A dyaloge of syr Thomas More knyghte: one of the counsayll of oure souerayne lorde the kyng [and] chauncellour of hys duchy of Lancaster. Wherin be treated dyuers maters, as of the veneration [and] worshyp of ymages [and] relyques, prayng to sayntys, [and] goyng o[n] pylgrymage. Wyth many othere thyngys touching the pestylent sect of Luther and Tyndale, by the tone bygone in Sarony, and by tother laboryed to be brought in to Englond

¶The .xxv. chapyter

¶The authour takyng occacyō vp¦pon certayn wordes of the messēger / declareth y^• preeminence / nec••ssite / and profite of holy scrypture / shew¦ynge nathelesse that many thyngys haue bene taught by god wythoute wrytyng. And many great thyng{is} so remayne yet vnwrytten of trew∣thys necessarye to be bileued. And y^t the new law of Christe is the law so wrytten in the hart / that yt shall ne∣uer out of hys chyrche. And that the law there wryt••en by god / is a right rule to interprete the wordis writtē in hys holy / scrypture. whych rule w^t reason and the olde interpretours / the author sheweth to be y^e very sure waye to wade wythe / in the greate streme of holy scrypture.

wHy than quod he thys were as myche to say / as that god had not well wrytten his ho¦ly scrypture / if he haue caused yt to be wrytten so / as men may be so sone de∣ceyued therin / that they were as likely and (as it semyth by you) more likely to fall in to a false wey thā fynde out y^• ••rew. And better were yt thā that god hade not geuen vs the scripture at all / than to gyue vs a way to walke / wher in we were more lykely to synke than saue our self. ¶holy scripture quod I / bothe is such as I haue sayed / and yet nothing followeth it theruppon / that god hathe not caused it to be wrytten well / or that it had bene better to haue kepte it frome vs. And albe it y^t in this poynte were a great occasyō of a long tale / in declaryng and making open y^• god hath in y^t writing of holy scripture vsede so hygh wysedome and shewed such a wonderfull temperaunce / y^t the very straunge famylyare fashyon the•• of / may to good mē and wyse well de∣clare / that as it was written by mē / so was it indyted by god / yet passīg ouer t••e prayse I wyll speke one worde or twayne for y^e answer of suche blame as ye lay therto. For it is almost a comen thyng among men so to speke sūtyme as though they coud amēd the workis of god. And few men be there I wene but they thynke y^t yf they had beene of goddys councell in the makyng of the world / though they dare not be so bold to say y^t they coud haue made it beter / yet yf theye myghte haue ruled yt / hee shulde haue made many thyngys of a nother fassion. And for all y^t if he wold yet call vs all to councell / and chaunge nothynge tyll wee were vppon euery thyng all agreed / y^e world were well lik¦ly tyll domys day to go forth on as yt goth all redy / sauīg y^• I wot nere whe∣ther we wolde all agree to be wynged. ¶But as for y^e scrypture shortely god hath so deuysed it / that he hath geuyn the world therin ā inestimable tresure as the case standeth. And yet we shuld happely nothyng haue neded therof if y^• woundes of our own foly had not of oure greate necessyte & goddys greate

goodnes requyred it. For at oure crea¦cion he gaue but ••wo precept{is} or thre by hys own holy mouth to our fyrst pa¦rentys. And as for all y^t was for theym to do bysyde / the reason whiche he had planted ī theyre soules gaue them suf∣fycient warnynge / wherof y^• hole some stode in effecte / in the honoure of god & goddys frendys / wyth loue of eche to the other and to theyre ofspryng and linage. But the preceptis y^• he gaue by mouth was thre. Twayne cōmaūdīg generacion and etynge / y^• thyrd forbe∣dyng the tre of knowlege. And y^t was for them contynuall / where the tother twayn albe it they were therto boundē by the precepte / yet were not they and theyre posteryte bounden therto at all