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.

¶ What the Church is.

THis worde Churche * 1.1 hath diuerse significa∣tions. First it signifi∣eth a place or house, whether Christen peo¦ple were wont in the old tyme to resorte at tymes cōuenient, for to heare the word of doctrine, the law of God & the fayth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, & how and what to pray and whence to aske power and strength to liue godly. For * 1.2 the officers therto appointed preached the price word of God onely and pray∣••d in a t••••ng that all men vnderstode. And y^t people hearkned vnto his pray∣ers, & sayd thereto Amē & prayed with him in their hartes, & of him learned to pray at home and euery where, and to instruct euery man his houshold.

Where now we heare but voyces with out signification and buzsinges, howlynges and cryinges, as it were the ha•…•…yng••s of Foxes or baytings of Bear••s, & wonder at disguisings & t••yes wherof we know no meanyng.

By reason wherof we be fallen into such ignorauncie, that we know of the mercy & promises whiche are in Christ nothyng at all.

And of the law of God we thinke as do the Turkes, and as did the old * 1.3 heathen people, how that it is a thyng which euery man may do of his owne power, and in doyng therof becōmeth good and waxeth righteous and deser∣ueth heauen: yea and are yet more mad then that. For we imagine the same of Phantasies and vayne ceremonies of our owne making, neither nedefull vn¦to the tamyng of our owne flesh, nei∣ther profitable vnto our neighbour, neither honour vnto God.

And of prayer we thinke, that no * 1.4 man can pray but at Church, and that it is nothing els but to say Pater noster vnto a post. Wherewith yet and with other obseruaūces of our owne imagi∣nyng, we beleue, we deserue to be sped of all that our blynd hartes desire.

In an other signification it is abu∣sed * 1.5 and mistakē for a multitude of sha∣uen shorne, and oyled which we now call the spiritualtie and Clergy. As when we read in the Chronicles kyng William was a great tyraūt and a wic∣ked * 1.6 man vnto holy Church and tooke much landes from them. Kyng Iohn * 1.7 was also a per••••ous man and a wic∣ked vnto holy Church, & would haue had them punished for theft, murther and what soeuer mischief they dyd, as though they had not bene people an∣noynted, but euē of the vile rascall and common lay people.

And Thomas Becket was a blessed & an holy man for he dyed for the liber¦ties * 1.8 (to do all mischief vnpunished) & priuileges of the Church. Is he a laye man or a man of the Church? Such is the liuing of holy Church. So men say * 1.9 of holy church. Ye must beleue in holy Church & do as they teach you. Will ye not obey holy Church? Will ye not do the penaunce enioyned you by holy Church? Will yet not forsweare obedi∣ence vnto holy Church? Beware least ye fal into y^t indignatiō of holy church, lest they curse you & so forth. In which * 1.10 all we vnderstand but y^e Pope, Cardi∣nals, Legates, Patriarckes, Archby∣shops, Byshops, Abbotes, Priours, Chauncelers, Archdeacons, Commis∣saries, Officials, Priestes, Monkes, Friers, Blacke, Whit, Pied, Grey, and so forth, by (I trow) a thousand names of blasphemy and of hypocrisies & as many sundry fashions of disguisinges.

It hath yet or should haue an other signification, little knowen among the common people now a dayes. That is

to wit, it signifieth a congregation, a multitude or a company gathered to∣gether * 1.11 in one, of all degrees of people. As a mā would say, the church of Lō∣don, meaning not the spiritualtie one∣ly (as they will be called for their dili∣gent seruing of God in the spirite, and so sore eschuing to meddle wyth tem∣porall matters) but the whole bodye of the citie, of all kindes, conditions & degrees: and the church of Bristow, all that pertaine vnto the towne gene∣rally. And what congregation is mēt, thou shalt alway vnderstand by the matter that is entreated of, and by the circumstaunces thereof.

And in this third signification is the * 1.12 church of God or Christ taken in the scripture, euē for the whole multitude of all them that receaue the name of Christ to beleue in him, and not for the clergy onely. For Paule sayth Gal. i. * 1.13 I persecuted the church of God aboue measure, which was not the preachers onely, but all that beleued generally, as it is to see Act. xxij. where he saith, * 1.14 I persecuted this way euen vnto the death, binding and putting in prison both men and women. And Gal. i. I * 1.15 was vnknowen concerning my per∣son vnto the congregations of the Ie∣wes which were in Christ. And Rom. * 1.16 xvi. I commende vnto you Phebe the Deaconi••••e of the church of Cenchris. And the churches of Asia salute you. i. * 1.17 Corin. the last.

And if a man can not rule his owne house, how shall he take the care of the church of God. i. Tim. iij? if any faith∣full * 1.18 man or woman haue widdowes, let them finde them, that the church be not charged. i. Tim. v. And Mat. 18. * 1.19 if thy brother heare thee not, tell the church or congregation and so forth. * 1.20 In which places and thoroughout all the scripture, the church is taken for y^e whole multitude of them that beleue in Christ in that place, in that parishe, towne, citie, prouince, land, or tho∣roughout all the worlde, and not for the spiritualtie onely.

Notwithstāding yet it is somtimes taken generally for all them that em∣brace * 1.21 the name of Christ, though their faithes be naught, or though they haue no fayth at all. And sometimes it is taken specially for the electe onely, in whose hartes God hath written hys lawe with his holy spirite, and geuen them a feeling faith of the mercy that is in Christ Iesu our Lord.

¶ Why Tindall vsed this worde congregation, rather thē church in the translation of the new Testament.

WHerefore in as much (as the cler∣gy, as the nature of those hard & indurat Adamātstones is, to draw all to them) had appropriat vnto them∣selues the terme that of right is com∣mon * 1.22 vnto all the whole congregation of them that beleue in Christ, & wyth their false and subtil wyles had begui∣led and mocked the people, & brought them into the ignoraunce of the word, making thē vnderstand by this worde church, nothing but the shauen flocke, of them that shore the whole worlde: therefore in the translation of the new Testament where I found this word Ecclesia, I enterpreted it, by thys word congregation. Euen therfore did I it, and not of any mischeuous mynde or purpose to stabl••she heresie, as master More vntruely reporteth of me in hys Dialoge, where he rayleth on y^t tran∣slation of the new Testament.

And when M. More sayth, that this word Church is knowen wel inough. I report me vnto the consciēces of all the land, whether he say truth or other wise, or whether the lay people vnder∣stand by Church the whole multitude of all that professe Christ, or the iug∣glyng spirites onely. And whē he saith that congregation is a more generall * 1.23 terme, if it were, it hurteth not. For the circumstance doth euer tell what cō∣gregation is ment. Neuerthelesse yet sayth he not the truth. For whersoeuer I may say a congregation, there may I say a Church also, as the Church of the deuill, the Church of Sathan, the Church of wretches, y^t Church of wic∣kedmen, the Churche of lyers and a Church of Turkes therto.

For M. More must graunt (if he will haue Ecclesia translated throughout all the new Testament by this woorde Church) that Church is as commō as Ecclesia. Now is Ecclesia a Greeke * 1.24 word and was in vse before the tyme of the Apostles and taken for a cōgre∣gation among the heathē, where was no congregation of God or of Christ. And also Lucas him selfe vseth Ecclesia for a Church or congregation of hea∣then people thrise in one Chapter, euē in the xix. of the Actes, where Demetri∣us the goldsmith or siluersmith had ga¦thered * 1.25 a company agaynst Paule for preachyng agaynst Images.

Howbeit M. More hath so long vsed▪

his figures of Poetry, that (I suppose) * 1.26 whē he erreth most, he now by the rea¦son o•• a long custome, beleueth himself, that he sayth most true. Or els (as the wise people which when they daunce naked in nettes beleue that no man seeth them) euen so M. More thinketh that his errours be so subtilly couched that no man can espy them. So blinde he counteth all other men in compari∣son of his great vnderstandyng. But charitably I exhorte him in Christ to take hede, for though Iudas were wi∣lier then his felowes to get lucre, yet * 1.27 he proued not most wise at y^t last end. Neither though Balam the false Pro∣phet * 1.28 had a cleare sight to bryng y^• curse of God vpon the childrē of Israell for honours sake, yet his couetousnesse did so blind his prophesie, that he could not see his owne end. Let therfore M. * 1.29 More and his cōpany awake be tymes ere euer their sinne be ripe, lest y^e voyce of their wickednesse asceno•• vp and a∣wake God out of his slepe, to loke vpō them and to how his eares vnto theyr cursed blasphemies agaynst the open truth, and to send his haruest men and mowares of vengeaunce to repe it.

But how happeth it that M. More hath not contended in likewise against hys derelyng Erasmus all this longe * 1.30 while? Doth not he chaūge this word Ecclesia into congregatiō and that not seldome in the new Testamēt? perad∣uenture he oweth him fauour because he made Moria in hys house. Whiche booke if it were in English, thē should euery man see, how that he then was farre otherwise mynded then he now writeth. But verely I thinke that as Iudas betrayd not Christ for any loue that he had vnto the hyghe Priestes, Scribes and Phariseis, but onely to come by that wherfore he thirsted: euē so M. More (as there are tokens euidēt) * 1.31 wrote not these bookes for any affectiō that he bare vnto the spiritualty or vn∣to the opinions which he so barely de∣fēdeth, but to obtaine onely that which he was an hungred for: I pray God that he eate not to hastly lest he be cho∣keo at the latter end, but that he repēt and resist not the spirite of God which openeth light vnto the worlde.

¶ Why he vseth this woorde Elder and not Priest.

AN other thyng which he rebuketh, is, that I interprete this Greeke worde Presbiteros by this worde Seni∣or. * 1.32 Of a truth Senior is no very good Englishe, though Senior and Iuniot be vsed in the vniuersities: but there came no better in my mynde at that tyme. Howbeit I spied my fault since, long yer M. More tolde it me, and haue •…•…∣ded it in all the woorkes which I sens made, and call it an Elder. And in that he maketh here••ie of it, to call * 1.33 Presbiteros an Elder, he condemneth their owne old Latin text of heresie al∣so, which they vse yet dayly my^• •…•…ch and haue vsed, I suppose, this, I suppose, this run hū¦dred yeares. For that text doth〈…〉〈…〉an elder likewise. In the. 1. Pet. 5. •…•…s * 1.34 standeth it in y^e Latin text. Se•…•…ores qui in vobis sunt, obsecro ego con•…•… pas∣cite qui in vobis est gregem Chri•…•…〈…〉〈…〉elders that are among you I〈…〉〈…〉which am an elder also, that ye sed•…•… flocke of Christ, which is among〈…〉〈…〉There is Presbyteros calle••〈…〉〈…〉And in y^t he sayth fede Chris•…•… he meaneth euen the Ministe•…•… chosen to teach the people & to〈…〉〈…〉them in Gods word & no ••ay〈…〉〈…〉And in the 2. Ep••st••e of Ioh••〈…〉〈…〉* 1.35 text, Senior electae Dominae & 〈…〉〈…〉 The elder vnto the ele••t Lady〈…〉〈…〉her children. And in the〈…〉〈…〉Iohn. Senior Ga••o dilecto.〈…〉〈…〉* 1.36 vnto the beloued Gai••s. In these〈…〉〈…〉pistles Presbyteros is calle•• an〈…〉〈…〉And in the xx. of the Actes, y^• text s•…•… * 1.37 Paule sent for maiores natu Eccle•…•…〈…〉〈…〉elders in byrth of the congregation or Church, and sayd vnto them, take〈…〉〈…〉vnto your selues & vnto y^• who••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉, ouer which the holy ghos•• hath〈…〉〈…〉* 1.38 you Episcopos ad regendum Eccle•…•… Dei, Byshops ouer••ca••s to〈…〉〈…〉the Church of God. There is •…•…∣teros called an Elder in byrth〈…〉〈…〉same immediately called a〈…〉〈…〉ouersear, to declare what p•…•… ment. Hereof ye see that I haue〈…〉〈…〉more erred then their owne text〈…〉〈…〉they haue vsed sence the scripture wa•• first in the Latin ••oung, and that their owne text vnderstandeth by Presby••e∣ros * 1.39 nothyng saue an Elder. And they were called Elders, because of their age, grauitie & sadnesse, as thou may••t see by the text: and Byshops or ouer∣sears by the reasō of their offices. And all that were called Elders (or Priests if they so wil) were called Bishops al∣so, though they haue diuided y^t names now, which thing thou mayst euident∣ly see by the first Chapter of Titus. And Actes xx. and other places mo.

And when he layth T••mothe vnto my charge, how he was young, thē he

we••eth that he hath wo••••e his g••lden spu•…•…s: But I would pray hym to shew me where he readeth that Paule calleth hym Presbyteros, Priest or El∣der. I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not then cal him Episcopus properiy. For those ouer••ears which * 1.40 we now call Byshops after the Greke word, we•…•… alway bidyng in one place to〈…〉〈…〉the congregation there. N••w was T•…•…the an Apostle. And Paule also writeth that he came short∣ly agayn. well, will he say, it commeth yet all to one. For if it be commeth the lower Minister to be of a sad and dis∣•…•… much more it becommeth the hygher. It is •…•…h. But ij. thyngs are without law, God and necessitie. If * 1.41 God to shew his power shall shed out his grace more vpon youth then vpon age at a 〈…〉〈…〉, who shall let him? we••ē be no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 v•…•… to rule or to preach * 1.42 (for both are forbidden them) yet hath God en••owed them with his spirite at sondry tymes and shewed his power and goodnesse vpō them and wrought wonderfull thynges by them, because * 1.43 he would not haue them •…•…d. We ••••ad that women haue iudged all Is∣ra••ll and haue bene great propheti••ies and haue done mighty dedes. Yea and if stones be true, women haue preached sence the openyng of y^t new Testamēt.

Do not our w••men now Christen and minister the Sacrament of Bap∣tisme in tyme of nede? Might they not by as good reason preach also, if neces∣sitie required? 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a woman were dri∣uē into some Iland, where Christ was neuer preached, might she there not preach him, it she had the g•…•…t thereto? Might she not also Baptise? And why might she not, by the same reason mi∣nister the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, and teach them how to chose •…•…rs & ministers? O poore wemen, how despite ye them? The vi∣•…•… the better welcome vnto you. An whore had ye leuer thē an honest wife. If onely shauen and annoynted may do these thinges, then Christ dyd them not nor any of his Apostles, nor any man in long tyme after. For they vsed no such ceremonies.

Notwithstanding, though God be vnder no lawe, and necessitie lawlesse: * 1.44 yet be we vnder a lawe, and ought to preferre the men before the women, & age before youth, as ••he as we cā. For it is agaynst the lawe of nature that young men should rule the elder, and as vncomely as that women shoul••e rule the men, but when neede requi∣reth. And therfore if Paule had had o∣ther shift, and a man of age as mete for * 1.45 the roome, he would not haue put Ti∣mothy in the office, he should no doubt haue bene kept backe vntil a fulier age, and haue learned in the meane time in silence. And whatsoeuer thou be that reade••t this, I exhort thee in our lord, that thou read both y^t epis•…•…s of Paule to Timothy, that thou mayst see how diligently (as a mother careth for her childe if it be in perill) Paule writeth vnto Timothy to instruct him, to teach hym, to exhort, to corage hym, to sh••••e him vp, to be wise, sober, diligent, cir∣cumspect, sad, humble and me••ke, say∣ing▪ these I write that thou mayest * 1.46 know how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God, which is the church or congregation. A••oy•••• ••ustes of yo•…•…h, beware of vngodly fables & old wiues tales, & auoyde the company of men of corrupt myndes, which wast theyr braynes about wrangling questions. Let no man dispise thy••e youth. As who shoulde say, youth is a dispised thyng of it selfe, whereunto men geue none obedience or reuerence natural∣ly. See therefore that thy ve••••ue ex∣ceede, * 1.47 to recompence thy lacke of age, and that thou so behaue thy self that no fault be founde with thee. And againe, rebuke not an Elder sharpely, but ex∣hort him as thy father, and yongmen as thy brethren, and the elder women as thy mothers, and y^t yoūg womē as thy sisters, and such like in euery chap∣ter. Adm•• none accusation agaynst an Elder vnder lesse then two witnesses. And Paule chargeth hym in the sight of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, and of his elect Angels, to do nothing rashely or of affection. And shortely whereunto youth is most proue and ready to fall, therof warneth he hym with all diligence, euen almost or alto∣gether halfe a ••osen times of some one thyng. And finally as a man woulde * 1.48 teach a childe that had •…•…euer be••ore gone to schole, so tēderly & so careful∣ly doth Paul teach him. It is an other thyng to teach the people, and to teach the preacher. Here Paule teacheth the preacher, young Timothy.

