harde as to make such gloses to that gloryouse apostles wordes? wherin who so lyst to folow Tyndale, maye set at short all that thapostle teacheth / and say he sayd that but of his own mynde, and not accordynge to the mynde of god.

[ C] And yet syth this is Luthers owne glose, and his owne answere vnto other men: Luther hym selfe and Tyndale also, and all his other dyscyples, myght well and wythout blasphemy be answered wyth the same in all the harde pla¦ces of saynt Poule wyth theyr false glosynge, wherof they wold destroy the fre wyll of man, & lay the weyght of theyr owne synnys to the charge of goddes ineuytable prescyēs, and theyr owne ineuitable destynye.* 1.33

Now what false gloses be they fayne to fynde agaynste good workes,* 1.34 to corrupte an hundred playne places of ho¦ly scrypture,* 1.35 by whyche they be clerely declared for thyn∣ges specyally pleasynge to god,* 1.36 and thorough the menys of hys goodnes hyghly rewardable in heuen and mery∣toryouse.* 1.37 * 1.38 * 1.39

what false gloses be they fayne to fynde agaynst holy vo∣w••s [ A] of chastyte,* 1.40 to corrupt so many playne places of scry∣pture,* 1.41 as vtterly condempne to the deuyll theyr fowle fyl∣thy wyddynges and incestuouse lechery.

Fynally fayne they not false gloses to corrupt the gos∣pell, and dreue god oute of christendome, when they wolde expell Chryste out of the sacramēt of the auter? what care they how they glose the apostle, whē they care not how sha¦melesse they shew them selfe in settyng so false and folyshe gloses to the playne open wordes of our sauyour Chryste hym selfe.

For where he sayd of the blessed sacrament, This is my body: Martyne Luther Tyndales olde mayster gloseth yt thus,* 1.42 This is brede and my body.

Then frere Huyskyn and Suynglius Tyndales two [ B] new maysters, declynynge from yll to worse / glose yt in this fa••hyon, This is my body, is as myche to say, as this sygnyfyeth my bodye. And so make they Christe to declare hym selfe, as though he wold tell vs thus: I sayd in dede that this is my bodye, and so I made myne apostles wene, and so haue I made all good men beleue this fyftene hun¦dred yere / but all this whyle haue I hadde no luste to tell my chyrche the trouth, bycause there where so many good men in yt that wolde not vppon truste of fayth alone, for∣bere from all good workes, but were very besye with them by reason of theyr wronge vnderstādinge of the scrypture / whyche I lyked not to declare playnely to them, bycause so many of them dyd vow chastyte and kepte yt. But now that I haue foūden a nother maner sorte of holy men, that haue vowed chastyte and breke theyr vowe, and wyll do [ C] no suche good workes as myght make theym truste vpon any rewarde in heuen, nor forbere any euyll workes wher wyth they shulde walke to hell / but lyue at lyberty, and do what they lyste, and byleue as they lyste, and loke to lepe strayght to heuē by the promyse that I neuer made them: to theym haue I therefore nowe shewed euen the ve∣ry botome of my stomake / and not yet all at ones / but fyrst I tolde Luther & his secte that in the sacrament was bothe my very body & very brede there wyth, bycause they sholde not eate fleshe wythout brede for fere of bredynge wormys in the babys belyes. But now sone after synnes, I tolde to frere Huyskyn and Swynglius, and bode them tell it out

[ A] vnto Tyndale that where as I sayde, This is my bodye, and this is my bloode, I ment no more but that yf sygny¦••yeth my bodye and my blood, and is nothynge ellys in dede but euen a cuppe of very wyne & therwyth good cake brede alone / but yf yt be as Tyndale douteth wyth ouer myche waterynge tourned from brede to starche.

These goodly gloses lo do these heretyques make, and these blasphemouse folyes they preache vnto the people, as boldely and as solempnely as though they hadde herd them in heuen, & lerned them of goddes owne mouth / and wold seme to be sente from heuen in stede of Chrystes apo∣stles and of our sauyour hym selfe / and wyth testynge mok¦kynge and scoffynge, wene to rayle out euery mannys rea∣son saue theyr owne. For thus lo wyth his symylytude of [ B] the scrybes & pharysyes and synagoge of the Iewes, Tyn¦dale rayleth on agayn••te the prestes and the clergye, & the whole catholyque chyrche of Chryste.

Tyndale.

And suche blynde reasons as ours make agaynste vs, made they agaynste Chryste, sayenge Abraam is our father; we be Moyses dyseyples. Howe knoweth he the vnderstandynge of the scrypture, he neuer lerned of any of vs. Onely the cursed vnlerned people that knowe not the scrypture byleue in hym / loke whyther any of the rulers or pharysyes do byleue in hym.

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Tyndale as he before hath hytherto lykened the catho∣lyque chyrche of all chrysten people, vnto the synagoge of the Iewes / and the scrybes and pharysyes that were then, vnto the preachers and the clergye that are nowe: so doth he now crepe a lytle farther, and resembleth hym selfe and [ C] such other heretyques hys felowes, vnto the person of our sauyour hym selfe / and sayth the reasons whyche we nowe make agaynste hym and hys felowes, are suche blynde rea¦sons as the Iewys made agaynste Chryste. For answere wherof this dare I boldely saye, that as syke and as fe∣ble as the synagoge then was to whyche he resembleth vs, and as farre as they then were walked out of the way, and as euyll as then the scribes were, and as false as then were the pharisyes to whome he resembleth all the whole clergy now wythoute any one man excepte: yet yf our sauyoure Chryste to whome he resembleth hym selfe, had then hadde no more to saye for hym selfe then Tyndale & his felowes haue now to say for them self, he hadde I promyse you ben

very sore opposed, and that euyn by the very scrypture it [ A] selfe, and by Crystes owne doctryne to.

For yf Tyndale and hys felowes had bene there than them selfe, and our sauyour and hys apostles away / when he wyth hys felowes wolde haue rebuked the Iewes and haue reproued theyr lyuynge, they sholde haue founden in Tyndale and hys felowes fautes inough, so greate and so syghtly, that they myght haue sayed vnto them very well, Take the beames oute of your owne eyen ye hypocrytes,* 1.43 ere ye go aboute to take the motys out of other mennys. For neyther had Tyndale nor any felow of hys, bene able to saye as Cryste sayed, whyche of you can reproue me of synne.* 1.44 And when they wolde fynde fautes that were none / then so to haue answerd them ferther and confute them as Cryste dyd. [ B]

For vnto Tyndale yf he had reproued the serybes and the pharyseys doctryne, and shewed that they both taught euyll for good, and reproued as euyll some thynges that were not euyll, and some thynges also that were in dede good / when he wolde haue proued them this by scrypture, they wolde peraduenture haue stycked wyth hym vppon the ryght vnderstandynge of the scrypture. wherin yf he wolde haue loked to haue bene better to be byleued then they / me thynketh that afore ryghte reasonable folke, he sholde haue had an harde parte to defende / sauynge onely for one thynge yf he could and wold haue layed it agayn•••• them. And that is yf he wolde haue sayed and coulde haue proued vnto them, that the good holy Iewys of olde tyme before them in sundry ages, had expouned the scryptures after hys prechynge and cōtrary vnto theyr••. Thys poynt [ C] wolde I promyse you sore haue appalled them.

But then wyll thys poynte as sore appall Tyndale in thys debate bytwene hym and vs, bycause all the old holy sayntes from Crystes tyme to ours, haue euer expowned the scryptures in the necessary poyntes of fayth as the chyr¦che now doth, contrary to Tyndale and all the whole rable of all the sectes of heretykes.

But now for as myche as I am not sure, whyther Tyn¦dale wolde so saye to the Iewys or not: let vs therfore har¦dely take Tyndale thense agayne / and lette our sauyoure Cryste alone wyth them / and se whyther he haue any bet∣ter answeres to make the Iewys there, the•• Tyndale hath

[ A] here to make vs.

Cryste, yf they wolde loke to be better byleued in the con¦struccyon of the scrypture then he, and wolde aske hym of whome he lerned it syth he lerned it not of them / could well tell them and well proue them, that hym selfe alone oughte more to be byleued therin thenne they all together. For he coulde shewe theym that all those scryptures fro Moyses downe warde, dyd all prophecye of hym, and that he sholde be the techer of theym, and the chyefe prophete,* 1.45 and the trewest precher / and that therfore Moyses had commaun∣ded them to here hym / and a greater then Moyses the fa∣ther of heuyn hym selfe,* 1.46 hadde commaunded them to here hym, and that the spyryte of god had lyghted vppon hym in wytnesse therof and that he was hym selfe goddes own•• [ B] sonne, and wyth hys father and hys holy spyryte one god hym selfe and egall. And to make them the better perceyue it / he could do and wolde do and in dede so dyd he such d••∣des in theyr owne syghte, as well by hys owne power and of hys owne authoryte as by the inuocacyon of ••is father, suche dedes I saye as none coulde do but god.