owers and all placis. But nede was it in the beginning to gyue theym kow∣lege therof / for as mich as they had no hunger to warne theym of y^e tone / nor sensuall rebellyouse appetite to warne theym of the tother. But after y^t they were by god onis admonished therof / thā dyd reason enterprete y^e rēnaunt / wherby they wyste y^t they shuld ete for conseruacyon of theyre bodies / and in gender for propagaciō of theyr kinde. An•• syth they perceyued that these .ii. thīgys was thēd & ētent of those com∣maundement{is} / they therby cōsequent¦ly knew whan it was tyme and place & occacyō cōuenient to fullfyll theym. But whan they had onys at y^e subtell swasyon of the deuyll / brokē the thyrd commaundement in tasting y^• forbedē fruyt / beyng than expelled out of para¦dise / than cōcernyng theyre foode and engenderinge / not ōly reasō ofte shew¦••d theym what was honeste & profyta∣ble / but also sēsualyte what was beste¦ly and plesaunte / whyche sensualyte la¦bored so bysyly to cause man to sett by delyte aboue good and conueniente / y^t for the resystence therof it then bycam to be the spyrytuall bysynesse & occupa¦cion of man / so to preserue and bring vp the body / y^t it were not suffered to maister y^• soule / and so to rule & bridell sensualyte / y^• it were subiecte and obe∣dyent vnto reason / as god wylled the woman to be subiecte and obedyencer of man. wherin god wolde y^t we were lerned rather to suffer our sēsuall {per}tys playne and morne / thā to folow theyr own hurte & owers to. As it hade bene better for oure father Adame & vs all / that he had suffered hys wyffe our mo¦ther Eue / to be sad and angry bothe & lyke a womā to weepe to / than to haue eten thapple for f••leshype to please her wythe all. Now dyd all the syn anon springe vp for the more parte vppon y^• occacyon of fedyng and ēgenderynge. wherof spronge couytouse / glotenye / ••louth / wroth / & lechery. And many ty¦mes pryde & ēuye as one / perceyuyng hym selfe in these thyngys in better cō¦dycyō or worse thā a nother / so bygan to cōceyue a settynge by hym selfe / w^t-tō tempte of other or ēuye & hatered to some other (sauyng y^e pryde sometime also sprang out of the soule) & so liked it selfe y^t it ēuyed the better as Cayme dyd Abell / & for to be the more set by / pryde lōged superfluously to get by co¦u••tyse & gredynes many folkys lyuy••¦gys in hys own hādes / to make other fol••ys serue hym & honour & hāge vp∣pon hym for necessite. And of all these myschie••fes was alway sēsualyte redy to mynyster mater / & by all the dorys & windous of the body by felynge / tas¦tīg / smellīg / syght & heeryng / ceased ne¦uer to sēde in occasyōs to y^• soule / nor y^e deuyll neuer ceacyd for hys•• parte dy¦lygētly to put forward. Agaynst whō

did reasō resiste / wyth good counsayle geuyn to y^e soule / & good sprit{is} appoyn¦ted by god / gaue theyr helpe also / and god assysted wyth hys ayde and grace where he founde the person wyllynge to worke therwyth. And ī this maner continued man long tyme / not wythe oute reuelacyō of Chryste onys to cū. whyche faythe delyuered to the father / went by mouthe to the sonne / And so frō chylde to chylde herd and byleued among theym. And what so were god dys pleasure bysyde / that nature and r••ason could not playnly shew theym / god of his goodnes by speciall mesage gaue theym vndouted knowlege as he did to Noe / Loth and Abraham / and diuerse other / wherof some be synnys wrytten and comprised ī scripture / & of lykelyhed not all. For well probable is it that y^e patryarkys in dyuerse thing{is} that they dyd / as in theyre dyuerse ma¦ryagys and sum such other thyngys as than were by theym well done for the time / were to theim appoynted special¦ly by god for causys well knowene to hym selfe and vnknowen to vs / and y^e thyngis now forbeden vs and therfore to vs vnlefull / excepte goddys lyke or¦dinaunce or dispensacyon shulde