A goodly dyalogue betwene knowledge and symplicitie.

Knoledge

GOd saue you my frende simplicitie I am glad of your good welfare Ye are ryght welcome vnto the Cytie* 1.1 For here ye are a straunger very rare •• knowe the cause of your hyther repare It draweth nowe towarde the terme Ye haue some matters for to declare And what they be fayne wolde I learne.

Siplicité

I thanke you knowledge of your good wyll And of your kyndnes without desert, But I cam hether for no suche skyll,* 1.2 As y•• haue vttered vppon your parte But thys I thought wyth all myne harte When I same hether vnto the terme 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God I had suffred at home great smact•• Your facyons be so straunge to learne.

Knoledge

I praye you syr what is your grefe Hath any man here you offended?* 1.3 Shewe it shortly in wordes brefe And if I cane I wyll see it amended Your cause by me shall be defended I wyll be with you all th•• terme 〈◊〉〈◊〉 counsell towardes you shalbe bended Your symp••enes to teache and learne.

Siplicité

Mary Spr offended I am in dede And that in conscience ryght greuously I praye God it shortlye be remedyed* 1.4 That London sinke not moch maruell I, For here is nought tis but heresy Blasphemy and slaunder all out of frame That one man affirmeth an other doth deny Against the honour of Gods holy name.

Knoledge.

Ah Syr I knowe the cause well ynough then Of your great grefe in your conscience And I am ryght glad, for aboue all men I haue much desyred to haue your presence Content you, and shortly ye shal haue intelligence Thogh as yet for a time, sōthing be out of frame At length amongest vs shall be no difference Concerning the honour of Gods holy name.

Sympli∣citie.

Frend Knowledge, that is a thyng impossible* 1.5 That euerin one we shulde agree So longe as we haue thys beble bible Nay Nay Knowledge, that will not bee Do ye not heare and dailys see Howe men olde custome despyse and blame? whych thinge is greatly as thinketh me Against the honor of Gods holy name.

Kg

Though olde custome hath vs longe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Agaynst Gods Gospell manyf••stlye Is it not niece that it shulde be forbedde* 1.6 And also despysed vtterly? Yf truth and olde custome dysagree Shall not trueth olde custome despise and blame And make hym subiecte to Gods vertue Yes, that is the honour of Gods holy name

siplicitie.

Wyll ye (o knowledge) be of that minde? Wyll ye be of that sort and gyse? Wyll ye beginne newe wayes to fynde* 1.7 And olde custome cleane to despyse? Howe saye ye, were not our fathers wyse? Where they not lerned? ye be to blame Let theyr example your mynde sustyse Concernyng the honour of Gods holy name

Knoledg

Vnto our fathers God be mercifull They lyued in darkenes and we in lyght* 1.8 A litney were vnder a cloude moost wonderfull Of the trueth, they had no parfect syght But I saye, through Gods power and myght That cloude is cleared and set in ryght frame And all fained fantasies it shall put to flyght To the honour and prayse of Gods holy name

siplicitie.

Wyll ye gyue me leaue to aske you a question And with my boldnes not to be angrye I wolde be sory in any condicion,* 1.9 For to offende you, ye maye beleue me And I desyre you euen hartelye Shewe vnto me your opinion agayne For we two I thynke shall not agre Concernyng the honour of gods holy name.

Knoledg

Aske what ye wyll, and by Gods grace As well as my wyttes shall serue me I shall make answere in lytle space* 1.10 As I haue lerned in gods veritie Be not afrayd, but speake at lybertie What so euer ye saye, none shall ye blame For su••ely I trust your minde to satysfye Concernyng the honour of Gods holy name

siplicitie.

Howe saye you (I pray the) to the holy masse That long hath bene used of antiquitie An for many other thynges I let passe)* 1.11 As of masse of masse of requiem and scala rely That delyuered our frēdes soules frō purgatory Wyth many mo masses then I can name Of the v. wound••s, and of corpus Christi To the honour and praise of Gods holy name

Knoledge

Such masses I say, are but Idolatrye* 1.12 Which the Romysh Antichryst dyd inuent To blynd our eyes wyth fayned ypocrysy And all to get money was hys intent What greater blasphemye was euerment? If masses shal saue vs, Christs death is invayn That suffred for vs hys flesh to be torment Honour therfore no masse, but Gods holy name

Siplicitë

How say ye then vnto the Sacrament Which all ye go about to denye* 1.13 In the hoost, to be bodely present Fyrst as he was borne of mary And vppon the crosse as he dyd dye If ye speake agaynst thys ye are to blame Thys out fathers beleued, and so do I To the honour and prasyse of Gods holy name.

