Vvhat is holy churche / ād who be ther¦of ād wher by men may know hyr.

THe name of y^t holy church / ha∣ue those men of longe tyme v∣surped presumptuously & with out all shame / y^t were the grea¦tyst enymys y^e holy church co∣ulde haue in erthe / For they did no more agre with the ma∣ners of holy churche / thā dark∣nes ād light / thā god & y^e deuyll. For where ho∣ly churche hard no man but Christ only / They wolde here all maner of mē sauyng christ / & ne∣uer here him / except it were to theyr profyte or glory. where as holy churche was rulyd in this world / they wold rule all y^e world / and where as holy church wold be holy by christ ōly / they wold be holy by their awne helpe / And where as holi churche was all ways dispisid / and persecutyd of the world / They wolde be honouryd of the worlde ād persecuters of all men / And where as holie church was in wardly deckyd with spiri∣tuall vertues they wolde be vtwardly shinynge in spiritual araye. & where as holy church wolde be chayste in spryte they wold with their mou¦thes vowe chastite / and spend all their liu•s in horedome / And where as holy churche dyd all ways shew meknes in y^e worlde / they wolde be so proude y^t harte coulde deuyse no more / Bre∣uely what so euer thynge that was agreabylle with y^e churche / of y^t had they never a crumme but allonly by vyolence vsurpyd the name off holy churche / So that yf a man had had a crou¦ne or a longe goune and a whyte smock ouer his goune / thā was ther no remedy but he must nedis be of the churche / yee and holy church her selfe / So y^t yf a barber had made a bulle a cro∣ne / ād a Tayler Iachnappis a longe goune and Page  lviij brought an asse forthe in a white rochitte / than no mā might doute but y^t there were holy chur¦che & euerie mā must fall doune to receyue clene remissiō a pena & a culpa / tociēs quociēs / for the¦re cā y^e successors of peter & paule & they y^t haue y^e dispēsaciō of christes bloud / & y^e meritis of ho¦ly sayntes / ād y^e suffragis of holy churche to dy¦stribute / & y^e keyberrars of heuyn & hell / who cā deny but this is truth? It is to opyn to nede a¦ny probacyō / for we see it dayly a fore oure yies So y^t if a mā wil cōpare oure master Christ y^t is y^e very hed of holy church vn to these p^elattis (y^t call thē self his vicares) he shall finde but sm¦al agremēt / by twene y^e {per}son & y^e vicar: and he y^t wil cōsider. S. peter &. S. paul / with al other ho¦ly apostillis shal think y^t eyther they were none of holy churche or ellis oure prelatris • for they agree in nothing / yee & he may rekkyn y^t. S. pe∣ter &. S. paul were stark foolis & right mad men y^t liuyd so despectu{us} a liff. what ned me to make many wordys / or to tell their namys y^t I speke of / There is no doute but y^e galde horise wil be¦wraye him selfe. But shortlye / yt y^e deuill wolde come in his awne {per}son disgysyo / Tel me how it were possible y^t he could be more cōtrarie to ch∣rist & his holy apostillis / thā those mē y^t call thē selfe y^e holy church / yee take a waye y^e name off y^e church / & set in her stede y^e name of y^e deuyll & how wil you thā knowe a bisshop frō y^e deuyll? By their workis? nay trewly / for they be all one & yet wyll ye be y^e hedys of chrystis church / ye y^e holy church here selfe / not so ye wyked not so. Vvherefore y^t this blessyd spouse of christ / maye be knowyn frō y^e opyn & abhominable whores & harlatis / therefor wil I (bi godis grace) set out what holy church is & where bi mē shal know her