And when he affirmeth that I say, how that the oyling and shauing is no * 1.49 part of the Priesthode. That impro∣ne••h he not, nor can do. And therfore I say i•• yet. And when he hath insearched the •…•…most that he cā, this is all that he can say agaynst me, that of an hun∣dred there be not x. that haue the pro∣perties

which Paule requireth to be in them. Wherfore if oyling and shauyng be no part of their Priesthode, then e∣uermore of a thousand ix. hundred at the lest should be no Priests at all. And quoth your frend would confirme it with an oth and sweare depely, that it would folow and y^t it must nedes so be. Which argument yet, if there were no other shift I would solue after an Ox∣ford fashion, with concedo consequen∣tiam & consequens. And I say moreo∣uer that their annoynting is but a ce∣remonie borowed of y^e Iewes, though they haue somewhat altered the ma∣ner, and their shauing borowed of the heathen Priestes, and that they be no * 1.50 more of their priesthood, then the oyle, salte, spittell, ••aper and chrisome cloth of the substaunce of baptime. Which thinges no doubt, because they be of their con••uring, they would haue prea∣ched of necessitie vnto the saluation of the childe, except necessitie had driuen them vnto the contrary.

And seing that the oyle is not of ne∣cessitie, let M. More tell me what more vertue is in the oyle of confirmatiō, in as much as the bishop sacreth the one as well as the other: yea and let hym tell the reason why there shoulde be * 1.51 more ••ertue in the oyle wherewith y^t Byshop annointeth his Priestes. Let him tell you from whence the oyle cō∣meth, how it is made, and why he sel∣leth it to the curates wherewyth they annointe the sicke, or whether this be of lesse vertue then the other.

And finally, why vsed not the Apo∣stles * 1.52 this greke worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or the in∣terpreter this Latin woorde Sacerdos, but alway this worde Presbyteros and Senior, by which was at that time no∣thing signified but an Elder? And it * 1.53 was no doubt taken of the custome of the Hebrues, where the officers were euer elderly men as nature requireth. As it appeareth in the olde testament and also in the new. The Scribes, Pharises, and the elders of the people sayth the text, which were the officers and rulers, so called by the reason of their age.

¶ Why he vseth loue rather then charitie.

HE rebuketh me also that I trāslate * 1.54 thys greke worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 into loue, and not rather into charitie, so holy & so knowen a terme. Ʋerely charitie is no knowen Englishe, in that sence which agape requireth. For when we say, geue your almes in the worship of God and sweete saint charitie, and when the father teacheth his sonne to say blessing father for saint charitie, what meane they? In good fayth they wot not. Moreouer whē we say, God helpe you, I haue done my charitie for this day, do we not take it for a•…•…s? And the man is euer childing and out * 1.55 of charitie, and I beshrew him sauing my charitie, there we take it for pati∣ence. And when I say a charitable mā, it is taken for mercifull. And though mercifulnes be a good loue, or rather spring of a good loue, yet is not euery good loue mercifulnes. As when a woman loueth her husband godly, or a man his wife or his frende that is in none aduersitie, it is not alway mer∣cifulnesse. Also we say not thys man * 1.56 hath a great charitie to god, but a great loue. Wherfore I must haue vsed this generall terme loue, in spite of myne hart oftentimes. And agape & charitas were wordes vsed among the Hethe•• yer Chrst came, and signified therefore more then a godly loue. And we may say well inough and haue heard it spo∣ken that the Turkes be charitable one to an other among themselues, & some of them vnto the christen to. Besides all this agape is cōmon vnto all loues.

And when M. More saith euery loue * 1.57 is not charitie, no more is euery Apo∣stle Christes Apostle, nor euery Angell Gods Angell, nor euery hope christen hope, nor euery sayth or beliefe Chri∣stes beleife, and so by an hūdred thou∣sand wordes. So that if I should al∣way vse but a worde y^t were no more generall then the worde I enterprete, I should enterprete nothing at all. But the matter it selfe and the circum∣staunces do declare what loue, what hope, and what fayth is spokē of. And finally I say not charitie God, or cha∣ritie your neighbour, but ioue God and loue your neighbour, ye & though we say a man ought to loue his neigh∣bours wife & his daughter, a Christen man doth vnderstand that he is com∣maūded to defile his neighbours wife or his daughter.

¶ Why fauour and not grace.

ANd with lyke reasons rageth he * 1.58 because I turne 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 into fauour and not into grace, saying that euery fauour is not grace, and that in some fauour there is but little grace. I can say also in some grace there is little

goodnesse. And when we say, he stan∣deth well in my Ladyes grace, we vn∣derstand no great godly sauour. And in Ʋniuersities many vngracious gra¦ces are gotten.

¶ Why knowledge and not confes∣sion, repentaunce and not penaunce.

ANd that I vse this worde know∣ledge * 1.59 and not confession, and this word repentaunce and not penaunce. In which all he can not proue, that I geue not the right Englishe vnto the Greeke word. But it is a farre other thyng that pay••eth them and byteth them by the brestes. There he secret panges that pinch the very hartes of them, wherof they dare not cōplayne. The sekenesse that maketh them so im¦paciēt is, that they haue lost their iug∣glyng termes. For the doctours and preachers were wont to make many dimisiōs, distinctions & sortes of grace, gratis data, gratum faciens, preueniens & subsequens. And with confession they * 1.60 iuggled, & so made the people, as oft as they spake of it: vnderstand shrift in the care. Wherof the Scripture ma∣keth no mentiō: no it is cle••ne agaynst the Scripture as they vse it and preach it, and vnto God an abhominatiō and a soule stinkyng sacrifice vnto the fil∣thy Idole Priapus. The losse of those iugglyng termes is the matter where of all these bottes brede, that gnaw them by the belyes and make them so vnquiet.

And in like maner, by this word pe∣naunce, * 1.61 they make the people vnder∣stand holy deedes of their enioynyng, with which they must make satisfactiō * 1.62 vnto Godward for their sinnes. When all the Scripture preacheth that Christ hath made full satisfactiō for our sinnes to Godward, & we must now be thāk∣full to God agayne and kill the lustes of our flesh with holy workes of gods enioynyng & to take paciently all that God layeth on my back. And if I haue * 1.63 hurt my neighbour, I am bounde to shr•…•…e my selfe vnto him and to make him amendes, if I haue wherewith, or if not thē to aske him sorgeuenesse, and he is bounde to forgeue me. And as for their penaūce the Scripture knoweth not of. The Greke hath Metanoia and Metanoite, repentaunce and repente▪ or forthinkyng and forthinke. As we say in English it forthinketh me or I for∣thinke, and I repent or it repēteth me and I am sory that I dyd it. So now the Scripture ••ayth repent or let it for∣thinke you and come & beleue the Gos¦pell or glad tydynges that is brought you in Christ, and so shall all be forge∣uen you, and henceforth lyue a new lyfe: And it will folow if I repent in * 1.64 the hart, that I shall do no more so wil¦lingly and of purpose. And if I bele∣ued the Gospell, what God hath done for me in Christ, I should surely loue him agayne & of loue prepare my selfe vnto his commaundementes.

These thinges to be euen so M. More knoweth well inough. For he vnder∣standeth the Greke, and he knew them long yer I. But so blynd is couetous∣nesse & dronkē desire of honour. Giftes blind the eyes of the seyng and peruert the wordes of the righteous Deut. xvij * 1.65 When couetousnes findeth vauntage in seruyng falsehead, it riseth vp into an o•…•…mate malice agaynst the truth & seeketh all meanes to resiste it, and to quēch it. As Balam the false Prophet, though he wiste that God loued Isra∣ell * 1.66 and had blessed them and promised them great thyngs, and that he would fulfill his promises, yet for couetous∣nesse and desire of honour, he fell into such malice agaynst the truth of God, that he sought ••ow to resiste it and to curse the people. Whiche when God would not let him do, he turned him selfe an other way and gaue pestilent counsell, to make the people sinne a∣gainst God, wherby the wrath of God ••el vpon them, and many thousand pe∣rished. Notwithstandyng Gods truth abode fast and was fulfiled in the rest. And Balam as he was the cause that many perished, so escaped he not hym selfe. No more did any that malicious∣ly resisted the open truth agaynst hys owne conscience, sence the world be∣gan, that euer I read. For it is sinne a∣gaynst y^• holy ghost, which Christ saith * 1.67 shall neither be forgeuē here nor in the world to come, whiche text may this wise be vnderstand that as that sinne * 1.68 shalbe punished with euerlastyng dā∣nation in the lyfe to come: euen so shall it not escape vengeaūce here. As thou ••eest in Iudas, in Pharao, in Balam and in all other tyrauntes whiche a∣gaynst their consciences resisted the o∣pen truth of God.

So now the cause why our Prelates thus rage, & that moueth them to call M. More to helpe, is not that they finde iust causes in the translation, but be∣cause they haue lost their iugglyng and fayned termes, wherewith Peter pro∣phesied * 1.69

they should make marchaun∣dise of the people.

¶ Whether the Church were before the Gospell or the Gos∣pell before the Church.

AN other doubt there is, whether the Church or congregatiō be be∣fore * 1.70 the Gospell or the Gospell before the Church. Which question is as hard to solue, as whether the father be elder then the sonne or the sonne elder then his father. For the whole Scripture and all beleuing hartes testifie that we are begotten through the word. Wher∣fore if the word beget the congregatiō, & he that begetteth is before hym that is begotten, then is the Gospell before the Church. Paul also Rom. ix. sayth, how shall they call on him whom they * 1.71 beleue not? And how shall they beleue without a preacher? That is, Christ must first be preached yer men can be∣leue in him. And then it foloweth, that the word of the preacher must be be∣fore the fayth of the beleuer. And ther∣fore * 1.72 in as much as the word is before the faith, and faith maketh the congre∣gation, therfore is the word or Gospell before the congregation. And agayne as the ayre is darke of it selfe & recea∣ueth all her light of the sonne: euen so are all mens hartes of thēselues darke with lyes and receaue all their truth of Gods word, in that they consent ther∣to. And moreouer as the darke ayre ge¦ueth the sonne no light, but contrary∣wise the light of the sonne in respect of the ayre is of it selfe and lighteneth the ayre & purgeth it from darkenesse: euē so the lying hart of man can geue the word of God no truth, but contrary wise the truth of Gods word is of her self, and lighteneth the harts of the be∣leuers and maketh them true, and clen¦seth them from lyes, as thou readest Iohn. xv. ye be cleane by reason of the * 1.73 word. Which is to be vnderstand, in that the word had purged their harces from lyes, from false opinions & from thinking euill good, and therfore from consentyng to sinne. And Iohn. xvij. * 1.74 sanctifie them O father thorough thy truth. And thy woorde is truth. And thus thou seest that Gods truth depen¦deth not of man. It is not true because man so sayth or admitteth it for true: But man is true because he beleueth it, testifieth and geueth witnesse in hys hart that it is true. And Christ also sayth him selfe Iohn. v. I receaue no witnesse of mā. For if the multitude of * 1.75 mās witnesse might make ought true, then were the doctrine of Mahomete truer then Christes.

¶ Whether the Apostles left ought vnwritten, that is of necessitie to be beleued.

BUt did not y^• Apostles teach ought * 1.76 by mouth that they wrot not? I aunswere, because that many taught one thyng, and euery man the same in diuers places and vnto diuers peo∣ple. and confirmed euery sermō wyth a sundry miracle: therfore Christ & his Apostles preached an •…•…red thousād sermons, and did as many miracles, which had bene superfluous to haue bene all written. But the pith and sub∣staunce in generall of euery thing ne∣cessary vnto our soules health, both of what we ought to beleue, and what we ought to do was written, and of the miracles done to confirme it, as many as were nedeful. So that what∣soeuer * 1.77 we ought to beleue or do, that same is written expresely, or drawen out of that which is written.

For if I were bound to do or beleue vnder payne of the losse of my soule a∣ny thing that were written, nor depē∣ded of that which is writtē, what holpe me the scripture that is written? And * 1.78 thereto in as much as Christ and all his Apostles warned vs that false pro∣phetes shoulde come with false mira∣cles, euen to deceaue the elect if it were possible, wherewith shoulde the true preacher confound the false, except he brought true miracles to confound the false, or els autenticke scripture of full authoritie already among the people.

Some man woulde aske, how dyd God continue his congregation from Adam to Noe, and frō Noe to Abra∣ham, and so to Moses, without wri∣ting, but with teaching from mouth to mouth. I aunswere, first that there was no scripture all the whyle, they * 1.79 shall proue, whē our Lady hath a new sonne. God taught Adam greater thynges then to write. And that there was writing in the world long yer A∣braham yea & yer Noe, do stories te∣stifie.

Notwithstanding, though there had bene no writing, the preachers were * 1.80 euer prophetes glorious in doing of miracles, wherwith they cofirmed their preaching. And beyond that god wrote his testamēt vnto them a••way,

both what to do and to beleue, euē in y^e sacramentes. For the sacrifices which God gaue Adams sonnes, were no dumme popetrie or superstitious Ma∣hometrie, but signes of the testament of God. And in them they red y^e worde of God, as we do in bookes, and as we should do in our sacraments, if the wicked Pope had not taken the signi∣fications * 1.81 away from vs, as he hath robbed vs of the true sence of all the scripture. The testament which God made with Noe, that he woulde no more drowne the worlde with water, he wrote in the sacrament of the raine∣bow. And the appointment made be∣twene him and Abraham, he wrote in the sacrament of circumcision. And therefore sayd Steuen Act. vij. he gaue them y^• testamēt of circumcision. Not * 1.82 that the outwarde circumcision was the whole testament, but the sacramēt or signe there. For circumcision prea∣ched Gods worde vnto thē, as I haue in other places declared.

But in the tyme of Moyses when the congregation was encreased, that they must haue many preachers & also rulers temporall, then all was recea∣ued in scripture, in so much that Christ and his Apostles might not haue bene beleued without scripture for all their miracles. Wherefore in as much as Christes congregation is spred abroad * 1.83 into all the worlde much broader then Moses, and in as much as we haue not the olde testament onely but also the new, wherein all thinges are opened so richly and all fulfilled that before was promised, & in as much as there is no promise behinde of ought to be shewed more saue the resurrecti∣on: yea and seyng that Christ and all the Apostles with all the Angels of heauen, if they were here, could preach no more then is preached, of necessitie vnto our soules: How then should we receaue a new article of the fayth, with out scripture, as profitable vnto my soule, when I had beleued it, as smoke for ••ore eyes. What holpe it me to be∣leue that our Ladies bodye is in hea∣uen? What am I the better for the be∣liefe * 1.84 of Purgatory? to feare men thou wilt say. Christ & his Apostles thought hell •…•…ough. And yet (besides that the fleshly imaginatiō may not stand with Gods worde) what great feare can there be of that terrible fire which thou mayst quench almost for three halfe pence?

And that the Apostles should teach ought by mouth which they woulde not write, I pray you for what pur∣pose? because they should not come in∣to the handes of the Heathen for moc∣king, saith M. More. I pray you what thing more to be mocked of the Hea∣then coulde they teach, then the resur∣rection, and that Christ was God and man, and dyed betwene two theeues, and that for his deathes sake, all that repent and beleue therein should haue their sinnes forgeuen them, yea and if the Apostles vnderstoode thereby as we do, what madder thing vnto hea∣then people coulde they haue taught thē y^t bread is Christes body, & wyne * 1.85 his bloud. And yet all these thynges they wrote. And agayne purgatory, confession in the eare, penaunce and sa∣tisfaction for sinne to Godward, with holy deedes, and praying to Saintes with such like, as dumme sacraments and ceremonies, are maruelous agre∣able vnto the superstition of the Hea∣then people, so that they needed not to abstaine from writing of thē, for feare least the Heathen should haue mocked them.