Knoledge

The sacrament is an holy thyng But the vse therof was farre out of frame And that selfe body on the crosse hangyng* 1.14 And horne of mary that bl••ssed dame In hys corporall presens I say playne Is not there present, surely I thynke the same Who teacheth contrary, his doctyne is vayne And great dyshonour to Gods holy name.

siplicitie

Ah Iesus mercy what do I here?* 1.15 Is not he present in the sacrament? How say you? Is not God present alwhere? Wyll ye deny the new Testament? And if he be alwhere, I say verament He is in the sacrament I abyde by the same Your deuelysh doctryne the deuell dyd inuent To the great dishonour of Gods holy name.

Knoledge

Yis syr God is present in very dede As well all where, as in the Sacrament But that vnderstand in hys Godhead* 1.16 And for example terne thys presydent The soule and the body be thynges different But the body destroyed, y^e soule doth yet remaine And ye se not the soule, nether yet in the sacramēt Ye se Gods body, but blaspheme hys name.

Siplicite

Mary syr that is abominable heresy Is thys your new leranyng and doctryne?* 1.17 What thyng can be sayd that is mort blasphemy Ye shall neuer persuade me brother myne Doth not the priest from tyme to tyme lift vp Gods body, and shew vs the same? In fourme of bread, yea, we se it wyth oure eyen To the honour and prayse of Gods holye name.

Knoledg

Ye are deceaued ••••o••rr symplicitie* 1.18 For Christ being offred ones for all Shall neuer be offred agayne, beleue mé. Our masses therfore, are most Idolatry of all Hauyng no grounde in scrypture at all If ye say, ye se Chryst lyft vp in the same You cōmy•• most shamefull ydolatry wythall To the great dyshonour of Gods holy name.

siplicitie.

Our curates cōmand vs in payn of dāpnació To beleue that Chrystes blessed bloude and body In the sacrament is present, of the same facyon As he suffred dyed, and was borne of mary* 1.19 And who soeuer doth say the contrary To the bysshops, they do accuse the same As one cōmyttyng most shamefull heresy To the great dyshonour of Gods holy name

Knoledg

your caries Curats whome cūstūe hath blynded Do not wel••••n that thyng knowe what they saye But loke in the Gospell and y•• shall fynde it The ••••••fe same Iesus bornt of a maye* 1.20 That was Crucified, dyed, and rose the iii daye On hys fathers ryght hand now sitteth playne Hys body is only there present I saye Who sayth contrarye, doth blaspheme hys name

Siplicité

〈…〉〈…〉 ••rowe saye you to fasting dayes? Are they not mo••st shamefully abused?* 1.21 And what thinke you of our holy dayes Whych are not m••te to be refused Both palmes and asshes are cleane confused And offeryng of Candels organe wyth them Are not all these styll to be vsed To the honour and prayse of Gods holy name?

Knoledg.

I saye no daye more one then other* 1.22 By Gods woorde is commaunded to fast And kept well your Saboth daye my Brother All other holy dayes are in waste. your palmes and asshes cleane out cast yf ye offer to stocke and stone, ye are to blame They are all but fayned lyke the wyndes blast And against the honour of Gods holy name.

Siplicitë

Say ye, that fayned is the holy crucifix? And despyte ye the holy priests absolution?* 1.23 Is Gods body a fayned God in the pyr? Dyd not our beades s••••••e vs to d••••••tion? Do not the saintes make insercessyen? Doth not our fastings our flesh tame? Our holy bread & holy water gyue vs mons••ion To honoure and prayse Gods holy name.

Knoledge

Of the crucifix an Idoll ye made And your pristes usurped Gods absolution The bread in the box is no God I sayde* 1.24 And that your beades are very superstition your sayntes can make no intercessyon your fayned fastyng can not your flesh tame your water and bread, by coniuration Are great dyshonour to Gods holy name

Siplicitie

And was it not well wyth vs thynke ye Whan we vsed our pylgrymage for deuotion?* 1.25 To holy sayntes that wrought wonderfully Great maruels passyng mans expectation And they helped vs in our perturbation Almost all thyng that we asked we dyd obteynt ••ow say ye? Was not this a godly fation To the honour and prayse of Gods holy name.

Knoledge

That fatron is deuelysh and cleane contrary* 1.26 To Gods cōmaundement, as ye shall see God sayd and cōmaunded vs very strayghtly Thou shalt haue none other God but me If ye worshyp ydols of stone or of tree ye or thynke they can helpe you ye are to bla•••• For then ye depryue God of hys glory To the great dyshonour of hys holy name.