Page  [unnumbered]This worde Ecclesia / bothe in the new testa¦ment and the olde / is takyn oftyntymys for the hole congregacion and the holle multitude of y^e people bothe good and bad / as it is in the boke of numeri / * why haue yov brought the congrega¦cion or churche of god in to wildernes? also in a nother place / * The kynge turnyd his face and blessid the holle congregacion or churche of Is∣raell / * and alle the churche of Israell stode. lyke∣wysse in the newe testament S. Paule to y^e Co¦rynthiās / I haue sent vn to yov Tymothe the whyche shalle lerne yov my ways / that be in christ Iesu / * as I do lerne euery where in alle cō¦gregacions. Also in an other place do yov disp∣isse the congregacion of god? ād shame them y^t haue not? In alle these placis and in many mo is it opyn that this greke worde ecclesia is ta∣kyn for the hole congregacion bothe of good ād bad / where fore this is not the church that we wille greatly speke of / for in this churche are Iuys and Sarasens / Murtherars ād theuys / baudys and harlotes though we knowe them not.* But there is a nother holy churche of the which S. paule spekyth yov men loue youre wi¦uys / as christ hathe louyd the churche / and ha∣the geuyn hym selfe for hyr / that he myght san¦tyfye hyr / And clense hyr in the fovntayne off watter thorow the word of liffe / to make her to hym selfe a glorious churche with out spot or wrynkille / or any suche thynge / but y^t she myght be holy and with out blame. Here haue yov the very trewe churche of christ / that is so puer and so clene with out spot. But whereby is she pu∣er and clene? not by hyr awne meritis nor by hir awne myght / not by exterior araye / not by golde nor syluer nor yet by precious stonys / Page  [unnumbered] neither by myters nor crosestaues / nor by pil∣lers nor polaxis / but whereby than? by Chryst only whiche hathe geuyn hym selfe for that in∣tent that he wolde make her clene and there fo¦re saithe S. Paule / He gaue him selfe that he myght santifie hyr / that he might clense hyr & make hyr to hym selfe a glorious churche. Also in a nother place: yov are wasshid / yov are san∣ctifyde / yov are iustifyde in the name of Iesus christ / and in the sprete of god. Se my lordes / howe the churche is washed bi christ ād bi his holy sprete / and not by youre blessingis / * not by youre sprytualle ornamentis / nor by youre spri¦tualle holy watter / for these thynges cā not hel¦pe the holy churche for she is holy in sprytte ād not in outward hypocrysye / she is also clensyd by christes blessyd bloud / and not by outward disgysyngis. This dothe S. Augustine well prove sayinge Of christ is the churche made fai¦re / first was she fylthy in synnys / * afterwarde by pardon and by grace was she made fayre &c̄ here S. Augustine saithe that christ hathe ma∣de his churche fayre / and that by his grace and his pardon / And not by youre pardons / nor by youre grace for thys churche / stondythe by Christis eleccion / and not by youres: and if Christ haue not wasshid yov and chosyn yov than be yov none of this churche though yov ryde with a thousande spretualle horses / ād ha¦ue alle the spretual tokyns in erth / * for ād if the sone of god haue dylyuerd yov thā are yov tre∣wly deliuerd / ye can not make by al youre pow¦re and holynes that we shalle al ways fynde good ale or wyne where there hangyth out a grene sygne / And wille yov with youre spritu¦all sygnes ād tokins make the church of god to Page  [unnumbered] followe yow / or by them assigne out where the church shall be? nay nay my lordis / yt wyll not be: but they that beleue y^t Chryst hath was∣shed them from their synnes / and styke fast vn to his meryttis and to the promysse made too them in him only / they be the churche of god / ād so puer and so clene that yt shall not be lawfull no not for Peter to say that they be vnclene / but where they be Iue or greke / kynge or sub∣iect / Carter or cardinalle / bucher or bisshop / Tā¦cardeberar or cān•lcater / fre or boūd / fryer or fy¦dler / Monke or Miller if they beleue in Christis worde / and styke faste to his blessed promysys / & trust only in y^e meryttis of hys blessed bloude / they be the holy church of god yee and the very trew church a fore god / and yow with all you∣re spirytuall tokyns / and with all youre extery¦or clēnes / remayne in youre fylthynes of synne / from the whyche all youre blessynges / all youre pardons / All youre spiritualyte / all youre holy∣nes / cā not clense you / nor bryng you in to this church: Boste / Crake / Blaste / Blesse / Curse tille youre holly yies starte out of youre hed yt wyll not helpe you / for Christ chousythe hys church / at his iudgemēt & not at youres. The holy gost ys fre / and in speryth where he wyll / he wil ney¦ther be bound / to Pope nor Cardynall / arche¦bysshop nor Bysshop / Abbot nor Pryor / De∣ken nor Archedeken / Parson nor Vyckar / too Nunne nor Frear. Breuelye come all the hol• tabbylle of yow to gether that call youre selfe the holy churche (and exclude all other) yee and take sonne / mone / and stars to helpe yow with all the frendes yow haue in heuen and erthe and yet shall yow not be of holy churche except that you haue the sprite of christ and be wasshid Page  lx in his blessed bloud / For the holy churche of ch∣rist is nothyng els but that congregacion / that is sanctifyed in sprete / redemed with Christis bloud / and stykkyth fast and suer alonly to the promissis that be made theryn.