All thys lo coulde Cryst for hym selfe answere vnto the blynde reasons that the Iewys made vnto hym.

And now lette Tyndale in lyke wyse wyth helpe of all hys felowes, answere the same thynges for hym selfe to our blynde reasons that we make agay••ste hym•• & th••nne make hys answeres good, that is to wyt proue them trew / and then wolde we gyue hym good leue to put out all ou•• eyen, and make vs all blynde in dede.

[ C] But Tyndale can not go that waye, but wyll lede vs a lytell out of our waye / & speke agaynste the whole catholy¦ke chyrche, and thenne turne it to the clergy alone, & som∣tyme to the pope alone. And he wyl speke agaynst the faith of the chyrche now, and make vs forgete that all the olde holy sayntes fro Chryste vnto oure dayes, bothe taughte and byleued the same, and all the chrysten people b••syde. And thus neyther ha••ynge the thynges to laye agaynste the fayth of the catholyke chyrche that were well layed a∣gaynste the synagoge of the Iewes, nor hauynge no suche defence for hym selfe as hadde oure sauyou••e for hym selfe to whome he wolde be resembled: he wyndeth hym self•• so wylyl•• thys way & that way, and so ••••yfteth in and oute, and wyth hys so••••e shyftynge he so ble••eth ou•• eyen•• that he

maketh vs in maner as starke blinde as a catte / and so ma¦seth [ A] vs in the mater, that we can no more se where aboute he walketh, thenne yf he wente visyble before vs all naked in a nette.

And yet I promyse you eyther is my brayne starke blynde in dede, or ellys doth Tyndale playe blynde hobbe aboute the house. For he falleth sodainly vpō a conclusyō / towarde the profe wherof as farre as I can spye, he hath nothynge to wched. And yet by the wordes of hys conclu∣syon he leueth vs in lyke dowte as he dyd before. For lo as though ••e had before well and playnely proued it / in thys wyse he sodaynly concludeth, wyth as many dowtes as wordes.

Tyndale.

Wher••••re the scrypture truely vnderstanden after the playne places and ge¦nera•••• [ B] artyc••es of the fayth whyche thou fyndeste in the scrypture, and the ensamples that are gone before / wyll alway testyfy who is the ryght chirch.

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who herde euer suche an other wherfore? wheruppon doth hys wherfore depende? hath he any thynge sayed yet, wheruppon it muste folowe, that the scrypture and the ar¦tycles of the fayth wyth ensamples goone before, do teche vs whyche is now the chyrche, he that seeth it let hym say•• it / for surely I se it not.

And yet are also these wordes in theym selfe so blynde, that yf he sayde trewe, standynge yet of all these markes all moste euery worde bytwene these heretykes and vs in que¦styon debate and controuersye / tyll he make vs those que∣styons more clere eyther they or we be styll as blynd as we [ C] were, and styll fele and fumble about to fynde out the chyr¦che as we dyd.

For fyrst where he sayd the scrypture truely vnderstan∣den / haue they not brought that poynte in questyon. And then how meaneth he now truely vnderstāden: as the chyr¦che vnderstandeth it, or as heretykes. And yet are not he & we well agreed vpon that poynt neyther / but lyke wyse as that we call trewly, he calleth falsely / so loke whom we call heretykes he calleth the chyrch, and whom we call the chyr¦che he calleth heretykes.

After the playne places / whych be those, and to whome playn? the places that the tone part calleth playne, the tother cal∣leth croked / and those that the tone calleth darke the other

[ A] calleth open and playn. And that place that the tone sayth is playne for one thynge, the tother sayth is playne for the clene contrary.

The generall artycles of the fayth / whyche be those? For he wo∣teth well that they and we be not yet agreed vppon theym. For we byleue matrymony is a sacrament / Tyndale sayth he can hym selfe make suche a nother sacrament of a nette or a kay. we byleue that the sacrament of the auter is the very body and blood of Chryste / Tyndale sayth yt is but wyne and cake brede. Tyndale byleueth yt is lawfull (yf he byleue as he sayth) that freres may wedde nunnys / and we byleue as all good men haue euer byleued, that suche maryage is very vnlawfull lechery & playne abomynable bychery. what are we then the nere towarde the knowlege [ B] of the chyrche by the articles of the fayth, yf those artycles be broughte in as myche dowte as the chyrche? we seme to haue nede fyrste to fynde oute well the trew chyrche, to be sure of a trewe teacher to teache vs them, bycause saynte Poule sayth that the chyrch is the pyller & sure grounde of* 1.47 trouth.

Nay sayth Tyndale yt shall not nede. For the generall artycles be those that thou fyndest in scrypture. whyche thou? to whome speketh he / for that the tone parte eyther fyndeth or weneth he fyndeth / the tother parte sayth is not there / & whē yt is shewed, yet he sayth he seeth yt not. And when the tother telleth hym that he is then very blynd, the tother telleth hym agayne nay, but that on the tother syde hys syght rather daseth and weneth he seeth, that he seeth [ C] not, and taketh one thynge for twayne.

For we thynke we fynde in the scrypture that confyrma¦cyon, holy order, and anelynge,* 1.48 be great and holy sacra∣mentes / Tyndale sayth we fynde yt not there. we thynke we fynde in very palyne scrypture, that in the sacramēt of thauter is the very blessyd body of Chryste / Tyndale wyll yf nede requyre, not let I am sure to swere, that there ys nothynge there but cake brede.

we thynke we fynde in scrypture,* 1.49 that men are bounden to kepe theyr holy vowys, and that freres therefore maye not wedde nunnes / Tyndale wyll not let to say we lye all, and that so do all holy sayntes to fro Chrystes dayes hy∣therto, that euer sayd so byfore. Now shall we now agree / what are we now the nere for thys marke.

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I wote nere also what he meaneth by generall artycles / [ A] for we call generall articles those that y^• generall chyrch by¦leueth / and specyall, those that be byleued but of some spe∣cyall folke. If he wolde take yt thus, this wold ease mych of the matter.

But now I can not tell whyche he calleth generall ar∣tycles. For the generall chyrch calleth those parte of the ge¦nerall artycles, whyche artycles Tyndale sayth be false & no parte of the fayth at all.

yet where he sayth such generall artycles as thou fyn∣dest in the scrypture, he muste tell vs onys agayne, whych thou. For betwene the chyrch and hys sectys yt is not fully agreed, whyche bokes be the trewe scrypture. For frere Barns sayth playne, that saynt Iamys pystle is none of his. And frere Luther sayth the same, and setteth not mych [ B] therby, though he wyste well yt were his in dede / and so the sectes take not all for scrypture, that the catholyque chyrche dothe.

Nowe where he speketh of the samples gone afore / he muste bothe tell vs whych ensamples he meaneth, and ap¦ply those ensamples also to his present purpose.

And whē he hath so done / then shall ye well see that they s••all as all his other markes do, but yf we byleue the comē knowen catholyque chyrche, shew ellys no certaynty of a∣ny chyrche at all / but one chyrche to one sorte and a nother chyrch to a nother, and fynally as many sundry chyrches, as there be sondry sectes of heretyques.

And syth not onely no secte agreeth with other, but almost also no man amonge theym all wyth other: all Tyndales [ C] markes be so dyuerse to so many, y^• they must nedes shewe almost as many dyuerse chyrches, as there are gone owte of the knowen catholyke chyrche not onely dyuerse sectes, but also dyuerse menne.

And agaynst this hath Tyndale none euasyon that can well serue hym / but onely one. And that is, yf he saye that he meneth all his doutfull wordes to be expowned by him selfe / that is to saye, that he meaneth by scrypture well vn¦derstanden, the scrypture so vnderstanden as hym selfe vn¦derstandeth yt / and by playne placys, those places that he calleth playne hym selfe / and by generall artycles, those ar¦tycles that he calleth generall hym selfe / & that he calleth founden in scrypture, all those artycles and onely those,

[ A] that he sayth he fyndeth there hym self / and ensamples by¦fore gone, those ensamples onely that hym selfe lyste to as∣sygne, and so applyed as hym selfe lyste to applye them.

And surely yf he meane thus / thys wyll som set an ende in the mater, and shortely ceace all the stryfe, yf all folke a∣gree to folow hym / and ellys be we styll yet at as greate stryfe as we were before.

And yet yf he so mene, what nedeth he so longe processe. For then amoūteth all hys tale to no more, but as though he myghte saye, wyll ye knowe whyche is the very chyrch? Surely the very chyrche is euyn whych so euer chyrch my selfe lyste to tell you. And this were ye wote well soone and shortely sayde, and were a very godly conclusyon.

[ B] But now goeth he ferther after the fasshyon of an olde englyssh balad that beginneth, The ferther I go the more behynde. For now in dylatynge and declarynge of hys con¦clusyon, he addeth one thynge, as the fynall openynge of all in the ende, that vtterly marreth all his mater. And ther¦fore shall ye now here all the remanaunt of thys chapyter at onys.