heraf¦ter in generall or pertyculer be reueled to the contrary. ¶But so was yt after that the worlde waxynge worse / ryght good and vertuouse linagys declynid and decayed. And by the the lewde cō∣uersacyon of euyll people fell by dysor¦der in suche a blyndnes / y^• albe it some were there alway that perceyued well theyre dutye / yet were y^e cōmen people of y^• chyldern of Israell by custome of syn so darked in theyre naturall know¦lege / that they lacked in many thingis the ryght perceyuyng / that reasō (had it not bene by euyll custōe corrupted) might verily well haue shewed theym. For y^e remedy whereof god of hys end¦lesse mercy / by the law wrytten wythe his own fīger vnto Moyses ī y^e tables of stone / by the .x. cōmaundementys / put in remēberaunce agayne certeyne cōclusyons of the law of nature / which theyre reason (ouerwhelmed wyth sen¦sualytye) had than forgotten. And to thende that they shuld kepe his bihest{is} y^e better / he gaue theym a greate hepe of the lawes and cerymoneys moo / to kepe theym in strayte for strayynge a∣brode in ryot. And wroughte greate wonders that theye shulde well se that those thyngys were hys owne deede / wherby they myght haue y^e more drede to transgresse them. And there in wry¦tyng he gaue a warnyng also of cryst / that god wolde onys send them, spryn¦gyng of themself / to whom they shuld gyue herynge in stede of Moyses. Of whō also as well before as after by Pa¦tryarkes and prophetys / by fygures & prophesyes / god ceaced not ī such wise to foreshew hys cummyng / hys cause / hys lyuyng / hys deyng / hys resurreccy¦on and hys holy actys / that yf pryde & enuy had not lettyd it / the fygurys ād prophysyes sett & comparyd wyth hys cummyng / conuersacyon & doyngys / myghte well haue made all the Iewes to know hym. And for the parceyuyng and good vnderstandyng of the lawe wryten / he sent alway sum good men / whose wordys / well lyuyng / and sum∣tyme also manyfeste myracles shewed therwyth / neuer left them destytute of suffycyent knolege that lōgyd to lern the lawe. Not to plete it and for glory to dyspute itt / but to teche ytt agayne mekely. And as mannys fraylte could suffer it / specyally to fulfyll & kepe it. ¶yet after all thys whē the world was

in a more decay & ruyne of all vertew / than cā our sauyour Cryste to redeme vs w^t hys deth / & leue vs hys new law / wherof was long before prophecied by the prophete Hyeromy. Lo the days be comyng sayth our lord / whā I shall or∣der & dyspose to the house of Israell & y^e house of Iuda / a new couenaūt or tes∣tament. I shall gyue my law in theyre myndys. And I shall wryte yt in theyr hart. & I wylbe theyr lord & they shalbe my people. Thys law wrytē in mēnys hartys / was accordyng to y^e wordys of the {pro}phet fu••st broght by our sauyour to y^e house of Israell & y^e house of Iuda to whō as hym self sayth he was specy∣ally sent. I am not sēt sayth our lorde but vnto y^e shepe y^t are peryshyd of the house of Israell. And also he sayd it ys not good to take y^e brede fro y^e borde of y^e chyldern & cast yt to dogg{is}. But yet not onely the redy towardnes of sum other caus••d thē to be partetakers of y^e brede / but also sone after y^e stubbernes & obstynate infydelyte of y^e iewes / cau∣syd seynt poule & thappostels to say vn¦to their face / The gospell of Crist was ordenyd by god to be furst prechyd vn¦to you / But syth y^t ye refuse yt / Lo we depart frō you to the gentylys. And so was in theyr stede the chyrch gatheryd of all the world abrode. All whych not wythstandyng both were there at that tyme out of y^e Iewes cōuertyd & made many a good crysten man / & manye of y^e same peple turnyd vnto Cryst syns / & in conclusyō the tyme shall cū / whē y^e remnaūt y^t shalbe than lefte / shall saue them selfe by the same faythe. Thys ys callyd the law of Crystis fayth / the law of hys holye gospell. I mene not onely the wordys wryten in