So that the churche ys a spiritualle thynge and no exteryor thynge but invisible from car¦nalle yies (I say not that they be invisible that be of the churche / but that holy churche in hyr selfe ys invisyble) as faithe is / and hyr puernes and clennes ys a fore chryst only / and not a fore the world / for the worlde hathe no Iudgement nor knowlege of hyr but alle hir honour ād clen¦nes is a fore Christ suer and faste / and if thers apere any of hyr goodnes vn to y^e worlde / of y^t she makyth no rekenynge / nor thynkyth her sel¦fe any thynge the better / that the worlde Iudge¦th wel of hyr: for alle hyr trust is in christ onlye. She suffereth the worlde rage and blaspheme bothe agenst hyr and agenst chryst hyr maker. She stondith fast and beleuythe stedfastly / that that shalle haue a shamfulle ende / and euerla∣stinge damnacion to rewarde. Breuely / hyr me¦ditacions and hyr thoughtes are heuynly and alle that she dothe is spiritualle. For she can not erre she cleaveth so faste to the worde of god that is the verite.

And for thys cause Saynte Paule / callyth hyr the pyler and ground of truth / not that she is so suer of and in hyr awne strength / but that she stykkyth so fast to the lyuynge god and to hys blessed worde / this is the very trewe chur∣che / that is scattered thorow al the worlde / & is Page  [unnumbered] neither bound to parson by the reason of digny¦te / nor yet to any place by the resō of faynyd ho¦lynes / But she is a fre thinge thorow alle the world as S. Augustine dothe witnes in these wordes / * The holy churche are we / but I do not say we as one shuld saye / we that be here alon¦ly / that heare me now / but as many as be here faythefull christenyd men in this churche / that is to say in this Cytie / As many as be in this re¦gyon / as many as be beyounde the see / as mani as be in alle the wholle world (for from the ry∣synge of the sonne tylle the goyng dovne is the name of god prayssed) so is the holy churche o∣ure mother &c̄. Here haue yov playnly / that the holy churche is the congregacion of faithefulle men where so euer they be in the world. And nei¦ther the pope / nor yet his cardynallys be more this churche or of this churche than the poorest man in erthe / for this churche stondeth alonlye in the spiritual faith of christ Iesus / and not in dignyties nor honoures of the worlde / as Lira∣nus dothe declare in these wordis The churche dothe not stond in men by the reson of spritualle power / * or secular dygnite / For many pryncis & many popes / and other inferior persons haue sweruyd from the faithe / wherfore that chur∣che dothe stonde in those parsons in whome is the trew knowlege and confession of faythe / and of veryte &c̄. O my lordes what wille yov say to lira? I haue great mervelle that yov bur¦ne hym not. It is hye tyme to condēne hym for an heretyke / for he speaketh agenst youre lawe xxiiij. q. 1. Quodcum{que}. where as youre glosse declarithe y^t god suffereth not The romechur¦che for to erre / and lyra saythe playne that ma∣ny popis haue erred. And also that the churche Page  lxi stondith not in dygnyte but in confessyon of ch¦rist and of his blessid verite.

But now here wille be obyectyd that I fay¦ne such a churche / as oure logicions do intencio¦nem secundam that is a thynge that is no whe¦re. Vvhere shalle a man fynde a churche that is so puer and so clene that hathe neither spot / nor wrynkille in hare and that is with out alle syn / seynge that alle men must of truth say / * for¦geue vs oure trespas? And if any man say (be he neuer so rightwise) that he hathe no syne th¦an is he a lyer / and there is no veryte in hym / To this I answere / * that this holy churche ha∣the synne in hyr and yet is she puer and clene / Marke S. paulis wordis. Christ hathe geuyn hym selfe for hir that he myght make hyr glori∣ous / So that the clennes of this holy church is the mercy of god toward hyr thorow christ for whose sake he laithe nothinge to her charge yee and if any other parson wolde / he is reddy to geue hir his clennes / and to lett hyr by faithe clayme of ryght his puernes for hyr awne. For by twene them alle is commen / as be twene mā and wyfe. So that if the churche loke on hyr awne meritis and of hyr awne workis / she ys fulle of synne and must nedis say dimitte mihi debita. The whiche she nedid not to say if she had none. But if she referre hyr selfe vn to the merittis of hyr blessid husbonde christ Iesus / and to the clennes that she hathe in his bloud / than is she with out spotte For by the reson y^t she stickith by faythe so fast vn to hyr husbād christ and dothe a byde in confession of hyr syn¦ne / and requyerith mercy for them / therfore is there nothynge layd to hyr charge / but alle thin¦ge is forgeuyn hyr.

