The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one tome togither, beyng before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.

¶ Of miracles and worship∣ping of Saintes.

ANtichrist shal not only come with lying signes, and dis∣guised wyth falshod, but al∣so wyth lying miracles and * 1.1 wonders, saith Paule in the said place ij. Thess. ij. All the true miracles which are of God, are shewed (as I aboue rehearsed) to moue vs to heare Gods word, and to stablishe our fayth ther∣in: and to confirme the truth of Gods promises, that we might without all doubting beleue thē. For Gods worde thorough fayth bringeth the spirite in∣to our hartes, and also life, as Christ sayth Iohn. vi. The wordes which I speake are spirite and lyfe. The worde also purgeth vs and clenseth vs, as Christ sayth Iohn. xv. ye are cleane by the meanes of the word. Paul sayth. i. Timo. ij. One God, one Mediatour (that is to say, aduocate, intercessor, or an atonemaker) betwene God & man: the man Christ Iesus which gaue him selfe a raunson for all men Peter sayth of Christ Actes. iiij. Neither is their health in any other: neither yet also a∣ny other name geuen vnto men wher∣in we must be saued. So now Christ is our peace, our redemption or raun∣som for our sinnes, our righteousnes, satisfactiō and all the promises of God are yea & Amen in him. ij. Cor. i. And we for y^t great and infinite loue whiche God hath to vs in Christ, loue him a∣gayn, loue also his lawes, & loue one an other. And the deedes whiche we * 1.2 hence forth doe, do we not to make sa∣tisfaction or to obteine heauen: but to succour our neighbour to tame y^t flesh that we may waxe perfect and strong men in Christ, and to be thankefull to God againe for his mercy, and to glo∣rifie his name.

COntrarywise the miracles of An∣tichrist * 1.3 are done to pull thee from the worde of God, and from beleuyng his promises and from Christ, and to put thy trust in a man, or a ceremonie wherin Gods word is not. As soone as Gods woorde is beleued, the fayth spread abroad, then sease the miracles of god. But the miracles of Antichrist, because they are wrought by the deuil, to quench the fayth, grow dayly more and more: neither shall cease vntill the worldes end among them that beloue not Gods worde and promises. Seest thou not how God loosed & sent forth all the deuils in the old world among the Heathen or Gētiles? And how the deuils wrought miracles, & spake to them in euery image? Euen so shal the deuill woorke falshode by one craft or an other, vntill the worldes end amōg them that beleue not Gods word. For the iudgement and damnation of hym that hath no lust to heare the truth, is to heare lyes, and to be stablished and grounded therein through false mira∣cles, and he that will not see, is worthy to be blind, and he that biddeth the spi∣rite of God go from him, is worthy to be without him.

Paul, Peter, and all true Apostles preached Christ onely. And the mira∣cles did but confirme and stablish their preachyng, and those euerlastyng pro∣mises & eternall Testament that God had made betwene man and hym in Christes bloud, and the miracles dyd testifie also that they were true ser∣uauntes of Christ. Paul preached not him selfe, he taught not any mā to trust in him or his holynes, or in Peter or in any ceremonie, but in the promises which God hath sworne onely, yea he mightyly resisteth all suche false do∣ctrine both to the Corinthians, Gala∣thians, Ephesiās and euery where. If * 1.4 this be true (as it is true and nothyng more truer) that if Paul had preached him self, or taught any mā to beleue in his holynes or prayer or in any thyng, saue in the promises that GOD hath made and sworne to geue vs for Chri∣stes sake, he had bene a false Prophet:

why am not I also a false Prophet, if I teach thee to trust in Paule or in hys holines or prayer, or in any thing saue in Gods word as Paul dyd.

If Paule were here and loued me * 1.5 (as he loued them of his tyme of whō he was sent and to whō he was a ser∣uaunt to preache Christ, what good could he doe for me or wishe me, but preach Christ and pray to God for me, to open myne hart, to geue me his spi∣rite, & to bring me vnto the full know∣ledge of Christ? vnto which porte or hauen, when I am once come, I am as safe as Paule, felow with Paule, ioyntheyre with Paul of all the pro∣mises of God, and gods truth heareth my prayer as well as Paules, I also now could not but loue Paul & wish him good, and pray for him, that God would strength him in all his tempta∣tions & geue him victory, as he would do for me. Neuerthelesse there are ma∣ny * 1.6 weake, and young consciences al∣wayes in the congregation which they that haue the office to preach ought to teach, and not to disceaue them.

