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.

¶ How ceremonies sprang among vs.

VNderstād also (to see how we came into like blindnesse) that before the commyng of Christ in the flesh, the Is∣raelites & Iewes were scattered tho∣roughout all the world, for their I∣mage seruice, both East, West, South, and North, as ye read in the Chroni∣cles how England was once full: so that there was no Prouince or great Citie in the world where no Iewes were: God so prouidyng for the spedy preachyng of the Gospell among the heathen throughout the world. Now Christ, as he was promised, so was he sent, vnto the Iewes or Israelites. And what by Christes preaching & the Apostles after his resurrection, there were innumerable Iewes conuerted haply an hundred thousand or mo in Ierusalem and Iewry and in the coun¦treys about, and abode still in the lād. Then Paul rose vp and persecuted thē in Ierusalē and throughout all Iew∣ry and Damasco, slaying all that he could catch or making them for ••weare Christ. For feare of which persecution they fled into all costes & preached vn∣to the Iewes that were scattered, pro∣uing that Iesus was Christ the Saui∣our of the world, both by the scripture & also by miracles: so that a great part of the Iewes came to the fayth euery where, and we heathen came in short∣ly after, and part abode still in vnbelefe as vnto this day.

Now the Iewes beyng borne and bred vp, rooted and noseld in ceremo∣nyes as I haue shewed and as ye may better see in the. v. bookes of Moses, if ye would read them, could but wyth great difficultie, depart from them as it is to see in all the Epistles of Paule, how he fought agaynst them, and in processe gat the vpper hand. And ther∣to the first that were christened, and all the officers and Byshops of y^• church, euen so much as y^e great God of Rome were Iewes for the most part a great season.

And moreouer, as Paule sayth. Ro. ix. not all that came of Israel are right Israelites, neither are all they Abra∣hams sonnes that are Abrahās seede, why so? because they followed not the steps of y^• faith of their graundfathers. Euen so, not all they that were called and also came vnto the mariage which God the father made betwene Christ his sonne & all sinners, brought theyr mariage garment with them, that is to were, true fayth wherwith we be ma∣ried vnto Christ, and made his flesh & his bloud and one spirit with hym, his brethren and heyres with him, and the sonnes of God also. But many of thē (to fulfill the saying of Christ, that the kyngdome of heauē, which is the gos∣pell, is like a net that ketcheth good & bad) were driuen into the net and cō∣pelled to cōfesse that Iesus was Christ and that seede that was promised A∣brahā and Messias that should come: not of any inward felyng that the spi∣rite of God gaue them, neyther of any louely consent that they had vnto the law of God that it was good, mour∣ning, both because they had broken it, and because also they had no power to fulfill it, and therfore to obtayne mer∣cy and power came to Christ and vnto the father thorow him, with the hart of naturall children which receaue all thyng freely of their fathers bounte∣ous liberalitie, and of loue become seruauntes vnto their brethren for their fathers sake: But were compel∣led onely with violence of the scrip∣ture which euery where bare witnesse vnto Christ, and agreed vnto all that he did, and ouercome also with the po∣wer of myracles that confirmed the same. That is to say, they came wyth a story faith, a popish fayth, a faithlesse faith, and a fayned faith of their owne making, and not as God in the scrip∣ture describeth the fayth, so beleuing in Christ, that they would be iustified by their owne deedes, which is the deny∣ing of Christ. As our Papistes beleue, which more mad thē those Iewes, be∣leue nothing by the reason of the scrip∣ture,

but onely that such a multitude consent thereto, compelled wyth vio∣lence of sworde, with falsifiyng of the scripture and fayned lyes. Which mul∣titude yet is not the fift part so many as they that consent vnto the lawe of Mahomet. And therfore by their own argumentes, the fayth of the Turkes is better then theirs. And their fayth thereto may stand by their owne con∣fession, with all mischiefe (as it well appeareth by them) and with yeldyng themselues to worke all wickednesse with full delectation, after the ensam∣ple of the faith of their father the deuil, and without repenraunce and consent vnto the lawe of God, that it is good. And the popish also do so beleue in Christ, and so will be his seruauntes, that they will be bound vnto dumme ceremonies and dead workes putting their trust and confidence in them, and hoping to be saued by them, and ascri∣bing vnto them the thanke of their sal∣uation and righteousnes.