Siplicity

Is fasting and prayer of no effect Dyd not Chryst to vs make mencion In his gospell by wordes dyrect* 1.27 That well, uide vse them for good intencyon? Yet some men saye ye despise the same And amongest yourselues ye haue great dissentiō ••o the great dishonour of Gods holy name,

Knoledge

Yes, fasting and prayer are much requisite* 1.28 As Chryst hym selfe dyd to vs examplesye But I saye in scrypture it is not recyte To fast or praye any tyme propre••ye But watch ye and pray ye continually Whan the fleshe doth prycke, them make it tame Wyth fasting, but beware of ypocrysye For that is dyshonour to Gods holy name.

siplycitie.

I praye God amend all that is amys In the woride was neuer so much dyuysyon One is of that sorte, another is of thys* 1.29 And each one dyuers in hys opinyon ye learned men fyrst must agre•• in one that after your exāple, our selues we may frame Then shall we not swarue in any condicion But prayse all together Gods holy name.

Knoledge

And I pray God wyth you in that thy•…•… To set at one all our diuision As to hys glory shalbe perteynyng* 1.30 That all we may agree in one And no man styck to one opinion But as Gods worde shall teach hym the sam•• Then shall we not swarue in any condition But prayse all together Gods holy name

Siplicitè

Syrin dede all theys are aboue my reason* 1.31 And ye be a man well learned, men saye Wyll ye therfore take payne wyth me this season My com••red conscyence to quyte and stay? ye say we shulde fast, ye say we shulde pray And y^e supper of the lord, ye prayse much y^e sam•• To teach me to vse the same after the ryght wa•• To the honour and prayse. &c.

yea, that I wyll wyth all my harte That is the thyng that I euer pretende▪ If diligently ye wyll adu••r••e My diligence towardes you is bended* 1.32 your symp••••••••s hath not me offended Neyther my boldenes you, I thynke the same And I trust your grefe shortly to ende it To the honour and prayse of Gods holye name.

Knoledg

First to your question how ye shuld pray* 1.33 In the .vi. of Math. lerne Chrystes doctrine Pray not for prayse, as I po••rites do I say But in thy chambre, se thy selfe thou declyne by thy chambre thy conscyence thou must defyne And if that be clene, beleue well the same God wyll rewarde the••by his power diuine To the honour and prayse of Gods holye name.

Knoleg••

But in much babblyng esteme no felicicie* 1.34 Lyke as dyd the Pharysees most blynde your Ladyes psalter was mere ypocrysie By this place of scrypture, plainly we fynde your beades brought prayer cleue out of kynde Christe taught a prayer, let vs vse the same Deuoutly to be sayd w^t harte and mynde To the honour and prayse of Gods holye name.

Knoledg

your mattens and euensōg in a straunge tongue your patched masses full of papistry * 1.35 your shamefull sorte of cerimones dome As knillyng, kneling and other many Do they any thing you teach to edifie? And to pray and thynke not, is but in vayne The Godly prophet herein agreeth w^t me All these are dyshonour to Gods holy name.

Knoledge

When thou fastest (sayth Chryst) be not sorye As the ypocrytes whyche pretendyng grauitie. Dyd dysfigure theyr faces supersticiously* 1.36 That to mens syght they myght seme holy But when thou fastest, do it secretely Not for worldes glory, but thy flesh to tame Than God shall rewarde the aboundauntlye To the honour and prayse of hys holy name.

Knoledg

But thys is not ment by fryday nor lent* 1.37 By the fast of Bernard / or yet of our ladye Neyther yet of the clouted cloysters aduent For scripture appointeth no tyme properly Neyther yet of meates maketh be dyuersitie But byddeth thy faste, thy fleshe for to tame At all tymes when soeuer thy flesh prycketh the Thus fasting, thou honourest Gods holy name.

Knoledge

And now for the holy supper of the lorde* 1.38 Let pau•• be your teacher in each degree Examen your conscience / let your fayth, accorde Before ye presume of so hygh a myst tye For in thys point, fayth onely must be your eye Fayth must be your tast, & all your wittes frame It is in your fayth, that ye see Gods bodye To the honour and prayse of hys holy name.

Knoledge

Thynke not y^t ye do eate hym w^t your teath* 1.39 Thynke not that ye se hym w^t your bodely eye But eate hym and drynke hym in spyrite & fayth For he, yet ipuyng ••oyd giue his body Vnto hys ••iscyples, and sayd, eate ye Thys is my body: yet hys body playne Before their eyes was present corporally Theyr fayth dyd iufiyse: their bodely brayne

Knoledge

Let fayth therfore you gouuerne and lede And in your harte remembre hys passyon* 1.40 And that he dyed in very dede Leuyng to vs for a cōmemoration Hys blessed body, of such a ynd and facion That in spyrite & fayth we shuld receyue y^e same Thus doyng / you take it to your saluation To the honour and prayse of Gods holy name.