What prayers pray our Clergy for vs which stoppe vs and exclude vs frō * 1.7 Christ and seke all the meanes possible to kepe vs from knowledge of Christ? They compell vs to hyre Friers, Monkes, Nunnes, Chanons, and Priestes, & to buye their abhominable merites, and to hyre the Saintes that are dead to pray for vs, for the very Saintes haue they made hyrelynges also: because that their offeryngs come to their profite. What pray all those: that we might come to the knowledge of Christ, as the Apostles did? Nay ve∣rely. For it is a plaine case, that all they which enforce to kepe vs from Christ, pray not that we might come to the knowledge of Christ. And as for the Saintes (whose prayer was whē they were a lyne that we might be groun∣ded, stablished and strēgthed in Christ onely) if it were of God that we should this wise worshyp them contrary vn∣to their owne doctrine, I dare be bold to affirme that by the meanes of their prayers, we should haue bene brought long a go vnto the knowledge of God and Christ agayne, though that these beastes had done their worste to set it. Let vs therefore set our hartes at rest in Christ and in Gods promises, for so I thinke it best, and let vs take the * 1.8 Saintes soran example onely, and let vs do as they both taught and dyd.

Let vs set Gods promises before our eyes, and desire him for his mercy and for Christes sake to fulfill them. And he is as true as euer he was, and will do it, as well as euer he dyd, for to vs are the promises made as well as to them.

Moreouer the end of Gods mira∣cles is good, the ende to these miracles are euill. For the offerynges which are * 1.9 the cause of the miracles do but mini∣ster and maynteine vice, sinne and all abhomination, and are geuen to them that haue to much, so that for very a∣boundance, they ••ome out their owne shame, and corrupt the whole worlde with the styuch of their filthines.

Therto what soeuer is not of fayth is sinne, Roma. xiiij, Fayth commeth by hearyng Gods woorde Roma. x. when now thou fastest or doest any thyng in the worship of any Saint be∣leuyng to come to the fauour of God or to bee saued thereby if thou haue Gods worde, then is it true fayth and shall saue thee. If thou haue not Gods woorde, then is it a false fayth super∣stitiousnes and Idolatry, and damna∣ble sinne.

Also in the Collects of the Saintes with whiche we pray God to saue vs through the merites or deseruynges of the Saintes (which Saintes yet were not saued by their owne deseruynges them selues) we say Per Christ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Dominū nostrum, that is for Christ our Lordes sake. We say saue vs good Lord tho∣rough the saintes merites for Christes sake. How can he saue vs through the Saintes merites for Christes sake and for hys deseruyng merites and loue? Take an example. A Gentleman sayth vnto me I will do the vttemost of my power for thee, for the loue whiche I owe vnto thy father. Though thou hast neuer done me pleasure, yet I loue thy father well, thy father is my frend and hath deserued that I doe all that I can for thee &c. Here is a Testa∣ment and a promise made vnto me in the loue of my father onely. If I come to the sayd Gentleman in the name of one of his seruauntes whiche I neuer saw, neuer spake with, neither haue a∣ny acquaintaunce at all with and say: Syr I pray you be good master vnto me in such a cause. I haue not deserued that he should so do. Neuerthelesse I pray you doe it for such a seruauntes sake: yea I pray you for the loue that you owe to my father doe that for me for such a seruauntes sake. If I this wise made my petition, would not mē

thinke that I come late out of S. Pa∣trikes * 1.10 Purgatory, & had left my wittes behinde me. This do we. For the Te∣stamēt and promises are all made vn∣to vs in Christ. And we desire God to fulfill hys promises for the Saintes sake: yea that he will for Christes sake do it for the Saintes sake.

They haue also martyrs which neuer preached Gods worde, neither dyed therefore: but for priuileges and liber∣ties * 1.11 which they falsely purchased con∣trary vnto Gods ordinaunces. Yea & such Saintes though they be deade, yet robbe now as fast as euer they did, neither are lesse couetous now then when they were aliue. I doubt not but that they will make a Saint of my Lord Cardinall, after the death of vs that be aliue, and know his iuggling and crafty conueiaunce, and will shrine him gloriously, for his mightily defen∣ding of the right of holy Church, ex∣cept we be diligent to leaue a comme∣moration of that Nimroth behind vs.