Page  [unnumbered]And therfore saithe. S. Paule / there is no damnacion vnto them that be in Christe Iesu. And that this may be the playner I wille bryn¦ge yov.* S. Austins wordes / the which was vex∣ed of the donatistes with thys same reson that ys layde agenste me / hys wordes be these. The holle church saith / forgeue vs oure synnes / whe¦refore she hathe spottes and wrynkylles / but by knowlegynge of them / her wrynkylles be ex¦tēded & stretched out / by knowlegynge / hir spot¦tes are wasshed away. The churche a byddeth in prayer that she myght be clensed by knowle∣gynge of hyr synnes. As longe as we lyue here so standeth yt / and whan we shalle departe out of this bodye / alle suche thynges be forgeuen to everye mā / wherefore by this meane the church of god / is in y^e tresurs of god / with out spot ād wrynkylles: and therfore here doo we not lyue with out synne / but we shall passe from hence with out synne. &c̄. Here haue yov clearly that the church of god is clensed & puryfide by christ for knowlegynge of hir synnes / & not by hir aw¦ne puernes wherefore suche a church there must nedes be / though y^t the carnalle yie can not se h•¦re / nor fleshely reson can iudge of hyr. wherefo∣re we beleue this article by faith that holy chu∣rche is a cōmunion or felyshyp of holy men / ād know yt not by seynge or felynge / as we do the felishype of drapers or mercers / for than were yt none article of the faith. And yt ys playne y^t all youre exterior sygnes / with alle youre holye ornamentes / as youre holy myters / youre holy crossestauys / youre holye pyllers and polaxis / youre holy red gloues / youre holy ouches / and poure holye rynges / youre holye anoynted fyn∣gers / youre holy vestmentis / youre holly challi∣sys Page  lxij / & youre holy goulden showys / yee & take al∣so to helpe yov. S. Thomas of Canterberys holy showe wyth alle the holy botys of holye monkys & all these to gether can not make one crumme of holynes in yov / nor helpe yov one prycke forward / that yov may be wyth in this churche. For if these thynges coulde helpe / than were yt no mastery to make an asse to be of the church of god. But oure holy mother y^e church hathe a nother holynes / y^t cometh from god the father thorow y^e sweat bloud of his blessed son∣ne Iesus Christ / in whome is alle hyr confidens & trust. Vn to whome she stycketh onlye by sted¦fast faith / by whose purenes she ys also puer in that y^t she dothe confesse hyr vnclennes / for she beleueth stedfastly y^t she hathe an aduocate for hyr synne to the father of heuen / which is chri∣ste Iesus.* And he is the satisfacciō for hyr syn∣nes. And he of his marcye & not of hyr merites hathe chossen hyr for to be his / and by cause she ys hys / therfore must she be clene so lōge as she aby•eth in hym. This is well declared in.* S. Io¦han where oure Master Christe is cōpared to y^e vyne and all the members of holy churche to the branches / y^t as the branches / can brynge for¦th no frute of them selfe / so can holy churche of hyr felfe brynge forth no goodnes excepte she remayne in christ by perfyt faithe. This is wel proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / therfore is the churche holy / by cause she beleueth rightwyselye in god. &c̄.* Here yov not the cause wherefore the church is holy? by cau∣se she beleueth rightwyselye in god / that is she beleueth in nothynge but in hym / and she bele∣uethe nor hereth nor worde but hys / as oure Master Chryste berythe wytnes / my shepe Page  [unnumbered] here my voyce / and a nother mans voyce doo they not knowe / also in a nother place / he that is of god / herythe the wordes of god / how com∣mythe this that the church of god hathe so suer a iudgement / that she knowythe the voyce of Christe from other voycis? and can not erre in hyr iudgement? By cause that Christ hath cho∣sen hyr / and by cause she ys lerned of god as oure master Christ saith / and by cause she hath (as.* S. Iohan saith) the inward oyntement off god / that techyth his alle maner of verite / so y^t she can not erre / but why can she not erre? by cause she may do what she wille? By cause that all thynge that she dothe / is well done? by cau∣se she maye make newe rules and newe lawes at hir plesure? By cause she may invent a ne∣we seruice of god that is not in scripture at hir wille? Nay nay my lordes. For she is but a wo¦man & must be ruled by hyr husbonde / yee she is but a shepe and must here the voyce of hyr shep¦pard / and so longe as she dothe / so longe can she not erre by cause the voyce of here shepperd can not be false.