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Though the pharyseys succeded the patryarches and prophetes, and had the scrypture of them / yet they were heretykes and fallen from the fayth of them ••nd theyr lyuynge. And Cryste and his discyples and Iohn̄ the Babtyste, de∣parted from the phariseys whiche were heretykes, vnto the ryght sense of the scrypture, and vnto the fayth ••nd lyuynge of the patryarke•• and prophetes and rebuked the pharyseys. As thou seyst how Cryste calleth them hypocry∣tes, dysimulers, blynd gydes, and paynted sepulchres. And Iohn̄ called them [ C] the generacyon of vipers and serpentes. Of Iohn̄ thangell sayd vnto hys fa∣ther Luke. 1. He shall turne many of the chyldren of Israell vnto theyr lord god / whiche yet before Iohn̄ byleued after a fleshely vnderstandynge in god, and though••e theym selues in the ryghte waye. And he shall tourne the hartes of the fathers vnto theyr chyldren. That is he shall wyth his pre∣chynge and trewe interpretynge of the scrypture, make suche a spyrytuall herte in the chyldren as was in theyr fathers Abraham Isaac and Iac••b. And he shal turne the dysobedyent vnto the obedyence of the ryghtuouse, and prepare the lorde a perfecte people. That is, them that had set vp a ryghtu∣ousnes of theyr own, were therfore dysobedyent vnto the ryghtuosnes of fayth shall he converte from theyr blyndnesse, vnto the wysdome of them that byle¦ued in god to be made ryghtuouse / and with those fathers shall he gyue the chyldren egles eyes to spye out Cryst and hys ryghtewysnes, and to forsake they•• owne, and so to become perfect.

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thys new baptyste saynt Luther, geue the world warnyng [ A] byfore his commynge that his doctryne myght be the bet∣ter lyked, by that hys person were by prophecy fore knowē and marked. For ellys were there great perell, leste the peo¦ple y^t had thorow false doctryne so longe bene led awry, by leuyng alway to be well saued inough wyth such dyssolute lyuynge, as the worlde had thorowe false doctryne conty∣nued so many hūdred yere togyther / were not now sodayn¦ly lykely to gyue eare to the sore and strayghte and harde doctryne of suche an holy spyrytuall man as holy frere Lu¦ther is / so fully fastened all vppon the spyryte, and so farre abhorrynge from all flesshely workes, that he wold neuer haue wedded the nonne, nor onys haue layed hys spyrytu∣all handes vppon her flesshely face, had he not fyrst felte & founden her frome the too to the chynne, turned all into [ B] fysshe.

And therfore if thys yong saynt Iohn̄ Baptystt he fore¦goer of these new Crystes, and all theyr new apostles nowe sent by god in so great a message, and for so greate a pur∣pose, lyke to fynde the worlde so full of flesshely folke, that suche a spyrytuall man must nedes fynde mych resystence: surely god caused hym to be prophecyed of as the tother olde saynt Iohn̄ Baptyst was.

And therfore yf Tyndale wyll haue Luther taken now for a newe saynt Iohn̄ / as of the old saynt Iohn̄ it was of olde prophecyed by the mouth of Esaie•• that he sholde be a voyce of one cryenge in desert•• Make redy the waye of our lorde,* 1.50 make strayght the pathes of our god in wyldernesse: so mus••e Tyndale now tell vs by what olde prophete god [ C] hath prophecyed, that he wolde in the later dayes when the fayth were sore decayed, and cheryte greately cooled, rere vppe a frere that sholde wedde a nonne, and frome an har∣lottes bedde steppe vp into the pulpette and preche. For but yf he proue hys authoryte the better, eyther by prophe¦cye, or by meruelouse myracle / it wylbe longe of lykelyh••d ere euer any wyse man wene, that god wold euer sende any suche abomynable beste, to turne the worlde to the ryghte way, and make a perfyte people.

Now where Tyndale sayth to make vp hys mater with in thys wyse, we departe fro them vnto the trewe scrypture, and vnto the fayth and lyuynge therof and rebuke them / in lyke maner he bryngeth forth now for hys parte another maner thyng in dede then

[ A] euer he spake of yet. For he sayde wythin thre lynes before, that we haue the scrypture of Cryste and hys apostles, and are for all that fallen from the fayth and lyuynge of them, and are become heretikes, and therfore haue nede of Iohn̄ Baptyste to conuerte vs. Now syth we haue as Tyndale hym selfe here confesseth vs to haue the scrypture of Cryste and hys apostles: whyther wyll Tyndale go frome vs to seke the trewe scrypture? Taketh he the scrypture of Cryst and hys apostles for a false scrypture? He wyl of lykelyhed leue the chrysten countrees and the scryptures of Cryste, & gete hym into Turkay and take hym to Machomettes al∣charon, and call that the trewe scrypture / or ellys hath Lu¦ther and he some other scrypture in close, whyche he calleth here the trewe scrypture.

[ B] And surely so it semeth they haue. For I am very sure that by our scrypture whyche hym selfe here confesseth for the scrypture of Cryste & hys apostles, he shall neuer whyle he lyueth be able to proue frere Luthers lechery any good lawfull matrymony.

And where he sayth he goeth frow vs to the faythe and liuynge therof / he muste nedes meane some fayth and ly∣uynge that is allowed by that same trewe scrypture that he speketh of / that is as it semeth by hys wordes, none of Crystes scrypture nor of hys apostles. And therfore when so euer he luste hereafter to leue of our scryptures, that is as he confesseth the scrypture of Chryste and hys apostles, and medle no more wyth them, as it were well done he dyd not, & onys I wene he wyll not i•• dede / but wyll for theyr [ C] false fayth and fylthy lyuynge laye forthe some newe scryp¦ture of theyr owne•• to whyche he sayth they go nowe, and whyche he calleth the trewe scrypture: we wyll then aske hym wherby he can proue theyr new foūde scrypture more trewe then the scrypture of Cryste and hys apostles, which hym selfe confesseth to be wyth the catholyke chyrche / and whyche as it hath alwaye bene therwyth, so shall alwaye remayne therwyth after Tyndale and all that euer wyll walke oute thereof to seke theym selfe some new.

Then sayth he farther, And we rebuke them in lyke maner / that is to saye that saynte Luther, saynte Huchyns, saynt Huys¦kyns, and saynte Swynglius, in lyke wyse rebuke the ca∣tholyque chyrche, as faynte Iohn̄ Baptyste rebuked the synagoge of the Iewes.

But now muste Tyndale remembre fyrste, that though [ A] we were all as well worthy to be rebuked as euer was any of them / nor for out lyuynge onely, but for our bylief also: yet were not these bestes such men as yt myght so well be∣come in lyke maner to rebuke vs, as yt myght saynte Io∣han Baptyste to rebuke the Iewes / both for that he was an holy man and fawtelesse, and therfore merely to fynde and rebuke fautes / and also bycause he was specyally sent by god to rebuke fautes / where as these m••n be fauty and fylthy them selfe, and therfore vnmete to rebuke other mē∣nys fautes / nor be not sent by god aboute the mendyng of mennys bylyefe or lyuyng, but specyally sent by the deuyll to marre mennys fayth and all good lyuyng to, both with theyr false poysened heresyes, and wyth thexāple of theyr bolde open defended lechery so horryble and abomynable [ B] byfore the face of god, whose holy sacrament of wedloke they defowle shamfully wyth theyr vow brekyng bychery, that neuer was there bestely wrech byfore theyr myserable dayes so shamelesse yet, that euer durste for shame be sene to attempte the lyke.

And besyde this these folke rebuke vs not in lyke ma∣ner. For saynt Iohn̄ Baptyste rebuked the vices of the Ie¦wes, not wyth wordes onely but specyally wyth the sam∣ple of his owne vertuous liuyng / where as these rebukers of oure lyuynge,* 1.51 lyue theym selfe at the leste wyse as euyll as we.

Saynt Iohn̄ also preached penaunce for synne / but these felowes kepe styll theyr owne synnys them selfe, and call them vertue, and auow the breke of theyr vow for well [ C] done, and theyr lechery for matrymony, & call euyll good and good euyll, whyte blakke and blakke whyte / & teache men to contemne penaunce, and make men abhorre confes¦syon, and thynke that lytle sorow suffyseth, and satysfaccy to nede none at all, but great synne to go aboute yt.

Thys was not saynte Iohn̄s maner.

Saynte Iohn̄ shewed an nother maner of penaunce, ex¦hortynge to confessyon and harty contrycyon. And how a penytēt shold lyue he declared in his lyuyng / not that he so neded, but to teache wyth his dede that he preached wyth hys worde.