And therfore because, as I sayd, the Iewes ye and the Heathen to, were so accustomed vnto ceremonies, and be∣cause such a multitude came wyth a faithles fayth, they went cleane cōtra∣ry vnto the mynde of Paul, and set vp ceremonies in the new testamēt, part∣ly borowing them of Moses and part∣ly imagening like, as ye now see, and called them sacraments, that is to say, signes (as it is plaine in the stories) the sacrament of holy water, of holy fire, holy bread, holy salt and so forth. And they gaue thē significations. As holy water signified the sprincling of Christes bloud for our redemption, which sacrament or signe) though it seeme superstuous, in as much as the sacrament of Christes body and bloud signifieth y^e same dayly) yet as lōg as y^e signification bode, it hurted not. And the kissing of the Pax was set vp to sig¦nifie, that the peace of Christ shoulde be euer among vs, one to loue an o∣ther after his ensample, as the word it self well declareth. For pax is as much to say as peace.

And as for confirmation, it is no doubt but that it came this wise vp, & that this was the vse, which the word it selfe well declareth. We read in the stories, that they which were conuer∣ted vnto the fayth of the age of discreti∣on, were full taught in the law of God (as right is) and in the fayth of our sa∣uiour Iesus, yer they were baptised, & vppon the profession or promising to to keepe that law and faith, were bap∣tised. And then for the s••ccour & helpe of young children, baptised before the age of discretion, to know the lawe of God and fayth of Christ was confir∣mation instituted, that they should not be alway ignoraunt and faythlesse, but be taught the profession of their Bap∣tim. And this no doubt was the ma∣ner, as we may well gather by proba∣ble coniectures and euident tokens, when the children were of sixe or seuen yeares olde, their elders brought them vnto the priest or Deacon in euery pa∣rish, which officer taught the children what their baptim ment, & what they had professed therein: that is to wete: the law of God and their dutie vnto al degrees, and the faith of our sauiour. And then because it should not be neg∣lect or left vndone, an higher officer, as the Archdeacon (for it hath not bene as I suppose in the Byshops handes al∣way as now, neither were it meete) came about from parish to parishe, at tymes conuenient. And the Priestes brought the children vnto hym at xj. or xii. yeare olde, before they were admit∣ted to receaue the sacramēt of Christes body haply. And he apposed them of the lawe of God and fayth of Christ, & asked them, whether they thought that lawe good, and whether their hartes were to follow it. And they aunswe∣red yea.

And he apposed them in the articles of our fayth, and asked them, whether they put their hop and trust in Christ, to be saued thorow his death and me∣rites. And they answered ye. Thē cō∣firmed he their baptim saying: I con∣firme you, that is, I denounce and de∣clare, by the authoritie of Gods worde and doctrine of Christ, that ye be true∣ly baptised within in your hartes, and in your spirites, thorow prosessing the lawe of God and the faith of our sauiour Iesu, which your outwarde baptim doth signifie, and therupon I put this crosse in your foreheades, that ye goe and fight agaynst the deuill, the world and the flesh, vnder the standard of our Sauiour, in the name of the fa∣ther, the sonne, & the holy ghost. Amē. Which maner I would to God for his tender mercy were in vse this day.

But after that the deuil was broken lowse and the Byshops began to pur∣chase, and the Dea•…•…s to scratch all to them, and the spiritualtie to clime an hygh: then because the labour se•…•… to tedious and paynfull, to appose the

children one by one, they asked the Priests that presented thē onely, whe∣ther the children were taught the pro∣fessiō of their Baptisme. And they aun¦swered y••••. And so vpon their wordes they confirmed thē without apposing. So whē they no lenger apposed them, the Priests no lenger taught them, but committed the charge to their Godfa∣ther and Godmothers, and they to the father and mother, dischargyng them selues by their owne authoritie with∣in halfe an houre.