Moreouer what is it that the Apo∣stles * 1.86 taught by mouth, and durst not write? The sacramentes? As for bap∣tim and the sacrament of the body and bloude of Christ they wrote, and it is expressed what is signified by them. And also all the ceremonies and sacra∣mentes that were frō Adam to Christ * 1.87 had significations, and all that are made mention of in the new testamēt, Wherefore in as much as the sacra∣mentes of the olde testament haue sig∣nifications, and in as much as the sa∣cramentes of the new testament (of which mētion is made that they were deliuered vnto vs by the very Apo∣stles at Christes commaundement) haue also significatiōs, and in as much as the office of an Apostle is to edifie in Christ, and in as much as a dumme eremonie edifieth not, but hurteth al∣together (for if it preach not vnto me, * 1.88 then I can not but put confidēce ther∣in, that the deede it selfe iustifieth me, which is y^e denying of Christes bloud) and in as much as no mētion is made of thē, as well as of other, nor is kno∣wen what is ment by them: therefore it appeareth that the Apostles taught them not, but that they be the false marchaundise of wily hipocrites. And therto priesthode was in the tyme of the Apostles an office which if they would do truely, it woulde more pro∣fite

then all the sacraments in y^e world. * 1.89 And agayne Gods holinesses strine not one against an other, nor defile one another. Their sacraments defile one another. For wedlocke defileth priest∣hode more thē whordome, theft, mur∣ther, or any sinne against nature.

They will haply demaunde where it is written that women should bap∣tise. Ʋerely in this commaundement, Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, it is written, that they may and ought to minister not onely Baptim, but all o∣ther in tyme of neede, if they be so ne∣cessarie as they preach them. * 1.90

And finally though we were sure that God hymselfe had geuen vs a sa∣crament, whatsoeuer it were, yet if y^e signification were once lost, we must of necessitie, either seeke vp the signifi∣catiō or put some significatiō of Gods word therto, what we ought to do or beleue therby, or els put it downe. For it is impossible to obserue a sacrament without significatiō, but vnto our dāp¦natiō. If we keepe y^• faith purely & the law of loue vndefiled, which are y^• sig∣nificatiōs of all ceremonies there is no icopardy to alter or chaunge the fashi∣on of the ceremony, or to put it downe if neede require.

¶ Whether the Churche can erre.

THere is an other question, whe∣ther * 1.91 the Church may erre. Which if ye vnderstand of the Pope and hys generation, it is verely as hard a que∣stion as to aske whether he which hath both hys eyes out be blynde or no, or whether it be possible for him that hath one legge shorter thē an other, to halt. But I sayd that Christes elect church * 1.92 is the whole multitude of all repen∣ting sinners that beleue in Christ, and put all their trust and confidēce in the mercy of God, feeling in their hartes, that God for Christes sake loueth thē, and will be or rather is mercifull vn∣to them, and forgeueth thē their sinnes of which they repent, and that he for∣geueth them also all the motions vnto sinne, of which they feare least they shoulde thereby be drawen into sinne agayne. And this faith they haue with out all respect of their owne deseruin∣ges, yea and for none other cause then that the mercifull truth of God the fa∣ther, which can not lie, hath so promi∣sed, and so sworne.

And this faith and knowledge is e∣uerlasting * 1.93 life, and by this we be borne a new and made the sonnes of God, and obtayne forgeuenes of sinnes, and * 1.94 are translated from death to life, & frō the wrath of God vnto his loue and fauour. And this faith is the mother of all truth, and bringeth with her y^e spirite of all truth. Which spirite pur∣geth vs, as from all sinne, euen so frō all lies and errour noysome and hurt∣full. And this faith is the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes whereon Paul sayth Ephes. ij. that we * 1.95 are built, and therby of the houshold of God. And this fayth is the rocke wheron Christ build his congregatiō. Christ asked the Apostles Math. xvj. * 1.96 whom they tooke him for. And Peter aunswered for them all saying I say that thou art Christ the sonne of the li∣uing God y^t ar•• come into this world. That is, we beleue that thou art he that was promised vnto Abrahā, that should come blesse vs and deliuer vs. Howbeit Peter yet wist not by what meanes. But now it is opened thro∣roughout * 1.97 all the world, that through the offeryng of hys body & bloud, that offeryng is a satisfaction for the sinne of all that repent and a purchasyng of what soeuer they can aske, to keepe them in fauour. And that they sinne no more. And Christ aunswered vpō this rocke I will build my congregation: that is, vppon this fayth. And agaynst the rocke of this fayth can no synne, no hell, no deuill, no lyes nor errour preuayle.

For what soeuer any mā hath com∣mitted, if he repent and come to this rocke, he is safe. And that this fayth is the onely way by which the Church of Christ goeth vnto God and vnto the inheritaunce of all his riches, testifie all the Apostles and Prophetes & all the Scripture, with signes and mira∣cles, and all y^t bloud of Martyrs. And * 1.98 who soeuer goeth vnto God and vnto forgeuenesse of sinnes or saluation, by any other way then this, the same is an hereticke out of the rightway & not of Christes Church.

For this knowledge maketh a man of y^e Church. And the Church is Chri∣stes body Collos. i. and euery person * 1.99 of the Church is a member of Christ. Ephes. 5. Now it is no mēber of Christ * 1.100 that hath not Christs spirit in it. Rom. viij. as it is no part of me or member of my body wherein my soule is not present and quickeneth it. And then if a man be none of Christes, he is not of his Church.

¶ How a true member of Christes Church sinneth not, and how he is yet a sinner.

FUrthermore, he that hath this fayth can not sinne, and therfore can not be deceaued with damnable errours. For by this fayth we be (as I sayd) borne of God. Now he that is borne of God can not sinne, for his seed dwel leth in him, & he can not therfore sinne, because he is borne of God. i. Iohn. iij. which seede is the holy ghost that ke∣peth * 1.101 a mans hart from consenting vn∣to sinne. And therfore it is a false con∣clusiō * 1.102 that M. More holdeth, how that a mā may haue a right faith ioyned with all kyndes of abhomination & sinne.

And yet euery member of Christes congregation is a sinner and synneth dayly, some more and some lesse. For it is written. i. Iohn. i. if we say we haue * 1.103 no sinne, we deceaue our selues & the truth is not in vs. And agayne if we say, we haue not sinned, we make hym a liar and his word is not in vs. And Paul Rom. vij. sayth, that good which I would, that do I not, but that euill which I would not, that do I. So it is not I that do it (sayth he) but sinne that dwelleth in me. Thus are we sin∣ners and no sinners. No sinners, if thou looke vnto the profession of our hartes toward the law of God, on our repentaunce and sorow that we haue, both because we haue sinned and also because we be yet full of sinne still, and vnto the promises of mercy in our Sa¦uiour Christ, and vnto our fayth. Sin∣ners are we, if thou loke vnto the frail * 1.104 tie of our flesh, which is as the weake∣nesse of one that is newly recouered out of a great disease, by y^• reason wher of our dedes are imperfect. And by the reason wherof also, when occasions be great, we fall into horrible dedes, and the frute of the sinne which remaineth in our mēbers breaketh out. Notwith¦standing yet the spirite leaueth vs not, but rebuketh vs & bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our profession, so that we neuer cast of the yocke of God frō our neckes neither yeld vp our selues vn∣to sinne, for to serue it, but fight a fresh and begyn a new battaile.

¶ How a Christen man can not erre, and how he may yet erre.

ANd as they sinne not, so they erre not. And on the other side as they sinne, so they erre: but neuer vnto death and damnation. For they neuer sinne of purpose nor hold any errour maliciously, sinnyng against the holy ghost, but of weakenesse & infirmitie. As good obedient childrē, though they loue their fathers commaundements, yet breake them oft, by the reason of their weakenesse. And as they can not yeld them selues bond vnto sinne, to * 1.105 serue it: euē so they can not erre in any thyng that should be agaynst the pro∣mises which are in Christ. And in o∣ther thynges their errours be not vn∣to damnation, though they be neuer so great, because they hold them not ma∣liciously. As now, if some when they read in the new Testament of Christs brethren, would thinke that they were our Ladyes children after the byrth of Christ, because they know not the vse of speakyng of the Scripture or of the Hebrues, how that ••ye kinsinē be cal∣led brethren, or happely they might be Iosephes children, by some first wife, neither can haue any to teach him for tyrāny that is so great, yet could it not hurte him, though he dyed therein, be∣cause it hurteth not the redēption that is in Christes bloud. For though she had none but Christ, I am therfore ne∣uer the more saued, neither yet y^e lesse, though she had had. And in such lyke * 1.106 an hundred that plucke not a mans faith from Christ, they might erre, and yet be neuerthelesse saued no though the contrary were written in the Gos∣pell. For as in other sinnes, as soone as they be rebuked, they repent: euen so here, assoone as they were better taught, they should immediatly know¦ledge their errour and not resiste.

But they which maliciously mayn∣teine opinions agaynst the Scripture, or that y^t cā not be proued by the Scrip¦ture, or such as make no matter vnto the Scripture and saluation that is in Christ whether they be true or no, and for the blind zeale of them make sectes, breakyng y^t vnitie of Christes Church, for whose sake they ought to suffer all thyng, and rise agaynst their neigh∣bours, whom they ought to loue as * 1.107 them selues, to sle•• them (such men I say are fallen from Christ and make an Idole of their opinions. For except they put trust in such opinions and thought them necessarie vnto saluatiō, or with a cankred conscience went a∣bout to deceaue, for some filthy pur∣pose, they would neuer breake the vni∣tie of fayth or yet slea their brethren. Now is this a playne conclusion, that both they y^t trust in their own works,

and they also y^t put confidence in theyr owne opinions, be fallen from Christ and erre from the way of fayth that is in Christes bloud, & therfore are none of Christes Church, because they be not built vpon the rocke of fayth.

¶ Fayth is euer assayled and fought with all.

MOreouer this our fayth which we haue in Christ, is euer fought a∣gaynst, * 1.108 euer assayled & beaten at with besperation: not when we sinne only, but also in all temptations of aduersi∣tie, into which God bringeth vs, to nurtour vs, and to shew vs our owne hartes, the hipocrisie & false thoughtes that there lye hid, our almost no fayth at all, and as little loue, euen thē hap∣ly when we thought our selues most perfect of all. For when temptations come we can not stand, when we haue sinned fayth is feeble, when wrong is done vs we can not forgeue, in sicke∣nesse, in losse of goodes and in all tri∣bulations we be impatient: when our neighbour needeth our helpe, that We must depart with hym of ours then loue is colde.

And thus we learne and feele that there is no goodnes nor yet power to do good, but of God onely. And in all * 1.109 such tēptatiōs our fayth perisheth not vtterly, neither our loue and consent vnto the lawe of God. But they be weake, sicke, and wounded, and not cleane dead. As a good childe whom the father & mother haue taught nur∣toure and wisdome, loueth his father * 1.110 and all his commaundementes, and perceaueth of y^t goodnes shewed him, that his father loueth him, and that all hys fathers preceptes are vnto hys wealth and profite, and that his father commaundeth him nothing for any neede that his father hath thereof, but seeketh his profite onely, and therefore hath a good fayth vnto all his fathers promises, and loueth all his cōmaun∣dementes, and doth them wyth good will, & with good will goeth to schole. And by the way haply he seeth cōpany play, and with the sight is taken and rauished of his memory, and forget∣teth himselfe, and standeth and behol∣deth and falleth to play also, forgetting father and mother, all their kindnes, all their lawes, and his owne profite thereto. Howbeit, the knowledge of his fathers kindnesse, the fayth of hys promises, and the loue that he hath a∣gayne vnto hys father, and the obedi∣ent minde are not vtterly quēched, but lye hid, as all thynges do when a man sleepeth or lieth in a traunce. And as soone as he hath played out all his lu∣stes * 1.111 or be warned in the meane season, he commeth againe vnto his olde pro∣fession. Neuer the later, many temp∣tations goe ouer his hart, and the law as a right hangman tormenteth hys conscience, and goeth nye to perswade him that his father will cast him away and hang hym if he ketch hym, so that he is like a great while to runne a way rather then to returne vnto his father agayne. Feare and dread of rebuke, & of losse of his fathers loue and of pu∣nishment wrastle with the trust which he hath in his fathers goodnesse, and as it were geue his faith a fall. But it riseth againe assoone as the rage of the first brunte is past and his minde more quiet. And the goodnesse of his father, and his olde kindnesse commeth vnto * 1.112 remembraunce, eyther of his owne corage or by the comfort of some other. And he beleueth that his father wyll not cast him away or destroy hym, and hopeth that he will no more do so.

And vpō that he getteth him home, dismayed. But not altogether fayth∣lesse. The olde kindnesses will not let him dispayre. Howbeit, all the world cannot set his ha••t at rest, vntyll the payne be past, and vntill he haue heard the voyce of his father that all is for∣geuen.

¶ The maner and order of our election.

EVen so goeth it with Gods electe. God chuseth thē first, and they not God, as thou readest Iohn. xv. And * 1.113 then he sendeth forth and calleth them, and sheweth them his good wil which he beareth vnto them, and maketh thē see both their owne damnation in the lawe, and also the mercy that is layde vp for them in Christes bloude, and therto what he wil haue them do. And * 1.114 then when we see his mercy, we loue him agayne, and chuse him and submit our selues vnto his lawes to walke in them. For when we erre not in wit, reason and iudgement of thynges, we can not erre in will and choyse of thin∣ges. The choyse of a mans will doth naturally and of her owne accorde fol∣low the iudgement of a mans reason, whether he iudge right or wrong. So that in teaching onely resteth the pyth

of a mans liuing. How be it, there be swine that receaue no learning but to defile it. And there be dogges that rent all good learning wyth their teeth. And there be Pope holy, which follo∣wing a righteousnes of their owne fai∣ning, resiste the righteousnes of God in Christ. And there be that cannot at∣tend to harken vnto the truth for rage of lustes, which when lustes abate, come and obey well inough.

And therefore a Christen man must * 1.115 be patient and suffer long to win his brother to Christ, y^t he which attēdeth not to day, may receaue grace & heare to morowe, we see some at their very latter ende, when colde feare of death hath quenched the heate of their appe∣tites, learne & consent vnto the truth, wherunto before they could geue none care, for the wylde rages of lustes that blynded their wittes.

And though Gods elect can not so fall that they rise not agayne, because that the mercy of God euer wayteth * 1.116 vpon them, to deliuer them from euil, as the care of a kynde father wayteth vppon his sonne, to warne him and to keepe hym from occasions, and to call him backe againe if he be gonne to far: yet they forget themselues ofttymes, & sinke downe into traunces and fall a slepe in lustes for a season. But assoone as they be awaked they repent & come agayne without resistaunce. God now and thē withdraweth his hand and le∣ueth them vnto their own strength, to make thē feele that there is no power to do good but of God onely, lest they shuld be proude of that which is none of theirs. God layd so sore awaight of persecution vpp••n Dauids backe that * 1.117 passed his strēgth to beare. So that he cried oft out of his Psalmes, saying that he had liued well and folowed the right way of God in vayne. For the more he kept him selfe from s••nne, the worse it wēt with him, as he thought, and the better with his enemy Saul, the worse he was. Yet God left hym not there, but cōforted him & shewed him thinges which before he wist not * 1.118 of, how that the Saintes must be paci∣ent and abyde Gods hauest, vntill the wickednesse of vngodly sinners be full ripe, y^t God may ripe it in dew season.

God also suffered occasions stron∣ger then Dauid, to fall vpon him & to carie him cleane out of the way. Was he not ready for a churlysse aunswere to haue slayne Naball & all the males of his house, so much as the child in the cradell? howbeit God with held hym and kept him backe frō that euill, tho∣rough the wisedome of Abigall. How * 1.119 long slomberd he, or rather how hard in slepe was he in the adultery of Beth sabe. And in the murther of her husbād Ʋriah, But at both times assoone as he was rebuked and his fault told him, he repented immediatly & turned agayne mekely. Now in all that long tyme, from the adultery of Bethsabe vntill the Prophet Nathan rebuked him he had not lost his fayth nor yet his loue vnto the lawes of God, no more then a man looseth his wittes when he is a slepe. He had forgot him self onely and had not maliciously cast of the yocke of Gods commaundements from of his necke. There is no man so good, but * 1.120 that there commeth a tyme vpon hym, when he feeleth in him selfe no more faith or loue vnto God, then a sicke mā ofttymes feeleth the tast of hys meate which he eateth.

And in like maner the Apostles of Christ at his passiō were astonyed and * 1.121 amased and in such a storme of tempta∣tions, for the soden chaunge from so great glorie into so vyle and shamefull death, that they had forget all the mi∣racles and all the wordes which he had told them before, how that he should be betrayde and deliuered on the same maner vnto death. Moreouer they neuer vnderstode that saying of hys death because theyr hartes were all way heauy and ouer lade with earthly thoughtes. For though they saw hym raise vp other, yet who should rayse him vp, when he were dead, they could not comprehend.