Saynt Iohn̄ therfore lyu••d in deserte, and fasted and fore harde, and laye harde, and watched and prayed. These

[ A] folke lyue in greate townes, and fare well and faste not, no not so myche as the .iii. golden frydayes / that it to wyt the frydaye nexte after Palme sondaye, and the frydaye nexte afore Easter daye, and good frydaye / but wyll eate flesshe vppon all thre, and vtterly loue no lenton faste nor lyghtly no faste ellys, sauynge breke faste, and eate fast, and drynk fast, and slepe faste, and luske faste in theyr lecherye, & then come forth and rayle faste. Thys was not the maner of re∣bukyng y^• saynt Iohn̄ vsed. And therfore Tyndale sayth vntrewe when he sayth they rebuke vs after the same ma∣ner that saynt Iohn̄ dyd the Iewys.

But now knytteth Tyndale all the mater vp / and shor∣tely sheweth in the ende of this chapyter euyn in a few wor¦des, the thynge that he hath made vs gape after all thys [ B] whyle, sythe the begynnynge of hys whole boke, that is to wytte whyche is the very chyrche. For lo syr thus he sayth.

Tyndale.

And as they whyche departe from the fayth of the trewe chyrche are herety¦kes / euyn so they whyche departe from the chyrche of heretykes and fals fay¦ned fayth of ypocrites, are the trew chyrche.

More.

Lo good chrysten readers after longe worke at laste, Tyndale hath here in few wordes shewed you whyche is the very trewe chyrche / that is to saye as many as departe out of the chyrche of heretykes.

But hath not Tyndale now brough•• vs euyn in to the same dowte agayne hath not all our questyon bene all this whyle, whyche is the trewe chyrche / in whyche questyon is [ C] euer more included thys questyon, whych be heretykes / cō¦syderynge that the questyon is asked for none other cause then onely to knowe whyche be the heretykes that are the counterfeted chyrches.

And now gyueth Tyndale suche a counsayle, as yf one that coulde no good skylle of money and were sette to be a receyuour, wolde aske hym counsayle how he sholde do to be sure alwaye to to take good money / and Tyndale wold aduyse hym to se well that he toke no badde. And then yf he sayd agayne, ye M. Tyndale but I praye you teche me then how I may be sure that I take no badde. Mary wold Tyndale say agayne, for that shall I teche the a way sure inough, that neuer shall deceyue the yf thou do as I bydde the, what is that I pray you. Mary loke in any wyse that

thou take none but good. [ A]

Suche a good lesson lo dyd the tylar onys teache the mayde, how she sholde bere home water in a syue and spyll neuer a droppe. And when she brought the syue to the wa∣ter to hym to lerne yt / he bade her do no more but ere euer she put in the water, stoppe faste all the holes.

And then the mayde laughte and sayde that she coulde yet teache hym a thynge that a man of his crafte had more nede to lerne. For she coulde teache hym how he sholde ne¦uer fall, clymed he neuer so hygh, all though mē toke away the lader from hym. And when he longed to lerne y^• poynt to saue his nekke wyth / she bode hym do no more but euer se surely to one thynge, that is to wytte, that for any haste he neuer come downe faster then he went vppe. Now such a good sure lesson Tyndale teacheth vs here. For nowe to [ B] make vs sure alwaye whyche is the chyrche, he telleth vs that they be the chyrche that come from heretyques / where as the very trew chyrche standyng in questyon, heretykes, that is to saye the counterfete false chyrche, muste nedys stande in the lyke questyon, and be as doutefull as the to∣ther. And therfore hath Tyndale in this tale so soyled all the doute, that he hath lefte all euen in lyke doute styll.

Nowe yf Tyndale wyll saye that he hath all redy well & suffycyētly shewed who be heretykes, in that he hath shew∣ed whyche was onys the ryght chyrch, that is to wyt Criste and his apostles / and that the catholyke chyrche that now is, is fallen from the fayth and bylyefe of that chyrch that then was, and so be they the heretyques / and therfore the chyrch that was, sheweth the heretykes that be / that is say the chyrche of Chryst and his apostles that was the chyrh [ C] well knowen, do shewe the catholyque chyrche that now is for well knowen heretykes / and therfore Tyndale and Lu¦ther, and all theyr felowes, syth they be a company well knowen to haue goone oute and lefte for hatered of theyr false fayth and heresyes this knowen catholyque chyrche of here••ykes: yt muste nedes folow, that Luther and Tyn¦dale, and Huyskyn, and Swynglius, and theyr company, be the very chyrche. And so this questyon surely soyled by Tyndale, and openly and playnly without any such doute remanynge therin as is spoken of byfore / and the tylar ne¦deth not nowe to loke to hys fete at all, he can not fall though he wolde.

[ A] Consyder now good reader that yf Tyndale make this answere (for as for other that he myght make, as helpe me god yf I saw yt, I wolde my selfe make yt for hym as ef∣fectuall as I coulde) but as I say yf he make vs thys, con¦syder well then that the whole effecte and pyth of this an∣swere is nothynge elles, but that the knowen catholyque chyrche from whych Tyndale cōfesseth hym selfe that they be gone as from heretykes, and whych knowen catholyke chyrche we call the trew chyrch, be fallen frō the trew fayth of Chryste & his apostles, and be by that meanes become heretyques.

And in this poynte though Tyndale to blere oure yien wyth all, vse dyuerse ways to draw our myndes from the very poynt of the mater / and to flater the temporalty, tour¦neth [ B] all his tale and his raylynge wordes agaynst the cler¦gye: yet in very dede the whole bodye of the chyrche is the thynge that he heweth at, and that he calleth the heretikes. For of spyrytualty and temporalty all is one fayth / and of the whole catholyque chyrche hath from the begynnynge euer ben our mater.

Then consyder I say now, that where he sayth that the catholyque chyrche now is fallen from the fayth of the old chyrche of Chryste and his apostles / we can not denye but that Tyndale so sayth. But then se we well and so we saye agayne and saye therin very trewe, that when Tyndale so sayth he lyeth.

For ye se your selfe that Tyndale proueth thys tale but by hys bare worde, ••n that we byleue not as he doth, that [ C] good workes are naught worth, and that the sacraments be gracelesse and but bare sygnes and tokens / and yet not so myche neyther by Tyndales tale, but onely dumme ce∣remonyes that neyther say nor sygnyfye, and that men do wronge to worshyppe the body and blood of Cryste in the blessed sacrament, and that there is nothynge therin but very bare brede and wyne or starch in stede of brede / & that freres may well wedde nūnys, and such other goodly thyn¦ges lyke. whyche false artycles to be trew, he neyther hath proued nor can proue whyle he lyueth, nor all y^e heretykes in this world, nor yet all the deuyls in hell.

Now haue we well proued you, that in all suche poyn∣tes we haue the selfe same fayth that Cryste and hys apo∣stles had and tawght. And in these poyntes we proue that

the scrypturys of them be on our parte. And yet saye we [ A] also that we be sure therof, by that that Cryste and hys apo¦stles dyd delyuer vs these thynges by mouthe besyde the wrytynge / by whyche we sholde also haue bene sure therof, all though they neuer hadde ben wryten / as we be by that meane sure of some other thynges that were lefte vnwrytē, and onely delyuered by Chryste to hys apostles, and by his apostles to the chyrche, and therin perpetually kept by the spyryte of god, that Cryste accordynge to his promyse sent vnto his chyrche to lede it in to all trouth,* 1.52 and by his owne perpetuall assystence and presence wyth hys chyrche for euer as hym selfe promysed also. Of whyche thynges well knowen and yet vnwryten,* 1.53 is for ensample one, that we be bounden to byleue the perpetuall virgynyte of our lady, wherwyth I haue troubled Tyndale onys or twyse here [ B] afore / and hym selfe whyle he labored to wynde oute, hathe so messhed and entangled hym selfe therin, that he hath in the handelynge of that one mater alone, vtterly destroyed the fundacyō of all the heresyes that they haue in all theyr whole Ragmans roll.

An other ensample of the tradycio••s wythout wrytyng maye be the puttynge of the water in to the wyne at the masse / wherwyth the kynges noble grace in such wyse han¦deled Luther, that in answerynge thervnto Luther fareth as one that were fallen frantyke, and sayth now thys now that and woteth not where he maye holde hym / but sayeth somtyme that the water maye be lefte oute or put in as the chyrche ly••te to order. And thenne agayne he sayth that it ought to be lefte oute and not putte in, for as myche as it [ C] hath (sayth he) an euyll sygnyfycacyon, that is to wyt tha•• the pure scrypture is mengled and watered wyth mennes tradycyons / and therfore they sholde he sayth synge masse and consecrate with onely wyne alone, and so by lykelyhed they do therfore suche freres as wedde nonnes.

But holy saynt Cypryan that blessed bysshope and very gloryous martyr / & a man one of the beste lerned that euer wrote in Crystes catholyke chyrche, wryteth playnely .xiii. hūdred yere before Luther was borne, that the water must nedes in, and that Chryste put water in to it at hys owne maundy when he consecrated and ordayned it hym selfe.