the bokys of his euangelistys / but mych more specyally y^e substaunce of our fayth yt self / whych our lorde sayd he wolde wryte in men∣nys hartys / not onely because of the se¦crete operacyon of god & hys holy spy∣ryte / in iustyfyēg the good crystē ether by the workīg with mānys good wyll / to the {per}feccyon of fayth in his soule / or wyth the good intent of the offerers to the secret infusyon of that vertew into the soule of an innocēt infant / but also for y^t he furst wythout wryting reueled those heuenly mysteryes by hys blessed mouth thorow the erys of hys apostels & dyscyples ī to theyr holy hartys. And by them in lyke maner / furst wythowt wrytyng by onely wordys & prechyng so spredde yt abrode in the world / that hys faythe was by the mouthys of hys holy messengers put into mēnys erys / and by hys holy hande wryten in men∣nys hartys or euer eny worde thereof almoste was wrytten in the boke. And so was it conuenyēt for the law of lyfe / rather to be wryten in the lyuely myn∣dys off men / than in the dede skynnys of bestys. And I nothynge dowt but all had ytt so beene / that neuer gospell had bene wrytten / yet shoulde the sub∣staunce of thys faythe neuer haue fal∣len oute of chrysten folkys hartys / but the same spyryte that plantyde yt / the same shulde haue wateryd it / the same shulde haue kepte yt / the same shoulde haue encreased yt. ¶But so hath yt ly∣ked oure lorde after hys hye wysdome to prouyde that some of his dyscyples haue writen many thingys of his holy lyfe / doctryne and fayth / and yet farre from all / which (as saynt Iohn sayth) the worlde coude not haue comprehen hyd. ¶These bokis ar tempryd by the secrete coūcell of the holy gost so playn and symple / that euery man may fynd in theym that he may parceyue•• And yet so highe agayne and so harde that

no mā ys there so connyng but he may fynde in them thyngys farr aboue hys reche / farre to profound to perce vnto. Now were to y^e crysten peple the poyn¦tys of Cryst{is} fayth (wyth whych poyn¦tys our lord wold haue them chargyd) knowen as I say and plantyd before / and by reson therof they farr the beter vnderstode those bok{is}. And all thogh there myghte happely be some textys / whych were not yet of necessyte for thē to parceyue / yet by the poynt{is} of theyr fayth were they warnyd / that no texte myghte there be constrewyd contrary to theyr fayth. ¶And none Euāgelyst was there nor none Appostle / that by wrytyng euer sent the fayth to eny na∣cyon / but yf they were furst enformyd by worde / and that god had begon his church in y^• place. ¶And for my parte I wolde lytyll dout / but that the euan¦gelystys and appostels bothe / of many gret and secrete mysteryes spake much more openly & much more playnely by mouth amōg the peple than euer they put yt ī wrytyng / for as much as theyr wrytyngys were lykly ynough at that tyme / to come into the handys of paga¦nys & paynyms / such hoggys & dogg{is} as were not metely to haue those precy¦ous perlys put vppon theyre nose / nor that holy foode to be dashyd in theyre teeth. For whych cause saynt Peter in hys furste sermon vnto the Iewes / ab∣staynyd f••ō the declaracyon of Crystis godhed & egalytee wyth hys father / as our sauiour him self (when the Iewes y^t were vnworthy to here yt / were offē∣dyd wyth that he told them playnly y^t he was the sonne of god) wythdrewe y^e doctryne from them agayn / & coueryd yt wyth the verse of y^e prophete / I haue sayd ye be goddys & sonnys of the hye god all / as though he wol••e say / what greuyth it you that name in me / which name god by y^t prophet hath gyuen to all good men. In which demeanure he denyed not the trouth y^t he had sayd of him self / but he blyndyd theyr wylfully wynkyng eyes / ī hydyng & puttyng vp agayn the iewell y^t he began to brynge forth & shew thē•• the bryght lustre wher¦o•• theyr bleryd eyes myght not endure to be••old. ¶And what maruell