The reasons wherewith they proue their doctrine are but fleshly: and as * 1.12 Paule calleth them, entising wordes of mans wisdome, that is to witte, sophi∣stry and brauling argumentes of men with corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth, whose God is their bellye, vnto which idole whosoeuer offereth not, the same is an heretike, and wor∣thy to be brunt.

The Saint was great wyth God when he was aliue, as it appeareth by the myracles which God shewed for him, he must therfore be great now say they. This rea••ō appeareth wisdome, but it is very folishnes wyth God. For the myracle was not shewed that thou should put thy trust in the Saint, but in the worde which the saint prea∣ched, which worde if thou beleuest, would saue thee, as God hath promy∣sed and sworne, & would make thee al∣so great wyth God, as it dyd y^e Saint.

If a mā haue a matter wyth a great man, or a kyng, he must goe fyrst vnto one of hys meane seruauntes, and thē hyer and hyer till he come at the kyng. This entising argumēt is but a blinde reason of mans witte. It is not like in the kingdome of the worlde, and in the * 1.13 kingdome of God and Christ.

With kynges for the most part we haue none acquaintaunce, neither pro∣mise. They be also most cōmonly mer∣cilesse. Moreouer if they promise, they are yet mē as vnconstant as are other people, & as vntrue. But with God, if we haue beliefe, we are accompted, and haue an open way in vnto hym by the dore Christ, which is neuer shutte, but through vnbeliefe, neither is there any porter to keepe any man out. By him saith Paul Ephe. ij. that is to say, by Christ we haue an open way in vn∣to the father. So are ye now no more straungers and forreiners (sayth he) but citizens wyth the Saintes, and of the housholde of God. God hath also made vs promises and hath sworne: yea hath made a testament or a coue∣naunt, and hath bounde hymselfe, and hath sealed his obligation wyth Chri∣stes bloud, and confirmed it wyth mi∣racles. He is also mercifull and kinde, and cōplayneth that we wyll not come vnto hym. He is mighty and able to performe that he promiseth. He is true and can not be but true, as he can not be but God. Therefore is it not lyke with the kyng and God.

We be sinners say they, God wyll not heare vs. Beholde how they flee from God as from a tyraunt merci∣lesse. Whom a mā counteth most mer∣cifull vnto hym, he sonest flyeth. But these teachers dare not come at God. Why? For they are y^e childrē of Caine. If the Saintes loue whome God ha∣teth, then God and his Saints are de∣uided. When thou prayest to y^e saintes, how doe they know, except that God whom thou countest mercilesse, tell them? If God be so cruell and so ha∣teth thee, it is not likely that he wyll tell the Saintes that thou prayest vn∣to them.

When they say we be sinners: I an∣swere, that Christ is no sinner, saue a * 1.14 satisfaction, and an offering for synne. Take Christ frō the saintes and what are they? What is Paule wythout Christ? is he any thing saue a blasphe∣mer, a persecuter, a murtherer, and a shedder of Christen bloude? But as soone as he came to Christ he was no more a sinner, but a minister of righ∣teousnes, he went not to Rome to take penaunce vpon him, but went & prea∣ched vnto his brethren the same mercy which he had receaued free, wythout doing penaunce or hiering of Saintes or of Monkes or Fryers. Moreouer if it be Gods worde that thou shoulde put thy trust in the saintes merites or prayers, then be bolde. For Gods worde shall defend thee and saue thee. If it be but thine owne reason, then feare. For God commaundeth by Moyses Deut. xij. saying: what I cō∣maund

you, that obserue and do, and put nothing to, nor take ought there∣fro: yea and Moses warneth straitly * 1.15 in an hundred places, that we do that onely which God commaundeth, and which seemeth good and righteous in hys sight, and not in our owne sight. For nothing bringeth the wrath of god so sone and so sore on a man, as the i∣dolatry of his owne imagination.