And thys blessed saynte Cypryane, thought hym selfe bounden bothe so to byleue and to teche vppon the trady∣cyons

[ A] of thapostles besyde theyr wrytynges.

Thus wryteth saynte Cypryane contrary to Luthers doctryne clere.

But I can let no man to byleue now whyther of theym bothe they lyst••. How be it I se not greately why Luther sholde be better byleued thenne he, but yf it be bycause saynt Cypryane wolde not wedde, and Luther hathe wed∣ded a nonne.

But as I beganne to saye, remembre good reader that where as we saye that in the greate varyaunce of oure fay∣thes, the fayth I saye of the catholyque chyrche and the fayth whyche these heretyques professe to the contrary, we proue our fayth by the scryptures / and they saye naye, and afferme that they proue theyrs by y^• scryptures, wherunto [ B] we saye naye: all the questyon for the more parte ryseth, or hath at the leste wyse euer hytherto rysen, not vppon the scrypture selfe, but vppon the construccyon thereof / that is to saye not whyther the wordes were holy scryp∣ture or no that were for scrypture alledged, but what was of that scrypture the trewe sense and ryghte vnder∣standynge.

For as for whyche was holy and autentyke scrypture and whyche not, we haue be a great whyle very well agre¦ed / sauyng that Luther of late and frere Barns after hym, wolde fayne putte oute saynte Iamys pystle,* 1.54 and saythe it hath no smacke of any apostolyque spyryte,* 1.55 bycause it sayth that fayth waxeth dede wythout good workes and hath a playne place also for the sacrament of anelynge. [ C] And Fryth wolde haue out quyte the bokes of the Macha beys, bycause it proueth for purgatory and for the inc••rces¦syon of sayntes.

And now semeth Tyndale to make a secrete insinuacyō of some other scrypture than Chrystes and hys apostles / whyche other scrypture he semeth to call the trewe scryp∣ture / and sayth that from the catholyke chyrch whych hym selfe confesseth to haue the scrypture of Cryst and hys apo¦stles, hym selfe and hys felowes goo nowe to the trewe scrypture.

But now lettynge hys other new trewe scrypture alone tyll he reherse vs some therof / euer hytherto all our debate and varyaūce hath bene about the exposycyon / eche parte

layenge to the others charge false glosynge of the trewe [ A] scrypture.

Then syth the dowte bytwene theyr fayth and oures, resteth vppon that poynt: consyder good chrysten reader that we proue that the consent of all the olde holy doctours and sayntes of euery age synnys chrystendome fyrste be¦gan vnto frere Luthers owne dayes, is vppon our parte agaynste them.

And this haue I proued. what saye I, thys haue I pro¦ued? nay thys haue (I say) them selfe proued, in that theyr hed capytayne Luther prowdely reiecteth and shaketh of the sayntes wyth hys sleue lyke flyes by the whole hūdred at onys / & in one place in hys boke of Babilonica spekyng of the canō of the masse, wherin he cōfesseth that they stand all agaynste hym, he setteth not a rysshe by theym all, but [ B] shaketh them of all at onys, & sayth the scrypture is playn vppon hys syde though they saye all the contrary.

And in thys poynt all the ••able of theym folowe theyr mayster so farre, that they fall to blasphemynge of sayntes to take awaye theyr authoryte.

And yet yf thys profe wyll not satysfye theym, but that they be so shamelesse as to saye yet styll that the olde holy doctours and sayntes are agaynst vs with them: let them of so many tell vs one, that euer so cōstrewed the scripture, that a man professynge onys vowed chastyte, was for all at hys lawfull lybertye to wedde a vowed professed nonne. I speke of professed and vowed, bycause of suche as pro∣fesse wythoute perpetuall vowys, as is the relygyous howse of saynte Gerytrude at Nyuell, and other lyke in [ C] other places. Lette theym I saye amonge all the olde holy doctours, shewe so myche as some one / of whyche I wote well they can not fynde one amonge them all.

Then consyder good chrysten reader, that syth we haue vppon our parte agaynste all theyr sectes, all the olde holy sayntes agreynge wyth vs in bylyefe, though we be not lyke theym in lyuynge, there is no dowte but that in fayth the comen chrysten people by all these agys agreed with vs also.

For how canne we knowe the fayth that in euery tyme hath bene, but by the wryters that were in euery tyme, syth we can not now speke with the men.

[ A] Fynally good chrysten reders vppon these thynges it foloweth, that we proue well and suffycyently, that there is not an olde chyrche of Cryste and hys apostles, & an other newe chyrche now / but one whole chyrche from that tyme to thys tyme in one trewe fayth contynued. And so is it playnely proued false all the fundacyon of Tindals whole tale.

And as for any thynge that hym selfe proueth / hys wordes that he wold were taken for so playne to shewe vs whyche is the chyrche, leueth vs as I sayed in lyke dowte as we were / sauynge where they shold proue hym & his cō¦pany the chyrche, they proue nowe clerely wyth thys, that he confesseth Cryste & hys apostles to haue ben the chyrch / and then this that we proue therto by all the holy doctours [ B] bokes of euery age before, that the catholyke chyrche hath now the same fayth styll, and Tyndale and hys felowes y^e contrary: Tyndals owne tale I saye wyth these thynges set therto, proue Tyndale and all his felowes heretykes, and the knowen catholyke chyrche to be the very chyrche of Cryste.

And here ye se well good reders, I myghte of hys cha∣pyter make an ende. But in good fayth Tyndals wordes well wayed, haue so many mery folyes in them, that I can not yet holde my fyngers from them.

For I requyre you for goddes sake onys agayne con∣syder hys wordes well.

Tyndale.

[ C] As they which depart from the fayth of the true chyrch are heretykes / euen so they that departe from the chyrche of heretykes and false fayned fayth of ypochrytes, are the trewe chyrche.

More.

I haue in good fayth good hope, that there shall not lyghtely so meane a wytted man rede his wordes here, but that he shall meruayle myche where Tyndals wytte was when he wrote those wordes. For euery chyld may se perde that these two thynges be not lyke / that is to wytte the go∣ynge out of the trewe chyrche of Cryste, and the goyng out of the false chyrche of heretykes. For the trewe chyrche of Cryste is but one. And the false chyrches of heretykes be many. And therfore though euery man that goth from the

faith out of that one trew chyrch of Crist, must nedes be an [ A] heretyke, bycause he can not so go out but by heresye / it fo∣loweth not that in lyke wyse euery man that goeth oute of the chyrche of heretykes, goeth into the trewe chyrche of Cryste, by the trewe fayth agayne / for as mych as of many chyrches, he maye go out of one into another / and so ye se well they do. And therfore Tyndale speketh false Englysh when he sayth the chyrche of heretykes. For they neyther be any one chyrch, nor haue any one chyrche ouer them all, so specyall that it maye be by a certayne specyall preemy∣nens in respecte of the remanaunt called the chyrche.

Now that a man maye go out of a false chyrche of here∣tykes and yet not into the trewe chyrche of Cryst / Tyndale maye well perceyue by two samples of two specyall herety¦kes of two contrary condycyons / that is to wytte one here∣tyke [ B] of olde called Berengarius, and an other of new cal∣led wyllyam Hychyn. Berengarius fell fyrst into that fals heresye agaynste the blessed sacrament of the aulter, that he affermed and helde that there is not in it the very body of Cryste, nor nothynge but onely very brede, and gathe∣red hys chyrche of his heresye togyther. But afterwarde he better remembred hym selfe, and reuoked that heresye, and fell from that heresy into an other / not fully so farre in falshed but yet a false heresye to / that is to wytte that here∣sye that Luther holdeth now, that in the sacrament though he confessed to be the very body of Cryste, yet he helde that there remayned and abode styll very brede to therwyth.

And thus in Berengarius may Tyndale well perceyue that a man may go frow a false chyrche of heretykes, and yet not strayt into the trewe chyrche of Cryste. [ C]

Tyndale maye also perceyue thys poynte well by the tother new heretyke wyllyam Huchyn, whych fyrste fell to the secunde heresye that was of the twayne the lesse euyll, that is to wyt the heresye that Luther holdeth, that in the sacrament is bothe the very body of Cryst and very brede. But now eyther bycause he longed euer to falle vnto the wurste, as longe as he myght fynde any wurse then other, or ellys bycause he fauored frete Huskyn, bycause his own name was Huchyn / he fell in that poynt from Luthers he∣resye to hys, and affermeth now that there is in the blessed sacrament nothynge ellys but brede / and ••esteth and scof∣feth vpon it, and dysputeth in hys blasphemy that it shold

[ A] be but starche.