thogh thappostels thus did in theyr speche a∣fore infydels / or wrytyng y^t myghte cū into pagans hādys / whan it apperyth vppō the epystels of saynt Pou••e that amōg the crysten flok where he taught thē by mouth / he told thē not all y^e tro∣thys at one tale / Not ōly for y^t yt were to lōg / but also for y^t in the begynnyng they coud not happely well abyden yt. And therfore as Cryste sayd to his dys¦cyples / I haue more to say to you / but ye be not able to bere yt yet / whyche o∣nys apperyd what tyme y^• vppon y^e dys¦closyng of the grete mystery of the holy sacrament the holy flesh of hys body / y^• herers sayd who can abyde thys harde worde / & therw^t wente almost all theyre waye / so did saynte Poule I say by the Corynthians not teche thē all at onys. And therfore he sayth in hys epistle to them / I haue geuen yow hetherto but mylk & not strōg mete. And wysdome speke we (sayth he) amōg folk y^• be par∣••yt. Nor I mene not this y^t there were eny poyntis of the substaūce of y^• fayth whych he shewyd to y^e clargy y^t he kept frō the lay people / or shewyd vnto one man y^t he kept frō a nother / but y^• to no mā lyghtly he shewed all at onys. But because sum cā frō the Iewes and sum cā of y^• gentylys / therfore as they were so were they hādelyd / not ōly by grace but also by wysdome. & not only in the poyntys of y^e fayth / but also in y^e rytys

••nd ••eremonyes / eyther of the churche or of Moyses lawe. whereof some ce∣r••monyes were forthwyth abolyshed / some nott by and by / and some taken ī to the church of Cryste and obseruyd styll. But in conclusyō when they were mete therefore / they were all taughte / all that god wold haue them bounden to beleue. And than dout I nothyng / but y^e many thyngis that now be very darke in holy scrypture / were by thap∣postels (to whō oure lord openyd theyr wyttys y^• they myght vnderstand scrip¦ture) so playnly declaryd / y^t they were by the people well and clerely vnder∣stāden. I say not all the hole scripture / in whych it may be that many a secrete mystery lyeth yet coueryd cōcernynge the comyng of Antecryste / & y^e day ma∣ner & fassyon of the fynall iudgement. whyche shall neuer be fully dysclosyd / tyll the tymys appoyntyd by goddys hye prouydence mete & conuenient for them. And from tyme to tyme as yt ly¦kyth hys maieste to haue thyngys kno¦wen or done in hys chyrche / so ys yt no dout but he temperyth hys reuelacyōs & in such wyse doth insumate & inspyre them into the brestys of hys crysten pe¦ople / that by the secrete instynct of the holy gost / they consent and agre to ge¦ther ī one / except heretykys that rebell and refuse to be obedyent to god & his chirch•• who be therby cut of frō y^e liuely tre of that vyne / and waxing withered braunches / be kept but for the fire furst here & after in hell / except they repent & call for grace that may graft them into the stok agayne. But as it may be that many thyngys be there not all at onys reuelyd & vnderstāden in y^• scrypture / but by sōdry tymys & agys mo thyng{is} and mo by god vnto hys chyrch dysclo¦syd / and that as yt shall lyke hys hygh goodnes & wysdome to dyspence and dyspose / so in thyngys to be done may fall in hys chyrche varyete mutacyon & chaunge / so am I very sure that the ho¦ly goste that god sent into hys chyrch / & Cryste hym self that hath promisyd vn¦to thende of the world to perseuer and abyde in hys church / shall neuer suffer hys catholyk chyrch neyther to agree to the makynge of any law that shalbe to god dampnably dysplesaūt / nor of eny trewth that god wolde were beluyd to determyne or beleue the contrary. For than had Cryste whych ys all trouthe / broken hys promyse / and (whych were blasphemy ād abhomynable to thynk) were waxē vntrew. And therfore ouer thys as it may be that as I sayd before some thyngys in holy scrypture be not yet fully parceyuyd and vnderstandē / so am I very su••e that the