Read what thou read canst, & thou * 1.122 shalt finde no temptatiō like vnto that from the creation of the world, or so great as it by the hūdred part. So that the wonderfull soden chaunge and the terrible sight of his passion and of hys most cruell and most vyle death, & the losse of whō they so greatly loued, that their hartes would fayne haue dyed with him, and the feare of their owne death, and the impossibilitie that a man should rise againe of his owne power, so occupyed their mindes and so asto∣nyed them and amased them, that they could receaue no comfort, either of the Scripture or of the miracles whiche they had sene Christ do, nor of the mo∣nitions & warnings wherwith he had warned thē before, neither of the wo∣men that brought them tydynges that he was risen. The sword of temptati∣ons

with feare sorow, mournyng and wepyng, had depely pearced theyr hartes, and the cruell sight had so com∣bred their myndes, that they could not beleue, vntill Christ him selfe came, death put of, and ouercome, yea & whē * 1.123 they first saw him, they were astonyed for wonderyng and ioy together that thoughtes arose in their hartes; alas is this he or doth some spirite mocke vs? he was fayne to let them feele hym and to eate with them, to strēgth theyr faythes.

Howbeit there was none of them that was fallen in his hart frō Christ. For assoone as the women brought word, Peter and Iohn ranne vnto the sepulchre & saw and wondred & would fayne haue beleued that he was risen and longed for him? But could not be∣leue the wound of temptation beyng greater then that it could bee healed with the preaching of a woman with∣out any other miracle.

Ioseph of Arimathia and Nicode∣mus whiche while he yet lyued durst not be a knowen of him assoone as he was dead, begged his body and buried hym boldly. And the women assoone * 1.124 as it was lawfull to worke, prepared their annoyntments with all diligēce. And the hartes of the Disciples that wēt to Emaus burned in their bres••es to heare him spoken of.

And Thomas had not forsaken Christ, but could not beleue vntill he saw him, and yet desired and longed to see him and reioysed when he saw him and for ioy cried out, my Lord my God. There was none of them that * 1.125 euer ••ayled on him and came so farre foorth, to say, he was a disceauer and wrought with the deuils craft all this while, and see where to he is come in the end? we defie hym & all his workes false wretch that he was, and hys false doctrine also. And thereto must they haue come at the last, when feare, so∣row and wonderyng had bene past, if they had not bene preuented and holpe in the meane tyme.

Yea and Peter a••soone as he had de∣nyed * 1.126 Christ came to hym selfe imme∣diatly and went out and wept bitterly for sorow. And thus ye see, that Peters faith failed not, though it were oppres∣sed for a tyme: so that we nede to seke no gloses for the text that Christ sayd to Peter how that hys fayth should not fayle. Yes sayth M. More it fayled * 1.127 in hym selfe, but was reserued in our Lady.

But let vs see the text and their glose together. Christ sayth Luke. xxij. Sy∣mon, * 1.128 Symon, Sathan seketh you to sifte you as men sift where: but I haue prayed for thee, that thy fayth shall not fayle, wherfore whē thou art come vn∣to thy selfe agayne strēgth thy brethrē. Now put this wise glo••e thereto and * 1.129 see how they agree together. Symon, Sathā seketh to sift you as where, but I haue prayed for thee, that my mo∣thers fayth shall not fayle, wherfore when thou art come to thy selfe again, accordyng as my prayer hath obtained for thee, that my mothers fayth shall * 1.130 not fayle, strength thy brethren. How say ye, is not this a proper text & well framed together? Do ye not thinke that there is as much witte in the head of mad Colens, as in the draynes o•• such expositours?

¶ Whether the Pope and his sect be Christes Church or no.

THat the Pope and his spirite ••e not the Church may this wise be * 1.131 proued. He that hath no fayth to be sa∣ued through Christ, is not of Christes * 1.132 Church. The Pope beleueth not to be saued through Christ. For he teacheth * 1.133 to trust in holy workes for the remis∣sion of sinnes and saluation: as in the woorkes of penaunce enioyned, in vowes, in pilgrimage, in chastitie, in other mens prayers and holy lyuyng, in Friers & Friers coates, in Saintes merites, and the significatiōs put out, he teacheth to beleue in y^t dedes of the ceremonies & of the Sacramentes or∣deined at the beginnyng to preach vn∣to vs and to do vs seruice, & not that we should beleue in them and serue them. And a thousand such super••••ici∣ousnesses setteth he before vs in stede of Christ, to beleue in, neither Christ nor Gods word, neither honorable to God nor seruiceable vnto our neigh∣bour nor profitable vnto our selues for the tamyng of the flesh, which all are the denying of Christes bloud.

An other reason is this. Whosoeuer beleueth in Christ, con••enteth that * 1.134 Gods law is good. The pope conten∣teth not that Gods law is good. For he hath forbydden lawfull wedlocke * 1.135 vnto all his, ouer whom he raigneth as a temporall tyraunt with lawes of his owne makyng & not as a brother exhortyng them to kepe Christes. And he hath graunted vnlawfull whore∣dome vnto as many as bryng money

As through Dutchland, euery Priest paying a gildren vnto the Archdeacon shall frely and quietly haue his whore and put her away at his pleasure and take an other at his own lust. As they * 1.136 do in wales, in Ireland, Scotland, Fraunce and Spayne. And in Englād therto they be not few which haue ly∣cēces to kepe whores, some of the pope and some of their ordinaries. And whē the Parishes go to law with them to put away their whores, the Byshops officers mocke them, poll them & make them spend their ••hr••res, & the Priests kepe their whores stil. Howbeit in ve∣ry dede sence they were rebuked by the preachyng of wickleffe, our English spiritualtie haue layd their snares vn∣to mens wiues, to couer theyr abho∣minations, though they byde not all way secret.

Therto all Christen mē if they haue done amisse, repent when their faultes * 1.137 be tolde them. The spiritualtie repent * 1.138 not, but of very lust and cōsent to sinne persecute both the scripture wherwith they be rebuked, and also them that warne them to amende, and make he∣retikes of them, and burne them. And besides that, the Pope hath made a playne decree in which he commaun∣deth saying, though y^e Pope sinne ne∣uer * 1.139 so greuously and draw with him to hell by his ensāple thousādes innu∣merable, yet let no man be so hardy to rebuke him. For he is head ouerall, & none ouer him, Distinct. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Si Papa.

And Paule saith Rom. xiij. let eue∣ry * 1.140 soule obey the hyer powers that are ordeyned to punishe sinne. The Pope will not, nor let any of his.

And Paule chargeth 1. Cor. 5. if he * 1.141 that is a brother be an whorekeeper, a dronkard, couetous, an extortioner, or a rayler and so forth, that we haue no felowship with him: No not so much as to eate in his company. But the * 1.142 Pope with violence compelleth vs to haue such in honour, to receaue the sa∣cramētes of them, to heare their Mas∣ses, and to beleue all they say, and yet they will not let vs see whether they say truth or no. And he compelleth. x. parishes to pay their tithes and offe∣ringes vnto one such to goe and rūne at riote at their cost, and to do nought therefore. And a thousande such like doth the Pope contrary vnto Christes doctrine.

¶ The argumentes wherewith the Pope woulde proue hymselfe the church, are solued.

NOtwithstanding because as they be all shauen they be all shamelesse to affirme that they be the right church and can not erre, though all the world seeth that not one of thē is in the right way, and that they haue with vtter de∣fiaunce forsaken both the doctrine and liuing of Christ & of all his Apostles, let vs see the sophistry wherwith they would perswade it. One of their high reasons is this. The Church say they, was before y^• heretikes, & y^• heretikes * 1.143 came euer out of the church and left it. And they were before all them which they now call heretikes and Luthe∣rans, and the Lutherans came out of them. &c. Wherefore they be the right church, and the other heretikes in dede as they be called. Well, I will like∣wise dispute. First the right church * 1.144 was vnder Moses and Aaron and so forth, in whose rowmes sat the Scri∣bes Phariseis and hye priestes in the tyme of Christ. And they were before Christ. And Christ and his Apostles * 1.145 came out of them, and departed from thē and left them. Wherfore the Scri∣bes, Phariseis, and hye priestes were the right Church, and Christ and hys Apostles and disciples heretikes and a dampnable secte. And so the Iewes are yet in the right way and we in er∣rour. And of truth if their blynde rea∣son be good, thē is this argumēt so to. For they be like, & are both one thing.

But in as much as the kingdome of God standeth not in wordes, as Paul * 1.146 sayth 1. Cor. 4. but in power, therefore looke vnto the marow and pith of the thinges selfe, and let vayne woordes passe, Ʋnder Abraham, Isaac, & Ia∣cob was the church great in fayth, and small in number. And as it encreased in number, so it decreased in fayth vn∣till y^• tyme of Moses. And out of those vnbeleuers God stirred vp Moses, & brought ••hē vnto y^• faith right agayne. And Moses left a glorious Churche, both in faith & cleauing vnto the word of God, and deliuered them vnto Io∣suah, Eleazer, Phineas, and Caleb.

But assone as the generation of thē that saw the miracles of God were dead, they fell to Idolatrie immediat∣ly, as thou seest in the Bible. And god when he had deliuered them into cap∣tiuitie for to chastice their wickednesse, stirred them vp a Prophet euermore, to call them vnto his testamēt againe. And so he did well me an hundred tymes, I suppose, yer Christ came, for * 1.147 they neuer bode any space in the right

fayth. And against the comming of Christ the Scribes, Phariseis, Cai∣phas, Anna, and the Elders, were crept vp into the seat of Moses, Aarō, and the holy Prophetes & Patriarkes and suceded them linially, and had the scripture of God but euen in captiuitie to make marchaundise of it, and to a∣buse it vnto their owne glory and pro∣fite. And though they kept the people from outward Idolatrie of worship∣ping of Images with the Heathen: yet they brought them into a worse in∣ward Idolatrie of a false fayth & trust in their owne deedes and in vaine tra∣ditions of their owne fayning. And had put out the significatiōs of all y^• ce∣remonies and sacramentes of the olde testamēt, and taught the people to be∣leue in the workes selfe, and had cor∣rupt the scripture with false gloses. As y^• maist see in the Gospell, how Christ warneth his Disciples to beware of y^t leauen of y^• Phariseis which was their false doctrine & gloses. And in another place he rebuked the Scribes and the * 1.148 Phariseis saying: wo be to thē, because they had taken away the key of know∣ledge, * 1.149 and had shut vp the kingdome of heauen, and neither would enter in themselues, nor suffer thē that would. How had they shut it vp? verely with their traditions and false gloses which they had sowed to y^• scripture in plaine places, and in the taking away y^• mea∣ning of the ceremonies and sacrifices, and teaching to beleue in the worke.

And our hipocrites are in like ma∣ner crept vp into the seat of Christ and * 1.150 of his Apostles by succession: not to do the deedes of Christ and his Apostles, but for lucre onely (as the nature of the wily Foxe is, to get him an hole made with a nother beastes labour) and to make marchaundise of the people with fayned wordes, as Peter warned vs before, and to do according as Christ and all his Apostles prophesied, how they should beguyle and leade out of the right way, all thē that had no loue to follow and liue after the truth.

And in like maner haue they corrupt * 1.151 the Scripture, and blynded the right way with their owne constitutions, with traditions of dūme ceremonies, with takyng away the significations of the sacramentes, to make vs beleue in the worke of the sacramentes fyrst, whereby they might the better make vs beleue in works of their setting vp afterward, and with false gloses which they haue patched to the Scripture in playne places, to destroy the litterall sence for to set vp a false fayned sence of allegories, when there is none such. And thereby they haue stopt vp the gates of heauē, the true knowledge of Christ, and haue made their own bel∣••es the dore. For thorow their bellies must thou creepe, and the••e leaue all that fall behynde thee.

And such blynde reasons as oures make against vs, made they agaynst * 1.152 Christ saying: Abraham is our father, we be Moses disciples, how knoweth he the vnderstanding of the Scripture seing he neuer learned of any of vs? onely the cursed vnlearned people that know not the scripture beleue in hym. Looke whether any of the rulers or Phariseis do beleue in hym?

Wherefore the scripture truely vn∣derstode * 1.153 after the playne•• places and generall articles of y^t fayth, which thou findest in the scripture, and the ensam∣ples that are gone before, wyll alway testifie who is the church. Though the Phariseis succeded the Patriarkes & prophetes, and had the scripture of thē, yet they were heretikes and fallē from the fayth of them, and frō their liuing. And Christ and his disciples, & Iohn * 1.154 the Baptist departed from the Phari∣seis which were heretikes, vnto the right sence of y^• scripture and vnto the faith and liuing of the Patriarkes and Prophetes, and rebuked the Phari∣seis. As thou seest how Christ calleth them hipocrites, dissimulers, blynde guides and painted sepulchers. And Iohn called them the generatiō of vi∣pers and serpentes. Of Iohn, the an∣gell sayde vnto his father Luke. i. he * 1.155 shall turne many of the children of Is∣raell vnto their Lord God, which yet before Iohn beleued after a fleshly vn∣derstanding in God, and thought the∣selues in the right way. And he shall turne the harts of the fathers vnto the children. That is, he shall wyth hys preaching and true interpreting of the scripture make such a spirituall hart in y^• childrē as was in their fathers Abra∣ham, * 1.156 Isaac, and Iacob. And he shall turne the disobedient vnto the obedi∣ence of the righteous, and prepare the Lord a perfect people. That is, them that had set vp a righteousnes of their owne, and were therefore disobedient vnto the righteousnes of fayth, shal he conuert from their blindnes vnto the wisdome of them that beleued in God to be made righteous, and with those fathers shall he geue the childrē Egles

eyes to spye out Christ and his righte∣ousnesse, and to forsake their own, and so to become perfect.

And after the same maner, though * 1.157 our Popish hypocrites succede Christ and his Apostles and haue their scrip∣ture, yet they be fallen from the fayth & liuyng of them and are heretickes and had nede of a Iohn Baptist to conuert them. And we depart from them vnto the true Scripture and vnto the fayth and liuyng therof, and rebuke them in like maner. And as they which depart from the fayth of the true Church are heretickes, euē so they that depart frō * 1.158 the Church of heretickes and false fay∣ned fayth of hypocrites, are the true church, which thou shalt alway know by their fayth examined by the Scrip∣ture & by their profession and consēt to liue according vnto the lawes of God.

¶ An other Argument.

AN other like blind reasō they haue * 1.159 wherein is all their trust. As we come out of them and they not of vs, so we receaue the Scripture of them & they not of vs. How know we that it is the Scripture of God and true, but because they teach vs so? How can we beleue, except we first beleue that they be the Church and can not erre in any thyng that perteyneth vnto our soules health. For if a man tell me of a * 1.160 maruelous thyng, whereof I can haue no other knowledge thē by his mouth onely, how should I geue credence ex∣cept I beleued that the mā were so ho∣nest that he could not lye or would not lye. Wherfore we must beleue that they be the right Church that can not erre, or els we can beleue nought at all.

This wise reason is their shotean∣cre & all their hold, their refuge, to flye vnto & chief stone in their foundation, wheron they haue built all their lyes & al the mischief that they haue wrought this viij. hūdred yeares. And this rea∣son do the Iewes lay vnto our charge this day, and this reason doth chiefly blynd them and hold them still in ob∣stinacie. Our spirites first falsifie the * 1.161 Scripture to stablish their lyes. And when the Scripture commeth to light and is restored vnto the true vnderstā∣dyng and their iugglyng spied, & they like to suffer shipwracke, then they cast out this ancre, they be the Church and can not erre, their authoritie is greater then the Scripture, and the Scripture is not true, but because they say so and admitte it. And therfore what soeuer they affirme, is of as great authoritie as the Scripture.