And thus where the olde heretyke Berengarius began at the worste, and from that fell to lesse euyll: this new he∣retyque Huchyn goth contrary way, begynnynge at the lesse euyll and fallynge from that vnto the worse. And ther¦fore is mych the lesse lykely to folow y^t tother in one poynt, in whyche I praye god he may. For Berengarius yet after all thys, reuoked his later heresye to, and lyued longe af∣ter, and dyed an holy vertuouse man.

But by these ensamples I say Tyndale may well per∣ceyue that though he go strayt out of a chirch of heretikes, yet yt shall not folow y^t he shall go into y^e trew chyrch / syth he maye by the waye steppe into a nother false chyrche, of whyche there be so many besyde.

[ B] For all the heretyques be not gathered into one chyrch / but as the chyrche of Cryste is but one, so be there of those a vengable many / and be not cōprehended vnder any one chyrch, sauyng onely that as the trew chyrch is the chyrch of god, so be all the false called the chyrch of y^e deuyll,* 1.56 why∣che is kynge as the scripture sayth ouer all the chyldren of pryde, whyche pryde is as saynte Austayne sayth the very moder of heretyques.

Now yf yt be trewe that Tyndale here sayeth, that the chyrche whyche we call the very chyrche / that is to say, yf yt be trew that the catholyque knowen chyrche, be as Tyn¦dale here taketh yt the chyrche of heretyques / and y^e fayth therof be as he also calleth yt, a false fayned fayth of ypo∣crytys / and therfore lyke as thys chyrche bycause yt is as [ C] he sayth comen awaye from the trew chyrche of Cryste and hys apostles, is the chyrche of false heretykes / so they that come awaye fro this chyrch of heretykes, and this false fay¦ned fayth of ypocritys, be the trew chyrch: then must yt ne¦dys folowe, that all the sectys whyche are sprongen in Bo¦heme, and in Sarony, & in some other partes of Almayn, be the very trew chyrche, and the trew faythfull byleuers.

Now syth Tyndale hath brought yt vnto this, I wold fayn know one thyng of hym / syth it is so that all those sec∣tys be the trew chyrch and very faythfull folke: how hap∣peth yt that eche of theym calleth other false shrewes, and sayth trew in that poynt and in allmoste nothynge ellys?

And syth he hath brought yt vnto this / how can his fy∣nall wordes also stande wyth this cōclusyon, wyth whych

[ A] wordes he wolde ••eme to proue his conclusyon trew. For thus he endeth this chapyter.

Tyndale.

Whiche thou shalte alwaye knowe by theyr fayth examyned by the scryp¦ture, and by theyr professyon and consent to lyue accordynge vnto the law∣es ••f god.

More.

Nowe consyder good reder whether these tokens do make vs know, that all the sectes that are departed fro the catholyke chyrche, be the trew chyrche.

How can theyr fayth examyned by the scripture, or how can theyr professyon to lyue accordyng to the lawis of gos, make vs perceyue that all they be the trew chyrch, bycause they come from the fayth of oures whych Tyndale calleth false and fayned / where as they beyng departed from ow∣res, [ B] do amonge them selfe neyther in fayth nor in professy∣on of lyuynge any wyse consent or agree?

For fyrste in Boheme, what a sorte of dyuerse false fay¦thys be there, and what dyuersyte and contraryete in the professyon of theyr lyuynge.

Then in Saxony and in some partes of Almayn, what a nother sorte is there of sundry maner sectis, as well in ar¦tycles of the fayth and bylyefe, as iu the vnmanerly ma∣ners and lawles lawes of lyuynge, wherof ye may percey∣ue a great many by the boke of M. wyllyam Barloo, that longe was cōuersaunt in the countrey / whych detestynge thabomynacyon that he founde amonge theym, hath of a ryght godly zele geuen vs knowlege of theym.

And now by Tyndales tale they be the trew chyrch eue∣ry [ C] chone, and the lawe of god shall allowe all theyr lyuyn∣ges as bestely as they be, and the scrypture of god shall vp¦holde and maynteyn all theyr belyefes as dyssonaunt and as repugnaūt as they be eche to other, and as malycyouse¦ly false as all the whole sorte be both one and other.

For all this lo yet shall we by the law of god and by the scrypture of god compared with all theyr bestely lyuynges and all theyr false repugnaunt faythes, well and clerely know sayth Tyndale, that all they be the very trew chyrch of Cryste, bycause they can be none other, for as myche as they be come away from the fayned fayth of ours.

And so ye may se that Tyndale affyrmeth now not one∣ly those abhomynable heresyes that he taught before, but

[ A] all those also the Anabaptistes haue added vnto them syn¦nys. And so now be the trewe chyrche wyth hym and agree wyth scrypture and wyth the lawe of god, all those that say the baptysynge of chyldren is voyde, and they that say that there ought to be no rulers at all in crystendome, ney∣ther spyrytuall nor temporall / and that no man shold haue any thynge proper of his owne, but that all landes and all goodes ought by goddes lawe to be all mennys in comen, and that all women ought to be comen to all men, as well the nexte of kynne as the farthest straunger, & euery man husbande to euery woman, and euery woman wyfe vnto euery man / and then fynally that our blessed sauyour Crist was but onely man and not god at all.

And in good fayth I neuer thought other yet from sone [ B] after the begynnynge, but that when these folke fell onys to these horryble heresyes whyche Tyndale in his bokes hath taught vs, they shulde not fayle to fall sone after vn∣to these other to / of whych the very worste is not worse yet then dyuerse of those that Tyndale taught vs byfore / nor lyghtly can there none be worse, excepte onely one, that were to say there is no god at all. And as helpe me god I veryly fere they shall fall vnto that at laste. And then reke∣nynge neyther vppon god nor deuyll nor immortalyte of theyr owne soules, but iestynge and scoffynge that god is a good felow, & as good a soule hath an oule as a cukkoo, and whē thou seest my soule hange on the hedge then hurle stonys at yt hardly and spare not / and as Tyndale sayth when thou spekest with saint Peter, then pray hym to pray [ C] for the: thus rekenynge vpon nothynge but onely vppon this world, & therfore rekkyng for nothyng but onely for y^• body, they shall at the laste fall in a new rage, & gather thē selfe to gyther, and shall but yf theyr malyce be the better repressed, to make other maner maystryes then euer they made ye•• / wherof the myschiefe shall fall in theyr own nek¦kes. But yet yf they may be suffred onys to ryse•• all the mys¦chyefe wyll not fall in theyr owne nekkes alone, but mych harme shall happe vppon many good mennys heddes ere these rebellyous wreches be well repressyd agayne.

Besyde all this, consyder well good reder, that yf yt be trew that Tyndale here teacheth vs for the fynall conclu∣syon of all this chapyter / that is to wit yf it be trew that all they that go oute of the catholyke chyrche, be the the trewe

chyrche / then syth the sectes that are departed oute of thys [ A] catholyque chyrche, be companyes knowen well ynough, ye se nowe very well that here hath Tyndale sodenly des∣troyed and pulled downeth chyrche that all thys whyle he went about to byeld vppe / whyche was as fro the begyn∣nynge ye haue herde, a chyrche of vnknowen electys. For he hath as ye now perceyue, brought al to a knowē chyrch, or rather to twenty knowen chyrches / of whych euery one is by all the remenaunt knowleged to be knowen for false / and then bothe in abomynable false bylyefe and brutyshe bestely lyuynge all the whole rable suche, that obstynately lyue therin, and deuelyshly also dye therin, that euery man may well perceyue they can not all be goddes electys.

And thus hath he sodaynly pulled here downe to groūd, the chyrche vnknowen of his onely electys, that he hathe [ B] good crysten reder all this whyle so bysely gone aboute to sette vppe.

Now yf Tyndale when he shall perceyue howe blyndely the deuyll hath led hym here aboute, and made hym to fall in the dyche with his docer, & breke all his eggys, & quayle thus all his conclusyon, wolde for shame seke any farther shyfte, & say that I mysse take hys wordes, & that hym self ment in them some other maner thynge: I dowte not but euery wyse reder wyll cōsyder well what he wyll saye, and not be so far ouer sene as to byleue hym at his onely word. One thynge I am very sure, that I haue in this chapyter lefte neuer a word of his vnwrytē to hyde his entent, or de¦praue his purpose wyth all / but haue truely and playnely rehersed them euery one. By all whyche yt appereth playn¦ly, that he both sayth and meaneth as I haue shewed you / [ C] and therupon that these folyes of his that I haue declared you, are playnely deduced vppon his own wordes whyche I haue rehersed you.

Howe be yt yf he wyll for auoydyng of the shame, sur∣myse y^t he ment some other thyng: I can not well ymagyn what yt myght be that he myght dyuyse to say that he mēt. For yf he wold say that he ment not, that all the sectys that go oute of the catholyque chyrche whych he calleth the he∣retykes be the trew chyrche / but some one of them, whyche one we sholde perceyue well from the remenaunt by theyre fayth examyned by scrypture, & by the professyon of theyr lyuynge after the law of god: this can he not saye that he

[ A] ment / for he nameth no one secte of them all, but sayth ge∣nerally that they whyche departe out of the chyrche of here¦tykes whyche he calleth the comen knowen catholyke chyr¦che, be the trew chyrche. And therfore he can not escape so.