chyrch ney∣ther doth nor can do dāpnably conster, yt wrong. whych yt shuld yf they shuld conster yt so as yt shuld make an arty∣cle of mysbelyefe and of a false errony∣ous faythe. As yf they shulde by mysse¦construccyō of the scrypture bryng vp and beleue / that Cryste were one god and egall wyth hys father and wyth y^e holy goste / yf y^e trouth were otherwyse in dede. And therefore syth the chyrche in whych Cryste ys assystente and hys holy spyryte / cānot to goddes displea∣sure and theyre dampnacyō fall in any false beleefe in eny suche substauncyall poynte of the fayth / yt muste nedys be th••rfore / that Arrius and all other he∣retykes be drowned in dampnable er∣rours. The cōtrary oppynyō of whose execrable heresyes / the church was in y^e begynninge taughte by the mouthe of Cryst hym self. And after of his blissed appostels / whyche redde & declaryd the scrypturs amōg y^e peple in theyr tyme /

shewyng them in what wyse y^e wordis of holy scrypture prouyd the trouth of such artycles of y^e fayth as they taught them by mouth. And how such textys as semyd the contrary were not contra¦ry in dede. And therwyth declaryd thē of those textys y^e ryght vnderstādyng. ¶And albeyt y^t our sauyour shewyd & playnly prouyd y^t in the scrypture was geuen good tokens & suffycyent know¦lege of hym / yet to thentent we shulde well know that hys own word & ordy∣naunce nedyth none othere authoryte but hym self / but ys to be beleuyd and obeyd be it wryten or not wryten / sum thyngys dyd he therfore byd to be dō / & sū thyngys also to be beleuyd / wher∣of we haue in holy scripture no wrytīg in the world. Saynt Poule cōmaun∣dyth the people of Thessalonica in his epystle to kepe the tradycyons that he t••ke them eyther by hys wrytyng or by hys bare word. For y^e wordis y^t he sayd among them / our lorde had told them hym for them. And therfore he writeth vnto the Corynthyes / that of the holy howsell the sacramente of the auter he had shewyd them the mater & y^e maner by mouth / as our lord had hym self ta∣ught yt to hī. And therfore no dout ys there / but that by thappostels was the chyrche more fully taughte of y^e mater / than euer was wryten in all the scryp∣ture. There was lernid the maner and forme of consecracyon. There was ler¦nyd mych of the mystycall gesturys ād ceremonyes vsyd in the masse. And yf any man dout therof / let hym cōsyder where shuld we els haue the begynnig of the water put wyth the wyne into y^e chalyce. For well we wot y^t y^e scrypture byddyth yt not. And euery wyse man may well wyt thā whan the gospell spe¦kyth onely of wy••e / there durst no mā in thys world haue bene so bold to ••ut eny thing els therto. For whē y^e gospell spekyth of wine onely tornyd into hys precyous blood / what man wold aduē¦ture to make any myxture of water? And now ys y^e chyrch so well acertenid of goddys pleasure theryn w^toute any scrypture / y^t they not onely dare put in water / but also dare not leue yt oute. And wherby knew y^e chyrch this thing but by god & hys holy appostels whych taught in theyr tyme? And so wente yt forth from age to age / contynued in y^e chyrch vntyll thys day / begon by god ī the begynnyng without any mencyon made ī holy scripture. ¶How beit Lu∣ther sayth because yt ys not cōmaūdyd by scrypture / wee maye chese therefore whether we wyll do yt or leue yt. For this one poynt ys y^e very fōd foūdaciō & groūd of all hys greate heresyes / y^t a man is not boūdē to beleue eny thyng but if yt may be {pro}uyd euidētly by scrip¦ture. And theruppō goth he so farforth y^t no scrypture cā be euidēt to {pro}ue eny ••hyng y^t he lyst to deny. For ••e will not agre it for euydēt be it neuer so playn. And he wyll call euidēt for him y^t text / y^t ys euydēt agaīst hī. And sūtime if it be to playn agaīst him / thā wyll he call it no scrypture / as he playth w^t y^e pystle of saynt Iamys. And because the olde holy doctors be full & hole against him / he settyth thē all at nought. And wyth these worshipfull wyse ways he procla∣myth hī self a cōquerour / where besid{is} all y^e rēnaūt / wherin euery chylde may se hys proud frātyk foly he ys shāfully put to flyght in y^e furst poynt / y^t had at y^e furst face sum vysage of {pro}babylyte. How be it to say the trouthe / he were a lewde lorell that wolde nothynge doo that hys master wold byd hym / nor no thyng beleue but that his master wold