Last of all these arguments are con∣trary to the argumentes of Christ and of his Apostles. Christ disputeth, Luk. 11. saying: If the sonne aske the father bread, will he geue him a stone? or if he aske him fish, will he geue him a ser∣pent? and so forth. If ye then (saith he) which are euill can geue good giftes to your children, how much rather shall your heauenly father geue a good spi∣rite vnto them that aske him? And a little before in the same chapter he say∣eth: If a man came neuer so out of sea∣son to his neighbour to borow bread: euen when he is in his chamber, & the dore shut, and all his seruantes wyth him: neuerthelesse yet if he continue knocking and praying, he will rise and geue him asmuch as he nedeth, though not for loue, yet to be rid of him, that he may haue rest: As who should say: what will God do if a man pray him, seing that prayer ouercommeth an e∣uill man? Aske therfore (sayth he) and it shall be geuen you, seeke, and ye shal finde, knocke and it shalbe opened vn∣to you. And Luke 18. he putteth forth the parable or similitude of the wicked Iudge which was ouercome with the importunate prayer of y^e widow. And concludeth, saying: Heare what the wicked Iudge did. And shall not God aduenge his elect which cry vnto hym night and day? Whether therefore we complaine of the intollerable oppressi∣on and persecution that we suffer, or of the flesh that combreth & resisteth the spirite, God is mercifull to heare ••s, & to helpe vs. Seest thou not also how Christ cureth many, and casteth out de¦uyls out of many vnspoken too, how shall he not helpe, if he be desired and spoken to?

When the old pharisies (whose na∣ture is to driue sinners from Christ) asked Christ why he did eat with pub∣licanes and sinners. Christ aunswered that the whole neded not the phisition but the sicke. that is, he came to haue cōuersation with sinners to heale thē. * 1.16 He was a gift geuē vnto sinners, and a treasure to pay theyr debtes. And Christ sent the complayning and dis∣dayning pharisies to the Prophet O∣seas * 1.17 saying, Go and learne what thys meaneth, I desire or require mercy, and not sacrifice. As who should say, * 1.18 Ye pharises loue sacrifice and offring, for to feed that God your bellies with∣all, but God commaundeth to be mer∣cifull. Sinners are euer captiues and a pray vnto the Pharises and hypo∣crites, for to offer vnto theyr bellies, & to buy merites, pardons, and forgeue∣nes of sinnes of them. And therefore feare they them away from Christe, with argumentes of theyr belly wyse∣dome. For he that receaueth forgeue∣nes free of Christ, wil buy no forgeue∣nes of them. I came (sayth Christ) to call, not the righteous, but the sinners vnto repentaunce. The pharisies are righteous, and therefore haue no part with Christ, neithe•• need they: for they are Gods themselues & sauiours. But sinners that repent partaine to Christ. If we repent, Christ hath made satis∣faction for vs already.

God so loued the world, that he gaue hys onely sonne, that noue that beleue on him should perish, but should haue euerlasting life. For God sent not hys sonne into the world, to condemne the world, but that the world through him might be saued. He that beleueth on him shall not be damned, but he that beeleeueth not is damned alreadye. Iohn. iij.

Paule Rom. 5. sayth: Because we are iustifyed through fayth, we are at peace with God through our lord Ie∣sus Christ, that is, because that God, which can not lye, hath promised and sworne to be mercyfull vnto vs, and to forgeue vs for Christes sake, we * 1.19 beleue and are at peace in our consci∣ences, we run not hither and thither for pardon, we trust not in thys fryer, nor that monke, neyther in any thing, saue in the woord of God onely. As a childe when his father threateneth him for his fa••t, hath neuer rest til he heare the worde of mercy and forgeuenes of his fathers mouth againe, but assone as he heareth his father say, Goe thy wayes, do me no more so, I forgeue thee this fault: then is his hart at rest, then is he at peace, then runneth he to no man to make intercession for him. Neyther though there come any false marchant saying, what wilt thou geue me, and I will obtayne pardon of thy father for thee. Will he suffer him selfe to be beguiled? No, he will not buy of

a wilie fox, that which his father hath geuen him freely.

It foloweth: God setteth out hys loue that he hath to vs. that is, he ma∣keth it appeare, that men may perceiue loue, if they be not more then stocke blinde. In asmuch (sayth Paule) as while we were yet sinners, Christ dy∣ed for vs. Much more now (sayth he) seeing we are iustifyed by hys bloud, shall we be preserued from wrath tho∣rough him: for if when we were ene∣mies we were reconciled to God, by the death of hys sonne, much more see∣ing we are reconciled we shall be pre∣serued by hys life. As who should say, If God loued vs when we knew him not, much more loueth he vs now we know him. If he were mercifull to vs while we hated his Lawe, how much more mercifull will he be now seeing we loue it, and desire strength to fulfill it. And in the viij. he argueth: If God spared not his owne sonne, but gaue him for vs all, how shall he not wyth him geue vs all thinges also?