And the father & mother taught thē a monstrous Latin Pater noster and an Aue and a Crede. Which gibbresh eue∣ry Pop•…•…iaye speaketh with a sundry pronunciation and fashion, so that one Pater noster semeth as many langua∣ges almost as there be tounges that speake it. Howbeit, it is all one, as lōg as they vnderstand it not. And in pro∣cesse as the ignoraunce grew, they brought them to confirmation straight from Baptisme: so that now oftymes they be volowed and bishoped both in one day, that is, we be confirmed in blindnesse to be kept from knowledge for euer. And thus are we come into this damnable ignoraunce and fierce wrath of God through our owne de∣seruyng, because when the truth was told vs we had no loue therto. And to declare the full and set wrath of God vpon vs, our Prelates whom we haue exalted ouer vs to whom we haue ge∣uen almost all we had, haue persuaded the wordly Princes (to whō we haue submitted our selues and geuē vp our power) to deuour vs vp body & soule, and to kepe vs, downe in darkenesse, with violence of sword, and with all falsehead and guile. In so much that if any do but lift vp his nose to smell af∣ter the truth, they swap him in the face with a fire brande to seng hys smel∣lyng, or if he open one of his eyes once to looke toward y^• light of gods word, they bleare & daze his sight with their false iugglyng: so that if it were possi∣ble, though he were Gods elect, he could not but be kept down and perish for lacke of knowledge of the truth.

And in like maner, because Christ had institute the Sacrament of his bo¦dy and bloud, to kepe vs in remem∣braūce of his body breaking & blud she¦ding for our sinnes, therfore went they and set vp this fashiō of the Masse and ordeined Sacramentes in the orna∣mentes thereof to signifie and expresse all the rest of his passiō. The amice on the head is the kercheue that Christ was blynd folded with, when the soul∣diours buffeted him and mocked hym saying: prophecie vnto vs who smote thee? But now it may wel signifie that he that putteth it on, is blynd and hath professed to leade vs after him in darke¦nesse, according vnto the beginnyng of his play. And the flappe theron is the crowne of thorne. And the albe is the white garment that Herode put on him, saying he was a foole because he held his peace and would not aūswere him. And the ij. flappes on the sleues and the other ij. on the albe beneath o∣uer agaynst his fete behind and before, are the. iiij. nayles. And the fanon on his hand, the cord that his hādes were bound with: And the stole the rope wherwith he was bound vnto the pil∣ler, when he was scorged: And the cor∣poriscloth, the sindon wherin he was buried: and the altare is the crosse or haply the graue and so forth. And the casting abroad of his hands, the splay∣ing of Christ vpon the crosse. And the light and sticking vp of candles & bea∣ryng of candles or tapers in procession happly signified this text. Math. v. ye be the light of the world, and let your light so shyne before mē, that they may see your good workes & glorifie your father which is in heauen. And the salt signifieth the wisedome of Christes do¦ctrine, and that we should therewith salt our dedes and do nothing without the authoritie of Gods word. So that in one thing or other, what in the gar∣mētes and what in the gestures all his playde, in so much that before he will go to Masse, he wilbe sure to sell hym, lest Iudases part should be left out.

And so throughout all the Sacra∣mēts, ceremonies or signes (iij. words of one signification) there were signi∣fications vnto them at the beginning. And so long as it was vnderstād what was ment by them and they dyd but serue the people and preach one thyng or an other vnto them, they hurted not greatly, though that the free seruaunt of Christ ought not to be brought vio∣lently into captiuitie vnder the bōdage of traditions of men. As S. Augustine complayneth in his dayes, how that the condition and state of the Iewes was more easy then the Christiās vn∣der traditions: so sore had the tyranny of the shepheardes inuaded the flocke all ready in those dayes. And thē what iust cause haue we to cōplaine our cap∣tiuitie now, vnto whose yocke from

that tyme hetherto, enen. xij. hundred yeares long, hath euer somwhat more waight bene added to, for to keepe vs bowne and to confirme vs in blynd∣nesse? howbeit, as long as the signifi∣catiōs bode, they hurted not the soule, though they were paynefull vnto the body. Neuerthelesse I impute this our greuous fal into so extreme and horri∣ble blyndnesse (wherin we are so deepe and so deadly brought a slepe) vnto no thyng so much as vnto the multitude of ceremonies. For assoone as the Pre¦lates had set vp such a rable of ceremo∣nies, they thonght it superflnous to preach the playne text any longer and the law of God, faith of Christ, loue to∣ward our neighbour and the order of our iustifying & saluation, for as much as all such thynges were played before the peoples faces dayly in the ceremo∣nies & euery child wist the meanyng: but got them vnto allegories, faynyng them euery mā after his owne brayne, without rule, all most on euery silable, and from thence vnto disputyng and wastyng their braynes about wordes, not attending the significations vntill at the last the laye people had lost the meanyng of the ceremonies & the Pre∣lates the vnderstandyng of the playne text, and of the Greke Latin and speci∣ally of the Hebrue whiche is most of nede to be knowen, and of all phrases, the proper maner of speakynges and borowed speach of the Hebrues.