tell hym / but yf he take yt hym in wry∣tyng / as Luther playth wyth Cryste. Of whose wordys or actys he wyll be∣leue nothīg / except he fynde yt in scrip¦ture / and that playne & euident. Now must he by that meanys condemne the chyrch of Cryste / for that they sayntyfy not the saturday which was the sabba∣othe day instytute by god amonge the Iewes / cōmaundyng the sabbat daye to be kept holy. And albeyt the matter of y^e precepte ys morall & the day legall so y^t yt may be chaunged / yet wyll ther I weene no man thynke / that euer the chyrch wold take vppon thē to chaūge yt wythout specyall ordynaūce of god. wherof we fynd no remēbraunce at all in holy scripture. By what scripture is euydētly knowen y^t euery mā & womā hath power to mynyster the sacramēt of baptysme? Let yt be shewyd / eyther cōmaundment / councell / lycence or ex¦ample expressyd in scrypture. ¶Many thyngys ar there lyke / whyche as holy doctours agree / were taught thappos∣tels by Cryste / & the church by thappos¦tels / and so comen downe to our days by cōtynuall successyō fro theyrs. But I wyll lette all other passe ouer & speke but of one. ¶Euery good cristen man I dout not beleuyth that oure blessyd Lady was a perpetuall vyrgyn aswell after the byrth of Cryste as before. For yt were a straunge thynge y^t she shuld after that blessyd byrth be lesse myndid to clennes & puryte / and set lesse by her holy purpose & {pro}myse of chastyte vow¦ed and dedycate vnto god / thē she dyd before. For suerly who so consyderyth y^e wordys of the gospell in saynt Luke / shall well {per}ceyue that shee had vowyd vyrginite. For when y^e angell had sayd vnto her / Lo thou shalt cōceyue in thy wōbe & bryng forth a chylde / and thou shalt call his name Iesus / she answerd hym / how may thys be? for as for man I know none. whych though yt be spo¦ken but for the tyme than present / yett muste yt nedys sygnyfy that she neuer wolde knowe none after the maner of spekynge. By whych a nunne myghte say / as for man there medelyth none w^t me. sygnyfieng that neuer there shall. And in commen speche ys that fygure mych in vse. By which a woman sayth of one whom she is determynyd neuer to mary / we maye well talke to gether but we wed not to gether / meanyng y^t they neuer shall wed to gether. And in such wise ment our lady whē she sayd / how may thys be for I know no man / meanyng that she neuer wolde medle wyth man. Or els had her answere no thyng bene to purpose. For the angell sayd not / Lo thou art cōceyuyd. which yf he had sayde / shee myghte well haue maruelyd onely for y^t she knew no man all redy. But when he sayd thou shalte cōceyue / thys coud be no maruell vnto her for that she knew no man all redy. And therfore syth she maruaylyd how it myghte be y^t euer she shuld cōceyue & haue a chylde / it muste nedys bee y^t her answer mēt y^t she neuer wold medle w^t man. And therefore shee maruelyd be∣cause he said it shuld be & she knew not how it coude be / but y^t ways by whych she was at full poīt w^t her self y^t it shuld neuer be. so y^t thē he shewyd her how it shuld cū about by y^e holy gost cūmyng into her / & y^e power of god on hygh sha¦doyng her. & thē she assētyd & sayd / Lo here y^e handmayd of god / be yt done to me after thy worde as thou tellyst me. And thus appereth yt euydently y^t she had than a full determinyd purpose of vyrgynyte. And that as it semith such as she thought not lawfull to change..