Siplicité

I pray God thanke you w^t all myne harte* 1.41 In these thynges my consyenceis appeased And in all other I trust sone afterwarde My harte by you shall be well ••a••••d The blyndenes that in me was, seased Is almost clered and sit in fr••me And you I do thanke, whome it hath pleased To teach me to honour Gods holy name

Knoledge

Gyue the laude to God, as moost worthy is And not vnto man, but vnto hys name And praye we for the Kynges hyghnes* 1.42 That Gods gospell hath so in frame That all we maye see the truth from the vayne That all we all errours maye worthely blame That all we hys kyngdō at the last may attayn•• In blysse all toghther to prayse hys holy name.

Finis.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sympli∣citie is a straunger in a cytie.
• * 1.2

  Siplicité is sory y^t euer he cā in y^e ••••é, it is so full of nough∣tynes.
• * 1.3

  Knoledge desyreth to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 owe his grefe & promy∣seth to hel¦pe hym.
• * 1.4

  Siplicité thynketh y^t Londō will sinke, for synne
• * 1.5

  The By∣ble is cau∣se of con∣tr••uersy. Ofer cus¦tome is blamed.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 olde cu∣stome be against y^e gospell it must ge∣ue place.
• * 1.7

  The cus∣tome of our forfa¦thers is to be ob∣serued.
• * 1.8

  Our fa∣thers as paul tea∣cheth we∣re vnd a cloude, & sawe not y^e truthe.
• * 1.9

  The 〈…〉〈…〉 of si∣plicitie.
• * 1.10

  the gētell āswer of Knoledg
• * 1.11

  The first question is of mas¦ses
• * 1.12

  y^t all mas∣ses satis∣factory are Idola¦trye of y^e bisshop of Romes muēting.
• * 1.13

  Whether Chrystes body be re¦ally presēt in the sa∣crament.
• * 1.14

  y^t Chryste is not' o∣dely ••••ent in th•• sa∣cran••••t.
• * 1.15

  God is presēt ••l∣where & therfore his body is in the sacramēt
• * 1.16

  y^t God is presēt all where ād is not seē, as y^e soule of man is inuis••••ble & icorrup¦tible
• * 1.17

  That the prest of•••• up Gods bo••y i the sacrame••
• * 1.18

  Christ of¦fred ones cā not be offred a∣gainst, masse is ydolatrie & hath no groūd in scriptur.
• * 1.19

  Curates cōmaūde to beleue y^t Gods body is y^e 〈…〉〈…〉 y^e sa¦crament.
• * 1.20

  Cur••t••s are b•••••••• Christ is on y^e righ¦te had of y^e father.
• * 1.21

  A questiō of ceremo¦nies.
• * 1.22

  y^e fastig & holidaus made by mā, are of n••••••ff••••t & all such lyke cere∣monies.
• * 1.23

  A qu••stiō of y ••••••d prufi•• ab¦soleciē, of the god in y^e ••o••e, & such other
• * 1.24

  In āswe∣re to the same.
• * 1.25

  if pylgry∣mage was not good & y^e sayntes wrought ••ntra••les.
• * 1.26

  y^t ••ylgry: ma••e was 〈…〉〈…〉 a∣gaist god ••••s com∣maūde∣ment.
• * 1.27

  yf fasting ād prayer are of nōe effect
• * 1.28

  fastig and prayer are necessary, but no spe¦ciall tyme is therto appoited by scrip∣tures.
• * 1.29

  prayeth y^t all abuses may be a∣mēded mē may agre in one.
• * 1.30

  Knoledge agreeth to sipliciti¦es praier.
• * 1.31

  desyereth to be caught y^e ryght way to fast, praye & to rec••y¦ue y^e Lor¦des sup∣per.
• * 1.32

  the good wyll of knoledge towards siplicitie.
• * 1.33

  How 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shulde praye.
• * 1.34

  we are not hear•• for our many pr••••¦ers, but for the•…•… be sayde from t•…•… harte.
• * 1.35

  mates a•…•… ev••iōg 〈…〉〈…〉 a strau•…•… tōg & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ceremon•••• 〈…〉〈…〉 vayne.
• * 1.36

  How we shuld fast
• * 1.37

  supersty∣cious fas¦tynge is agaynst gods ho∣nour.
• * 1.38

  How we shuld re∣ceyue the supper of y^e lorde.
• * 1.39

  we do not eate Chri¦stes body nor drike his bloud but in spi∣ryte by fayth.
• * 1.40

  That we shulde be∣fore all things beleue in hys pas∣syon.
• * 1.41

  The tha∣kes of siplyc••té for the good ••••••̄s ••••ll of knoledge.
• * 1.42

  not to mā but to god be all glory