Notwithstandyng, as I sayd, the * 1.162 kyngdome of heauen standeth not in words of mās wisedome, but in pow∣er and spirite. And therfore loke vnto the examples of the Scripture and so shalt thou vnderstand. And of an hun∣dred examples betwene Moyses and Christ, where the Israelites fell from * 1.163 God & were eue•• restored by one Pro∣phet or other, let vs take one: euen Iohn the Baptist. Iohn went before Christ to prepare his way, that is, to bryng mē vnto the knowledge of their sinnes and vnto repentaunce, through true expoundyng of the law, which is the onely way vnto Christ. For except a man knowledge his sinnes & repent of them, he can haue no part in Christ, of Iohn Christ fayth Math. xvij. that * 1.164 he was Elias that should come & re∣store all thyng. That is, he should re∣store the scripture vnto the right sence agayne, which the Phariseis had cor∣rupt with the leuen of their false glo∣ses and vayne fleshly traditions. He made croked thinges straight, as it is written, and rough smoth. Which is al so to be vnderstand of the Scripture, which the Phariseis had made croked wrestyng them vnto a false sence with wicked gloses, & so rought that no man could walke in the way of them. For * 1.165 when God sayd, honour father & mo∣ther, meanyng that we should obey them and also helpe thē at their nede, the Phariseis put this glose thereto, out of their owne leuen saying: God is thy father and mother. Wherfore what soeuer nede thy father & mother haue, if thou offer to God, thou art hold ex∣cused. For it is better to offer to God, then to thy father and mother and so much more meritorious, as God is greater then they: yea and God hath done more for thee then they & is more thy father and mother then they. As ours now affirme, that it is more me∣ritorious to offer to God and his holy dead Saintes, then vnto the poore li∣uyng Saintes. And whē God had pro¦mised the people a Sauiour to come & blesse them and saue them from theyr sinnes, the Phariseis taught to beleue in holy woorkes to be saued by, as if they offered and gaue to be prayd for. As ours, as oft as we haue a promise to be forgeuē at the repentaunce of the hart through Christes bloud shedding, put to, thou must first shriue thy selfe to vs of euery s•…•…abe, & we must lay out

handes on thine head and whistell out * 1.166 thy sinnes and enioyne the penaunce to make satisfaction. And yet art thou but loused from the synne onely that thou shalt not come into hell, but thou must yet suffer for euery sinne seuen yeres in Purgatory which is as whot as hell, except thou bye it out of the * 1.167 Pope. And it y^• aske by what meanes the Pope geueth such pardon. They aunswere out of the merites of Christ. And thus at the last they graūt against thēselues, that Christ hath not only de∣serued for vs y^• remissiō of our sinnes, but also the forgeuenesse of that grosse and fleshly imagined Purgatory, saue thou must bye it out of the Pope. And with such traditions they tooke away the keye of knowledge and stopped vp the kyngdome of heauen that no man could enter in.

And as I sayd, they taught the peo∣ple to beleue in the dedes of the cere∣monies * 1.168 which God ordeined not to iu¦stifie but to be signes of promises by which they that beleued were iustified. But the Phariseis put out the signifi∣cations & quēched the fayth and taught to be iustified by the woorke, as ours haue serued vs.

For our Sacramentes were once but signes partly of what we should beleue, to styrre vs vp vnto fayth, and * 1.169 partly what we should do, to styrre vs vp to do the law of God, and were not workes to iustifie.

Now make this reason vnto Iohn and vnto many Prophetes that went before him and did as he dyd, yea and * 1.170 vnto Christ him self and his Apostles, & thou shalt finde them all heretickes, and the Scribes and Phariseis good men, if that reason be good. Therfore this wise thou mayst aunswere. No thankes vnto the heades of y^• Church that the Scripture was kept, but vnto the mercy of God. For as they had de∣stroyed the right sense of it for their lu∣cre sake, euen so would they haue de∣stroyed it also if they coulde, rather then the people should haue come vn∣to the right vnderstādyng of it, as they slew the true interpretours and prea∣chers of it. And euen so no thankes vn to our hypocrites that the Scripture is kept, but vnto the bottomlesse mer∣cy of God.

For as they haue destroyed the right sense of it with their leuē, and as they destroy dayly the true preachers of it, and as they kepe it from the lay peo∣ple, that they should not see how they iuggle with it, euen so would they de∣stroy * 1.171 it also, could they bryng it about, rather thē we should come by the true vnderstandyng of it, were it not that God prouided otherwise for vs. For they haue put the stories that should in many thynges helpe vs, cleane out of the way, as nye as they could. They haue corrupt the Legend and lyues al∣most of all Saintes. They haue fayned false bookes and put them forth, some in the name of S. Hierome, some in y^• name of S. Augustine, in the name of S. Cypriā, S. Dionise and other holy men. which are proued none of theirs, partly by the stile and Latine, & part∣ly by autenticke stories. And as the Iewes haue set vp a booke of traditi∣ons called Talmud, to destroy the sēse * 1.172 of y^• Scripture, Ʋnto which they geue fayth and vnto the Scripture none at all be it neuer so playne, but say it can not be vnderstand, saue by the Tal∣mud: euen so haue ours set vp their Dunce, their Thomas and a thousand * 1.173 like draffe, to stablish their lyes, tho∣rough falsifying the Scripture, & say that it can not be vnderstand without them, be it neuer so playne. And if a man alledge an holy Doctour agaynst them they glose him out as they do the Scripture, or will not heare, or say the Church hath otherwise determined.

Now therfore when they aske vs * 1.174 how we know that it is the Scripture of God, aske them how Iohn Baptist knew & other Prophetes, which God * 1.175 styrred vp in all such times as the scrip¦ture was in like captiuitie vnder hypo¦crites? Did Iohn beleue that the Scri¦bes, Phariseis and hygh Priests were the true Church of God, and had hys spirite and could not erre? who taught the Egles to spy out their pray? euen so the children of God spy out their fa∣ther and Christes elect spy out theyr Lord, and trace out the pathes of hys feete and folow, yea though he go vpō the playne and liquide water which will receaue no stepe: & yet there they find out his foote, his elect know him, but the world knoweth him not Iohn * 1.176 1. If the world know him not, & thou call the world pride, wrath, enuy, coue∣tousnesse, slouth, glottony and lechery, then our spiritualtie know hym not. Christes shepe heare y^• voyce of Christ Iohn. x. where the world of hypocrits * 1.177 as they know hym not, euen so the wolues heare not his voyce, but com∣pell the Scripture to heare them and to speake what they lust. And therfore

except the Lord of Sabaoth had lest vs seede, we had bene all as Sodome and Gomor sayd Esay. 1. And euen so sayd * 1.178 Paul in hys tyme. And euen so say we in our time, that the Lord of the hostes * 1.179 hath saued him seede & hath gathered hym a flocke to whom he hath geuen cares to heare, that the hypocritish Wol••es can not heare, and eyes to see, that the blynd leaders of the blynd can not see, and an hart to vnderstād, that the generation of poysoned Ʋipers cā neither vnderstand nor know.

If they alleage S. Augustine which * 1.180 sayth, I had not beleued the Bospell, except the authoritie of the church had moued me. I answere, as they abuse * 1.181 that saying of the holy man, euen so they alleage all the Scripture, and all that they bring for them, euen in a false sence. S. Augustine before he was con∣uerted was an heathen mā and a Phi∣losopher, full of worldly wisdome, vn∣to whom the preaching of Christ is but folishnesse, sayth Paule. i. Corin. i. * 1.182 And he disputed wyth blynde reasons of worldly wisdome agaynst the Chri∣sten. Neuerthelesse the earnest liuing of the Christen according vnto theyr doctrine and the constant suffering of persecutiō and aduersitie for their doc∣trines sake, moued hym & stirred hym to beleue that it was no vayne doc∣trine, but that it must nedes be of god, in that it had such power with it. For it happeneth that they which wyll not heare the worde at the beginning, are afterward moued by the holy conuer∣sation of them that beleue. As Peter warneth Christē wines that had hea∣then * 1.183 husbandes that would not heare the truth preached, to liue so godly that they might winne their heathen hus∣bandes with holy conuersation. And Paule sayth, how knowest thou Chri∣sten * 1.184 wife, whether thou shalt winne thine heathen husband, with holy con∣uersation mēt he. For many are wōne with godly liuing, which at the fyrst either will not heare or can not belene. And that is the authoritie that S. Au∣gustine meane. But if we shal not be∣leue, tyll the liuyng of the spiritualtie conuert vs, we be like to bide long in∣ough in vnbeliefe.

And whē they aske whether we re∣ceaued the scripture of them? I auns∣were, that they which come after re∣ceaue the scripture of them that go be∣fore. And when they aske whether we beleue not that it is Gods worde by the reason that they tell vs so. I auns∣were, that there are two manuer fay∣thes, * 1.185 an historicall fayth, and a feelyng fayth. The historicall fayth hangeth of the truth and honestie of the teller, or of the common fame and cōsent of ma∣ny. * 1.186 As if one tolde me that the turke had wonne a citie, and I beleued it, moued with the honestie of the man. Now if there come an other that see∣meth more honest or that hath better perswasions that it is not so, I thinke immediatly that he lyed and lose my fayth agayne. And a feeling fayth is, as if a man were there present when it was wonne, and there were wounded and had there lost all that he had, and were taken prisoner there also. That man should so beleue that all y^e worlde could not turne him from hys fayth. Euen likewise if my mother had blo∣wen on her finger and tolde me that the fire woulde burne me, I shoulde haue beleued her with an historicall fayth, as we beleue the stories of the world, because I thought she woulde not haue mocked me. And so I should haue done, if she had tolde me that the fire had bene cold and would not haue burned, but assoone as I had put my finger in the fire, I should haue bele∣ued, * 1.187 not by reason of her, but wyth a feeling faith, so that she could not haue perswaded me afterward the contra∣ry. So now with an historicall fayth I may beleue that y^• scripture is gods by the teaching of them, & so I should haue done though they had tolde me that Roben Hode had bene the scrip∣ture of God. Which fayth is but an o∣pinion, and therfore abideth euer frut∣lesse and falleth away, if a more glori∣ous reason be made vnto me, or if the preacher liue contrary.

But of a feeling fayth it is written. * 1.188 Iohn vi. They shall be all taught of God. That is, God shall write it in their harts with his holy spirite. And Paule also testifieth Rom. 8. the spirite * 1.189 beareth record vnto our spirit that we be the sonnes of God. And thys fayth is none opinion, but a sure feling, and * 1.190 therefore euer fruitfull. Neyther han∣geth it of the honesty of the preacher, but of the power of God and of the spi∣rite, and therefore if all the preachers of the world would goe about to per∣swade the contrary, it would not pre∣uayle, no more thē though they would make me beleue the tire were colde, af∣ter that I had put my finger therein.

Of this ye haue an ensample Ioh. 4. * 1.191 of the Samaritanish wife, which left

her pitcher and went into the citie and sayd, come & see a man that hath tolde me al that euer I did, is not he Christ. And many of the Samaritanes bele∣ued because of the saying of the womā, how that he had tolde her all that euer she did, and went out vnto him & de∣sired him to come in, which fayth was but an opinion and no fayth that could haue lasted or haue brought out fruit, but when they had heard Christ, the spirite wrought and made them feele. Wherupon they came vnto the womā and sayd: we beleue not now because of thy saying, but because we haue heard our selues, and know that he is Christ the sauiour of the worlde. For * 1.192 Christes preaching was with power and spirite that maketh a mā feele and know and worke to, and not as the Scribes and Pharisies preached, and as ours make a man ready to cast hys gorge to heare them raue and rage as mad men. And therefore sayth y^• scrip∣ture, cursed is he that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, that is to say, hys strength. And euen so, cursed * 1.193 is he that hath none other beliefe but because men so say. Cursed were he y^• had none other why to beleue thē that I so say. And euen so cursed is he that beleueth only because y^• Pope so saith, and so forth thoroughout all the men in the worlde.

¶ The fayth that dependeth of an other mans mouth is weake.

IF I haue none other feeling in my fayth then because a man so sayth, then is my fayth faithles and fruitles. For if I haue none other seeling that lecherie is sinne then that the Pope so * 1.194 preacheth, whom I see before my face set vp in Rome a stewes of xx. or xxx. thousand whores, taking of euery pece tribute yearly, and his Byshops with all other his disciples folowing the en∣sample mightely, and the Pope there∣with not content, but to set vp thereto * 1.195 a stewes of young boyes agaynst na∣ture, the committers of which sinne be burnt at a stake among the Turkes, as Moses also commaundeth in hys lawe. And the Pope also to forbid all the spiritualtie, a multitude of xl or l. * 1.196 hūdred thousand to mary, and to geue them licence to keepe euery man hys whore who so will: If I say, I haue none other feeling in my fayth that le∣chery is sinne thē this mās preaching, I thinke my fayth should be to weake to beare much fruite. How coulde I beleue a man that would say he loued me, if all hys deedes were contrary? I coulde not beleue God himselfe that he loued me, if in all my tribulations I had of him none other comfort then those bare wordes.

And in like maner if I had none o∣ther feeling in my fayth that couetous∣nes * 1.197 were sinne, then that the spiritu∣altie so sayth, my fayth coulde be but weake and faintie, when I see how y^• Pope with wiles hath thrust downe the Emperour, and how the Byshops and Prelates be cropt vp an hye in all regions aboue their kynges, and haue made them a seuerall kyngdome, and haue gotten into their handes almost the one halfe of euery realme, which they deuide among thēselues, geuyng no lay man any part with them, & hea∣ping vp Byshopprike vpon Byshop∣prike, promotion vpon promotion, be∣nefice vpon benefice, with vnions and * 1.198 tot quottes, robbing in euery parishe the soules of their ••oode, and the poore of their due sustenaunce, yea and some preaching that it were lesse sinne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.199 haue two wiues then two benifices, but while they be yet young and ho••••, and therefore thinke couetousnes grea¦ter sinne thē lechery: which same, whē they be waxed elder, and their cōpl••••∣tion somewhat altered, thinke that co∣uetousnes is as small a sinne as leche∣ry, and therfore take all that commeth. And if any man cast their preachyng in * 1.200 their tethes, they answere that they be better learned, and haue seue further. If I say, I haue no other felyng that couetousnes is sinne, then y^e preaching of these holy fathers, my fayth were built but vpō a weake rocke, or rather on the soft ••and. And therfore our de∣fenders do right well to some out their owne shame, and to vtter the secrete thoughtes of their har••es. For as they write, so they beleue. Other felyng of * 1.201 the lawes of God and fayth of Christ haue they none, then that theyr God the Pope so sayth. And therfore as the Pope preacheth wyth his mo••th one∣ly, euē so beleue they with their mouth onely whatsoeuer he preacheth, with∣out more a doe, be it neuer so abhomi∣nable, and in their hartes consent vn∣to all their fathers wickednes, and fo∣low him in their dedes as fast as they can runne.

The Turkes being in number fiue * 1.202 tymes moe then we are, knowledge one God, and beleue many thinges of

God, moued onely by the authoritie of their elders, and presume that God will not let so great a multitude erre so long tyme.

And yet they haue erred and bene faithlesse these eight hundred yeares. And the Iewes beleue this day, as much as the carnall sort of them euer * 1.203 beleued, moued also by the authoritie * 1.204 of their elders onely, and thinke that it is impossible for them to erre, being A∣brahams seede, and the childrē of them to whom the promises of all that we beleue were made. And yet they haue erred and bene faythlesse this xv. hun∣dred yeares. And we of like blindnesse beleue onely by the authoritie of our elders and of like pride thinke that we can not erre, beyng such a multitude. And yet we see how God in the old Testament did let the great multitude erre, reseruyng alway a litle flocke to * 1.205 call the other backe againe and to testi∣fie vnto them the right way.

¶ How this word Church hath a double interpretation.

THis is therfore a sure cōclusion, as * 1.206 Paule sayth. Rom. ix. that not all they that are of Israell are Israelites, neither because they be Abrahās sede, are they all Abrahams childrē: but they onely that folow the faith of Abraham. Euen so now none of them that beleue with their mouthes moued with the authority of their elders onely, that is, none of thē that beleue with M. Mores fayth, the Popes fayth and the deuils fayth which may stand (as M. More cō∣fesseth) * 1.207 with all maner abhominatiōs, haue the right fayth of Christ or are of * 1.208 his Church. But they onely that repēt & feele that the law is good, And haue the law of God written in their harts and the fayth of our Sauiour Iesus, euen with the spirite of God. There is a carnali Israell & a spirituall. There is Isaac and Ismaell, Iacob, & Esau. And Ismaell persecuted Isaac & Esau * 1.209 Iacob & the fleshly the spiritual. Wher of Paul complayned in his tyme per∣secuted of his carnall brethrē, as we do in our tyme and as the elect euer dyd & shall do till the worldes end. What a multitude came out of Egypt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testify∣eth that they beleued, moued by y^• mi∣racles of Moses, as Symon magus be∣leued * 1.210 by the reason of Philippes mi∣racles Actes. viij. Neuerthelesse the Scripture testifieth that vj. hundred thousād of those beleuers perished tho¦rough vnbelief and left their carcasses in the wildernesse and neuer entred into the land that was promised them. And euen so shal the children of M. Mo∣res faythlesse faith made by the persua∣tion * 1.211 of mā, leap short of the test which our Sauiour Iesus is risē vnto. And therfore let them embrace this present world as they do, whose children they are though they hate so to be called.