Remember ye not how within this xxx. yeares and farre lesse, and yet du∣reth vnto this day, the old barkyng curres Dunces disciples &. lyke draffe called Scotistes, the children of darke∣nesse, raged in euery pulpit agaynst Greke Latin and Hebrue, and what sorrow the Scholemasters that taught the true Latin toung had with them, some beatyng the pulpit with theyr fistes for madnesse & roaryng out with open and somyng mouth, that if there were but one Tirence or Ʋirgil in the world and that same in their fleues & a fire before them, they would burne them therein, though it should cost thē their liues, affirming that all good lear¦nyng decayed & was vtterly lost sence men gaue them vnto the Latin toūg? yea & I day say, that there be. xx. thou∣sand Priests Curates this day in En∣gland and not so few, that cā not geue you the right English vnto this text in the Pater noster, fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo & in terra & aunswere therto.

And assoone as the signification of the ceremonies was lost, and the prie∣stes preached Christ no longer then the common people began to wax mad & out of their mindes vpon the ceremo∣nies. And that trust and confidence which the ceremonies preached, to be geuen vnto Gods worde and Christes bloud, that same they turned vnto the ceremonie it selfe, as though a man were so mad to forget that the bushe at the tauerne dore did signisse wine to be solde within, but would beleue that y^• bushe it selfe would quench his thirste. And so they became seruauntes vnto y^• ceremonies, ascribing their iustifying and saluation vnto them, supposyng that it was nothing else to be a christē man, then to serue ceremonies, & him most christen that most serued them, & contrary wise him that was not Po∣pishe and ceremoniall, no christē man at all. For I pray you, for what cause worship we our spiritualtie so highly, or wherefore thinke we their prayers better then the poore laye mens, then for their disguisings and ceremonies? yea and what other vertue see we in y^• holiest of them, then to waite vppon dumme superstitious ceremonies?

Yea and how cōmeth it that a poore laye man hauing wife and xx. children, and not able to finde them, though all his neighbours know his necessitie, shal not get with begging for Christes sake in a long sommers day inough to fynde them two dayes honestly, when if a disguised monster come, he shall wyth an houres lying in the pulpit, get inough to finde thirty or forty stur∣dy lubbers a moneth long, of which y^• weakest shall be as strong in the belly when he commeth vnto the manger, as the might••est porter in y^• weyhouse, or best courser that is in y^• kynges sta∣ble? Is there any other cause then dis∣guising and ceremonies. For y^e deedes of the ceremonies we count better thē the deedes which God cōmaundeth to be done to our neighbour at hys nede, who thinketh it as good a deede to feede the poore, as to sticke vp a candle before a post, or as to sprinckle himself with holy water? Neither is it possible to be otherwise, as long as the signi∣fication is lost. For what other thyng can the people thinke, then that such deedes be ordeyned of God, and be∣cause as it is euident, they serue not our neighbours neede, to be referred vnto y^e person of God, and he though he be aspirite, yet serued therewyth? And then he can not but forth on dis∣pute

in his blynde reason, that as god is greater then man, so is that deede that is appointed to serue God grea∣ter then that which serueth man. And then when it is not possible to thinke them ordeyned for nought, what can I other wise thinke then that they were ordeyned to iustitie, and that I should be holy therby, according to the popes doctrine, as though God were better pleased when I sprinkle my selfe with water or set vp a candle before a block, then if I fed, or clothed, or holpe at his neede him whom he so tenderly loueth that he gaue his owne sonne vnto the death for hym, and commaunded me to loue him as my selfe?

And when the people beganne to run that way, the prelaces were glad, and holpe to heue after with subtill al∣legories and falsifying the scripture, & went and halowed the ceremonies, to make them more worshipfull, that the laye people should haue them in grea∣ter estimation & honour, and to be a∣frayde to touch them for reuerence vn∣to the holy charme that was sayd ouer them, and affirmed also that Christes death had purchased such grace vnto y^• ceremonies to forgeue sinne and to iu∣stifie. O monster, Christes death pur∣chased grace for mans soule, to repent of euill, and to beleue in Christ for re∣mission of sinne, and to loue the lawe of God, & his neighbour as himselfe, which is the true worshipping of god in the spirite, and he dyed not to pur∣chase such honour vnto vnsēsible thin∣ges, that mā to his dishonour, should do them honourable seruice & receaue his saluation of them.