*This maye be proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / the whole churche can not erre / also in a nother place / the congregaciō of faith fulle men must nedes be which also can not erre. &c̄. These wordes be playne what chu∣rche yt is that can not erre / that is the congre∣gacion of faithfulle men that be gethered in ch∣ristes name / which haue christes spret which ha¦ue the holy oyntement of god / whiche abyde fa∣ste by christes worde / and here no nother mans voyce but his. Now my lordes gather yov alle to gether with alle the lawes that you can ma∣ke / and all the holynes / that yov can deuysse / & Page  lxiij Crye / y^e church / y^e church / & the counsels / y^e coun¦sels that were lawfully gathered in the power of the holye gost (alle this may yov say and yet lye) and yf yov haue not in dede the holly goste with in yov / and iff yov do heare any other voy¦ce than christes / thane are yov not of y^e church / but of the deuylle / and theuys and murtherars as christ saith. For yov come a fore him / that is yov come in to the foulde of Christe wyth out him / yov brynge not his voyce / but yov come with youre awne voyce / with youre awne sta∣tutis / with youre awne worde / and with youre awne mandamus / mandamus / precipimus / pre¦cipimus / excommunicamms / excommunicamus These be the voyces of murtherars and The∣uys and not of Christ / therfore yov can not but erre / for yov be not taught of god / you haue not the holy oyntement yov haue not the worde of god for yov / yov here not y^e voyce of y^e trewe shepperd / there fore must yov nedes erre in alle youre counselles. This is a nother maner of ru¦le thane my lorde of iochester dothe assine to exa¦men youre counselles by / for he saith / where y^t the pope and the counsell dothe not agre alle in one there wylle he susspect the counselle not to be ryght. who did euer here suche a rule of a chri¦stenyd man? yee and of a bishop? yee and of a do¦ctor of diuinite / where hathe he lerned this diui∣nite? to recken a counselle to be trewe / by cause that the pope ād so many men do agre in one / yee & that suche men as haue so oftyn tymes er∣red in their counsels / as he dothe declare hym selfe rekenynge the counselle of Constantino∣ple that had .330. bisshops and yet did erre / and he knew no nother cause / but by cause the po∣pe dyd not agre to them / is not thys a resona∣ble Page  [unnumbered] cause? can not the pope erre? lett hym red• his awne lawe. Dis. 19. Anastasius / & Dis. 40. Si papa and also .24. q. 1. A recta in the glosse / & there shall he finde that the pope hathe erred wherfore than shulde the matter stonde in hys iudgement? Now how wille he by this rule sa∣ue the counselles of constance / and of basel whe¦re in both counsels the popes were condemned for heretykes? as the same counsels make men∣cion / also that the counsels haue erred that gra¦unteth he hym selfe / but paraduenture he wyll say / that they were not fulle counsels. Now is yt well a mended / what dysticcionis (as conser¦nynge the veryte in a counselle that hathe a thousande bisshopes and in a nother that hath fyve thousande can the multitude helpe to the veryte? Than had the turke the veryte and we the falsed / * than had the prophete Micheas the worsse parte for he was a lone agenst .iiij. hun∣dred / so was the veryte by y^e prophetes of Baa¦le / and not by Elyas / for they were foure hun∣dred and fiftye and he was but one man. Breue¦ly Christis flocke is all ways the smallyste num¦ber in this worlde / but yet yt ys the best / not y^t the smallest number maketh christis flocke / but that christes churche stondeth neyther by the grettest number nor yet by the smallest / nor by y^e iudgemēt or numberynge of man / but by the callynge and eleccion of god / wherefore lett my lorde bryng forthe / what counselle that he will and yf they haue not the worde of god / I wylle not alonly say they may erre / but also y^t they do erre in verye dede. And y^e wylle I proue by the grettest lawyar y^t they haue called Panormita¦n{us} whose wordes be these / * y^t counselle may erre as it hath erred / as cōsernynge y^e cōtracte of ma¦trimony Page  lxiiij / inter raptorē et raptā / * and the saynge of. S. Hierom was afterward preferred a •oue the statute of the counselle as yt ys proued. 36. q. 2. Tria / for in thynges consernynge the faith ys the saynge of a pryuate persone to be pre∣farred a fore the saynge of the pope yf he haue better resons and scripturs of the newe and y^e olde testament for hym than the pope / nor yt cā not helpe to say that the counselle can not erre by cause that Christ dyd pray for his church y^t her faythe shulde not faylle / for I answere to this / that though the generalle counsell doo re¦present the wholle vniuersalle church / neuerthe¦lesse in very dede there is not the very vniuer∣salle church / but representatiue. For the vniuer¦salle church stondeth in the elect•on of alle faith¦fulle mē & all faith fulle mē of y^e worlde make y^e vniuersalle church / whose hed & spouse ys christ Iesus & the pope is but the vycker of Christ & not the very hed of the church / this is y^e church that can not erre. &c̄. Here it is open that the counselle may erre / ād that a priuate person ha∣uynge scriptures for hym is to be harde a fore the pope and also the conselle hauynge no scrip¦tures for them / yov haue also what is the very trew church which can not erre / whiche thinge cā not be veryfyed of youre counselles for they be neyther wyth out erroure nor yet the holye churche but that they doo represent the church as a legate representeth a kynges person but of y^e followeth not that he is the kynge or hath as muche power as the kynge / or ys a bove y^e kynge or y^t he may rule y^e kynge / * this maye also be proued by. S. Augustine whose wordes be these / those coūselles y^t be gethered in everie {pro}∣uince must with out geue place to y^e auctorite of Page  [unnumbered] the full coūsellis which be gethered of all chrys¦tendō / ād also those ful coūsellis oft timis must be a mendyd by the full counsellys that come af¦ter / yf any thynge be openyd by any experience that was a fore shyt / and yf any thyng be kno∣wen that was hyddyn. And this may be done with out any shaddow of supersticious pryde / with out any bostyd Arrogancye with out any contencyon of malyci{us} envye / but with holy me¦knes / wyth holy peasse / and with chrystened che¦ryte. &c̄. Here it is playne that youre full coū∣selles may be a mendyd and reformyd / the why¦che thynge nede not / yf they coulde not erre yee and if they did not erre in dede. Moreouer you must nedes graūt that there is a rule where by youre counsellys must be exāmynyd / and whe∣re by sentens must be geuyn whyche of youre counsellys be trewe and which false / by the wh¦ych rule yf youre coūsellys be not ordered / they must nedys erre and be false / and of the deuyll wherefore gather all youre counsellys too ge∣ther and yet of them can you not make holy ch∣urche / But peraduenture there may be many in youre counsellys good and perfyte men and of holy churche / But they and you to gether ma¦ke not the vniuersall holy churche that can not erre / Neyther haue yow any auctoryte ouer ho∣ly churche / further than the holy scrypture off god / But as sone as you for sake Chryst ād his holy worde / so sone are you the congregacyō of the deuyll / and theuys and murtherars / ād yet for all thys there must nedis be an holy churche of chryst in erthe that ys neyther bounde to Ie¦rusalem nor to Coūstātinopill / nor yet to Rome as though she were lyke vn to / the Asse and y^e foolle.