And hereby ye see that it is a playne & an euident conclusiō as bright as the sunne shynyng that the truth of Gods word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation. And therfore when thou * 1.212 art asked, why thou beleuest that thou shalt be saued thorough Christ and of such like principles of our fayth, aun∣swere * 1.213 thou wottest and felest that it is true. And when he asketh how thou knowest that it is true, aunswere be∣cause it is written in thyne hart. And if he aske who wrote it, aūswere the spi∣rite of God. And if he aske how thou came first by it, tell him, whether by * 1.214 readyng in bookes or hearyng it prea∣ched, as by an outward instrumēt, but that inwardly thou wast taught by y^• spirite of God. And if he aske whether thou beleuest it not because it is writ∣ten in bookes or because the Priestes so preach, aunswere no, not now, but onely because it is writtē in thyne hart and because the spirite of God so prea∣cheth and so testifieth vnto thy soule. And say, though at the beginning thou wast moued by readyng or preachyng, as the Samaritans were by y^• wordes * 1.215 of the woman, yet now thou beleuest it not therfore any lēger, but onely be∣cause thou hast heard it of the spirite of God, and read it written in thine hart.

And concernyng outward teachyng we alledge for vs Scripture elder thē any Church that was this. xiiij. hun∣dred yeares, and old antenticke stories which they had brought a slepe where with we confounde their lyes. Remē∣ber ye not how in our owne tyme, of * 1.216 all that taught Grammer in England not one vnderstode the Latin toung? how came we thē by the Latin toung agayne? not by them, though we lear∣ned certaine rules & principles of them by which we were moued & had an oc∣casion to seke further, but out of the old authours. Euen so we seke vp old an∣tiquities out of whiche we learne and not of our Church, though we recea∣ued many principles of our Church, at the begynnyng, but more falsehead

then truth,

It hath pleased God of his exceding loue wherewith he loued vs in Christ (as, Paul sayth) before the worlde was made, and whē we were dead in sinne and his enemies, in that we did cōsent to sinne and to liue euill, to write with his spirite ij. conclusions in our harts, * 1.217 by which we vnderstād all thyng: that is to were, the fayth of Christ and the loue of our neighbours. For whosoe∣uer feleth the iust damnation of sinne, and the forgeuenes and mercy that is in Christes bloud for all that repent & forsake it, and come and beleue in that mercy, the same onely knoweth how God is to be honoured and worship∣ped, and can iudge betwene true ser∣uing of God in the spirite, and false I∣mage seruing of God with workes▪ And y^e same knoweth that sacramētes, signes, ceremonies and bodely things * 1.218 can be no seruice to God in his person but memorials vnto men, and a remē∣braunce of the testament wherewyth God is serued in the spirite. And he that feeleth not that, is blynde in hys soule, and of our holy fathers genera∣tion, and maketh God an Image, & a creature, & worshippeth him with bo∣dely seruice. And on the other side, he that loueth his neighbour as himselfe, vnderstandeth all lawes, and cā iudge betwene good and euil, right & wrong, godly and vngodly, in all conuersati∣on, deedes, lawes, bargaines, coue∣naunces, ordinaunces and decrees of men, and knoweth the office of euery degree, and the due honour of euery person. And he that hath not that wri∣ten in his hart is popishe, and of y^• spi∣ritualtie which vnderstādeth nothing saue his own honour, his own profite & what is good for himself onely: and when he is as he would be, thinketh y^• all the world is as it should be.

¶ Of worshipping and what is to be vnderstand by the worde.

COncerning worshipping or honouring (which two ter∣mes are both one) M. More * 1.219 bringeth forth a difference, a distinction or diuision of Greke wordes, fayned of our schole∣men, which of late neither vnderstode greke, latine or hebrue, called doulia, hyperdoulia and La••ria. But the diffe∣rence declareth he not, nor the proper∣ties of the wordes, but with confused termes leadeth you blindfolde in hys maze. As for hyperdoulia I woulde fayne we••e where he readeth of it in all the scripture, and whether the worship done to hys Lord the Cardinalles hat were doulia, hyperdoulia, or idololatria. And as for doulia and latria we fynde thē both referred vnto God in a thou∣sand places.

Therefore that thou be not begui∣led wyth falshod of sophisticall words, vnderstand that the wordes which the scripture vseth in the worshipping or honouring of God are these: loue god, * 1.220 cleaue to God, dread, serue, bow, pray and call on God, beleue and trust in God and such like. Which wordes all we vse in the worshipping of man al∣so, how be it diuersly, and the differēce thereof doth all the scripture teach.

God hath created vs and made vs vnto his owne likenes, and our saui∣our Christ hath bought vs wyth hys bloud. And therfore are we Gods pos∣session of dutie and right, and Christes seruauntes onely, to wa•…•…e on his will * 1.221 and pleasure, and ought therefore to moue neither hand nor fo••e, nor any o∣ther member, eyther hart or mynde, o∣therwise then he hath appointed. God is honoured in his owne person, whē we receaue al things both good & bad * 1.222 at his hand, and loue his lawe wyth all our hartes, and beleue, hope, and long for all that he promiseth.

THe officers that rule the worlde in * 1.223 Gods stede, as father, mother, ma¦ster, husband, Lord and Prince are ho∣noured, when the lawe which almigh∣ty God hath committed vnto them to rule with, is obeyed. Thy neighbour that is out of office, is honoured, when * 1.224 thou (as God hath commaunded thee) louest hym as thy selfe, countest hym as good as thy selfe, thinkest hym as worthy of any thing as thy selfe, and commest louingly to helpe hym at all hys neede, as thou wouldest be holpe thy selfe, because God hath made him like vnto hys owne image as well as thee, and Christ hath bought hym as well as thee.

If I hate the lawe, so I breake it in * 1.225 myne hart, and both hate & dishonour God the maker therof. If I breake it outwardly, then I dishonour god be∣fore the worlde, and the officer that ministreth it. If I hurt my neigh∣bour, then I dishonour my neighbour and him that made him, and him also that bought him wyth hys bloud. And euē so, if I hate my neighbour in mine

hart, then I hate him that commaun∣deth me to loue him and him that hath deserued that I should at the lest way for his sake loue him. If I be not rea∣dy to helpe my neighbour at hys nede, * 1.226 so I take his due honour from him, & dishonour him, & him that made him, and him also that bought him with his bloud, whose seruaunt he is. If I loue such thinges as God hath lent me and committed vnto mine administration, so that I can not finde in myne hart to bestow them on the vses which God hath appointed me, then I dishonour God and abuse his creature in that I geue more honour vnto it thē I shuld do, And then I make an idole of it in that I loue it more then God and hys commaundement and then I disho∣nour my neighbour from whose nede I withdraw it.

In like maner if the officer abusyng his power, cōpell the subiect to do that * 1.227 which God forbiddeth or to leue vn∣done that which God commaundeth, so he dishonoureth God, in withdraw¦yng his seruaunt from him, & maketh an Idole of his owne lustes, in that he honoureth them aboue God, & he dis∣honoureth his brother in that he abu∣seth hym contrary vnto the right vse which God hath created him for and Christ hath bought him for, which is to wayte on Gods cōmaundementes. For if the officer be otherwise mynded * 1.228 then this, the worst of these subiectes is made by the hādes of him that made me, and bought with the bloud of hym that bought me, and therfore my bro∣ther, and I but his seruaunt onely, to defend him and to kepe him in the ho∣nour that God & Christ hath set him, that no man dishonour him: he disho∣noureth both God & man. And therto if any subiect thinke any otherwise of y^t officer (though he be an Emperour) then that he is but a seruaunt onely, to minister the office indifferently, he dis∣honoureth the office and God that or∣demed it. So that all men, what soe∣uer degree they be of are euery man in his rowme, seruauntes to other, as the hand serueth the foote and euery mem∣ber one an other. And the aungels of heauen are also our brethren and very seruauntes for Christes sake, to defend vs from the power of the deuils.

And finally all other creatures that * 1.229 are neither aungels nor man, are in ho¦nour lesse then man, and man is Lord ouer them, and they created to serue him, as Scripture testifieth, and he not to serue them, but only, his Lord God and his Sauiour Christ.

¶ Of worshippyng of Sacraments, ceremonies, images, reli∣ques and so forth.

NOw let vs come to the worship∣pyng or honouryng of Sacra∣mentes ceremonies images and reli∣ques. First images be not God, and * 1.230 therefore no confidence is to be put in thē. They be not made after the image of God nor are the price of Christes bloud, but the woorkemanshyp of the craftes mā and the price of money and therfore inferiours to man.

Wherfore of all right man is Lord ouer them and the honour of thē is to * 1.231 do man seruice and mans dishonour it is to do them honourable seruice, as vnto his better. Images then and re∣liques ye and as Christ sayth, the holy day to, are seruauntes vnto man. And therefore it foloweth that we can not, but vnto our damnatiō put on a coate worth an hūdred coates, vpō a postes * 1.232 backe, and let the image of God & the price of Christes bloud go vp & downe therby naked. For if we care more to cloth the dead image made by mā and the price of siluer then the liuely image of God and price of Christes bloud, then we dishonoure the Image of God and hym that made him and the price of Christes bloud and hym that bought hym.

Wherfore the right vse, office and ho¦nour * 1.233 of all creatures inferiours vnto man, is to do mā seruice, whether they be images, reliques, ornaments signes or Sacramentes, holydayes, ceremo∣nies or sacrifices. And that may be on this maner & no doubt it so once was. If (for an example) I take a peece of * 1.234 the crosse of Christ and make a litle crosse therof and beare it about me, to looke theron with a repentyng hart, at tymes whē I am moued therto, to put me in remembraunce that the body of Christ was broken and his bloud shed theron, for my sinnes, and beleue sted∣fastly * 1.235 that the mercyfull truth of God shall forgeue the sinnes of all that re∣pēt for his death sake and neuer thinke on thē more: then it serueth me & I not it, & doth me y^e same seruice as if I read the Testament in a booke, or as if the preacher preached it vnto me. And in lyke maner if I make a crosse in my forehead, in a remembraunce that God hath promised assistaunce vnto all that

beleue in him, for his sake that dyed on the crosse, then doth the crosse serue me and I not if. And in like maner if I beare on me or looke vpon a crosse of what soeuer matter it be, or make a crosse vpon me, in remembraunce that who soeuer wilbe Christes Disciple must suffer a crosse of aduersitie tribu∣lations and persecution, so doth the crosse serue me and I not it. And this was the vse of the crosse once, and for this cause it was at the begynnyng set vp in the Churches.

And so if I make an image of Christ * 1.236 or of any thyng that Christ hath done for me, in a memory, it is good and not euill vntill it be abused.

And euen so, if I take the true lyfe of a Saint and cause it to be painted or carued, to put me in remembraunce of the Saintes lyfe, to folow the Saint as the Saint did Christ, and to put me in remembraunce of the great fayth of the Saint to God and how true God was to helpe him out of all tribulatiō, and to see the Saintes loue towardes his neighbour, in that he so paciently suffered so paynefull a death & so cruell Martyrdome to testifie the truth for to saue other, and all to strength my soule with all and my fayth to God and loue to my neighbour, then doth the image serue me and I not it. And this was the vse of images at the begynnyng & of reliques also.

And to knele before the crosse vnto * 1.237 the word of God which the crosse prea¦cheth is not euill. Neither to knele downe before an image in a mans me∣ditations to call the liuyng of the saint to mynde for to desire God of lyke grace to folow the exāple, is not euill. But the abuse of the thing is euill, and * 1.238 to haue a false fayth: as to beare a pece of the crosse about a mā, thinking that so long as that is about him, spirites shall not come at hym, his enemyes shall do hym no bodely harme, all cau∣ses * 1.239 shal go on his side euen for bearing it about him, and to thinke that if it were not about hym it would not be so, and to thinke, if any misfortune chaūce, that it came for leauing it of, or because this or that ceremonie was left vndone, and not rather because we haue broken Gods cōmaundemēts, or that God tēpteth vs to proue our pa∣tience. This is playne idolatry, & here a man is captiue, bond & seruaūt vnto a false fayth & a false imagination, that is neyther God nor his worde. Now am I Gods onely and ought to serue nothing but God and his worde. My body must serue y^t rulers of this world * 1.240 and my neighbour (as God hath ap∣pointed it) and so must all my goods: but my soule must serue God onely, to loue his lawe and to trust in hys pro∣mises of mercy in all my deedes. And in like manner it is that thousandes, while the Priest pattereth S. Iohns * 1.241 Gospell in Latine ouer their heades, crosse themselues with, I trow a legi∣on of crosses, behynde and before, and wyth reuerence on the very arses, and (as Iacke of napes when hee claweth himselfe) plucke vp their legges and crosse so much as their heeles and the very soles of their fete, and beleue that if it be done in the time that he readeth the gospel (and els not) that there shal no mischaunce happen them that day, because onely of those crosses. And * 1.242 where he should crosse hymselfe, to be armed and to make himselfe strong to beare the crosse with Christ, be crosseth himselfe to driue the crosse from hym, and blesseth hymselfe with a crosse frō the crosse And if he leaue it vndone, he thinketh it no smal sinne, and that god is highly displeased with him, and it a∣ny misfortune chaunce, thinketh it is therefore, which is also Idolatry and not Gods worde. And such is the con∣fidēce in the place or image or whatso∣euer bodely obseruaunce it be: such is S Agathes letter written in the Gospell tyme. And such are y^e crosses on palme∣sonday made in the passion tyme. And * 1.243 such is the bearing of holy waxe about a man. And such is that some hang a pece of S. Iohns Gospell about their neckes. And such is to beare y^e names of god with crosses betwene ech name about them. Such is the saying of gos∣pels vnto women in childbed. Such is the limeteriers saying of in principio erat verbum from house to house. Such is the saying of Gospels to the corne in the field in the procession weeke that it should the better grow. And such is holy bread, holy water, and seruing of all ceremonies and sacramentes in ge∣nerall without signification. And I pray you how is it possible that y^e peo∣ple can worship images, reliques, ce∣remonies and sacramentes, saue su∣perstitiously, so long as they know not the true meaning, neyther wyll y^e Prelates suffer any man to tell them: yea and the very meaning of some and right vse no man can tell?

And as for the riches that is besto∣wed on images and reliques, they can

not proue but that it is abhominable, * 1.244 as long as the poore are dispised and vncared for and not first serued, for whose sakes and to finde preachers, offeringes, tithes, landes, rentes, and all that they haue, was geuen the spiri∣tualitie. They wil say we may do both. * 1.245 May or not may, I see that the one * 1.246 most necessary of both, is not done: but the poore are bereued of the spiritual∣tie of all that was in tyme passed offe∣red vnto thē. Moreouer though both were done, they shall neuer proue that the sight of golde and siluer and of pre∣cious stones should moue a mās hart to dispise such thinges after the doc∣trine of Christ. Neither can the rich coat helpe to moue thy mynde, to fol∣low the ensample of the Saint, but ra∣ther if he were purtrayde as he suffe∣red, in the most vngoodly wise. Which thing taken away, that such thynges with all other seruice, as sticking vp candels, moue not thy mynde to fol∣low the ensample of the Saint, nor * 1.247 teach thy soule any godly learning: thē the image serueth not thee, but thou y^t Image, and so art thou an Idolater, that is to say in Englishe, a serue I∣mage. And thus it appeareth that your vngodly and belly doctrine wherwith ye so magnifie the deedes of your cere∣monies, and of your pilgrimages, and offering for the deede it selfe, to please God and to obtaine the fauour of dead Saintes (and not to moue you and to put you in remembraunce of the lawe of God and of the promises which are in his sonne, and to follow the ensam∣ple of the Saint) is but an exhorting to serue Images, and so are ye Image seruers, that is, Idolaters. And final∣ly the more deuotion men haue vnto such deedes, the lesse they haue vnto Gods commaundement, in so much that they which be most wont to offer to Images & to shew them, be so colde in offering to the poore, that they wyll scarce geue them the scrappes which must els be geuen dogges, or their olde shone, if they may haue new bromes for them.

¶ Pilgrimages.