For ellys whā y^e angell did y^e message / she might haue enclined therto though she had byfore bene in a nother minde. Now whan she had then so full & faste a purpose of {per}petuall vyrginite bifore the birthe of her blessyd chylde / whiche cam among his other heuinly doctrine to call and exorte the worlde frome all pleasure of y^e fleshe to y^e purytye & clen¦nes of the body and soule / and from y^e desyre of carnall generacyō to a gost∣ly regeneracion in grace / more•• were it then wonder if she shul•• haue thē more regarde of fleshely delyte / or cure of wordly procreacyon than euer she had before her celestyall concepcyon of her maker made mā in her blessed womb? Or what man coud thynk yt that euer god wold suffer any erthly man after / to be conceyuyd in that holy closet ta∣ken vp and consecrate so specyally to god? Thys reuerent artycle of our la∣dys perpetuall vyrgynyte / the chyrche of Cryste beyng taught the trouthe by Cryste / perpetually hath beleuyd syns the tyme of Cryste. And yet is ther no worde therof in Crystys gospell wry∣ten / but rather dyuers textys so sown∣ning to the contrary / that by the wrōg vnderstangyng of them / the heretyke Eluydyus toke the occasyon of hys he¦rysy / by whych he wold that oure lady after the byrth of Cryst had other chyl∣dern by Ioseph. How can we than say that we could wythout the lernynge of the fayth before / fynde out all the poyn¦tys in the scrypture / when there be sū that all crystendome beleue / ād beleue them self bounden to beleue / wherof y^e scrypture geueth no playne doctryne but rather semyth to say the contrary. ¶But as I began to say / the holy ap∣postels beynge taughte by theyr grete master Cryste / did reche vnto y^e chyrch as well the artycles of the fayth / as the vnd••rstandyng of such textys of scryp¦ture as was meete and conuenient for the matter. wherby it is not vnlykly y^t the gospell of saynt Iohn / & the epistels of saynt Poule / were than beter vnder¦standen among the comen people / thā they be paraduenture now wyth some that take them selfe for greate clerkys. And as thappostels at y^t tyme taughte the people / so dyd euer some of them y^t hard thē tech forth and leue theyr doc∣tryne and tradycyons to other that cā after. By resō whereof not onely cam the rytys and sacramentys and the ar∣tycles of our fayth frō hād to hand / frō Cryste & his appostels vnto our days / but also the greate parte of the ryghte vnderstandynge of holy scrypture by good and godly writers of sundry ty¦mys. By whose good & holesome doc∣tryne set forthe by theyre vertew wyth goddys good inspyracyon grace and h••lp of the holy goste / we haue also the knowlege & parceyuynge what was y^e fayth of Crystys church in euery tyme syns. And thereby parceyue we y^t these hereti••ys be not only barkers agaynst y^e fayth that now is / but also that hath bene euer synnys Cryste dyed. ¶And therefore is holy scrypture as I sayd y^e hyest & the best lernynge that eny man can haue / yf one take the ryght way in the lernynge. ¶It ys (as a good ho∣ly saynte saythe) so maruelously tem∣peryd / that a mouse may wade therin / and an olyphaunt be drownyd therin. For ther is no mā so low / but if he will seke his way wyth the staff of his faith in hys hande / and holde that faste and serche the way therwyth / and haue the olde holy fathers also for his gidis / go¦ynge ō wyth a good purpose & a low∣ly harte / vsyng reason and refusinge

no good lerninge / with calling of god for wysdome grace & help that he may well kepe his way and follow his good gidys / thā shall he neuer fall in parell / but well and suerly wade thorow and cum to suche ende of his iorney as him self wolde well wyshe. But suerly if he be as long as Longius / & haue an hye harte and truste vppon hys one wytt (as he doth loke he neuer so louly / that settethe all the olde holy fathers att noughte) that fellow shall not fayle to synk ouer the eris and droune. And of all wreches warst shall he walke / y^t for∣cīg litle of the fayth of Christ{is} church / cūmeth to the scrypture of god to loke and trye therin whyther the chyrche by leue a right or not. For either douteth he whyther Chryste teche hys chyrche trew / or ellys whyther Chryste techeth it at all or not. And thā he doutith whi¦ther Christ ī his wordis did say trewe / whan he sayde he wolde be wythe hys chyrch tyll the ende of the worlde. And surely the thynge y^t made Arrius Pe∣lagius / Faustus / Maniche{us} / Donat{us} / Eluidius & all y^e table of the old heryti¦kes to drown them self in those dāpna¦ble herysyes / was nothynge but hygh pride of theyre lernynge in scrypture / wherin they folowed there owne wyt∣tys and lefte the cōmen faythe of the ca¦tholyke chyrche / preferrynge theyre own gay glosys bifore the ryght catho¦lyke fayth of all Christis chirch / which cā neuer erre in eny substāciall poynte that god wolde haue vs boundē to by¦leue. And therfore to ende wher we by¦gan / who so wyll not vnto the study of scrypture take the poynt{is} of y^e catholy¦que fayth as a rule of interpretacyon / but of dyffydens and mystruste study to seke in scrypture whyther the fayth of the chyrch be trew or not / he cā not fayle to fall in worse errors & farr more ieoperdous than eny mā can do by phy¦losophy / wherof the reasons and argu∣mentys in maters of our faythe haue nothyng the lyke authorytye.