He wold also yf he had so ment, haue specyally cōmaūded some one. And also there is not one of thē all whose fayth eyther agreeth wyth the scrypture, or the professyō of theyr liuyng with the law of god / but yf Tyndale call as in dede he doth, a godly professyon for freres & nonnes to fall from the chastyte of theyr professyon / and lyke as they professed before to serue god in chastyte, so to professe them self from hense forth to serue the deuyll in sacrylege, and make hym a dayly sacryfyce of theyr owne bestely bodyes wyth ince∣stuous lecherye.

[ B] Fynally yf he be so shamelesse as to say that he ment none of them all, but some suche vnknowen as hym selfe woteth not whom, that is gone out of our chyrch, that is to wytte the knowen catholyke chyrche / & byleueth not as we do by cause we byleue nought / nor lyueth not as we do bycause we lyue nought / nor goth not into any of those other chyr∣ches & sectes neyther, bycause they byleue nought and lyue nought also as wel as we, but frame them selfe some fayth after the scrypture, & some kynde of lyuyng after the lawe of god by them selfe / & that these be the very chyrche & the very electes, & all vnknowen both who they be and where they be sauing onely that alway som such there be, & knowē onely to god that hath elected them, & euery of them to hym selfe by hys felyng fayth, which yet he many tymes feleth [ C] nothynge of, as Tyndale hym selfe hath before cōfessed in the chapyter of the order of theyr eleccyō, & yet for all that alway feleth styll, y^t thorow the felyng fayth which he ones felt, he is one of goddes good chyldern, euyn whyle he ly∣eth with his lēman or whyle he kylleth a good man, & that in all that whyle y^t he doth such deuelysshe dedes, he doeth yet no dedely synne: yf he can for shame fynde in hys harte to say thus, this wylbe the most folysh thynge of all.

For fyrst the generall maner y^t he vseth where he sayth They that go fro the chyrche of heretykes (whyche he calleth vs of the catholyke chyrch) be the very chyrche, This generall maner of speche I say that excludeth none, restrayneth it not vnto a fewe folke onely vncertayne & vnknowē, but extendeth it vnto all folke that euer go forth frō vs. And therfore he cā not excuse his foly with sayeng that he ment it so.

Moreouer yf he so had ment in dede / that had bene yet [ A] the moste foly of all. For what cōgregacyon were that whi¦che neuer were gathered togyder, nor neuer one parte wyt∣tyngly speke wyth other / of whych yf they mette to gyther, neuer one knoweth other. For though they knowe to gy∣ther, as folke of acquayntaunce or kyn••ed, or neyghbours peraduenture all of one towne or strete, ye or of one house eyther: yet can they not one knowe an other as for a mem∣ber of hys owne vnknowen chyrch, that is to wytte for one of the trewe fayth and ryght lyuynge, & for a penytent syn∣ner, and fynally for a fynall electe. And all these condyciōs ye wote well muste those persons haue that Tyndale ta∣keth for the very chyrche.

yes sayth Tyndale Thou shalte alwaye knowe them by theyr fayth examyned by the scrypture, and by theyr professyo•• and consent to lyue accor∣dynge [ B] vnto the lawes of god.

How is it possyble to know by these menes whyther he be a fynall electe or not? whyle he may both lye & chaunge, and say he byleueth otherwyse than he doth, or byleue here after otherwyse than he doth now.

But yet consyder well here good reder, that when ye se Tyndale here go about to teche how they may be knowē / he declareth hym selfe that of reason the chyrche muste be a chyrche knowen / and that it were a thynge farre out of rea∣son to haue the very chyrch vnknowen. And in thys he cle∣rely declareth the madnesse as well of hym selfe as of Lu∣ther & Bar••s and them all, that wold haue the chyrch a cō∣gregacyō vnknowen / and yet labour to deuyse vs markes by all the menes they maye, wherby theyr chyrch vnknow∣en myghte seme to be perceyued and knowen. [ C]

Now when he sayth, Thou shalt allway knowe them by theyr fayth examyned by the scrypture, and by theyr professyon and consent to lyue after the lawe of god: I wolde ••ayne wytte whych thou he meaneth.

Thou lerned or thou vnlerned. wel•• ye wote that amōg the lerned, the very sense is in questyon / and vpon the de∣batynge therof, aryseth all the varyaūce. whych thou mea∣neth he than? Thou that art vnlerned: Thou that cannest scantely rede it, or thou that cannyst not rede it at all? whē they that are lerned can not perceyue it, then thou perde y^• arte vnlerned shal•• perceyue it a non, & examyne and iudge by the scrypture whyche of them saye beste for theyr fayth of whom thou vnderstādest neyther nother / but the lenger that thou hereste them dyspute vppon the scrypture but yf

[ A] thou brynge the trew fayth thyther wyth the, the lesse shalt thou there perceyue. And in mych more dowt departe shalt thou thense, then thou were in whan thou camest thyther.* 1.57 For as the prophete sayth, but yf ye beleue ye shall not vn∣derstond. And therfore for euery man lerned & vnlerned for so farre as toucheth the necessary doctryne of trewe fayth & lyuyng, & exposycyō of scrypture that apperteyneth therto, the very fastenesse & surtye is, to reste vnto the chyrch / why¦che is as saynt Poule sayth, y^e pyler & sure groūd of trouth.* 1.58 And that can be no••e vnknowē chyrch, whych can neyther lerne nor teche, as they that neyther can haue precher no•• herers / as well for that one of them can not know an other to assemble aboute eleccyon & choyce, nor can haue any by successyō, syth there can be no successyon perceyued among [ B] any such of whych no parte knoweth other / & also for that yf they neyther be of y^e catholyke chyrch nor of any knowē sect, they can not be suff••red to prech or lyue eyther among vs or them. And yf they be of eyther vs or them / thenne are they of some knowen chyrch. And yf they be scatered amōg the chyrch & the dyuers s••ctes, & neyther lyue nor byleue af¦ter the doctryne of none of them all / so longe as they so do none of them knowyng other, so longe be they a secrete vn¦knowen secte / but they neyther be chyrch nor haue chyrch, nor preste nor precher amonge them.

And yf they fall after in aquayntaūce togyther & flocke to gyther, and eche knowe of others bylyefe and lyuynge / then begynne they to be a knowen secte and a false knowen chyrche of heretykes, bycause they be gone out of the catho¦lyke, [ C] some unmedyately and parte by a mean••, as those that come togyther departyng out of the dyuers, all whych before departed out of our one. In whyche one of ours, y^• is to wyt in the knowen catholyke chyrch, the trewth doth onely reste, syth it well appereth as I haue before playnely proued, that the fayth whyche was with Cryste & hys apo∣stles, hath euer styll contynued with vs / which is and euer hath bene one chyrch styll contynued from the begynnyng. And therfore euer frome the begynnynge, those that haue by professyon departed out of thys chyrche, haue euer bene knowen, yf from the socyete therof for scismatikes, yf from the fayth therof, for heretykes. For as that gloryous mar∣tyr holy saynt Cypryane sayth: Out of vs be they all gone and not we out of them / but euer from the begynnynge as

heretykes or scismatykes haue rysen, eyther haue they by [ A] professyon departed out, or the chyrch hath caste them out / and the chyrche euer more hath as the very stocke conty∣nued styll and remayned / & the braunches so cutte of, haue fyrst or last wythered away. And so shal all these at length, when the catholyke chyrch shall abyde & remayne & stande faste with god and god fas••e wyth it, accordyng to goddes promyse, tyll the worlde take an ende / and euer myracles in it and in onely it, to declare and make open that the very fayth, the very hope, and the very cheryte styll conty∣nueth therin / and that how syke so euer it be, & how myche dede flesshe so euer be founden in the syke and sore partes of the same, yet alyue is euer the body of thys chyrche, for in it is the soule and the spyrite / and out of the body of this knowen contynued catholyke chyrche, there is in the body [ B] of any other chyrche gone out or caste out of thys for theyr contrary bylyefe and fayth, or for theyr rebellyous byha∣uour, there neyther is I saye nor can be amonge them all, as all the olde holy doctours and sayntes fully recorde & testyfye, neyther helth, lyfe, hed, nor spyryte.