TO speake of pilgrimages, I say, that a Christian man, so that hee * 1.248 leaue nothyng vndone at home that he is bounde to do, is free to go whe∣ther hee will, onely after the doctrine of the Lord, whose seruaunt he is and not his owne. If he go and visite the poore, the sicke and the prisoner, it is wel done and a worke that God com∣maundeth. If hee goe to this or that place, to heare a Sermon or because hys mynde is not quyet at home or if because hys harte is to muche occu∣pied on his worldly businesses by the reasons of occasions at home, he get him into a more quiet and still place, where hys minde is more abstract and pulled from worldly thoughtes, it is well done. And in all these places, if whatsoeuer it be, whether liuely prea∣ching, ceremony, relique, or Image, stirre vp his hart to God and preach the worde of God and the ensample of our Sauiour Iesus more in one place then in an other, that he thether go, I am content. And yet he bideth a Lord, and the thinges serue hym and he not them. Now whether his entēt be so or no, his deedes will testifie, as his ver∣tuous gouerning of his house, and lo∣uing demeanour towarde his neigh∣bours: yea and Gods worde wil be al∣way in his hart, and in hys mouth, & he euery day perfecter thē other.

For there can nothing edifie mans soule saue that which preacheth hym Gods worde. Onely the worde of god worketh the health of the soule. And whatsomeuer preacheth hym that, can not but make him perfecter.

But to beleue that God wyll be sought more in one place then in an o∣ther, or that God will heare thee more * 1.249 in one place then in an other, or more where the Image is, then where it is not, is a false faith, and Idolatrie, or Image seruice. For first God dwelleth * 1.250 not in temples made with hands. Act. xvij. Item Steuen dyed for the con∣trary, and proued it by the prophetes. Act. vij. And Salomon in the viij. of the third of the kynges, when he had built his temple testified the same, and that he had not built it for god to dwel in, yea and that God dwelleth not in the earth, but that he should out of hea∣uen heare the prayers of thē that pray∣ed there. And the Prophetes dyd often testifie vnto the people that had such a false fayth that God dwelt in the tem∣ple, that he dwelt not there. Moreouer God in his Testament byndeth hym selfe vnto no place nor yet the: But speaketh generally (concernyng where and when) saying Psalme. xlix. in the * 1.251 day of the tribulation thou shalt call on me and I will deliuer thee, & thou shalt glorifie me. He setteth neither place nor tyme. But wheresoeuer and

when soeuer: so that the prayer of Iob vppon the donghill was as good as Paules in the temple. And when our Sauiour sayth Iohn. xvj. What soeuer * 1.252 ye aske my father in my name, I will geue it you, he sayth not in this or that place, or this or that day: but whereso∣euer and when soeuer, as well in the fieldes as in the towne and on the Mō¦day as on the Sonday. God is a spirit and wilbe worshypped in the spirite. Iohn. iiij. That is, though he be presēt euery where, yet he dwelleth liuely & * 1.253 gloriously in y^e myndes of aūgels one∣ly & hartes of men that loue his lawes and trust in his promises. And where¦soeuer God findeth such an hart, there he heareth the prayer in all places and tymes indifferently. So that the out∣ward place neither helpeth or hindreth except (as I sayd) that a mans mynde be more quiet and still from the rage of wordly businesses, or that some thyng styre vp the word of God and exam∣ple of our Sauiour more in one place then in an other.

¶ Whence Idolatrie or image seruice spryngeth.

NOw that thou mayst see whence all this Idolatrie or image ser∣uice is sprong, marke a litle, and then I will aunswere vnto the Arguments whiche these Image seruers make a∣gaynst the open truth. All the ceremo∣nies ornamentes and sacrifices of the old Testament were Sacramentes. * 1.254 That is to wete, signes preaching vn∣to the people one thing or an other. As * 1.255 circumcision preached vnto them, that God had chosē them to be his people, and that he would be their God & de∣fend them and encrease and multiplie them and keepe them in that land and * 1.256 blesse the fruites of the earth & all their possessiōs. And on the other side it prea¦ched, how that they had promised God agayne to kepe his commaundemēts, ceremonies and ordinaunces. Now whē they saw their young children cir∣cumcised, if they cōsented vnto the ap∣pointement made betwene God and them, moued by the preachyng of that same, then were they iustified therby. Howbeit the dede in it selfe, the cut∣tyng of of y^t foreskyn of the manchilds * 1.257 priuey member iustified them not, nor was a satisfactiō for the childes sinnes, but the preachyng onely did iustifie thē that receaued the fayth therof. For it was a badge geuē indifferently aswell vnto them that neuer cōsented in theyr hartes vnto Gods law, as vnto the e∣lect in whose hartes the law was writ¦ten. And that this was the meanyng of Circumcision may be proued many wayes: But namely by Paul Rom. 2. where he sayth, circumcision is much worth, if thou keepe the lawe (whose signe it was) and els not. And Rom. iij. where he sayth that God did iusti∣fie the circumcised of faith (whose signe it was on the other side) and els not.

And the Paschall lambe was a me∣moriall * 1.258 of their deliueraunce out of E∣gipt onely, and no satisfaction or offe∣ring for sinne.

And the offering of their first fruits preached how they had receaued all * 1.259 such fruites of the hand of God, and that it was God that gaue them that land, and that kept them in it, and that did blesse & make their fruites grow. In token wherof as vnto a Lord roi∣all they brought him the first ripe fru∣tes of their haruest. Which remēbrance as long as it abode in their harces, it moued thē to loue God againe & their neighbour for hys sake, as he so oft de∣sired them. And out of this ceremony was fette the blessing of our new ripe fruits for like purpose, though we haue lost the signification.

And their other offerings, as y^t sacri∣ces * 1.260 of Dones, Turtles, Lambes, kid∣des, sheepe, Calues, Goates and Ox∣en were no satisfactions for sinne, but onely a signe and token, that at y^t repē∣taunce of the hart, thorow an offering to come, and for that seedes sake that was promised Abraham, theyr sinnes were forgeuen them.

And in like maner the ornamentes * 1.261 and all other ceremonies were eyther an open preaching or secret prophesies and not satisfactions or iustifyinges. And thus the workes did serue them, * 1.262 and preache vnto them, and they not the workes, nor put any confidence therein.

¶ False worshipping.

BUt what did the children of Israell and the Iewes? They let the sig∣nifications of their ceremonies goe, & lost the meaning of them, and turned them vnto the workes to serue them, saying that they were holy workes cō∣maunded of God, & the offerers were thereby iustified, & obtayned forgeue∣nes of sinnes, & thereby become good: as the parable of the Pharesey & Pub∣lican

declare, Luke. xviij. and as it is * 1.263 to see in Paule and thoroughout al the Byble: and became captiue to serue & put their trust in that which was ney∣ther God nor hys worde. And so the better creature agaynst nature did serue the worse. Whereof all likelihode God should haue accepted their worke by the reason of them, if their harts had * 1.264 bene right, and not haue accepted their soules for the blouds sake of a Calfe or shepe, for as much as a man is much better then a Calfe or shepe, as Christ testifieth Math. xij. For what pleasure should God haue in the bloude of Cal∣ues or in the light of our candels? hys pleasure is onely in the hartes of them that loue his commaundementes.

Then they went further in the ima∣gination of their blynd reason saying, * 1.265 in as much as God accepteth these ho∣ly workes, that we be made righteous thereby, then it foloweth that he which offereth most, is most righteous, and the bestman: yea and it is better to of∣fer an Oxe then a shepe, because it is more costly. And so they stroue who might offer most, and the priests were well apayde. Then went they further * 1.266 in their fleshly wisdome, saying: if I be good for the offering of a Doue, and better for a shepe, and yet better for an Oxe, and so euer the better thing I of∣fer the better I am, Oh how accepted should I be if I offered a mā, & name∣hym * 1.267 that I most loued? And vpō that imagination, they offered their owne children, and burnt them to ashes be∣fore Images that they had imagined.

And to cōti•…•…e their blindues, they layd for them (no doubt) the ensample of Abraham, which offered his sonne Isaac, and was so accepted that God had promised hym, how that in hys seede all the worlde should be blessed. Hereof ye see vnto what abhominati∣on blynde reason bringeth a man, whē she is destitute of Gods word.

And to speake of y^• Sabbath (which was ordeyned to be their seruaunt, & * 1.268 to preach & to be a signe vnto thē, that God thorow his holy spirit and word * 1.269 did sanctifie them, in that they obeyed hys commaundementes, and beleued and trusted in hys promises (and ther∣fore were charged to leaue workyng * 1.270 and to come on the holy day and heare the word of God by which they were sāctified) vnto it, also they became cap∣tiue and bond to serue it, saying that they were iustified by absteyning from bodely labour (as ours thinke also) in so much that though they bestowed not the holy day in vertue prayer and * 1.271 hearing the word of God, in almose∣dede, in visiting the sicke, the needy & comfortlesse and so forth, but went vp and downe idlye, yet what soeuer nede his neighbour had, he would not haue holpe him on the Saboth day, as thou mayst see by the ruler of the Sinagoge which rebuked Christ for healyng the * 1.272 people on the holy day Luke. xiij.

And of like blyndnesse they went & * 1.273 fet out the brasen Serpent (which Mo¦ses commaūded to be kept in the Arke for a memory) & offered before it: thin∣kyng (no doubt) that God must be there present, for els how could it haue healed the people that came not nye it, but stode a farre of and beheld it onely. And a thousand such madnesse dyd they.

And of the temple they thought that * 1.274 God heard them there better then any where els: yea and he heard them no where saue there. And therfore they could not pray but there, as ours can no where but at Church and before an Image. For what prayer can a man * 1.275 pray, when the word of God is not in the temple of his hart: yea & whē such come to Church, what is their prayer & what is their deuotiō, saue the blind image seruice of their hartes.

But the Prophetes euer rebuked them for such faythlesse woorkes & for * 1.276 such false fayth in their workes In the xlix. Psalme saith y^t Prophet, I wil re∣ceaue no Calues of your houses nor Goates out of your foldes, thinke ye * 1.277 that I will eate the flesh of Oxen or drinke the bloud of Goates? And E∣sayas sayth in his first Chapter, what care I for the multit••de of your sacri∣fices sayth the Lord. I am full. I haue no lust in the burnt offeringes of your Rammes, or in the fat of fa•• beastes or bloud of Calues, Lambes or Goates: offer me no more such false sacrifice. And therto your swete cense is an ab∣hominatiō vnto me. And thus he sayd because of the false fayth and peruer∣tyng the right vse of them.

And for their calfe fastyng, not refer∣ryng * 1.278 their fast vnto the tamyng & sub∣duyng of their fleshe vnto the spirite, * 1.279 whē they complained vnto God iusti∣fying thē selues and saying, how hap∣peneth it that we haue fasted and thou wouldest not looke vppon it, we haue humbled our soules and thou wouldst not know it, God aunswered them by * 1.280 the Prophet Esayas in the. lviij. chap∣ter,

behold, in the day of your fast, ye do your owne lustes and gather vp all your dettes. And how soeuer ye fast, ye neuerthelesse striue and fight and s••inite with tiste cruelly. I haue chosen no such fast and humblyng of soule. &c. But that ye louse wicked bondes and * 1.281 let the oppressed go free, and to breake bread vnto the hungry and to cloth the naked and so forth.

And concerning the temple, Esaya•• sayth in his last chapter. What house * 1.282 will ye build for me or in what place shall I rest? heauē is my seate and the earth my foote stole. As who should say I am to great for any place that ye can make, and (as Steuen sayth Actes vij. and Paul Actes. xvij. I dwell not * 1.283 in a temple made with handes.

¶ 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 * 1.284 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 * 1.285 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. * 1.286 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 * 1.287 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 * 1.288 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 * 1.289 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 * 1.290 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 * 1.291 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, * 1.292 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, & * 1.293 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, * 1.294 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 * 1.295 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 * 1.296 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 * 1.297 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 * 1.298 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 * 1.299 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 * 1.300 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 * 1.301 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 * 1.302 white garment that Herode put on him, saying he was a foole because he held his peace and would not aūswere * 1.303 him. And the ij. flappes on the sleues and the other ij. on the albe beneath o∣uer * 1.304 agaynst his fete behind and before, are the. iiij. nayles. And the fanon on his hand, the cord that his hādes were * 1.305 bound with: And the stole the rope * 1.306 wherwith he was bound vnto the pil∣ler, when he was scorged: And the cor∣poriscloth, * 1.307 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 * 1.308 be the light of the world, and let your * 1.309 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, * 1.310 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 * 1.311 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 * 1.312 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 * 1.313 the condition and state of the Iewes was more easy then the Christiās vn∣der * 1.314 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 * 1.315 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 * 1.316 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 * 1.317 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 * 1.318 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 * 1.319 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 * 1.320 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 * 1.321 geuen vnto Gods worde and Christes bloud, that same they turned vnto the * 1.322 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 * 1.323 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 * 1.324 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 * 1.325 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 * 1.326 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 * 1.327 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, * 1.328 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

• * 1.1

  Significa∣tion of the 〈…〉〈…〉 are 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.2

  The mini∣sters of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are 〈…〉〈…〉 to preach to y^t people s•…•…ly the wo•…•… of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & to pray in a 〈…〉〈…〉vn∣derstand.
• * 1.3

  The lawe cannot be fulfilled w^t workes or they neuer so holy.
• * 1.4

  A great a∣buse in prayer.
• * 1.5

  The church ta∣ken for the spiritualty.
• * 1.6

  King William.
• * 1.7

  King Iohn.
• * 1.8

  S. Thomas of Caun∣terbury.
• * 1.9

  Holy Church hath bornt a great swinge.
• * 1.10

  The Pope and his ra∣ble takē for the church.
• * 1.11

  The church is a cong••••ga∣tion of peo∣ple of all sortes ga∣thered to∣gether.
• * 1.12

  The church of God how it is taken in Scrip∣ture.
• * 1.13

  Gal. 1.
• * 1.14

  Actes. 23.
• * 1.15

  Gal. 1.
• * 1.16

  Rom. 16.
• * 1.17

  1. Cor. 16.
• * 1.18

  1. Tim. 3.
• * 1.19

  1. Tim. 5.
• * 1.20

  The church is a multitude of all them that beleue in Christ wheresoe∣uer ••hey be gathered together.
• * 1.21

  A double significatiō of this worde church.
• * 1.22

  The cause why Tyn∣dall trāsla∣ted y^t word church into this worde congrega∣tion.
• * 1.23

  Congrega∣tion is vn∣derstand by the circū∣staunce.
• * 1.24

  Ecclesia is a greke worde, and signifieth a congrega∣tion.
• * 1.25

  Actes. 19.
• * 1.26

  M. More was •…•…ful in Poetry.
• * 1.27

  Iudas.
• * 1.28

  Balaa••.
• * 1.29

  A good ad∣•…•… to M. More.
• * 1.30

  M. More did greatly fauour Erasm••s.
• * 1.31

  M. More was a ••epe dissembler.
• * 1.32

  M. More 〈◊〉〈◊〉 capti∣ous.
• * 1.33

  M. More 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.34

  1. Pet. 5.
• * 1.35

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.36

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.37

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.38

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.39

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.40

  Byshops ought to be byd••rs in one place.
• * 1.41

  Note.
• * 1.42

  Women.
• * 1.43

  God pou∣reth hys holy spirite 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wisdome &〈…〉〈…〉aswell we∣•…•… mē.
• * 1.44

  God is vnder no〈…〉〈…〉neces∣sitie law∣lesse.
• * 1.45

  The cause why young 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was pre∣ferred by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be a Byshop.
• * 1.46

  Paul was a fa••herly instructer to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…∣thy.
• * 1.47

  S. Paule was a wor¦thy & mo••t •…•…∣ther & in∣structour.
• * 1.48

  A great difference betwene teaching of the people, and teach∣ing of a preacher.
• * 1.49

  ••••lyng, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sha∣••ing •…•…ny thing or a∣ny part of priest•…•….
• * 1.50

  O•…•… ••alt & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.51

  ••yle hath •…•…o 〈◊〉〈◊〉 at all,〈…〉〈…〉the 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.52

  ☞
• * 1.53

  The mini∣ster amōg the〈…〉〈…〉were na∣•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 age.
• * 1.54

  Why ••yn〈…〉〈…〉this worde〈…〉〈…〉rather 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.55

  Charitie hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 signi∣fications.
• * 1.56

  Loue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is〈…〉〈…〉vnderstād.
• * 1.57