Christ prayed, Iohn xvij. not for the Apostles onely, but also for as many as should beleue through theyr prea∣ching and was heard, whatsoeuer we aske in his name the Father geueth vs Iohn. xvi. Christ is also as mercifull * 1.20 as the saintes. Why go we not straight way vnto him? Ʋerely because we feale not the mercy of God neyther be∣leue his truthe. God will at the least way (say they) heare vs the sooner for the saintes sake. Then loueth he the saintes better then Christ and his own truth. Heareth he vs for the saintes sake? so heareth he vs not for his mer∣cye: For merites and mercye can not stand together.

Finally if thou put any trust in thine owne deedes, or in the deedes of any other man, of any saint, then minishest thou the truth, mercy, and goodnes of God. For if God looke vnto thy wor∣kes, or vnto the workes of any other man, or goodnes of the saint, then doth he not all thinges of pure mercy, and of his goodnesse, and for the truthes sake which he hath sworne in Christ. Now sayth Paule Tit. 3. Not of the righteous deedes which we did, but of his mercy saued he vs.

Our blinde disputers will say: If our good deedes iustify vs not, if God looke not on our good deedes, neither regard them nor loue vs the better for them, what need we to do good dedes? I aunswer, God looketh on our good deedes, and loueth them, yet loueth vs not for their sakes. God loueth vs first * 1.21 in Christ of his goodnes and mercy, and poureth his spirit into vs, and ge∣ueth vs power to do good dedes. And because he loueth vs, he loueth our good deedes: yea because he loueth vs he forgeueth vs our euill dedes, which we do of frailtie and not of purpose or for the nonce. Our good dedes do but testifie onely that we are iustifyed and beloued. For except we were beloued, and had Gods spirite, we could ney∣ther do, nor yet consent vnto any good deed. Antichrist turneth the rootes of * 1.22 the trees vpwarde. He maketh the goodnes of God the braunches, and our goodnes the rootes. We must be first good after Antichristes doctrine, and moue God, and compell him to be good againe for our goodnesses sake: so must Gods goodnesse spring out of our goodnes. Nay verely Gods good¦nesse is the root of al goodnes and our goodnes, if we haue any, springeth out of his goodnes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  True mi∣racles draw to Christ.
• * 1.2

  The effect and force of our good deedes.
• * 1.3

  False mi∣racles driue from Christ.
• * 1.4

  He that teacheth to trust in a saint is a false Pro∣phet.
• * 1.5

  What he should pray that pray∣eth for his neighbour.
• * 1.6

  The 〈…〉〈…〉 be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and not decea∣ued.
• * 1.7

  The spiri∣•…•… pray not that we might come to y^• knowledge of Christ.
• * 1.8

  The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are but an en∣•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.9

  Offerings cause of the mira∣cles.
• * 1.10

  God y^• fa∣ther fulfil∣leth his pro¦mises to vs for Chri∣stes sake, & not for the merites of saintes as y^• Papistes taught.
• * 1.11

  All such Martyrs are the po∣pes mar∣tyrs & not Gods. For mar∣tyr signifi∣eth a wit∣nes bearer: now is he not Gods witnes that testifi∣eth not his worde.
• * 1.12

  The rea∣sons which they make for y^• wor∣shipping of Saintes are solued.
• * 1.13

  It is not like wyth kynges and God.
• * 1.14

  Christ is no sinner.
• * 1.15

  Nothyng bringeth a man sooner to confusiō then the I∣dolatry of his owne imaginatiō
• * 1.16

  ••hrist is a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 geue to •…•…rs.
• * 1.17

  God loueth mercy.
• * 1.18

  Hypocrites loue o••••e∣••ynges.
• * 1.19

  We are at peace in our consciences when we beleue con∣stantly ou•• sinnes are remitted throughe Iesus Christ.
• * 1.20

  Why we come not to Christ.
• * 1.21

  God loo∣keth on our good dedes
• * 1.22

  Intichrist turneth the rootes of the trees vnword.