And therfore to fynysshe at laste thys longe chapyter of hys solucyon / it is impossyble for Tyndale or all the world besyde, to soyle that one argument, by whych the knowen catholyke chyrch is proued to be the very chyrch of Cryst / in that that from the begynnynge it hath euer styll be••e by ordynary course of successyon kepte and contynued one / and the olde fayth from the begynnynge (as by the b••kes of holy sayntes of euery age well appereth) all waye c••nty¦nued therin / and the olde ryghte maner of interpretacyon [ C] of the scrypture, concernynge the fayth (as by the same sayntes holy bokes appereth) all waye contynued ther∣in / and euer more gloryouse myracles from the begynnyng incessauntely perseueryng therin / and that it was promy∣••ed that it sholde euer contynue tyll the worldes ende, an•• god therin wythout any other newe chyrche of god to suc∣cede the chyrche of Cryste in thys worlde,* 1.59 as it was promy¦mysed and prophecyed that the chyrch of Cryste sholde suc¦cede & put away the synagoge of Moyses / & that all other chyrches and sectes of whyche euery one calleth it selfe the ryght chyrch, be some at one tyme some at an other arysen & rered them self agaynst this chyrch, & therfore bothe gone out & caste out of thys chyrche, & there so many dyuers fay¦thes

[ A] to the old cōtynued fayth euery one dyuersly cōtrary, and all theyr interpretacyons of holy scrypture cōcernyng fayth and good lyuyng dyuersly, contrary to the doctryne and exposycyōs of all the olde holy doctours and sayntes, as I haue often declared you / or ellys let Tyndale as I haue desyred hym onys or twyse I trowe all redy, tell vs some one of all them that teacheth vs the scripture or wyth out scrypture eyther, that freres may wedde nunnys.

These thynges I saye beyng thus, that the very chirch can be but one, and muste endure as longe as the worlde lasteth, and can in this worlde haue no new chyrche to suc¦cede yt as the synagoge hadde / and then that all these chyr¦ches of these sectis be rysen and gone oute of the catholyke chyrch, and yt cōtynueth styll: yt is impossyble I saye for [ B] Tyndale or all the worlde besyde, to soyle the reason and auoyde yt, but that onely this catholyque chyrche is the ve¦ry trew chyrche of Cryste / and all the chyrches of sectys at sundry tymes gone out therof, be chyrches of heretyques and scysmatykes and very chyrches of the deuyll.

And thus good crysten reders haue I playnely proued you, that Tyndale and his felowes and all these sundrye sectys, nor yet any one of theym all, be not as he blasphe∣meth and scoffeth to be resembled vnto Cryste & his apost∣les / as gone out of the catholyque chyrche, in lyke maner as they went out of the synagoge that then shulde haue an ende, to begynne a new that whyle the worlde lasted shold neuer haue ende, nor any chyrch be trew saue yt self. But y^• Tyndale and all his felowes & all theyr sectys, be so gone [ C] oute and put out of this catholyke chyrch of Cryste•• as Lu¦cyfer and his felowes by pryde fyrste departed out and by power was after put oute of the chyrche of god in heuen.

And lyke wyse also as Cain was by god put oute of the chyrche of good folke, for his obstynate malyce in erth.

And lyke wyse as Chore, Dathan, and Abyron wyth theyr felows,* 1.60 made a secte of scysmatyques and bent away fro the chyrche of Moyses and Aaron in deserte / for why∣che they went quykke vnder erth, & as yt semeth hell swa∣loweth them vppe.* 1.61

And lyke wyse also as the ten trybys of Israell depar∣ted wyth Hieroboam from theyr very kynge Roboam the sonne of Salomon / wyth whyche rebellyous depar∣tynge from theyr kynge, all be it they were not well hande¦led

wyth hym, but were thretened and put in fere of oppres¦syon, [ A] yet was god as saint Cypriayn by scrypture proueth greatly dyspleased wyth them / and his very chyrche moste specyally then remayned in the smaller companye the two trybys onely, from whyche the .x. were gone. And these heretykes be gone out of the catholyke chyrche in lyke ma∣ner,* 1.62 as the great company of Crystes dyscyples went from hym when he was aboute to teache hym the fayth of hys very bodye and blood in the sacrament of the aulter / for whyche and from whyche Huchyn, Huyskyn, and Swyn∣glius, be now gone awaye to. And yet as the very chyrche remayned in these few that abode and contynued / so shall the very chyrche euer abyde and contynue in these few that perseuer in the stokke, be yt mynished and mynced neuer so smale / and alway those that go therfro, shalbe but wythe∣red [ B] braūches and chyrches of heretykes and scysmatykes, be they neuer so great nor so many.

These heretykes departe also from the catholyke chirch in suche wyse as Iudas departed fro y^• chyrch of Criste at the maūday souper,* 1.63 whē he went to betray the hed of tha•• chyrche, and vterly to dyssolue the body. And lyke wyse do all these sectes of heretykes, which in y^• poynt do more then veryly represent the scrybes and pharysyes, whom saynte Iohn̄ called the generacyon of vypars. For as the yonge vyper serpētes gnaw out theyr mothers bely,* 1.64 and those scri¦bes and pharysyes dyd by theyr false doctryne laboure to destroye the very trew doctryne of the synagoge, whereof they were engendred: so do all these cursed serpentyne sec∣tys of heretykes, both wyth theyr false errours and heresy∣es, [ C] labour to destroy the trew doctryne / and also wyth sow¦ynge of dyssencyon and sedycyouse scysmes, go aboute to gnaw out the very bely of theyr moder the holy cath••lyke chyrche. And therfore wyll they, but yf they do (as I pray god geue them grace to do) repent theyr malyce and amēd, ellys vndowtely haue theyr parte wyth Iudas, and wyth suche other as I haue shewed you that departed from the trew chyrche byfore, and wyth suche other heretykes as de¦parted also from the chyrch in the tyme of the blessed apost¦les after / as were the Ebionytes that sayed Chryste was but onely man and not god, agaynste whome saynt Iohn̄ the Euangelyst wrote his holy gospell / and the Nycolai∣tes whych wold haue all women in comen, agaynst whom

[ A] god speketh hym selfe in thapocalyps,* 1.65 whyche both here∣syes be now begonne to be brought vppe agayne amonge the sectys of these new heretyques in Almayne / whyche se∣ctes Tyndale calleth the very trewe chyrche of Cryste•• by∣cause they departe onely and go from ours / where he seeth well by the olde bokes, that we haue the same fayth that thapostles had / and hereth wyth his owne eares that they haue the same heresyes whyche thapostles dampned.

So se you good readers, that the many sectes are come uote of the one chyrche / the noughty out of the good, the false oute of the trew. And Tyndale argueth the contrary way / and therby wolde make vs wene that the good co∣meth euer out of the bad, and leueth the noughty behynde. And by that way shall not onely Luthers lecherous ch••rch [ B] be better then the catholyke chyrche of Chryst / but also Lu¦cyfer his chyrche of deuyls in hell, be better then the chyrch of god and hys good angelys, that Lucyfer when he fell from thense lefte styll wyth god behynde hym in the glory∣ouse blysse of heuyn.

And thus ende I good crysten reder this boke•• in why∣che euery chylde almoste that aduysedely redeth yt, maye well and clerely perceyue that Tyndales solucyon is not worth one ryshe / but the reason that he wolde haue soy∣led, is and abydeth styll so myghtye stronge and inuyn∣cyble, as a reason byfore me made by the stronge and my∣ghty champyon the inuyncyble martyr saynte Cypryan•• / that by that one reason alone yt ys I dare boldelye saye, well and playnely proued that this knowen catholyque [ C] chyrche whyche Tyndale wolde impugne, dysp••oue, and destroye, is alone the very trewe chy••che of Chryste, whyche all the deuyls in hell shall neuer be able to pull downe / and that these hundred sundry sectys whych Tyn¦dale wolde haue taken for the very chyrche of Cryste, be ve¦ry false heretyques all the whole rable, and synagoges of Sathan, and very chyrches of the deuyll all redy dede and vtterly destroyed in spyryte / and but yf they retur••e to the catholyque chyrche agayne, wyll ellys wyth Iudas be ••e∣ryed and burne in hell.

¶Thus endeth the .vi. boke.

Notes

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  〈◊〉〈◊〉 . 23, 1••.
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  ••. ••••rint••. 12.
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  ••ucae. 1••.
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  Matthe. 13.••
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  Luce. 1••.
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  Matt••. 1••.28.
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  Timoth. 5.
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  Actuū. 5.
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  ••••ut••r••. 25.
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  ••. Corinth. 9.
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  Psalm••. 146
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  Ephes. 5.
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  Matth. ••.1••.25.
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  Luc••e. 11.
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  Eph••s. 6.
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  He••••ae. 13.
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  1 Petri. 3.
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  Apoc. 2.14.22.
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  2. Corinth. 5.
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  Psalmo. 75.
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  1. Timoth. 5.
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  Matth. 25.
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  Matth. 7.
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  Iohan. 8.
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  ••saiae•• 40.
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  Matthe. 3.
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  I••han. 16.
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  Matt••. 2••.
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  Num. 1••.
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  M••r••i. 14.
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  Matt••••. ••.
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  A••••••. 2.