Page  lxvBut now wyl there be obiected / that oure Ma¦ster Christe commandeth / * yff my brother offend me that I shuld complayne to y^e church / Now ys this church that I haue sett out spretualle & no man knoweth hyr but God onlye / she is also scattered thorow out the world / wherefore how can a man complayne to that church? I answe∣re oure master Christ dothe playnly speake of a man that hathe wronge / the which must nedes be a perticuler and a serten man / and therfore lyke wysse he byddythe hym complayne not to the vniuersalle churche / but to the perticular church. Now this particular church / if she be of god / and a trew member of the vniuersalle chu∣rche / she wyll iudge ryghtwysly after Christes words / and after the probacions brought a fore hyr / neuer the lesse oftyn tymes comyth yt that this particular church doth fully and holly erre and iudgeth vnryght and excommunycateth hym / that is blessed of god / * as yt is open in you¦re awne lawe / whose wordes be these / oftyn ty∣mes he that ys cast out ys with in / and he that is with out ys kept with in. &c̄. Here haue yov playnlye that the particular church may erre / wherefore that church that can not erre is alle only the vniuersalle church which is called the communion and the felowshyppe of saynctis / the whiche addicion was made by holy fathers (for in Ciprians tyme was there no mencion of yt) by alle lyklyhod to declare the presumpcion of serten men / and of serten congregacions y^t rekened them selfe to be holy church. wherefore my lordes se welle to lest the holye goste haue prykkyd yov with this addicion / for yov haue alle wayes made youre selfe holy churche / yee and that with out any holynes. Now haue I Page  [unnumbered] declared vn to yov / what is holy church / that is the congregacion of faithfulle men thorow out alle the worlde: and where by she is holye / that is / by Christes holynes and by christes bloude / ād also what is the cause that she can not erre / by cause that she kepeth hyr selfe so faste to the worde of god / which is a parfyt and a trewe ru¦le.* Now must we declare by what sygnes and tokens that we may knowe that in thys place or in that place there be serten members of this holy church / for though she be in hyr selfe spry∣tualle and cānot be perfytly knowen / by oure exterior senses / yet neuer the lesse we may haue serten tokens / of hyr spritualle presens / where by we may reken that in this place and in that place be sertyne of hyr members. As by a na∣turalle example / though the soule of man in hyr selfe be spritualle and invisible yet may we ha∣ue suer tokens of hyr presence / as herynge mo∣vynge / spekynge / smellynge / with suche other. So lykewysse / where the word of god is trew∣ly and perfytly preached with out the damna∣ble dreames of men / and where yt is welle of y^e herars reseued / and also where we se good wor¦kes that doo openly agre wyth the doctrine off the gospell these be good and suer tokens whe∣re by that we may iudge / that there be some mē of holy church.