This I haue declared vnto you, y^t ye might see and feele euery thing sen∣sibly. For I entend not to leade you in darcknesse. Neyther though twise ij. Cranes make not iiij. wilde Gees, woulde I therefore that he shoulde beleue that twise two made not foure. Neither entend I to proue vnto you that Paules steple is the cause why Temmes is broke in about Erith, or y^• Teinterden steple is the cause of the decay of Sandwich hauen as M. More iesteth. Neuerthelesse, this I woulde were perswaded vnto you (as it is true) that the building of thē and such like, thorow y^• false fayth that we haue in them, is the decay of all the hauens in England, & of al the cities, townes, hye wayes, and shortly of the whole common wealth. For since these false monsters crope vp into our conscien∣ces, and robbed vs of the knowledge of our sauiour Christ, makyng vs be∣leue in such popeholy workes, and to thinke that there was none other way vnto heauen, we haue not ceassed to build thē abbeyes, cloysters, coled∣ges, Chauntries, and cathedrall chur∣ches with hye steples, striuing and en∣uying one an other, who shoulde do most. And as for the deedes that per∣tayne vnto our neighbours, and vnto the common wealth, we haue not re∣garded at all, as thynges which see∣med no holy workes, or such as God woulde not once looke vppon. And therfore we left them vnsene to, vntill they were past remedy, or past our po∣wer to remedy thē, in as much as our slowbellies with their false blessinges had iugled away from vs, that wher∣with they might haue bene holpen in due season. So that y^• silly poore man though he had haply no wisdome to ex¦presse hys mynde, or y^t he durst not, or y^• M. More fashioneth his tale as he doth other mens to lest out the truth, sawe that neither Goodwinsandes nor any other cause alleaged was the decay of Sandwich hauen, so much as that the people had no lust to mainteyne the common wealth, for blynde deuotion which they haue to popeholy workes.

Notes

• Pa•…•…e a truell per∣secutor.
• Many Iewes were con∣uerted to y^e ••aith of Christ.
• All that came of Is¦raell are not ••srae∣lites.
• Math. 22.
• The Ie∣wes cam•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to vn∣•…•… of Christ of loue, bu•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in∣forced the•• unto by the scriptures.
• The Tur∣k•••• are a •…•…re grea∣ter number then the Papistes.
• Ceremo∣nies set vp in the newe testament.
• What holy water sig∣nifieth.
• The Pax.
• Confirma∣tion.
• Cōfirmati∣on how it came first vnto the church.
• The ma∣ner of con∣firming of children.
• This is a right con∣firmation.
• The abuse of confir∣mation.
• The fruts of igno∣raunce.
• Confirma∣tiō is made now a con∣firmyng in all supersti¦tion, igno∣raunce and popery.
• The Papi¦sticall ty∣ranny.
• How the ceremo∣nies about the mini∣stration of the Lordes Supper came first into the Church. ••mice.
• The flappe on the amice.
• The albe.
• The flap∣pes on the albe.
• The fanon
• The stole.
• The corp••¦rescloth. The altar.
• Candels.
• Math. 5.
• Salt.
• ☜
• All ceremo¦nyes at the begynnyng had signifi∣cations.
• Austine.
• The state of y^e Iewes more easie then the Christians vnder tra∣ditions.
• Out of the ceremontes sprang the ignoraunce o•• the scrip¦ture.
• The multi¦tude of cere¦monies put away prea∣chyng.
• Ceremo∣nies are the chirt cause of igno∣raunce.
• The doc∣trine of Dunce ad∣uaunced.
• The blynd Papistes are ene∣mies to all good lear∣nyng and knowledge
• Igaoraunt Priestes.
• ☜
• Ignoraūce made vs seruauntes to ceremo∣nies.
• The sole Papistes are preser∣red by cere¦monies.
• Is long as we had the significatiō of the cere∣monies, so long they were suffe∣rable, but y^• •…•…can•…•…¦tion beyng gone, the ceremony is mere superstuiō.
• When the people by ignoraunce waxed su∣perstitious then y^• cler∣gie holpe them for∣ward with falsifiyng the scrip∣ture.
• Christes death pur∣chased grace for mās soule.
• Teinter∣den steple.
• The buil∣ding of •…•…∣beies, clop∣sters & re∣ligious houses haue bene 〈◊〉〈◊〉 great decay to the good state of this realing