  Euery loue is not charitie nor euery charitie is not loue.
• * 1.58

  Why Tyn¦dall sayth fauour and ••ot grace.
• * 1.59

  Knowled∣ge and not confession, repentaūce and not pe∣naunce.
• * 1.60

  The Pa∣pistes may not for∣beare to haue their iugglyng termes.
• * 1.61

  Penaunce.
• * 1.62

  Penaunce was profi∣t•…•… to the Papistes.
• * 1.63

  ••rue pe∣naunce what it is.
• * 1.64

  Fayth in Christ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 get a true repentaūce
• * 1.65

  Deut. 17. ☜
• * 1.66

  Balam.
• * 1.67

  The sinne agaynst the holy ghost.
• * 1.68

  ☜
• * 1.69

  2. Pet. 1.
• * 1.70

  The chuch be∣fore y^• gos∣pell, or the Gospell be∣fore the church.
• * 1.71

  Rom. 9.
• * 1.72

  The word which is y^• Gospell was before the church.
• * 1.73

  Ioh. 15.
• * 1.74

  Ioh. 17.
• * 1.75

  Note w••ll thys.
• * 1.76

  Whether y^• Apostles taught any thing that they did not write.
• * 1.77

  So much to written as is neces∣sary ••or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saluation.
• * 1.78

  The scrip∣ture writtē must con∣••o••nde the vnwritten verities.
• * 1.79

  Writing hath bene from the beginning.
• * 1.80

  God frō y^• beginning hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉∣ten 〈…〉〈…〉y^• hartes of his 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.81

  The Pope hath taken fro vs the significati∣ons of the Sacra∣mentes.
• * 1.82

  Actes. 7.
• * 1.83

  There can no more be taught vs then to cō∣teyned in the scrip∣tures.
• * 1.84

  Purgato∣rye.
• * 1.85

  The Hea∣thē thought nothing more mad∣der thē the doctrine of the resur∣rection.
• * 1.86

  The Apo∣stles tau∣ght no∣thing that they were afrayde to write.
• * 1.87

  Sacramē∣tes haue significati∣ons.
• * 1.88

  All y^• Sa∣cramentes taught ey∣ther in the olde testa∣ment or new, haue significati∣ons.
• * 1.89

  ☞ The Po∣pish Sacra¦mentes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 one agaynste an other.
• * 1.90

  Sacra∣mēts with out signifi∣cations are not to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.91

  Whether y^• Church cā¦•…•… or not.
• * 1.92

  What y^e ve¦ry Church is & what fayth sa∣ueth.
• * 1.93

  By fayth we are
• * 1.94

  made the sonnes of God.
• * 1.95

  Ephe. 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪
• * 1.96

  Math. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.97

  The offe∣ryng of Christes body and bloud is y^e onely satis∣faction for our sinnes.
• * 1.98

  There is no way to saluation, but by Christes death and passion.
• * 1.99

  Collos. 1.
• * 1.100

  Ephes. 5. Rom. 8.
• * 1.101

  1. Iohn. 3.
• * 1.102

  Fayth and sinne can not ••a••d together.
• * 1.103

  1. Iohn. 1.
• * 1.104

  All fleshe deth sinne.
• * 1.105

  We sinne of frailtie & weakenes.
• * 1.106

  We may erre, & yet be saued.
• * 1.107

  Who they be that erre from the way of ••ayth.
• * 1.108

  Faith is e∣uer assailed with bes∣peration.
• * 1.109

  All power & readines to do good cō••eth of God & not of our selues.
• * 1.110

  A very good ex∣ample.
• * 1.111

  The fayth∣full though they sl••••, yet they fall not
• * 1.112

  Faith in y^• good ne•• of God is our staye.
• * 1.113

  Ioh. 15.
• * 1.114

  If we con∣sider how mercifull god is vn∣to vs, we cānot chuse but submit our selues vnto hys lawes.
• * 1.115

  Christian mē must be patient.
• * 1.116

  Mercy waiteth e∣uer on the elect.
• * 1.117

  Dauid.
• * 1.118

  The elect of God must haue patience & be long sufferers.
• * 1.119

  God trieth his elect by suffering them to tell into temp∣tation.
• * 1.120

  We may cōa••t sinne and yet not forget God
• * 1.121

  The āpo∣stles beyng amased w^t tēptations forgat all Christes myracles.
• * 1.122

  A great temptation layd vpō y^• Apostles.
• * 1.123

  The Apo∣stles were very doubt¦full.
• * 1.124

  Christ hys resurrectiō
• * 1.125

  The Disci¦ples were not with∣out fayth but yet the ••ame was very doubt¦full.
• * 1.126

  Peters fayth fay∣led not.
• * 1.127

  ☞
• * 1.128

  Luke. 22.
• * 1.129

  A foolish glose made by M. More.
• * 1.130

  ☜
• * 1.131

  1.
• * 1.132

  Pope.
• * 1.133

  The Pope & his sect are not the Church of Christ.
• * 1.134

  2.
• * 1.135

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 The Pope in forbyd∣dyng ma∣riage to Priestes, doth not cō¦sēt that the lawe of god is 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.136

  The Pope licenceth whordome whiche God for∣biddeth.
• * 1.137

  3.
• * 1.138

  The Po∣pish Cler∣gy are per∣secutours.
• * 1.139

  An abho∣minable, wicked & deuilish de∣cree.
• * 1.140

  4. Rom. 13.
• * 1.141

  5. 1. Cor. 5.
• * 1.142

  The Pope is vtterly against the doctrine of Christ.
• * 1.143

  Their first reason.
• * 1.144

  A 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rea∣son.
• * 1.145

  One Argu¦ment confu¦ted with an other of like nature
• * 1.146

  The solu∣tion.
• * 1.147

  The right fayth dyd neuer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 continue in the greater number of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Church.
• * 1.148

  Math. 16.
• * 1.149

  Math. 23.
• * 1.150

  Hypocri∣tes are crept vp in to the seate of Christ & his Apo∣stles. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Pet. 2.
• * 1.151

  The Pope and hys Clergye haue cor∣rupted the Scriptu∣res of God with their traditions.
• * 1.152

  Iohn. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.153

  The scrip∣tures beare witnes who are the right Church.
• * 1.154

  Christ. Iohn Bap∣tist.
• * 1.155

  Luke. 1.
• * 1.156

  ☜ The doc∣trine of Iohn brought y^• hart of the Iewes in∣to the right way.
• * 1.157

  Our Po∣pish hypo∣crites haue nede of a Iohn Baptist to conuert thē
• * 1.158

  Those which de∣part from the fayth of hypocri∣tes are the true Church.
• * 1.159

  Their se∣cond reasō.
• * 1.160

  Note here this Po∣pish Argu¦ment.
• * 1.161

  The Pope and his sect say they are the church and can not erre.
• * 1.162

  The solu∣tion.
• * 1.163

  Iohn Baptist was a true expositor of the law.
• * 1.164

  Math. 17.
• * 1.165

  The Phariseis ad∣ded false gloses to y^• Scripture
• * 1.166

  The Pa∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 doctrine.
• * 1.167

  Purgato∣rye.
• * 1.168

  The Pha∣riseis and papistes a∣gree in the false inter∣preting of y^• scriptures.
• * 1.169

  The sacra∣mentes are signes to fayth.
• * 1.170

  The Pope will by his reasō make Christ and all his A∣postles he∣retiques.
• * 1.171

  The Pope and his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 would (if they could) de∣stroy the scripture as well as they de∣stroy the preachers thereof.
• * 1.172

  Talmud.
• * 1.173

  Dunc••.
• * 1.174

  Question answere.
• * 1.175

  A good answere to be made to the Pa∣pistes.
• * 1.176

  Iohn. 1••. ☜
• * 1.177

  Ioh. 1••.
• * 1.178

  Esa. 1.
• * 1.179

  Rom. 9.
• * 1.180

  Augusti∣ne.
• * 1.181

  The true meaning of the wordes of S. Au∣gustine.
• * 1.182

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. Cor. 1.
• * 1.183

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. Pet. 3.
• * 1.184

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. Cor. 7.
• * 1.185

  There are two maner of faithes.
• * 1.186

  An histori∣call fayth.
• * 1.187

  A feeling fayth.
• * 1.188

  Iohn. 6.
• * 1.189

  Rom. 8.
• * 1.190

  The true & sure feeling fayth.
• * 1.191

  Ioh. 4.
• * 1.192

  The feling fayth doth farre excell the histori∣call fayth.
• * 1.193

  Cursed is he that tru¦steth in mā
• * 1.194

  Lechery.
• * 1.195

  The abho∣mination of y^• Romish Church.
• * 1.196

  Mariage forbidden & whoredom moued.
• * 1.197

  Couetous∣nesse.
• * 1.198

  Vnions 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quottes.
• * 1.199

  ☜
• * 1.200

  The P•…•….
• * 1.201

  〈…〉〈…〉 with the〈…〉〈…〉so the 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.202

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.203

  Iewes.
• * 1.204

  The Tur∣kes and Iewes be∣leue that they cā not erre be∣cause they beleue as their El∣ders dyd.
• * 1.205

  God reser∣ued a litle flocke.
• * 1.206

  Rom. 9.
• * 1.207

  ☞
• * 1.208

  Who they be that are of ••o•••• true Church.
• * 1.209

  The flesh∣ly perse∣cute the spi¦rituall.
• * 1.210

  A•…•….
• * 1.211

  The chil∣drē of this world are the Pa∣pistes.
• * 1.212

  Questions
• * 1.213

  Aūsweres.
• * 1.214

  Aūsweres to be made to captions Papistes.
• * 1.215

  Iohn. 4.
• * 1.216

  Teachers of Grāmer vnderstode not the Latine toung.
• * 1.217

  The fayth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christ, & loue of our neighbors to all that is required of a Chri∣stian man.
• * 1.218

  The vse of signes & ce∣•…•…nyes
• * 1.219

  Worship∣•…•… and〈…〉〈…〉are ••••th one.
• * 1.220

  The true wordes that ex∣presse the God.
• * 1.221

  What it is to honour God.
• * 1.222

  The true honour of God.
• * 1.223

  What it is to honour rulers.
• * 1.224

  What it is to honour 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mās neigh∣bour.
• * 1.225

  What it is to disho∣nour God and disho∣nour our neighbour.
• * 1.226

  To deny to helpe my neighbour is to disho∣nour hym.
• * 1.227

  To do that God for∣biddeth is to disho∣nour God.
• * 1.228

  I true offi∣cer in the sight of God.
• * 1.229

  All crea∣tures are o•…•…ed to •…•…ue 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.230

  Images.
• * 1.231

  Images are seruaū∣tes to man, and not mā to images.
• * 1.232

  ☜
• * 1.233

  The vse of creatures inferiours to man.
• * 1.234

  The wor∣shipping of the crosse.
• * 1.235

  How a mā may vse I∣mages well.
• * 1.236

  The wor∣shyppyng of images.
• * 1.237

  Images & reliques at the first were well vsed, but now shame fully abu∣sed.
• * 1.238

  False wor¦shypping. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.239

  The abuse of Images
• * 1.240

  My body must serue the Prince o my neigh¦bour, but my soule must serue God onely
• * 1.241

  S. Iohns Gospell.
• * 1.242

  This is y^e true cros∣sing that we should vse.
• * 1.243

  A great nō¦ber of super¦stitious baggages.
• * 1.244

  Riches be∣stowed on images or reliques.
• * 1.245

  Obiection.
• * 1.246

  Solution.
• * 1.247

  To wor∣shyp Ima∣ges is Ido¦latry.
• * 1.248

  True Pil∣grimage is to walke from place to place the better to serue God & to helpe my neigh∣bour.
• * 1.249

  ☜
• * 1.250

  God dwel∣leth not in Temples made with mennes handes.
• * 1.251

  Psal. 49.
• * 1.252

  Iohn. 16.
• * 1.253

  Iohn. 4.
• * 1.254

  Sacra∣mentes.
• * 1.255

  Circumci∣sion.
• * 1.256

  All the ce∣remonies of the olde lawe were preachers to the peo∣ple.
• * 1.257

  The ••t∣••es by sayth were iustified, & not by the deedes of the lawe.
• * 1.258

  Paschall lambe.
• * 1.259

  First fru∣tes.
• * 1.260

  Sacrifices
• * 1.261

  Ornamen∣tes.
• * 1.262

  Worked must serue vs, and not we the workes.
• * 1.263

  Luke. 18.
• * 1.264

  The Ie∣wes be∣came ser∣uauntes & captiues to theyr workes.
• * 1.265

  The blinde reason of hipocrites.
• * 1.266

  ☞
• * 1.267

  O blinde & ••••ll the ima∣gination.
• * 1.268

  Holy day.
• * 1.269

  Exod. 31.
• * 1.270

  The Sa∣both day must serue vs, and not we the Sa¦both day.
• * 1.271

  How the Saboth day should be occupy∣ed.
• * 1.272

  Luke. 13.
• * 1.273

  The brasen Serpent.
• * 1.274

  The tēple.
• * 1.275

  Prayer without fayth is n•• prayer.
• * 1.276

  Psal. 46.
• * 1.277

  God despi∣se•• the sa∣crifices of y^• vnfaithfull ••ewes.
• * 1.278

  Fastyng.
• * 1.279

  Supersti∣ous falling doth God abhorre.
• * 1.280

  Esa. ••8.
• * 1.281

  True fast∣ing, what it is.
• * 1.282

  Temple.
• * 1.283

  Actes. 7. Actes. 17.
• * 1.284

  Pa•…•…e a truell per∣secutor.
• * 1.285

  Many Iewes were con∣uerted to y^e ••aith of Christ.
• * 1.286

  All that came of Is¦raell are not ••srae∣lites.
• * 1.287

  Math. 22.
• * 1.288

  The Ie∣wes cam•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to vn∣•…•… of Christ of loue, bu•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in∣forced the•• unto by the scriptures.
• * 1.289

  The Tur∣k•••• are a •…•…re grea∣ter number then the Papistes.
• * 1.290

  Ceremo∣nies set vp in the newe testament.
• * 1.291

  What holy water sig∣nifieth.
• * 1.292

  The Pax.
• * 1.293

  Confirma∣tion.
• * 1.294

  Cōfirmati∣on how it came first vnto the church.
• * 1.295

  The ma∣ner of con∣firming of children.
• * 1.296

  This is a right con∣firmation.
• * 1.297

  The abuse of confir∣mation.
• * 1.298

  The fruts of igno∣raunce.
• * 1.299

  Confirma∣tiō is made now a con∣firmyng in all supersti¦tion, igno∣raunce and popery.
• * 1.300

  The Papi¦sticall ty∣ranny.
• * 1.301

  How the ceremo∣nies about the mini∣stration of the Lordes Supper came first into the Church. ••mice.
• * 1.302

  The flappe on the amice.
• * 1.303

  The albe.
• * 1.304

  The flap∣pes on the albe.
• * 1.305

  The fanon
• * 1.306

  The stole.
• * 1.307

  The corp••¦rescloth. The altar.
• * 1.308

  Candels.
• * 1.309

  Math. 5.
• * 1.310

  Salt.
• * 1.311

  ☜
• * 1.312

  All ceremo¦nyes at the begynnyng had signifi∣cations.
• * 1.313

  Austine.
• * 1.314

  The state of y^e Iewes more easie then the Christians vnder tra∣ditions.
• * 1.315

  Out of the ceremontes sprang the ignoraunce o•• the scrip¦ture.
• * 1.316

  The multi¦tude of cere¦monies put away prea∣chyng.
• * 1.317

  Ceremo∣nies are the chirt cause of igno∣raunce.
• * 1.318

  The doc∣trine of Dunce ad∣uaunced.
• * 1.319

  The blynd Papistes are ene∣mies to all good lear∣nyng and knowledge
• * 1.320

  Igaoraunt Priestes.
• * 1.321

  ☜
• * 1.322

  Ignoraūce made vs seruauntes to ceremo∣nies.
• * 1.323

  The sole Papistes are preser∣red by cere¦monies.
• * 1.324

  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.
• * 1.325

  When the people by ignoraunce waxed su∣perstitious then y^• cler∣gie holpe them for∣ward with falsifiyng the scrip∣ture.
• * 1.326

  Christes death pur∣chased grace for mās soule.
• * 1.327

  Teinter∣den steple.
• * 1.328

  The buil∣ding of •…•…∣beies, clop∣sters & re∣ligious houses haue bene 〈◊〉〈◊〉 great decay to the good state of this realing