As to the fyrste / where as the gospelle ys trewly {pre}ched yt must nedes lyght in some mēs hartis / as the prophete wyttnesseth / my worde / shalle not returne a gayne to me frustrate / but yt shall doo all thynge that I wille / and yt shal prospere / * in those thynges / vn to the whiche I dyd send yt.

Also. S. Paule saithe faithe cometh by he∣ryng Page  lxvj / and herynge cometh by the worde of god / * and therfore yt is open in holye scripture that whan Peter spake the wordes of god y^e holye goste felle dovne on them alle.* wherfore yt ys o∣pen that godes worde can neuer be preched in vayne / but some men must nedes reseue yt / ād there by be made of holy churche / though that men doo not know them neyther by theyr na∣mes nor yet by their faces / for this worde is re∣seued in to their hartes. The seconde token ys / that the reseuers of this word doo worke welle there after as.* s. Paule declareth of his herars whan yov reseued of vs the worde where with god was preched / yov reseued yt not as the worde of men / but euen (as yt was in dede / ) the worde of god whych worketh in yov that bele∣ue. So that if men doo worke after the worde of god yt ys a good token that ther be men off the churche / though that we (hypocrisye ys so subtylle and so secret) may be often tymes dys∣seued by these vtward workes / but neuerthele∣sse cherite iudgeth well of all thynges y^t haue a good outward shyne / and be not openly agenst the worde of god / but it is no ieoperdye though cherite be dysseued / for he is open to alle ieoper∣dyes but faith is neuer disseued. Now to oure purposse / y^t where the worde of god is preched trewly / yt is a good & a perfyt token y^t there be some mē of christes church / this may be proued by chrisostimus wordes / they y^t be in Iudea let thē fle vp in to y^e mountayns / y^t is to say they y^t be in chrystendū / let thē geue thē selfe to scrip¦turs. wherefore cōmandeth he y^t alle chrystened men in that tyme shulde flye vn to scriptures / for in that tyme in the whiche hereses haue op∣teyned in to the church / there cā be no trew pro¦bacion Page  [unnumbered] of christendom nor no nother refuge vn to christen men willynge to know the verite off faith / but the scripturs of god. A fore by many ways was yt shewed which was the church of Christ / and which was the congregacion of gen¦tilles / but now there is no notherway to know vnto them that wylle knowe which is the very trew churche of Christ / but alonly by scripturs. By workes fyrst was y^e church of christ knowē whan the conuersacion of christen men / other of alle or of many were holy / the which holynes had not the wykked men / but now christen mē / be as evylle or worsse thā heretikes or gentles yee and greater continencie is founde amonge them / than a monge christen men. wherefore he that wille knowe which is the very churche of christ / how shall he know but by scripturs on∣lye / wherefore oure lorde consideringe that so grett confusion of thynges shulde come in the latter days / therfore commaundeth he that chri¦sten mē which be in christendom willynge to re∣serue the stedfastenes of trewe faith shulde flye vn to no nother thynge but vn to scripturs for yf they haue respect vn to other thinges they shalle be sclandered and shall perishe / not vn∣derstondyng which is the trewe church. &c̄.

These wordes nede no exposicion they be playne I nough they do also exclude all maner of lernynge sauynge holy scripture / wherefore se how yov can with honestie saue youre holy lawes / and defend them agēst Chrisostom. Mo¦reover iff chrisostom complayne of the inconte∣nency that was in his days / how wolde he cō∣playne if he now lyued and sawe the baudry & fornicacion / that is in the churche? Also he sen∣dith Page  lxvij men to scripturs that wyll knowe the ho∣ly church / and not vnto the holy churche for in the churche were heresys / but not in scripture.

Also.* S. Paule wyttnesyth the same sa∣yng / yov are bylte a pon the foundaciō of the a¦postylles and prophetes / here haue you playnly that the very trewe church is grounded ye and foundyd of holy scripture / and therfore where so euer that the worde of god is preched / that is a good token that there be some men of chri∣stes church. But now as to the frutes and wor¦kes of this church / she dothe alonly fetch out hyr maner of lyuynge / and alle hyr good wor∣kes out of the holy word of god / and she fayny∣th not nor dremythe any other newe holynesse or new invented workes that be not in scriptu∣re but she ys content with christes lernynge ād beleueth / that christ hath sufficienly taught hyr alle maner of good workes that be to y^e honou∣re of oure heuynly father. Therfore inuenteth she no nother way to heuen but followeth chri∣ste only / in sufferynge oppressions and persecu∣cions / blasphemynges and alle other thynges that may be layd vnto hyr / which as. S / Augu∣stine saithe she lerned of oure Master Christe.* Oure holy mother the church thorow out alle the worlde scattered for and longe / in hyr trewe hed Christ Iesus taught / hath lerned not to fe∣re the contumelys of the crosse nor yet of dethe but more and more ys she strengthed not in re∣systinge but in sufferynge. &c̄.

Now my lordes compare youre selfe to this rule of. S. Augustine / and lett vs se how yov cā brynge youre selfe in to the churche? or els to Page  [unnumbered] proue youre selfe to be holye? The churche suf∣ferth persecucions (for as. S. Paule saith / they that wylle lyue deuoutly in christe must suffer persecusion) and yov withstond all thynges ād suffer nothynge / * yov oppres every man ād yov wyll be oppressed of no man / yov persecute eve∣rye man and no man may speke aworde agenst yov / no though yt be neuer so trewe / you cast everye man in preson / and no man may touche yov but he shall be cursed / yov compelle euerye man to say as yov say / and yov wylle not once saye as Christe saith / and as for youre holynes all the worlde knoweth what it is / for yt ston∣deth in clothyng & in dekkynge / in watchynge & slepynge / in etynge and in drynkynge this mea∣te or that meate / thys drynke or that drynke / in patterynge and numblynge these Psalmys or that Psalmys wyth out deuocyon. Bre∣uely alle youre holynes ys in bokes / belles / can∣delles / challeses / oyle creame watter / horses / houndes pallycis / and alle that is myghty and glorious in the worlde there on hange yov / the¦re in glorie yov / there on crake yov / there on boste yov / ther vppon bylde yov. Is this the na¦tures of the church? is this holynes? of whome haue yov lerned these maners? yov can not de∣nye but these be truth / and yf yov wolde denye yt / alle the world ys wyttnes agenst you / yee & also youre awne factes and dedes / of whome haue yov lerned this holynes?* not of christe nor yet of his holy churche / but yov haue lerned yt of the Arians / that were the seruantes of y^e de∣uylle / as Hylarius wryteth in these wordes / y^e church dothe threten / with banyshementes ād presonmentes / and she compelleth men to bele∣ue hyr / whych was exiled and cast in preson / Page  lxviij no whangeth she / on the dignite of hyr fel∣lyshyp the which was consecrated / by the thret¦nynges of persecuters / she causeth prestes to flye that was in cressed by the chassynge away of prestes / she gloryeth that she is loued of the world / the which coulde neuer be christes except the world dyd hatte hyr. &c̄.

How thynke yov my lordes? doo not yov alle these thynges? that be layd to the Arians charge? youre awne frendes / ye youre awne cō¦sciens must nedes accuse yov of alle these thyn∣ges / and yet wyll you be called christes childern I lay nothynge to yov / but y^e holye doctours lay vn to yov.

But lett vs se what.* S. Barnarde saith on yov / they call them selue the mynysters of christ but they serue Antichriste / they goo gorgiously a rayed of oure lordes goodes / vn to whome they geue none honoure / and of these goodes cōmythe / the harlottes deckyng that thou seyst daylye / the game players dysgysynge / and kyn∣ges aparrelle / of this commeth goulde in their brydylles / in their sadylles / and in their spurres so that their spurs be bryghtter than the aul∣tres: of this cōmeth their plentuous wyne pre∣ssys and their fulle sellers / bolkynge from this vnto that / of this commeth their tonnes of swe¦te wynys / of this be their baggys so fyllyd / for suche thynges as these be / wyll they be rulers of the churche / as dekyns / arche dekyns / byss∣hops / and arche bysshops. &c̄.

Page  [unnumbered]My lordes I had thought / to haue added cardinalles and legates abbottes and pryors / to haue made the company more holly / but I durste not. How thynke yov / of whome dothe he speake whane he saith bisshops and archebi∣sshops? what holynes dothe he repreue / whane he speketh of gorgius araye / of harlottes dek∣kynge / of game players dysgysyng / of goulden spurs / saddylles and brydylles? yf there were an .C. that dyd vse yt more than yov yet must yov nedes graunt y^t he spekyth of yov / he pas∣syth me sore / in condemminge of youre holy or∣namentes / for he calleth yov the seruantes off Antichrist / and youre holy ornamentes harlot∣tes deckynge and game players dysgysynge / & he saith that yov are neyther the churche nor ol the churche / but the seruātes of Antichrist / how thynke yov by. S. Barnarde yt is tyme to con¦demne hym / for he speaketh agenst holy church and all hyr holy ornamentes / this dare I wel saye / that yf the beste christen man with in the royalme shulde preache these wordes of. S. Barnarde yov wolde not stycke to condēne him for an heretyke / but yov were wonte to call hym swett Bernarde / but my thynketh y^t he ys soure I nough in thys thynge / wherefore dispute the matter wyth hym y^t yov may come in to the churche / and not wyth me.